Before choir practise today, we had to run some errands to prepare for our upcoming trip. So after a short afternoon nap, we headed to Marine Parade to do some shopping.
First, we went to Kim Choo at Katong to get those bottled nonya sauces for the family back in Ont. We have always love this particular brand of red curry sauce which we had bought in Malacca. It goes really well when fried with petai and prawn. We discovered later from Mrs Lim that it is also sold here at Kim Choo.
After purchasing the sauces, we headed for the MP Mall which we haven't been for some years. While searching for souvenirs, we found the HSW store which specialises in storage and organisation for the home. So glad to have discovered the store, which apparently has been around for 3 yrs already...
I love to organise my stuff in proper storage, especially since we are living in a small space. So within half an hour in the store, we bought a hanging jewellery organiser and a plastic laptop/breakfast tray. I'm so pleased with our purchase, especially the laptop tray which has side pocket for addition storage and cost us only $13+. We have been looking for one that we could use on our bed, as that's our regular computer workstation. We used to just make do with putting a pillow on our lap. Now, this laptop tray is lightweight, durable, waterproof, good height and I no longer feel the heat from the laptop on my thighs. :)
But of course, we have to be discerning to know if the things are value for money when shopping at HSW, as some of the items are a tad expensive. If we have not been short of time, I think we would have bought more stuff. It's kind of like a mini Ikea, with excellant storage ideas.
Showing posts with label Interests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interests. Show all posts
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
We Will Rock You
Last week, we attended the Queen musical 'We Will Rock You'. Queen is Sam's all time favourite band, after the Beatles.
Well, the storyline was rather disappointing, and the second half of the musical was better than the first. They sang many familiar hits like 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', 'Another One Bites the Dust', 'Under Pressure', 'Radio Ga Ga' and so on. Of course, they left the most popular hits 'We will Rock you' and 'We are the Champions' for the finale.
Just while I was expressing my disappointment that they did not sing the hit song 'Bohemian Rhapsody', they cheekily flashed on the wide screen asking 'Do you want Bohemian Rhapsody?'. That led to thunderous roar for the encore performance. They performed that song really well to standing ovation. The 8-piece band, especially the drummer and leading electric guitarist rock!
Too bad they did not perform Sam's favorite song 'Love of my life'. He tried to serenade that song to me decades back, and even influenced his niece to learn that song.
Personally, I prefer the 'Mama Mia' musical as the storyline was more interesting. Also, I didn't like one part of the performance cause it was a little blasphemous. They had a guy in a kneeling position with his arms widespread, and someone placed a wreath made of colorful lighted bulbs on his head, resembling the crown of thorns. It was a brief scene with the lights deeming out, but it caught my attention.
Well, apart from the darkness of the lyrics and the influences behind Queen, the musical performance was great! They added some local flavor to the script injecting words like 'lahs', 'bugis street' and 'PCK'. Some parts of the show was funny though forgettable. I did enjoy the evening despite having a stiff neck and not being able to rock to the music and clapping like a moron...
On a separate note, I think this season's top 10 American Idol Michael Johns performed songs from Queen really well. Too bad he's out of the race.
Well, the storyline was rather disappointing, and the second half of the musical was better than the first. They sang many familiar hits like 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', 'Another One Bites the Dust', 'Under Pressure', 'Radio Ga Ga' and so on. Of course, they left the most popular hits 'We will Rock you' and 'We are the Champions' for the finale.
Just while I was expressing my disappointment that they did not sing the hit song 'Bohemian Rhapsody', they cheekily flashed on the wide screen asking 'Do you want Bohemian Rhapsody?'. That led to thunderous roar for the encore performance. They performed that song really well to standing ovation. The 8-piece band, especially the drummer and leading electric guitarist rock!
Too bad they did not perform Sam's favorite song 'Love of my life'. He tried to serenade that song to me decades back, and even influenced his niece to learn that song.
Personally, I prefer the 'Mama Mia' musical as the storyline was more interesting. Also, I didn't like one part of the performance cause it was a little blasphemous. They had a guy in a kneeling position with his arms widespread, and someone placed a wreath made of colorful lighted bulbs on his head, resembling the crown of thorns. It was a brief scene with the lights deeming out, but it caught my attention.
Well, apart from the darkness of the lyrics and the influences behind Queen, the musical performance was great! They added some local flavor to the script injecting words like 'lahs', 'bugis street' and 'PCK'. Some parts of the show was funny though forgettable. I did enjoy the evening despite having a stiff neck and not being able to rock to the music and clapping like a moron...
On a separate note, I think this season's top 10 American Idol Michael Johns performed songs from Queen really well. Too bad he's out of the race.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
High Definition
On Tuesday, Sam very excitedly came home with a HD Set-top Box. He has exchanged the very old black box with this one at a promotional price of $48.15 plus free 3 months HD Plus for 1 yr contract. The recommended retail price for the box is $300+ without contract. He also had to purchase a special cable for the connection. And of course he subscribed to the additional sports channel.
