Old Car Finally Cannot Tahan Me!!

It should have been a really nice day today; I managed to sneak into Ngee Ann Library even though 'security' was pretty high and i had a really fun time playing badminton wif my colleagues.

But after that, the whole day went haywire!! Read patiently for my disappointing, moody-inducing, tired-inducing tale…

I happily drove my car with 4 friends inside. As I turned out of Bukit Panjang Community Centre, I started to smell something funny but i ignored it till i turned into BKE (Bukit Timah Expressway) towards city! That's when the smell started to get really pungent and something was wrong with the stability of the car. I stopped the car and realised the front right tyre had burst!

Yes, burst, not punctured! All of us were in disarray with me as the most affected. I tried calling my mum (she dunno wat to do), my dad (din ans his phone) and my bro in law (who was patient but equally helpless).

I freaked out!!

I am in the middle of the bloody expressway with no help and my friends were suffering with me!! Anyway, my father finally called back and told me there’s a car breakdown sign and a spare wheel in my boot! And i tell u, i have driven this old car for 5 months and never had i notice that there’s a bloody spare tyre!! But there it was, hidden beneath layers of newspapers!!

I attempted to lift up the car using the car jack and i managed to! But when i turned out the bolts on the burst tyre, the whole thing turned!! So i had to undo it and used some equipment to take out e bolts!! Luckily we had Lango, a future engineer to help me wif the physics aspect (i never like e subject). I installed a new tyre!! So happy even though my two hands were full of dark stuff. Kaijing said i man leh!! lol~ 

But no no, not the end of e story~! I drove via BKE to Mandai area and went through a scary road leading to the Mandai Reservoir~ Tat's when i started to hear a noise, like some thing loose and knocking against the vehicle. I took note of it and decided to check on it after i get out of that stretch of road (its bloody only one lane!! And a spooky one too~!).

BUT the whole car stalled when i reached the T-Junction and my friends saw smoke coming out of e bonnet!! Yes, smoke not as in cigarette smoke but fire smoke!!

The whole engine was overheated (according to the red indicator on the dashboard) and the water level was low~ I called my dad, figured tat it will take some time for the engine to be cool again, therefore asking my friends to go home first. Luckily all of them had direct bus!! But felt so guilty because i offered and yet they were late and still have to take bloody expensive transport!!

Im alone, standing beside the car when i bumped into one of the most embarassing moments in my life!! An SBS No 138 bus stopped right beside me and all the passengers on e left side of the bus were all looking at me and my car!! They have never seen a broken down car before?!?! Maybe they wonder why a young guy like me is driving a broken down car!! So Paiseh!!!

My dad came and we waited a while, filled up the water and checked on on the engine before driving home. Something is definintely wrong with the engine because the temperature of the engine shot up again (according to the indicator again). Anyway we reached home around 12 midnight, bushed, tired and hungry!! Luckily, there was still dinner for me!! Some veges, herbal soup, steamed fish and best of all, a steamed crab that was so meaty and tender!!!

No moral for this story but my dad told me the car may be scrapped soon!! So no car for me!! But good lah, i will spend lesser on food and nothing on petrol!!! lol~

It Finally Happened…

Finally finally but i cannot said i should be glad about it.. But i finally went without food for one day!! Not because i don't want to or an extreme way of getting slim, but i am sick and really have no appetite wat-so-ever for food. For many who were wondering, i have the runs!! Horrible diarrhea since midnight and i had to wait for 2 hours to see the doctor!! Luckily i lived just opposite the clinic so i went back home twice!

Anyway, i had no idea what i ate to give me such bad runs! Eight trips to the toilet without any solid stuff but semi gooey stuff splashing all over the toilet bowl. Plain disgusting i will say and the area where it spit out from stinged of pain whenever the gooey stuff forced itself out!! Haha. But im feeling much better with the pills given though im still weak. Lying whole day on bed until now to check my email. Another feat i guess, i seldom don't touched the computer when im at home. Lol.

Thou e appetite was curbed but it will no doubt ever been eradicated.. Another makan session tomorrow? =)

Life and Death

Life, what is the meaning of life? Death, is it the ending of life? or the beginning of another one? From the start of human mankind to now, everyone wonders the same thing. That's why there are so many rituals, so many customs to do wat are to be done when we are borned and when we.. die.

My maternal cousin, Ralph, passed away this morning at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). His condition was lymphoma cancer and he was only 32, the age where some old business men believe to be the start of life. I was not close to my cousin, never am.

Never saw him for like 5-7 years until a month back, when he went back after chemotherapy. Shocked then was an overstatement because my mum did tell me he looked different after he was afflicted with such horrible ailment. I was not at all shocked but i am still relatively surprised at how cancers can make one looks so different. My cousin was a handsome guy and had been an air steward before but he was not the same after getting this illness.

