Guoyi's blog

2010-05-22T21:54:00.004+08:00

One final Hot Toys purchase this month:

2010-05-08T22:58:00.004+08:00

Celebrated the end of practicum with these two purchases:

2010-03-17T22:54:00.003+08:00

Hot Toy's Blade II, my newest acquisition.

2010-02-08T21:26:00.001+08:00

2010-01-08T23:59:00.001+08:00

2010-01-05T23:39:00.002+08:00

Recently, the Star Wars bug bit me:

2010-01-02T00:06:00.000+08:00

Some photos I took during my recent staycation:

2009-12-26T14:30:00.002+08:00

The postman surprised me with this today:

Direct from Japan.. they look much too pretty to be ingested.. Thanks Jiehui!

2009-12-25T22:24:00.005+08:00

My Christmas presents.. sorta:

2009-06-23T00:12:00.004+08:00

Got me some toys today:

This here is the Nokia N97. My contract with M1 was up for renewal, and I got it for less than half its retail price.

Call clarity is better than my old iPhone, although the user interface has much room for improvement.

Masters of the Universe Classics is about the only action figure series I'm still actively collecting.

2009-06-19T00:00:00.002+08:00

This unappetizing mess was my dinner at Jack's Place some months back. Perhaps because I'd procrastinated devouring that half lobster, and therefore left it subject to the heat off that hotplate, the lobster flesh turned out dry and untasty, despite the generous sauce heaped on it.

2009-06-17T22:58:00.002+08:00

Lunched at Ikea sometime ago. The place was surprisingly crowded on a weekday afternoon, possibly due to the droves of office workers who worked nearby.

The food was superb, as usual. However, the serving size of the smoked salmon seemed to have shrunk considerably. The oddly pastel coloured cream of asparagus tasted better than it looked.

2009-06-12T17:21:00.002+08:00

Just got my new ride yesterday:

UPDATE: Its a Hyundai Avante 1.6 Automatic Transmission, as I'm too poor to get anything else. That said, my driving experience thus far has been nothing short of pleasurable. However, I did succeed in accumulating a couple of distressing scratches on the front bumper due to my own inept cornering skills.

2009-02-11T10:36:00.008+08:00

Sometime ago, I met up with my band buddies from ACS(I) at Ma Maison, The Central. Nearly everyone has started working, some in legal/finance professions, others in the civil service. I'm the only one still stuck in grad school.. *shrugs*.. Thanks Lawrence for the following pictures:

My food - Hamburger Steak. Although I opted for a 'jumbo' version, the portion was still pitiably small. There is also a distinct absence of carbs, other than the poor excuse of a spoonful of mashed potatoes. But ah well, the great company of my friends more than made up for the distinct disappointment my stomach endured.

2009-02-07T22:33:00.002+08:00

Fish and Co.'s New York Fish and Chips, my favorite comfort food:

2009-01-30T22:29:00.005+08:00

Heres a round-up of the foodie-goodies I've been devouring this festive season:

Lawry's at Paragon had a tea-time promotion featuring, amongst other choices, yorkshire pudding with bits of vegetables and shredded steak in it. I hope to try one of their sumptuous set lunches/dinners one day, when I've made enough money.

This was what my plate looked like before the meat carvers at Carnivore (a Brazillian Churrascaria restaurant at Vivocity) dumped heaps of meat, ranging from beef rump to lamb shanks (I rejected the BBQ-ed chicken hearts), on it. The side dishes were excellent, and I liked the unusual pumpkin puree especially.

2009-01-23T21:56:00.002+08:00

I must be one of the last persons on the island to discover this delectable Chinese dim sum known as Xiao Long Bao. I've compensated for this late discovery by ensuring that I order one basket full of XLBs every time I happen to eat at DTF.

2009-01-16T23:18:00.003+08:00

I just bought my first Apple of the year, the new Apple in-ear earphones. This was released at an opportune time, with my Creative EP630i starting to fall apart.
Using them with my iPhone/iPod, the in-ears sound great, with much better clarity than the EP630i. Bass is somewhat wanting, however.

2009-01-15T21:20:00.005+08:00

Kyo-Nichi at Cross Street (another branch at Marina Square Level 3) serves some of the tastiest ramen I've ever had. The slices of 'char siew' readily melts in the mouth, the broth is sweet, rich and full of subtle flavours whilst the noodles are just perfect. In the words of my hopelessly-dota-addicted-fellow diner, it's God-like.

2009-01-12T14:57:00.001+08:00

Hoho.. I'm beside myself with elation! Both of my tutees scored distinctions for their English Os. :D

2009-01-08T18:01:00.009+08:00

I finally got the chance to sample the Opening Special Set Menu at the appropriately named The Scholar Chinese Restaurant at the Kent Ridge Guildhouse for lunch today.

