Two Hundred.

This post marks the 200th entry in my blog since I started blogging. What started as a means of venting my frustrations, ones that I can't quite confide freely, and recording chapters and memorable events in life has now evolved into a makan blog (though I am sure as hell won't let this overwhelm the blog - I guess I just love shots of food), but still is, in its entirety My Recordings of Life.

It's been some time since I hit the Anger and Frustration button while blogging, occasionally, yes but not as often anymore (going back through my posts, I realized that those ranting days consists mostly of assignments in university and political crap during Lifeguarding days that twisted me upside down).

I'm feeling more melancholic these days, especially since my most favorite person in the world has not been feeling well.

Ah Ma.

It happened all too sudden. One day she was all fine, both feet firmly on ground, bustling around the kitchen and whipping up all sorts of great cooking that each and every one of her grandchildren adore. At 80, she can still get on her humble bicycle and cycle to the field, practise tai chi with her friends and then later to the market every morning, without fail.

Ah Ma is just so gifted in the kitchen. She knows exactly how much of salt to put into the sambal petai and how much water to add into the laksa broth. Every single magic that she conjures with her wok and pot never fails to warm up our hearts.... and tummies.

Then the next day she complained of her legs hurting and just like that her life changed. My beloved grandma started to depend on walking sticks. Shuffling from one room to another. She's so used to do things on her own and now she has to depend on her eldest daughter to even bathe.

Then the depression.

Every time I talk to her on the phone, I just well up. She would say things like, she's getting old and the most heartbreaking of all, she's really kek sim that she can't cook for her grandchildren anymore. Isn't she just lovable in a very sad way? Her priority was to please us, her grandchildren.
I still don't really know how to deal with matters like these. Sickness and ultimately, death. It's a cruel fact of life. Is it justified to say that those who meet Death will now be in a better place? Or is it just a way to make ourselves feel better and the acceptance a little bit easier?

Either way I'm just really glad that all of us grandchildren have taken the initiative to call, visit and crack silly jokes to cheer Ah Ma up. Filial at its best.

I always consider myself more of a free-thinker, both a believer and non-believer.

But now I look up to the skies and pray, digging up every last ounce of belief I possess.

Ah Ma,

You still need to teach me how to make that awesome sambal petai of yours. And about a thousand more dishes.

You can just supervise, I'll cook and you'll judge. I'll try a hundred times until you're satisfied. Then I'll drive you for morning dim sum and later to Auntie's place for your weekly hair perm.

Please,

Just get well soon.

Your youngest grand daughter,
Su Yin

Across the Causeway: Chili Crabs and The Flight

We had a bit of a hard time selecting a venue for dinner on the second night in Kiasu Land. First, drove to Toa Payoh for a steamboat buffet meal only to find out that we will need to wait an additional half an hour or so because of the long queue. So Min CC brought us to this chu char place nearby for some good ol' Singapore chili crabs!

Oh but the highlight of the dinner wasn't exactly the chili crabs for me.... you'll see soon enough :D

Like, as soon as now.

The heaven-sent deep fried pork ribs coated in salted egg yolk with a hint of curry leaves omfg. Soooo good. The meat is tender and the curry leaves with salted egg yolks are one of the world's best complements. Oh tambah with the sinful pork ribs fat in every bite which oozes to clot every fat and juicy blood vessel...

Then kesi kesi counter the effects with tofu. Hot place spicy tofu and egg with prawns and vegetables.

Char siu fried rice.

This is one of Ian's fave. Mine too :D Called some sort of superior broth but I ain't sure what sort of leaves/veg those greens are. Not spinach. Oh well I'll bet TY will comment and 'enlighten'.

Chili crabs. Tastes great but I kinda find it too sticky and starchy for me. Oh, TONS of crab roe (!!!) Ultimatum. Dip a piping hot man tou into gravy for maximum effect.

Bill came to around SGD60+ for the four of us. I think that's great value for money. If you were to order and receive so much crab on a dish, the least you can expect to pay is SGD 100+.

Ok quick final few shots taken and I can wrap up the Singapore trip posts.

CLAYPOTFUN @ East Coast Road.

We were brought to Claypotfun not because of its great service or great food (though to be fair, the food is not bad la) but because Min CC has some vouchers that she can use - apparently one of the staff was extremely rude or some sort and the manager has courteously offered an SGD60 voucher to her as a form of apology. Otherwise she would have banned the place for life I think.

Don't you just love the systematic way the Singaporeans park their cars? Reverse parked, left and right spaces are in same width and perfectly parallel. lol.

Prices at Claypotfun is pretty exorbitant. A bowl of this claypot rice (large la) is already SGD26 or something similar. But there's a lot of ingredients included in the claypot, Chinese sausages, chicken meat, mushroom.... A tad too oily for me.

The superior spinach broth again.

And Chinese groundnut soup. When we inquired for other soups, the waiter had the cheek to say that we sold out all soup last night so there's only this one for now. Wtf? Means like normally they would serve soup leftover from the night before instead of making them every morning? Zzz.

