An Inconvenient Truth
Rating: *****
Cast: Al Gore
Genre: Documentary

Watched the movie for free with Chup on 27 Oct 06. Its courtesy from blinds supplier "Hunter Douglas" for architects from NUS and Singapore Polytechnic.

A must watch! Only when everyone plays a part would we be able to help save the dying mother earth.

Remember this:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle

The Prestige
Rating: ***1/2
Cast: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Drama / Thriller

Watched on 22 Oct 06 with Chup and Feti

Interesting but not too belieaveable twist at the ending...

The Departed
Rating: **1/2
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
Genre: Drama / Thriller

Watched on 14 Oct 06 with Chup before going to Vony's housewarming.

Adapted from the Hongkong movie "Infernal Affairs". Watched it because it was rated **** and because Chup wanted to watch it . Not my cup of tea.

Corn Soup & Chick Wings

Specially for my cousin Tobel and sister Ochin and whoever who feels like making a simple home-cooked dinner.
















Corn Soup Ingredients:
1. Minced chicken 300 gr (optional)
2. Canned corn (1/2 can)
3. Chicken stock (3/4 cube)
4. Water (1 litre)
5. Pepper
6. Egg, beaten (1 egg)
7. Corn starch to thicken (1 tbsp or as necessary)

Method:
1. Mix minced chicken with a little corn starch and water. Mix until watery
2. Boil water with chicken stock
3. Add corn and chicken and stir well
4. Add pepper
5. Once chicken is cooked, add corn starch to thicken
6. Lastly add the egg and mix well
















Garlic Chicken Wings Ingredients:
1. 8 small or 4 large chicken wings
2. 1 bulb garlic
3. Salt & pepper

Method:
1. Clean and dry chicken wings
2. Skin and chop garlic with 1 tsp of salt
3. Marinate chicken wings with garlic mixture
4. Grill in over/toaster oven for 20 minutes, turning once

That's all...

A zillion ants!!!

I was walking along the concrete path (about 1 metre wide) from the carpark back to my apartment. Then I noticed a stream of ants, probably moving food back to its nest. Quite a commonsight at my estate I must say. Sometimes if you are in a hurry and step accidentally onto this 'stream of ants', you would be very busy later trying to pick and kill these ants that managed to crawl up your legs and starting to sting you all over.

So yes, I am generally very irritated by ants. My house is always equipped with ant-bait. It's this brownish sand-like substance which one has to spread on the area infested with ants. The ants would be attracted to this substance, thinking it is food. They would then carry the substance back to the nest to share with their fellow ants and queen ants. Then all would be poisoned and the whole colony in the nest would be wiped out. Vicious but great invention! I simply love this ant-bait! Of course after a few months, they may reappear. After all, a queen ant is capable of laying millions of eggs at one go. They can live up to 15 years and need to mate only once!!

Back to my story now.

After I chanced upon the streaming ants, I ran upstairs to get my ant-bait. I then poured some over the ants. They all charged for it. More ants started rushing out of those little ant holes. Then I thought since they were all loving it, I started to pour more and more... And finally, the whole content was emptied out. And something crazy happened.

Suddenly the gray path started to change to reddish brown - the colour of the ants as hundreds and thousands of them came out of their nests to grab the 'food'. There was almost no spot on the path for me to stand on without touching any ants. I started to run as the red shadow kept growing steadily. It was growing so fast I literally had to sprint!! Still I wasn't fast enough. When I reached one corner of the garden, my legs were taking the colour of reddish brown too as the zillions of ants crept up my legs!!! I was totally freaked out! By some help from above, I noticed a gardener's water hose lying next to me. I turned it on full blast and sprayed the water jet onto both my legs. You can't imagine how fast my heart was beating at that time! I finally managed to clear all the ants off me. My heart is pumping fast again as I am relating this story to you. No stings fortunately! I quickly ran home to recover from the shock.

This is what it would have looked like if I was stung! Scary!!



























