Lee Sin Yi

Bangkok Prelude

2010-06-28T12:31:00.056+08:00

Bangkok 21June to 25June ...The trip that almost got cancelled

Bangkok Prelude

We had planned for our trip to bangkok since the beginning of the year but some things are just so unpredictable..

+ January - gathered friends, find room and tix
+ February - collected money, booked air tickets($168 per person with Jetstar)
+ March - buy insurance ($21.30 per person with MANY MANY terms and conditions...you can tell i dont believe in insuarnce rite)
+ April - wanted to book room but riot appeared, wait for riot to go away
+ May - still waiting for riot to go away, lots of decision making from all of us( go or postpone or cancel or change destination)
+ June - Most of us had decided to go ahead with the intial plan, booked rooms finally, changed $, packed, fly:)

In a way we are lucky. By end of May the riots had already cleared up, streets cleaned, no more fire bombs and the thais were also eager to get on with their lives.
There were many times we felt like giving up on the trip(and money we have put in)but now i am happy to say our decision to go ahead was right!:)

Bangkok Day 1... Touch down and shop!

About 2.5 hours from SG to BKK..

Our plane to bangkok was less than half occupied...you can tell ppl are still shunning Bangkok

Touched down at 150pm SG time...1250 BKK time

Took a 6seater(? bigger than normal) taxi to our place for about 700 baht(S$30).
Almost took an express bus which was more expensive than the taxi...Note to all: Take taxi.
Because there were a total of 7 ppl(including the driver)poor deyun was chosen (by the cab driver..haha) to sit at the back with our lugguages.

Lugguage stopper for the day

After 30min we arrived at Tango, our hotel/apartment place at Pratunam. The place was recommended by forums and blogs and has good reviews on travel sites. It is a relatively new building and most importantly, no haunted/ghostly experiences/feedbacks..haa.

S$53 per room per night...includes delicious breakfast i will nv forget:)
Also, the front desk administrators speak basic English so communciation was quite alright at the check-in.

15minutes walk from Tango to Platinum Mall...have to cut through Indra Square and Pratunam Market(big) to see the building.

We were hungry and lost looking for Platinum..Went into City Complex located within Pratunam Market to look for food but the foodcourt was quite died. After some direction asking we found Platinum Mall...in the lift!

The first thing to do was to cure our hungry stomachs.
Lunch at Platinum Foodcourt..

Sharkfin soup for about S$7..

Mad cheap satay-like bbq chicken sticks everywhere in bangkok..
Get the ones from roadside stalls they are the more tasty ones:)

No pics of the inside of Platinum Mall...we were too engrossed with the shopping.
Imagine 6 levels of shops after shops..small squeezy walkways and many young thais there.
After 4 hours of intenive shopping, we moved on to Pantip for AnW!!

Beary beary miss AnW

Waffle meal for about S$5...totally worth it.

Happy meal..

Went to Suan Lum after dinner...night market with many souveniers. Yup, its as boring as it sounds. But the fun part was our tuktuk ride!! loves tuktuk.

Cheaper stuff at the alleys...

Mad hot even at night..

Tuktuk ride...S$5
Experience....priceless

Had a thai massage at the end of the day with CZ. Very very stretched and loosen up..about S$7 for the good experience

Bangkok Day 2... Chinatown, KaoSan, MBK and lots of dirty water

After the first day, my camera had no battery and i brought the wrong charger...knock head..So these are pictures koped from Sharon and PG.

Went for the Chao Praya River ride for about S$8..heartpain ex cos it's not worth..
Actually we took the ride to get to the Grand Palace...but by the time we sailed to the Grand Palace it was lunch and prayer time so it was closed for the next 1 or 2 hours -___-"

So near yet so far...

Anyway, we moved on to Yaowarat aka Chinatown for lunch...according to our itinerary
Lunch at Nam Sing..

1st grade birdnest S$43

Delicious and sinful...2nd time we had sharkfin. S$21 a pot serves 2 ppl

After lunch...Walking in the baking hot Chinatown

Lanes and alleys of wholesale accessories, bags, hats..much lesser clothes than Pratunam and Platinum.
Most of the time, if i remember correctly, we were siam-ing pushcarts(or mobile food stalls)and motorcycles at the alleys. Walkways wthin the Chinatown wholesale market were very narrow and we were competing with the carts and wad not for walking space.

Next stop...Kao San Night market.
Took public bus 53 from Chinatown to KaoSan...abt 15min. S$0.30. Passed by Flower market and Little india, Grand palace, Ferry terminal. So if you're planning to go to these places you can take this bus.
Very interesting and 'local' experience to take the public bus. Glad we did:)

Mango Sticky rice for 20baht...oh Thailand Otah is quite nice too!

More pictures taken by pengguan

Lots of angmohs there...things not very cheap. But that is where i fell in love with the croaking frog. which i later bought at Indra Square for 120baht

Rub its back with the stick and you will get frog croaks sound..haha..yes silly

Not exactly sure if the place we went was part of Kao San night market because we took a bus and walked to the place and we arrived rather early at 5pm..So the night market wasnt really up yet. But one obvious thing was the area was too touristy for me. Angmoh prices, pubs, massages...not the kind of night market i wan to be:(

Anyway, we decided again to move on with our itinerary(we'd moved on until the next day's itinerary le)to go to MBK. Famous shopping paradise in Bangkok. Also famous for 'need to bargain before buying'. Nothing much for me over there...oh except that sloggi bras were half-priced cheaper than in SG. But similar to SG, bras without wire are rare.

It got interesting at night:)we were so enclosed inside MBK we didnt know it was pouring crazy outside. By the time we were leaving MBK, the streets were flooding about 1/2 wheel level high? Hahaa...wad a sight and experience. All the way from MBK to our place it was flooding.

However, thanks to the flood, we had the chance(sort of forced) to take the skytrain from MBK back to our place. The drama didn't end here.

When we reached the station nearest to our stay, we didn't know how to walk back to our place. Because of the flood or late timing or both, it was hard to get a cab. Furthermore, cabs we managed to flag either refused to use the meter and/or didn't know how to get to our hotel..

Drama after drama, we stopped at a hotel near to our place(as displayed on the map) but got lost walking in the alleys. So we had to walk in the drizzle and puddles to search for it and after somemore direction-askings we finally got back to our hotel.

Ever since that day, we have been asking cab drivers to stop us at Indra Square where we are more familiar with the walking directions to our hotel. Haha.

Bangkok Day 3... Siam Paragon, discovery center and MBK again
Perhaps we had walked for long long time the day before, our feets were aching on the 3rd day.

Roughly walked Siam Paragon and Discovery..searched for Plaza 29 but it seems to be somewhere in outerspace -____-" either we don't understand each other's english, or the place was burned down during riot. Ended up at MBK again but me, Sharon and CZ didnt shop much..just chilled at Starbucks...and then chilled at a restaurant place in Food Avenue that gave out free ice tea to tourists. Haaha...its actually a nice experience relaxing, having a drink at a foreign place:)

Thai iced tea very very sweet by the way...and filled with lots of ice(which didnt help with reducing the sweetness level)

Seafood dinner(just beside Tango) at night..about S$12. average seafood but their fried egg was really good!

Bangkok Day 4...Platinum and Calypso Cabaret

Went back to Platinum mall to complete our shopping there. Because day4 was 'buffer day'(meaning no plans) so we went back to our unfinished shopping.

Crepe for abt S$1! Platinum basement

Went to Asia Hotel in the evening for Calypso Cabaret a.k.a Ah Kua Show...1200baht incld a drink.
All worth it..

After buying tix, we went to the night market behind Asia Hotel for dinner:)
Unforgettable wanton mee(S$1.30) and giant bbq chicken stick(S$0.50) discovered over there!

