For the past week there has been a local social media storm over the cancellation of the student Halloween Show, "House of Horrors" that was going to be held at the Night Zoo facility. In a nutshell, the students has worked for seven months in conjunction with the Night Zoo to put the thing together only to get a phone call two weeks ago informing them that they have cancelled the venue. The Reason. The show was deemed not family orientated. I do not know the show specifics but I have to agree with the students that this is a disgrace. And since when is Halloween not family orientated.
We (Me and Zelma) hosted annual Halloween parties for years and it always included Trick or Treats for the children who would pop by and knock on the door. The Students said the show would bring people together and I agree one hundred percent. Part of the fun of doing Halloween is to see interesting decor, what your guests actually dress up as and off course the menu. We had lots of fun making up the house, creating decor and me planning the menu to make it scary and fun. So go ahead and have a Halloween Party this year for fun.
Heard on the local news this morning that electricity charges is going down by 1.2% for the remaining quarter of the year. Huh, going down. How can that be, but confirmed in a later newscast. I guess some other utility companies from back home should come for some lessons. And there is only one. Eskom.
Another lesson learned this week from an Expat point of view. The washing machine all of a sudden started making a terrible sound while in the spin cycle. Easy to solve, phone technician and get it fixed. The problem is as soon as I mention the brand name AEG, the first three companies I phoned politely said they could not look at it. The fourth guy said he would come out and on arrival nicely explained to me that any products from other countries that are not also sold in Singapore would not be supported from a parts point of view. Basically that includes my Dishwasher and some other stuff. His advise as he took the $30 for the call out with a smile. Buy a new one locally for less than $300 and dump the AEG and if any of the other stuff should develop problems do the same. Point to remember when you decide to ship equipment from your home country.
We are approaching the Monsoon season and more frequent rain showers over the past two weeks. Yesterday was another rainy day so I made my favourite trademark soup. Thick Vegetable soup with Oxtail meat served with Cheezy Mielie Muffins. The point about the soup is that I could not stop thinking of my mother, who we suddenly lost earlier in the year. I do not have many fond childhood memories, but Moms soup is one of them. She could make the most awesome food. One day she was still there and the next day gone. You never know when you will actually see somebody the last time so make each moment count. Cherish your moms and I miss you so much mom.
I wish you all a magic weekend filled with whatever your wish might be.
Bokke, Black Pepper Sauce & Patato Salad
In one of my previous posts I was quite non patriotic and predicted that Australia would win the Rugby World Cup. My Bokkies performed dismally during the Super 15 and the Try Nations and I felt they were going to have a real struggle. Well, they have won all their games so far given they have not really played any of the "Big Guns". Tomorrow the Bokke will play Samoa, and in a bid to try and up my position in the Superbru Sport Prediction game I went against the Bokke. The Superbru lads obviously did not like this and here is the message I got.
It says in Red
You have selected Samoa to win the game. This result will be considered quite an upset, so be sure about picking it.
Since our first monthly shopping I have been indulging in Black Pepper Sauce (Sos Lada Hitam) and it is really very good. It has replaced my trustworthy Chilly Sauce and I have had it on about every meat type I have cooked and just can not get enough. It is a Asian Sauce that you can buy in bottles at the supermarket and the locals use it extensively in their hawker food, like Black Pepper Crab, Pork, Chicken and Beef. It is a thick sauce loaded with crushed black pepper and has a wonderful savoury and spicy taste. It is the kind of thing I desperately would love to share with some of my friends who enjoy hot food, but I am not sure if it is available back home.
The ingredients on the bottle include, black pepper, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornflour, Chinese rice wine and stock. I spend a lot of time surfing the net over the past month trying to get a recipe and finally found one yesterday that is in English. Hah, I can now finally go and get the ingredients and test it out and if it is successful share the recipe with you all so you can also enjoy it.
Weekend project and I will post the results next week.
Now for the best ever Potato Salad Recipe. It is one of the things Zelma makes that is just so good and you can enjoy it for days as it keeps very well in a fridge. It is not our recipe and in fact I found it in a Sarie Kos magazine in 2010 (What, No, i am not ashamed to admit I was a fond reader of this woman's mag) as it was packed with very good food ideas and recipes. The recipe in question was the winner of a nationwide potato salad recipe contest and it is Monique Rautenbach from Pretoria who won. I am translating the recipe in English but here is the link for the Boertjies so they can also enjoy all the other online recipes.
http://www.sarie.com/kos/resepte/monique-rautenbach-se-wen-aartappelslaai
The Recipe:
1 Kg Mediterranean potatoes cooked in salt water until soft, drained. Olive oil to keep them moist once peeled.
The sauce
250 ml Tangy mayonnaise
125 ml Creme Fraiche (Sour Creme)
4 - 6 Sour Gherkins chopped finely
15 ml Capers, washed and chopped
1 Red Onion chopped finely
2 Cloves Garlic crushed
1 Small Handful of Herbs (Dill & Parley) chopped
1 Slice Fresh Lemon lemon juice
Sea Salt and Black Pepper (Crushed)
Garnish
Fresh Wild Rocket and some more Capers.
Peel the cooked potatoes gently and cut in quarters. (Must be small bite sizes). Sprinkle with the Olive Oil. Mix all the sauce ingredients and flavour with salt and pepper. Gently mix sauce with potatoes. Do not over mix and break the potato pieces. Enjoy !!!!!!
As a nice twist crisp some small bacon pieces in a pan a toss on top for some crunch.
Weekend is around the corner for some Rugby and other exciting things.
In conclusion, thank you very much for the special email Wannette about my Blog and how you an Chris enjoy it. Thanks to all the other people who also gave me nice feedback. It inspires me to keep it interesting and hopefully fun.
It says in Red
You have selected Samoa to win the game. This result will be considered quite an upset, so be sure about picking it.
Nice one guys and hopefully you are right. I include the Ginger Haka I got from Zelma. Funny !!!Since our first monthly shopping I have been indulging in Black Pepper Sauce (Sos Lada Hitam) and it is really very good. It has replaced my trustworthy Chilly Sauce and I have had it on about every meat type I have cooked and just can not get enough. It is a Asian Sauce that you can buy in bottles at the supermarket and the locals use it extensively in their hawker food, like Black Pepper Crab, Pork, Chicken and Beef. It is a thick sauce loaded with crushed black pepper and has a wonderful savoury and spicy taste. It is the kind of thing I desperately would love to share with some of my friends who enjoy hot food, but I am not sure if it is available back home.
The ingredients on the bottle include, black pepper, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornflour, Chinese rice wine and stock. I spend a lot of time surfing the net over the past month trying to get a recipe and finally found one yesterday that is in English. Hah, I can now finally go and get the ingredients and test it out and if it is successful share the recipe with you all so you can also enjoy it.
Weekend project and I will post the results next week.
