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Showing posts from 2014

Walking along Kloof Street

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{ April 2014 - Cape Town, South Africa } After lunch at Cafe Paradiso , we walked along Kloof Street to The Company's Garden . It was an easy 20 minutes stroll (with lots of stops to snap photos) under the beautiful weather of Cape Town. Along the way, we saw why Cape Town was voted as the World Design Capital 2014. The shops' signs, the road signs, and just the city seems to be beaming with creativity! And that's just one street near where we were staying. I remembered thinking, "I think I am going to like this city".

First lunch in Cape Town at Café Paradiso

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{ April 2014 - Cape Town, South Africa } Our first lunch in Cape Town set the standard for our meals in the city. The food was delicious and fresh at Café Paradiso, with an amazing view of the Table Mountain. The outdoor seats were casual yet charming, and the waiter was friendly and helpful. A perfect combination for a great casual lunch. ::: Footnotes ::: Café Paradiso 110 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa Tel +27 21 423 8653.  http://www.cafeparadiso.co.za

The Company's Garden on our first jet-lagged day in Cape Town

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{ April 2014 - Cape Town, South Africa } Before I went to Cape Town, I have heard that it is a beautiful city. Even then, that did not prepare me for what we experienced and felt on our trip there. We spent about 5 days in the city and that was probably just enough to really experience it. We arrived in Cape Town after a 14 hours flight from Singapore, with a one hour layover in Johannesburg. We drove our rented car to our amazing apartment/hotel in Gardens, Cape Town. The view of the Table Mountain greeted us in almost every single turn, making such a wonderful backdrop to the city. Feeling a little jet-lagged, we decided to take it slow for the day, having lunch and walking around the area, experiencing the city. We made our way to The Company's Garden. It is a small garden right in the middle of the city, with trees and flowers, and many scampering squirrels! Various buildings are situated around the garden, including the National Gallery, Library, Parliament and a cathed

Bruno Mars moonshining in Singapore

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You know how certain songs are tied to certain events? Well, our road trip from Singapore to Kuantan back in 2010 will always be associated with the song Grenade. The song kept playing on the radio throughout our drive. I mean, if a guy says that he'll catch a grenade for you, I'm sure you will take notice too! That was the first time I took notice of Peter Gene Hernandez, or better known as Bruno Mars. He is one of those singers out there who can actually sing amazingly well. Of course, his groove and moves make him a great performer! His concert in Singapore on 26 March 2014 was an evening of great music, great showmanship and lots of great moves. It was a tad short, as I would have loved to keep hearing him groove. Most of the songs were performed with his band member, and it was when he sang "When I Was Your Man" that you can feel his emotions - a man with his guitar singing about lost love. Would love it if he did more of that - no band, no moves, just a m

Take Me Out

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Take Me Out is a play that I would not have expected to be produced and performed in Singapore. It covers something close to everyone's heart - tolerance, inclusion and acceptance of everyone no matter the background. The dialogue is brilliant, it is insightful yet funny and the actors played their characters brilliantly. The 2002 play by Richard Greenberg won the 2003 Tony Awards for Best Play. The play is set in the locker room of a professional baseball team, and has an all-male cast with great physique that we will expect of a professional baseball team. The Tim Garner Productions  of Take Me Out features Juan Jackson (whom I last saw in Next to Normal ), Hayden Tee, Chris Bucko, Johnny James, Paul Lucas (who is also the director) and Tim Garner (who is also the producer). So, why did I say that it is a play that I would not have expected to be produced and performed in Singapore? Well, the theme of the play is on homosexuality and racial prejudice. A topic that not a

Thoughts on my travel to Myanmar (Burma)

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"This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about.” Rudyard Kipling wrote in 1898. More than a hundred years later, it still hold true for me. I have travelled to a number of places , and yet, the country is truly different. Myanmar or Burma (there is still an ongoing debate of what the country should be called), is a country surrounded by China, Thailand, Laos, India and Bangladesh. It was a country of kings and dynasties, where Theravada Buddhism became a prominent and important religion. In the 19th century, the British colonised the country, but it has since became independent for 65 years. Independence from the British, that is, but under a closely guarded military rule for most of those years. Elections came and went, and winning politicians were jailed or put under house arrest. However, in the last couple of years, since 2010 as a matter of fact, the country suddenly found themselves reforming and opening up. It was with these history, and the recent onslaught