Dinner on 31 Dec 2007

Dinner today was simple for a New Year celebration. The name of the place we went to, Cafe 211, did little to betray what was in store for us.

Tucked up on the 4th floor of Holland Village Shopping Centre, it will be missed if one was not actively seeking it out. It had some indoor seating but the highlight would have been on the terrace outside overlooking the streets below and under the night sky. The only outdoor seats left were, according to the waiter, quite 'low' and seeing how Fran, in her advanced state of pregnancy, would have been quite tortured in that kind of seating arrangement, we opted to sit indoors.

We had the a cream of mushroom soup and a Waldorf salad to share. She, as usual, picked the spaghetti vongole depriving me of my first choice again :) I finally settled for a linguini scampi and to wash it all down, a fresh orange juice for Fran and a rambutan ice blend for me.

The food was excellent, in my opinion. The soup was creamy with mushroom bits to the last drop. Even the bread that came with it was warm and so soft. The salad was interesting enough for me to even hazard a taste of it. However, the highlight had to be the pasta. The portions were very generous. The 'al dente' spaghetti being coated with a very tasty olive oil base sauce laced with a hint of white wine. The red chillis added both colour and a spicy tang to the tongue. The linguine was not to the outdone, also done with an olive oil base sauce noticeably different without the wine. The generous serving of prawns were so perfectly done, they had a crunch and bite to it, when bitten into.


Linguine Scampi

Any place that tops of the meal with FRESH orange juice, cements its place as a place to come back to. The rambutan ice blend was surprisingly good, very pleasant taste and the blend of ice was so smooth.

The service was good with the soup, starters and mains served at appropriate intervals. There was not the rushed feeling one tends to get at other restaurants on a busy night. I may have already said this but the portions were much more than one would have expected.

So all in all, a more than pleasant meal. A real surprise find for me to have found such good food to accompany such a pleasant location. Some place to really try out!

Address:
211 Holland Avenue
#04-01 Holland Road Shopping Centre

Tel: 6462 6194

Our Eighth Meeting 141207

32 weeks, 1.6kg

8 weeks more. This little fella is quite a mover and a kicker. The one at the end of his little punches and kicks is poor frances. We could just spend time looking at the little movements of her tummy or just waiting to feel the little jerks with my hand.

It is surreal, how life is growing day by day and even from within the womb, he can interact with the outside world. I can located the position of his hand or foot and when he kicks or punches, I can push against it and he will withdraw, only to kick and punch again a while later.

So preparations are underway to prepare his room and soon also his cot, stroller and the car seats to accomodate him.

It is fitting that the scan this week could not get a shot of his face but his hand and foot.

Waiting for the day we can hold them in our hands

What the..... !?!?

This strangely humorous episode happened after I parked Miss Daisy at the Angullia carpark yesterday evening.

Me: *Just turned off the engine*

Woman: *knocks on my window and looking expectantly at me*

Me: *winds down my window* "Yes?"

Woman: "Are you from AA (Automobile Association), there is a problem with my car"

Me: *!@#%$!@$@%*

Now, I know I drive a rather unusual vehicle and it is YELLOW, but there is surely no way that it can be mistakened for the YELLOW VAN with AA RECOVERY pasted all over it.

Strange day

4 Years and kicking

In a twinkle of an eye, 4 years of married life has passed. When I look back, it does not seem that long...but it has

Another great thing, is that after 4 years of being along as a couple, we will soon be joined by a new addition to the family. And the small boy sure made his presence felt 12 minutes into the 4th Oct .... I felt him move for the first time.

I was not sure it was him at first and I had to keep asking Fran if she was the one moving. But after a few more times, I could feel the distinct movement made by our son. I wonder what he was doing?

I am so excited I cannot wait

Cendarawasih Off-Road

14-17 Sept 07

10 landrovers departed Singapore in the wee hours of the morning for 4 days of adventure and off-roading in the jungles of Malaysia. The expedition took a total of 610km for the 4 day journey, quite short compared to previous expeditions we have been on.

The journey north took us on the North-south highway till the Yong Peng exit, after which we took the federal highway 1 to Segamat. After an early lunch, we set off the remaining 1 hour journey to Cendarawasih on highway 12 where we met up with our guides at the plantation turn off.

The initial half hour drive was through an oil palm plantation. The plantation then gave way to an old logging trail. After about 2 hours, we came to our campsite, a nice open area just next to a flowing river. This was to be our base for the next 3 nights. This trip was different in that each day was spent moving out from the base camp along the path, tackling different obstacles and learning how to do it right. This included clearing of fallen trees, bridge building, driving over gulleys and bypasses. There was lessons on spotting and hand signals and winching techniques.

The weather was hot and humid with the rain on the 2nd day making the trail all the more muddy and tricky. Through this, we learnt about the limitations of the truck and our driving skills and learnt as much as we can to improve ourselves in the outdoors. Obstacles we encountered were quite tough with log bridges no wider than the width of the tires, log steps, V gulleys with an angle of 60 degrees at the bottom of the V, ensuring that every truck had a bent rear bumper or 2

Some details of the trip below:

2nd Link
Turn off at Yong Peng Exit: Toll 10.70 RM
Highway 1 to Segamat Town
Highway 12 to plantation turn off
Turn Off to Campsite
N 02 48.243'
E 102 56.717'

Campsite:
N 02 44.903'
E 103 07.601'

Total distance 610km

Our Fourth Meeting 310807

17 Weeks 0 Days, Height: 10.6 cm

It was with great anticipation that we approached our 4th meeting with our kid. And true to previous experiences, we were not disappointed. It was a time filled with amazement and wonder at how beautiful life is, even at this young stage.

He (see previous posts for explanation of how this came about) is much bigger, more developed and we can make out his eyes, nose and lips that make up his little face. His legs look lanky but they remain flexed at the hip and knee, nicely tucked up. This static description cannot begin to describe his activity during the entire meeting. He was busy opening his mouth, nodding at the neck and twisting and turning around. We could even make out his little finger as he opened and closed his hands.

By now, you probably cannot wait to see him too, so here are the photos


A good look of his face here. See the little eyes, nose and lips

Here are the legs.