Now for the best ever Potato Salad Recipe. It is one of the things Zelma makes that is just so good and you can enjoy it for days as it keeps very well in a fridge. It is not our recipe and in fact I found it in a Sarie Kos magazine in 2010 (What, No, i am not ashamed to admit I was a fond reader of this woman's mag) as it was packed with very good food ideas and recipes. The recipe in question was the winner of a nationwide potato salad recipe contest and it is Monique Rautenbach from Pretoria who won. I am translating the recipe in English but here is the link for the Boertjies so they can also enjoy all the other online recipes.
http://www.sarie.com/kos/resepte/monique-rautenbach-se-wen-aartappelslaai
The Recipe:
1 Kg Mediterranean potatoes cooked in salt water until soft, drained. Olive oil to keep them moist once peeled.
The sauce
250 ml Tangy mayonnaise
125 ml Creme Fraiche (Sour Creme)
4 - 6 Sour Gherkins chopped finely
15 ml Capers, washed and chopped
1 Red Onion chopped finely
2 Cloves Garlic crushed
1 Small Handful of Herbs (Dill & Parley) chopped
1 Slice Fresh Lemon lemon juice
Sea Salt and Black Pepper (Crushed)
Garnish
Fresh Wild Rocket and some more Capers.
Peel the cooked potatoes gently and cut in quarters. (Must be small bite sizes). Sprinkle with the Olive Oil. Mix all the sauce ingredients and flavour with salt and pepper. Gently mix sauce with potatoes. Do not over mix and break the potato pieces. Enjoy !!!!!!
As a nice twist crisp some small bacon pieces in a pan a toss on top for some crunch.
Weekend is around the corner for some Rugby and other exciting things.
In conclusion, thank you very much for the special email Wannette about my Blog and how you an Chris enjoy it. Thanks to all the other people who also gave me nice feedback. It inspires me to keep it interesting and hopefully fun.
Wet Market, Driveways & Jan Ellis
Yesterday was a cloudy and "cooler" day so I decided to do some further neighborhood exploration and visit the local Bishan Wet Market (North Shopping Mall). It is not a mall in the traditional sense, although it is a collection of shops in one area. Wet Markets as far as I understood is for local produce and cheap shopping. Obviously, not air conditioned and shops are small with no glass windows. The first thing that is noticeably is the change of pace. The market is in an open plan building surrounded by gardens and the atmosphere is calm and serene. I was there during lunch hour and not so busy as the proper shopping malls that turn into chaos during lunch. There is also a big food stall with loads of vendors and a variety of food choices.
Lots of variety from a shopping perspective and after doing some price comparisons on certain products definitely cheaper. Basically you can buy anything including the proverbial "Dead Policeman" with lots of fresh produce stalls including fruits, bakery, fresh fish, clothing, and too many more to mention. My friend Gatoe loves Flea Markets back home and he will really enjoy all the little shops and funny goods for sale. Next visit will be the Serangoon wet market via MRT. My lunchtime treats when I go and explore have all been local over the past few weeks and not one disappointment to date. Yesterday while shopping at Junxion8, I decided to do the MC Donalds thing and what a let down. I am already spoiled with all the freshly prepared food on offer.
I mentioned the driveways before, but now I have experienced them first hand and here is the verdict. It looks great, white tiles all round the house and the driveway, but wait till it rains and they get wet. Slippery as hell and I have nearly seen my you know what several times. Another challenge is keeping it clean. You need buckets of tile cleaner, so bring back the old fashion paving. Does provide me with lots of laughs watching the dogs try and stop when charging the gate, even when dry and making the same mistake I make in the wet. Diesel came charging back in the house and the wet tiles on the front patio took his feet clean out under him. Very funny. Like seeing someone fall of a bicycle, I just can not hold back the laughter.
On to the promised Jan Ellis pudding. For the non rugby fans, Jan Ellis was a famous Springbok Rugby star and his wife made him this pudding because he liked it so much. The original recipe name was Vossie, a lady from Stellenbosch who passed it on to another lady who gave it to Jan's wife. When it was published in an article about Jan's favourite pudding it became known as Jan Ellis. And no, it is not the same as Malva pudding. Malva pudding have similar but different ingredients and is dark brown, almost black on top and Jan Ellis is golden brown and has a very sweet rich taste. You can have it hot, cold and keeps very well for days in a fridge to be enjoyed again and again.
Here goes:
Pudding
5 ml Bicarbonate of Soda (Koeksoda)
125 ml Milk
200g (375 ml) Self Raising flour
100g (125 ml) White Sugar
2 eggs
30 ml Smooth Apricot jam
20g soft butter (Not Margerine)
1 ml Salt
Sauce
200ml Water
250 ml Fresh Cream
230g Butter
5 ml Vanilla Essence
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Spray or oil a 2 liter oven proof pan. Dissolve the Bicarbonate of Soda into the milk. Mix all the remaining pudding ingredients, then add the milk mixture and mix well. DO NOT USE A SMALLER PAN. Pour into prepared pan/bowl and bake for 25-30 minutes depending on your oven. Must be golden brown on top and a knife must come out clean when testing.
Prepare the sauce while baking the pudding. Slowly heat all the ingredients in a pot until boiling point. Stir while heating. Pour over pudding when it comes out of the oven and serve with Custard or Ice Cream. I halve the butter for the sauce to reduce the richness. The sauce always looks too much, so pour until pudding is covered, wait a bit and then pour the rest on.
Enjoy.
Lesson in Life. Never give a monkey a loaded gun. Watch video
PS. Potato Salad Recipe posted tomorrow.
Lots of variety from a shopping perspective and after doing some price comparisons on certain products definitely cheaper. Basically you can buy anything including the proverbial "Dead Policeman" with lots of fresh produce stalls including fruits, bakery, fresh fish, clothing, and too many more to mention. My friend Gatoe loves Flea Markets back home and he will really enjoy all the little shops and funny goods for sale. Next visit will be the Serangoon wet market via MRT. My lunchtime treats when I go and explore have all been local over the past few weeks and not one disappointment to date. Yesterday while shopping at Junxion8, I decided to do the MC Donalds thing and what a let down. I am already spoiled with all the freshly prepared food on offer.
I mentioned the driveways before, but now I have experienced them first hand and here is the verdict. It looks great, white tiles all round the house and the driveway, but wait till it rains and they get wet. Slippery as hell and I have nearly seen my you know what several times. Another challenge is keeping it clean. You need buckets of tile cleaner, so bring back the old fashion paving. Does provide me with lots of laughs watching the dogs try and stop when charging the gate, even when dry and making the same mistake I make in the wet. Diesel came charging back in the house and the wet tiles on the front patio took his feet clean out under him. Very funny. Like seeing someone fall of a bicycle, I just can not hold back the laughter.
On to the promised Jan Ellis pudding. For the non rugby fans, Jan Ellis was a famous Springbok Rugby star and his wife made him this pudding because he liked it so much. The original recipe name was Vossie, a lady from Stellenbosch who passed it on to another lady who gave it to Jan's wife. When it was published in an article about Jan's favourite pudding it became known as Jan Ellis. And no, it is not the same as Malva pudding. Malva pudding have similar but different ingredients and is dark brown, almost black on top and Jan Ellis is golden brown and has a very sweet rich taste. You can have it hot, cold and keeps very well for days in a fridge to be enjoyed again and again.