Steamed custard of salted fish and minced pork meat.

Then it's time to be sent back to the hazy, overcrowded, barbaric city of Kuala Lumpur :)

I've said it before and I'm going to say it again. I wish that KL would adapt the super fast travellators and escalators. Let those lazy asses move faster instead of goyang-ing around like they're in a pasar malam!

Our pathetic little plane bumping along... Lol :p

And finally a great shot TY took just as we left Singapore...

Across the Causeway: The Hunt - from Mustaffa to NatGeo

After that calorie-laden meal, it's time to wish for more fortune which in turn will reward ourselves with more calorie-laden meal! Went to the centre of the palm of Suntec City to dip our hands into the Wishing Fountain.

Forgot to include this shot in the previous post, so here it is.

Ian then brought us to the Marina Barrage for a great night view of the Singapore skyline. There were people there attempting to fly kites (I used the word 'attempt' because there was barely a hint of stunted breeze - some kites managed to stay up for quite a while though, surprisingly).

Gorgeous view.

Noah's Ark.

The Singapore Flyer. I still recall my experience on it a couple of years ago. Expensive and during that time, constructions on Marina Bay was still ongoing so the view wasn't that great. A complete revolution takes roughly half an hour. There's also a VIP pass you can purchase where you get a whole capsule for yourself and even organize a 30-minute cocktail dinner or whatever.

Dam.

Aerospace mission centre that sends signals to potential galactical living creatures.

One of the items on my To-Get List is a pair of Ray-Bans. Evan has been raving about getting them in Simlim Tower whereas me cousin said that she would bring me to Mustaffa, where everything under the sun is sold, 24/7. You name it, they have it. Stacks of genuine Nike shoes are strewn on the racks like goods in a pasar malam. Tempted to purchase a number of items (Current wishlist - Deuter regular backpack, a pair of new sandals and a few dri-fit tops / shorts / pants for gym)... pokai :( Walked out of Mustaffa empty handed though :D

To make up for the single digit burnt calories hiking up and down the Barrage and around Mustaffa, Ian drove us to Lorong 27A Geylang for a bite of supper and also a bit of ogling.

Taiwan oyster noodles - This is a must-have! The gravy has a slight burnt taste but somehow it adds character to the dish. Couldn't get enough of it.

Yu Char kuey and fish cake with eggs.

Herbal eggs.

Jeez, now it sounds like a lot for supper. Washed down with soy bean drink.

Xiao Long Pao the tipu edition. No soup in the pau wan. Tipu. No like.

Tucked in bed really late, probably close to 3am. Naturally got up when the sun is already close to its highest point in the sky. Min CC brought us to Toa Payoh, one of the earliest HDB residential allocation area in Singapore. We were there on a mission to get my dream sunglasses lol.

Brunch at one of the food courts there - love the cleanliness. One lady dropped her tray of hokkien mee noodles, and a couple of minutes later, the place is already spotless. Gotta love the efficiency.

Ian recommended me to try the Hokkien prawn noodles, Singapore style. The noodles are moist-ish and mixed with the sambal, I think it's similar to our lam mee? Except not that sticky and doesn't have prawns.

TY and his lui cha. Tastes great too. Min CC related that when she first moved to Singapore, she lost a lot of weight because the food here ain't that great, compared to Penang. But once you're there long enough and discovered the hidden treasures of where some of the great food are, you're bound to be well-fed for the rest of the term in Singapore. I have no doubts with that, since MCC is a full-moon feature now :D

Lucky in the food department, but not so lucky in the shades. Did made my first purchase there though, an Adidas Climacool top and that's it. I did fell in love with an Adidas sporty shades wah super cool, adjustable frames and absorbent layer on top of the frame but it is waaaaayyyy out of my budget - SGD 350 after discount. *faint.

Me likey this shot because I looked tanned - well, compared to Min CC.

We resumed our shady hunt mission in Vivo City.

MCC said I look chor lor in this shot lol. Buka a li'l kangkang than her only lol.

Love Daiso :D Everything for SGD2. Malaysia? RM5 super capalang rofl.

The National Geographic Store!

There's a cafe within the store, exhibitions, T-shirts and bags for sale.

Rucksack! :D SGD 99 or somewhere :(

At that time there was an exhibition on Mattias Klum's work. Googled and found the picture I was drawn to in the store. Check out his other works too. Brilliant.

There's also a small room where u experience temperature in the sub-zeros.

Ok I'm getting really tired now, age is catching up fast. Will update our final few food excursions in Singapore tomorrow.

Ending with a photo of me and MCC in a cable shuttle on top of a hill which I can't remember the name lol. I suck at memorizing names. Live with it.

Across the Causeway: Portkey me to Porky Porky

Found some real cheap flight tickets to Singapore and snapped them up. Arrived late Thursday night, much to the annoyance the cousin residing there hehe. Well, all negative vibes diminished once they see that we brought along a few packets of Penang's Indian mee goreng heheheh.