Also sells roti prata, seafood

Coconut icecream 10baht...2 scopes with 3 toppings..happy:)

Using my pathetic 3.2mp handphone-camera...

Not ahkua this one haa

The prettiest ah kua there is the one on the left..erm in my opinion. i m sure Sharon and Guanteck have their favourites haha. Boobs beside me

Bangkok Day 5...Fly Home
Very long long post i m too sian to elaborate any further. Shall end this entry with a group photo. Tata

kushinbo

2010-06-01T22:20:00.007+08:00

...More family days like this!

Went Kushin Bo at JP to celebrate mother and father's day together. Every year my family clebrates mother's and father's day seperately. This year is cost cutting year for the family.

Little sisters..

:
:
:

Big sisters

My happy parents...

One of the many plates of snow crab legs we had. Nice legs

Very cute desserts

The buffet was great one of the best buffets I had. Then again I havent really been to many buffets. About S$50 nett per pax and most importantly seafood's fresh.

The best part about Kushin Bo is that they have their hourly specials. One hour it can be ice strawberry with chocolate filling(tried), the next hour it could be baked black pepper lobster(missed damn). My mom sister me and CZ were talking talking until we didn't even hear the bell for the hourly special lobster and didn't see people around us rushing to queue for it. Wish I had been more alert.
Havent had lobster before okay...

thailand poem

2010-05-01T21:52:00.002+08:00

...7 more weeks....get it over and done with!

Riot riot go away.
Stay away from us okay.
Little children want to play.
Please don't take our fun away.

torill in SG

2010-04-19T22:01:00.005+08:00

...Weekends are the best

Bump into Torill at City Hall...So qiao(x100). Norwegian friend whom i met during HK exchange. We just walked right into each other at City Link. She's here for a 3 day trip staying at NUS i think.

Haha yea..if you want to meet your long lost friends(even from overseas), City Link is the place to go:)

I had wanted to put a photo of the both of us but this one's cuter:)
Can you guess where's this place?

Bond

2010-03-21T20:48:00.006+08:00

...10 things about him I'll always remember

1)If I see him scratching and go to him to stop him, he would scratch even faster(before i reached).
2)Whenever I dropped my pillow from my bed (while sleeping), he wd quickly lie on it.
3)When there was thunder, he would jump onto my lap and shiver alot.
4)Whenever my mom's cooking he wd sit next to her and with his big eyes he'd hoped food will drop onto the floor.
5)When he could still jump onto my bed, he wd do so every morning to wake me up.Not at the correct timing though..
6)If I am reading the newspaper on the floor, he would quickly come and sit on the newspaper, blocking what i'm reading, wanting full attention.
7)He hates doggie biscuits.
8)He loves tummy rubs.
9)He wd pee next to the kitchen dustbin to show his frustration.
10)Whenever i come home late, he would not sleep until i reached home.

Bond you are such a good boy, a hard-to-find friend and our family. We were so lucky to have you for these years and we thank you for being part of our lives.

CNY Day 1

2010-02-14T23:53:00.007+08:00

...Happy Chinese New Year

**some bkgrd*
*My family's usual CNY Day 1 schedule:
Temple in the morning,
Malaysia relatives visits in the afternoon till evening(or overnight stay),
evening come home watch tv.

This year's CNY Day 1 is was rather screwed up. Just when i was about to cross over to Johor, at the SG Immigration Checkpoint, I was denied exit! Didn't realise my passport expired exactly 3 days ago.Sianzzz.. and my parents and sis had already crossed over, leaving me stranded at the counter.

So, after some discussion with my family over at the counter, they decided to go ahead and I had to return home. Not so much about not able to collect ang pao but spending CNY without my FAMILY?! and RELATIVES?! and FRIENDS?!(since everyone is busy visiting relatives)...how pathetic!
Its like splashing cold water on my CNY.

Even hours after doing the U-turn at the Checkpoint i felt as though this's a dream. Like so super unexpected k!
2 days ago my Vietnam colleague was still mentioning to me how bored it will be for him to spend CNY in SG, and I comforted him saying the Casino will be opening, can watch TV etc...now its like all these suggestions are for me!

LUCKILY, I have a super nice boyfriend who's willing to leave his relative's gambthering in the evening to have dinner with me:) My family's staying overnight by the way so i had to settle my own dinner. At least sth good(and wonderful:) happened today if not I will feel really super disappointed.

p.s. Sorry for the wordy post...its really meant to be a 'diary' post for myself to remember sth**

2010-02-11T20:55:00.008+08:00

...Life is good again

Just now when I was going home from work I bumped into CZ at Pioneer station! He was also going home (from sch).
So qiao its like I board the correct train and he board the correct bus:)
Whoever's doing the timing thing for us...good job!

Sorry i know this is a small thing but considering all the sian-ness in my office the whole day, this small thing is like the happiness of the day(& week) k!

A little part of my love story to kick-off Valentine's day. Cheers.

cny coming

2010-02-09T20:20:00.000+08:00

...We will really go Bangkok ok!

After 2 month of searching for tix/stay and coordinating, our Bangkok trip is confirmed!! I feel really sorry for cancelling taiwan guys, but Bangkok is going to be more fun, not to mention wallet-friendly..haha.

Sweet dream or a Beautiful nightmare

2010-01-17T20:56:00.008+08:00

...My weekend was short and really colourful

You are a Dreamer

You tend to have your head in the clouds. You love to be drawn in to a whole other world.

You are a sensitive person. You find it easy to be emotionally affected by books.

You are a person with many different interests. You are fascinated by everything in the world.

You are a person who loves to acquire possessions. You can't resist a sale, and you own a lot of things.

The Book Test

true true true

lucky day

2010-01-13T20:54:00.005+08:00

...Today is your lucky day!

My German boss just came back to SG and he gave us all these Piggy candies, which represents good luck back in his country. So sweet right? I am sharing this with you peepz..

2010-01-11T22:00:00.007+08:00

...Water is wealth?

Went to do the fountain of wealth thing, just for fun..

Walked 3 rounds clockwise, touched the water and made our wishes while we circled ard the fount. of wealth. Hah. We'll see what happens...
Attachment will start tmr, mix feelings about it. Anyway, i love my new haircut!! And(link/no link watsoever) i am so tired of people saying i look old, ugly etc...

p.s. What a mean thing to say by the way. I will never tell people they look saggish, ugly. If u hav nth good to say then just dun say anything!esp if u know nth can be done to change/improve. And i understand this is a MAD hard favour to ask...

2010-01-08T20:13:00.003+08:00

...Imperfect

Guess who?

1)It's easy for them to criticise. But they prefer to be praised and encouraged.
2)They tend to believe they know everything. When they'd only learnt part of the truth
3)“but how can I lose?” (when in disagreement & nothing to back up)

Answer: You know.

Happy 3rd Anniversary

2009-12-25T23:43:00.001+08:00

...Happy 3rd Anniversary

Traditionally, we spent christmas/anniversary in Esplanade...you can tell we love Esplanade rite..

Another edition of Czsy Couple-T..

Haha...yea so true so contented:p

China Trip 2009

2009-12-23T12:26:00.034+08:00

...Macau,广东省(珠海,信宜市)

Took Jetstar to Macau. And crossed over to Zhuhai. It's really convenient esp when my cousin & his family are still living there. For the entire trip they drove us w their mini bus-van.

I was really excited about the trip, mainly due to the cooling weather there. Ok, cheap shopping also. Food poisoning, have difficulty showering and even washing my hands, nothing much to buy, terrible food and water with strange taste...didn't see all these coming...