Here goes:
Pudding
5 ml Bicarbonate of Soda (Koeksoda)
125 ml Milk
200g (375 ml) Self Raising flour
100g (125 ml) White Sugar
2 eggs
30 ml Smooth Apricot jam
20g soft butter (Not Margerine)
1 ml Salt
Sauce
200ml Water
250 ml Fresh Cream
230g Butter
5 ml Vanilla Essence
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Spray or oil a 2 liter oven proof pan. Dissolve the Bicarbonate of Soda into the milk. Mix all the remaining pudding ingredients, then add the milk mixture and mix well. DO NOT USE A SMALLER PAN. Pour into prepared pan/bowl and bake for 25-30 minutes depending on your oven. Must be golden brown on top and a knife must come out clean when testing.
Prepare the sauce while baking the pudding. Slowly heat all the ingredients in a pot until boiling point. Stir while heating. Pour over pudding when it comes out of the oven and serve with Custard or Ice Cream. I halve the butter for the sauce to reduce the richness. The sauce always looks too much, so pour until pudding is covered, wait a bit and then pour the rest on.
Enjoy.
Lesson in Life. Never give a monkey a loaded gun. Watch video
PS. Potato Salad Recipe posted tomorrow.
Blog Update, Braaivlies and the F1 Party
The Eviltwin Blog started on 01 August 2011 and to date I have posted 40 posts including today. Broke the 1000 visits over the weekend. Readers from 10 different countries with SA still the most and Singapore second. There are only 11 official followers registered and I have received some very good word of mouth feedback from several readers during the time. Sometimes it feels like I am writing just for me and last week I considered not continuing and then someone lets me know how much they enjoy it. So, I will push on and continue to keep it as interesting as possible. Comments will be much appreciated so I know what is good and what not. Thanks to all my loyal readers.
We kicked the weekend off with some domestic chores (How exciting) on Saturday as we still do not have any help in the house. Saturday night reserved for our first home, traditional Braaivleis (BBQ) unfortunately without any friends in attendance. The "family" gathered around the Weber (I shipped it from home and very glad I did) and proceeded to make the fire. Turned out to be a bit of a "Smokey Robinson" affair as the local firelighters is from another planet. Needed my friend Gatoe's help as he can make a fire with just two pieces of Blitz. Still, managed to get it done and with two beautiful Australian Rib Eye steaks followed by Braai Broodjies served with some baked whole Baby Marrows we got stuck in. Unbelievably good.
For the readers who do not know what Braai Broodjies are I explain. Two slices of white bread, buttered on both sides, topped with sliced onion, sliced tomato and some cheddar cheese, sprinkled with salt and white pepper, clamped in a grid and grilled on the fire till golden brown with cheese melted. Done at the end of the Braai just before serving. Yum.
Finally, the much anticipated F1 party day arrived yesterday and after much discussion we decided to take the MRT to the city to avoid all the closed roads and traffic. Took a stroll down to the station and 30 minutes later arrived just outside Zelma's office building. Greeted by the friendly hosts, received a very nice T-Shirt and proceeded to join the party. "Hundreds" of kiddies also in attendance so go with the flow. Scrumptious buffet with enough food to feed an army, beers, wine and champagne.
Watched the race on the big screen until around 21h30 and decided to get back home as today is a work day for Zelma. Back on the MRT and amazing how busy it is that time of the night. Excellent party. Official stats for the race around 110 thousand unique visitors generating 100 million dollars of revenue and 20 neighborhood parties across the Island apart from all the city parties. Awesome and hope the negotiations are successful to extend the current hosting contract for another 5 years.
I hope you all have a stunning week.
PS. I know I promised some recipes and they will follow in the next day or so.
We kicked the weekend off with some domestic chores (How exciting) on Saturday as we still do not have any help in the house. Saturday night reserved for our first home, traditional Braaivleis (BBQ) unfortunately without any friends in attendance. The "family" gathered around the Weber (I shipped it from home and very glad I did) and proceeded to make the fire. Turned out to be a bit of a "Smokey Robinson" affair as the local firelighters is from another planet. Needed my friend Gatoe's help as he can make a fire with just two pieces of Blitz. Still, managed to get it done and with two beautiful Australian Rib Eye steaks followed by Braai Broodjies served with some baked whole Baby Marrows we got stuck in. Unbelievably good.
For the readers who do not know what Braai Broodjies are I explain. Two slices of white bread, buttered on both sides, topped with sliced onion, sliced tomato and some cheddar cheese, sprinkled with salt and white pepper, clamped in a grid and grilled on the fire till golden brown with cheese melted. Done at the end of the Braai just before serving. Yum.
Finally, the much anticipated F1 party day arrived yesterday and after much discussion we decided to take the MRT to the city to avoid all the closed roads and traffic. Took a stroll down to the station and 30 minutes later arrived just outside Zelma's office building. Greeted by the friendly hosts, received a very nice T-Shirt and proceeded to join the party. "Hundreds" of kiddies also in attendance so go with the flow. Scrumptious buffet with enough food to feed an army, beers, wine and champagne.
Watched the race on the big screen until around 21h30 and decided to get back home as today is a work day for Zelma. Back on the MRT and amazing how busy it is that time of the night. Excellent party. Official stats for the race around 110 thousand unique visitors generating 100 million dollars of revenue and 20 neighborhood parties across the Island apart from all the city parties. Awesome and hope the negotiations are successful to extend the current hosting contract for another 5 years.
I hope you all have a stunning week.
PS. I know I promised some recipes and they will follow in the next day or so.
Singapore Night Race, Garden Services and Telephone Pudding
The boys rolled into town last weekend and since Monday the Singapore F1 fever has been very high. Launches, Driver Appearances and from wednesday onwards major road closures in and around the circuit to finalise the preparations. Starting today there will be daily parties and lost of venues including the super swanky Pangaea and Avalon down at the Marina Bay. Heard on the news this morning that tickets to the classy venues will set you back anything between $3000 to $15000. Wonder how many millionaires jetted in for this one. Schumie and the Englishman, Jenson Button was at the Paragon Mall down in Orchard Road yesterday to mingle with the fans. Here is a link if you would like to check out all the action.
http://events.insing.com/feature/singapore-night-race-2011-special/id-0fa43e00?nav=50100?sem=gg
Zelma's offices in in the thick of things, so yesterday she started using the MRT (Train) to work and back to avoid serious traffic jams. Although we are close to the station, I drop her off in the morning and yesterday she walked home. The MRT is easy to use. You buy a top up card, swipe and there you go. The same card can also be used for the bus system. About $3 to town from where we live. The trains are rather busy but very much like the Tube in London.
Here is my food insert for the day. Manage to get the missing ingredients and made the ancient and delicious Telephone Pudding last night. Yummie !!!! and very easy. I include a photo as proof and here is the link to the recipe for the foodies out there. Sort of like Jan Ellis and Malva pudding yet very different and nice taste. I will post the famous Jan Ellis pudding and the best ever Potato Salad recipes tomorrow. Must first type them up.
"This ancient, delicious dessert got its name this way: in the time of party-line phones (which still exist in some farming areas) this recipe was apparently passed on from cook to cook by phone, and didn't have a proper name. So it became "Telephone Pudding".