This 'Buddha jumps over the Wall' was served before the appetiser probably because I had requested for expedited table service. I felt the soup was lacking in robust flavor. The scallops were overcooked and rather bland with all that boiling. The abalone and sea cucumber were however still pretty tender.

Appetiser platter featuring a unique combination of both sweet and savory.

Fillet of fish with an assortment of greens. I felt really healthy after ingesting all the vege. The fillet was delightfully tender, and I savoured each mouthful with much bliss.

Steamed prawns with rice vermicelli. It would have been better if the prawns were de-shelled. Overall, oddly spicy for a conventional Chinese set meal, I thought.

Double-boiled Hashima in home-made Almond Cream. Although I generally am fond of almond-based desserts, I felt this didn't quite stand out from normal almond cream one can get at dessert stalls for a couple of bucks. Maybe I'm just not much of a connoisseur of almond cream.

2009-01-03T11:56:00.006+08:00

Some time ago, the Class of 1998 had a 10th anniversary batch gathering at our alma mater. (Pictures were stolen from various people on facebook, since I was too lazy to bring my camera along).

The iconic clock tower of ACS(I).

Turn out was bigger than expected. Don't bother looking for me in the picture though. At some point in time, my friends and I, accompanied by my Sec 4 CT, the esteemed Mr See Teck Hock, had gone off to explore the new wing of the school.

And there was food, plenty of it.

2008-12-26T21:01:00.011+08:00

I dropped by Carousel for lunch this afternoon after my little triumph (100%!!) at my Basic Theory Evaluation. I had fond memories from previous dining experiences here and lunch today didn't exactly disappoint. By the time I realised I hadn't been taking pictures, I had already wolfed down the entree and salad platters.

Other than the lamb shanks, the other meats (duck, beef and fish) tasted funny. The potato croquette (middle) was excellent as usual.

If only it was more robust and had more shrimp bits, this prawn bisque would have been perfect.

Another platter of oriental food. The udang curry was outstanding. Briyani rice was nicely al dente.

The dessert corner boasted a great variety as usual. My favorite was still the bread pudding with vanilla sauce.

Lunch for two was a hefty 80 odd dollars, but fortunately they had some promotion for DBS credit card users amounting to about 15% off the total bill.

2008-12-25T17:06:00.002+08:00

My favorite Japanese curry rice seems to have pretty much gone mainstream locally. For about $6 a serving, this was excellent stuff relative to the pricey crap that is served at a certain pretend Japanese sushi chain.

2008-12-19T22:01:00.006+08:00

As times are bad, I find myself eating at the Guildhouse more often whenever I am on campus. The cafe offers a pretty good selection of dishes, albeit with a strong Asian bias. So far, I've tried their Chicken Rice and Mee Rebus. The former was a let-down but the latter was superb. This Mee Goreng was a bit bland, maybe because I opted for a less-spicy version.
Contrary to expectations, this cordon bleu was tender and juicy and overall, quite a delight. At the rate I'm going, I'll deplete my F&B credits in no time.

2008-12-12T22:51:00.007+08:00

After having written and submitted a chapter of my thesis (finally), I declared a one-week recuperative vacation for myself. In my travels around the island (hyperbole really, since its basically daily commuting between the town centre and backwater Jurong for shopping and entertainment), I found that the new extension to Jurong Point Mall is finally completed with about 80% of the shops opened for business. This new three-level annex is actually pretty exciting, with many big retail names like Challenger and Gramophone and popular eateries like N.Y. N.Y., and DTF (hitherto only found in the city centre), in effect breathing new life to a mall, which has long grown dull and uninteresting.

In exploring the new extension at Jurong Point, I stumbled upon a new Harris Book Store. Normally, I wouldn't have entered a Harris Book Store, due to my uninformed assumption that since the chain is an offshoot of parent Popular Book Store, their selection of books can't be any better. Fortunately this time I did enter the store and eventually bought this heavy coffee table volume on the X-Men at a ridiculously cheap price of $21 (Kinokuniya has this for sale at $127.78).

It may not look much, but this book is one massive tome. The sales assistant didn't have a big enough bag for it and had to shrink wrap it for me to carry it home. After reading about this book on an online dinosaur enthusiast/paleontology forum, it had been on my want-list ever since. I'm just glad I found it locally, otherwise, overseas shipping charges would have bankrupted me.

2008-12-10T21:32:00.001+08:00

Hoho, bought my second Tag at a very good price recently:

2008-11-13T15:08:00.015+08:00

After selling off my old iMac and old Macbook Pro (very shortly after listing them on the local hardware forums), I bought this new Macbook Pro from NUS, taking advantage of their very tempting offer of three years Applecare, free software bundle of MS Office for Mac and Adobe Creative Suite 4 and not to mention, a complimentary carrying case.

