Protest Against the 6.9 million Population Target by Year 2030 @ Speakers' Corner [Singapore]

Yesterday was a hectic day for me and one of the highlights was my attendance for the "Protest Against the 6.9 million Population Target by Year 2030" organised by transitioning.org.

Held in Speakers' Corner, Singapore's only area where citizens can freely speak on most issues (with the exception on racial and religious topics) without the need to apply for a license (registration is still necessary though at the nearby Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post); this event was tagged to be a protest against the indicative population of 6.9 million people mentioned in the recent, heavily debated population white paper tabled by the government.

Scheduled to start at 4pm, the attendance was only a couple of hundreds when i arrived 5 minutes past 4. Disappointing maybe since the official facebook event has indicated that 4,009 people would be going but hardly surprising given the drizzle.

Muddy field was a certainty and i am so glad i was wearing CROC shoes. Mom was aghast when she saw them when i got home though.

As a Singaporean, i am deeply concerned about the hike in population again; not so much against the influx of foreigners but more of the strain on infrastructure that continues to be a challenge today. There is also the risk of further eroding the Singapore identity painstakingly built up in the last 48 years.

I am not advocating the burning of the white paper as it does provide important planning parameters for the future. However, conditions in the past few years have significantly dented the confidence Singapore citizens have on the ruling party.

A total of twelve speakers were planned with a few notable ones whom Singaporeans are no stranger to; Mr Tan Jee Say, Mr Tan Kin Lian, Mr Vincent Wijey, Mr Ravi Philemon, Ms Jeannette Chong etc. I have to leave early and sadly, caught the speech of only about five speakers. 

I am drawing similarities with the Workers Party election rally i attended in 2011; emotional speeches peppered with uncertainties, unhappiness that, despite the organiser insistence that it is an apolitical event, pointed the accusing finger squarely at People's Action Party (PAP).

Deepening displeasure towards the ruling party is understandable as the unpopular white paper was endorsed by 77 members of parliament; all of whom contested under the PAP flag. 

Sentiments on the ground that Singapore is already overcrowded with far too many foreigners and other issues are commonly heard and to endorse the white paper over a span of merely five days of debate seems to imply that the government is disregarding the voices of many citizens. 

Of course i am aware of the pros and cons to the paper; having read many opinions, viewpoints being shared on mainstream and social medias. It was also clarified that 6.9 million is just a worst case assumption (and not a target) for planning purposes and the paper would be reviewed in the future (i think in 2020).

To me, this event was not just to protest against the number 6.9 million. 

Most importantly, it brings together Singaporeans, regardless of race, religion, language, gender, who are concerned for the country's future and clearly shows that Singaporeans are no longer apathetic when it comes to issues that affect us. 

More pictures below!

Given the dangerously low savings in my bank account, i should have been more daring and set up a temporary stall selling drinks and snacks to earn some money!

The speakers' stage; with umbrellas blocking my view, it was hard to take a good shot. 

A boy who appeared very bored. At this point, he would not have understood that his parents were there simply because they are worried for his future. 

Videoing the event - i am not sure if this person is from the media. 

Attendees crowding the second level of a cafe that was beside the main stage. At this point, the rain was not as incessant and many of us decided to keep away the umbrellas. 

At 4.30pm, the numbers continued to swell and many were listening to the speeches attentively. I caught snippets here and there since i was walking all over the place taking pictures! 

Cars parked illegally on the roadside bordering Hong Lim Park.

It's a pity i could not stay throughout the event as i can resonate with many of the issues being discussed, especially with the two younger speakers who are around my age.

The crowd at this point was much bigger and i expected the number to increase after 5pm. Estimates place the number at around 5,000 although some have said it was more likely between 3,000 and 4,000.

Imran, i didn't realise you were caught in this photograph! Haha. As you can see, the entrance to the MRT station was blocked as some preferred to stay in sheltered areas just in case the rain gets heavier. 