I felt pity for him but yet i should not be because he was strong and determined to fight back the illness, struggling to stand up against it. I wonder if i have the same strength, the same courage..

I went wif my mum for the wake at Serangoon Gardens. My mum knew my cousin was going to pass away; the doctor had said tat his life was going to end soon.. No chemo, no drugs can help any further to prolong his life. The cancer cells spread too fast, too much..

When i reached, everyone had their heads down, crying, sobbing.. My heart went out for them. My mum started to cry when she saw Ralph’s mum. I can feel their pain, their sorrow. Its indescribable.. Since e body had not arrived yet, i went to Pet Resource to look for girl girl (a stray dog) to lighten my mood.

Ralph’s body arrived at around 5 pm and i reached just in time. Once he was put into the white coffin, all of us proceeded to see him, to talk to him as our last words to him according to chinese custom. No one’s eyes were dry.. Even mine were watering but i tried to fight back the hot tears that were really in a big hurry to roll down my oily cheeks.

Ralph’s father, a usually strong figure, cannot fight back his tears. After the glass was placed over e coffin, big uncle was putting his face on e glass, crying, listening, toking to my dead cousin. But can he hear anything? Maybe no, maybe yes. That's one thing bout life and death, no one knows…

That's why i always emphasize on living life well, happily and yet simply. I have done half, i guess, im happy but not simple enough.

Too much shit i eat and frankly, alot of what you eat has an impact on your life in the future.

Anyway, please pray for my cousin, hopefully he is pain free and happy in the other world, if there is one…

Finally!!

Finally i managed to skip some meals!! Well, basically I was not that hungry because im entirely engrossed in e new Harry Potter n the Half Blood Prince. So i only had a breakfast with POST Great Grains with milk, 3 eggs, 2 pieces of bread and a glass of milk again~ Lol. Not little but well, manageable i guess~ After that i skipped my lunch and my dinner!! Great feat right?! Especially for a food lover like me.

Sad to say, all hell broke loose at night, after my class.. The class was dimissed earlier and i felt the tide of hunger rising.. This came right after I had a good poo (not watery but firm and solid one) during the class break. Anyway, i passed by Chong Pang Nasi Lemak and had a sudden craving for it.. So i bought one packet with beansprouts, toufu and a drumstick. In addition, I asked for less rice.. Yes, i finished up e whole lot, plus two hard boiled eggs my mum bought for me!

Moral of tis Entry

Buy me more books or send me book vouchers for any event that a necessity for gifts is required~!! I guess i can forgo my meals for books. But please!! No textbooks!! Totally repulsive!

Dental Hygienie is Important!!

Finally i brought my friend, Alex to visit a dentist whom i know can treat his gums problems!! As most of you know, I was in dental practise during my NS stinct and have been very particular about oral hygiene not only for myself, but also for my parents and friends. For people i just know or do not know very well, i seldom dwell onto that since it can be quite embarassing.

So for all friends who read this, remember!! Sometimes i really wana tell you but dunno your reactions lah~ So….. U guys know lah!! Approach me if you want to touch your dental issues.

Anyway, we went to a dental clinic one of my dental officers, Dr Edwin Oh, was working for after his dental bond (yes, all dentals students are "bonded" after graduation). Nice environment with a beautiful view of Orchard area!! And i had a good time remembering the Kavo Dental chair used; amongst so many dental chairs, Kavo reli best!!

Alex’s gums problem was really horrible!! He had plaque and calculus (not maths) covering some caries on his upper teeth!! Horrible right?? That's a bad thing of not taking care of your teeth and gums!! Yes, they come together!! And he had calculus all over his teeth and in between teeth!! Yes, in between teeth!! Why?!?! Becoz this bloody guy never flossed his teeth!!

So everyone, do remember to buy a good floss! My personal recommendation is Oral B Satin floss! It's fabulous!! My doc friend actually have to use a dental instrument called sickel for Alex’s gums~ In dental jargon, using a sickel means the problem was bad. Hahaha. Or bi good, never take care of his gums.

Alex said he dun feel pained so Dr Oh’s skills must be damn good~ Hehe. Anyway, if you guys and gals are interested in having a dental checkup, you can approach me for my friend’s number. Fyi, all e above pics were approved by Alex!

Guiness Gala Dinner

Today was a rainy day, in a way and i was real scared because i was driving to Singapore Expo for the Guiness Gala Dinner. The tickets were complimentary from my uncle. For a moment, i thought it was going to be some stout drinking stuff but surprise surprise, it's like a concert with chinese style dinner!! 7 courses, not 10 courses, a bit not traditional style though~ lol. But it's a really huge event!! A 10,000 people turnout with 1,000 tables available!!