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/south-african-telephone-pudding-348551#ixzz1YdxCHPLu
Yesterday the Garden Services pitched for their first visit and before you all thick that thought (Lazy Bastard) let me explain. The rationale is that this is a temporary solution while I try and the the missing electrical cable for the lawn mover and weed eater I shipped from back home. Any case, Victor from Joaquim Landscaping & Garden services and his two Chinese com padres promptly did the garden and here is the funny thing. I keep the lawn clean but there was some doggies poo, probably from the night before and what do they do. Cut around it. Yes, so after the garden is all neatly done there were three little uncut spots with poo intact. Funny. Apart from that I can recommend their services. Link for interested parties.
http://www.gardens.com.sg/
In conclusion, I find it very funny and strange that the service people here are so scared of the dogs. Mostly the Chinese people and I think I know why. Let me not go there. Every time someone comes to fix stuff I have to lock up the dogs and they are not big scary dogs as you all know. I include pictures of the two terrors (Tiger & Diesel) that scare people.
A special mention for our friend, Tammy, who has been in serious pain since her knee operation and is going back on Monday to get it fixed. All the best and I know it will work out well.
Enjoy the rest of the week and I look forward to our F1 "Party" at Zelma's company on Sunday.
http://events.insing.com/feature/singapore-night-race-2011-special/id-0fa43e00?nav=50100?sem=gg
Zelma's offices in in the thick of things, so yesterday she started using the MRT (Train) to work and back to avoid serious traffic jams. Although we are close to the station, I drop her off in the morning and yesterday she walked home. The MRT is easy to use. You buy a top up card, swipe and there you go. The same card can also be used for the bus system. About $3 to town from where we live. The trains are rather busy but very much like the Tube in London.
Here is my food insert for the day. Manage to get the missing ingredients and made the ancient and delicious Telephone Pudding last night. Yummie !!!! and very easy. I include a photo as proof and here is the link to the recipe for the foodies out there. Sort of like Jan Ellis and Malva pudding yet very different and nice taste. I will post the famous Jan Ellis pudding and the best ever Potato Salad recipes tomorrow. Must first type them up.
"This ancient, delicious dessert got its name this way: in the time of party-line phones (which still exist in some farming areas) this recipe was apparently passed on from cook to cook by phone, and didn't have a proper name. So it became "Telephone Pudding".
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/south-african-telephone-pudding-348551#ixzz1YdxCHPLu
Yesterday the Garden Services pitched for their first visit and before you all thick that thought (Lazy Bastard) let me explain. The rationale is that this is a temporary solution while I try and the the missing electrical cable for the lawn mover and weed eater I shipped from back home. Any case, Victor from Joaquim Landscaping & Garden services and his two Chinese com padres promptly did the garden and here is the funny thing. I keep the lawn clean but there was some doggies poo, probably from the night before and what do they do. Cut around it. Yes, so after the garden is all neatly done there were three little uncut spots with poo intact. Funny. Apart from that I can recommend their services. Link for interested parties.
http://www.gardens.com.sg/
In conclusion, I find it very funny and strange that the service people here are so scared of the dogs. Mostly the Chinese people and I think I know why. Let me not go there. Every time someone comes to fix stuff I have to lock up the dogs and they are not big scary dogs as you all know. I include pictures of the two terrors (Tiger & Diesel) that scare people.
A special mention for our friend, Tammy, who has been in serious pain since her knee operation and is going back on Monday to get it fixed. All the best and I know it will work out well.
Enjoy the rest of the week and I look forward to our F1 "Party" at Zelma's company on Sunday.
IMAX, Big Surprise and the Secret
Of to the chemist Friday morning with my medicine script I specially got back home and what do I hear. Sorry Sir, international scripts are not accepted by law in Singapore. You have to get a local one which means a trip to the doctor. Back home this means making an appointment and hopefully the next day you can get sorted. Desperately need the medicine, so I stroll down the drag and find a doctor not too far. Try my luck and walk in, explain my problem and hey presto. The receptionist take down my details, take a seat and ten minutes later I see the doctor, get a new script and also the medicine on site. Nice.
Part of a new patient is taking your height and getting on the dreaded scale. Asked what my weight was and then the great surprise, 88.9 which means I have lost just over 7 kilos since leaving home. I double checked when I got back home just to make sure. Not sure why, but after some discussion with Zelma comes down to a changed diet and more active lifestyle since landing in Singapore. Yes. I have not gone below 90 kilos since my metabolism took an extended holiday just after my 33 birthday. More walking on the cards with a smile.
Bought a quick lunch from a hawker stall. Deep fried squid served piping hot. sprinkled with white pepper and chilly spice. Yummy. They also do deep fried pork and prawns. Think I will have a triple next time just for good measure. Kind of stuff you just do not want to stop eating.
Saturday excursion to the Science Center and Omni IMAX Theater as the weather was cloudy with some rain. The Science Theater is huge and you can spend hours there with the kids as it is definitely geared for children and families with thousands of interactive displays. Not the same as the one in London which is for Adults but still nice. Walked across to the IMAX theater and watched Born to be Wild narrated by Morgan Freeman. Astounding movie and then I realised how much I have missed my home setup to watch and enjoy good movies. I am a huge IMAX fan and watch it whenever I get the opportunity. The best IMAX movie ever. EXTREME. mind blowing action with a world class soundtrack. I had to wait 10 years before I could get my hands on the Blue-Ray disk from Amazon.co.uk and on a normal HD television it is still awesome. Here is the link. http://www.imax.com/movies/m/extreme/
The secret, as in Victoria's Secret. Taped the 2010/2011 show during the week and watched it Sunday with Zelma. Oh my goodness. This is such a mind blowing show and I do not mean just the sexy girls. The costumes, music and just the way this show was shot is amazing. I would pay very good money to attend it live. One can have dreams. Some of the Stars in the audience include Gerard Butler, Tom Cruise, Paris Hilton etc. Guest appearances by Katie Perry, Seal, Akon and overall an outstanding music score with back stage action. If you get the chance to see it do not let it slip you by. Totally outrages. I also re-discovered a old favourite female musician, Jewel. Her voice is just in a different class. Best viewed on a HD TV with good sound, trustme on that one.
Here is a little teaser.
Enjoy and have a stunning day. Learn something new.
Part of a new patient is taking your height and getting on the dreaded scale. Asked what my weight was and then the great surprise, 88.9 which means I have lost just over 7 kilos since leaving home. I double checked when I got back home just to make sure. Not sure why, but after some discussion with Zelma comes down to a changed diet and more active lifestyle since landing in Singapore. Yes. I have not gone below 90 kilos since my metabolism took an extended holiday just after my 33 birthday. More walking on the cards with a smile.
Bought a quick lunch from a hawker stall. Deep fried squid served piping hot. sprinkled with white pepper and chilly spice. Yummy. They also do deep fried pork and prawns. Think I will have a triple next time just for good measure. Kind of stuff you just do not want to stop eating.
Saturday excursion to the Science Center and Omni IMAX Theater as the weather was cloudy with some rain. The Science Theater is huge and you can spend hours there with the kids as it is definitely geared for children and families with thousands of interactive displays. Not the same as the one in London which is for Adults but still nice. Walked across to the IMAX theater and watched Born to be Wild narrated by Morgan Freeman. Astounding movie and then I realised how much I have missed my home setup to watch and enjoy good movies. I am a huge IMAX fan and watch it whenever I get the opportunity. The best IMAX movie ever. EXTREME. mind blowing action with a world class soundtrack. I had to wait 10 years before I could get my hands on the Blue-Ray disk from Amazon.co.uk and on a normal HD television it is still awesome. Here is the link. http://www.imax.com/movies/m/extreme/
The secret, as in Victoria's Secret. Taped the 2010/2011 show during the week and watched it Sunday with Zelma. Oh my goodness. This is such a mind blowing show and I do not mean just the sexy girls. The costumes, music and just the way this show was shot is amazing. I would pay very good money to attend it live. One can have dreams. Some of the Stars in the audience include Gerard Butler, Tom Cruise, Paris Hilton etc. Guest appearances by Katie Perry, Seal, Akon and overall an outstanding music score with back stage action. If you get the chance to see it do not let it slip you by. Totally outrages. I also re-discovered a old favourite female musician, Jewel. Her voice is just in a different class. Best viewed on a HD TV with good sound, trustme on that one.
