The MacRitchie Walk

Yesterday morning, we met the choir folks at MacRitchie to attempt the Treetop Walk. Well, the weather forecast did predict showers with thunderstorm in the morning, but that did not deter the enthusiastic walkers.

We met at Venus Dr car park at 7 am. Everyone was punctual, arriving at about the same time. Surprisingly, the gung-ho group are very fast walkers. We tread through the forest and sloppy trail, but did not make it to the Treetop as it began to drizzle about 45 mins into the walk. And since there were many warning signs calling to us to stop our trekking when it rains, we obediently headed back to the car park.

Well, at least we did better than the last week and walked a longer distance at a faster pace. And what else did we do but to end the walk with a hearty breakfast at Casuarina Rd. As we were rather early, only a prata shop was opened. We had a good breakfast and spent much of the time chatting and catching up with one another.

It amazes me that we are actually meeting these folks so regularly. To be precised, we meet 3 times a week: for the walk, Sunday choir practise and Wed ensemble practise at Mr Ong's. Well, it happens that we are all among those chosen for the 2 small group items for our upcoming concert in KL. The funniest thing was that they wanted us to join them for their first line dance lesson today! Well, that's where we draw the line!

Where are all my peers, I frequently wonder...

Spanish Culinary Workshop

This afternoon we attended a Spanish culinary workshop at Cairnhill CC. It's my first time attending a cooking workshop, apart from the Home Econs class I took in school.

Cooking is not my forte, as I was discouraged after having failed miserably when I tried to replicate at home the 'rock buns' and 'scrambled eggs' I have learnt from school. I did attempt to do some baking now and then, but still lack the motivation. Well that also means that since I'm kitchen incompetent, Sam does most of the cooking. But he enjoys it and does a pretty good job, really. :)

I wanted to learn to cook Spanish cuisine after having really enjoyed the food when we were in Spain. We came across this workshop at one of the Healthy Lifestyle event held at BG recently. So we registered online for our first ever cooking class. It was also our first time to step foot in that CC.

First, we were introduced to the wife of the Spanish Ambassador who briefly attended the session with us. Next we had a lady (from the Embassy) who read from a script explaining the Spanish pop culture. Then the time was handed over to the native culinary expert Mireia Castells, who introduced to us 3 Spanish dishes: Gazpacho (cold tomato soup) for starter, Albondigas (meatballs) for main and Flan for dessert. I was sort of expecting it to be a hands-on session, but it turned out to be just a demo. Fine with me as I did not have to make a fool of myself...

Cooking the Gazpacho is easy as it is a matter of chopping up all the ingredients and putting them in a blender, and adding water, salt & pepper and ice (yes, ice) to taste. The Flan requires a few extra steps but is just as simple. It is the Spanish version of crème brûlée and is to be served cold. As for the Albondigas, that requires some hours of cooking and preparation which the class of mostly ladies enthusiastically chipped in to help during the demo.

We got to taste the food at the end of the demo, and it was pretty good. From this class, I learnt culinary terms like 'Bain Marie' and got to see what a colander looks like :p The 3 hrs class was fun, and I am looking forward to Sam trying out those dishes... :)

Morning Workout with the Folks

This morning, we met some choir folks at 7 am for a workout at the BG. Yes, we woke up earlier than usual just to walk the BG with the folks.

We met at the gate opposite Taman Serasi, and took a leisure walk all the way to the Symphony Stage. There were a few people jogging and some groups doing Taichi. No birds chirping but it was a nice refreshing start to the day... till it started to pour! So after barely half an hour into the walk, we ended up at a make-shift marquee. Fortunately there were chairs around, so the 8 of us sat and chat while waiting for the weather to ease.

Surely I was thinking, how nice it would have been if I was in my cozy bed sleeping with the cool breeze and sound of raindrops in the background. While waiting we had a morning devotion, with Albert sharing a passage from the bible which was meant for his talk with the BB boys later in the morning. As the rain still did not stop after waiting for an hour or so, Sam and Albert decided to walk back to get the car and some brollies for everyone.

Next, we proceeded to Telok Blangah Food Centre for breakfast. It was my first visit to that food centre. We ordered porridge, wanton noodle, dumpling soup, yutiao, carrot cake and pom pom. The food was really delicious. The porridge was smooth and tasty with lots of ingredients and condiments. The wanton noodle was very fine and the prawn in the dumpling tasted fresh. The yutiao was handmade and not oily. Never knew this place existed and will definitely return for the porridge and wanton noodle. Apparently, most of the stalls are closed after lunch and the place is virtually deserted at night.

We parted ways after breakfast. It was another great Sat for us, and another excuse for not quite doing any exercise. :p The folks are planning to conquer the TreeTop walk at Macritchie next Sat. Let's see if it materialise...

