Into the Wilds CP1 - Goat Farm

Many thanks to the organizers for this trip to the off beaten tracks of Singapore, letting us enjoy the natural greenery along the way and get in close with nature. Since graduating from NUS 3 months ago, the ESE class of 2009 bonding still remains strong judging from the high turnout rate for this event throughout the day. Though some of us cannot make it for the whole day, but we still try our best to make it and join in the fun to the best we can. Waking up early at 630am to travel all the way to CCK Mrt Station can be quite unattractive (for an easterner like me), not to mention that it is followed by a torturing 1 hour (estimated) journey to our destination as shown by the bus guide below. Luckily for us, there are not much passengers at the bus-stops after the bus left the CCK town boundary, thus we are spared the long journey to Lim Chu Kang. Having the length of the journey cut by half, and with much help from the cool weather, the short trip to the Hay Dairies Goat Farm is relaxing indeed.
With some luck, our timely arrival coincide with the milking session of the goats, where we get to see how goat milk are extracted to be bottled for our human consumption. Well, I really pitied the goats where they have to get their nipples "suck" everyday by machines and some of us wondered if the process is painful to the goats =p

After we have seen enough of the milking session, the group proceed on a mini tour around the farm. Due to the recent H1N1 issues, visitors are no longer allowed to get into close proximity with the goats, so activities such as goat feeding and goat patting are now off the shelves. Due to the unbearable stench coming from the goat dungs around the farm, we quickly exited the tour and went to the counter to get some goat milk to drink.

To minimise the unique "goatty" smell, I ordered the chocolate version of the milk bought at $2 for a 200ml bottle. The milk, to me taste pretty diluted and the chocolaty favor is lacking. Given a choice, I think I would not have bought the goat milk again from this farm, unless they start giving me better quality milk. Overall, it was still a good unique experience, nontheless.

Pasta de Waraku

Seafood with Wafu Tomato Sauce
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This is my second time in Pasta de Waruku. If not for the 30% discount, I wouldn't have gone into the shop. For the Seafood with Wafu Tomato Sauce, I ordered the up-size version as I remembered that the last time, the serving they gave without up-size was too small. Overall, in my opinion, the dish is average. I find that tomato sauce is too cheesy and it makes me feel guilty. Looks like I have to exercise more to burn off the excess fats~ For the seafood they served, I have to say that their prawns are fantastic! They are big, fat and juicy, however, for the squid and oysters, they pale in comparison. The squid is a little bit hard and the oyster, to me is a little bit dry. If without the 30% discount, I would have find that it is not worth the money paid I have paid.

Swenson @ Suntec

Dining at swenson is usually the selection of fish and chips for me. But for this occasion, I decided on a change of choice and ordered the baked spaghetti bolognaise instead to try out its latest addition to their menus. I have no idea how long this dish has been introduced as it has been ages since I last stepped into the restaurant. Certainly, this dish has not disappoint me. With its melted cheese spread over the hot spaghetti mixed with minced beef in tomato sauce, the taste is just heavenly. One reason I prefer tomato sauces over cream as base sauce for baked dishes is that you will not easily get sick of the meal while you are eating it. One regret though, the meatballs are just plain normal. I would have expect more from them since it is the main attraction for the dish. Well, this is one area they can improve on.

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One particular service that I find interesting in Swenson is the way they served their cold water. Usually, the restaurant will just give each person a cup of cold water. But for Swenson, they came in 2 empty little cups and a cute little bottle filled full with water. So now, instead of keep calling the waiter to refill your cup, now you can DIY at your own convenience. I find this rather innovative of them. Keep up the good work.

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Overall, I had a very wonderful day and feel so blessed~ Thank you *mds* for all the surprises.

Strategic Repositioning

The headline reads:

TORONTO, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), a leading provider of products and services to the global life sciences markets, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its MDS Analytical Technologies business, a leading global supplier of drug discovery and life sciences research tools, to Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) for $650 million in cash, and that it currently intends to return approximately $400 million to $450 million of the sale proceeds to its shareholders. The completion of the sale is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, and other closing conditions.

