Yusheng, Begrafnis Broodjies & The New Expat

Jen and her friend Kai  Ee came to visit us on Saturday to bless our house for the Chinese New Year. Not sure what to expect we decided to make and old favourite snack called Begrafnis Broodjies (Funeral Mini Sandwiches loosely translated) served with some South African Biltong and Droewors on the side. We kept the snacks in the fridge only to be taken out if needed.

Jen brought the traditional Yusheng along and together they proceeded to introduce us to the ritual and the food off course. Yusheng is bought in the form of a tray with all the ingredients neatly separated and ready for the process called the prosperity toss.

Jen and Kai Ee (The Leaders at the table) opened the individual containers and gradually added together all the ingredients, the fish, crackers and sauces and while saying auspicious wishes as each ingredient is added. We covered the table with newspaper and put the Yusheng on top. we all then stood up and on cue, proceeded to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks while saying various "auspicious wishes" out loud. It is believed that the height of the toss reflects the height of the diner's growth in fortunes, thus we did our best to get some "Fortune"

The table ended up being quite messy and to be honest the dish did not look appetising to me after all the tossing. We all sat down and dished up servings in our individual side plates. And then that first bite and a culinary explosion in my mouth. I have never experienced anything like it. Each mouth full is packed with flavour and while chewing you get surprise upon surprise. We both love it and finished the whole thing in no time. Honestly, I gladly would have had it again the next day but sadly will have to wait until the next Chinese New Year.  Thank you Jen and Kai Ee for a truly memorable experience.

We had a lovely afternoon chatting and we introduced them to the Biltong and droe wors. Discussed our long outstanding Braaivleis which is now planned for two weekends from now. I look forward to return the favour and let Jen and Kai Ee experience a bit of South African hesritage and foodie culture. The begrafnis broodjies ended up being our supper as there was no hungry people after the Yusheng.

After months of emailing and one Skype session, Trevor arrived from South Africa on Sunday and yesterday we got together for coffee and finally met face to face. We had a nice chat about the Expat experience, Singapore in general and I look forward to having a friend on this side.

Happy Chinese New Year Gong Xi Fa Cai

Where to live in Singapore?

As an Expat coming to Singapore and the decision on where to live can be quite a daunting aspect with the major considerations based on your individual needs. Things that will influence your decision are your country of origin and previous lifestyle, family makeup, area of workplace and personal preferences like shopping, restaurants and general lifestyle preferences. The determining factors before looking at the individual areas will be your budget, type of dwelling, and education School Education in Singapore, Study in Singapore in the case of families with children which will influence your decision on where to find suitable housing. If you intend bringing your pets with you it potentially can exclude you from certain types of accommodation.

You must have a clear understanding of the housing terminology to be able to simplify your search without wasting time on looking at housing that will not suite your needs. Housing is classified as follows: Accommodation in Singapore, Accommodation in Singapore H.D.B Apartments (Government Built and rules that apply), Apartments and Condos, Landed Houses (Predominantly Multi Storey) and Bungalows (Traditional Houses with gardens). Eviltwin in Singapore: Different Singapore Houses (Photos). Another important fact to consider is the fact that accommodation can be selected on a fully furnished, partially furnished or not at all basis. Partially furnished basically implies stove, oven, curtains, air conditioners and washer/dryer.

Singapore is a small country (778 Square Kilometres) with the main island surrounded by several smaller islands and is divided up into 28 districts Singapore Districts Map. Singapore Zones and Area and for ease of understanding there are 5 main areas, north, south, central, east and west. The country has an excellent transport infrastructure and the location of the nearest MRT Hub SMRT Website - Network Map will be a major consideration when choosing your ultimate home. The distance between your workplace and home will have an impact on the ultimate decision based on what mode of transport you will rely on and the relevant cost implications.