Pretzel Pieces

This was first introduced to me by little Sarah when I was in Taiwan. And I got to like the chunks of Sourdough Hard Pretzels especially the honey mustard and toasted onion flavor. It was not available in SG till recently. These Pretzels from Snyders are now found everywhere in supermarkets like Cold Storage. I like it as a healthier (I think) alternative to chips.

Try it! (Hmm, I should get commission doing this...)

The Red Beaded Lamp

On Monday night, we were all excited about putting up our new hanging lamp we had bought from Lims on Sunday. The lamp is made of red beads sewn on nylon strings, about 2 ft high, oblong in shape with openings on two ends and some sort of wooden support structure. It is to replace the white plastic lamp in our guest/piano room. We wanted a nicer and heavier lamp that does not sway violently when the wind blows ...

So we rushed home after work when there's still daylight, and took down the old lamp. We obviously have to switch off the main power to do the job. So when it got darker we decided to put our tea light/candles to good use and placed them in every corner of the room. The new lamp went up after 2 hrs, 3 attempts, aching biceps, strained neck muscles, and much perspiration. Sam put his little electrical know-how to use and plugged the wires correctly into the connector. The arduous task that required a few attempts was concealing of the excess wires in the mental holder and screwing the holder securely on the ceiling. I on the other hand was standing on a bench next to the ladder, supporting the heavy lamp above my head while he fiddle with the wires. Arm workout.

Then with great anticipation we turned on the power, only to be flabbergasted when we found the room lighted orangey red! Horrors! What have we purchased? We were so attracted to the pretty lamp and forgot about its functionality. It will probably look pretty in a big house or at a veranda but not in our small room!

Later we figured that if we change the bulb to a cool light instead of the current 60 watt warm bulb, it may help the situation. So with our fingers crossed, we went out for a quick dinner and headed to the 24hr Mustafa to get our cool light bulb.

Well, let's just say that the solution didn't quite work and the room was lighted pinkish then white. Sigh... there goes our money down the drain. We will probably need to put our red lamp for sale in Mocca and put our white lamp back up again this weekend...

Gathering with the Folks

We had one of those strange weekends where we hung out with people beyond our years :p

One of the choir ladies AH decided to hold a monthly gathering of sorts for fellowship sake. There were about 14 of us that showed up for the first get together at Crystal Court, Killiney on Sat evening. We were the last to arrive as we did not expect the folks to really mean to eat at 6 pm! Well, there is a good variety at the $16 porridge buffet, and it was a simple and enjoyable dinner.

The weird part was when the folks decided on the spur to proceed for Karaoke. So just imagine a group of us treading to Orchard Cineleisure on a Sat night after a good meal. Well, I have to admire the folks for being so gung-ho about walking and for going to a place where only young people would gather!
We arrived at K-Box (yes K-Box) and Eric got us a big room to accommodate the group. And throughout the night we were serenaded with songs that were beyond our years: Mandarin, Hokkien, English oldies and a few Christmas carols. It was also unusual as we had 2 Rev with us, and the oldest is in his 70s. We are ashamed to admit that some of them have inexhaustible energy which we could only envy from afar :p

I think the folks enjoyed themselves despite that it ended close to midnight (there's service the next day) and it cost us a pretty penny. There is supposed to be some sharing which obviously did not transpire. As for us, it was a weird night and I don’t think I will want to go for another Karaoke session again! The last time we went to one was probably a decade ago. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the evening and have offered our place for the next gathering (No KTV).

And I shudder to think that God is trying to show us how we will live our golden years...

Crowd to Avoid

Well, it was pouring on Sat morning but was sunny by noontime. We needed our exercise and proceeded with our plan for a walk at BG. Before that we had our lunch at the new Taman Serasi Food Centre. The food was not too bad, surprisingly...

We recall visiting the food centre after the revamp earlier this year and decided to boycott it for some reason which I can't remember. It must have been the price of the food that threw us off, as it is more expensive than the usual food court prices. The popular soursop drink cost us $2.80 for a small little cup with lots of ice, which we could get elsewhere for $2 in a larger cup. My bak cho mee cost $3.80, and Sam's char siew rice and watercrest soup cost $7+. The food was not too bad but little pricey.

After our meal, we went upstairs and were surprised to find many people hanging out at the park. It then occurred to us that it's a public holiday, and people were gathering everywhere having a picnic. It was not the usual crowd and atmosphere that I am used to, very humid. So after a short walk we decided to head back home! No exercise!

Personality Test

It's been sometime since I did any personality test. The last test was done for work style profiling, and I'm a 'Dove' personality vss the Eagle, Owl or Peacock. The 'Dove' person is amiable. :)

Thanks to Min I tried out a fun quiz and if we go by the Myer Briggs Type Indicator, then I belong to the ENFJ group: Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging.

Sometimes I wonder how accurate are the tests, as I have to truly know myself well enough to answer them correctly. Over the years, my personality has been moulded by my work and life experiences, and as such I could not answer somes questions truthfully. Depending on the situation and who I am with, I may react and respond differently.

So what's your personality type?