What a "great" news to start the day. Barely 4 months into my first job, I have a chance to encounter such a situation. Initially shock at the news as it totally come out of the blue, I can only breath a sign of relief that it is not a competitor that acquire us, so there will be minimum restructuring. What will the future holds? I totally have no idea. If the shareholders meeting in October passes this deal, which highly it will as they stand to get lots of dividends back, no matter what, I will just adopt a wait and see attitude. At least, by December, the picture will become clearer... Contract or Perm, lets wait and see...

Happy Birthday to Me

A big thank you to the 10 people in this world who still remember my birthday. I thank you for all your well wishes. With that, I have officially lived in this world for a quarter of a century and have passed into the Cat Y band. What achievements have I made so far? Looking back, really, nothing much. Safe for a degree paper, I still have a debt of around $25,000 to clear. Living in Singapore comfortably is a struggle, where the cost of living is considered to be high. Though my ultimate goal seems far, but I will still try my best to reach it, though it is just a tiny step at a time. Fate seems to be toying with me, little did I know another shocking new is awaiting me 1 day after my birthday. More update on my next post, though I doubt you all will know what the news is.....

Ramen Ten @ Cityvibe

The Oyaku Chicken Ramen (picture above) from Ramen Ten looks appetizing with its fine selection of vibrant colours - freshly green lettuce, tasty dark green seaweed, soft orange carrot cubes and tender chicken meat. Add another $2 for the big bowl ramen will guaranteed you a full and satisfying stomach for the day. The soup base was boiled to just the correct sweetness (compliments to the chef) that it was neither too salty nor blend. Overall, I would find this dish above average, though not really that delicious until it would blow my mind off. Bring along your Safra card if you want to enjoy their 50% off on 2nd order promotion..

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For the staffs, I find that they are very helpful and patience. They took great length to make sure that the customers know what are the current promotions they are having in the store so that the patrons would not miss out on any possible good deals. Whenever they have any doubts, they would come back and re-verify with the customers so that the orders are being made to what the customers actually wanted. Though this is part of the basic service skills that all the waiter / waitress should have, but, I still appreciate them for their efforts.

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Rate: 6.5/10

Wigan 0 - 5 Manchester United 220809 Highlight

That is really the best game they played so far!

G.I Joe: Rise Of Cobra

Synopsis: Set approximately ten years in the near future, a special military unit known as the "G.I. Joe" arises from the Cobra Organisation, vowing to take down any crime organisation led by a notorious arms dealer. With their team operating from the headquarters known as "The Pit," the film will include stunning locations from the Arctic, Paris, Moscow, Australia and the Sahara desert. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

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A futuristic film with a great deal of help from computer animations. Well, the gadgets they used seems cool, especially the hydraulic machines that allows you to run faster, carry more heavy loaded fire power and access to all the other information that you need just by thinking it. If the guys are going reservist, then they will have no worries of carrying heavy load anymore. =p The film on the whole is pretty average, nothing extraordinary that wowed me over. I would recommend to have a go at the movie if you have nothing better to do on a lazy weekend afternoon, otherwise, don't waste the money. It can be better used elsewhere. An interesting idea from the movie is the development of a nano bug that can eat up metal. I wonder if they can be programmed to eat up the rubbish that we throw everyday and turn them into another form of fuel source.... hmmm...