2008-11-07T13:47:00.004+08:00

My Mac Pro with 30" Apple HD Cinema Display finally arrived early this morning:

Migrating my files and applications from my old iMac:

... and its done!

2008-11-04T08:22:00.003+08:00

I finally located the swimming pool at the NUSS Guildhouse at Suntec City:

I'll need to make use of this pool soon, to make me feel like I'm getting my money's worth, as well as after indulging myself silly on sinful gastronomic pleasures like foie gras and this nice platter of fish and chips:

2008-10-27T21:53:00.003+08:00

I celebrated Deepavali today by pigging out at Wakashachiya @ Central again:
Curry udon with lots of cheese is always a tummy-warming favorite.
Miso-coated chicken skewers - not too bad.

2008-10-24T22:49:00.005+08:00

I kinda like my new wallpaper. Check out: http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper_beta/downloads/date/any/

2008-10-22T21:21:00.012+08:00

I'm back with more foodie updates. Sometime over last weekend, I had dinner at the newly opened Kushinbo at Jurong Point. I've heard rave reviews of the restaurant from many friends who had dined at Kushinbo at Suntec City over the years, but thus far I've succeeded in procrastinating a visit. My experience at this new Jurong Point branch wasn't too good. The Japanese fare, consisting of the usual suspects like tempura, sushi, and an inordinate variety of soup, seems pretty low quality generally, relative to the hefty prices they charge for their buffet dinners.
This Japanese kaminabe (sounds awfully like a certain Hokkien expletive, I know) was the first time I ate out of a paper steamboat, and this novel experience was just about the only highlight of my dinner at Kushinbo. On a separate note, I've come to realise just how swamped with foreign workers Jurong Point can be on a weekend evening. No doubt this has something to do with the multiple dormitories housing our foreign brethren located in the vicinity. I wonder why thus far, denizens in Jurong have yet to whine about this in the local papers unlike their counterparts in suburbia Serangoon Gardens.

I finally got down to sampling the famous Swedish Meatballs at Ikea one afternoonwhen I popped by to get a replacement for my mould-ing armchair seat cushion. The meatballs themselves weren't fantastic, but the accompanying savory sauce coupled with sweet cranberry jam won me over.

Although it doesn't look too aesthetically pleasing, this seafood crispy noodles from Crystal Jade at Paragon is probably one of the best Chinese crispy noodles I've ever eaten. The stock was simply great and I lapped up every last drop off the plate. Yes, $20 for this dish is pretty pricey (equivalent to the price of four servings of a similar dish at the usual ubiquitous zi char place), but the freshness and succulence of the prawns, scallops, fish pieces, not to mention the superior stock, more than justifies it. The serving portion was also generous, even a foodie such as I could hardly finish without some help from a fellow diner. I snapped this picture with the somewhat inferior camera on my Vertu Ascent Ti unfortunately.

2008-10-17T21:55:00.000+08:00

More geek-gasmic pleasure:

2008-10-15T12:42:00.001+08:00

Argh... Apple has refreshed their macbook and macbook pro lines. I gotta resist the temptation to snag one of these sexy machines:

2008-10-09T22:34:00.005+08:00

The Bistro @ NUSS Redux

I popped by for dinner at the Bistro again, with Ms. A this time. I was more adventurous and ordered the following:
This, pan-seared foie gras, was a gastronomic delight. Crispy on the outside, but moist and tender on the inside. If foie gras isn't so artery-clogging, I'd wish I can have this for breakfast everyday.

The vegetables that accompanied this 'Indochine' grilled chicken actually turned out better than the chicken itself, which could have been better. I'd have preferred the skin to be grilled more to a crisp.

2008-10-03T09:18:00.001+08:00

Meet the new Vertu Signature S Design. Quite a classy-looking beauty I must say. Unfortunately, my name doesn't have Rockefeller in it.

2008-10-02T23:09:00.004+08:00

Together with my family, I dined at the Guildhouse's Bistro one afternoon. The new 'Deutsch' cuisine failed to impress the foodie in me, although it wasn't bad either. The appetizer, a smoked salmon with potato salad number, was somewhat unremarkable. I had expected more robust flavours, but the potato was pretty bland, and the paltry quantity of salmon didn't help matters. My main dish, a white fish fillet, turned out better but was rather miniscule in portion. Though char-grilled, the fillet retained its succulence. The dessert, essentially chocolate brownie with vanilla ice-cream, a perennial favourite, was mildly enjoyable.

2008-09-30T19:27:00.001+08:00

Hoho.. My NUSS card finally arrived. 1k F&B credits, here I come!