Here is a little teaser.
Enjoy and have a stunning day. Learn something new.
Done and Dusted
The weekend is upon us and I managed to complete my goal to finish putting the house together yesterday. Funny how your own stuff all of a sudden makes you feel right at home. In hindsight I am glad we decided to bring the majority of our belongings with us and certainly the house looks good and feels like home for the first time in 4 months of turmoil. A few small thinks remain, but that is fine and it feels like a huge burden of my shoulders. Looking forward to a normal weekend with no specific home duties.
So here is my Burger Bash, Best ever Burger recipe for those who want to try it out.
Serve on fresh buns with lettuce, cheese slices, tomato slices, gherkins and what ever other condiment you like. Very nice with sliced jalapeno for those who like it spicy.
Another little trick is to put some soft cheese in the middle of the pattie and close. Wonderful melt surprise when you enjoy you burger. Off course my ultimate add on, is a soft fried egg. Heaven!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the rugby boys and girls.
So here is my Burger Bash, Best ever Burger recipe for those who want to try it out.
- 750 g beef mince
- 250 g sausage mince (I use pork bangers)
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp mustard (I use English but any would do)
- 1 Tbl spoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbl spoon Tomato sauce
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbl spoon fresh parsley
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
Serve on fresh buns with lettuce, cheese slices, tomato slices, gherkins and what ever other condiment you like. Very nice with sliced jalapeno for those who like it spicy.
Another little trick is to put some soft cheese in the middle of the pattie and close. Wonderful melt surprise when you enjoy you burger. Off course my ultimate add on, is a soft fried egg. Heaven!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the rugby boys and girls.
Burger Bash and the Red Snapper
Great news. Zelma's company has invited us to a F1 Party at their offices in the Centennial Tower for the Singapore night race on the 25th. The Centennial Tower is on the side of the actual track. F1 screening, savoury buffet, free wine and a Wii Go-Kart challenge. Yes please, count me in.
Took a walk to Juncion8 yesterday to go and shop for the ingredients to test the Umami Burger and re-created that "Little" salad. We only have one car which Zelma use to work and back, so my ventures are on foot, bus or using the MRT. Luckily our house is just 800 meters from Juncion8, so not a problem to get there. It is common here for people to walk and shop. I have seen old and young people with there backpacks doing it and although a foreign concept to me in the beginning, I actually enjoy it now.
Another lesson yesterday on the way back from the shop. Do not pack the umbrella in the bag with all the shopping on top of it. Had to make a run for it the last 200 meters as it started to rain. No world record but the old man made it just slightly wet.
So, onto the Umami burger. I researched the recipe on the NET and got the ingredients. They all look the same and very simple. One kilogram lean beef mince (I changed it and did a 80/20 split with some pork mince), half teaspoon brown sugar crushed with 2 cloves Garlic, one teaspoon black pepper and the secret ingredient, one and a half tablespoon of Fish sauce. Mix together and marinade for at least an hour before making patties.
Umami, heralded by Japanese scientists as the fifth taste (after the basics of sweet, sour, bitter, salty), is voodoo science to me. Others are convinced of its authenticity, based on the alleged discovery of a taste bud for glutamate, the building block of the umami concept.
Read More http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/201012/umami-burger-los-angeles-best-burger-alan-richman#ixzz1Xu9gsWBg
The verdict. We had them with only cheese on buns to make sure we can taste the flavour and they are nice but we both agree. My Burger Bash burgers is still better. More taste and definitely more moist and better texture. Maybe I should have it in a proper restaurant but that would be a long trip as the home of the Umami Burger is in Los Angeles, where even Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend was spotted savouring the famous burger. And I managed to recreate that "Little" salad perfectly. Use dried cranberries which soften up nicely in the salad dressing.
When we were here in February during the visit to Sentosa Island, we had the best Fish & Chips ever at a beach stall. I asked the chef what the fish type was that he used and it was Red Snapper. He covered in beer batter and deep fried. Absolutely awesome. So, yesterday during my shopping trip I looked for a spot to have lunch. The regular KFC and Mc Donalds had long queues of students (If they continue this trend they will get fat very fast), so I walked around and found the Manhattan Fish Market and what do they have? Cherry Snapper Fish & Chips. I highly recommend this and without a doubt the best I have ever had.
Zelma found one of my cookbooks last night that explains all the fish types and what cooking is best suited. Great, let the fish cooking adventure begin.
Took a walk to Juncion8 yesterday to go and shop for the ingredients to test the Umami Burger and re-created that "Little" salad. We only have one car which Zelma use to work and back, so my ventures are on foot, bus or using the MRT. Luckily our house is just 800 meters from Juncion8, so not a problem to get there. It is common here for people to walk and shop. I have seen old and young people with there backpacks doing it and although a foreign concept to me in the beginning, I actually enjoy it now.
Another lesson yesterday on the way back from the shop. Do not pack the umbrella in the bag with all the shopping on top of it. Had to make a run for it the last 200 meters as it started to rain. No world record but the old man made it just slightly wet.
So, onto the Umami burger. I researched the recipe on the NET and got the ingredients. They all look the same and very simple. One kilogram lean beef mince (I changed it and did a 80/20 split with some pork mince), half teaspoon brown sugar crushed with 2 cloves Garlic, one teaspoon black pepper and the secret ingredient, one and a half tablespoon of Fish sauce. Mix together and marinade for at least an hour before making patties.
Umami, heralded by Japanese scientists as the fifth taste (after the basics of sweet, sour, bitter, salty), is voodoo science to me. Others are convinced of its authenticity, based on the alleged discovery of a taste bud for glutamate, the building block of the umami concept.
Read More http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/201012/umami-burger-los-angeles-best-burger-alan-richman#ixzz1Xu9gsWBg
The verdict. We had them with only cheese on buns to make sure we can taste the flavour and they are nice but we both agree. My Burger Bash burgers is still better. More taste and definitely more moist and better texture. Maybe I should have it in a proper restaurant but that would be a long trip as the home of the Umami Burger is in Los Angeles, where even Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend was spotted savouring the famous burger. And I managed to recreate that "Little" salad perfectly. Use dried cranberries which soften up nicely in the salad dressing.
When we were here in February during the visit to Sentosa Island, we had the best Fish & Chips ever at a beach stall. I asked the chef what the fish type was that he used and it was Red Snapper. He covered in beer batter and deep fried. Absolutely awesome. So, yesterday during my shopping trip I looked for a spot to have lunch. The regular KFC and Mc Donalds had long queues of students (If they continue this trend they will get fat very fast), so I walked around and found the Manhattan Fish Market and what do they have? Cherry Snapper Fish & Chips. I highly recommend this and without a doubt the best I have ever had.