First stop...ZhuHai, China

their steamboat is like that?!
But the soup was really fantastic. Utensils wrapped up.. You can see they try to do sth abt their hygiene. Anyway, the temp was 12deg C when we reached ZhuHai. Having a good steamboat dinner kept us warm n happy:)

Stayed at a 2star(to me its 2star)hotel for a night. There were 14 of us relatives visiting so my cousin(ZhuHai) arranged for us to stay at the hotel nearest to his factory(and house). They have a small print/publishing business over there.

hahah...cool-est aunt.literally

zhuhai...famous for seafood and donkeys near motorcycles

sth to eat during our 5hrs long journey to 信宜市 my grandparents hometown..
10yuan in Zhuhai, 5yuan(same qty/quality) in XinYi by the way...

2nd - 4th day: 信宜市, 广东省(Canton)

Every house we'd been to has this giant maoism poster on the living-room wall. My little nieces & nephews(frm SG,M'sia) actually tot this man is call '红太阳'because all such posters hav the title '红太阳' but not 毛主席/maozedong..

typical home-meal there...ermz..

CNY-looking house

traditional charcoal warmer(with lots of CO/CO2 coming out)...it's so cold in 信宜 washing hands was painful.literally.

..a stall we went for breakfast

Every morning we eat porridge & 'chang fen'...really missed having bread & milk tea

...beware of counterfeit

Going to my Grandparents' village...

...cute little nephew

..humor with the camera during the 45min ride into the village

4th day: In my grandparents' village. Still in 信宜市

..In front of my uncle's friend's house.
All their houses have '迎春' above the main door & always decorated w red strips of paper saying auspicious phrases. Like our CNY. Ha.
Also, every house has lots of straws stacked at the side of the entrance. It's burnt to keep warm.. and cook?! How??

Puppies keeping warm...

Exploring the place...temperatured at 11deg c.

The main source of fertilizer is LOOKING at you....

me and mom in the middle of the field. Don't know what they are harvesting actually.

Random village boy who was running around us with a bamboo...

Little chicks have to be caged so they get to grow up before the dogs or snakes eat them.

My cousin brother smoking 'water cigarettes'(水烟). Behind is his father(my 2nd uncle)'s house.
The house is now vacant.

Some old stuff left behind. Antique oil lamps...

My grandparents'mansion before they moved to Malaysia. During the Chinese Communist Revolution, the family's wealth was lost. With all the chaos and disadvantages, my grandparents'had decided to move to Malaysia. That was when many of their friends and other relatives also moved away from China.

Me and my mom in front of my grandparents' house

Bye bye SG

2009-12-17T10:01:00.004+08:00

...红豆

Playlist at MixPod.com

MunYing Bdae

2009-12-12T21:24:00.006+08:00

...MunYing's Turn

Attended to Ying's party yesterday at Aloha Changi. It was a rather huge bash. Old and young..many many friends and family.

Went early to help with the decorations.But it was a pretty fast to do thing we completed deco at 5+. Since the party wd be starting at 7pm me and TL decided to explore the beaches at Changi..

Passed by Changi Hotel Village. Quite a walk from chalet to the park

Near Changi Ferry Terminal

Nice beach...with strong wind. I like it:)

Rosy faces

This is actually SG

Romantic fishing couple..aaww

The Chalet House

Sharon n me

Birthday gurl in the mid..

Outing with PH

2009-12-10T22:31:00.000+08:00

...Outing with PH

Looked for Christmas gifts with PH. Circled around Orchard and Somerset. Nth much to buy.Seriously, shopping in SG is sad.

Waraku-ed again at Heeren. Hhaa.Now no more student promotion le(20% off) but there is...30% off from 3-6pm!! We went in at abt 520pm? Billed before 6pm. yea!

The pasta was great, as usual..

Humor with the camera

and more...

Outing with CZ

2009-12-08T18:49:00.001+08:00

...Post Exam

Finally after a long time, my exam had ended. Hoooooray!! I still have many things to do, but at least they are more fun.

Walking rather aimlessly in Tanjong Pagar.Very effective to get over the exam stuff and bad memories related to exams...

...Aliens smiling at you

Had dinner at this crampy but homely Jap restaurant at one corner of Int Plaza (still at Tanjong Pagar)

Initially i tot the menu is in Jap...erm yes. Silly

Tasty but expensive food.Not recommended to people who are budgeting. unless someone's treating u la:)

More outings coming soon!!:)

2009-11-27T15:07:00.005+08:00

...Rain. yes!

Jay Manuel : Hold your baby like a purse

exam fever

2009-11-26T19:56:00.004+08:00

...One paper down

...and 4 more to go. Strangely, i feel really happy after completing my first exam for this sem. Strange because it is not like i completed all the exams and it is not exactly easy. Even though it was a tipped paper, there were still un-hinted qns which had appeared. And the paper was filled with essay questions..not exactly 'engineering student - friendly'..haha. Guess i m just glad to finally have an exam paper to do(after waiting for so long...other ppl almost ending exam le lorrrrrr). Now i shall watch lots of 'Friends' to backspace all the stuff i memorised for com security.....

Things to do after 7th december:
settle IA
collect my badminton racke
MY chalet party
pack for Guangzhou
travel
Mahjong
bake cookies with PH(?)
print t-shirt...

quiz

2009-11-25T19:44:00.017+08:00

...Just for fun

Did some quizzes for dessert, didn't feel like revising after dinner..

Could You Be Violent?

There's a Chance You Could Be Violent

Overall, you're a pretty chill person - and you have a good handle on your emotions.

Sometimes your anger gets the best of you, and end up regretting how you act.

Try to curb your temper more often. It only has to get out of control once to do some damage.

R-E-N...

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

You Would Win Best Original Screenplay

You are insightful and expressive. You've always been a natural storyteller.

You know how to hook an audience, entertain them, and surprise them at the end.

Where people see everyday life, you see an engaging plot with interesting characters.

You notice details that other people ignore. People you've only met once or twice live inside your head.

Not that accurate...i m imaginative(very..haha) but definitely not a good storyteller:(

Are You Sweet or Salty?

You Are a Salty Person

When it comes to snacks, you're more likely to grab a bag of chips over a bag of cookies.

There's a good chance you're male (men prefer salty snacks)...

Or at least, you feel very comfortable in male dominated environments.

Your taste tends to be complex, sophisticated, and adult.

You tend to crave your favorite restaurant meal... or mom's cooking.

It's true..i m salty

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

Your Sleeping Position Says You Need Adventure

You are confident and ready to tackle life.

You are pretty vain and happy with your physical appearance.

You are born to be the center of attention, and you're unhappy on the sidelines.

You're always up for trying something new - in and out of bed!

If you don't get enough sleep, you: Look like hell

It's hard to sleep next to you because: You toss and turn all night

erm...the option i chose was 'on my back'...though i fall asleep on one side.i always woke up on my back.hmm.i wonder in between what position was i in

What Sign Do You Attract?

You Attract an Aquarius

When wacky, eccentric, independent Aquarius meet you, they've met their match.

You're just as unique and outspoken as any Aquarius, and as a result, they feel instantly connected to you.

And while you know you and your Aquarius are meant to be, you always allow for space in your relationship.

The last thing your Aquarius wants is to feel fenced in. You know that in this case, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

NOO..it should be taurus..

Christmas is coming! yeah!

2009-11-21T20:03:00.004+08:00

...Christmas is coming!

Randomly feel like listening to christmas songs..this is my fav

As you can see(from me blogging, finding songs and wadnot on youtube), I am really bored studying:( I don't know how i can study 7 or 8 hours straight during my sec sch days.RAAHHHH...i wan to go on a holiday!! now!!

Have headache looking at them...

simhuibdae

2009-11-15T22:52:00.006+08:00

...Simhui Bdae Gathering

Some photos from Simhui's birthday:

Taking bdae girl to her surprise venue...I don't what is with my mouth.ha

Watching birthday slide show done by ch,ps,dy..