The City

The city is at the south point of the island with the main business district surrounded by tall apartment and condo buildings. This is the hub and the lifestyle is very different from the rest of the island. This is the place for executives young and old, which enjoys the hustle and bustle of being in the middle of the action, surrounded by all the main shopping, entertainment and restaurant venues, like Clarke Quay, Marina Bay and Robertson Quay. Housing is predominantly high rise Condos and Apartments and pricing varies from reasonable to very upmarket. This is the most expensive option with obvious benefits to people who enjoy this lifestyle and on the negative side tends to be quite a noisy environment. One of the biggest benefits of living in Condos/Apartments is that most come with shared amenities like pools, gyms and even fully furnished and serviced.

The East

This area covers districts like Marine Parade, Bedok, Psir Ris, Tampines and Changi the most eastern district of the island. The Changi International Airport is situated here and the districts marry the old and the new. The streets are narrow and lined by angsana and palm trees and it is the idyllic destination for family weekend picnics. The residential areas are mainly populated by people who work in the airline related industries. The districts are lined by coast with the Marine Parade and East Coast Park favourite weekend destinations for all. There is a diverse population with excellent amenities, restaurants, schools and shops comprising of a mix of housing from HDB Flats to landed properties.

The West

The western area comprises districts 21 – 24 and includes Bukit Batok, Clementi, Jurong, Upper Bukit Timah and Tuas. The districts vary from Bukit Timah being an area with focus on education comprising of many renowned educational institutions, lush sub-urban shopping facilities and rich foliage to Jurong with large industrial and residential areas, landscape parks and a golf course. The world famous Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park are also located in this area.  Densely populated with excellent amenities all round. Lush greenery defines the area with the few remaining farms situated in Lim Chu Kang.

The North

Districts 25 – 28 comprising of Woodgrove, Woodlands, Sembawang and Seletar. Home of the Singapore American School this is the obvious choice for predominantly American Expats. The area is considered far from the city but in truth only about 18 kilometres and connected by the CTE highway. The area is lush with greenery including golf courses, plant nurseries and reservoirs. These areas are considered too far out of the way for Singaporeans. From the Woodlands district you can actually see Malaysia and there is a causeway bridge that connects the two countries.

Central

This is probably the best suited districts from an Expat point of view as they are central in the island yet still close enough to the city. Districts include Serangoon, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Thomson. The city is easily accessible via the CTE and other highways and there are very good MRT hubs within walking distance of the neighbourhoods. The housing choices range from HDB flats, apartments cluster, landed houses and bungalows. There are large scale older residential estates in Ang Mo Kio with more upmarket modern estates in Bishan and Thomson which does make housing a bit costly.

The fact that the Australian International School is in Serangoon make this a favourite choice for Expat families with children. The areas are green with lots of trees and are much quieter than the areas closer to the city. The population is a blend of Expat, old, young and has excellent parks, restaurants and shopping facilities. A typical trip to the city via the MRT takes about 30 minutes.

Chinese New Year - Eviltwin's View

The Eviltwin has been "Incapacitated" with a strange tummy bug since Saturday which dampened my spirit and caused some serious writers block. This resulted in us spending the whole Chinese New Year long weekend at home not being able to risk going anywhere with serious consequences. We had great plans to go down to Chinatown and take part in all the celebrations but alas it was not to be.

Obviously I have been house bound for the last week not able to do anything exciting or visiting new places. I nervously ventured out today to the shops to do some shopping as Jen is coming to visit tomorrow and bless our home with good luck and prosperity.

Considering this was our first Chinese New Year in Singapore I think it is appropriate to share my experience and views as a Expat. Here Goes. Back home when the holiday season arrives in December with Christmas and New Year everything winds down, people typically take long leave and the great shopping spree as is the custom commence. Its a time of happiness and indulgence with Christmas music ringing wherever you go. It's busy, especially all the major holiday destinations like Durban and Cape Town. I remember the golden rule when living in Durban. Shop before the "Valies" as the holiday makers were known, arrive and then stay away until they go back home.

Singapore in December is much the same. The shops and streets are decorated, the same Christmas music ring thru the shopping centres and it is busy, but here is the main difference. Back home everything returns to normal by the end of the first week in January. The festivities are over, people get back in work mode and ready to face the year ahead.