2008-09-29T23:30:00.005+08:00

I spent the better half of the day at The Business of Heritage Conference held at the National Museum, on behalf of a friend who couldn't make it. The event was organized by the National Heritage Board and the turnout was better than I had anticipated. The audience was composed of representatives from various companies and organisations in the heritage industry. The speech delivered by the keynote speaker was enrapturing and inspiring. I was particularly awed at how with the aid of modern technology and clever, but painstaking design, the museum setting can be transformed into a veritable historical and cultural oasis, appealing not only to the pedantic history enthusiast, but even the most casual and reluctant of visitors.

2008-09-27T23:06:00.007+08:00

More ostentatious consumerism from this little shrine to materialistic hedonism:

Got my dream phone.

My dream watch.

And my dream writing instrument.

The new iPod Nano is actually pretty good. It feels unbelievably slimmer than its predecessors. Sound quality is also much improved, as is screen quality.

Stress can be such a bad thing for the wallet. Oh well.

2008-09-26T22:05:00.007+08:00

At long last, an update from me. I haven't quite abandoned this blog, however stressed and busy I am with work, especially research for my as yet un-written Thesis.

No update on this blog can be complete without mention (or pictures) of food. Here is what I had recently wolfed down at some fairly ulu cafe in IMM. The chicken is actually quite decently grilled, with well crisped skin which nonetheless oozed with chicken-fatty goodness with every bite.

In other news, I caught sight of this somewhat bizarre and disturbing activity at a neighboring block of flats one sunny Sunday afternoon. Since the person in the picture is clearly not a foreign domestic worker, I doubt our local news agents would have any interest.

My collection of action figures from the TV hit, Heroes, has expanded substantially in recent weeks:

And finally, good news. By a strange twist of fate, I've finally managed to revive my comatose 24" iMac by myself. Guess I ain't as inept at such things as I thought.

2008-08-03T22:25:00.004+08:00

My 24" iMac which has faithfully served me for the past two years recently KO-ed, and I have to make do with my trusty but somewhat miniscule laptop until I have squirreled enough cash for another desktop.

Kinda torn between getting another (newer, refreshed, slimmer yet more powerful) 24" iMac:

and this, the Mac Pro with 30" High Definition Cinema Display (or whatever equivalents Apple updates this series with in the coming months):

Obviously if I settle for the second (and even if I opt for the base configuration), I would have to scrimp my way through at least half a year or so.

2008-07-24T21:38:00.003+08:00

Here is a roundup of the action figures I picked up recently:

SDCC Exclusive Savage Land Boxset

Batman and the Joker from The Dark Knight

TMNT Turtles as conceived originally, without colour coding.

2008-07-21T14:58:00.003+08:00

I went on a short getaway to Genting and Cameron Highlands last weekend. The cool weather and scenic hilly environment at both places collectively provided a much welcomed respite.

2008-06-19T23:01:00.004+08:00

Get Smart, which I watched today, is a highly entertaining spoof of the spy movies genre. Fans of Mel Brooks will not be disappointed. Prior to the movie, we dined at this small vegan place at Suntec. The food was rather decent for its price, and the portion (especially if you order their potato wedges) is HUGE:

2008-06-14T09:02:00.000+08:00

This post is for a certain smurfette who reads my blog occasionally:

Agence France-Presse - 10th June 2008

Hollywood is bringing the adventures of "The Smurfs" to life in a film aimed at introducing the cartoon little blue creatures to a new generation of fans, it was announced Tuesday.

A statement from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation said they had obtained motion picture rights to the Smurfs, who first appeared as a Belgian comic strip in 1958.

A hybrid live-action and animated film would now go into production, with the writers of the phenomenally successful second and third "Shrek" films, David Stem and David Weiss, tapped to write the screenplay.

"The Smurfs are one of the best-known franchises and among the most beloved collection of characters in the world," Columbia president Doug Belgrad said in a statement.

"We're very excited to introduce a new generation to Papa Smurf, Smurfette and the other Smurfs in all of their 'three apple tall' glory."

Best known in the English-speaking world through their long-running Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, the Smurfs first appeared half a century ago and were created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known as Peyo.

2008-06-07T11:56:00.000+08:00

Got myself some action figures from the TV show Heroes.

2008-06-06T11:14:00.015+08:00

Recently, I've been addicted to The Tudors, a TV series produced by ShowTime, based roughly on the life of Henry VIII of England and his six wives. For someone like myself, who used to read English royal history as a kid, the events depicted in the series is somewhat familiar. The first season charts Henry's attempts to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine (or Katherine) of Aragon (daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille), so as to marry Anne Boleyn (the mother of Elizabeth I of England). In the backdrop of this conjugal (dis)entanglement was the English Reformation, which gathered momentum when Papal authority in Rome denied Henry his divorce. Among the victims of the Reformation, which brought England away from the Christian oecumene, was the Cardinal Wolsey, the one time papal legate and alter rex of the Tudor court, as well as Catherine herself. Season two of The Tudors begins with Anne's coronation as queen in place of Catherine. However, her subsequent fall from grace is swift, leading to her eventual decapitation, even as the philandering king became smitten with Jane Seymour.