Went Kbox after the party at Chin Yee's condo.
Yes. Time is relative.

2009-11-14T21:36:00.003+08:00

...A very good Saturday

I just realise i nonsense alot..especially when i am nervous! I can say the weirdest things and people can't really tell if i am joking or sarcasing or just crazy. Haha. I hope they take it as im joking lol.

Quote of the day: We are blur, but we are not stupid!

Stressout

2009-11-04T22:29:00.003+08:00

...It's the time of the Month

sy to sy: S-T-U-D-Y-la

sat nv ends

2009-10-25T10:42:00.004+08:00

...Secondary Sch friends gathering cum Sharon's Bdae

If its not because i need to study for a monday test the next day, i would have stayed out all night. Stupid test.

Some pictures kop from facebook...

Dinner at Waraku, Heeren..

Surpisingly filling despite the size. Maybe it's the cheese..

Strawberry Sundae...taste like burger king's ice-cream

I agree with Sharon! you won't want to eat pasta from other places after having pasta at Waraku:)Is that nice...

Saturday with friends is always great...Ok have to study for test now:( bye

men women

2009-10-17T10:33:00.003+08:00

...some thoughts

Can you tell if someone is criticising fairly?

Can people actually criticise objectively?

Are you criticising what he/she did? Or are you just criticising him/her?

If there is no alternatives, will you still criticise?

If you criticise behind someone's back, izzit fair?

Is it constructive?

Not that i got attacked. Haha.whew...Just some thoughts.

can't slp

2009-10-09T22:55:00.009+08:00

...I can't slp(random blogging)

Some photos from the past...

Outram park station. going to the far far Potong Pasir

The good CO days in SAJC:)

The 'Mcdonald's' clique

The erhu clique(err.. i played the cello btw...)

Night cycling with our juniors

This was taken after our CO camp...tired but memorable in a good way.erm... ok and bad way

Some play by our SA chinese drama club. The whole CO committee was asked to go support(our co teacher wanted us to support the chinese drama club or sth)but in the end only me and CZ went.

My SA Class 05S11

The only class gathering that has full attendance...oops

K box clique from 05S11

They look cute together, don't they? ha

Trying to act cool but failed...

KBoX clique(? sth like that)

SAJC Prom 2006

Study clique(? sth like that)...

btw i was trying to march like the little 'saints' marching at the back(on the wall)

I miss SAJC. that 2 years had been wonderful i think i changed alot after going to SA. Can you tell?:)

It's mid autumn already...

2009-10-03T23:12:00.005+08:00

...It's mid autumn already

I had a wonderful day today. Every year i want to spend my mid-autmn with CZ:)

There was performance happening indoor...

...and outdoor. The Chinese Orchestra's not the best, but all the songs performed were so nostalgic reminded us of our CO days:) The singer was good!

Didn't manage to see the moon this mid-autmn cos the weather was so cloudy..well at least it didnt rain..

my very happy man

Blur..and very happy couple

PH bdae

2009-10-01T23:39:00.004+08:00

...PH's 21st

It's great to see my sec sch friends again. This is one reason why i love birthday parties. You get to meet some long lost friends from primary, secondary sch etc.

Some photos from facebook...

Went to help PH with the setting up...i look like a boy i need to dress up

My seconday school friends..birthday girl(middle) in her second outfit

Sometimes i wish i had a 21st birthday party too..

2009-09-27T22:14:00.003+08:00

...A good afternoon. A bad night

I had a happy date eating icecream, getting flower but just when i got home and checked my mail, i got this...

Sian sian sian...i really want this. even though its far but i m prepared to travel. I really feel lousy:( will never know why they don't choose me. Is my resume that bad? Guess i will never know..

a day with ph

2009-09-26T22:03:00.007+08:00

...A Day in Town with PH

Met up with PH to explore (again) Ion and Central in Orchard. Shopping at Ion was quite alright. Bought PH her present and mainly looked for coats for my Dec travel.

So totally drooling over the trench coats from Zara...especially those white ones:) And the buttons must be big and dark in colour! nice...

Central at Somerset is really quite sad...most people who were there aren't exactly buyers...its as though they are there to sit down on the chairs provided and enjoy the aircon or avoid the heat outside the mall. Oh my...

Me and PH trying out hats..ha

KBox

2009-09-23T23:31:00.004+08:00

...KBox gathering

K-ed with my JC friends in the afternoon and discussed about our taiwan trip in the evening. Yeah hopefully we can really go taiwan in June.

Here are some photos from just now

Now they have disposable cover for each microphones so its more hygienic...

After 3 shots we manage to get everyone in the picture

seats inside the kbox room. oh my god. That's my leg by the way...haah

We ended K early (think we got cheated of 1 hr)...anyway, we were deciding where to go after that.
Ended up still in Clementi...sat at a hawker centre to eat chicken wings and drink sth.

The Almond tea at Clementi hawker centre near Fairprice and Clementi MRT is good!

CZ is the best

2009-09-22T21:14:00.007+08:00

...why i am happy with mylife

1) CZ
2) Recess is coming
3) My parents bought mooncakes for me (and my sis even though they think its expensive)
4) I have a new handphone and its pretty nice.
5) I am singing K with my JC frens tmr..finally meeting them again
6) I am finally a volunteer at Whispering Hearts (glad i didnt take up any tuition assgmt)
7) My weight is under control(have been doing some 'firefighting' after my trip from Hong Kong)
8) I have finished watching 胭脂水粉and 封神榜on tudou (for the past 3 weeks)
9) My laptop has microsoft access
10) In my dreams about Bond, he is always happy
11) mid-autumn festival is coming and we will be going on a date soon:)
12) my revision is quite on schedule
13) I found my dad's old malay-english dictionary which is really useful for learning Malay
14) I will be going overseas China Guangzhou in Dec with my mom and relatives to visit our ancestral home...on the way we will be visit the neighbouring states too like ZhuHai where my uncle stays, Macau and HK...yea yea
15) Met up with Foursome at PizzaHut last week and glad we are still close
16) Meeting PH this sat to go Orchard. I need to shop
17) My room is clean:)
18) I am blogging again
19) School is not that stressful after clearing some assignments
20) Vina asked me to join her studying at Wheelock. reminds me of our jc days:)vina dear hope to see you soon

My life is still good i shouldn't let 1 unhappy incident ruin the happiness that i have.

Just came back from dinner at JP with CZ. The Japanese pizza from (Iciban) was ok at first den quite tasteless later. It's mainly vegetable and cost $11++?? Not worth.But the meetup was nice. Won't say its a date cos its quite short.Certainly made my day better:)

Some people are just HORRIBLE

2009-09-22T11:20:00.006+08:00

Some people are just HORRIBLE

Just when you think they are nice, they say bad things about you behind your back.
They want you to like them, but they hate you.

Everything i say is stupid, arrogant and irritating rite? Don't hear lar. I have the right to say wad i want. And i don't mean it like that but you think like that...ok lor...wth. Is your problem really. It's not my problem but I am really hurt now. And its because i thought you are a friend. You happy now?

Just be careful my friends. Its really scary but also common among us. These 2 headed snakes are everywhere. Some people WILL take advantage of you if you are too nice. The first time it happened to me i feel like dying. I can't believe i let this happened the second time...

These 2 headed snakes are actually quite poor thing. Living to hurt people. very meaningful indeed...

I have blogged for 2 weeks!

2009-08-30T12:29:00.003+08:00

...I have blogged for 2 weeks!

Mid Autumn Festival is about a month away. So exciting. Traditionally, I HAVE to eat many mooncakes with eggyolk during the festival. I LOVE mooncakes with eggyolk, regardless of the type of mooncake skin.

How to make mooncake..looks easy but neh.