When I woke up the next morning, I was so glad the whole thing was just a dream... Phew...

He he, caught you there! But it was such a vivid dream, I simply have to tell you. Hope I have entertained your day :)

Anyway, while I am at it, here are some 10 Curious Facts about Ants:
1. An ant colony can have up to several millions of ants. If the weight of all ants were added it would be approximately the same than the weight of all human beings added together.
2. Many ant species produce a special scent when in danger. This scent attracts the other workers which rush in to help.
3. Most ant species have very small eyes and poor vision. Their eyes are compounded, that is divided in many small sections. Each section works like a separate eye. Some ants are almost blind and they find their way around using their antennae and smell sensors.
4. When an ant returns to the nest after finding food, it lays a scent trail that directs the other workers to the food.
5. Some ants can carry many times their own weight.
6. Ants are older than men. There have been found some fossil ants dated more than a hundred million (100,000,000) years.
7. Ants keep their nests very clean. They usually have special chambers for waste materials and dead ants.
8. Some species of ants have soldiers with a plug-shaped head. The soldiers function is to use their heads like stoppers to close the entrance to the nest. This prevents other ants or insects getting into the nest. To enter the hole the workers of the colony must identify themselves by tapping the soldier's head with the antennae (So cute rite?).
9. The queen ant may live over 15 years. She produces a chemical called 'queen substance' that the workers lick from her body. This substance tells the workers that the queen is well and healthy.
10. The larvae excrete liquid waste material from their anus, every time a worker touches their hind body. This liquid waste is very similar to urine. The worker then licks it up and carries it away in her mouth.

Source http://www.bubblegum-productions.com/

...the one who still hates ants

La Cuisine
Rating: ***
Add: No 501 Bukit Timah Road #01-05B
Cluny Court, Singapore
Tel: +65 6468 8850
Price: S$60/without wine

Visited with Chup on 13 Oct 2006. He's treating me for birthday, for anniversary and for his promotion. He killed 3 birds with one stone in just 1 meal. Hhhmmmppphhhh!



The interior of the restaurant is very cozy. All the wall space was decorated with photographs, magazine cut-outs, pencil sketch of the lady chef, naked boys (??!?!) etc.

The restaurant owner is a French who goes around once in a while and greets every diners "Bonjour". He seems to be in his 50's. A few units down the road is a 'cheap and good' version of the restaurant appropriately called "La Petite Cuisine" in a cafe setting. Cooked by the same chef but at prices below S$10!!! If you ask me, I think the food at La Petite is much nicer (I am sure the price has influenced my judgement in one way or another). Of course you don't find the exact same menu. The one at the restaurant is more elaborate and nicely decorated on pretty plates and bowls. The cafe's food will be delivered by an Indian boy in pizza-delivery-boxes and served on plastic utensils.


The bread and butter served here is superb! A great start to your meal.












We were also served a complimentary appetizer (Chicken)










For appetizers, we ordered Escargots served on a pastry (S$16). I felt the pastry was a tat too oily.










and of course... fois gras (S$35). Rather pricey but I have never seen a restaurant serving fois gras as big as the ones here!!













My main dish is salmon (S$23). The salmon was still traslucent pink in the centre. Intentional? ~shrug~










Chup's main dish is beef steak (S$35). After a while our jaws were tired and we had to exchange main dishes :)






On that Friday night, we were the only 2 diners there at the restaurant. We had the waiter (there was only one) all to ourselves. And the chef was a Chinese lady. The French's apprentice? Wife? Will keep you posted once I know the answer.

All in all, I found the food of average quality. Not too good and not too bad...