Zelma found one of my cookbooks last night that explains all the fish types and what cooking is best suited. Great, let the fish cooking adventure begin.
The Little Bit of Food
The weekend ended up in more hard work and shopping for the house, brooms, vacuum cleaner and other related items. My planned interesting trip did not materialise and I am determined to finish the house duties before this weekend so we can enjoy the more exciting things. So much on my list to explore.
At least the Saturday breakfast turned out to be a pleasant surprise. We went to the Ang Mo Kio Hub which is just down the drag from our house. I know, another Mall, but that is part of the journey. Once again we arrived to "early" as most of the shops were still closed at 10h00 (still a weird concept that gets me every time), so we strolled around like lost you know what to find a place to eat. Found a little place called The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ad browsed the menu. Not a big selection and I was sure this was not going to be good. Zelma ordered the Eggs Ben and I chose the Egg Club Sandwich.
Patiently waited and when the food arrived looked very appetising. In a nutshell, the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had and if I could would have had another one on the spot. Fresh baguette, topped with ham, cheese and the most perfect poached eggs ever and a little salad on the side. Not the ones you get when the eggs is done in water, no something was different. Perfectly round, thick white with the texture of cake and the perfect soft yellow center. Heaven ! Now , I love eggs, all eggs and I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Could not speak to the little Chinese chef and tried looking into the kitchen to no avail. I spend the rest of Saturday thinking about this and finally decided to experiment in the evening and Eureka, I manage to get it done exactly the same. here is how I did it.
Take and oiled egg ring or more and put in non stick pan. Boil some water and fill the pan to the top level of the egg rings and pour in some white vinegar (about a teaspoon). Do not panic if the water goes into the rings, this is part of it. Put the pan on the stove and bring to boil. Crack eggs into rings and put on a lid, preferably glass so you can check on the little buggers. About three minutes or until the whites have set and Bob's your Uncle. Another little trick at the end is to use a slotted spoon to gently remove the eggs and put on your favourite sandwich . They are a bit slippery to remove with a spatula. Give it a try and taste the difference. Now onto the "little" salad.
Salad is rabbit food and that's it according to me, but I changed my mind on Saturday. It like carrot cake. How can you call it cake if it is made from vegetables? Any case, quite a simple salad, with lettuce, tangy salad dressing, sliced almonds, sliced baby tomatoes and here is the killer, cranberries. I am a converted man and will do this one many times over.
The fish counters in the malls have the most amazing fresh fish and seafood selection and the only problem is, I do not know fish. Never really been a favourite except for prawns off course. So I randomly picked a fish on Saturday called Treadfill Fillet and made it last night. Pan fried (non stick pan) in a bit of olive oil, dash of butter, skin side down first for about three minutes. Watch the fish and the colour start changing from the bottom up, turn, sprinkle with salt, cracked black pepper and finish off with a splash of lemon. Easy and very nice served with fluffy mashed potatoes and some pan fried peas in butter. Came out juicy, crumbly flesh and it had no bones. Yummy. You can try this with another fish if you can not find "Treadfill". Must get a fish book to help with my selection.
A friend of mine asked me a while back how to do perfect chips every time. Wannette, you still need to give me feedback but I guess there was no real time on honeymoon to try it out. So here is my recipe. Peel and cut potatoes (or just cut with skin on, my favourite) and microwave in salt water for about 8 minutes until soft. Not too soft so does depend on your microwave (you must be able to insert a small knife without resistance). Drain and let it stand for 5 minutes. Here is the trick. Sprinkle with maizena (corn flour) and shake until all is coated. Leave for 10 minutes and deep fry until golden brown. The chips will be soft inside and crispy outside. Perfect. I have them with salt and vinegar spice and off course All Gold tomato sauce.
My next foodie post will cover the elusive Umami Burger, considered to be the best tasting in the world, and I know about burgers so I will be a good judge and my all time favourite pudding, Jan Ellis and the story behind it.
Umami is a loanword from the Japanese umami (うまみ ) meaning "pleasant savory taste".[6] This particular writing was chosen by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from umai (うまい) "delicious" and mi (味) "taste". Lots of stories and I accidentally saw it on the Food Asia Channel as "The food that changed my life" for one of the celebrity Cooke's. Will give feedback and the recipe once I have been tried it out.
I had the TV on in the background with the Miss Universe Live Broadcast so forgive me for any inconsistencies. Difficult to focus. And the winner is Miss Angola. One for Africa.
Oh, one more thing. They came to paint the fixed ceiling yesterday and I was surfing the Net when I heard the shower going. At first I was not sure so i got up to take a look and what do I find. The man is cleaning his paint brushes in my beautiful new shower. I nearly killed the little shit. Must keep and eye on things.
Have a great week.
At least the Saturday breakfast turned out to be a pleasant surprise. We went to the Ang Mo Kio Hub which is just down the drag from our house. I know, another Mall, but that is part of the journey. Once again we arrived to "early" as most of the shops were still closed at 10h00 (still a weird concept that gets me every time), so we strolled around like lost you know what to find a place to eat. Found a little place called The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ad browsed the menu. Not a big selection and I was sure this was not going to be good. Zelma ordered the Eggs Ben and I chose the Egg Club Sandwich.
Patiently waited and when the food arrived looked very appetising. In a nutshell, the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had and if I could would have had another one on the spot. Fresh baguette, topped with ham, cheese and the most perfect poached eggs ever and a little salad on the side. Not the ones you get when the eggs is done in water, no something was different. Perfectly round, thick white with the texture of cake and the perfect soft yellow center. Heaven ! Now , I love eggs, all eggs and I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Could not speak to the little Chinese chef and tried looking into the kitchen to no avail. I spend the rest of Saturday thinking about this and finally decided to experiment in the evening and Eureka, I manage to get it done exactly the same. here is how I did it.
Take and oiled egg ring or more and put in non stick pan. Boil some water and fill the pan to the top level of the egg rings and pour in some white vinegar (about a teaspoon). Do not panic if the water goes into the rings, this is part of it. Put the pan on the stove and bring to boil. Crack eggs into rings and put on a lid, preferably glass so you can check on the little buggers. About three minutes or until the whites have set and Bob's your Uncle. Another little trick at the end is to use a slotted spoon to gently remove the eggs and put on your favourite sandwich . They are a bit slippery to remove with a spatula. Give it a try and taste the difference. Now onto the "little" salad.
Salad is rabbit food and that's it according to me, but I changed my mind on Saturday. It like carrot cake. How can you call it cake if it is made from vegetables? Any case, quite a simple salad, with lettuce, tangy salad dressing, sliced almonds, sliced baby tomatoes and here is the killer, cranberries. I am a converted man and will do this one many times over.
The fish counters in the malls have the most amazing fresh fish and seafood selection and the only problem is, I do not know fish. Never really been a favourite except for prawns off course. So I randomly picked a fish on Saturday called Treadfill Fillet and made it last night. Pan fried (non stick pan) in a bit of olive oil, dash of butter, skin side down first for about three minutes. Watch the fish and the colour start changing from the bottom up, turn, sprinkle with salt, cracked black pepper and finish off with a splash of lemon. Easy and very nice served with fluffy mashed potatoes and some pan fried peas in butter. Came out juicy, crumbly flesh and it had no bones. Yummy. You can try this with another fish if you can not find "Treadfill". Must get a fish book to help with my selection.