Helped my mom make mooncakes last yr. The result was terrible. Until today i still rmb how terrible it tasted so its that bad..

Lesson learnt: Just buy them lar..my magic power tells me the price of mooncakes will fall after the 3rd of October this yr.

Finally, after today i don't have to blog daily:) Not that i don't like to blog, but everyday?! Even super bloggers don't do that. Besides, school work is piling up; this is definitely not priority.

Got to complete my assignment on Blogging and Online Social Networking. Bye!

a busy but boring day

2009-08-29T22:09:00.010+08:00

...if only school quizzes are as fun

I was so bored doing my tutorials i did some online quizzes for fun..

What Tarot Card Are You?

You Are The Magician

You are powerful and wise - beyond what anyone can see.

Deeply complex, you have the resources to connect to the spiritual and material world.

You posses the knowledge to manipulate your life and the lives around you.

You also have a great healing power, should you choose to use it.

Your fortune:

You have unhidden powers that you have yet to tap into.

Soon, you will better understand how to use your intellect and intuition.

Believe it or now, you will discover how you can manipulate yourself and others for good.

You are at the beginning of a path of spiritual enlightenment.

Magician? LOL. ok...i shall use my magic powers to help me understand what's going on in my P312 lab...*"x*x"*x

What's Your Love Sign?

Your Love Sign is Cancer

You are a sensitive, romantic soul. You are classically romantic.

When you fall in love, you take it very seriously. You want to be bonded to your soulmate.

You tend to hold on to relationships way past their expiration date. It's hard for you to let go.

You are the most loving of all types. You will go to great lengths to make your partner feel adored.

True leh...

Are You Happy Being Single?

You Are Pretty Happy Being Single

You have a full, fun life. And you definitely don't need love to be content.

Of course, being single can get you down a little. Especially when you've been single for a while.

But you know how to be patient and wait for the right person. You're life is too good to settle for anything!

I still prefer to be in a relationship..with CZ that is..

What Are the Colors of Your Heart?

Your Heart is Yellow and Green

Your heart is caring and generous.

You are kind, understanding, and forgiving.

You bring objectivity and rationality to relationships.

You're good at giving your partner freedom and space.

errmm....hmmm....

ok back to tutorials...bye

More and more stuff to do...

2009-08-28T11:11:00.005+08:00

...Finally the semester starts

Ok now i begin to feel the pressure from deadlines..(strange how i used to think deadline shd be spelt d-a-t-e-line). Anyway, here's my have-to-do list for this weekend...

1)Complete Tutorial for 3001
2)Complete Tutorial for 3002
3)Complete Tutorial for 3003
4)Catch up for Malay
5)Blog continuously for 2 more days
6)Finish 3page essay on my Social networking(Blog and FB) experience
7)Figure out what is going on in my P312 lab project.
8)Research on Battery Backup System(for lab report due in 2 weeks)
9)Work on Alias Tutorial

Next week..
1)Complete lab project requirements on Monday
2)Sign up for Youth Olympics Volunteering
3)Chinese Orchestra
4)celebrate daddy bdae

...to be continued

I long for a holiday...

Happy Bdae Sis

2009-08-27T15:58:00.013+08:00

...Not a Malaysian, Almost a Singaporean

I was a Malaysian until when i was 2. Even though i was born in Singapore, because both my parents were Malaysians then, i was naturally also a Malaysian.

But when i was 2, both my parents had successfully applied and accepted their Singapore citizenship. Again, naturally, i converted with them.
However, under the law of Singapore, i have to confirm my citizenship when i reach 21 years old because at that time, the conversion wasn't my decision. Now that i am 21years old, i have the choice to choose whether to continue with my Singapore Citizenship.

Of course i choose Singapore! This is my home. I have never seen Malaysia as my home even though very often we still go back for short stays or to celebrate festivals. And so very obviously, the non-malays are treated poorly(education, housing etc policies all to the advantage of Malays).

My uncle had wanted to set up his own company a few years ago but in Malaysia you have to register under a Malay's name for the business to be recognised by the country. Wth? So my uncle had to look for a malay biz partner. It was a long story; in the end his money was cheated by the malay who partner up with him now he's very poor thing:(

Not saying all Malays are evil money cheaters but the law is unfair, so sadly true.If its not because 80% of my relatives are there i wont even care if they keep pretending they have no racial issues.

Went to the Malaysian High Commission the second time this morning.

Quick Info: At River Valley Road Between Orchard and Clark Quay. Not an accessible place

I have to apply for an offical seperation document from M'sia before SG can offically accept me...
The first time i went to msia high comm i had arrived at 1105am and the guard didnt allow me to enter(we have to get a pass at the security to get in).sian...i even skipped my tutorials to go.

I did checked the website before going u noe. but it says...

The high commission actually doesn't have its own website. I guess other websites just give a general opening hour without specifying the details. Misled me lor.

Anyway, went again today earlier at 10am.

On the mrt...

A row of ladies sitting in front of me wearing their 'black and white's. As you can see, my camera can only capture 4 mrt-seats-space..i need a wide-angle camera! By the way, one row on the mrt has 7 people rite? or eight? never really notice...

So finally, my second time there, i got in!

My pass...

Only allow to enter from the side gate? Strange. Front gate not allowed to use.

Malaysia Sultan and Sultana

Queued 30mins to get a form to apply and return on the 9March 2010??! Why need 6-7 months to fiil a form? I havent give them any information its not like they are going to process anything during this period...gosh

Looks like I'll have to come a third time to submit the forms-_- For now, if someone ask me for my citizenship, he will get a long story or a 'Malaysian/Singaporean' if its in written form.

Going for dinner with CZ later:) After that, celebrate my sis's bdae when she gets home! Bye:)

The proposal

2009-08-26T12:41:00.011+08:00

...What is your ideal proposal?

Just watched "The Proposal"...

funny, touching, but quite a standard hollywood plot(will not reveal too much:) A good stressbuster, not a blockbuster.

So what is my ideal marriage proposal? hmm... don't really have a clear idea. I guess as long as we're both so in love and ready and he's being sweet then its quite gd alrdy.

Anyway, saw a quiz on this under blogthings and my result is...

Your Ideal Marriage Proposal Is

Spontaneous, on a tropical vacation, when he realizes he can't be without you.

What's Your Ideal Marriage Proposal?

Haha. yea i guess a spontaneous proposal will be fun. May screw up but it feels more natural and real rite? Planned proposal might not go according to plan also what(actually most plans are like that).

Just random talk. not like i think about this every night before i sleep.. so CZ, relax ar;)

Emotional

2009-08-25T22:36:00.011+08:00

...when nothing is really missing

Woke up from a series of nightmares today, some about my family, CZ, friends, strangers. There wasn't even intervals for each dream(like i didnt wake up and sleep again). The dreams just keep playing i was like watching a movie.. For the rest of the day i felt quite terrible.I wonder how faces of people i've never met get formed in my dreams..hmm. Anyway, it's just one of those days i feel emo(weird,empty,sad,tired all together).

Just came back from Chinese Orchestra's Welcome tea. Played some ice-breaker games(didn't cure my emo-ness at all)but i do feel a little excited about picking up a new instrument. I have been in the Chinese Orchestra since i was 10yrs old and until now, my passion for picking up new musical instruments has not changed abit. I don't have to become a pro in that instrument, that's definitely not why i want to be in an orchestra...