...the one who definitely will revisit La Petite Cuisine but may not go La Cuisine again

Turkish Bath at Suleymaniye Hamam
Rating: ****1/2
Add: Mimar Sinan Cad. No:20
Süleymaniye/ İSTANBUL - TURKEY
Tel: +90 (212) 519 55 69, +90 (212) 519 55 69
Price:
€30 FIRST AREA (Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Beyazýt and Laleli)
€35 SECOND AREA (Taksim Square, Pera and its surroundings)

Price includes the following:
1. Washing
2. Peeling (Scrubbing)
3. Soap Massage
4. Towel (Petamal)
5. Slippers (Takunya)
6. Two-way Shuttle Service
7. Free Life Insurance during bathing and shuttle service

This entry is meant to serve as a guide if anyone is keen for a Turkish Bath during their stay in Istanbul.

I visited the place on 16 Sept 2006 (Saturday). We arrived at Istanbul at 6.00am and would be joining a cruise which departs at 5.00 pm. After a 12-hour flight, we needed a shower desperately.

They always say you haven't been to Turkey if you didn't try the Turkish Bath. So try the bath, we must.

Not just for the experience but simply because we needed a bath urgently. We have been recommended highly by our hotel manager (we have made a reservation for 1 night after we are back from the cruise. The manager had kindly agreed to let us deposit our luggages at the hotel for the day) in Istanbul that this Suleymaniye Hamam is among the cleanest and most decent Turkish Bath around.

NOTE: Ladies... It is highly recommended that you wear bikini during the bath session. Of course that would be unnecessary if you feel completely comfortable being stark naked in front of your fellow friends.

Of course in order to give a fair and impartial opinion, I have tried 2 of the most famous Hamam in Turkey, namely Suleymaniya Hamam and Cagaloglu Hamami. Later I would be doing a comparison between the two.

Before that, perhaps a little background about Turkish Bath.

Turkish Bath generally consists of three sections. These are as follows in sequence from the entry:

1- Cold section: This is a place where you can change your clothes with your bath towel and also you can drink something, if you wish.

2- Lukewarm section: This section is a place where you can adapt your body to temperature while passing to the hot section in a balanced manner.

3- Hot section: The temperature of this section is approximately 40-60 deg C(72-108 F) . If you have any problem with your health, please do not venture yourself. Please inform us about your health conditions. This section is the place where the guests sleep and relax and also where rubbing the body with bath glove, massage and bath takes place.

Our guests sweep and relax in hot section (on central massage platform) for a period varying from 30 minutes to 55 minutes according to their health condition. After your relaxing, the Hamam attendant (masseur) will come and rub your body with bath-glove first and than make massage with soap and bath you in a seperate place (halvet section).

After rubbing, massage and bath is completed, you can change your wet bath towel with the dry one in changing room or you may obtain assistance from the personnel on duty.

After that, your bath process in Turkish Bath is completed. If you wish, you may continue to relax in lukewarm or cold section again.



Allow me to walk through the step-by-step ritual of the Turkish Bath.

1. The reception area of the Suleymaniye Hamam

2. This van is the one that picks us and sends us back to our hotel at Suleymaniye area

3. We were served hot tea at the sitting area (indicated on
picture 4) before our bath

5. That's us posing in front of the rather
disappointing entrance. The interior proved to be totally
different. Cozy and homey





6. We are to change our clothes in one of these cubicles which lined the perimeter of the square lobby area. We will take out every strand of clothing and wrap ourselves with bath-towels provided. One to wrap the lower body, one for the upper body. This is when a pair of bikini would be really useful.

7. Next we put on the clogs provided for using on wet grounds. Be careful as the clogs can be really slippery. The picture shows the soap, the scrub, the steel plate for splashing water, the clogs and our checkered red & white towels

8. We will then enter this heated area with high ceilings illuminated by skylights from the domed roof (Picture 9). The whole place is heated by hot water circulating under the marble floor. It is like a mega sauna room without the charcoal. We would sit at the elevated marble platform right at the centre while waiting for our Hamam attendants (masseurs) to arrive and at the same time, warming up our body temperature. They are going to be males!! How vulnerable we were... :p We can sleep and relax in this hot section for a period varying from 30 minutes to 55 minutes depending on individual's health condition

10. The masseurs (whom later turned out to be young and quite good looking) would first wash us in this cubicle (halvet section) which is found around the circumference of the heated area. The cubicles are not totally enclosed. You can still see the people at the platform and in the other cubicles.