In Singapore the Christmas decorations and music is changed overnight and the city turned RED. Now, new Chinese music is playing wherever you go, shops packed to the maximum with all the Chinese gifts, food and decorations and a whole new set of festivals and public holidays. More people go on leave to return to their "Homeland" and the word busy take on a whole new dimension. We made the ultimate mistake to go shopping for the long weekend early Saturday morning and there is only one way to describe the experience. Mammoth Chaos. There was no room to move resulting in us leaving the trolley with one person while the other one goes to find stuff on the list and return. Certainly my worst shopping experience ever.

Don't get me wrong, it's all nice and festive but it just feels like the new year will never start. It feels like a two month Christmas with no end in sight and  I guess in a way it actually is. We certainly enjoyed some of the new food on sale but I am glad it is over. The shops are back to normal with the isles cleared although the irritating Chinese music is still playing. This is part of our new life so I guess get used to it is in order.

From a shop owner's perspective this must be like a gravy train. Pack away the Christmas goodies, unpack the Chinese New Year goodies and let the money roll in.

The one thing we really like is those little Pineapple Cookies which reminds me of "Jam Tertjies" which my mother used to make for Christmas. More on this and the recipe in new posting.

Have a nice weekend

Superbru to the World

It's Friday (Yippie) and the Chinese New Year long weekend is only a few hours away with some exciting things to do and see. A happy and prosperous Year of the Dragon to you all.

This time of the year is also the start of the new Superbru "season" for me and my friends. Hopefully I can introduce some of my readers to this amazing and addictive game. So what exactly is Superbru?

SuperBru is a free social sports prediction game. It's a fun, competitive game for casual and fanatical sports fans alike - and a powerful engagement platform for brands.

The game was started a few years back by a group of Cape Town graduates in their London house for the then Super 12 rugby tournament. It has grown over the years with more than 320,000 players and now covering cricket, football, motor racing and rugby. Predominantly a game played by South Africans it also has players from all over the world and growing dramatically every year.

Read full History  for more info

I have personally been playing for the past 3 years and have my own Pool that I manage in Rugby, MotoGP and F1 Motor Racing, called Warlords. If you do decide to take up this fun and addictive game you are welcome to search for the Warlords pool and join. The new Super Rugby tournament kicks off in February and I am really looking forward to do "Battle" with my fellow Bru's

What makes it fun and exciting is the ease of use, the flexibility to set up and play in various pools and check your predictions and standings against fellow sport fanatics. You can play in public pools, setup your own or even office and family pools. As you play tournaments and start finishing in the top rankings you earn "Honours" which is added to your track record. All statistics from previous tournaments you played in are also recorded which is very nice to look back on when starting a new year. Some guys setup pools where they include price money and most tournaments have sponsored prices to compete for.

From a corporate perspective this is also a great and cost effective advertising opportunity. I have seen how the sponsorships has grown over the past two years and my own company sponsored the main price for the Rugby World Cup tournament last year. As Superbru grow and reach new markets this will also be attractive for sponsors in new countries. It sounds like I work for Superbru.

And no, you do not have to be a guru to play. One of my top finishes was in the Air New Zealand Cup (rugby) which I had no knowledge about at the time. Personally, it expanded my knowledge about new sports and also gave me a better knowledge about my own sport tournaments that I follow and are passionate about.

I challenge you to give it a try and believe me you will be hooked.


Have a stunning weekend

Bruce Lee - The Legend

The Chinese New Year are upon us with a long weekend coming up. Bruce Lee was born in November 1940 in San Francisco, The Year of the Dragon and what can be more befitting to remember my childhood hero and a true Legend. To me and my friend Gatoe, Bruce Lee was like a God during our teenage years. Our room walls had the posters, we watched all his movies multiple times, imitated his fight moves and even made our own Nunchaku's which caused lots of self inflicted bodily harm while trying to perfect our own skills in using them.

He started making movies at the tender age of six while living in Hong Kong with his parents. His early movies were mostly playing the role of problem children and he even made a movie with his farther. His earlier movies include Beginning of a Boy, My Son Ah Cheong and The Orphan.