Right arm then left arm

Full body shot

Porridge Place

This has been THE porridge place to go to when we need a good bowl of porridge. Sadly, we have not been here in a while. So it was great to be back here on a weekend morning.

It was easy to spot the stall, seeing the number of customers and cars concentrated around the corner. The place looked the same except for a more formal stall sign " Ah Chiang's Porridge" over the stall. There was even name card holders on the tables. We think that the 'younger' generation must have had something to do with this increased publicity and modernisation.

Other than that, little has changed in the way the stall looks and the work flow. Fran had her bowl of pork porridge, sans liver add one egg routine while I had my pork porridge plus liver plus egg, everything in routine. In addition, a plate of raw fish and 'you tiao' topped off the meal.

In general, the food is still how we remembered it. The porridge was smooth and tasty with little need to add soy sauce or pepper. You could if you wanted to, but it was not necessary. I vaguely remembered century egg porridge being available in the past, but it was not on the menu, neither did I see any century eggs around.

The raw fish was good. Thinly sliced fish covered in a thin layer of sesame oil and soy sauce was so good it could just slide down the throat. All of this, washed down with soy bean milk or coffee... a perfect start to a Saturday morning.

In case you wanna go there...

Ah Chiang's Porridge

Blk 65, Tiong Poh Road
#01-38
S160065

65570084

Lego Artistry

Enough of simple Lego planes and trucks or even Lego recreations of the Eiffel Tower and other famous landmarks. These creations are simply amazing, considering the humble building blocks from which they are created.



Follow the link below for more information

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/05/31/lego.artist/index.html

Lego Turn 75

Lego, the Danish toy firm turns 75. Since master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started the company on August 10, 1932 in his studio in the town of Billund in Jutland, Lego has gone on to become one of the world's most popular as well as popular toys. The headquarters of the global toy giant are still located in Billund. Christiansen created the word "Lego" in 1934 from the Danish words "leg godt" (play well).

How many of us have memories of hours of endless fun piecing together the many pieces into objects limited only by our imagination... or the number of bricks we had.

One thing I discovered today, something so fun and unique

Lego Ice Cubes
Hmm... maybe I should try making some...

Cough, cough!

Did the haze come back today?

*cough cough*

Sigh

Yaesu FT-8900R FM Transceiver

This is what I need to enhance the capabilities of Miss Daisy, in terms of communications. It will replace the sometimes ineffectual handheld walkie talkies in terms of reliability. with its capability, it can also serve as my ham radio station, although then this past time will have to operate out of Landy, which is not a minus point.

The technical specifications of the model under considerations is included below, including the 4 points below which have surely caught my attention as being vital for my needs.


29/50/144/430 MHz FM Transceiver The FT-8900R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Quad Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 29/50/144 MHz Amateur bands, and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band. It includes leading-edge features like cross-band repeat, dual receive, VHF-UHF Full Duplex capability, and over 800 memory channels. And its 10-meter FM coverage brings the possibility of world-wide FM DX-ing to you on your drive in to work!

Convenient Remote-Head Mounting Capability
Having trouble mounting your mobile radio in your compact car? With the FT-8900R and its optional YSK-8900 Separation Kit, mounting is a breeze even in the tightest locations. The YSK-8900 includes a 20’ (6 m) remote cable and a mounting bracket for the front panel, and the microphone jack is located on the side of the front panel, eliminating the need to run a separate cable.

Quad Band Operation
The FT-8900R combines the “traditional” 144/430 MHz local-communications concept with the exciting capability for Sporadic-E or F2 DX on the 29 MHz and 50 MHz bands, for nationwide or worldwide FM communications from your car! The first Amateur Radio FM mobile transceiver providing this capability, the FT-8900R will make you wonder how you got by with a two-band transceiver up to now!

Wide Frequency Coverage
The FT-8900R provides extended receiver coverage beyond the Amateur bands, so you can keep informed of communication activities in the public safety, commercial, aircraft, and government communications ranges. Included is coverage of 28-29.7 MHz, 50-54 MHz, 108-180 MHz, 300-480 MHz, and 700-985 MHz (cellular frequencies are blocked and non-restorable).

Cross-Band Repeat Capability
For emergency work, or to extend the range of a hand-held unit, the FT-8900R includes Cross-Band Repeat capability, similar to that pioneered on our popular FT-8100R Dual Band FM Mobile!

Por Kee Eating House

I had the chance to try out the food at this small, simple place in old fashioned Tiong Bahru during dinner today. The surroundings was simple but pleasant but the food was very good.

There was a total of 8 persons at the table and we ordered 6 dishes in total. The service was attentive and the food was prompt. We had:

1) Home-made Tofu
2) Garlic fried Dou Miao
3) Cereal prawns
4) Steamed Soon Hock
5) Champagne Pork ribs
6) Yam Basket
7) Yam Paste with Lotus Nuts (Orh Ni) for dessert

Notably, the steamed fish was quite outstanding. The meat was soft and tender, being extremely fresh. The gravy was spicy, a little like tom yam. What was unique was the way it was served. A bowl of soup was ladled over the fish, kept hot over a solid fuel fire, but the soup was allowed to drain back into the bowl after being heated and having absorbed the 'flavour' from the fish. The soon hock costs SGD6 per 100gm which was rather reasonable for the quality of the meat and cooking.

The champagne ribs was also good, with the meat being tender and the champagne imparting a wonderful flavour.

But I must comment on the dessert. After having tried Orh Ni on about 3 occasions over a span of 3-4 weeks, I have made it a personal effort to ensure I know what a good Orh Ni tastes like instead of just lapping up any kind of slop dished out, especially at wedding dinners. Tonight, I have found it. Fragrant with the yam taking a smooth yet mildly lumpy texture. The consistency was just right, not too watery nor too pasty.

For a superb meal in comfortable surroundings, this is a place of choice.

Por Kee Eating House
69, Seng Poh Lane
#01-02
S160069

62210582

Duck Tours Excursion 11 Aug 07

Today, I've finally satisfied an itch that has been present for quite a few number of years.