11. There are 2 taps dispensing very hot and very cold water. The masseurs will use the steel plate to splash water on us. Sometimes they will alternate warm water with cold water. Its BBBRRRrrrrrrrrrrr cold!!!


12. The masseurs will rub our body with bath-glove (scrub) first and then massage with soap. They will make rich lather by blowing into this cotton bag and squeezing out the bubbles my running through their thumb and index finger (in a letter "O") along the length of the cotton bag. When we were lying face down, we took out our top towel and used it as a pillow. The bottom towels stayed where they are. Then when we turned around (face up), you would then have to quickly grab the towel we used as pillow to cover your front (you know where). We wouldn't be this nervous if we had our bikinis on!

13. After we are squeaky clean, we will proceed from the hot section back to this luke warm section. Here you can order some hot drinks but it's not free :)

14. This picture shows the view from where we were seated. The door on the left leads to the ladies, while the door on the right leads to the hot section (the bathing section).

15. Here we are back at the reception area (the cold section). Now we have a head towel apart from our top and bottom towel.

16. Staring at the "Evil Eye". Good luck charm for Turkish people.

Now that you have a rough idea what a Turkish bath is all about, I will now do a comparison (in no particular order) between Suleymaniye Hamam and Cagaloglu Hamam.

Suleymaniye VS Cagaloglu
1. Unisex VS Separate male and female masseurs
2. Male masseurs (young and good looking) VS Old male masseurs for males, very fat and noisy female masseurs for females (during the bath, they laughed alot! We were suspecting they could be laughing about our tiny 'assets')
3. Changing rooms are very private VS Doors of changing rooms have glass windows that are only partially covered with curtains
4. Bathing is done in cubicles VS Masseurs doesn't move from centre platform. They just do the soaping and massaging. All the washing is DIY
5. Scrubs and sponges are clean VS Scrubs and sponges look like mops!
6. Less commercialized VS Very commercialized. They have been mentioned in NY's bestseller
"1000 places to visit before you die", Marie Claire and Herald Tribune. Famous celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Florence Nightingale have bathed here before
7. More private and personal experience VS We felt like naked cattle waiting to be washed
8. Tipping is very discreet. Tip boxes with photographs of masseurs are located at the reception area VS Masseurs just wait around outside the changing rooms.
9. Build in 1557 (almost 500 years of history) VS Built in 1741 (only 300 years)
10. Dressing area is equipped with perfume, cotton buds, hair gel and even cosmetics VS Only hairdryer is provided
11. Free tea prior to bath VS No nothing

Source: http://www.suleymaniyehamami.com
http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr

...the one who definitely knows which Hamam to choose the next time I step into Istanbul

Carmen...

...by the Spanish Dance Company of Aida Gomez. Went to the dance performance of "Carmen" with Lini on 15 Oct. As usual, we had our favourite Peranakan dinner before the show. And there was a live band performing at the waterfront too, and we stayed for the "mickey" song. The actual Carmen performance itself was rather short; only 70 minutes without the encore. There were some gorgeous movements and colours, but these were fleeting. Overall, the sets were minimal, the flamenco repetitive, the dialogue non-existant (not that I was expecting any), the posturing incessant, and the music an odd mixture of Bizet's sumptuous score with some modern under-powered guitar bits. It was pretty boring for some stretches and we were glad it was only 70 minutes long. As sexy as she was, we couldn't wait for her to die. Too much hype, me thinks. Yawn...