A friend of mine asked me a while back how to do perfect chips every time. Wannette, you still need to give me feedback but I guess there was no real time on honeymoon to try it out. So here is my recipe. Peel and cut potatoes (or just cut with skin on, my favourite) and microwave in salt water for about 8 minutes until soft. Not too soft so does depend on your microwave (you must be able to insert a small knife without resistance). Drain and let it stand for 5 minutes. Here is the trick. Sprinkle with maizena (corn flour) and shake until all is coated. Leave for 10 minutes and deep fry until golden brown. The chips will be soft inside and crispy outside. Perfect. I have them with salt and vinegar spice and off course All Gold tomato sauce.
My next foodie post will cover the elusive Umami Burger, considered to be the best tasting in the world, and I know about burgers so I will be a good judge and my all time favourite pudding, Jan Ellis and the story behind it.
Umami is a loanword from the Japanese umami (うまみ ) meaning "pleasant savory taste".[6] This particular writing was chosen by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from umai (うまい) "delicious" and mi (味) "taste". Lots of stories and I accidentally saw it on the Food Asia Channel as "The food that changed my life" for one of the celebrity Cooke's. Will give feedback and the recipe once I have been tried it out.
I had the TV on in the background with the Miss Universe Live Broadcast so forgive me for any inconsistencies. Difficult to focus. And the winner is Miss Angola. One for Africa.
Oh, one more thing. They came to paint the fixed ceiling yesterday and I was surfing the Net when I heard the shower going. At first I was not sure so i got up to take a look and what do I find. The man is cleaning his paint brushes in my beautiful new shower. I nearly killed the little shit. Must keep and eye on things.
Have a great week.
Super Internet and Hot Showers
The long awaited day dawned and the furniture arrived on Wednesday. I know several people who have moved in the past two months and you will all agree. It is very hard work and I am not talking one day either. It's been three days of slave labour and still the house looks like a tornado has hit it. To be honest, we have been to hell and back over the past three months and it will be another two weeks or so before everything is in place again.
Wednesday was also very event full with the container truck driver taking out a huge, and I mean huge tree on the pavement while trying to park the truck. That one must still be sorted out. And then the electrician decided to fall thru the ceiling while installing a replacement fan in the bedroom. Luckily he miraculously grabbed on a beam and did not fall all the way as the ceiling is very high. A few cuts and definitely major bruising. Shame, but true to the service delivery standard he finished the job.
The plumber rocked up on Wednesday afternoon after some discussions with the Landlord (I was not part of that one) and proceeded to install a geyser and two new water heaters in the other bathrooms. He also replaced all the fitting and the bathrooms are now spunky with "Home style" hot water and proper shower pressure. Bless the Landlord for his generosity. I found out he lives down the road, so I will be going to meet him and thank him in person. I will return the favour by turning the garden into a flower paradise over the next year.
Now on to some exciting stuff. Today is the World Rugby Cup kickoff. Yes, and we have been waiting for it and some serious office celebrations I see all over the world. Nice one, Eileen in New Zealand going to Eden park for the opening celebrations. Obviously I can not attend any of the games but will be following it on Starhub's, Setanta channel. For those of you who also love rugby and would like to participate in the fun Superbru Rugby prediction game, here is the website link: www.superbru.com. You can search and join my Warlords Pool.
I have not mentioned the Internet in Singapore while we were living in the Frazer Suites, but now I have my own connection at home and all I can say is, Wow and bloody amazing. You have four service providers to choose from and the download speed can be up to 1 Gbps. Obviously it depends on how much money you are willing to spend, but a 50 Mbps connection like I have from Starhub will set you back a mere $56. In simple terms it means you can download, stream video and just in general have a super fast Internet experience. To put it into context the Global average is around 9.8 Mps and in Singapore it is around the 16Mps mark. Really awesome. In 2010 the official statistics were 78% of the population has Internet and 99.9% of the country had coverage.
I wish you all a nice weekend and enjoy the rugby boys and girls.
Wednesday was also very event full with the container truck driver taking out a huge, and I mean huge tree on the pavement while trying to park the truck. That one must still be sorted out. And then the electrician decided to fall thru the ceiling while installing a replacement fan in the bedroom. Luckily he miraculously grabbed on a beam and did not fall all the way as the ceiling is very high. A few cuts and definitely major bruising. Shame, but true to the service delivery standard he finished the job.
The plumber rocked up on Wednesday afternoon after some discussions with the Landlord (I was not part of that one) and proceeded to install a geyser and two new water heaters in the other bathrooms. He also replaced all the fitting and the bathrooms are now spunky with "Home style" hot water and proper shower pressure. Bless the Landlord for his generosity. I found out he lives down the road, so I will be going to meet him and thank him in person. I will return the favour by turning the garden into a flower paradise over the next year.
Now on to some exciting stuff. Today is the World Rugby Cup kickoff. Yes, and we have been waiting for it and some serious office celebrations I see all over the world. Nice one, Eileen in New Zealand going to Eden park for the opening celebrations. Obviously I can not attend any of the games but will be following it on Starhub's, Setanta channel. For those of you who also love rugby and would like to participate in the fun Superbru Rugby prediction game, here is the website link: www.superbru.com. You can search and join my Warlords Pool.
I have not mentioned the Internet in Singapore while we were living in the Frazer Suites, but now I have my own connection at home and all I can say is, Wow and bloody amazing. You have four service providers to choose from and the download speed can be up to 1 Gbps. Obviously it depends on how much money you are willing to spend, but a 50 Mbps connection like I have from Starhub will set you back a mere $56. In simple terms it means you can download, stream video and just in general have a super fast Internet experience. To put it into context the Global average is around 9.8 Mps and in Singapore it is around the 16Mps mark. Really awesome. In 2010 the official statistics were 78% of the population has Internet and 99.9% of the country had coverage.
I wish you all a nice weekend and enjoy the rugby boys and girls.
Poodle Doodle and Cold Showers
Pretty event less and boring weekend and no time to do any interesting stuff. Did the monthly shopping on Saturday to stock up the empty house and Sunday was reserved for the arrival of the dogs. They arrived as promised at 12h30 and look fine after the 5 week ordeal but they really did not smell all that good, so we promptly gave them both a quick bath. Apart from loosing a bit of weight they actually are fine and within 2 hours got back into the swing of being back "home". I highly recommend Pets En Transit who we used for the whole process. (Door to Door including all the paperwork)
Those of you who know me understand that our dogs is very important to us. The transport and quarantine thing terrified me. I can assure anybody that it is actually fine and the Sembawang Quarantine facility in Singapore is excellent. Something I did not know is the fact that you keep the transport boxes and if you want them destroyed it is about $140 per box. Special process I am told hence the price. The sticker on the transport box says. VIP - Talk too me.
Made an advance arrangement for Diesel to go for grooming on Monday and Leon from Poodle Doodle sent me a sms in the morning to confirm. Diesel got picked up as per the appointment at 10h30 and was returned at 17h00. Clean and fully cut, not the Schnauzer cut. He looks very funny, Shame, but there was no other way. My recommendation to all pet owners who needs grooming services. Use Leon from Poodle Doodle. Excellent service. You can look them up on www.poodledoodle.com.