At the age of 18 he returned to the USA to claim his citizenship and started his own martial arts school teaching the art of Jeet Keen Do (JKD). This was a style of martial arts perfected by him and translated it means The Way of the Intercepting Fist. His students included famous people like Steve McQueen and James Coburn. Acting was however his biggest passion and he managed to get a role in Television series called The Green Hornet which did not receive good ratings and was cancelled after one season.

His career came to a halt when he did not get the role in the Kung Fu series which was ultimately played by David Carridene. Kill Bill for those who do not know him. He reluctantly moved his family back to Hong Kong to make the movie called The Big Boss and the rest is history. He became an overnight success and is without a doubt the Best Martial Artist that ever lived. Who can forget his most famous fight scene with Chuck Norris in the Colosseum in Rome? They never fought each other  in true life and trained together for years as friends.

He is famous for doing push ups with one arm using only his thumb and one finger. He invented the 1 inch punch and after a live demonstration his opponent said he was bruised for more than a week and had difficulty breathing. To receive one of his famous side kicks would cause his opponents to fly back and they said it felt like being hit by a speeding car. He could side kick a 300 pound punching bag straight up into the ceiling. Many of his movie fight scenes had to be slowed down to compensate for how fast his actions actually was.

Things that are not so well know about him is that he was a excellent Cha Cha dancer and won the 1958 Hong Kong Championships. He did not drink any alcohol, loved motorcycles and only had one love scene in all his movies where a girl made him drunk and he fell asleep. All his movie enemies were foreigners and he always had to be "taunted" before fighting.

Until Bruce Lee came along all martial arts competitions were "no contact" which he did not belief in and over time it changed to incorporate his full body contact style. He was the first Martial Arts Master to allow non Chinese students in his school much to the dismay of the Grand Masters and he was challenged to a duel and if he lost would loose the right to continue to do so. He won the fight.

Tragically he died at at the very young age of 32, as a result of cerebral adema, an allergic reaction to medication and is buried in the Lake View cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

Your Legend Lives on my Hero.

The Year in Review & Posting 100

This is posting number 100 and a milestone for me in some strange way. I resisted "Social" Media for years and then as part of this journey I had to embrace it. Looking back it certainly opened a whole new world for me. The past year has been a roller coaster ride for us and by no means an easy one at that. Loads of change, scary moments, a new country and beginning of another much bigger journey. It's not like going on holiday in a strange country, no, this is a whole new dimension.

I have said this before, if you intend working abroad do it as soon as possible as it becomes much more difficult as you get older. I had the opportunity to do it when I was offered a very nice position in America in the early nineties which I did not accept for many reasons and it is one of my great regrets. When we announced our decision to come to Singapore it must have come as a very big surprise to many people, family, friends and colleagues but the reality is we had been discussing it for years just waiting for the right opportunity.

So how has it worked out so far. Well, I am not a tourist anymore, I do not get lost and we have settled in and truly enjoy living here. Weekends and life in general has returned to normal and the only thing a seriously miss apart from our friends and family, is not having my job and that will continue to be a challenge. No country is perfect and Yes, even Singapore has its problems. In the end it depends on the nature of the problem and whether you are willing to live with it or not.

Will we live here forever and who knows. One thing is for sure, this is our home for at least the next 3 - 5 years and what happens after that will depend purely on work related opportunities. Going back to South Africa will depend what happens back home and if there will be any opportunity to do so.

We are going back there for a holiday in 2013 to our beloved Verloren Kloof, already planned, to visit our friends and family and we really look forward to it.

The year started with a work trip to Singapore in February for Zelma with me coming along as promises based on her previous work trips. Definitely had no idea we would end up living here so I spent most of the week doing tourist things.

My company incentive trip to Phuket, Thailand followed which was an absolute blast (Separate posting on that one). I can not remember the exact date but shortly after getting back Zelma received the news that they wanted her to come and work in Singapore and then all hell broke loose. Decision time and believe me when I say it has been the most difficult thing I have ever done and still have my doubts some days.

The next few months was turmoil like you can not believe. All the preparation back home to sell whatever could not come with, sell the house, Zelma shuttling up and down as she started one month before I arrived, the decision on whether the dogs would come with and all the arrangements for when we would land in Singapore.