Raindrops started pelting down again close to 5pm! 

From the bridge, it was a really impressive sight with open-up umbrellas featuring a myriad of colours covering the otherwise green landscape. 

Right in front of me was also a touching scene as many of us braved the rain to show our support for issues that concerned our country; a place we have always known as our home. 

Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase @ Universal Studios Singapore [New York Zone]

I was invited, via email, for a sneak preview to Universal Studios Singapore [henceforth USS] newest ride; Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase! 

Scheduled to be open to the public in March 2013, this space chase was said to be "a high-flying adventure designed for the whole family as you zip through the space mission and meet all your favourite Sesame Street characters" - as quoted from the official website. 

Photographs and video-recording are strictly disallowed and everyone was reminded again and again by the staff members on duty and the public address system within the attraction. 

I managed to take a few using my iphone but as you can see, the quality was quite bad! Not many annual pass holders actually attended the preview and together with my friend, we took the ride twice! 

As one of four heroes in the mission, you would first say good bye to your compatriots at Sesame Street before rocketing [slowly] to outer space where it is pitch black with thousands of captivating stars made up using the tips of optic fibers. Purpose of the Mission - to grab back the world's supply of spaghetti stolen by Macaroni the Merciless who was hidden in a planet away from Earth. 

My review - thrill lovers; stay away. There was nothing exciting or innovative about the ride and its target audiences are kids and adults who grew up watching Sesame Street (of which i am neither). 

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Location

Within New York Zone

Universal Studios Singapore

Sentosa Island

Precautions

For such a simple ride, it does have a comprehensive list of 'persons' who should not attempt to give the ride a try. In my opinion, the said "sudden tilting and acceleration" was incredibly mild. Nevertheless, you bear the risk, not me. =X

Additional Information

As with any rides in the theme park, you exit to a shop selling ride-themed souvenirs; guess Sesame Street fans would enjoy the extensive memorabilia on sale!

Release the Sky Lantern (許願天燈) & Make A Wish @ Bintan Island

I went to the Chinese New Year bazaar at Chinatown again (i think this would make it the 5th time in two weeks) on the eve of the snake year to immense myself in the celebratory festive mood. 

In addition to the mental satisfaction, my purpose was also to buy sky lanterns (also known as kongming lanterns) for the family's pending trip to Bintan Island! Selling at 8 for S$10 (usual price is approximately S$2 each), i knew they were good buys!

The picture instructions were clear and setting up the wishing lantern was a breeze. 

Wind can be a major deterrent for a successful take off. In the above picture, the lantern has yet to reach its optimal shape but the wind was so strong; it continuously hit against the paper shell. In the midst of its aggressive attacks, the poor lantern burned a few holes and eventually failed to float away.

Thankfully, we stayed in a huge resort villa (shall blog about it soon) in Bintan and someone advised that we should light up the lanterns IN the villa, wait for the hot air to fill up them up before releasing them into the starry sky.

Sound advice that saved us plenty of time! 

You could of course purchase the sky lanterns from the resort although i understand they are priced much higher than what i paid for (i think it was at least S$10 each).

Remember to think aloud your wish when you release your hold on the lantern! Mom's wishes (she definitely has more than one) are guessable; pink health for the whole family, a good career for the children and, constant winnings at 4D and TOTO. 

Imagine the whole sky filled with sky lanterns! That is possible in the Yi Peng Floating Lanterns festival at Chiangmai! Click here to check out the pictures. 

Egg and Kosong Roti Prata @ Rezki Allah Indian Muslin Food Stall [Seah Im Food Centre]

Dining at hawker centers is, in my opinion, the best way to cut down my food expenses. Therefore, it is a must to fill my stomach at Seah Im food center before stepping into the expensive leisure island known as Sentosa.

The last i went to Seah Im in the morning (before my 4th visit to Universal Studios Singapore) was exactly a month ago. Back then, i was in a dilemma on what to choose although eventually, the golden rule to choose the stall with the longest queue was adopted. 