Jonathan Rhys Meyer plays Henry VIII, while Maria Doyle Kennedy is the Spanish Infanta and erstwhile Queen of England, the long-suffering and pious Catherine of Aragon. Sam Neil of Jurassic Park infamy plays Cardinal Wolsey.

In the tradition of HBO's Rome, the women (particularly the prettier ones, such as Natalie Dormer who plays the inimitable Anne Boleyn, below) seem to have a genuine difficulty keeping their clothes on. That aside, the series is also riddled with historical inaccuracies at times, although artistic license may well be a plausible justification. Despite its shortcomings, The Tudors is no less fascinating a show for those of us, like myself, who are ensorcelled by historical drama.

2008-06-04T18:21:00.002+08:00

Hoho.. Thats a S$9800 phone I am holding in my hand. Too bad it isn't mine.

2008-05-23T23:15:00.005+08:00

The Iron man bug bit me after I caught the eponymous blockbuster movie:

My personal favorite is that towering behemoth - Iron Monger. Something about big chunks of plasticky villainy sets my heart racing.

2008-05-22T22:56:00.005+08:00

Once again, Apple has proved to be my bane. Thanks to the ease of renting a wide selection of blockbuster movies and TV series from the iTunes Store for a nominal fee, I find myself downloading and watching far too many films and TV shows for my own good. Technically, I am not supposed to be holidaying despite appearances, but should instead be hitting the library more often in an attempt to make up for the shoddy work I've done the last semester. I'll save that rant for another day.

2008-05-20T10:31:00.002+08:00

Which phone looks nicer? Pictures taken from www.nouse.com.sg

2008-05-19T21:50:00.005+08:00

Continuing my foodie quest to feast on hitherto unsampled cuisine, I popped by Wakashachiya @ The Central for lunch today, after having heard so many positive reviews on local foodie blogs. Generally, other than a veritably wide selection of different kinds of curry udon (for which the Wakashachiya chain in Japan is supposedly famous for), the restaurant doesn't offer much else.
The umaki beats mass produced versions from Sakae or any of its equivalents hands down.
I ordered the deluxe Hitsumabushi (which comes with an extra heap of unagi), but the waitress gave me this standard sized portion. Nonetheless, this was still rather filling. The unagi was fresh and overall, this makes for an excellent meal.
This, the Curry Udon with Battered Fish and cheese, is a refreshing twist to Japanese curry (which as far as my limited gastronomic experience goes, is served only with rice). The cheese, which melts rapidly when mixed into the piping hot curry adds a unique gooey-ness and much welcomed flavor to the dish. I stole more than a couple of spoonfuls of this from my fellow diner.

2008-05-17T17:03:00.003+08:00

Much as I aspire to be adventurous where my palate is concerned, I tend always to eat at the same few places. Thanks to Ms.A however, I tried Middle Eastern cuisine (again) two days ago:

The lentil soup was fine, although just slightly too tomato-ey for my liking. The yoghurt drink was an acquired taste.

I ordered the only main course I was somewhat familiar with - the doner kebab with lamb and beef. The rice wasn't extraordinary, but I liked it. The meat was good, in a sinful way, thanks to the inordinate dollops of oil which oozed out with every bite.

The vine leaves rolls were downright bizarre. I think I tasted better at the now closed Turquaz.

2008-05-10T17:08:00.008+08:00

My lego town, with some new additions.

X-Men
X-Villains

2008-05-09T09:55:00.007+08:00

I've been neglecting this space for a long while. Here I am, back with more of the usual techie and foodie goodness:

Bought this, Nokia 8800 Arte some months ago. Not bad a phone. Works much better than the Luna or Sirocco.

I used the Nokia N95 8GB for awhile. Other than a bigger screen and the 8GB capacity, its functionality is akin the original version.

The posterior, with its 5MP camera, which unfortunately isn't protected with a cover unlike its earlier sibling or the N82.

Lunched at Fish and Co. sometime back and tried their promo set.
This was a rather weak excuse of a soup. Try Soup Spoon for a more robust soup any day.

The greens were actually not too bad, save for the soya sauce dressing which was a wee bit bizarre.

The entree wasn't bad either, but serving was a wee bit small for two hungry diners.

Kenny Roger's is always a favourite, especially the side dishes. The chicken doesn't impress much though. A $5 bird from Carrefour or Cold Storage would have been a better option for the budget-conscious.

2008-02-28T20:32:00.000+08:00

Got myself a Diplodocus replica to add to my Carnegie Collection:

2008-02-26T22:23:00.004+08:00

More retro/nostalgia-inducing goodness:

2008-02-19T15:07:00.000+08:00

Got myself some new furniture over the past couple of weeks, heres what my room looks like now:

2008-02-14T17:54:00.001+08:00

Got some Ikea Detolf display cases for my collection:

2008-02-10T22:10:00.001+08:00

My laptop arrived on Saturday, unfortunately Apple omitted the wireless card..