It all started when I was doing medical cover for an event in Pan Pacific Hotel. I was sitting on my land rover with my medics under the Benjamin Sheares bridge when I saw this boat on wheels trundling down Republic avenue with her load of tourists. It was a converted Larc V military amphibious vehicle now used for commercial purposes. It was a clever idea.

So since I had these "useless" credit card points that I needed to get rid of, it presented the perfect opportunity to scratch this itch of mine. So Fran and I made a date with her sister and her boyfriend for an afternoon tour of the Singapore skyline and bay.

What surprised me first of all was that I had actually redeemed a SGD 132 worth of tickets as an adult ticket costs SGD 33 each. The journey itself was an hour, of which 40min was on the water taking in the sights of the Singapore skyline.

The journey was a little noisy, making the commentary from the guide just a little difficult to hear. But the views were great and different from the water. It was also a good experience have a land vehicle run down a ramp and splash into the water.

Check out my flickr for our Ducktours Excursion

Our Third Meeting 10 Aug 07

13 Weeks 4 Days

It was our third glimpse of our kiddo. She has sure grown and now stands at 8.2 cm tall. we are at the end and entering the 2nd trimester already. The most dangerous period for the baby is now over. Fran is doing well also with minimal manifestations of morning sickness.

Today, we saw he tilt her head back and forth and also opening and closing her mouth. You can definitely see the profile of the face and her hands and feet has little fingers and toes. It is so mesmerizing, Fran and I could just watch all day. If only we had an ultrasound at home, we can meet her as and when we want.

So here she is.




Just look at the last photo, thats is a view from the bottom, so we are looking at ahem...the butt. Look at the 2 legs extended and spread apart. There is something else there... our little "she" may turn out to be a "he" after all.

Continue to check out her photo album at Project Baby@Flickr

Poljot and Sturmanskie

"On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin made history by becoming the first cosmonaut who circled the Earth in a space shuttle called “Vostok” (East). This earmarked the success of the Soviet’s advanced development in space exploration, well ahead of its American counterpart.

It was a historical moment for 1st MWF as well with its “Sturmanskie” watch strapped around Gagarin’s arm throughout the space journey." This Russian watch factory has gone from being the first state watch factory in 1930 to the First Moscow Watch Factory in 1945 and then developing the trademark 'Poljot' (which means Flight) in 1964. While the watches were marketed under different brands or lines, the movements were produced by Poljot, notably the 3133 and 31681. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, wore a Sturmanskie (Navigator) line watch, produced then only for military aviation and not available to the public. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of space flight, Sturmanskie produced 999 pieces of a limited edition timepiece to commemorate this event. I have heard of Russian watches and the brand, but did not know much prior to this trip and the research of the watch. I was fortunate to have chanced upon a shop selling this line and the one that stood out was this beautiful piece. Not only did it have a good look, it was full of significance and a limited edition as well. After much consideration and haggling, the price was settled at 12500 roubles, about SGD 750.

CASE:	SOLID STAINLESS STEEL 39 mm
CRYSTAL:	MINERAL GLASS
CROWNS:	STEEL, ENLARGED FOR EASY WINDING
MOVEMENT:	POLJOT CHRONOGRAPH CAL. 31681 OF RUSSIAN ORIGIN/MANUAL WOUND
FUNCTIONS:	SECONDS, DATE CALENDAR, 24 HOURS DIAL, STOP WATCH WITH SUMMING UP ACTION
JEWELS:	25 BEARING RUBY JEWELS
STRAP:	GENUINE LEATHER
BUCKLE:	STAINLESS STEEL
BACKCASE:	STAINLESS STEEL-SECURED BY A SCREW-IN RING
DIAL:	BLACK, ARABIC NUMERALS
HANDS:	SWEEP-TYPE SECONDS HAND, LUMINOUS
ACCURACY:	-20 TO +40 SEC/DAY
WATER-RESISTANCE:	Up to 30 meters/100 ft or 3ATM

Holy Darkness

At long last, I have this song. This has been in my mind since I heard it during Mass on Holy Thursday. This was during the adoration of the Eucharist before it was taken away for Good Friday.

Just listen to it and the words. Tell me what you think.

Holy Darkness-John Michael Talbot

If you want the lyrics, let me know and I can leave it here.

Addition 9 Aug 07

Holy Darkness
by Dan Schutte

Holy darkness, blessed night,
heaven's answer hidden from our sight.
As we await you, O God of silence,
we embrace your holy night.

1. I have tried you in fires of affliction;
I have taught your soul to grieve.
In the barren soil of your loneliness,
there I will plant my seed.

2. I have taught you the price of compassion;
you have stood before the grave.
Though my love can seem
like a raging storm,
this is the love that saves.

3. Were you there
when I raised up the mountains?
Can you guide the morning star?
Does the hawk take flight
when you give command?
Why do you doubt my pow'r?

4. In your deepest hour of darkness
I will give you wealth untold.
When the silence stills your spirit,
will my riches fill your soul.
5. As the watchman waits for morning,
and the bride awaits her groom,
so we wait to hear your footsteps
as we rest beneath your moon.

Optimash Prime

"Mr Potato Head"

"Potatoes in Disguise!"

"More than meets the fry."

Optimash Prime is the fearless leader of the Autotots, a faction of taters battling the evil Decepticons. Starchy situations call for a quick change - from truck to robot! No ordinary fries, these are potatoes in disguise.


This is so cute...... and during the season of the transformers movie too. The quotes above are not mine, but found on the box of the toy. Clever. It does really provide for a few laughs.

It also comes in various other iterations like a storm trooper or darth vader version as well.

Hmmm.... should I start a collection then?

Transformers

Just caught the moview Transformers on Monday. As a treat from the wife, she surprised me with a pair of Gold Class tickets at Vivocity. Just when I thought we would be watching the movie on one of those small cinema screens.

It was an experience. Almost like a performance. We left it till late before we went to the cinema. That proved to be a mistake because the interior was great! Big comfortable couches and sofas with a bar counter serving drinks and food. There was staff on hand to greet us and bring us to our seats.