When i played my part(eg.the cello part) for a piece, i usually got all the simple 'supporting' notes that didn't even sound very melodic when i played alone. But when every member in the orchestra plays their own 'supporting' parts together, suddenly it all makes sense. My simple un-melodic notes are now important. The composition is working out because all our individual effort is harmonised. Fantastic feeling:)

葬花吟

Nice right?:)

Very sleepy now tmr still have to wake up early to do project..gosh. Bye

Gdbye Malaysia

2009-08-24T19:45:00.005+08:00

...Not a normal Monday

Just came back from the Investment club Welcome Tea with CZ It's mainly about recruitment, positions, benefits for us(very marketing). There was a short intro on investment but we missed it:(went late cos we tot its at LT1 but it was at LKC so we had to walk to the other end of the sch). Anyway, membership fees is S$10(for investment talks and workshops) and dinner was quite alright, especially the chicken wings:)

..should have taken just the chicken wings instead of the beehoon and what not..

Everyone rushed out of LKC theatre to queue for the buffet. We were only allowed to eat after the whole committee introduced themselves, complete a lucky draw session with lots of numbers that had no people claiming(so more time was wasted-_- you can tell we didnt win right? ha). So the buffet started at ard 9?
Luckily i had abit of dinner before going:)And i brought snacks for CZ too so that he won't starve...

Honestly, I'm interested in investment only because its better than keeping cash or putting them in the bank(interest from banks is not attractive and obviously not possible to counter inflation you see). But I want a CCA to have fun and relax, not some money-making seriousness to add on to my stress. Ok to me investment is serious. So, i have decided! No investment as my cca.

Tmr i will be going for WSC, Taekwando and Chinese Orchestra Welcome Tea so i will be quite busy. Can someone tell me if there is a badminton club in NTU?

Skipped computer security tutorial to go to Malaysia High Commission today to settle my 'seperation from Malaysia'...not nostalgic at all..
Tell you more tmr:p Gd night!

Hong Kong Summer Studies Part IV

2009-08-23T13:00:00.023+08:00

...Hong Kong Summer Studies Part IV

Random Activities Done in HK

Louis Vuitton Exhibition

Actually it was my CUHK friend who recommended us to attend the exhibition(organised at the Art Museum in Central). According to my friend, the LV dresses were really pretty(actually ok only).Besides, there was 50% discount for students(after discount it was S$3).I was also quite interested. So, i had decided to go there see see...

Saw Emma Watson on my way there...

Ok. It's just a picture of Emma Watson...

From Hermoine to the new face of Burberry.Nice.

Had to walk a distance to the Art Museum..

Just a colourful building...

...really 'colourful';)

Got my pass into the exhibition for S$3 .worth...

The following pictures were some previews from the LVexhibition to attract people in. No one was allowed to take photos inside the exhibition.Actually i m glad there was such a rule. If not i would have been busy taking pictures instead of really admiring the artworks..

Using an animation story "Superflat Monogram" to design an LV bag!Concept by Japanese Designer Takashi Murakami

..and the story continues...

The 'product' of the story.A design for the bag.Cool.

There were also featured films that were played in special movie rooms.Didn't know one of the films was with sexual content until i saw people getting naked. A few girls sitting beside me started giggling when they saw that, please.
It's definitely not porn. Ok maybe it's pornish art. The sequence of the scenes was not 'fluent' , i blur when i watched. Don't know izzit purposely or what. These art people ar...
Only until i saw the tag when i was about to leave the room then i realised audience needed abit of China history knowledge to understand.Chim la.But interesting.

Anti-Government Protest

This was quite eye-opening for me. I actually thought it's illegal.Oops.S'poreans living in a well..waves*
1st July is a public holiday for HK people to gather at a place(usually around central but like not fixed)to voice their unhappiness on issues and the government.Saw many protests on racial discrimination actually.

Abit like SG Chingay Parade, but more angry...

We even wore our exchange shirt which says 'CUHK' to the Protest.

Took photo with the police officers, they seemed bored...

It was really hot and ppl talked really loud at the protest, so after awhile we escaped to...

Dessert stall with nice mango with ice, also famous for being everywhere in HK.

Glad i postponed Shenzhen's trip to go to the protest. Even though i was not interested to see angry people and hear their angry shouting voice but the event was something i can never experience in SG.

A Day at the Beach

Hong Kong actually has many beaches, also because they have many islands. The one we went to was 月亮湾(not sure about the English name but if directly translated, it's call 'Moon Beach'.
Think it's named after the shape of the beach? You can actually get sun there.No worries:)We went on a weekend. i wonder why..

Not an accessible place. We took a bus...

..then a ferry to cross over to the island where the beach was(for abt S$2)...

watched some pets beside us wear their lifejackets...

and after 1hr from the SaiGung MTR stop...

we finally arrived at the beach, which was clearly overcrowded BUT because we took so long to come we HAD TO BE ON THE BEACH!

Somehow we managed to find a spot to sit and take photos.

I wish i can say 'this is my backview'. It's so pretty i think my friend looked like a mermaid(with legs on-land after drinking a potion)trying to return to her home but couldn't because too many people were crowding up the sea...

Didn't swim because i didn't want to shower or bring all the shower stuff and clothes. Indeed, the queue at the toilet was so madly long; my friends just wore their dry clothes without changing out their swimsuit.

Trip to Shenzhen, Twice

This place was quite dangerous my friend(guy) almost got pickpocketed. My friend(the same guy) also got dragged by a lady Messuer into her shop(almost) but after a fierce struggle he was released.HAha. So Shenzhen is a dangerous place, not only for gals, for guys also. Overall, the food was much cheaper than HK but shopping was about the same.
In most shops i had to bargain to buy something. Even when i just wanted to know the price(didn't really have the intention to buy), they alrdy started bargaining against themselves. This was a typical situation(conversation in chinese):

Me(Just curious or wanted to compare price only): How much is this?
Auntie seller: Actually this is $50. But i give you $40 lar see you so cute...
Me: Is ok i just ask ask only..(leaving)
Auntie seller: Ok la ok la...(pull my clothes somemore), $20. I not earning alrdy...

It got annoying after a while(after having such experience in a few shops), so shopping wasn't that relaxing. But food...

Big bbq sotong stick for S$0.70?

Meals are generally S$2 in Shenzhen(compared to HK's S$5 per meal, it is considered to be cheap).

Overall, i spent:
School fees, cultural programmes and accomodation: S$2000
Air tickets: S$250
Other expenses: S$1200
Total : about S$3500(worth it)
No regrets from the day i registered for Global Summer Studies in HK. I was also quite lucky to know how to speak cantonese(It's true if you speak cantonese you get better bargains.)and made many good friends. The trip has also made me realise the usefulness of Facebook!(more convenient to contact friends who are overseas).

Final photo before i end my HK post..

Prom Night Summer Exchange 2009

Will definitely go back to HK, just not so soon haha. Next dream destination, THAILAND!! byes

Hong Kong Summer Studies Part III

2009-08-22T12:58:00.019+08:00

...Hong Kong Summer Studies Part III

Places for Tourist

(Quick Info: The main part of HK is made up of New Territories, Kowloon and HK Island(this is like our CentralBusinessDestrict in SG).Also, in HK, MRT is call MTR.)

1) Lantau Island is the home of the famous Giant Buddha and Tai O Fishing Village; the island is also 1/3 the size of the main part of HK so its quite a big place. As mentioned, every saturday the school had organised cultural tours for us exchange students(included in our school fees so must go!)

First Stop...Tai O Fishing Village

Doesn't this remind you of our Pulau Ubin?

The village was quite small but it had many alleys, so you can actually get lost.

Yes.HSBC is everywhere in HK, even in ulu pandan villages.

Didnt buy much in Tai O because most stalls were selling the same stuff- salted fish and dried seafood. I did bought an umbrella (S$3!)over there. Also tried the village's street food such as fried yam and beancurd. I must say they were tasty, but not cheap for a village.

Next stop...Big Buddha and Monastry

We had really nice Vegeterian lunch which cost about S$8 per pax. But obviously the angmohs sharing our table didn't like it(except for my Norwegian friend she's vegeterian).