Chup

The Greeks

2 of the most interesting documentaries I've watched this year. Michael Wood's a bit dated and laboured, but the facts are presented fairly and fully. The American "Empires" has reenactments, and can be simplistic. But the stories are still proof of what an outstanding race the Greeks were.
Chup

the Brick House (Holland Village Food Corner)
Rating: ****
Add: Holland Drive Blk 40 (5 mins walk from Holland Village)
Price: less than S$10/pax














I called it the "Brick House" because that would be the first thing you see once you turn in from the main road (Commonwealth West Ave). The wall of the building is constructed of fair-faced bricks. It's one of our favourite hangouts for a quick and cheap dinner.

The actual name would be Holland Village Food Corner.


One dish which is a "MUST TRY" would be San Lau Hor Fun.








This pork rib dish is also quite yummy.







The other one would be from this BBQ stall.








Order the BBQ Sting Ray. Good and fresh!!












... the one who is hungry just looking at the sting ray

Kublai Khan Mongolian BBQ
Rating: ***
Add: 9 Penang Road #04-01, Park Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 63344888
Price:
Mondays - Thursdays: Adult -- S$28.00 Child -- S$15.00
Fridays - Sundays and Eve of/on Public Holidays: Adult -- S$29.80 Child -- S$16.00


L to R: Val, Kelly, June, Pei, Me and Miwako (most left on next photo)

Although the restaurant had been around for the last 3 years, it was not until 6 Sept 2006 that I visited the place for the 1st time.

One would start off with a large array (100 over items!!) of starters and other international cuisines, including Japanese, Chinese, Western and Mongolian.









The sumptuous spread of the International Buffet includes Oyster on Ice, Sashimi, Sushi, Shark Fins Soup, Crayfish, Tiger Prawn, Pepper Crab, Roast Beef etc. You will be spoilt for choice.








PLEASE leave some space for the main highlight which is the Mongolian BBQ itself.







Diners would customize their own ingredients and the Chef would cook for them on an elaborate 3-legged giant grill. The Chefs are dressed in traditional outfits demonstrating their unique culinary expertise in full view of all the diners at the heart of our restaurant.

If that's not enough, indulge in the various desserts at the end of your meal. The full menu of the restaurant can be found from their official website.

We noticed that there were a lot of Japanese and Korean tourists at the restaurant. They come in busloads. Try it! It's worth an experience... although food quality is just alright.

... the one who ate at least 10 prawns and 10 pieces of salmon sashimi at the restaurant

Sheesha - What you need to know...

Depending on locality, Sheesha (Shisha) are known variously as hookahs, a water pipe, nargeela, argeela, okka, kalyan, or ghalyan

The sheesha is a sophisticated smoking device evolved to perfection in Istanbul and taken up throughout the old Ottoman Empire.

A Sheesha pipe is constructed from four fundamental components:
a. the base or smoke chamber, which is partially filled with water
b. the bowl or head, which contains the tobacco; the heating apparatus is placed on top
c. the pipe, which connects the bowl to the base by a tube that descends into the water
d. the hose, which connects to a second tube in the pipe that does not descend into the water, but only the air of the smoke chamber


The pipe will be served with a comforting pile of glowing charcoal on top. Make sure the waiter gives you a fresh plastic smoking tip

Charcoal would be the heating element. The charcoal is usually placed on a metal mesh or perforated aluminium foil, but can be omitted to produce a denser smoke

The most commonly-used Sheesha tobaccos (known as tobamel or maassel) are produced using a 1:2 mixture of shredded tobacco leaf mixed in with a sweetener such as honey, molasses or semi-dried fruit. In this period, the most commonly smoked substances in Sheeshas were opium and hashish

The fruit-flavored Sheesha tobaccos popular today got their start in the late 1980s when Egyptian tobacco companies began experimenting with flavored tobacco as a way to sell more of their products to women. Today, shisha tobacco is often mixed with dried fruit, natural extracts, and artificial flavorings to produce a varying assortment of tobacco flavors, including: apple, strawberry, rose, mango, cappuccino, vanilla, coconut, cherry, grape, banana, kiwifruit, blueberry, Arabian coffee, mixed fruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, cola, lemon, apricot, peach, white peach, licorice, orange and mint.