I feel so 'sua ku' as I gushed over how large the cinema seats were. There was a control to lower the back and raise the foot rests. If you were feeling a little chilly, there was even a blanket. On the table in front of the seats was a green glowing button that would signal the staff to attend to you in the event that we wanted some drinks during the show. I snuggled under the blanket, kicked off my shoes and waited for the show to start.

The show, under these circumstances, was a scream. Childhood memories flashed through my mind as I saw the digitally rendered robots transform and battle each other on screen. There was a certain artistic liberty taken as some of the Autobots and Decepticons were depicted differently from the cartoon series. Nonetheless, that did not detract from the fact that the show was a fun, action packed movie.

Best were the familiar lines from the cartoon series:
Autobots, transform and roll out
More than meets the eye

What a movie!

6th Landy Improvement

What else could I possibly add to Missy Daisy, you would ask.

LIGHTS!

This has been on my list of things to add. And after a couple of night off-roading sessions, I was convinced that lights will be a definite help in my quest for a better experience. So once again, trooped down to Nam Seng to take a look.

So I made the following purchases:

1. Hella Ralleye 1000 x 4 pieces (mounted on the front of the Roof Rack)
2. Hella Comet 550 x 2 pieces (mounted on the rear of the rack)

Decided to go back to Specialists Audio at Bukit Merah for the installation as they were most familiar with Land Rover electrics, therefore least likely to mess up. Took about 4 hours for them to rig up the lights, connecting it to my 2nd battery, controlled by switches on the dash.

Now Ms Daisy looks like a fully equipped Land Rover.

I shall add photos soon

Only in God

11 weeks 6 Days

The title of the post is the title of the song as well. This, done by John Michael Talbot is in describable. Listen to it, meditate on the lyrics taken off Psalm 62 and let yourself be filled with the wonderful meaning in the message it is bringing across.

Equally inspirational is the biography of John Michael himself. You can read more about it at this website

Treat yourself to the music in the video below and let me know what you think.

Close Encounters of the 2nd Time

Age: 11 Weeks 0 Days

Today was our second check up and I had to admit we had our concerns. After all, the first trimester is fraught with danger for the unborn child and sometimes it is a wonder that anyone turns our normal at all.

It is therefore a huge relief to see his/her little heart pumping furiously away when the ultrasound came to pass over her (not that I am hoping only for a daughter, but for convenience sake let us just use the feminine convention). In turn, the head, then the little arm and then the little legs came into view. She was quiet and still... asleep?

Then she STRETCHED! She was moving here legs and kicking them around, and stretching her little arms. I could stare at the screen forever.

She has grown, bigger than expected and the age has been corrected from 10 W 4 D to 11 W 0 D. She will join us much sooner.She now stands at a height of 4.38 cm. I am such a proud dad so far.

So you all know how she looks now:

From Russia With Love

I am back from an amazing expedition to Russia. I left Singapore on 3 July and was back on the 17th. The trip consisted of 2 parts, the main aim was to go to the Caucasus to climb Mount Elbrus and the second part was the R&R in Moscow before coming back.

Mount Elbrus, standing at 5642m tall is one of the seven summits, highest on the continent of Europe. Having done Kilimanjaro last year, it was time to do another mountain and a snow peak. It was a good opportunity to see how I would fare on a snow peak this time, instead of a trekking peak. Coming here would also give me the chance to see Russia.

All in all, the peak was tough. My climbing partner and I summited on 10 July 2007 at 1330 hrs. We were part of a group of 10, of which only 5 summited. Conditions were much tougher than in Kilimanjaro with temperatures dipping to -10/-15 degrees celsius as well as being blasted by up to 40km/h winds. The wind was strong enough to send ice flying into your face and body. It was rather painful and inconvenient when it got into the wrong places. The wind was also strong enough to knock you over, if you were not expected the sudden gusts.

The second part of the trip was a 3 day trip to Moscow. It was a very exciting experience being in this great Russia cit, full of history and culture. It was all my previous childhood knowledge from books and pictures come alive! There was so much to see, hear and devour and the 3 days were all too short.

I shall be putting up the photos over the next few weeks as I edit them and put some detail into it. I shall also put up snippets of my own documentation of the many things done and the many thoughts that passed through my mind during those 2 weeks here as I go along....

Look out for it

Hair today, Bald Tomorrow

Age: 7 Weeks 5 Days

Tomorrow is the day I lose my hair. Am i worried or apprehensive. So far, even after thinking about it, I have not experienced the jitters yet...not yet at least. I think I will only feel the full impact of it only when I am there.

It is all for a good cause. The bald head will raise questions and it will get the the awareness level up for these children. Is it worth it? Definitely!

So 1 July, 1705 hrs at Velocity.

The Latest Addition to the Family

The latest addition to the family. Just 7 weeks 4 days old and 1.27cm tall. oh my, what a change in my life!

The Best 4x4xFar

Watching this video, I have got to agree with the title. I have owned Miss Daisy for 2 years now and I have enjoyed every drive with her.

The History of Land Rover Part 3

The History of the Land Rover Part 2

The History of Land Rover Part 1

A wonderful series on the history of the Land Rover and how it grew to become one of the most highly regarded off-road vehicles in the world. It has a certain nostalgia to it...and as you can see, I am crazy about Landies. Enjoy!

TM with SUVEC Group 24 June 2007

Pilgrimage France 27 May - 10 June

What a trip!

It was definitely not what we expected... it turned out to be so much more! It was am intense two weeks dash around the perimeter of France. A short summary of the itinerary:

D1: Singapore Airport
D2: Nevers - Paray la Monial
D3: Ars - Le Puy - St. Etienne
D4-5: La Salette
D6: Cotingac - Aix en Provence
D7-D9: Lourdes
D10: Le Mans
D11: Mont St Michel - Le Mans
D12: Chartres - Paris
D13-14: Paris

I have never attended Mass for more than 4 days in a row but there was Mass every day. Indeed, spiritually it was significant for both Frances and myself as we both explored our faith together and journeyed together. We travel together a lot and we've been through many things together but this was different. I cannot put a finger to it, but it was something good.

