The title of this posting and some of the photos are compliments of my friend Kai Ee. We have been planning the Braai (BBQ) for some time now and finally got to have it this past Saturday. We would have a traditional South African braai with a twist. Jen and Kai Ee would bring some local treats and make it something really special.
The weather was perfect and Trevor joined us which makes this out first real Braaivleis with friends since arriving in Singapore. I started earlier in the day with the preparation of the marinated chickens (my recipe), roasted vegetables, baking the Jan Ellis pudding and making my own version of the Sheba Sauce to accompany the pap. My version of Sheba includes two large red chopped chillies to add some zing.
Jen and Kai Ee arrived with some Otak, Satay Sticks, Peanut Sauce and Taiwanese sausages. Fired up the Weber with some charcoal and the men gathered around the fire, drink in hand as is the tradition. Started the Pap with an impromptu lesson for Jen and Kai Ee and got the veggies in the oven. Continued the kuier for some time and started braaing the meat with the girls and our dogs joining in. Chickens, Boerewors, satay sticks, otak and thai sausages. Nothing beats this kind of celebration of food and friendship.
Everybody got their turn at the weber to braai all the food and believe me this was a feast. The different smells coming from the fire was insanely good and off course there had to be some "tasting" going on around the braai just to make sure it's cooked offcourse. Then it was time to get the lot together, dish up and tuck in.
A proper serving. Yummie!
Writing the posting makes me hungry all over again. We stuffed ourselfs literally while some funny stories and loads of chatting was going on around the dinner table. Finished the feast off with pudding served with custard and some Dreyer's vanilla ice cream just for good measure. More chatting until just before midnight and so another stunning evening came to an end.
Jen's helping of the Jan Ellis. She calls it "Little Alice" pudding
A truly memorable get together with amazing food and company.
In a country that features in so many Top Ten achievement indexes this has come as quite a "Eye Opener" to me. Maybe as an Expat, I have just had some blinkers on and only see all the wonderful and good things in Singapore.
According to the World Press Freedom Index, Singapore was ranked 135th for the 2011/2012 period. The top two countries are Finland and Norway and Namibia is the best African country and actually in the top twenty. South Africa came in at 42nd and Zimbabwe, imagine that, at 121st. There are no Asian countries in the Top Ten.
"The index is calculated through a questionare with 43 criteria for assessing the state of press freedom in each country. The questionares are sent to partner organisations of Reporters Without Borders and it's 130 correspondents around the world, as well as to journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists."
Since arriving in Singapore I have enjoyed watching the local AMLive television broadcast every morning and even started reading the Today newspaper on a daily basis. To me, it has been a breath of fresh air not be faced with doom and gloom in the media as I was back in South Africa.
Last week I had a meeting with a local Singapore business woman, who also spend 8 years living in China. After all the formal discussions were concluded she asked me how I found and liked Singapore. Without hesitance I went on to explain that I really liked the country and all the positive things and the lack of any real negatives. She responded with, Ah, but you probably do not look in the right places and if I wanted a truly unbiased view of what is going on the mainstream media is not the only source and tends to be "sensored". I was stunned and my exact words, please do not ruin it for me.
She felt it only fair to share some website information where I would get the "Total Picture". I did some investigation the next day and sure as chips there was a whole lot more information that certainly I was not aware of. So here are the alternative media sites that will give you a more comprehensive picture on what is happening in Singapore.
The official Press Freedom Index has comfirmed that what Michelle told me is actually quite true and from now on I will make sure I get my information from multiple sources. I am not saying it's bad but I have to admit it does paint a diffirent picture and so we learn something new everyday.
My Superbru scores are in and today is the kick off for the Super Rugby 2012 season and appropriately I do a posting on Rugby. Anybody coming from one of the mighty rugby nations, that is South Africa, New Zealand ad Australia needs no explanation. It's in our blood and the fans are die hard and fanatical. Oops, I forgot the northern hemisphere, but they are divided between soccer and rugby. Okay, a special mention for the British Lions and the French off course.
