Friday, February 29, 2008
Wow it took me forever to blog on Mel's farewell gathering haha! Ok lemme do a small intro, Melvin Yong, or Mel in short, is one of my great buddies in 1 SIR! He was named Mel after a sergeant who, incidentally, called Melvin too! And alas, Melvin has never been close to Yong...it's only Mel now...haha!
Other 3 great pals in 1 SIR, whom are all codenamed, are Zhi Wei aka Z-wei, Hai Rui aka Dolphin and Jacobson aka Biscuit or just Jacob in short. (Unfortunately an UFO came to 1 SIR and blinded everyone with it's torch and kidnapped Jacob. No news thus far.) Whoever is interested in the people in the photos u see later on, pls dun hesitate to lemme know, I'll help you arrange a date for yea! XD
So the week before Mel leaves for Australia for his Uni studies, we met up on a Saturday, 9th Feb, for our last gathering. Mel lead us, through his mouth while Z-wei drives the car, to Millennium Tower. So where were we heading? Take a look at the pic boys and gals! ^^
(The authentic signboard that is standing tall right outside the restaurant's entrance)
(Han: Hmm, the name reminds me of my injury...Brachial...oh nvm)
(Mel: Don't even remind me you "traitor". Hey guys, let's do it! "Project Hiccup")
(Zhi Wei: Not again!)
(Hai Rui: huh?)
(Han: What's that?)
(Hai Rui: Eh are we in the right place?)
(Mel: Come on! Trust me! I knew it was a Saturday noon when I stole some beers tat time.)
(Zhi Wei: ... ... ...)
(Han: Oh gosh...How did I ended here...)
(Han: Nice view from the 2nd floor!)
(Mel: Shhh, dun give out our position Guangster, we're on a MISSION...)
(Zhi Wei: ... ... ...)
(Mel: It's the right place! I remember there's a band stage here, where the beer carters are stored!)
(Hai Rui: Clear! Clear! Clear!)
(Zhi Wei: Guangster! Where u going?)
(Han: Wow! They even haf merchandise!!! ^o^ b)
(Z-wei: Damn! We're spotted!)
(Hai Rui: Guess we juz gotta be served the usual way now...)
(Mel: And no more free beers! Damn! Who shouted juz now?)
(Han: ... ... ...)
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So there we ended at our table, served by a waitress, seemingly the most usual and proper way any customers would be here. Opened the menu, ordered what's simplest, a Set Meal. Dolphin chose to be different and special again by picking german sausage with potate. While Paulaner Brauhaus offers a menu of German pork dishes, anything should taste good if you're....
1. A MEAT lover
2. Specifically, A PORK lover
3. A BEER lover
4. A MUSIC BAND lover
5. Someone who's out of ideas for a nice ATMOSPHERE for a meal, especially dinner.
Yup! Shame on us! 3 grown-up guys ordered Coke instead of Beer! Well, dun doubt our manly character ok? It's afternoon, we're not in mood for beer, and I'm not gonna waste the rest of the day walking in Drunken Fists style! Plus all of us are health-conscious! Yo! 1 SIR's elite platoon, ATGM ok?! Anti-Tank Guided Missile Platoon! 24kg of missiles, nearly 35kg per man with everything on, mind you! We're healthy men, just can't afford to have tummies! And which lady started to blame on guys having tummies? Dun point, it's all of you! haha!
(Han: Big Son of a Coke!)
(Zhi Wei: Here Guangster! Lemme help you fulfil your metrosexual desire!)
Oh ya! Here's the deal! Oops! Did I forget to mention what the other 3 of us ordered? It's Roasted Pork Knuckles served with mashed potato ball with vegetable in thin broil. Also plentiful of barbecue sauce in a sleek bowl separately.
Mine came in the largest portion compared to Mel's and Zhi Wei's. Hah! The boss muz have spotted my innocence throughout Mission Hiccup and realized I wasn't the culprit! gEgegAhaha!!! XD
(Intensive flavored but not thick, nice yummy barbecue sauce!)
(OMG! Is there even a need to explain how tasty this is?)
The potato ball, mashed with some veggie, tastes rather plain but it's a good thing! The side dish balances the overall richness in flavor of the whole dish, plus you're not chained away from your barbecue sauce! Dip it into the sauce and you're in heaven again! Or go with the veggie and broil below the knuckles. Either way, it's a splendid snack!
(Han: Did I just say we're health-conscious? No, it wasn't me, someone else did. MuAyum-yum-yum! ^~^)
So, what else can I say? good food, good atmosphere, good chat, this is good life! And being buddies, how could we let Mel pay right? Z-Wei's suggested us treating him, but hey, that's my line ok? I was juz too full to speak after everything...haha!