There were many highlights: the snow on La Salette, the lunch at Cotingac, the beautiful cathedrals and basilicas, the deeply moving sharing sessions, the Masses, the prayers. But the one that tops it for me has to be sitting at Lourdes, at the Massabielle in the night. We had 3 days there but it seemed all too short. I remember sitting together in the cold at 11+pm, watching the Mass and adoration, looking at the statue of our Lady looking down on the crowd, imagining what it was like some 150 years ago when She first appeared to St Bernadette. Alternating between observing the proceedings, meditation and saying a silent prayer ... time just passed so quickly.

Nothing can fully describe the richness of what I have seen and experienced, least of all a set of photos. I can only hope to give you an idea of what it was like to have been there ... if you want to hear more, drop me a comment or a line and we can talk about all of it...

See photos of the pilgrimage at:

France Pilgrimage

France Pilgrimage Part Deux

Off to France

I suppose this will be the post in about 2 weeks because Fran and I are off to France for a 15 day pilgrimage to the cathedrals and sacred places of this land.

It promises to be a time of many experiences: travel, devotion, fellowship.

Among the places visited will be Nevers, Le Puy, La Salette, Lourdes, Mont St Michel and of course Paris. It will probably feel a whole lot shorter than the 14 days.

I will share photos of the trip and definitely a description of it also when I get back.

Vive La France

Suicide is Painless

The theme song of one of the greatest movie and series in television history, M*A*S*H. Most people who have watched the series will know the tune but may not know that there is title and lyrics to the song. So here it is...

Suicide is Painless

Music - Johnny Mandel
Lyrics - Mike Altman
Released 1970

Through early morning fog I see
visions of the things to be
the pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see...

Refrain:
that suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.


I try to find a way to make
all our little joys relate
without that ever-present hatebut now I know that it's too late, and...


The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
so this is all I have to say.


The only way to win is cheat
And lay it down before I'm beat
and to another give my seat
for that's the only painless feat.


The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger...watch it grin, but...


A brave man once requested me
to answer questions that are key
is it to be or not to be
and I replied 'oh why ask me?'


'Cause suicide is painless
it brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
...and you can do the same thing if you please.

Hallelujah

You may have first heard this song in the cartoon Shrek, or more recently in the final episode of Season 1 of the OC and probably in a few more other television series or movies which I do not know about.

If you trawl the internet, there are also many covers of the original version written by Leonard Cohen. Jeff Bucklel, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, KD Lang are among the more common versions you will come across. While you do not have to come to a conclusion on who has the best voice or brings across the emotion of the song best, it is good for you to take a look at the lyrics and make an attempt to see what it means to you.

For me, it never fails to bring up the same emotions listening to the haunting tune and lyrics. Hear it:

Hallelujah - John Cale

The version of the lyrics also differ with the original lyrics in 1984 reflected immediately below. The words convey a rich meaning with many biblical references. The song was released again in 1988 with significantly different lyrics, in my opinion, not having the same level and depth of religious significance. Most covers take a combination of both the versions. I have yet to find the original song.


Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen 1984 Various Positions

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

and here is a different version...

Hallelujah - 1988 Cohen Live

Baby, I've been here before.
I know this room, I've walked this floor.
I used to live alone before I knew you.

Yeah I've seen your flag on the marble arch,
But listen, love is not some kind of victory march,
No it's a cold and it's a very broken Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, (Hallelujah...)

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below,
Ah but now you never show it to me, do you?

Yeah but I remember, yeah when I moved in you,
And the holy dove, she was moving too,
Yes every single breath that we drew was Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Maybe there's a God above,
As for me, all I've ever seemed to learn from love
Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew you.

Yeah but it's not a complaint that you hear tonight,
It's not the laughter of someone who claims to have seen the light
No it's a cold and it's a very lonely Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

I did my best, it wasn't much.
I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch.
I've told the truth, I didn't come all this way to fool you.

Yeah even tough it all went wrong
I'll stand right here before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my lips but Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Tashi

After much deliberation, I have settled on the name for my boat.

Tashi

Firstly, it is Tibetan in origin and the name translates roughly as " a blessing or good luck" As part of a longer phrase, Tashi Delak, it is used as a greeting to fellow persons around.

It is a unique name. Suitably female for the naming of a sea going vessel, conforming to the traditions of old. And applicable to any seafaring activity in a kayak, "a blessing" would mean a good and safe journey to anyone who takes this boat to sea and from another angle, it is a blessing to be able to use the craft to take us to where we so desire.

And so we have it.... my feathercraft..... Tashi

It Floats! The Kayak Test Run

Today is test kayak day! After its arrival last week, today we officially get the Wisper wet.

So Fran and I brought the boat to MacRitchie Reservoir after Mass. I figured that a controlled water environment and fresh water would be a better choice for the first run. We had some time from 1400 hours to dusk to do the boat tests. So here is how it went.

Setting up the boat in the afternoon heat is not a simple task. I was drenched in sweat by the time I got the boat ready for the water. It was a highly anticipated moment when I lowered the boat slowly and gently into the water. The silence was only broken by Fran's exclamation, " IT FLOATS!"

Me: ...

So after about 2 hours of paddling, I have one thing to say....SUPERB! The comments on the Feathercraft that I have read prior to the purchase were true. The boat felt comfortable even when sitting into it for the first time. The sponsoons offered great stability to the boat yet the boat was nimble enough for you to execute a mean edge. The boat sits quite high on the water but probably due to the fact it is unloaded at point in time. It was a fast boat, maintaining a reasonable speed with a minimal of effort. Tracking was good. This was a concern as the skins of the Feathercraft are hand-made and some variations occur between every piece of boat they ship out. I am fortunate that the boat tracks pretty well under mild conditions today.

The sea sock works well in preventing flooding of the boat during a capsize. Which I did, in the interest of testing every aspect of the boat's handling. The boat did take in some water, though minimal, but this was likely through a not so thorough securing of the bow hatch. A combination of the sea sock and the spray skirt did make paddling a little warm in our kind of weather.

The skin proved to be really watertight and water repellent. Water dripping off the paddle just beaded up on the deck and rolled off.