There will be blood and some broken bones, maybe some fighting and that's the way we like it, unlike those other guys who play with the round ball and cry when they get tripped.
Watch the video for for some inspiration
There is no "big" sport support in Singapore and the locals get excited when 2000 fans turn up for a local Lions soccer game. Us rugby supporters know what it is to experience the thrill of watching a live game in a stadium filled with fifty thousand plus spectators. It's awesome and for the first time in my life I will not be able to attend a game in person this year. That is sad but at least all the games are going to be on Setanta sport channel and live, not delayed.
Last night Setanta screened the "A decade of Super Rugby" which covered the period from 1996 - 2005 or the Super 12 as it was more commonly known. Watching the program brought back so many memories and to see the great rugby stars and some of the most spectacular games was very special. Ended up watching it twice just for good measure.
Originally the competion started off as the Super 10 between 1993 - 1995 and then became the Super 12. So here are some interesting facts on the Super 12. No South African team ever won it. Three teams dominated that period with winning statistics as follows; Blues (3), Crusaders(5) and the Brumbies(2). Quite a shock to me and a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.
The first game kicked off in Palmerstone North, New Zealand on 01 Mach 1996 between the Blues and the Hurricanes and pushed all the boundaries of rugby at that stage. The teams remained on field for the half time break as was the tradition in amateur rugby. In the next year "Professional Rugby" would come of age and the 10 minute half time break with teams leaving the field was introduced. So was the very first ever Yellow Card handed out and the first ever "Tactical Substitution" legally allowed. By the next year the Television or Third referee was introduced. Pretty amazing.
Gavin Lawless from Natal (Sharks) today scored 50 points in a match and Joe Roth (Brumbies) scored 15 tries in one season, both records still unbeaten today.
Also did not realise what a big star Carlos Spencer was and his contribution to the Blues team during that period. Wow, what a player in his younger years. If I try and mention all the big names the posting will be very long so here is a link with more stats and all the great players. Super Rugby Statistics
Watching a rugby game either at home or at a stadium is a full day affair, typically include a Braai (BBQ) lots of beer, friends and family. I remember the biggest game we went to in 2010, the TriNations match between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Soccer City in Johannesburg. 92000 fans, 50 thousand flags and one hell of a party. Sadly the Springboks lost but still.
I always thought that was the biggest rugby crowd ever but I stand corrected. The biggest ever crowd was recorded at Stadium Australia (ANZ) for the 1999 Bledisloe Cup rugby union match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks which attracted a then-world record rugby union crowd of 107,042. In 2000 this was bettered when a crowd of 109,874 witnessed the "Greatest ever Rugby Match" when a Jonah Lomu try sealed an All Blacks win over the Wallabies 39–35. The All Blacks had led 24-nil after 11 minutes only to see Australia draw level at 24-all by halftime.
Interestingly, the biggest ever South African rugby crowd recorded was at the Original Ellispark (Coca Cola) stadium which played host to 100,000 spectators in 1955 at the rugby game that saw the Springboks go down to the Bristish Lions 23-22. That's amazing.
I am off to watch the opening game and enjoy the rugby all you fans.
Last week was the launch of the new Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster in Singapore and Monday on my way to the shops I ended up driving behind another one of my fantasy cars and this specific model you definetly will not see often. More on that later. Before I continue let me explain my passion about cars. I spent my childhood years growing up next to the local Hot Rod circuits.
My dad was a racer and I could drive a Hot Rod long before taking to the road. Sadly he gave it all up before I turned thirteen and would be allowed to legally race myself. I love all kinds of motor racing but Oval Track racing, specifically Sprint Car racing is still my favourite. The Americans have many different versions but the short track is still the most exciting.
A less than a mile, two lane oval track where you can get real close to the smell, sound and thrill of racing and my all time number one, V8 Fuellers. You have to be there to understand and I still get goosebumbs watching it. So here is a clip from the 2006 South African versus the Americans championship held in Pretoria compliments of a DVD my brother gave me as a gift.