Then followed the search for a place to live, the first month in the serviced apartments and another move to where we are now. Furniture shipment delayed due to bad weather and the dogs arriving after 6 weeks of quarantine and putting the house together again.

The year ended very nice, settled in our new home with the unplanned 11 day visit of our best friends in December.  The best Christmas present I had for a very long time. And now we are in the new year and already halfway thru January. Scary how time flies.

The Blog and my readers have become an integral part of my daily life and very important to me. I will continue to try and keep it interesting and informative with the right amount of fun and Wow Factor postings. In the process of doing the Blog and the articles for the other web sites I have seen some amazing places and enjoyed some of the best food. The journey continues.

I thank you all for your loyal support.

Who Stopped the Rain, Wine Club & 3000

I have been recording rainfall for some years back home and find it strangely interesting. Since moving to Singapore I tried to find a rain meter to no avail, so one of the items on my wish list when Gatoe came to visit was exactly that, which he kindly gave to me as a gift and also mounted it outside the backdoor for easy access. Started recording the local rainfall on 18 December 2011 with some interesting results. Locals have been telling me that the "Monsoon" rain season in Singapore is from November until January every year and it rains allot.

Well, the last decent rainfall was on 23 December 2011 (117 mm) and then it stopped raining on the 29 th of December and only rained again on 07 January 2012 (5 mm) Since then we have only had a total of 13 mm of rain, so who stopped the rain? In case you do not know answer to the question here is the answer. A very old favourite of mine.

Thanks Gatoe and I will include my Rain Report from time to time.

Here is a link with some of the Singapore Rainfall and Temperature statistics. Singapore Stats

We have always enjoyed our wine and to be very frank back home were spoilt from this point of view as the South African wines are some of the best in the world and certainly cheap in comparison to Singapore. Sure, we do have an extensive range here to choose from but extremely expensive. No "Box" or "Light' wine to be found so far in my search and as I said before the strangest thing, White Wine more expensive than Red Wine which is the opposite from back home.

Anyway, adapt or die as they say so for those who enjoy a good wine you must be clever and shop around to find "Bargain" wines. Not cheap wine but the same wine just on special which often means up to $10 per bottle. They are also limited to only a few cases per sale so do not be embarrassed to buy a box or two and save loads of money. These specials are also not available via on line shopping so you must frequent the stores and seek them out. My favourites include Cold Storage (New Zealand and Australian), Fair Price (Australian, South African, Italian and Chilean) wines, and Carrefour (Depends what is on sale).

If you enjoy a glass of wine often with a fine meal then join the Fair Price, Just Wine Club and for a mere $20 annual subscription fee get your wine club card with 8% discount on all wines purchased from their stores. I am already a proud member. Yes Sirry.

Another milestone reached with the Blog the past weekend is the fact that it reached the 3000 reads. To date I have done 99 postings and are only one away from the magic 100 which will have to be a very special one. This is far beyond my wildest dreams and expectations when I first started doing the Blog and the rest of the "All Time" statistics are also very interesting. Check it Out.

Thanks for all your loyal support and now for 5000 milestone.

No Bread, Overnight Food & Cheating Death

What do you do when you realise there is No Bread and you really do not feel like going to the shops this time of the day. Easy. Whip up quick and easy scones in fifteen minutes even a six year old can do. Not the "proper" English scones, they take to long to make but still delectable and tasty.

These "Drop Scones" as they are known comes from a recipe found in traditional South African kitchens from way back when.

Ingredients

500 ml Cake Flower
20 ml Baking Powder
2 ml Salt
100 ml Sunflower Oil
125 ml Milk
1 Medium Size Egg

Sift together the flower, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the Oil, Milk and Egg. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Fold together with a metal spoon until just combined. Drop tablespoon size of the mixture onto a greased baking plate and bake in a preheated oven at 240 Degrees Celsius for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown. Voila.

Enjoy with any topping of your choice. They go well with sweet and savoury toppings and if you make them a little smaller is a perfect snack for any party. Enjoy.

PS. I like to add finely grated cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients for an extra little kick.