The other piece of equipment that was a real good buy was the paddle. The 4 piece carbon paddle from Aquabound was, in my opinion, a real performer. The Eagle Ray is designed for touring and for a low paddling angle. The feathering angle can be adjusted as desired. Entry of the blade into the water is effortless and silent. Turbulence is minimal and as you exert pressure on the blade in the water, the blade moves smoothly all the way until it exits the water. It does not have the little wobble that I so often feel in other paddles when you pull hard on the blade.

I brought the boat back strapped onto the roof rack. This was easily done with a couple of ratchet straps and another from the stern to the spare wheel. It would be a challenge to bring the boat around on my own, because I had the help of Fran today, and it took putting the boat onto the bonnet before I pulled it up onto the rack.

See the pictures at this Flickr set Kayak Test Paddle

Now.....I need a name for her.....

Hair for Hope 2007

I cam across this event in 2006 after it was over and I felt it was a wasted opportunity to be part of something this meaningful. So resolving not to miss it this year, I have stayed true my word and taken the step to register myself for the event.


The event consists of 2 parts, one is the chance to get a free haircut in the form of a shaven head and the fund raising portion. The shaven head, to me, is symbolic. It serves as as publicity to the entire fund raising event as well as brings the attention of the public to the plight of children cancer patients.

However, a more important effect, is to tell the kids that there are people out there who are trying to help and understand. The show of support and solidarity with them is immeasurable by this little act that is done.

So,, I ask for your to visit their website and see the work that is being done for the children. In addition, I sincerely ask that any of your who read this, to kindly support my fund raising effort for this event and pledge a little something through the online portal at this site here.

The event is on 1 July 2007 at Vivocity. To all my family and friends who will be keen to see me with a clean shaven egg head on that day, you are kindly welcomed to witness the event on the day.

The Summons

The Summons

1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2. Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3. Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4. Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5. Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Above All

Above all powers above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Chorus:
Crucified, laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

Above all powers above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth


Crucified, laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all


Like a rose trampled on the groud
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

You have to hear this song to believe that the words can bring tears to your eyes. Read the lyrics and experience the richness of the meaning that they convey.

Enjoy...

Setting up the Wisper

The weekend was spent trying to set up the kayak and practising how to do it smoothly and with as little pain as possible.

I find no fault with the instructions or manual and the DVD included was just invaluable in making life a little easier. So blame it all on my ineptness, but my inaugural attempt in setting up the kayak took about an hour. I tried to be meticulous in making sure I do not do anything wrong that may damage the boat even before it hits the water.

On day 2 of practice, on my second try, the time taken to set the boat up was 37 min from the opening of the pack to completion. Dismantling took just slightly shorter at just about 30 mins. The bulk of time went to packing it properly into the pack.

Setting up the frame of the boat is easy, and planting the frame into the skin is also a relative;y easy. The most difficult areas are actually,
1. Making sure the frame is centred in the skin.
2. Tensioning the frame with the extension bars
3. And placing of the crossribs especially crossrib 2

But all in all, the kayak feels solid so far on dry land. The component pieces are well made and there was never a situation where the pieces did not fit one another. Design of the frame was well thought of with every piece having its role and doubling up in function sometimes.

Here are the photos of the kayak during the weekend.

My Boat is Here!!!

Today has been a long anticipated day. The order for my kayak made almost 2-3 weeks back has finally been delivered. See here for write up on the wisper and the order.

Brimming with excitement, I went together with Fran to collect the boat. It was also the first time I was meeting the guy who brought in the kayak for me, Huey. He has a rather colourful history with regard to kayaking and is now in the business of bringing in kayaking equipment, particularly folding kayaks. Check out the website: kayakasia

Now back to the boat. The backpack in which the foldable kayak was packed into was larger than I thought it would be. The other accessories were packed into the backpack with the foam blocks and buoyancy vest in a separate box. All in all, everything as in good order except for my neoprene spray skirt which was inadvertently left out in the order. This will have to be rectified in the coming weeks.

Therefore, this is my kayaking purchase and equipment thus far, my FIRST kayak plan.

1. Feathercraft Foldable Kayak: Wisper with front and rear hatches
2. Aquabound Eagleray Full-carbon 4 piece paddle
3. Feathercraft Klatwa 2 piece Greenland paddle (spare)
4. Astral Tempo 300 Personal Flotation Device
5. Feathercraft Neoprene spray skirt
6. Feathercraft Deckbag
7. NRS Bilge pump
8. NRS universal kayak blocks

Other pieces of good news include the approval from PUB to allow foldable kayaks into the reservoirs to paddle. Although the only open reservoirs so far are MacRitchie and Marina Bay, others in the pipeline include Lower and Upper Seletar Reservoirs. Once again, Huey has made arrangement for all foldable owners to have a tag to indicate registration with an organisation.
I have chose the number tag 7 for my boat.

All I have to do now is decide on a name and then will have to christian the boat during our first trip to the water. I cannot wait....

Hooked!

After a late mass, we popped over to Rail Mall for lunch, only to find our usual haunt E.A.T crowded. So as not to queue for so long, we went hunting for another place to eat. Soon we found ourselves outside a nicely decorated place touting a wide selection of fish dishes. We went in not knowing what to expect but I must say we were pleasantly surprised.

Ambience
The ambience was fine. The placed was predominantly washed in white, making it look clean and bright. There were coloured walls with interesting, appropriately themed 'sea' motifs. Most of the seating was indoors though the option to eat al fresco was there if so desired.

Service
The crowd was pretty thin this afternoon so the service was warm, prompt and courteous. One slight glitch that marred an otherwise perfect service was the omission of one of our orders. This was however promptly rectified when brought to the attention of the staff.

Food
Here comes the thoughts of the food, which is the most important isn't it? After some consideration, due to the menu having quite a large selection of different fish done in an equally mind boggling number of ways, I settled for a Poached Salmon while Fran had a BBQ Mackeral. This was preceded by a Wasabi prawns as an appetiser. We opted for the value set which included with the entree a glass of soft drink and the soup of the day for an additional SGD 3.60.

Poached Salmon SGD 12.90
The poached salmon was good. It was soft and juicy to the point of melting it melting in your mouth. There was no hint of dryness compared to others I have tried before and the portion was large enough to satisfy my kind of appetite. This was served with boiled carrots and broccoli and a generous amount of sauteed potato chunks.