These cars are lightweight, supercharged V8 monsters that can go from 0 - 160 in a 100 meters with only 1 gear and run on highly explosive methonol fuel. And to drive one you need some serious balls. They get pushed started with a rolling race start and five laps of absolute nailbiting action. Watch the black number five car (A South African) and turn up the sound for heavens sake. That's what I call driving!
After that adrenaline rush let's get back to the SLS Roadster. The reincarnation of the original and iconic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing introduced in 1954 and it is a thing of beauty. And now it has gone "Topless" and looks even more aggresive and yet so stylish.
The old and the new
Check out the video and hear the beast roar.
Back to the car that I was fortunate to see and follow on Monday, a Black 2012 Mercedes CLS AMG Brabus. I could stare at this thing for days and heaven forbit if I owned one I would sleep in it. Brabus also have a showroom in Singapore I discovered during my research. Showroom Launch
Since the first time I saw the Mercedes CLS I have no doubt that in my eyes it is the most beautiful car ever designed and we have been fortunate enough to own and drive one, not the AMG but a CLS 500 with a mighty V8. Wish I could just have one more day driving it around. Like being in heaven is the only way to describe the experience.
This is a controversial topic and each reader have their own favourites. That does not mean I deserted some of my old specials which I certainly would not mind owning. A Shelby Cobra and offcourse Eleanore, 1957 Shelby Mustang GT500
How about this beauty done in "Burnt Orange"
Officially the current voted, most beautiful car is the world is the Citoen DS4. Certainly not what comes to mind when I hear the word Citroen but I must admit. It is gorgeous and personally I would not be embarrassed seen in one of these.
And then there is what I call the ultimate car. Pretty, fast and desirable beyond belief. The Farrari 458 Italia. No words needed.
PS. I should really start getting paid for some of the marketing I do in my posts???
The big day finally arrived and we decided to get to the show early when the gates opened at 08h30. Left home in the dark at 06h45 to catch the Mrt to Paya Lebar, meet Trevor and catch the next MRT to Changi Airport to board the first shuttle bus at 08h00. Once again I must comment on the convenient and effecient transport system and we made it to the show just when the gates were opened. Glad we did, because 4 hours later the place was packed to capacity.
Two interesting facts about the show. The total value of the deals done during the week clocked in at a staggering 3,2 Billion Dollars and a hundred thousand public visitors were there on the weekend. Rolls Royce also opened a 700 million dollar engine plant in Singapore during the week. The next show is in 2014 and the event organisers reported this morning on AMlive that it will be even bigger and better than this years show.
The weather played along and was cloudy and cool. Perfect for the outing. Kicked of with the open display followed by a nice breakfast and headed to the inside. There were lots to see in the open area and many displays where you could actually sit in or go inside some of the aircraft.
Here are some of my favourites
The exhibition hall had everything you can think about relating to the aerospace industry with loads of flight simulators, latest aircraft "models" for all the different players in the market, freebies, butterfly garden and, and.........
Finished the inside exhibition in time to move to the outside viewing area for the Flying Display which started at 11h00. The first two 15 minute displays were by two Lockheed F16's from the Singapore Air Force and then 5 Russian MIG 29's from the Malaysian Air Force., the Smokey Bandits. Absolutely festive and awesome.
Then followed the Boeing C17 Globemaster, Rebel 300 solo and finally the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes with their Pilatus PC-9's. We left after that as you could hardly move and more people were in the queue to enter the show.
This is the before and after photos when we arrived and three hours later. It got really hectic as you can see.
It's Friday and the weekend is just a few hours away so today's posting is in the less read and more video style. Watching a program called Modern Marvels - Food Tech on the History channel about the fast food world which was very interesting a specific segment caught my attention, Carl's Jnr advertising. Their marketing strategy is to target the "male" population between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, hence the nature of their adds.
You all know I am a huge fan since having one in Singapore but I have never seen any of their TV adds and now I know why. I doubt it strongly that any of these adds will be shown on local TV in Singapore. Raunchy and sexy to say the least based on research. In a survey done about the adds, 69% of woman found them somewhat offencive and 86% of men agreed it was very effective advertising. Go figure?