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

Weekend for Errands

The past weekend was spent running errands and shopping for essentials. There was so much to do we needed a checklist to keep us focus on the task. It was to Vivocity on Sat and Chinatown on Sun.

We like Vivocity as it houses many shops and you can practically find anything that you need under one roof. I managed to find a replacement for my worn out dress shoes. We also bought scents for the car, stationeries, and donuts to fill our stomach. The shopping spree ended when we had to rush home for Sam to catch the Rugby World Cup (Aus vs Eng).

On Sun, we went to my regular seamstress in Chinatown to replace a spoiled zip. People's Park is also where we stock up on our supply of toiletries: shampoo, toothpaste, mothballs, floor wipes, face cleanser, toner and mask. We managed to steal a little time to visit the National Library as I needed some pictorial books to aid in my Sun school lessons, but unfortunately we did not find anything appropriate. As our choir practise has resumed on Sun evenings after a 1 week break, we had to dash to our next destination.

It was a fruitful weekend even though we only managed to cover half of our to-do list ...

Crocs

I know some people probably think that Crocs are the most hideous shoes ever invented. The imitation alternatives widely sold in the market and commonly sighted in hawker centres have taken away the uniqueness of the design and compromised on its quality.

Nonetheless, we are still enjoying our first pair of foam shoes which has a degree of arch support built-in and non-skid component. If the pricing is better, I am sure these functional originals would attract more followers.

Yesterday, we decided to fancify our Beach Crocs and purchased some accessories from the store at Vivo. We purchased different color stripes and I got myself a pawprint jibbitz. Now we feel like we have a brand new pair of Crocs and are ready to have fun with them!

The Bontanic Gardens

We had a great start to a Sat morning, visiting the Botanic Gardens (BG) after breakfast at Prata Cafe.

I recalled my first visit to BG with my Godma, Aunt Nancy, Eugene and mum when I was a kid. I ran and climbed trees, all hot and perspiring in my uncomfortable dress as evident in an old photo. At that time I did not know how to appreciate such outings and never went there again till some years later. I realised though that as I age :-( , I began to enjoy the Parks and Gardens more.

We parked our car at the public parking along Tyersall Ave near the Burkhill Gate entrance. The nice thing about the BG is that parking is relatively cheap, and from 11am - 5pm it's free for the first hour.

We strolled through the Ginger Gdn, Orchid Gdn, Palm Valley, Visitor Centre/Shop, Bonsai Gdn, Sun Gdn (succulents) and E.J.H. Corner House (now Au Jadin Les Amis). There were people jogging, walking their dogs, having a picnic, having meals at Halia Rstnt and other cafes, enjoying the greens and admiring the varied spieces of plants and trees. There were also a number of tourists who probably found the heat today a little unbearable. Coincidentally we met Gerald with some friends, discussing work while doing their walks. Now, that's something new... working at the park.

On display at the Sun Gdn is a 'Passing of Knowledge' sculpture by a local sculptor. The sculpture depicts his interpretation of the 4-Way Test, a philosophy embraced by Rotarians worldwide. The 4-Way Test of the things we think, say or do are:

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The BG is huge and we only covered parts of it. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk and hopefully could make this a weekly routine. :-)

TGIF

The weekend is finally here again! I have been looking forward to this day, again! :-)

For dinner today, we decided to try out the Harvest Thai Restnt at ACS (Barker). It is located by the Olympic-sized Shaw pool where we watched the swimmers do their laps while we dine with Christian music in the background. Not crowded. Nice ambiance.

Sam must have been really hungry as he ordered a lot of food. We had olive fried rice, green curry, a veg dish, seafood salad and a Harvest harmony drink. The food is Thai with some local flavour. They are also pretty generous with their servings and we were really stuffed. We will visit again as it is closed to home, free parking and food is reasonably priced. In the day it is opened as 'Cafe Daily Bread' serving snacks and pastries.

After dinner, we headed for CG at the Choos' new residence at Lor Selangat. It's a lovely terrace cluster housing, 4 stories high consisting of 16 units, ample basement parking, an infinity lap pool and a baby pool. When you enter from the car park there's the maid's room, and on the next level is a big living/dining room and the kitchen/laundry area. The 2nd level houses the master bedroom and a study room. On the topmost level are 2 bedrooms, one belonging to Don (decorated all blue), the other to Laetitia (EVERYTHING in there was her choice color - pink). Each level has a balcony and at least a washroom. It's a very lovely and cosy home, with good choice of wall color and furnishing.

This evening, Sam led us in a comparison study on the story of Zacchaeus and the Rich Young Man. We concluded that the Rich Man was unwilling to give up his earthly wealth to inherit eternal life. The self-righteous man despite living a righteous life, has forgotten to obey the very first commandment "Thou shall have no other Gods before me". These other Gods need not be deities but material things or putting of self before God. It is indeed a good reminder for all to remain humble like Zacchaeus and to seek God first.