Every customer in the queue ordered the roti prata and so did i! I didn't want anything different and hence, decided to stick with the usual kosong and egg pratas. 

Frankly, the egg prata was relatively average and was a bit dry while the kosong (without egg) one was better; nicely charred exterior with a bite that began with crisp and ended in fluff!

For those who assumed that i have gotten a free piece of chicken in my curry for ordering just two pieces of pratas, you are going to be disappointed. The above was not meat; it was a fatty piece of chicken skin!

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Location

2, Seah Im Road, #01-42

[Seah Im Food Centre]

Map 

As above

[near harbourfront MRT station]

Menu and Pricing

As above

[subject to change]

Herbal Egg [十全蛋] @ Genting Highlands

Before the sweet potato came into picture, the only one thing i found to be of 'craving' standard in Genting Highlands was the tea leaves egg [茶叶蛋]. 

That perfect combination of chomping down a steaming hot egg that had been submerged in an aromatic concoction of tea leaves in the chilly highlands was awesome and rightfully warming! 

Nowadays, there were many food stalls selling tea leaves eggs in Genting but no one managed to overtake the epic ones from Purple Cane located at Lot F/L 2A.27, Level T2A at First World Hotel.

Today, i am not going to talk about tea leaves eggs. Instead, i found to my delight an even better version; eggs brewed in a soup tonic known to be extremely nutritious for the body. 

At RM 1.50 each, every egg came with the scalding hot herbal broth and you are required to drink it slowly before tearing the egg apart! For your convenience, the eggs were already de-shelled beforehand; no more burning your fingers!

This is where the disappointment set in. Although the soup was delicious, the egg didn't appear to have fully absorbed the herbal essence and came out pretty much like a normal hard boiled egg.

Two factors might have contributed to this; one, the eggs were not brewed long enough and two, maybe the eggs should not be de-shelled prior to placing them in the pot. From some science lessons i recollected, i think it has something to do with osmosis.

I think only lah! 

Don't quote me! 

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Location

You can only find the herbal eggs at Chin Swee Temple! The shop is next to the pagoda and beside the stall selling skewers. 

Price

RM 1.50 for one herbal egg.

RM 1.00 for one tea leaves egg.

Collectible Refillable Souvenir Bottles - A Worthy Investment @ Universal Studios Singapore

The general consensus is that a trip to Universal Studios Singapore is guaranteed to make a big hole in your pocket, especially if you are bringing along your family members and paying for them! 

However, there are ways to make full use of your visit and yet, at the same time, be able to reduce your expenses. One sizable expense in hot and humid Singapore is the one on drinks! 

The most cost effective way is to utilise the free water coolers located in many locations within the theme park but what if your throat is just thirsting for a cup of ice cold coke priced at S$3.30 for a regular size!?

My suggestion? 

Invest in a collectible souvenir water bottle! Depending on the design and capacity, it can cost you between S$8.90 and S$25.90 each. Woah, that sounds pricey, doesn't it? 

Initially, it sure does although you must understand that the bottle comes with your choice of soft drinks (Coke, Sprite, Ice Lemon Tea) and each refill cost merely S$2 (S$4.80 per refill for iced milo, arctic crush frozen drinks etc)! Should there be four persons in your group, you would have easily incurred S$13.20 for merely 4 cups of regular sized drinks! 

I see the-not-so-convinced look on your face. 

Of course you have to choose the bottle carefully; get the above one or the bottle with just the pictures of USS celebrities which should cost around S$11-13.

Frequent patrons of USS would benefit the most as they could simply bring back the bottle and refill it at S$2! Now, i am so glad i got the annual pass!! Even if i visit Sentosa for the beaches, i could just pop by USS to get an enormous cup of soft drink for only two bucks! 