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Rate: 3/5

Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince

Synopsis: Lord Voldermort is wreaking havoc throughout Britain as Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts. The pressure to defeat the Dark Lord grows stronger in the young wizard. Using an old Potions Book which previously belonged to the 'Half-Blood Prince', Harry is able to increase his magical knowledge and prepare for battle. However, he must first help Dumbledore discover the secret to Voldermort's quest for immortality - the location of his Horcruxes. But the quest for the Horcruxes and the resulting battle at Hogwarts produce a tragic outcome - leading Harry to believe that he must head out on his own to conquer the Dark Lord. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

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The much anticipated harry potter movie is finally here! Continuing its dark undertone, this movie may not seem as good as the previous versions as there are not a lot of magic and battle scenes to be seen. On the contrary, this installment is more geared towards narrating to the viewers the events (past and present) that are building up to the final showdown between harry and Lord Voldermont in the final episode: Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows. A disappointment that I have of the movie is the leaving out of the battle scenes between the death eaters and the professors of Hogwarts at the time Professor Dumbledore was killed. This is probably the most exciting part of the whole series when I am reading the book. A pity indeed. Nevertheless, a pretty well done movie and I eagerly anticipated its final 2 installment.
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Rate: 3/5

Beach Culture @ Watercross

A big thinks to the teacher for organising this wonderful gathering in Beach Culture @ Watercross in Pasir Ris. How long has it been since we the bunch of us from 4L last met? Probably not long ago when the teacher is holding her wedding ceremony. =) I am really glad that after 9 years, there is still a strong bond staying within the core group of our class and we still frequently meet up and update each other. Hopefully, this bond and class spirit will continue for the many years to come.

Beach Culture @ Watercross. The whole shop is separated into 2 sections - an indoor air-conditioned room which has a nice ambient setting completed with soft lighting and an open air dining should you want to experience some refreshing sea-breeze and relax your evening away. The only complain I had with the shop setup was the rather old and dull ceiling in the air-conditioned room. Everything was nice and cozy in the room, comfortably relaxing in the couch provided, that is at least until you lift your head and catch a glance of the ceiling. The scene before your eyes will surely kill off some of your mood. =p

For the food wise, the class ordered a seafood platter and for me, a combo meal fit for 2 consisting of 1 slab of steak, 1 stack of lamb and 1 serving of chicken meat. I am not particularly impressed with their cooking as I feel that all the meat served are below standard. The steak was pretty raw when I ask for a medium well done. The stack of lamb meat was pretty hard. The only consolation was their chicken serving, which was manageable. However, how bad can a chicken meat goes?

The only recommendation I could give was probably their seafood platter. The calamari ring they served was the biggest size I have ever seen so far. One bite through them could send your taste bud tinkling. For their beverage section, happy hour was until 8pm, which is a draw as most of the alcohol was quite reasonably priced and customers would look forward to ordering them to go with their meals.

As we could not decide on a good after meal activities, we headed to Xin Wang 茶餐厅 for more chit-chat and indulged in a "big" tub of 豆花. A great evening and I hope there will be more to come =)

Soup Restaurant

It has been quite a long time since I last visited this restaurant, maybe some 1 year ago. Feeling the urge of eating something healthy for a change, *mds* and I decided to give this restaurant a chance to redeem itself (I remember the last time round, they serve us super hard rice!!) and head in to settle our lunch. We ordered their set meal for two, which came with a special promotion to get one of the dish for just only $1. =)

.The Soup Restaurant speciality dish (picture above): Samsul Ginger Chicken is indeed mouthwatering. The juice of it is not in its chicken, but in the sauce they provide in the middle of the dish! The chicken slices are good, but they are not that great. Their meat are tender and not really hard (they give me chicken breast meat, though for the price I pay, I would have expected thigh meat / drumstick meat) =p. For the sauce, I have no idea how they made it, but it contain a well proportioned chicken oil mixed with blended ginger. Placed it into the cabbage leaves they provide, wrap it into a roll and put the whole chunk into your mouth. All you have to do is slowly bite it and let all the juices flow out!! Extremely fattening, I know, but irresistible!!

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Second dish: Steam "San Yu" Fish Slices.

The fish slices are all well marinated and cooked to just the correct perfection. They are solid and tender, though I feel that this dish is still lacking a bit of flavour. A good dish though I would not say that they are the best I have ever eaten.
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This is the $1 that we ordered: Clay-pot Sea Cucumber.