2008-02-09T22:11:00.000+08:00

Dinner with the history ppl at Brewerkz.. Burger was humongous and even I couldn't finish it.

2008-02-07T11:16:00.000+08:00

This is what my lego town can look like.. I so need that lego set in the middle..

2008-02-01T22:04:00.000+08:00

My incredibly busy day has come and gone. First round of tutorials didn't go as well as I wanted them to. Many quiet folks and awkward silences (which I stubbornly refused to fill with my voice). Guess I'll have to do more work getting people warmed up for a better discussion next time...

2008-01-12T21:30:00.001+08:00

I finally had the chance to check out Popeyes Chicken and Biscuit today after having read lots of positive reviews. Although the prices were a bit steep, the quality of the food sure lived up to expectations. The fried chicken is way better than KFC's, even meat from the breast portion is succulent and tender. The mashed potatoes is also superb, whilst the buttermilk cookie goes very well with the provided jam. Unfortunately, Popeyes Chicken is found only at Changi Airport's T1.

Popped by Terminal 3 after the hearty meal:

2008-01-03T09:44:00.000+08:00

Bought and assembled two vintage Lego vessels yesterday:

2008-01-01T13:44:00.000+08:00

My first lunch of 2008 - at Jurong Point's Crystal Jade Kitchen. We didn't order too many dishes. However since my mum and sis eat like birds, I ended up with the lion's share - so much for all the jogging.. oh well.

Stir-fried 'hor fun' with seafood. Sinfully tasty with generous amounts of succulent prawns and juicy scallops.

Broccoli with crab roe - very nice!

The ubiquitous fried rice.

'Salad' prawns - not bad.

Crispy lemon chicken - my personal favourite.

I spent the last evening of 2007 at a BBQ/Countdown party at an ulu resort in an ulu part of ulu Sembawang.

Mum

The resort's posterior.

2007-12-30T17:24:00.000+08:00

The streets and malls weren't as packed as I'd expect them to be on a Sunday. Maybe the crowds decided to take a day off in anticipation of Countdown and 1st Jan.

While in the past it would have been nigh impossible to see a long queue of waiting cabs at taxi stands in town, the above is fast becoming a common sight these days.

More soupy-goodness from Soup Spoon. This time its Boston Clam Chowder. Not bad, but not remarkable either.

Apple pie from Cafe de Amigo. This is the second time I've had this and I must say the novelty is wearing off. The pie just doesn't taste as good as before.

2007-12-28T23:42:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to eat at Soup Spoon, but somehow everytime I happen to walk by the place, it is packed, and with a long snaking line of people queuing up. I finally got the chance to sample their mushroom soup and half smoked salmon sandwich today during off-peak hours. The former is simply fantastic.. rich and creamy.. each spoonful contains generous dollops of chopped mushrooms. The sandwich is good too, and I particularly like the bread.

2007-12-26T19:52:00.000+08:00

Watched I am Legend today and then had this, 'Danish' Fish and Chips at Fish & Co.

2007-12-24T16:34:00.000+08:00

I finally dropped by Pepper Lunch for lunch.

After much stirring around, it tastes every bit as tantalizing as it looks.

Some Japanese dessert at Ajisen. I conclude that Japanese desserts are an acquired taste with their eclectic blend of salty-sweetness.

Kenny Rogers with the SGEdulab people:

2007-12-22T07:28:00.000+08:00

Black sesame and green tea ice-cream from pepper lunch, get the former at your own peril..

My old nano died on me, so got myself this new one together with loads of freebies..

Dropped by Republic Polytechnic today. The architecture is just amazing, very avant-garde..

Attended a school band concert for the first time in many years:

Overall, this concert by the combined bands from AJC and CJC was enjoyable in a histrionic sort of way. From a musical point of view, it was lacklustre. The technically more demanding pieces, such as a suite by Tchaikovsky, were executed sloppily with very apparent muddled running notes by the woodwind instruments. I also found myself in aversion to the conductor who, like the young upstart he probably is, was a wee bit flamboyant for my liking. His conducting was an exercise in showmanship but frankly lacked any substance. I'm puzzled that, with his background as a percussionist from Yuhua Secondary School Concert Band and his otherwise lack of formal training or tulelage under professional conductors, he was deemed fit to lead two JC bands. His crowning glory seemed to be that he had played in the Singapore Wind Symphony (a mere band which is in no way comparable to the Singapore Youth Orchestra, let alone the Singapore Symphony Orchestra). If ever I get posted to either JC and am privileged to be put in charge of the band in the somewhat near future, I'll be sure to lobby to rectify matters.