I have always made lunch for Zelma and one interesting observation she made at work is that Singaporeans do not take lunch to work. I guess with all the food outlets and the hawker food being so cheap it really does not make sense. They find it strange that Zelma brings food from home and call it, Overnight Food. Huh?

A 22 year old Australian woman did a bungee jump at the Victoria Falls Bridge and survived in the crocodile invested river after the bungee cord snapped. Lucky lady.

Check it out here. Cheating Death

The Story of the Binoculars

As promised in the Butterfly posting here is the story of the binoculars. When we moved to Durban in 1998 we ended up buying a beautiful house in a area called Kloof. Our house was on the edge of a valley with a small river down below. A magnificent thatch house on a sloped one acre property with unspoiled views, tropical garden and very rich bird life. We put up some bird feeders, bought the relevant bird books and Zelma's "Little" binoculars. When I say little, I mean normal light weight 10x42 binoculars.

And so the endless and very memorable bird watching sessions on our beautiful patio started with each new species spotted carefully recorded. The problem with some species thou is that there are just so many variations. Different feet and eye colours, long or short beaks, feather's and so on. We were very serious about the rules. Only record a new sighting if both of us saw it and agreed on exactly what the bird is. This led to many discussions and failed recordings as we could not successfully identify the exact bird species. Questions like what colour is the eyes and does it have a long beak drove me insane as I could not see it clearly with the binoculars.

This carried on for some time until one day I decided to find a solution to the problem and headed down to the Pavilion Shopping Mall to find me some real binoculars. As an amateur, I obviously did not know much about binocular technology but decided to get the strongest possible. The kind Indian man who helped me gave me a strange look when I made my choice (A Big Heavy Pentax 16x50 3,5") and asked what I was going to use it for. I said, to watch birds to which he replied, What kind of "Birds"

The new Pentax worked like a charm, improving our success rate with the bird watching and you could see into the future that's how strong the magnification is. Only some time later I realised what he actually meant. You can sit on a beach and look at a "Bikini Babe" more than a kilometre away and see if she shaved her legs that morning.

The downside, the Pentax is heavy and you can not look for long unless you rest your elbows on something. I still have them for the odd "Bird" spotting opportunity. Sadly, not much use in Singapore so far, but will come in handy with any future Island travels.

Chinese Garden & Live Turtle Museum

After we dropped off our friends at the Singapore Zoo in December which we had already visited earlier in the year we took a drive to the Chinese Gardens and Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum . The gardens is commonly known as Jurong Gardens adjacent to the Japanese Gardens and easily accessible via the MRT.

The gardens are beautifully sculpted and maintained with many different areas like the Gardens of Fragrance, Bonsai, Bridges, Statues and Pagodas. A perfect place to have a quite walk and picnic on a weekend to get away from the hustle and bustle.

There are refreshment stalls at both entrances but the Tea Garden was closed during our visit so make sure you have enough water for the walk as the park is very large. Saw lots of people with children and cooler boxes having picnic's all over the gardens just lazing around.

The visited to the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum was interesting and they certainly have a large variety of Turtles and Tortoises. The museum holds the Guinness World Record certificate for the most live Turtles and Tortoises collection with more than 1000 live specimens. My expectations were higher and the museum is quite small but certainly have some of the weirdest specimens I have ever seen. There is also a collection of related artifacts on display and a small shop for souvenirs. Entrance fee for adults is only $5 so well worth a visit.

Eviltwin & The Butterflies

Every so often my adventurous spirit leads me to try out some new stuff, so when I read about The Butterfly Trail in a local magazine I thought, This sounds like fun. Had some time to kill yesterday, packed the Cybershot, downloaded Map and Zelma's "Little" (more on this in a separate posting) Bird Watching Binoculars as per the instructions for the trail and took the train to the Orchard MRT station as my starting point. I will add the following items, Take a bloody hat and some water if it is a sunny hot day like it was yesterday.

It began as a dream in 2008, but perseverance and planning has seen it become a reality. A 4 Kilometre nature trail in the city, officially launched in June 2010 at a cost of $450,000. Today, City Dwellers can walk the trail in Orchard Road and spot some 52 sorts of exotic Butterflies. Its an ongoing project with more expansion in the making.

