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Showing posts from August, 2011

Jacky Cheung is still going strong after half a century

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For someone who do not read Chinese, nor understand much for that matter, I listened to quite a number of Mandarin and Cantonese songs growing up. Jacky Cheung (张学友) was one of them, together with the other three which made up the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王). Of course, he has always been the better singer even among the heavenly kings. So, when Jacky Cheung's 1/2 Century Tour in Singapore was announced, it was one of those concert that you believe you had to attend before it is too late. I expected amazing perfect pitched singing, which he delivered effortlessly. I expected a medley of his greatest ballads, which he delivered. I expected him to jazz the night up with songs from his latest jazz album Private Corner, which he delivered with a cozy piano and double bass set. I expected some form of theatrical showmanship, which he did by starting the concert with a set of songs with lots of emotions and acting. What I did not expect was a 50-year old Jacky Cheung (tha

Birraria La Corte at Campo San Polo, Venice

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{ Venice, Italy - April 2011 } Before going to Venice, I kept hearing about the bad food that one can find in Venice. Well, with a little research and a little bit of luck, we enjoyed the food we had there. One of the best restaurants we tried in the short 3 days that we were there, was definitely Birraria La Corte. Located in Campo San Polo, it was a short walk from Rialto Market, where we spent our morning . Everything looked great, and we could not stop ordering! Between the two of us, we had a starter of mussels and clams, pasta, pizza, a salad mix and tiramisu! All of them were great, although by the time we got to the dessert, we felt like a couple of gluttons. Apart from the food, I enjoyed the location as well. Situated in Campo San Polo, a small square that was  somewhat off the tourist route in Venice, it was great sitting under the sun and people watch. Then again, we were too busy eating. Hmm... ::: Footnotes ::: Birraria La Corte Campo San Polo, 2168 - Venezia Te

Coffee break!

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How many cups of coffee do you need on a working day? I need at least two! But TGIF! Have a great weekend!

my world map

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I have always wanted a world map on my wall, and pin all the places I have been. There was a map where you can scratch off the places you have been , and I would love to get my hands on that. However, while I find the perfect map to do that, I have made myself one! I bought a world map, stick it on a piece of thick cardboard and pin the places I have been. A simple, easy to do map of the world to track all the places that I have been. It also serves as a reminder that the world is very big and for every places that I have been, there are countless more that is waiting to be explored! { Click here for places that I have been } 

Serving healthy organic food in Sunny Choice

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Feeling healthy and energetic after walking 3km on the railway tracks , we decided to have dinner in the only healthy-looking restaurant along The Rail Mall. There were many restaurants with great menus at the Rail Mall that I would love to try one of these days, but they all looked meaty and heavy. So, we decided to step into Sunny Choice that serves organic vegetarian food and sells organic produce. The simple menu offered a variety of choices. We tried the brown rice, noodle salad and vegetable sushi, with organic fruit juice. The dishes were all tasty, but I especially like the noodle salad which is a noodle dish and fresh salad, with some sort of vinegar dressing. The vegetable sushi was crunchy with fresh vegetable wrapped in seaweed. We were full in a healthy sort of way after the dinner. While I am not sure if I will return to the restaurant as it is a little out of the way for me, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for organic produce and food. :::

Walking the last 3km of the railway tracks

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After bidding farewell to the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station , we walked the last 3 kilometres of the railway tracks before all the tracks were closed to the public on 1 August 2011. The last section of the tracks started from the Bukit Timah railway station to the Rail Mall. The section just before the Bukit Timah Railway Station was already being dismantled! Talk about efficiency. I'm sure that before long, the whole railway tracks will be gone. However, there is an effort going on by The Green Corridor to keep the railway tracks as green spaces. It is an effort that I fully support. In a country where development and urbanisation are turning jungles into concrete jungles, we should preserve as many green spaces as we can. The walk took is more than three hours as we slowly walked and took many photographs of the bridge, the tracks, and even some monkeys! By the time we reached Rail Mall, it was already dark. All in all, it was a nostalgic walk along what would soon beco

Keep calm and put the kettle on

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Sometimes, you just need to stop, relax and put the kettle on. Saw a range of "Keep Calm" posters that got me wondering what they are all about. Spotted the poster while shopping, but after searching for the posters online, I  found out  that it started from the British Government in 1939 at the beginning of World War II! Since it was rediscovered in 2000, a whole range of products had been produced and sold based on this. Isn't it great that the British Government started the craze? 

Having ramen at The Ramen Stall

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While searching for a new place to eat on the phone, we found a ramen stall, called The Ramen Stall! The name may not be unique or special, but it sure is straight to the point. We had ramen (of course!), sashimi don and vanilla with black sesame ice cream. The ramen was good, but the soup was not thick enough. The eggs were cooked to perfection though - with soft centre and creamy yolk! The salmon was very fresh, and would have ordered more sushi and sashimi if we were still hungry. They serve kushiyaki as well, and would love to try that on our next visit. Oh! And it is right next to the Rochor Beancurd, so do save some space for the oh-so-silky and smooth beancurd! ::: Footnotes ::: The Ramen Stall No. 6 Short Street, Singapore 188213 (diagonally opposite Peace Centre, next to the famous Rochor Beancurd) Rochor (Original) Beancurd No. 2 Short Street { Click here for other restaurants and eating places in Singapore } 

You're prettiest when you're happy

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Remember that!  Have a pretty week ahead!