Jovyn (the Fat-Cheeked Toddler) is TWO!!

I bet many people are tired of the numerous postings on haze; whether on blogs, popular social media platforms like Facebook or mainstream media. Hence, let me break the cycle by talking about a joyous occasion. 

Jovyn's second birthday! 

The celebration was a small family affair this year and we were glad we didn't organise a huge party given the health advisories issued by the ministry of health in view of the current hazardous haze condition.

Just a brief summary of Jovyn's 'development' in the past one year. Her signature cheeks continue to draw attention from strangers albeit to a lesser extent; she topped the scale recently at 12.4 kilograms; she is attending day-care and thanks to my pampering mom, she has turned into a spoilt toddler! 

You are right; that makes two young brats within the family! Nonetheless, i have to admit they are the biggest joy we could ever wish for although on a related note, i doubt i would want to have kids in the future.

A dog would do. 

The Haze Situation in Singapore @ 19 June 2013

Like everyone else on social media, let's talk about the haze that has blanketed Singapore recently; creating a romantic ambience that could have bloody improved the birth rate in Singapore! 

Except that no one could possibly miss the unpleasant acridness that lingers in the air. 

It is an annual occurrence and despite efforts by our government (and the Malaysian government) to persuade Indonesia to do something about the rampant illegal burning to clear farmland and forests, the haze continues to visit us with the situation being awfully bad this year.

Over the span of three hours, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) rose from merely eighty (moderate range) to a hundred seventy, placing the whole of Singapore smacked in the unhealthy zone.

Just when i thought things would improve in the evening, the scene overlooking Lower Seletar reservoir said otherwise. The average PSI was in fact lower at 144 but from what i understand, Northern Singapore has perpetually topped the PSI chart across regions. 

At 9pm today, the pollutant level reached its highest point ever at 290 since PSI was computed and recorded back in the 1990s; effectively placing Singapore only ten points shy of reaching the hazardous level!

Weirdly, it didn't appear that bad outside my apartment. 

It makes me wonder how accurate the readings are. 

=_=

On a side note, although Singapore is said to be the most unhappy country in the whole world, fellow Singapore residents have been trying their best to make humour out of this haze problem.

[Latest Update of PSI]

10pm, 19 June 2013

Officially 321! 

Welcome to the Hazardous Level!  

Not Your Usual Trishaws - Colourful with Flashing LED Lights @ Melaka [Malaysia]

As the taxi entered the historical center of Malacca on the way towards our hotel, the Gang of Four's attention was immediately drawn to the sights of flashing LED lights coming from a group of trishaws!

I am unsure how people would take to this radical transformation of an otherwise pretty plain looking trishaw but i am certain it adds elements of colourful cheekiness that stand contrasted to boring history.

Not one of them has the same design and choosing a suitable one would heavily depend on one's taste and preference. For example, you would never catch me sitting in the trishaw decked out in artificial flowers of various shades of pink and an LED outline that was flashing neon pink! 

In the daytime, these trishaws continued to create interest among tourists with their flashy displays. If not for the lack of time, the Gang was in fact keen to ride on them for the experience. 

Where could you find them? Surroundings of the Stadthuys! Renting a trishaw could be expensive and it's common to hear of ridiculous rates even in sanitised Singapore! 

For your benefit, you may wish to note that renting a trishaw for an hour in Malacca would cost RM 40.00 (approximately S$17). Yes, i believe you can haggle for a lower price. :)

Jonker Street (马六甲雞場街文化訪) in the Daytime @ Melaka [Jalan Hang Jebat], Malaysia

When a street becomes too famous for its nightlife, it's quite hard to picture how it would look like when the sun is up and blankets everything with its natural light.

To answer the question, make it a point to revisit in the daytime! That's what the Gang of Four did with Petaling Street in Malacca recently.

Start of Jonker Street - still remember the dangerously placed ship? The tall red building houses the most reputable brand that hails from Malacca; San Shu Gong (三叔公).

三叔公, directly translated as the third grand uncle, sells a wide range of local delicacies (i especially enjoyed the yam biscuits) that would make ideal gifts for family, friends and colleagues back in Singapore!

It was barely 11am but the street continued to draw in the crowds! Oh, please be careful of the motor vehicles as the street is reserved solely for pedestrians only from 6pm to 12 midnight on Fridays to Sundays.

Even though Jonker Street is often touted as a touristy district, the truth is you can still find such classic Peranakan facade maintained in many buildings.

What lies within, however, could be something more commercial in nature. I feel that residential to commercial conversion is inevitable in the long run at historical sites since emotional attachments weaken over time and it's extremely tempting when a commercial entity offers a damn good price for the property.

Jonker Street is also well known for its concentration of antique shops.

My butter fingers were legendary in my family when i was a kid and i was often requested from time to time to stay away from "breakable" items. Hence, antique shops are a simple "no-go".

Jalan Hang Jebat, being a long road, has a number of streets running across it. The first one would be Jalan Hang Kasturi which i termed as the artsy place.

There was the Calanthe Art Cafe, which was voted number four out of a hundred and ninety nine restaurants in Malacca (as taken from TripAdvisor)! Shall talk about this in detail in the next few days.

You can also find quaint little shops hawking handmade products. Do make sure your feet don't smell before you remove your shoes to enter the premise.

Awesome Chinese paper cuttings on walls!

This would be a perfect backdrop for couples taking wedding photographs!

Do your phototaking in the morning as a booth selling thirst quenching winter melon soup would be set up after twelve noon! I took a quick peek since the door was slightly ajar and it appeared to be a residential building.

Formosa Chicken Rice Balls, where i had my first plate of chicken rice balls in recent times, was located at the intersection of Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Hang Kasturi.

Continuing our journey on the main street - i am a visual person and blatant display of vibrant colours, regardless of their intended subjects, do attract my attention!

Coaches travelling down the narrow street are common affairs; so don't get carried over thinking the drivers would look out for you. You play an equally important role in road safety as well.

Hokkien Huay Kuan (Hokkien Clan Association) - besides the pair of fearsome looking door gods, this building was designed using traditional architecture typical of a Chinese temple.

An unusual shop that provided electro-plating and repair work for antique silvers. There was nothing upmarket about the family owned business and i love it simply for its old charm.

You can still find makeshift stalls selling night market stuff but in the daytime, they were the minority. Seriously, i doubt many sane tourists would go through the offerings under the hot sun! 

Taiwan hamburger at only RM 3 - this shall be on my to-eat list in my upcoming trip to Malacca! 

Clogs again; this time in other shades of blue and purple! As i was typing this, i am talking to my mom. She was indeed keen to have a pair although it was a definite that my neighbour a level below would be extremely displeased with the constant 'clock, clock, clock".

Handmade bead shoes for that nyonya persona in you! There was another shop we chanced upon that retails extremely exquisite bead shoes. Gonna keep it a secret for now! :P

Traffic was heavy for such a narrow road. Once again, please be safe; look out for motor vehicles before you cross the road! 

This park is quite popular with tourists and i remember seeing this muscular statue (said to be the father of bodybuilders in Malaysia) in other blogs while i was searching for things to do in Melaka. 

A really fantastic map illustrating Jalan Hang Jebat and its surroundings. 

Yet again an antique shop; albeit not as cluttered as i expected most antique shops to be. 

The end point of Jonker Street - i have a great fondness for exploring streets and there are clearly many enchanting old streets i did not cover in my trip! 

Oh well; a valid excuse for me to plan for another visit!