After fixing it up, we channel surfed and realised that they have opened up all channels for our preview. There are more than 100 channels to surf. How exciting! Didn't know that there's more than 1 HBO channel. We also came across an interesting channel 70 called Discovery Home and Health, which offers content on health, beauty, pregnancy, parenting etc.
I like the additional feature we get with the new set-top box. There's on-screen TV Guide & Reminders and of course HD pictures. That's enough for us. Now we will be busy channel surfing for the next few days before they remove the preview channels. Anyway, we wouldn't have time to spend on the goggle box.
After fixing it up, we channel surfed and realised that they have opened up all channels for our preview. There are more than 100 channels to surf. How exciting! Didn't know that there's more than 1 HBO channel. We also came across an interesting channel 70 called Discovery Home and Health, which offers content on health, beauty, pregnancy, parenting etc.
I like the additional feature we get with the new set-top box. There's on-screen TV Guide & Reminders and of course HD pictures. That's enough for us. Now we will be busy channel surfing for the next few days before they remove the preview channels. Anyway, we wouldn't have time to spend on the goggle box.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Living Things At Home
It's amazing how our Frangipani (or Plumeria) has bloomed a few weeks 
after we brought it home. Well, initially it withered and there was only one miserable leaf left on the stem... and still one leaf. So we decided to place the pot on top of our A/C condenser outside the kitchen, where it gets the most sun. Then one morning we noticed one partially bloomed yellow flower among the many flower buds. And when we got home that evening, we were delighted to find that more flowers have bloomed. Thanks to Aunt D who donated a stem from her Frangipani tree :) It's one of my fav plant.
While waiting for the Frangipani to be revived, we bought a Periwinkle from the nursery just to add some colors to our balcony. Turned out it is still doing well too!
Our Basil plant is also doing fine though a little bald and sad looking. But when we need herbs for cooking, we just reached out of the window to pluck some leaves :) It has survived our ill treatment after being left in a small pot and shady area for a long time.
We will next get a Citronella plant to repel mosquitoes as they seemed to be quite a nuisance lately.
after we brought it home. Well, initially it withered and there was only one miserable leaf left on the stem... and still one leaf. So we decided to place the pot on top of our A/C condenser outside the kitchen, where it gets the most sun. Then one morning we noticed one partially bloomed yellow flower among the many flower buds. And when we got home that evening, we were delighted to find that more flowers have bloomed. Thanks to Aunt D who donated a stem from her Frangipani tree :) It's one of my fav plant. While waiting for the Frangipani to be revived, we bought a Periwinkle from the nursery just to add some colors to our balcony. Turned out it is still doing well too!Our Basil plant is also doing fine though a little bald and sad looking. But when we need herbs for cooking, we just reached out of the window to pluck some leaves :) It has survived our ill treatment after being left in a small pot and shady area for a long time.
We will next get a Citronella plant to repel mosquitoes as they seemed to be quite a nuisance lately.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Busy-ness
Been busy with work and other activities. And in a short span of 1 week, mum's eldest bro passed on, followed by dad's eldest bro. Time flies and we are getting old...
Been attending the keyboard class once a week. And while I thought I belong to the beginners group, the instructor recommended that I take the WDI class instead since I have classical training. Glad that they are flexible to allow us to transfer class just like that, otherwise I will still be learning basics in identifying the black keys (chopsticks and forks!).
And yes, it has been an amazing journey in just a few weeks as I finally figured out what are the '4' and '2' suspended notes, why use suspended notes, how to play the Maj7, Min7 and Dom7 chords on a keyboard, and the common type of chord progression. The instructor has been great, very encouraging and able to multi-task well! She taught us to play the keyboard and worship meaningfully at the same time. But I am still far from being able to play by ear, so that will take time to master...
Been watching Korean drama lately :p We didn't catch the Korean wave in the past couple of years, and thought we shouldn't even try in case we get hooked. But one day while channel surfing, I came across this show 'Coffee Prince' and we were instantly hooked. It's a comedy cum romance, makes you laugh and love at the same time. The characters in the show are loveable and I fell in love with the soundtrack too. The set (coffee house) where they film the show has become a tourist attraction. And check out the black Mini Cooper Convertible driven by the protagonist ... my kind of car! :)
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Barclays Open
This afternoon, we attended the Barclays SG Open at Sentosa Golf Club. When we arrived on the island, the roads were already packed with cars parked along the side streets and car park. We parked our car at the sheltered parking lot at Sentosa Cove and took a free shuttle bus to the golf course.
To get closer to the players, we decided to walk down the 18th hole. That's when we caught up with Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and K J Choi at the 17th hole Par 3 course. All 3 players scored a birdie for that hole with ease. Mickelson almost scored a hole-in-one but the ball bounced off the flag. There was a large group of spectators following the threesome and it was almost impossible to get a close-up view of the players and their swing. The last time we watched the Lexus Cup, we were able to get closer to the players like Annika Sorenstam and Grace Park.
On the last teeing box, the players gave their most powerful and accurate swing with the balls landing on the fairway some 280m away, avoiding the many big bunkers and water hazard. How do we know that it was that far? 'Cause we had to trudge a very long way to get to where the ball landed! The group finished the Par 5 with Singh and Choi both scoring a par and Mickelson, a birdie.