With my map I started the trail outside of ION City in Orchard Road and immediately got lost and made a half hour detour getting back to the trail. Honestly the first 45 minutes apart from seeing some very nice flowers and gardens was pretty boring. No Butterflies. Then finally I got to Penang Road Open Space and started seeing the illusive little rascals.

Lesson one, You need a camera with a "very serious" zoom lens else you end up running around like a mad man trying to get a shot. Lesson two, its like trying to take a photo of a group of toddlers in a candy store, they never stand still for more than a second and when you finally sneak up they close their wings. Damn. Oh, Blowing or any gestures only lets them fly away. Luckily no one knew what I was up to or at least I hope. I did see at least 10 different ones but getting photos proved impossible, so here are the fruits of my efforts.



The highlight of the 3 hour walk came at the end of the trail in the form of a little gem called, Istana Park. There is a very nice Arts Restaurant, Ponds, Benches and Arches. A group of painters were sitting on the terrace doing their paintings. One of the benefits of doing the trail is the fact that you get to know Orchard Road from a very different perspective and along the way explore and find new places to visit in Orchard Road.

The Verdict. It's definitely worth walking the trail but if you are an amateur like me and its butterflies you want to see, Honestly, go to the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom on Sentosa Island where they are enclosed in much smaller area. Sit on a bench, put the camera on the tripod, point and shoot. Much easier and a lot less walking. Amazing, what I won't do for my readers?

Enjoy the weekend

Marina Bay Skypark Base Jump & Universal Studios Singapore

Marina Bay Sands have done it again by hosting a mass Base Jump on 01 January 2011 to kick off the New Year. Read the full story and check out the videos here.

Biggest Base Jump of the Skypark


We have been to Disney World in Paris some years ago and although much bigger than Universal Studios Singapore its still definitely one of the Top 10 attractions and loads to see and do. If you really want to enjoy the outing visit during the week when it is not as busy or spend the extra money on a VIP Pass which gets you priority access to all rides, basically bypassing any of the queues.

It's by no means a full day trip if you intent getting value for your money and really take in all the sights and sounds. Without a doubt a kids paradise and to be honest we found it an absolute blast.

The park consist of 8 individual themed zones each with it's own attractions, rides, shops, restaurants and shows. Be sure to do some homework before starting the day to know what live shows are on at what times to enable you to plan a route in the park to see as much as possible.

If you are seeking some thrills head straight for the Battlestar Gallactic Roller Coasters in the Sci Fi zone. There are two rides Blue and Red and although the signs indicate the Red Ride the most extreme we actually preferred the Blue Ride and found it the biggest thrill. 90 seconds of adrenaline pumping fun.

From a food perspective you can choose between burger joints, food courts, street food and snacks to your hearts content. Make sure you allow enough time to visit all the themed shops and see some outrages live shows during the day.

For the avid photographer this is an absolute heaven of opportunity for some truly amazing photo shots day and night.

Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys (MINT)

After a lazy New Years day we decided to go down to the Bugis Street Market on Monday which Zelma has not seen yet. Once again, I must say it is one of the best shopping and street food destinations, It was busy with a festive atmosphere.

Something I have been wanting to see is the MINT , Museum of Toys. It's housed in a modern, narrow 5 story building with a nice restaurant in the basement. The museum is privately owned, opened in 2006 and is the biggest of it's kind in Southeast Asia. The collection of toys comprise more than 50,000 items from 40 countries all over the world including some rare one of a kind pieces.

Entrance fee is $15 per adult and welcome to take photos as long as the flash is off. The collection is truly amazing and span from the earlier 19th century to the mid 20th century. We saw some stuff I certainly did not know even existed. Start on the 5th floor and slowly work your way down to the basement and grab a nice lunch. A nostalgic and interesting experience. A place that takes you back in time and make you feel like a kid again. I wouldn't mind owning a few items from the collection myself. Wondered what happened to all our toys.