And Mel was touched and had this uneasy expression all over his face. Don't worry Mel, 1 and a half year down the road, you've to treat all 3 of us when you're back to S'pore in one piece! haha!
And here it marks the end of this entry, this sumptuous recommendation to Paulaner Brauhaus at Millennium Tower Level 2. Thanks for reading and I hope you love this entry! I've haf fun writing this entry in Anthony Bourdain style, if you know who he is, haha!
12:00 AM
Monday, January 28, 2008
I've bragged about making my uniquely, probably disgust too, Escargot Omelette, and guess what, it's making its blog debut today! Ok, let's face it, if you like Bizarre Food from Discovery's Travel and Living, this is gonna be something that you like as snack . If you don't, you won't even appreciate the photos below haha!
Step1: Ingredient Preparation
Definitely you need to get a can of Escargots, I don't recommend snail-fishing in the sewage or drains during the rain. Many have asked where to get this little can of precious, well, try hitting Cold Storage in Takashimaya or Bugis Junction or Carrefour in Suntec.
Then you need the sidekicks, chopped-up garlic, butter, 2 eggs and a piece of cheese(I use Kraft ^^). Cheese is totally optional, but I just love them, who doesn't? For Escargots, we'll be using just 10. (you'll see why later)
You could start to break the eggs and stir them well for making the omelette later. Same for the cheese, you could tear it with hands or slice it with knife, up to you, just get it into small pieces.
Step2: Cooking the snails
Heat the pan with gentle fire, drop several spoonful of butter, shake the pan to allow the butter melts on every part of the surface but don't melt everything. Then throw in the Escargots into the remaining chunks of butter and pan-fry them while mixing up as even as possible. Toss in as much garlic as you like, up to your preference, and mix them well as you fry. Once you smell the irresistable buttered garlic fragrance, just like how it's supposed to be in the restaurant, get the Escargots out onto a bowl or plate, but not the same one that you serve, den wipe the pan with a paper towel to get rid of the burnt garlic
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Step3: Making the Omelette
Making omelette is really simple, anyone can do it. Just pour in all the beaten egg yolks into the pan whlie on gentle heat. Tilt the pan gently to allow the yolks to cover the whole surface. Wait for 5 seconds or so, tilt the pan again to see if the yolk at the base is solidifying. Once it does, quickly spread the Escargots evenly from each other.
Then start "cutting" a radius from the centre and start making consecutive flips from there, in clockwise or anticlockwise, whichever way works for you.
If yours ended like mine, you must too hungry for Escargots then blame your greed for having too many stuff inside the omelette. Else everything should fit inside. And that's why I say we use 10 and nothing more. =)
Hope this entry is something different but probably equally disgusting as the past entries. For those who agree, my sincere apology, but it's me blogging, that's what makes it unique right?
2:49 AM
Thursday, January 17, 2008
"...offers more than a norm could, it's absolutely sensational and emotional..."
Caught a very anticipated movie, Cloverfield, tonight (17-01-08), and boy oh boy, it's tough for me to say how many star I'm giving this film at first. For once and for all, I want to express my views towards Cloverfield. (I bet, in near future, the movie will receive critics from different perspective and angles.)
*For those who haven't watch Cloverfield and had been seeing trailers that contains self-proclaimed real look of the creature, check out the pictures below. The creature does not look like any one of those pictures!(To be honest, I hope it did)*
Not too long after the movie, I sms-ed my colleague saying I'm disappointed. It's a little too rush for such a conclusion. Subsequently I msg her in msn, saying if she's going for experience and a different type of film, yes this is great one, however if she wants a quality movie (in terms of storyline, depth & substance) this movie is a incomplete or so-to-speak a failure.
Cloverfield trailers, so far, has been keeping people in suspense - not revealing what the gigantic creature is about and where did it come from. And as much suspending as the trailers, so is the movie itself.
While offering a unique genre of movie, some compare it with Blair Witch, the movie puts you on a roller coaster ride through the POV(point of view) of a guy holding a consumer video-camera. (Fortunately, I'm guessing, a professional camera is used to film the entire movie, given its clarity and contrast) The POV shooting style leaves strong and emotional impact at most times. While accidentally capturing glimpse of the creature, whether in a shaky shot, long shot when the creature is buildings away or captured right from below it's feet, the impact and feeling is realistic. (Thanks to the excellent sound effects and audio quality too)
Most often, for myself, while the movie shows panicking shot captured by the camera, I could easily focus into the point of interest easily. (Tip for not getting "sea-sick" or nausea is by not trying to focus your sight into everything)Usually, the camera doesn't want you to be stressing your eyesight unless it caught something interesting and had it focused. It's this uniquely, yet natural, style of shooting, that will make you will sit tight and pay attention to everything, hopefully not missing the juice of the movie, since they come so quick and end so fast. Ironic, but effective.
