Recession?

Tis Sunday, the second day of the Great Singapore Sale or GSS. There were long queues of cars waiting to turn into the road to the car park of Centrepoint. At the Plaza Singapura, cars were queuing as far back as the Atrium.

Recession? What recession!

A respite we sought, in Middle Road, in search of coffee/tea. Found it in a Hainan Chicken Rice stall, next to the Le Cafe (that sells delicious beancurd tarts).

Mussels and Wine

A special we had for dinner,

mussels they were,

fresh in a box from NTUC Finest,

inexpensive and plentiful.

Mussels we had for dinner,

together with wine.

Red (oops, should be white to go with seafood),

just a little.

Mussels, cooked in white wine, we should,

next time we have this for dinner.

Plus some spaghetti too, thanks. :)

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Bye Bye and Good Luck

The end of two years, one spent with us,

learning the job.

Learning how to do things,

understanding the programmes,

we hope.

Learning that would be of help,

we hope.

Time to say bye bye ...

and Good Luck too, we say,

for the future.

The Crescent Moon

The Moon,

a crescent tonight and last,

hanging high up in the dark sky.

The Moon, the Crescent Moon,

high up in the nightly sky,

looking at us,

beaming some light at mankind.

The Moon,

its crescent, lying on its side,

smiling at us from above.

~ ~ ~

Another year, another Dumpling Festival

It's the Dumpling Festival ( 端午节 ) again.

How fast the year flies.

It's time to prepare and eat rice dumplings again,

time for the Dragon Boat races again.

Yet another time to remember Qu Yuan ( 屈原 )

and his fight against corruption in his kingdom.

An Olde Cafe

An olde cafe, with old-world charm,

nestled among high-value properties,

a stone's throw from a Shangri-la, our very own,

and near premier schools.

In a modest building,

the olde cafe,

waiters and waitresses in batik uniform,

friendly and like the uncle next door.

Delicious down-to-earth food,

fried rice with mouth-watering aroma,

gula melaka sago delicious and pretty to look at.

The olde cafe,

nestled among genteel greenery,

a restful retreat from the hustle-bustle of Orchard Road.

to be taken for granted or not to be

Chawanmushi,
a staple of sorts in Japanese cuisine.
Chawanmushi,
in a small earthern cup,
smooth in texture, off-white in colour.
Not very striking, perhaps not so visible to some,
yet so pleasant, so soothing.
But alas, so easily taken for granted.



Not showy, this Chawanmushi,
unlike its more flashy companions on the menu.
Not one to shout its charms, this Chawanmushi,
but one that we can count on,
for that smooth textured protein.


Only when one cares,
would one find the gems within
- the crabstick deep inside,
the mushroom slice or more.
Simple fare, this Chawanmushi,
but so pleasant a cuisine.

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bo bo cha cha

Bo bo cha cha,

sweet potato and sago,

swimming in sweet coconut milk.

Bo bo cha cha,

a bowl of sweetness

to end the week,

and give a sweet start to the next.

:)

(Hopefully =_= )

Sun and Sun

Sun, blazing hot Sun, and clouds, on a Saturday morning.

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Climb every mountain

Climb mountain, they did!

Under the Baked Crust

The baked crust,
squarish and crispy,
baked to golden brown.



The baked crust,
oh-so high cuisine on the outside,
yet airy in the inside.


The baked crust,
covering the chicken pie within the cup,
shielding the chicken bits bobbing in the soup,
the highly visible bits, vying for attention.

While deep within the soup,

more succulent gems of chicken bits lie,

neglected and not visible,

passed over by the undiscerning.

The baked crust,

how like a banyan tree,

protecting its fave ones,

showcasing them.

kopi tiam fare

A kopi tiam,

a stone's throw away,

hot and humid.

Stalls with food, typical hawker fare.

Like bak chor mee*,

tasty and inexpensive.

Like kopi ping,

or iced coffee,

nice and cool,

in a glass mug.

*minced pork noodle

little poet

Little Eliot
chubby and cute,
taking his own sweet time to emerge,
indulging perhaps in poetic repose within.

Little Eliot,

named after the poet,

a heavyweight in his own little right,

with chubby cheeks and a hearty cry,

indulging in his beauty sleep,

awakening at the sound of keywords

like "gossip".

An early learner indeed,

curious about talk around him.