This dish is slowly brewed with the wings of the ducks and sea cucumber, together with the "tau key" and some vegetables that I do not know the name of. A great combination of ingredients that will leave you wanting for more. A recommendation by me is to eat this dish together with the gravy and rice. Definitely a steal given that this dish only cost $1!!
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Third dish: Fried Batry Kai Lan with Tong Kwal

I find this dish a bit weird as they attempt to stir-fry this dish together with Tong Kwal. Maybe personally, I am uncomfortable with the slight bitter taste of the Tong Kwal that are found together with the Kai Lan. Well, overall, I find this dish to be just ok.

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An overall view of our lunch. Extremely satisfying! =)

ESE Graduation Dinner

Wonderful memories shared with this graduating batch of ESE 2009. It has been a wonderful 4 years experience with you all. May the class bond be strong in the years to come.

Last but not least, thanks for giving me this title huh!! *faint*

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (3D)

Sypnosis: The sub-zero heroes from the worldwide blockbusters "Ice Age" and "Ice Age: The Meldown" are back, on an incredible adventure...for the ages. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while, maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family after finding some dinosaur eggs; and Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he's growing too 'soft' hanging with his pals. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna run amok - and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

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All right, I admit, it is better to watch the animation non-3D as the effect was like insignificant? Show wise, the whole plot was passable, but I am feeling a bit of the directors lack of breakthrough. The jokes are getting increasingly old, and if this continues, I think it is time for the directors to give it a finale version, where the Ice Age finally ends and the animals becomes extinct, maybe died of some heat stroke or get eaten up by the dinosaurs. Definitely not worth to pay the extras for the 3D effect.

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Rate: 3/5

Pasta de Waraku

A joyful occasion to celebrate Perry's birthday~ Thank you Ernnie for organising this wonderful gathering. The day started with some singing of K which unfortunately I could not join in. However, I did manage to make it for the dinner, while most of the others are late! =) The group later decided on going to the restaurant (Pasta de Waraku) which gladly is not too expensive.

.Having been the first time entering this restaurant, I decided to try their "sukiyaki" which is a mixture of beef, mushroom and cabbage mixed in their special Wafu sauce. I quite like this dish as the cabbage they used is sweet and it enhances the taste of the whole dish. However, I still find the portion a bit small for my stomach. For my drink, I decided to try their "Maccha Float". The waiter said that this ice-cream was made of some tea leaf favour and I initially had some expectation for this drink. However, after taking a sip, it was total disappointment as the ice-cream are pretty tasteless and hence, the whole drink was pretty spoilt.

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Overall, the staffs are quite friendly in this restaurant and provide satisfying answers whenever questions are asked. The ambient set up was pretty good for group gatherings to sit down and catch up with each other. Even though it was at the prime of dinner hours, the whole restaurant is still quite quiet for diners to enjoy a couple of quiet moments.

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After dinner activities was a journey down to a German bar for some cold lager before we decided to hit the road for home. Happy belated birthday to Perry again and hope that you have enjoy your day.