Note: The above suggestion is not suitable for people

• who cannot stand sharing drinks with people due to hygiene purpose
• who die die must drink gassy drinks when others prefer non gassy ones

Chinese New Year 2013 - The Important Day One

The very first day of the new lunar year is a big day for traditional Chinese families and you can find most of us donning new shirts, new pants, new belts, new shoes, new underwear (you get my picture) to visit relatives who are of a higher seniority than our parents. 

Non-stop visitations mean we would spend our day indulging in many festive goodies that are high in fats, sugar, salt and low in nutrients! I went out at twelve noon and only came back home ten hours later! 

Even though it was tiring (and i am likely to gain a few kilograms from all those sinful food), i had a marvelous time meeting up and chatting with relatives whom i have not met for the past one year!

It's the second year of celebration for Jovyn who was of course excited. As expected, she managed to win the hearts of many uncles, aunties and even strangers we met in the lifts! 

I have received comments that i have neglected Jerald in this blog. The older brother of Joyvn is getting too fast for my camera to take a good shot and he has a tendency to make funny faces!! Nevertheless, i shall come out with a dedicated post on him soon.

In the meantime, my family and i would like wish all my readers a happy Chinese New Year and hope that this Snake year would bring to all of you good health, good fortune and unrivalled happiness. 

Huat ah! 

Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion LUNCH!

团圆饭

Many of us would talk about reunion dinner when it comes to the Chinese New Year's eve but in the case of my family, the sister's marriage almost a decade ago means she has to decide WHERE to spend her reunion dinner (trust me, it is a sensitive issue). 

For two years, we actually have reunion lunch instead of dinner! From what i read in the newspapers, this is getting to be quite an acceptable norm in Singapore's society.

This year's reunion was lunch based and it was held right at home where my mom proudly showed her culinary prowess. There is the customary steamboat (with grill if i may add) that everyone seems to love in Singapore despite the humid weather. 

Mom actually whipped up additional dishes like fried bee hoon, fried rice, stir fried beancurd with spring onions, braised pork etc. That's not quite enough; she even attempted to cook a traditional Hakka dish known as Hakka Abacus Seeds (算盘子)! 

Thank god they turned out pretty nice (Note to the Great Kon: please try and let me know how authentic they are).

What i didn't enjoy was another new attempt by her in making the luxurious Peng Cai! In my opinion, there was nothing incredulously delicious about the ingredients and it was the oily gravy that pulled down the ratings!

So what about the rest of you; what good food did you have for your reunion meal? No matter how great and expensive the food is, what's most important is the company of the persons who love you most.
Your Family.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee (亚王咖喱鸡米粉面) @ Hong Lim Food Centre [Chinatown]

Ms Sandra Chui, being the kind colleague she has always been (seriously, i am not being sarcastic here), has suggested a curry chicken noodle shop at Hong Lim Food Centre that is famed in Chinatown.

"Remember, it is the one on the first floor!" was the last sentence i remember before we moved on to other discussion topics. 

I didn't pay much attention to what she said so when i chanced upon this curry chicken stall on the second floor with a human line at 5pm and plastered with numerous media accolades; i thought this was the exact same one recommended by Ms Chui and proceeded immediately to join the queue.

The pleasing sight of a huge pot of tau pok swimming in curry that never seemed to stop boiling was enough to activate the hungry growler in my stomach! 

Dah tah! There was only one type of noodles (bee hoon as mentioned in my subject) and besides the tau pok (a kind of dried fried beancurd), my bowl included slices of chicken, pieces of potatoes and fish cake. 

Curry, being the taste-giver in this dish, was disappointingly light without the intensive milky richness i personally preferred. Furthermore, there was a disgusting burnt aftertaste that reminded me so much of this famous charcoal hokkien mee in Geylang! 

Only one thing impressed me; the thick slices of boneless chicken meat (likely to be breast) that were incredibly smooth and tender! I never knew chicken breast meat can have such tenderness!

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Location

531A, Upper Cross Street, 

#02-58, Hong Lim Food Centre

Price

Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee - S$4