So now on to a more serious matter. I really enjoy a nice warm shower, so to our shock we found the showers in the new house is, well, crap too say the least. There is three of them but all with "in line" heaters. This is not like a geyser people. Basically it is a electrical heater which the cold water runs thru and gets heated up while you are showering. I never thought to actually check the showers during the house hunting. Which fool would do that. Big mistake.
The first problem is the more you turn on the heat the less the water pressure because the water has to flow thru slower. The second problem is the actual pipe is very small to allow for heating and even then the water is only lukewarm. I had a meeting with the plumber yesterday and off course he does not understand the dilemma. We all take cold showers he explained because it is hot here. Further investigation and negotiation to follow and my advise to anybody moving here. Check the damn showers!
I have put the job hunting on hold until middle September when we are fully settled. A bit of good news is the fact that I have been approached by Stephanie, the Editor for the Expatarrivals.com website to write articles and contribute. (She came across my Blog doing research and liked it, Wow). Sort of a job but with no pay. I am by no means a writer but any challenge right now is good for me. I signed up to do articles on Areas and Suburbs for now and the first article is due in two weeks. Yippie !
Tomorrow is furniture arrival day and Zelma has taken two days leave so we can tackle that one together. Not sure when my next post will be but we have set Saturday aside to go on a nice exploration. Will post something interesting on Monday.
Here are some dog photos;
Those of you who know me understand that our dogs is very important to us. The transport and quarantine thing terrified me. I can assure anybody that it is actually fine and the Sembawang Quarantine facility in Singapore is excellent. Something I did not know is the fact that you keep the transport boxes and if you want them destroyed it is about $140 per box. Special process I am told hence the price. The sticker on the transport box says. VIP - Talk too me.
Made an advance arrangement for Diesel to go for grooming on Monday and Leon from Poodle Doodle sent me a sms in the morning to confirm. Diesel got picked up as per the appointment at 10h30 and was returned at 17h00. Clean and fully cut, not the Schnauzer cut. He looks very funny, Shame, but there was no other way. My recommendation to all pet owners who needs grooming services. Use Leon from Poodle Doodle. Excellent service. You can look them up on www.poodledoodle.com.
So now on to a more serious matter. I really enjoy a nice warm shower, so to our shock we found the showers in the new house is, well, crap too say the least. There is three of them but all with "in line" heaters. This is not like a geyser people. Basically it is a electrical heater which the cold water runs thru and gets heated up while you are showering. I never thought to actually check the showers during the house hunting. Which fool would do that. Big mistake.
The first problem is the more you turn on the heat the less the water pressure because the water has to flow thru slower. The second problem is the actual pipe is very small to allow for heating and even then the water is only lukewarm. I had a meeting with the plumber yesterday and off course he does not understand the dilemma. We all take cold showers he explained because it is hot here. Further investigation and negotiation to follow and my advise to anybody moving here. Check the damn showers!
I have put the job hunting on hold until middle September when we are fully settled. A bit of good news is the fact that I have been approached by Stephanie, the Editor for the Expatarrivals.com website to write articles and contribute. (She came across my Blog doing research and liked it, Wow). Sort of a job but with no pay. I am by no means a writer but any challenge right now is good for me. I signed up to do articles on Areas and Suburbs for now and the first article is due in two weeks. Yippie !
Tomorrow is furniture arrival day and Zelma has taken two days leave so we can tackle that one together. Not sure when my next post will be but we have set Saturday aside to go on a nice exploration. Will post something interesting on Monday.
Here are some dog photos;
The Move to Bishan and Singapore Service Delivery
The second move in a month and hopefully the last for at least the next 3 years. It really drains you emotionally. More new traffic patterns to learn (Zelma got lost again even with GPS), another strange environment, new temporary bed and cushions and just in general very disrupting. I am glad we do not have children as that must make it even more difficult. And then the challenge of getting a empty house setup with temporary basic furniture until the shipment arrives.
The new house is very nice and the Bishan area is a lot quieter than the city. Some strange things thou like driveways with tiles, seeing people walk their dogs in the neighborhood and people washing their cars every morning. O, and the trash gets collected everyday.
So the challenge was and I must admit this really stressed me out as the deadline for the delivery of the bed, fridge and TV was critical as the alternative was unthinkable. Sleeping on the floor again. Well, I am impressed as all the deliveries was on time as promised and even got a call in the morning from the suppliers to confirm the delivery time. Well done to Best, Slumberland and Starhub.
A special mention to Pauline from Starhub. She and her technician arrived at 14h30, we sat down and selected the TV and broadband Internet services I required and 90 minutes later it was all installed, up and running and tested. This blew my mind. No waiting for equipment or activations. All done on the spot with friendly and informative assistance and cheap compared to back home.
Another thing you must get used to is the whole "Remove the Shoes" thing. I experienced this during the house search and had to take my shoes off before entering any of the houses. All houses have shoe cupboards outside the front door for storage. So when the people delivered the furniture and removed their shoes, I promptly said it was fine not too. It was explained that this is their culture and they proceeded to do the installations with their socks, shoes at the front door.
The handover of the house was an intense process with photos taken of every inch of the house and then lost of forms to sign. I guess a good thing when 3 years later there are disputes about the house when handing back to the Landlord. The house is newly painted, new oven, new curtains, new stove and cleaned just before I arrived. Amazing, but I do think this depends on your Landlord.
We look forward to putting the house together when we get the rest of the furniture and the dogs will arrive this Sunday. Yippie !!!!!. And I have a garden again.
I wish you all a great weekend.
The new house is very nice and the Bishan area is a lot quieter than the city. Some strange things thou like driveways with tiles, seeing people walk their dogs in the neighborhood and people washing their cars every morning. O, and the trash gets collected everyday.
So the challenge was and I must admit this really stressed me out as the deadline for the delivery of the bed, fridge and TV was critical as the alternative was unthinkable. Sleeping on the floor again. Well, I am impressed as all the deliveries was on time as promised and even got a call in the morning from the suppliers to confirm the delivery time. Well done to Best, Slumberland and Starhub.
A special mention to Pauline from Starhub. She and her technician arrived at 14h30, we sat down and selected the TV and broadband Internet services I required and 90 minutes later it was all installed, up and running and tested. This blew my mind. No waiting for equipment or activations. All done on the spot with friendly and informative assistance and cheap compared to back home.
Another thing you must get used to is the whole "Remove the Shoes" thing. I experienced this during the house search and had to take my shoes off before entering any of the houses. All houses have shoe cupboards outside the front door for storage. So when the people delivered the furniture and removed their shoes, I promptly said it was fine not too. It was explained that this is their culture and they proceeded to do the installations with their socks, shoes at the front door.
The handover of the house was an intense process with photos taken of every inch of the house and then lost of forms to sign. I guess a good thing when 3 years later there are disputes about the house when handing back to the Landlord. The house is newly painted, new oven, new curtains, new stove and cleaned just before I arrived. Amazing, but I do think this depends on your Landlord.
We look forward to putting the house together when we get the rest of the furniture and the dogs will arrive this Sunday. Yippie !!!!!. And I have a garden again.
I wish you all a great weekend.
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