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Rate: 6/10

Happy Restaurant Buffet

To celebrate my Dad's birthday, at my mom recommendation, we three decided to try out the buffet at this restaurant. The concept is similar to the Noble House buffet that I had went before with my class, though the price is much cheaper here. For a weekend, it typically cost $27.80++ and you can order all you want with the selection given on the menu. All right, here are some of the good food recommendation given by me:
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2. Sharkfin Crabmeat Soup
The soup is tasty and they give you a generous portion of crabmeat. Add it together with vinegar and pepper... heavenly! Definitely worth a try.
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6. Salmon Shashimi
Another definitely must eat!! Not because they are especially nice, but because this shashimi are usually quite expensive outside, so..must eat back some of money we are going to pay later right? =p
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8. Bamboo Fungus with Chicken Mushroom Soup
The soup are richly tasty and the ingredients generously given in each bowl. Though for a buffet, drinking soup is considered quite a waste of valuable stomach space, but the dish is pretty good to not give it a try.
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11. Diced Chicken with Szechuan Sauce
The diced chicken flesh are cooked to just the right moment such that they are extremely tender and chewy. Stirred fried together with the onions, I find that the whole dish is similar to the taste of gong bao chicken. I would have re-order this dish again to have a second go at it if not for the so many varieties on the menu that I have not tried out yet.
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19. Stir-fry Beef with Black Pepper Sauce
Traditional dish that is available at a lot of places. The only difference that makes this restaurant stands out is the tenderness of the beef slices that they used. I have no idea how did they do it but it is the most tender beef slices that I have ever eaten before. Definitely a must try!!
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25. HK Baby Cabbage with Minced Garlic
The thing that I liked about this dish is the tenderness of their baby cabbage. You can put the whole cabbage in your mouth and savour the moment when the sauce oozes out andat the same time, slowly chew your vegetable. A good dish to try!
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33. Mapo Beancurd
The best dish in the whole of the restaurant menu. The beancurd are cooked together with a generous selection of minced meat, carrot cubes and corn seeds. The whole sensation of chewing all the beancurd and minced meat together in one's mouth are simply unforgettable.
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To sum up your buffet, there is also a assorted selection of ice-creams that have the flavours of mango, chocolate, raspberry and yam. Indeed, I find it quite worth the money paid to enjoy the dishes that I have eaten so far.

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Rate 8/10

NUS Commencement 2009

All 4 years of hard work just for this single moment. An old chapter closed while another begins. Wish all my classmates all the best in their future journeys. =)

Last but not least, thank you *mds* for taking time off for my commencement and giving me this beautiful sunflower~ =)

Picture upload problem on blogger

This problem has been going around for at least 4 days on blogger. Whenever I upload the picture and click "done", the picture didn't appear!!! not sure what is the problem but it seems like everyone else are facing the same problem.
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Scouted around on internet and this is one possible solution that I found to upload the picture manually:
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Still upload the usual way (choose ur size accordingly cos that will be how u want the pics to show on ur blog) but when the picture is uploaded, DO NOT click done. Instead, right click on the pic, left click on properties & copy the URL (add) there. Do not close the uploaded image window. Just minimise it.
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On ur blog window in edit HTML format, input the following:
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(img src = 'URL'/) substitute the bracket with <>
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where URL is the URL(add) that u hv copied. Close the uploaded pic window before u click publish. Once u click publish, u shall be able to see ur pics.
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Hope the above helps. :) Happy Blogging

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Sypnosis: Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]
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Great Plot, excellent graphics and battle scenes!!! The developers really bring the CGI effects to another level. It is really a feast to the eyes to see the robots fighting, together with the support of the full arsenal of weapons available by human. The whole movie is not just about endless fighting as the director also tried to bring in some comedy effect to the movie. I particularly like Wheelie as he is quite a joker in the movie! Can’t wait for the 3rd installment!!
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Rate: 8/10

Morph

As of July 1st, 0000 I am officially transisted into adulthood. *sigh* No more concession to take unlimited bus rides.

Hannah Montana the Movie

Synopsis: Miley Cyrus struggles to juggle school, friends and her secret popstar persona. But when Hannah Montana's soaring popularity threatens to take over her life - she just might let it. So her father, Billy Ray Cyrus takes the teen home to Crowley Corners, Tennesse, for a dose of reality, kicking off an adventure filled with the kind of fun, laughter and romance even Hannah Montana couldn't imagine. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

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Typical "celebrity kick back to reality" plot, where Hannah gets a dose of being an average joe where no one recognise her as she withdrew from the limelight to go back to her traditional hometown where commercialism is much resisted by the townfolks. To spice things up a bit, the director inserted some romance scene for Hannah to find during her short stay in the town. No doubt, the movie did contains some nice songs that are quite nice. I would recommend this movie for the songs aired but definitely not for the plot.

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Rate: 3.5/5