2007-12-21T11:43:00.000+08:00

more christmas goodies...

2007-12-19T17:35:00.000+08:00

Lunched with Ms.A today :D

2007-12-17T23:06:00.000+08:00

Christmas came early for me :D

2007-12-15T22:53:00.000+08:00

Gorged on these today:
I can never resist smoked salmon...
Pinched a bit from this plate: Grilled Salmon with some special sauce..
Seafood baked rice from Breek's Cafe, I've had better..
Lobster bisque from Jack's Place, pretty good stuff for $4.50.

2007-12-14T10:41:00.000+08:00

My most traumatic Amazon order ever finally arrived at my house, most unexpectedly, after Amazon had just issued me a full refund. And to complicate things even further, someone from Amazon emailed me just hours ago to inform me that a second attempt at shipping the items to me has been made. Now, am I gonna end up with 2 sets of the same purchases, without paying a single cent?

2007-12-12T23:43:00.000+08:00

Got these AVP2 action figures today. Haven't been buying many figures these couple of months as my new obsession is history books, which I've been amassing at a bankrupting-ly astounding rate.

2007-12-11T22:58:00.000+08:00

Was fiddling with my N82 and snapped this:

2007-12-10T19:07:00.000+08:00

Lunched with Matt, Jas and Jiehui at Carousel today:

Hors d'oeuvre, cold cuts, smoked salmon and slipper lobster.
Prawn Bisque, cheese with crackers, shepherd's pie, risotto and mushrooms.
A selection of meat.
Dessert: Bread pudding with vanilla sauce, cheese cake and cinnamon pie.
Thanks Jiehui and Matthew!

2007-12-05T21:14:00.000+08:00

More pictures, taken at Prof Andaya's apartment. Thanks Jackie for the pictures.

2007-12-01T08:35:00.000+08:00

The Raffles Lecture, delivered by my much esteemed and liked Prof.. Thanks Jack for the pictures.

After a sumptuous dinner at her apartment earlier that week, we had ice-cream and cake.

2007-09-19T00:56:00.000+08:00

After many months of anticipation, I finally got my hands on an iPhone 8gb (unlocked and fully operational):

So far, the phone has lived up to expectations, with a great display, highly instinctive user interface, and ease of synchronization with iTunes. More importantly, the screen is nearly scratch proof.

2007-08-26T20:17:00.000+08:00

Spent Saturday evening at a friend's party on board a yacht at Sentosa Cove:

2007-08-21T22:48:00.000+08:00

I've been eating lots of nice desserts recently, which unfortunately accounts for the inevitable expansion of my midsection.
White Chocolate Mousse from Four Seasons Hotel

Mudpie from Cafe Galilee

Chocolate brownie from TCC

2007-08-14T23:07:00.000+08:00

Three months of holidays have flitted by and school has started... again.

I'll be doing two graduate history modules this semester, a Southeast Asian module offered by a visiting senior scholar in the field and another on Fascism.

On top of these, I will be taking on tutoring commitments in the 'Nation-building' module. Tutorials will be starting in a couple of weeks time and I'm looking forward to conducting my first undergrad class.

The arts canteen is now fully operable with most of the old vendors back. With a more spacious premise affording a larger capacity and with everything spanking new, it sure is a big improvement from the old one. What's even better is that we now have a fully air conditioned 3rd level with Burger King, Lerk Thai and some fancy bistro-whose-name-eludes-me clustered together. I'll be fatter in no time if I keep staying back in school.

2007-08-09T11:46:00.001+08:00

Woohoo! I have just finally completed a certain Italian prof's book after many weeks. As a great survey of Thai history/historiography, his book unveils many interesting potential research angles for a would-be Thai history researcher like myself. Well, one down and many many more to go. Time to hunt for more books and reading materials. I'll need all the inspiration I can get, seeing how amorphous my ideas currently are.

Anyway, school has sort of started, unofficially, and I have been going to NUS every single day this past week. Home is now the post-grad room at the history department. Everything (what with the eclectic admixture of nationalities represented) seems strange and unfamiliar and I admit I rather miss the erstwhile casual cosiness and great company of the honours room.

2007-07-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

Had dinner, Swiss rosti with (a mountain of) smoked salmon, with assorted vegetables at Marche today.

My favourite mushroom soup!

2007-07-19T23:47:00.000+08:00

Popped by Cafe de Amigo at Funan this afternoon for their lobster bisque and chicken chop with black pepper sauce (above). The former seems less potent compared to the one I had the last time. The latter was not too bad although the broccoli wasn't strained as well as is desirable. Fries were crispy and lightly salted enough while the meat was crispy on the outside and succulent inside. The black pepper sauce was a wonder though as it tasted more garlicky than peppery.