From ground to the top is actually high. The temperature difference was like 30(ground) and 18 deg C(top). My head was in the clouds(literally) when i got to the top.

Misty and windy. Nothing like the summer-ish HK down there.

When Buddha is beside you

2) Jade Market is situated in YauMaTei (aka 油麻地). As its name suggests, every single stall in it was selling jade stuff. After one round in the market i got really sick of jade.

Didn't manage to take any photos of the stalls as it was quite dark inside the market. Don't worry, it's not a black market...

3) Temple Street is also in YauMaTei.

There were also many other streets like Flower Street, Ladies Market, Prince Edward Street etc all along Nathan Road. The total distance is equivalent to walking from Orchard to City Hall. By the way, all these streets/markets are actually HK Pasar Malam Stalls. To me, Temple Street was the more tourist-ish one.
Totally disgusted by the Obasa sellers trying to bully the tourists. Jack up the price(i'd done my research before buying)and still acted pitiful like they not earning. Yucks:(

Prince Edward Street. where clothes are cheaper and non-tourist-ish.

4) Ocean Park(aka 海洋公园)is a famous theme park in HK. Paid like S$40 for the entrance quite ex but theme-park ma, expected.

Queuing for a roller coaster ride. Waited like 1hr...not worth.

One of the more erm..relaxing rides...

One of the 2 very precious pandas in HK..only in Ocean Park

Overall the trip to Ocean Park was quite worth. It took up the whole day, we didnt even cover all attractions. But if the sun wasn't that fierce and the indian girl hadn't vomitted on my shoes, the trip would have been really memorable for the correct(or rather good) reasons.

4) Central even though it is more of a CBD area, it also has many high-end malls(if you intend to buy branded stuff) and Clubs/Pubs at SOHO and Lan Kwai Fong(aka 蘭桂坊）. Avenue of stars and some museums are also located in Central. So it's quite a happening place.

Thanks to Raymond(CUHK senior) who brought us out for the night

Me and Shaun(also my projectmate for my course in CUHK)

A street in Lan Kwai Fong

Somehow in HK, shops of famous brands are very very big..like they can take up the whole building.

Bvlgari...how do you actually read this?

Prada

This was outside a Louis Vuitton Building. Finally(after my trip to LV exhibition...intro later) i know how to pronouce 'Louis Vuitton' correctly!

Saw a Harry Potter Ad at the bus stop..strange to see it with Chinese words.
Still haven't watched it:( anybody want to watch it with me?

Victoria Harbour..something like our Singapore river

The not so Tourist-ish places

Mong Kok(aka 旺角）is the place i LOVE most. I went there like 9 times, please. Argyle Centre was where i got all my S$2 tank tops:)Got most souvenirs from here too..

Mad cheap clothes..no need to bargain somemore

My lugguage exceeded by 0.4kg...luckily the counter ppl still let me pass(so its 20.4kg total excluding hand carry)yea!

TaiPo Market and Sha Tin's New Town Plaza were the nearest market places from my school. Because the cost of a meal in HK was quite high(average S$5 per person), i often shopped for some microwavable food or got canfood and fruits from the Supermarket.

HK wetmarkets open until ard 8pm. In SG wetmarkets close earlier (most stalls are closed by late afternoon)

A hawker centre at the top level of Taipo Market building

Seafood that were quite cheap and fresh but i can't cook in hostel. What a waste!

Wong Tai Sin is a famous temple place where people can pay to have their fortune read(heard its quite accurate). Went there with friends just to pray though.I am quite superstitious so NO fortune telling for me.I know i will freak out if the teller says sth bad will happen..choi!

Quite a small place can finish in an hour

Tmr i will be ending my HK post with the Louis Vuitton Exhibition i visited and the Anti-Government Protest i went in HK. BYE!

Hong Kong Summer Studies Part II

2009-08-21T11:11:00.027+08:00

...Hong Kong Summer Studies Part II

Hong Kong food i miss u all

Toast with creamy butter and condensed milk is a so popular snack in HK. All茶餐厅(what they call HK coffee-shops)have this snack. Cost about S$1.50 for 2(slices). It's like SG's kaya toast, but replace kaya with condensed milk. DElicious.I tried making this at home, but somehow it just tasted different:( I miss you, HK's toast.

Tastes better than it looks

Had a few Mac/KFC meals in HK. I was rather curious about whether Mac or KFC tastes the same all over the world. Nope. Ok Mac's burgers and applepie tasted the same, just that the size of HK Mac burgers are 3/4 of SG's mac burgers. Cheaper but factoring the reduced in size, it's about the same lo. Original chicken in HK(cos i only ate original chicken)tasted less salty and sweeter than SG's.In terms of oiliness both are the same:( I personally prefer the SG version of original chicken. Nonetheless, HK's KFC serves more variety of chicken, like they have BBQ etc and they also serve Egg Tarts and chips(they also have fries).But the most shocking thing was HK's KFC doesn't serve whipped potato. Instead of potato, you get rice beneath the brown salty-pepperish sauce(with mushroom).This, I hope SG's KFC will import. like it much more than the sweetish original chicken.

HK version of a KFC meal

Egg tarts should be spelt E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E-I-N-H-K! Even KFC has egg tart, please.You can get it in HK at S$0.20(ParkandShop Supermarket). The average price in bakeries is about S$0.50.But the most famous is still Tai Chang's Egg Tart(S$0.80 each. considered to be very expensive in HK). They even had British Prime Minister to support them lor(read from the many newspaper cuttings they pasted on their glass window). I also realised that HK ppl like to eat Coconut Tarts alot. We also have those in SG. But in SG, egg tart is like the more popular one. In HK, Coconut tart can be considered as having the same rank as egg tart! Look like SG's version but softer(like more wet). I find SG's version of coconut tart more dry.Actually same for egg tarts. In SG and Msia, the egg part is harder and drier whereas HK's is more wet and also softer.Egg texture?i vote for SG/MY's version, taste and smell? i prefer HK's. Crust? I vote for Msia's biscuit crust, not the flaky crust in HK.

TaiChang's EggTart

Where HK's best egg tarts are made

Famous Bakery known for their Egg Tart, Central Branch is their HQ

From the photo above, do you see the contrast between the upper building and the lower part of the shophouse? HK is like that, most buildings are old old looking, with paint coming off and water dripping aircons. Even if the shops at the ground are those high-end shops, nothing will be done to the old looking top part to match the highclass-ness of the bottom part.
Everytime i ate my snacks and walk below the row of aircons i made sure i stop eating, put my food back into the paper bag first before proceeding. The paths in HK are quite narrow so i couldn't really 'siam' the aircons. In HK,this is a common side(high-class mall and a old run down block side by side, old water dripping aircon) Not as organised and highly maintained as SG.

DimSum of course, is predictable to be a must-post HK food. Surprisingly, dimsum is not as common as what i expected. Thought it would be as easy to find as egg tart. Nope.Oh but all high class chinese restaurant serve dimsum.Really few HK coffee shops(茶餐厅）serve dimsum. Only after my 3rd week in HK, i found a dimsum stall in ShaTin hawker center.
(Quick Info:In Hong Kong, hawker centers are only found in markets but not all markets have hawker center...in other words HK has very little hawker centers.)
Anyway, HK ppl like to use egg yolk in many of their dishes. And i like it! But I can find dimsum that is as good as HK's over here in SG. So, i felt a little disappointed about their dimsum.

Some photos...

Chicken Gluttinous Rice(aka 珍珠米）was the best dimsum dish i had in HK. Havent found one that tastes as good in SG

Dimsum with friends. One meal is about S$12 per person

Even though HK food was great(especially their pastries), but i really missed the fried noodle dishes in SG when i was overseas. You see, most noodle stuff (even wanton mee) were always served in soup. So after a while they tasted about the same to me. Many even used maggie noodle as their mee-_- So after i came back to SG, the first hawker dish i had was
.
.
.
.
.Fried Kway Tiao!!