However, looking at Cloverfield from another angle, whether it's a QUALITY movie, it could easily turned out to be a failure or incomplete work. Although the shooting style is unique, it might not necessarily has to be done throughout the movie. It's a huge confusion, disappointment and disturbance.
Given that the reason behind the creature's existence is not explained at all and an ending whereby the creature is still very alive, continuing it's journey of destruction, I find this a total disappointment. While I was so glued to the POV of the camera-man, trying not to miss out anything, before I knew it, the movie is over! First reaction that comes to me was,"What The Hell???"
Honestly, I didn't pay to watch an unexplained and unanswered mystery of a movie. I paid to find out what's the root of destruction in this monster movie, and all I got was a silly ending. This is absurb. However, Cloverfield offers more than a norm could, it's absolutely sensational and emotional. What could easily turn out to be best movie of the season, or even year, in my opinion, just didn't have enough to make it worked.
Personally, I feel here are some changes that could bring some improvement to the movie.
The first 10-20 minutes of introduction to the characters, their background etc, is too lengthy. They kept to mainly 4 characters, which is good thing.
The part where they are rushing to give the male lead's girlfriend, played by Lizzy Caplan, was unnecessary. Whole idea could be removed. Either having her stayed with the boyfriend since the beginning and had the action starting from there. Or had her dead.
Overall they could have a mixture of both normal shooting and their unique shooting through POV of camera for best result.
More substance and depth should be emphasized on the existence of the creature, why, how, when, what and where everything happened.
Have some scenes with US Air Force battling and struggling with the creature! Missiles hitting the creature's body, jets been swung by the tail of the creature etc.
8:34 AM
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The following video, "Shocking New Fur Investigation", recorded in certain parts of China , was shown to me by a colleague through an url. I've gotta thank her, not only I'll discourage myself, but everybody around me, to purchase products with animal fur or skin or body parts. Further more, I'm completely disgusted by the cruelty enforced by the Chinese in the animal abuse.
Readers can go to the following url for the article and video. http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=fur_farm&Player=flv
For convenience of readers, the article is shown below in white.
Eighty-five percent of the fur industry skins come from animals living captive on fur factory farms. These farms can hold thousands of animals, and the practices used to farm them are remarkably uniform around the globe. As with other intensive-confinement animal farms, the methods used on fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits, always at the expense of the animals. - Swiss Animal Protection/EAST International
7:39 PM
Thursday, December 20, 2007
I've visited Orchard Road yesterday again. Went to Takashimaya, later of the day, and saw the huge xmas tree Lok had took photo with her friends. The base of the tree was crowded with locals and foreigners taking photos with it. I prefer capturing the beauty of the entire tree that is standing approximately 3-storey tall. Quite pretty, but it'll be a better sight if it is accompanied by the glamour of the city in outdoor, especially night time.
After hanging in Kino bookstore for some time, I picked up a HK magazine - MILK. Was very disappointed as there's no sight of trendy fashion, probably bcoz it's time for winter wear, and no sight of hot cantonese chicks! I used to check my bunk mate's MILK back in the Army days and was always fascinated by the generous use of HK celebrity or model babes. Where are they now?! *pissed* Argh. Wasted $5.
Later, me and my friend took a stroll in the basement for some supermarket-shopping. As usual, I feel so tempted by the snacks and junk food that my mouth wont stop itching without a thing or two to bite. :P So I got on to the sushi department in Cold Storage and took the sushi box that's already packed readied, paying $5.20 to free myself from the trouble of selecting.
My friend got a cup of "Cherry-Mania" flavored ice-cream from Ve...(forgot the name Haha!) on the way to entrance. Spotted a nice area with a stretch of metal table, stood there, enjoyed our sushi and ice-cream.
Although the snacks were nice, but they weren't the main course. Haha! Snacks is snacks, dinner is dinner! Can't make do ok? Hahahaha! So i decided to dine at NYDC in Wheellock building. Prefer the indoor air-con since we're non-smokers.
However there's a change of plans after seeing how many tables are unserved and how deafening is the capacity crowd's conversations sing along with music playing loudly by NYDC. Gosh! The Big O cafe.restaurant opposite NYDC became my choice instead.
They had glass panels to write their Specialty and Set Lunch menu of the day. Quite comfy with the wood furnitures. Significantly it's less noisy, although NYDC was just opposite.