Got up not-too-early on Friday morning, took a cab to Dhoby Gaut then later killed time in Singapore Plaza because Sue Wern only gets out for lunch at 1pm. I love Singapore. Escalators around the MRTs are fast-paced, which should definitely be the case, considering the vast amount of passengers using the service. Everything is efficient, you only need one single EZlink card for traveling. You can afford to wear a skimpy top without having some low-ass passer-by raping your body with his eyes. There are so many interesting characters in this city that I could just buy myself a cup of coffee and sit by the sidewalk all day people-watching.

Sue Wern brought me to this little shop in Chinatown for lunch which she claims serve one of the best xiao long pao. I duly obliged and noticed that the shop has rows of photos with the chef pulling the la mian with customers at his side lol. Every. Single. Piece. Same pose, Different customers.

Photos courtesy of TY. By the way, my camera's ill and I might be getting a new one :(

Great fun catching up with this lady who has been missing out for so long. She persuaded me to work in Singapore, but I am just not sure. One thing for a fact is that the Singapore center has so many talented, smart and hardworking employees that I doubt I can out achieve them or even bring myself to work hard. I am a true lazy worm, that's me.

Completely forgot to bring my camera along, so no pictures of the xiao long bao hehe. But it's seriously not bad la. Next time I will drag SW along just to snap a few photos.

SW recommended me to try the Marina Bay Sands casino, and that's exactly where we were headed next! Took the train (freaking cheap, 70-80 cents one way) towards Marina Bay and then a bus to the jaw-dropping monumental Sands Hotel.

Checked into the casino and photos are not allowed of course. But I think if I had my compact with me then I would definitely sneak a few shots ;) The casino is vast, I think it's been ages since I last went into a casino. Credit cards swapping, stacks of chips placed on bet (minimum bet, what, $100?). Being the cheapskates and the poor souls we are, we played the slots machine (minimum bet a dollar hehe). And what do you know! TY and I both won about $70 net profit. TY made the bigger contribution when he got the superior 7x eagle lol. Secret to gambling is knowing when to stop. We cashed out, not before we eyed this old uncle who traded in his cash slip with over $1000 worth of cash. Amazing. In one day.

They have this little Venice concept, except sampans are used instead.

$70 for half an hour on the slots. Not bad for fast income. Before leaving to get showered, we made a pit stop at the Sands Hotel.

I'm not quite sure how to make sense of the architecture. Some say that the Singapore government has predictions of the end of the world and has made preparations for the great flood or some sort. And there you have it, the modern day Noah's Ark.

I am totally in love with the natural lights that flood into the building through the high ceilings.




After a quick peep at the Sands hotel, we took the train back to Lavender where my cousin picked us up, showered and proceed to tick off one of my checklist to do in Singapore.


Pork ribs at Tony Roma's @ Suntec City :D

hehe.... I know it's probably one of the last things one would do. Typically on a foreign land one would prefer to sample local stuff but I consider Tulang Rusuk Babi not to be a Malaysian local ;) Anyway, Malaysia's TOny Roma's only serve halal stuff, read: beef ribs which sounds ugh.

We ordered enough to feed a whole village. Ian did most of the ordering and I did all the nodding.

A great meal starts with a healthy salad! Ngeh ngeh.

Chicken Caesar Salad. Caesar Salad topped with grilled chicken strips. Don't be fooled by the seemingly mediocre size of the plate in this picture. It's freaking huge! Has blue cheese in it which I have problems adapting to.

Appetizer Sampler - Fire Wings, Potato Skins, Mozzarella Sticks with three dipping sauces. I love the potato skins! Has bacon bits and spring onions with melted cheese on it.... T-T The skin coupled with the bacon bits are crispy and as you sink your teeth further, you are greeted by the soft potato within. Oh, the Fire wings, or buffalo wings like that also suparbo! Love, love, love.

Behold!

The Original Baby Back Ribs.

With corn on cob and baked taters on side.

What I think? Hmm..... It's lovely no doubt but somehow the ribs tasted, for a lack of better word, practised to me. I dunno how to explain la. The meat is very tender, they fall off the bone at the slightest pressure. Taste wise, like I said, practised? Rofl. Not really what I expected but then again it didn't exactly fall below expectations. Worth a try but I think I love the fire wings and potato skin more :D

Ok, after bathing and coming back to blog, I think I have something more meaningful to say rather than 'practised' lol. Me thinks the ribs are very moist, which I have no problems with that, if it's within. I think I expected more of a drier outer layer crust.

Carolina Honey Ribs (blend of honey and molasses) with coleslaw and ranch style beans.

I definitely preferred the original one as compared to the honey version. Coleslaw is good but the ranch style beans is ugh! It feels so filling, like it expands evermore once it has settled itself in your tummy somewhere. I think I only managed 2 spoonfuls but that glutton TY wiped the bowl clean. Yuck. Later on only found out that Ian Kor Kor doesn't eat beans. If I had known, should have exchanged that for the corn on cob which is fab.

Okie, dinner has ended, but it's not the last meal yet! I need to edit some photos first, then I'll update on our little detour to Marina Barrage :D