Smoking tips:
a. Suck hard enough to create the satifying bubbling in the water jar, but don't inhale (how not to??)
b. Occasionally check the top of the water jar for smoke. If it is cloudy gently blow down the pipe and the stale fumes will escape through a special side valve.
c. it is greatly frowned upon to light a cigarette on the sheesha fire because it is felt that it disturbs the rhythm of the burning charcoal
d. always keep the pipe on level ground, never on the table

For the water in the water pipe, Any fresh water will do, just ask the waiter to change it if it is brown with nicotine. Europeans have been known to use wine, beer or even whisky in the jar. Highly not recommended!!

A review published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that the concentration of cancer-causing and addictive substances in water-pipes may be equal to those found in cigarettes, with the heat involved being sufficient to generate carcinogenic nitrosamines, and the smoldering charcoal adding some carcinogenic hydrocarbons as well as heavy metals to the smoke

Thomas Eissenberg, a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University co-authored a Sheesha study which found that a session of Sheesha smoking which lasts about 45 minutes, delivers 36 times more tar, 15 times more carbon monoxide and 70% more nicotine than a single cigarette. Which means a 45-minute session of Seesha = 9 cigarettes!!

Other researchers have raised objections to the methods used in these studies , and that it is unclear what ill-effects were directly related to Sheesha smoking, as opposed to other causes, including past cigarette smoking







Sources:
http://www.grailtrail.ndo.co.uk/Grails/sheesha.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheesha

...the one who probably won't do Sheesha for a long time to come

World Trade Centre
Rating: ****
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello
Genre: Drama

Watched on 7 Oct 06 with Chup at Tiong Bahru Plaza.

Touching and very real... Cried so much during the show.

Little Miss Sunshine

Rating: ****
Cast:
Toni Collette (mother Sheryl),
Steven Carell (suicidal uncle),
Greg Kinnear (father Richard),
Alan Arkin (grandfather),
Paul Dano (brother Dwayne),
Abigail Breslin (Olive - Little Miss Sunshine)
Genre: Comedy

Watched on 3 Oct 06 at Plaza Sing with Lily, Bur, Wil and Chup

Enjoyed it thoroughly. Very heart warming show.

Snakes On A Plane
Rating: ***
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Byron Lawson, Kenan Thompson
Genre: Horror Suspense

Watched on 29 Aug 06 at Plaza Sing with Chup.

Just leave your brains at home and enjoy the 'comedy' suspence.

Lantern Festival
Pics from visit to the Chinese Garden at Jurong. It's $3/- for parking and $9/- for entrance. Th eplace was packed. The only thing missing was mooncakes.

SuPerstar: The Pop Musical

Went for Singapore Polytechnic's maiden musical at the Univeristy Cultural Centre on 7 Oct. Music by Jimmy Ye was well suited to the genre. Youthful, energetic and hummable. He'll be much better than Dick Lee in the years to come. It was a good decision for him to forsake Law to focus on Music.
Chup

Recipee for curry

Remember my homecooked curry?
Here's the recipee as written exactly by Aunt Rose,
except I have translated it into english.
You have to use imagination and innovation for those vague instructions.

Tweet, this is esp for you :)

Serai 2 pieces (length of a finger), break it
Lengkuas (size of thumb). Hard, so soak first
Daun Salam 5 pieces. Soak
Daun Jeruk (Smaller in size) 6 pieces. Soak
Daun Kari

Method:
1. Oil, chili bumbu, sautee
2. 1 tbsp chili paste
3. chili powder
4. Put in all leaves
5. Add plain water 2 cups
6. Coconut Oil
7. Chicken
8. Salt
9. Sugar to taste
If gravy too thick, add water
Too pale, add chili powder
Not salty, add msg
Heat beehoon/noodle with boiling water

... the one who has not updated the blog for a nong nonggggg time