Here are some of the ones I really liked

The James Bond Collection

The Pinocchio Collection

 Not sure this one will be allowed back home

The Beatles Collection

The JFK (Kennedy Doll)

The Monkeys (as in 60s Band) Collection

It was a hot day and on the way back to the Bugis MRT station we came across these two local little boys having a ball in the water fountain in the Bugis Shopping Mall. Just too cute for words and mom just sat on the side while they were getting soaked. Priceless. Boys will be Boys.

An Ordinary Man

I have been thinking about writing a book about my life for many years now and the last four months writing articles and Blogging have only strengthened my resolve. Sure, it won't be a biography like those of famous people but it would be unique in the fact that even ordinary people can have extraordinary lives. It's the story of "An Ordinary Man" and his amazing journey. In the end it would be my legacy I guess and hopefully help mere mortals like myself realise that life is great and worth living even without fame and fortune. It’s the memories that make all the difference.

One thing is for sure, true to my nature this could never be a serious book although true to life it will contain the normal amount of heartbreak, ups and downs. A collection of short stories with all the hectic detail and on the other side there is the interesting, fun, exciting and surprising events down to the surely this could not be true, but still it is.

From humble and poor beginnings, with a burning ambition to never experience that again as my destiny was in my own hands to the early years with all the struggles to get through puberty, the first kiss (truly sweet sixteen) into manhood. My two year stint in the Air Force doing my National Service in war stricken Angola with all the amazing and horrible experiences to my first job. The single years until I got married way too young at the tender age of 23.

My lifelong friend, Gatoe will justify many chapters with titles like Cujo, The Ride Home, The Fallen Condom, Lessons in Life with a Twist, The Ultimate Embarrassment, the Disco Years, How to bury a Secret and many more. I had a sit down with him to decide how much can be shared and would be suitable for public scrutiny.

 My progress in my career to my final position as Managing Director before voluntarily becoming a "Trailing Spouse". The many special teams I was part of and the junior people I mentored and today are the hot shots of the world, The bosses I worked for and how they shaped me to be who I am today.

I spent seven years on a project with a team of people working away from home, living as a family from Monday to Friday in a hotel and believe me, I can tell you stories that would qualify for "Ripley's, Believe it or Not".

The personal journey and a disastrous first marriage, divorce, the single years thereafter, my dream wife and the next 16 wonderful years together. The houses, the moves, career changes and the story of our dogs which is an integral part of our lives. The experience of not having your own children and the wonderful memories of sharing our friends children as our own and being part of their lives. Here is the thing, without children you don't have a legacy or do you. My wife seems to believe that our legacy is "How we touched other peoples lives".

All the amazing holidays and fun stuff like a 238 meter Bungee Jump, Hot Air Balloon Rides, Flying in a Tiger Moth, Glider Flight, Quad Biking, Visiting White Lions, Micro Light Flight over Hazyview, Disney World, Wine Trip in Cape Town, Game Farms, The Lost City, Madame Zingara and so many more.

All my hobbies and believe me there are many, the awesome cars and bikes I have had the pleasure of owning thru the years. My trips to nineteen countries over the years and all the stories that go with that and my favourite, a round the world business trip when I was a consultant for Ernst & Young, 9 countries, 13 cities in 56 days. That alone would cover a few chapters.

Surviving two serious car accidents, a dog attack by three Rottweilers and a near fatal boat accident in Zanzibar while on vacation. The friends that shared our life's and the ones we lost along the way with all the special occasions. The Harley years and all its stories from the Visitors Book and weekend breakaways.

No story can be complete without the "Truth and nothing but the Truth" so I will include a chapter appropriately named "Time to meet Your Soul" You know, that stuff that maybe only your life partner knows and certainly your friends and family have no idea.

The story is by no means over and has entered a whole new dimension with the move to Singapore and who knows what the future holds so I will leave the final chapter to my wife to finish when all is said and done. I have been fortunate and blessed with little regrets over the years.

Oh, in the event that you are reading this and you have a suspicion that you might feature in one of the the stories, don't worry. Apart from the main characters all names will be changed to protect the innocent and the not so "Innocent". That's only fair I think.

I would love to know what you think of the idea so comments welcome. Anyway, I have decided to do it and have done some postings (snippets) on my Blog. I will continue to feature some postings on selected chapters as I go along.