Little Eliot,

the pride and joy.

~~~

Strawberries and Milk

Strawberries and milk,

the stuff of romance novels.

The heroine nibbling daintily on strawberries.

The heroine with her cherry red lips, big doe eyes and rosy cheeks.

And sipping the pure white milk.

Often, out in the countryside,

looking yonder upon acres of green fields

with daffodils and butterflies.

Strawberries and milk,

we make do with a plastic cup,

and strawberries carefully cut into more pieces,

to savour with the High-Low milk.

Sunday sky

The warm Sunday sky - blue and with white clouds in the horizon.

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the mrbrown show: our fella

the mrbrown show: our fella

Posted using ShareThis

Chocs - one and all

A box of chocolates,

beautifully presented,

in gilded paper box, with red ribbon,

complete with a tiny flower (plastic though).

A box of chocolates,

all heart-shaped.

Six gold-paper-wrapped, three in red.

After gazing at it to heart's content,

time to share them.

Shared we did - the hard-working ones around that day.

Leaving one, the one right in the centre,

the heart-shaped choc at the heart of the box.

The chocolate heart,

right at the epicenter, right at the core.

Yet so alone, so isolated.

Still, a breath away,
other hearts loyal and steadfast,
give of support and camaraderie.

kopi tiam fare

Succulent and smooth, delicious but less expensive.

Thus was the soya chicken drumstick with noodles,

and a few strands of vegetables too.

A satisfying main course

found at the kopi tiam.

durian ice-cream :P

Ice-cream of all flavours,

ice-cream with interesting names.

At Udders (next to United Square).

Our choice today: 猫山王 durian ice-cream!

Yummy, yum!

A Bye Bye

Matsuo Sushi (at Goldhill Plaza)

A fond good-bye,

a farewell and yet not.

A cosy meal together,

for one is going a separate way.

Separate, yet still together.

Bitter sweet, almost!

A good wish,

as one would want for one's friend,

reliable supporter and good colleague.

Bye, bye, we say,

till we meet again!

the little Heart

The little Heart

floating merrily around.

The little Heart,

it chanced upon a glass house,

gleaming among the rest.

The little Heart,

it was taken

by the strong fundamentals

and the solid foundation

of the Glass House.

The little Heart,

it floated into the Glass House,

making it its home.

Merrily pumping O2 into the house,

the little Heart did.

Little by little, bit by the bit,

a glass ceiling grew over the top.

Over at its corner

- growing smaller and dimmer by the moons -

the little Heart pumped O2

earnestly and chirpily,

so that the Glass House would be well-breathed.

Pumped and pumped,

even expanding the Glass House estate somewhat

with the powerful O2,

did the little Heart.

But little did the little Heart know,

other hearts pumping O2

for their own jumps over the glass ceiling.

The Glass House, so invitingly strong,

yet so biased in its sunlight distribution.

The little Heart,

it bled within

when it finally saw the glass ceiling.

The little Heart,

it went on pumping O2 merrily

though it be laden like lead.

When all was quiet,

it let itself sink

to the floor,

little teardrops, laced with blood,

dripped...

If in the silence of the night, you hear the drip drip of water, you know it's the little Heart, hurt and sad, bleeding away.

over laksa and cheesecake

A quiet corner, in a bustling mall.

A quiet tete-te-tete,

over hot gourmet laksa and egg salad.

Rounded off with yummy cheesecake.

(Was too busy eating it to take its photo!)

And coffee latte.

A good respite

from the cares of the ladened heart.

Full Moon

A full moon.
A full moon it is tonight,
the night of Mother's Day.
The full moon shining brightly
on families remembering their mothers.
And with retailers riding on that sentiment.
Mothers,
all shapes and sizes;
all types - some caring, some demanding,
some morale-boosting, others less so.
Mother's Day,
a day to remember
what's good.

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Wash our hands!

Even as we prepare to move progressively from DORSCON Orange to Yellow, we must remember to:
*maintain high standards of personal hygiene.
**So cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
**Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after contact with respiratory secretions (e.g., after sneezing and coughing).

Everyone needs to be socially responsible.
**So stay at home and avoid crowded places (including trains, buses, offices) when you are unwell and
**put on a surgical mask and see a doctor if you have flu symptoms.

MOH statement today
Flu website

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colours

If feelings were sounds, what would they be?
Tenor, soprano, alto or base?

If feelings were colours, what would they be?
A bright cheery yellow for joy;
A lime green for envy or jealousy (as books would have us believe);
A deep red for embarrassment?
And a dull grey for disappointment,
the darker shade for deeper feelings perhaps.
Grey, deep grey.

another auf wiedersehn

Yet another meal, another farewell.

A premature departure,

just when the plot of seedlings has grown,

and shows signs of bearing fruit.

But inevitable at times,

for there be another calling ...

... that of the loved ones.

Distance, one oft scoffs at,

but nothing to scoff at

when car one doesn't drive,

and with long distances to negotiate.

At the crux of it,

family is uppermost.

organic food

Organic food we huddled over,

mushroom soup, creamy and delicious;

fish fillet, nicely stacked, lined with tomato sauce;

refreshing citron drink, and

colourful jelly dessert.

Yummy, yum.

A nice beginning to a mentor-mentee friendship.

soap opera

The strains of 爱 , the theme song of Taiwanese soap opera, drift from some households Sat and Sun nights, as the soap opera is broadcast.

Such a long long marathon of a soap opera. The plots and sub-plots overlaying each other. One couple crossed in love, then another, and another, ad infinitum.

How they upset each other, get upset with their families, ad nauseum.

But among the leading men and ladies in the soap opera, a bright genteel spot.

In the greying Chairman of the board, the father of grown-up children, yet still debonair and suave. Always in suits, a patient smile on his wrinkled face, and such a gentleman to the ever-suffering Shu Hua! The younger leading men pale in contrast, really!

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tinkerbell 1 and 2

Tinkerbell, swinging on the left,
Tinkerbell, swinging on the right.
Tinkerbell - who of her?
What else but dangling ear-rings
of Tinkerbell-like fairies, ladened with rhodium stones.

May Day

On May Day night.