We ordered Crispy french fries, for $6 served, and a Roasted Chicken Ravioli for $17.(actually it's $16.95, but what's the diff rite? ) The Ravioli dish was served like Chinese dumplings(shui jiao), with the chicken sliced and diced and wrapped as filling together with spinach inside. Both the sauce and the "dumpling" taste the same except it's stronger in the "dumpling" but less juicy. The "dumplings" are nicely arranged to cover the spinach beneath.
I took every bite and chew slowly so the $17 bucks are spent worthwhile. I was expecting a portion of a roasted chicken with some spices or sauce. But I know it wasn't before served as I've requested the waitress to explain. Other orders are more expensive. So why not try out something less expensive and guess what they gotta offer for the pricey ones, right? But my friend noted to me, none of the food served seems to be in large quantity. Haha!
Overall, not as atmospheric as fine-dining for sure,(given that NYDC is just opposite) but the environment is okay. Probably will be more quiet and pleasant in the weekdays or day time. However food wise, I won't give credit to it's average cuisine. Given that my order was a chef's recommendation on the menu, I would easily hesitate to try out what Big O Cafe.Restaurant has tastier to offer on the menu.
7:15 PM
Sunday, December 16, 2007
While I was busy decorating egreeting cards for my company few weeks ago, It was nice to take some time for a walk in
That trip was meant to relax and motivate myself in the Christmas designs I was doing. To be honest, me and my family don’t quite celebrate Christmas. The most is having Christmas dinner in a steak house or a restaurant. Sometimes we find it irritating as it’s very difficult to get carkpark slots or seats in restaurants before booking for that holiday.
Back to my trip, probably the environment in
8:50 AM
It wasn't a difficult decision which restaurant to pick after crossing out some of the expensive restaurants from out list of choices. So we went for some monetarily practical and food with some taste. White Dog Café it is!
All of us, ordered the set lunch, mine was Cheesy Pork Chop, or something like that. Just remembered it was the same as Wen Chao’s order. I thought was quite tasteless for a pork chop, Chao and I both agreed that the only flavor that our taste bud really senses is the carbon from the burnt meat.
Eddy took spagettie in some dark sauce or japanese style, to me it was like a hokkien fried noodle on a western plate. Haha! Lok Yee ordered something like rice with salmon. Still remember that they serve quite an amount of salmon, not bad! Can't remember what Bird ordered thou.
Along with the meal, soup and garlic bread was served before the main course. Tea and coffee after it, the usual. We spent some quality time catching up in our jobs, lives, further studies and whatever that comes to our mind.
Since most of my colleagues and friends have watch it. So I won’t emphasize on it, but it was a quality CG movie.
8:16 AM
*Before I start on anything, do check on the trailer video on the previous entry. That video was no longer on Youtube, so I put up an even newer and nicer trailer! *
Now back for more AVPR updates! Although it's been old news, but those non-hardcore fans, this will be interesting. However it will bring some visual spoilers to the movie, so please stop reading if you're dead-on in catching a movie without previews.
According to the game, there is such a species call Predalien which is a crossbreed of Xenomorph (Alien) and a Predator. It was quite expected for Pre-Alien to appear in 2nd AVP movie, since the first movie’s ending has already revealed the double-biological-genetically enhanced bastard SOAP! (Son of a Alien-Predator) Haha! Surprisingly, at least to me, the Predalien costume/props looks rather exciting and cool. Although to some extend, especially the texture and color , does resemble the genetical off-spring of Ripley in Alien: Resurrection(1997), it’s still all good!
To my surprise, AVPR is released already and way earlier than the movie itself. Since I’m don’t have a PSP thus I seldom check the upcoming PSP games. However just like Predator: Concrete Jungle on PS2, it will only satisfy the diehard fans who like the signature sound effects of Predator’s weapons and it’s roar. So, now there’s no excuse for me to get a PSP! Nah, just kidding, I never intended to, hahaha!
4:16 AM
Saturday, September 01, 2007
My Abs Hurts...
First of, I must thank my friend Angela a.k.a. Angela Waters who taught me how to create links to friends’ blog. Therefore her blog was the first link in my blog and very soon I will add more. Although its very simple html coding, but I’m a website-idiot, other than 2d design & 3d graphics, I’ve almost forgot every single thing I’ve learnt in poly. So I gotta thank Angela a lot.
These days I’ve been visiting the gym, usually at Redhill, once at Clementi coz the one at Redhill closes at
After 3 straight days of gym, the most effect yet painful exercise gotta be the vertical sit-ups. Lying 45 degrees upside down, then doing my sit-ups from there. The result was instantly noticeable, but the price to pay was high. My abs hurts big-time after doing 3 sets of 15. The muscle was all hardened, sore and stiff. Wherever I go, I my abs contracts, making my hunching my back like an old man with a serious backache. How embarrassing. HAI…
3:35 AM