On the day i came back to SG, met CZ for lunch and requested to eat Fried Kway Tiao. Even though its not the best FWT in SG, but it tasted so delicious to me. Maybe i hungry also ha.HK should really import our 'Fried Kway Tiao' while we import their 'rice with whipped-potato sauce' idea lar.

Ok. My HK food talk shall end here. Next post- SHOPPING!Tata

I love mathematics

2009-08-20T14:39:00.004+08:00

...Mahjong Friends Lunch Gathering

Just met up with Puihan and Ben about 2hours ago for lunch in NTU. We had wanted to eat at Canteen A but the queue was such a turn off. In the end, we settled for Curry Chicken Rice from Old Chang Kee cos PH said its the best dish in the stall le. Correct me if i'm wrong i think only NTU's Old Chang Kee sells 菜饭(rice with vegetables and meat stuff).

Forgot to take a photo of the Curry Chicken Rice ha but it was so-so only. S$3.90. All i can say is it's very filling and quite spicy(to me). Won't eat it again though:P

It's really great we can meet up for lunch; i really hope to meet them more often for chitchat. We were from the same secondary school, after graduated PH went SGpoly, Ben went JurongJC, me StAndrew's JC, but after 4 yrs or so we all same sch again.And still close. Nice:)

PH left earlier for her tutorial despite my request for her to pon tutorial to chat longer. Very gd friend hor:p Then only left me and ben, dunno what happened we started discussing math. Haha. Oh i think he had some questions that were REALLY tough and he asked me. I also didn't know how to solve la. So hard.

All these reminded me of how much fun it is solving math problems, especially those you have to crack you head and have to go to bed without a solution. I really like math. No. I LOVE MATH. Many times, i question myself whether not choosing to major math is the correct choice. But then again, math is so general.
As you can tell, until now i still don't have a clear answer because i also like many other stuff from making video to designing to dating...This can go on and on but i will just stop here.

Will continue with my hong kong experience for the next entry. Bye.

Hong Kong Summer Studies Part 1

2009-08-19T22:10:00.012+08:00

...Hong Kong Summer Studies Part 1

H1N1 in Grace Tien Hall

Chinese Uni of HK did gave us a chance to withdraw from the exchange(with refunds and some conditions) when H1N1 was going out of hand. But because i was so totally excited about going to HK le, i didn't withdraw. Risk taker here. Ha. or stubborn but whatever. I came back healthy and happy:P

I have to admit i did freak out when i was in Hong Kong. A rather close friend caught H1N1(first confirm case in our hostel!) and the few of us who went out with him were shocked and started worrying. A day after hearing the news, i had sore throat and headache but no fever. Didn't go to the doc immediately(oops) but the next day i felt ok again. Wonder whether there's any link. But the number began to increase everyday, from 1 confirmed case(my friend) to 2 to 6...

Being erm..socially responsible after my friend confirmed to have H1N1

Lessons were made on-line on 2nd week as the number climbed steadily. Actually i like having online lessons cos i can eat my dimsum and watch lessons at the same time:)
I also didn't have to get dressed for school. Besides, online lessons ended much earlier(like from 3hr to 2hr) because there's no class discussions online:):)
CUHK also gave all students Tammy Flu tablets to prevent the spread of H1N1, but i think many students just put one side or never take regularly lar-__-
2 of our Saturday cultural tours were also cancelled because they didn't want a big group to gather; prevent H1N1 from spreading. After some complains and email(from other students), about s$100 was refunded to us:) haha

Anyway, after the no. of confirmed cases reached 9, it stopped. Lessons on 3rd weeks was as per normal but we all had to wear mask to class. It was so stuffy and uncomfortable like you don't have enough fresh oxygen to listen to class? But when yawning the teacher can't see and you dont have to use your hand to cover your mouth ha.

A super strong wind call Typhoon

(Quick Info:Every June-Sept is the typhoon season in Hong Kong. And because it has occured so many times alrdy, ppl there are well-prepared for it. About 3 days before a typhoon crash course with HK, Hong Kong Weather Observatory will inform the media about it. On some buildings, typhoon number 1-8(8 being most severe) will be displayed when a typhoon is coming.)

I was really excited when i first received an email from the CUHK student coordinator saying a typhoon's coming.Being ignorant and imaginative, i was expecting a tonardo scene like everything flying away or buldings ripping apart..

No. Really nothing like that. Typhoon 1 was just windy windy.
Typhoon no.3 was like a windy rain in SG and Typhoon no. 8 was like a super strong windy rain(ok this one never in SG).
Strange why typhoon is always accompanied by rain.
Anyway, the worst case i saw was a tree almost falling, door and windows kept rattling, dustbin flying. Still. not as dramatic as what i played in my head.
So i was a little disappointed but now i can say "I have seen a typhoon before haha, have you?"

Hong Kong Summer Studies Prelude

2009-08-18T18:01:00.015+08:00

...Hong Kong Summer Studies Prelude

I had only decided to go Hong Kong for GSS(global summer studies)after the GSS application had closed.haa. Before that, i was one of those NTU students who didn't have a clue about GSS, GIP and other acronymically named exchange programs. It was JX who first mentioned about going to Hong Kong to take a course call Human Resource Management in Chinese University of HK(CUHK).

(Quick Info: Most NTU engineering students have to clear a module call Human Resource Management. And once a module is cleared overseas, it will only be graded as a pass/fail. If pass, you have cleared it without having it counted into your overall grades. Hence, many seniors went overseas to clear this course. You can figure out why so many students escape to overseas to take this course rite;).

Sinyi: Aiya GSS application closed already le..
JX: but GSS at Chinese Uni of HK is a fee-paying exchange(NTU not subsidising, apply as private student)so still can apply!
Sinyi(thinking to herself): yea!

My parents were ok about me going for exchange, just that i have to pay everything on my own$_$ JX was not so lucky cos her parents feel that she alrdy visited HK many times sth like that. So in the end, it was just me applying.Even so, i didn't hesitate. Ever since i heard about this, i just..really want to go. REALLY.

Just weeks before setting off, emailed all the people going CUHK to look for someone to travel with. Luckily, people actually replied to my mail! Met up with LiYing, Jeremy and KweeSwee(also NTU students going HongKong exchange) after checking in at the flight counter. Even before my plane took off,i was already missing CZ and my family so very much.

Scene on the airport shuttle bus in HongKong

Orientation with friends. Weather on the first day was really hot and humid and rainy and hot.

to be continued...

First Post

2009-08-17T14:49:00.008+08:00

...First Post

Hello. Intro abit. I have been a blog reader for some time but didnt have the motivation to blog. Lazy lar. Now finally start blogging because it's supposed to be part of an assignment for my course. Felt like i was kinda forced to do this initially but now that i am actually blogging, this feels quite fun(ok la abit PC here) ..and rather challenging also cos i got nothing much happening in my life leh. Still must blog everyday for the next two weeks...how how??

Anyway, back to self-intro, i am a NTU yr3 student doing Info engineering and Media. Very fun course with lots of assignments and projects. Right now, i m VERY happily erm.. attached to CCZ:) Also, just lost a family member but i know he is at a better place so yar...not so sad le. Hopes to work as a teacher or someone in the film industry, like make special effects or sth.Or even set up my own advertising firm! Haha. You see, i noe what i like to do but haven't decided on what to do. Still open to the many options and possibilities out there.

Next few entries i'll be reflecting on my summer exchange to Hong Kong. The shopping and food was F-A-Ntastic.

For now, that's all. Tata.