 

The Guest of Honour of the event was again another surprise; our dear Mrs SM (Senior Minister lah!) or Mrs Goh Chok Tong, who was embroiled in a scandal recently because of her comments on the $600,000 salary of Mr Durai, the infamous CEO (i think) of NKF. But well people, media may not always potray the truthful intent of a person. A lot of words can be twisted into a different meaning and so, let's dun dwell too much on what Mrs Goh sait. Maybe it's taken out of context?

Another nice surprise!! The main theme of the day was not food, the category i always loved to dwell in! Not that it's not fabulous, but it really was not worth mentioning when every dish was cold!! Yes, i know the cold dish was supposed to be cold but have you ever tasted soggy crackers with cold chicken!?!? They were edible at the very least consideration and seriously not that bad.

The main highlight of the day was really the celebrities they invited for e show!! Zhou Chuanxiong, Ah Du and Alex Toh~!! And the thing on everyone’s mind seemed to be the Tuo Diao (Stripped!) song of Alex. I don't understand the mentality of people! Yes, its a nice song but yet, it's like a lot of people wanted to see Alex being stripped down to his underwear!! There were a lot of screaming and shouting for the striptease. I dunno whether to laugh or despair at how narrow minded some people can be. Overall, it was a really good concert by all those involved, including the compere, Quan Yi Feng!

The emblem of which im chopped for easy access. Toilets were really congested (imagine 10,000 ppl sharing just 8 toilets!!) so i would usually go out to the foyer. I dun have a big bladder for all e water i had inside!!

Driving Day

Yes, been busy driving the whole day!!

Not that i was complaining but i really hate driving under the hot sun~ And wat's worse? Rain plus hot sun!! It's a great miracle i was not sick, since I cannot wind down the windows of my good old Toyota Corrolla DX (yes, i finally got the model) when it rains!

9am and i was out of the house, to go market with my mum to buy fresh fish! Ask her to buy NTUC she said not fresh!! After i reached back home, my dear old rubee peed!! Being a responsible owner, i had to clear up the mess ,as usual. Late for my mom and my sis’s appointment at the gynae but doctor was busy! Went to eat hor fun but bloody pic showed 3 prawns and i only found one!

CHEAT!!

Drove to pray at one of the temples near Balestier. After tat it's snacks time!! Went to buy peng kuey (rice snack) and tar sau piah (bean paste pastry)! One good thing about balestier, it's their tar sau piah. Had heard that Balestier food was good but i seriously haven't try much stuff there except for Urban Pooch, a doggie cafe tat sells human and dog food. Visit grandma in SGH and then go AMK NTUC for grocery, and then go back home. Night time go out eat at Chomp Chomp. Total fuel charge still manageable! And luckily Shell is giving out 25% discounts!!!

Another sinful and tiring day…. Tomorrow healthy!!

Finally My School Mate Commented……..

Today is my first class for the new semester and though i was eager, i am still late due to a bad stomachache. Anyway, all went well, with an interesting module and an equally amusing lecturer, but when break time came, i was faced with a school mate who commented: "eh, u like become bigger/fatter right?"

*thunder claps with heavy rain tat has e ability to flood the singapore river*

I was not shocked, but well, truth hurts don't they!? My motivation comes back again, and yes, i am motivated to go thru my demonious ordeals to make myself as skinny as Kate Moss in the old days or Naomi Campbell now~!!

But saying all these, i still need my dinner right? I only had like two packets of Indomee with 3 hard boiled eggs and 4 prawnz for brunch and i was "a bit" hungry when 8pm came. So there i was, roaming around Marina Square area because the road systems sucked!! I tried to go Marine Parade but due to road closures, i ended up in Marina Square. Though both had Marin, but apparently they had great differences!

Anyway, I was stuck with a crave for xiaolongbao (pic above) and surprise surprise, there’s one in Marina Square Shopping Centre at the area called Center Stage. Dun asked me why center stage, it's neither an auditorium nor a theatre even thou there’s a band in the middle. Anyway, my perky eyes catched a glance of a restaurant called the Imperial Treasure Xiao Long Bao and i was like, YES!! It's by the same guy who set up Crystal Jade and the concept was exactly like the Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao although it had some Teochew dishes, one of which was turtle soup (i din try this disgusting dish though!).

To curb my weight and my waistline, i only ordered two dishes, the Hong You Chao Shou (Red Oil Something) and the XiaoLongBao. They were fabulous, as usual, though the red oil (pic above) was the best i ever ate! Highly recommended!! I gave it 10 upon 10!! Total spending was only $11!!