BBQ Mackerel SGD 9.80
Fran's BBQ mackerel was also beyond expectations. The portion was large too and it was a crisp brown on the outside surrounding juicy, sweet white flesh on the inside. A thin coating of sambal ensured a fiery taste to the meat and if this was not enough, an additional bowl of sambal was at hand for your to spice it up to taste. This too came with sauteed potatoes.

Wasabi Prawns SGD 6.50
This dish was nice. Lightly fried prawns mingled with a fried potato salad, smothered with a light wasabi flavoured cream. the dish tasted good however the prawns were a little disappointing considering they were supposed to be the stars of the dish. It was not the taste but rather the size and texture of the prawns. They were a little too small and not quite succulent enough.

But all in all, a very good meal and much better than expectations. Coupled with the friendly service and great setting, I think we have a winner here. It begs a return visit to further explore the wide range of dishes they have to offer.

For a visit, go to

Hooked!
390, Upper Bukit Timah Road
The Rail Mall
Tel: 67655336

Back from the East Coast

After a short but intense 4 day drive up to Malaysia, we are back in the safe comfortable confines of home as of yesterday.

Covering a total of 1909.5km in this short 4 days, is really quite something. The journey took us across the main range to the town of Kuantan on the east coast. From there, it was northwards as far as Kuala Terengganu before the return leg home. Along the way, we soaked up the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of what the East Coast had to offer and I must say it was really quite an adventure.

With us, we are always covering a wide range of activity and this trip was no different. We stopped at a drop of a hat, at the slightest indication that a place was interesting and off-beat enough. We bought Lemang and Satar from road side stalls and consumed these in a picnic by the beach at Kemasik. We probed and came across a fishing jetty in Kemaman where fishing boats berthed to off load their catch of the day. There was also the eccentric old Malay gentlemen who showed us a conch shell with the animal still in it, this among drying starfish and shell sculptures.

During our stay in Cherating, we had the chance to visit a turtle hatchery and hold one of those small creatures in between our thumb and index fingers, while it squirmed to escape. There we came face to face with the Green Turtle in all its majesty. How anyone can harm these majestic creatures is beyond us.

Our second stop in Rantau Abang saw us putting up at a quaint little place called Awang's. It was clean and had basic amenities but the most important of all, it was a step away from the beach. The beach there stretched both north and south as far as the eye could see. Waves crashing on the sand created a fine mist that blanketed the coast. The sand, though not fine and powdery, was coated with arches of sea shells. Due to the unique gradient of the beach, incoming waves from the South China sea broke and dumped on the steeply sloping beach. The undertow was severe and one could very easily get swept away if one was not careful.

But it is precisely this gradient that made Rantau Abang one of the hottest spots for the annual egg-laying by the sea turtles. Through drastically reduced in number and having fewer pristine spots for laying eggs, the turtles have still be known to come back and if one is lucky, have the opportunity to witness this magical event. Unfortunately, the sky did not smile on us and dumped about 4-5 hours worth of rain come evening. This effectively ended any plans on our end to scour the beaches and chance upon an egg laying turtle.
The return journey was an adventure by itself with us wanting to take a different route from the one we travelled up from. This entailed going further north to within 50km of Kota Bharu before coming down through highways 4 and 8, passing through Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis before finally joining the NS highway at Bentong, near KL.

The return journey took us longer longer than expected at about 14 hours of driving, including a couple of rest and dinner stops. This exciting journey home saw us coming into contact with logging trucks hauling enormous sawn tree trunks along narrow, wet and undulating precipitous routes through the mountains. It was a continual drive with one's heart in the mouth as drivers jostled to overtake these slow moving behemoths. The highlight had to be the time when Fran exclaimed "Elephant!!" True enough, by the highway in a clearing of Taman Negara, a male elephant was taking a dip in a mud pool just a couple of hundred metres from the main road. It was a beautiful sight and warranted a U-turn and an unplanned stop of about 10-15 minutes to admire this amazing creature in the dimming light.

We arrived at the ungodly hour of 0300 hrs on 1 May 2007, having left in the evening of 27 April. It was a good trip and will remain in our memories for time to come. This is almost the anniversary of our last mega-trip to Ao Nang, end April 2006.

See here for a photographic account of our trip. Enjoy it as we did.

My Knee Hurts

I had a 5km run this morning.

Tried to run about 10km later in the evening. Ended up walking after the 5km mark.

My knee hurts on the postero-lateral aspect especially on flexion of the knee. I think its my iliotibial band being really sore. Sigh. Looks like I got to lay off the running a little.

The Serengeti

There is a place on Earth where it is still the morning of life and the great herds still run free

This line echoed round the hall while images of the great African plain appeared in front of our eyes. I rubbed my eyes.... and confirmed what I saw, or was I there?

Fran and I dropped by the Omnimax Theatre at the Singapore Science Centre after a long hiatus. The last show we watched there was Journey of Man by Cirque du Soleil.

What did we catch? The IMAX movie: The Serengeti caught our eye with an ad in the newspapers. This is the official synopsis

James Earl Jones narrates this stunning, award-winning IMAX film that explores the natural beauty and timeless cycles of Africa's Serengeti plains. The highlight is a spectacle that few humans have witnessed--the great migration--during which 2 million wildebeests, zebras and antelope travel over 500 miles across the plains.

With the promise of such a spectacle, how can we miss such a show? This was also a good opportunity for us to relive our trip to Kenya and Tanzania in 2005/2006. We had a short 3 day Safari after our climb to Mount Kilimanjaro. The Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge were just some of the places we visited and was also mentioned in the movie.



Director: George Casey

Writers: George Casey
Mose Richards

Release: 1994

Runtime: 40 min

Try it....you will be stunned and awed at the spectacle of life.

Ancient Words

There are songs which have a pleasant tune and may even be catchy enough for you to hum along to. And then there are those that entice you to look at the words that accompany the tune. These words mean so much and each time you meditate on the words, you gain so much...

I first heard this this during my Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) class during the presentation of the Bible to the inquirers. Take some time to mull over what it says.

Enjoy

Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world,
They resound with god's own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home.