2007-07-19T09:35:00.000+08:00

2007-07-16T22:00:00.000+08:00

To restake my claim as foodie, here are some pictures of the tantalizing food I've been devouring over the past few weeks:

Had this, ala carte buffet at some Thai restaurant at Causeway Point. Nothing remarkable apart from the quirky restaurant practice of serving all 20 dishes on the menu all at once.

This out of focused picture of a seafood baked rice came about as a result of the cafe's unfortunate situation right at the edge of the mall beside huge glass windows which as you can see, lets in the sun.

Had dim sum buffet at my favourite dim sum buffet place at China Square.

2007-07-02T20:39:00.000+08:00

My lego city expands:

2007-06-26T17:21:00.001+08:00

Now that June is coming to an end, its about time for me to put off my procrastinations and start racking my brain for a suitable topic for my Master's thesis. For obvious reasons, I've decided to steer away from Chinese history, meaning of course that I have also as a corollary jettisoned my earlier idea of doing my dissertation on Dick Lee's Forbidden City/ Empress Dowager Cixi.

I'm toying with the idea of shifting my geographical focus altogether to a region closer to home like Thailand or something. However, that would mean I have to pick up the Thai language in order to do a decent job in writing my thesis.

2007-06-25T12:41:00.001+08:00

My much awaited and anticipated Spinosaurus Aegypticus replica (on the left) finally came in the mail today.

Heres Spinosaurus with the rest of the other Papo dinosaurs. I've finally completed this collection and shall have to wait till this time next year before Papo releases anything new for this series.

2007-06-20T16:01:00.000+08:00

I'd always wondered why HBO's Rome was never shown on local television. The serial's DVD sets are also not to be found anywhere in local shops. After watching a few episodes, I finally understood. The show is so unabashedly full of unadulterated sex scenes with full frontal nudity, it would have been nigh impossible for our judicious censors to perform their operation without ruining it. Not that I'm complaining, although I certainly must take care to turn the volume down everytime these prolonged scenes popped up to avoid arousing mum and dad's suspicions that I was viewing porn or something.

Sex aside, the drama is top-notched. The plot charts the fall of the Roman Republic and revolves around the lives of such evergreen favourites like Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. The women in the drama, notably Octavian's mother, Atia (played by Polly Walker) are especially conniving, even machiavellian, however anachronistic this appellation might have been. Oh, and Polly Walker commands a dominating screen presence everytime she appears. Just look at them electrifying eyes:

2007-06-15T11:54:00.000+08:00

This week has been an unexpectedly busy one. I spent Monday primarily giving tuition. For my Secondary 4 English class, I gave them an extra lesson, seeing how many are still under performing despite the looming Prelims and O levels on the horizon. Tuesday was spent preparing for the SGEdulab Team meeting on Wednesday at JE Library which actually went pretty well.

I met up with Ms.A for lunch at Marche (Vivocity) yesterday and had my mandatorily large bowl of rich, creamy, absolutely delectable mushroom soup. This was accompanied by a not-too-bad Swiss Rosti with smoked salmon. The Rosti would have been perfect if it was less oily and fried more to a crisp.

I woke up today with the intention of going for a jog but the heavens unleashed their torrents and dashed my plans. On a happier note, I received a call from the scholarship branch of MOE. Apparently they have approved my application for a bond suspension in order to pursue graduate studies.

2007-06-03T19:50:00.000+08:00

Got these today:

2007-06-01T20:14:00.000+08:00

OMG! Nokia has just announced this new phone, the Nokia 8600 Luna, the successor to the 8800 and 8800 Sirocco line of phones. I think I might need to reconsider taking up the offer of doing relief at Juying Secondary School to finance this new addition to my want list.

For full story and more pictures, check out: www.gsmarena.com

2007-05-31T18:52:00.000+08:00

I've been going out the past few days. Met up with Wee Keong and Zhixiong for lunch yesterday at the Curry Place at Stamford House. I had my usual order of Katsu (Chicken) Curry. We then meandered over to China Square Central to look for action figures and I succeeded once again at bankrupting myself by splurging on some Reservoir Dogs and Grindhouse action figures.

Lunched today at this Thai diner at Marina Square called Jerk Thai (or Jerky Thai, I wasn't sure). The place was crowded and waiting time for our food to arrive was long. Unfortunately, the staff seemed to make matters worse with their ineptitude and apparent inability to handle the large crowd of hungry and impatient (read: angry) diners. Our order was botched and our pineapple rice didnt come even after we were almost done with the fish, stuffed wings and tom yam soup we ordered. The manager was nonetheless accommodating and waived the 10% service charge for us.

Suntec City was more packed than usual, thanks to the PC Show which started today. Since we were in the area, we decided to drop by for a quick look.

The insides of the halls. We didnt venture much further beyond the first aisle of stalls.