Now back to my exercise regime.. Hm.. Should i jog or should i do my pushups? But like a bit late right? Never know if there’s ghosts or not. Hm…. Maybe i should sleep… Yawnz.. *will finish the dumplings on the table first*

Busy Fulfilling Night~!

It should be exactly two am when i finish writing this blog post and yes, i just reached home!!! After a long trip that started from 7.45pm! As usual, my first stop after fetching my friend, Kimberly, was to go eat~ My life revolves around eating, remember? and my stomach apparently likes to revolve around fats too, i realise. Haha.

The first stop after roaming around Geylang for around 10-20 minutes to find a f*cking decent parking lot for Yong He, the famous You Tiao King!! For people who don't understand, it meant dough stick king. We ordered 3 glasses of soya milk, 1 soya beancurd, 3 dough sticks, one set of dumplings, one xiao long bao. The quality was still as good as before but the dough sticks were abit cold even thou crispiness remained!! Their dumplings (guo tie) still tasted good and i managed to persuade Kim to eat it with ginger and vinegar and now she’s HOOKED!! Haha.

After having a full meal (i ordered another glass of soya milk), we went to the famous lorong 18 geylang for an innocent view of red light district girls! And i tell you, they have advanced in their dressing! A lot of them wore bikinis! I never seemed to catch these kinda gals last time! The more funny thing happened when we passed by a group of tranvestites who were also looking for "business" and one actually looked at Alex and wana hugged him leh!! When alex rejected, she was so disappointed and say "wei!!" with a girly sway. Haha, the charms of Alex~

After the invigorating walk was the craving of the day! We went to the HK Smelly Toufu (STF) and ordered two pieces!! Quite expensive at $2 each, it's quite big compared to one I had in HK; Smelt the same though. I sincerely thought so until i was driving my car and Kim wassavouring the STF and the smell started to get more and more disgusting! Alex started to comment it smelt like diarrhea and i agreed!! BUT the taste of it was reli marvellous, i guess we should ask Ang Moh to try these also! Lol..

After all those heavy munching and with a smelly car travelling on the road, we went to Cosy Bay!! I just loved this place but this time, i went up to the tower and Kim and I just ordered fruit juices and started toking about life. It's been a long time since we last talked like this. I had a deeper understanding of her and i guess she had of me too! Anyway, the scenery was still as good as before, if only the wind was stronger.

Finally we came to the last event of the day! We went to Changi Village for tranvestites viewing and this time, the numbers were lesser but it made up for quality! The trans time were so f*cking f*ckable! Opps, i mean f*cking hot!! and pretty! Some came in just hot pants and bikini. It's more of an eye opener ~ Lol. Really enjoy e day! And Kim, thanks for your meal! hehe

Pity my car still smells of STF. Sighz.

Manhattan Fish Market!!

Please do not be misled when you see this restaurant residing in the middle of Comic Connection and a Jap restaurant on the 6th level of Plaza Singapura, thinking it is an original from the one in America. It's more of a spinoff from Fish n Co and yet, the tastes were comparable and cheaper!!

Me and my NS (national service) friends (3 old kids) ordered a manhattan seafood platter for 2 and lemon mussels tat came with bread.

At first glance, you may thought the seafood platter looked familiar to the one in Fish N Co, but surprise surprise, it came with a big chunky piece of fried fish that tasted marvellous with the saucy fabulous mayonnise that came as a separate condiment.

Fyi, when the waiter served us e platter, he actually used a high powered flame burner to further crisp the prawns to a darker but yet more succulent color. Though the buring smell was unbearable at times but well, kind of a show for us! Lol.

Another original item was the potato-balls-lookalike, which was actually fried oysters! It tasted not as "fishy" as normal fresh oysters  and yet had a certain Q when you bit into it, oozing the oyster out of its fried "shell".

There were two things that you may find more tasteful in Fish N Co, firstly was the rice. The rice tasted quite normal and had in fact, a mushy feel and not as fragrant as the butter rice served by Fish N Co. In addition, although Manhattan Fish Market Seafood Platter offered fried calamari, the calamari was small and tasteless, machiam like eating some deep fried thingy without any knowledge of the taste. In this case, i will prefer the grilled calamari offered by Fish N Co; they gave more calamari and the size were bigger too!

Another dish we ordered was e lemon mussel with bread. We thought it will be just normal mussels on a plate but it actually came as a soupy combination. With the bread, it felt as if we were drinking soup instead of eating e mussels. But the taste was reli fantastic!! The slight tinge of lemon with the seafood taste of the mussels brought out the overall good combination! One regret though, there were only 3 pathetic mussels!! Wish there were more. Lol

All the above are of compliments of my NS doctor, who has now gone into private practice. Thanks Dr Oh or Edwin or Sir, watever. Lol