It seems that the players didn't do so well today due to the scorching heat and the challenging course. After 3 rounds, Cabrera is leading the game with a -9 to par, with Jin Park in 2nd place (-5) and Westwood in 3rd (-4). Singh and Scott are in 4th position with -3 to par. We shall see who will take home the title and US$634k of the US$4mil prize money tomorrow.
After watching the 3 play, we headed to the VIP lounge hoping to get a close up of the players. The media was stationed outside to interview them, and Quincy Quek (an amateur player from SG) was one of those who gamely obliged to the request. He played pretty well for an amateur.
We caught some players leaving and fans begging for autograph. And all we wanted were closeup shots of them. Were a little disappointed that we did not catch some of them leaving as they went via a different exit, and Cabrera did not stop for autograph and with the bodyguards surrounding him it was impossible to take any pix. How unfriendly!
Our first venue was the WSG hospitality lounge for patrons. We got ourselves a perfect spot inside the air-conditioned marquee, which overlooked the 9th and 18th hole of the Serapong Course. We then helped ourselves to the nice buffet spread consisting of steam cod fish, curry prawns, braised lamb, pasta with sun dried tomatoes, sushi, desserts etc. There were also free flow of soft drinks, beers and wines. 
From the lounge, we saw legendary greats like Angel Cabrera, Lee Westwood and Adam Scott (defending champion) doing their 9th hole putts on the green. They played in 3-ball fully escorted by an entourage of caddies, marshalls, spectators and media.
To get closer to the players, we decided to walk down the 18th hole. That's when we caught up with Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and K J Choi at the 17th hole Par 3 course. All 3 players scored a birdie for that hole with ease. Mickelson almost scored a hole-in-one but the ball bounced off the flag. There was a large group of spectators following the threesome and it was almost impossible to get a close-up view of the players and their swing. The last time we watched the Lexus Cup, we were able to get closer to the players like Annika Sorenstam and Grace Park.On the last teeing box, the players gave their most powerful and accurate swing with the balls landing on the fairway some 280m away, avoiding the many big bunkers and water hazard. How do we know that it was that far? 'Cause we had to trudge a very long way to get to where the ball landed! The group finished the Par 5 with Singh and Choi both scoring a par and Mickelson, a birdie.It seems that the players didn't do so well today due to the scorching heat and the challenging course. After 3 rounds, Cabrera is leading the game with a -9 to par, with Jin Park in 2nd place (-5) and Westwood in 3rd (-4). Singh and Scott are in 4th position with -3 to par. We shall see who will take home the title and US$634k of the US$4mil prize money tomorrow.
After watching the 3 play, we headed to the VIP lounge hoping to get a close up of the players. The media was stationed outside to interview them, and Quincy Quek (an amateur player from SG) was one of those who gamely obliged to the request. He played pretty well for an amateur.
We caught some players leaving and fans begging for autograph. And all we wanted were closeup shots of them. Were a little disappointed that we did not catch some of them leaving as they went via a different exit, and Cabrera did not stop for autograph and with the bodyguards surrounding him it was impossible to take any pix. How unfriendly!It was great to re-acquaint with the game and see the world's famous players in action for this world class event. It's unfortunate that we did not get to see Ernie Els play as he didn't make the cut yesterday. He is the World's no. 4 though. I wonder if we would get to see Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia play in SG some day...
Saturday, October 20, 2007
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... :)
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... :)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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...
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...
Sunday, October 7, 2007
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!
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!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Beetle
We visited the new VW showroom the other day. Saw the new open top Cabriolet Beetle in pastel yellow on display.Like the Mini, the Beetle has been regarded as something of a "cult" car since the 60s due to its association with the hippie movement and surf/pop culture. Like its peers, it has the attributes of a unique and quirky design, and has made numerous appearance in films.
These are exactly the reasons why I like both the Beetle and the Mini. :)
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Basil Plant
We bought a Basil Plant today from Cold Storage. A check on the web says that Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines frequently use basil, the former frequently combining it with tomato.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto (a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce). Chinese also use basils in soups and other foods.
Although basil will grow best outdoors, it can be grown indoors in a pot and should be kept away from extremely cold drafts. Let's see how long it will last :)
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mini Cooper
We took half day leave today to settle our HDB stuff. Passed by Leng Kee Road and saw loads of nice cars - Jaguar, Lexus, VW etc. Then we saw this very colorful Mini Cooper on display on the 2nd floor of their show room. We decided to make a quick pit stop to find out more about the infamous car.
There is the Mini Convertible, Mini Cooper S and Mini Cooper series. The interior is slick and spacious, more sophisticated than it appears to be. It is a low gravity car, performance is much like a sports car in a cute body. We fell in love with the car and may be tempted to get one when we are retired. :) Indeed an expensive car that makes a statement. Love the fact that every mini is unique! So arty-farty! :)
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Plant Miracle
We came home one night to find our indoor plants withered. Not quite sure if it was the lack of sun (positioning of the pot) or water (dehydration), we decided that perhaps just a little water will help. It made a big difference and within hours the plants came alive! They are living things after all!
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