Chorus:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with god's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Chorus x4

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

C to C Roll

I started off my rolls with this particular version. The C-C action made me feel it was easier to get myself up. However, I personally found that I was using a little too much force to get myself righted up in the kayak.

However, this is relatively easy to grasp and learn as someone starting out to learn your rolls.

the lonely planet story

This is a good to read book if you are one of the faithful Lonely Planet users in your travels. If you use t he others like Fodors or A Rough Guide, then you may be less inclined to do so.

This is The story as told by the founders of the Lonely Planet about how a newly married couple, adventurously backpacked across Asia to land in Australia with 27 cents between them. With such a financial situation, most would have thrown in the towel to settle on a more stable lifestyle.

The following description on how they had to live almost hand to mouth, scrimp and save to ensure some semblance of financial security yet having the dream to put their love for travelling and adventure to good use and put effort into an idea, yet untested.

The second half then goes on to detail the role of the travel writers and the relations between the work produced and the company as it grew from a small set up into a global office and a force to be reckoned with in the travel publishing business.

the lonely planet story
Tony and Maureen Wheeler
Published 2005
Periplus Editions
ISBN-13: 978-0-7946-0478-3

An Overview of the Kayak Roll

I stumbled upon a few very instructive videos with regards to the kayak roll or 'Eskimo' roll as most people would know it by.

In my opinion here, the explanation is lucid and demonstration effective. The theory presented is sound and it makes you feel the need to jump into a pool to try what has just been presented.

For those who are into paddle sports... just a teaser for you all. Enjoy!

Wisper

Sounds like an advertisement for women's sanitary napkins. Rest assured, this is not about it!

I have decided on my kayak. After making tentative inquiries with dealers and evaluating both the features of the kayak as well as the depth of my pocket. I have finally come to a conclusion.

Having said that, it was by no means easy coming to the decision. The main difficulties were with the kayak itself. A host of questions had to be answered: hard shell vs foldable; length; model/brand were all considerations. The one which caught my eye the most were the Feathercraft boats, due to their portability and consistent reviews of seaworthiness. Fears of tracking and speed compared to their hard shell counterparts were slowly but surely dispelled by the many favourable reports for the foldables. After all, the physics was sound. The oft cited weakness in the foldable structure may actually act to absorb more of the wave energy thrown at the boat, allowing it to cope better with choppy sea states.

Feathercraft has a few models available. Earlier one, I had my eye on the Khatsalano, a greenland styled kayak. However, the price made the boat quite out of reach and if you noticed, it has been a while since I've revisited the issue of owning my own boat.

Here is where the Wisper comes in. It is a cross between the Khat and one of their other models. It maintains the Greenland style characteristics but in a slightly shorter package with a wider beam.

The most important thing...is the freedom the craft will allow. Paddling anytime, anywhere and being to camp out to explore the remote reaches of our island home. The possibilities are endless. I just cannot wait. Await the next post when I announce its arrival. Now I need a name for her....suggestions?

Dinner tonight

I had a nice home cooked meal tonight. The spread was good and the smell coming from the kitchen after my run was enough to make my stomach rumble in anticipation.

Soup:
Cream of Mushroom

Main:
Grilled Ribeye Steak

Sides:
Baked potato
Steamed corn with butter
Steamed carrot
Sauteed mushroom

and topped of with COKE!!!

The steak was tender and just rightly medium rare... the baked potato was nice with the bacon bits and sour cream but the one that really takes the cake was the steamed carrots. Amazingly soft and sweet, just the way I like it.

My fascination with soft carrots started when I first tasted carrots in New Zealand. We signed up for a traditional Hangi during our stay in Rotorua. A Hangi is the traditional meal of the Maori with food cooked in the traditional style of shoving food in a hole in the ground heated by hot coals.

Now I have a Singaporean version... Thanks Fran

What is this For?

Just what is this thing for?



I have finally found it ...rather Fran found it for me.

This is the little brush used to apply shaving cream to the face before a shave. The last time we saw this was in a pharmacy in Paris and it was priced at about 20 euros. This one was bought at the very affordable price of SGD 2

Why the obsession with this brush? Because I think it is very quaint to use a piece of equipment like this and since I have little facial hair, I do not have to use it during my shaving. Therefore, it is going to be used to clean and dust my photographic and electronic equipment. The bristles are stiff enough to get at dust in odd corners yet soft enough not to scratch or damage delicate equipment.

What a find.....

Mountain Feet

My new boots are here!

I have just test run my mountaineering boots which arrived in Singapore last Saturday. After much deliberation, I decided on a pair of Koflach Arctis Expe plastic mountaineering boots.

Due to my upcoming trip to Elbrus, Russia ... I started thinking about getting my own pair of plastic boots after having a not so pleasant experience with renting boots from the agency.. However, the price was definitely a prohibitive factor coupled with the fact that I will not climb more than 1-2 times a year on snow and ice. After speaking to more people, I finally made the decision to do so to ensure the best possible experience and also as an investment for my interest in mountaineering.

So why a Koflach? Simply because it is plastic and this particular model is rated for the lowest temperature by any manufacturer. Also, the bright yellow colour of the boot is irresistible.

Here is a write up on the boots and the specifications:

The warmest boot made. We designed the Arctis Expe to conquer serious expeditions outside the lower 48.

It's also a great choice for technical ice climbing and general mountaineering.

Through Y-Technology, the lower part of the shell provides rock-solid stability with step-in crampons, while the upper part of the shell flexes nicely for hiking.

Expedition: Excellent
Vertical Ice: Excellent
Hiking: Very Good

Size: U.S. 5.5-13
Weight: 2,490g (U.S. size 9)
Hinge: Vario
Sole: Vibram
Lacing: Steel Ball
Shell: Y-Technology (dual density)

I bought the boot from REI and costs SGD 524.90

After a session of stair climbing to test run the boots, the review of the boots is a resounding GREAT! My initial fears that the size will not accurate were unfounded as the US 8 fitted snugly with a thin inner sock and wool outer sock. Though stiff, the dual density plastic offered flexibility and a greater degree of ankle movement without causing too much discomfort.

I can't wait to test it out in the snow and I think it will go very well with a pair of crampons....sigh more money.