Sometimes my investigations to put together a posting is just so much fun. Hell, I wanted to go down and get a burger immediately after watching all the videos. In an effort to stay above board I present some of the video's selectively. The Paris Hilton (full version) add is actually banned and you have to sign in on You Tube to watch it. Great add for their "Saucy" burgers and well worth a watch but definitely not putting that one on my Blog.
So let's hear what the general opinion is from some pros.
They obviously have changed their "male only" marketing strategy as they now serve mouth watering salads as well. Something else I did not know. The add certainly makes me want to try one. So "Juicy and Mouth Watering"
Another delectable fact, Carl's Jnr actually care about your health and have a Turkey burger with less than 500 calories.
Obviously their marketing is excellent but how good is the real burger actually? Would you pay more if you did not know it was a Carl's Jnr Burger?
I am not talking your average Husband and Wife "Favourite" pastime. No, I am talking the much darker side of sex even a squeaky clean city like Singapore has it's fair share of. I have mentioned the sex shops before, one in the Bugis Street Mall and the other one in front of Lucky Plaza.
Over the last week there has been some articles and a feature on BlogTV discussing the increase (20%) of cheating wife's in Singapore based on a recent survey. Seems like the local ladies have been up to no good with various reasons explored and debated. Is it the fact that more women are in the corporate world or that they have become powerful as a result.
Are they exploring the increasing Expat community looking for an "Upgrade" or a taste of the "Exotic" Seems not. The answer lies partly in the social media and the fact that their escapades are just more exposed. The younger generation also have many more options not available in the past to tempt them. On line web sites promoting such activities with slogans like "Life is to short - Have an affair" and "No Strings Attached". Tailor made phone apps that will handle the automatic deletion of communications to protect the user. Really ??
Another article reports that the Online Commercial Sex Trade is gaining popularity in Singapore according to some private investigators. There is the Geylang red light district but as the police clamp down on the illegal prostitution they merely move their services to the relatively unrestricted Internet world where forums and advertising make it easier to sell their "products". In the last year alone, at least four such syndicates have been busted. Communication takes place on line or via text messaging and it is easy to get addicted to these services and lead a double life.
At the risk of generalising it seems like the new generation has become more "Open Minded" and desensitised to what exactly is right and wrong and then I remembered an era called the 60's, "Flower Power" and the party of a lifetime, Woodstock. The era of Sexual Revolution and Drug Mayhem.
Personally, I think the world is just more "published" as a result of technology and the sexual stuff has always been there not that I condone any of it. One thing is for sure, the technology has made it a thousand times easier to get exposed to the darker side of life and as it advance things will get even more disjointed. Adults have a choice but how do you protect the children from this?
The discussion on BlogTV last night was around the results of a survey done and a 7% increase in Singaporean woman getting married to expats. Obviously the fact that expats typically earn more money make them an attractive proposition but the panel agreed that traits like assertiveness and confidence is lacking in local males which has an effect on their success with the ladies.
On the 25th of May 1996, Dave Walker, a UK Oracle consultant who was out to do some highly specialised work for me on one of my projects, bought us the Visitors Book from a curio shop as a thank you gift for taking him out for the day to experience a bit of Africa. He had never been to Africa so we felt it appropriate to take him to a small game farm in Muldersdrift where he could see lots of game closeup.
You can drive for days in the Kruger National Park and still not see some of the The Big 5, so we opted for a sure thing, The Rhino and Lion Safari Park including a visit to the The Wonder Caves all in one day as it was so close. Dave saw Lions, Buffalo, and a two Rhino's very close to the car. He wound down the window and you could hear the sounds of the munching of the grass as the Rhino was eating. A quick call to his mother in the UK on his cell so she could also hear the sound. Never seen someone so excited about seeing wildlife, but then I guess we were so used to it. I digress.
After the day of excitement and a nice home cooked supper he proudly added the first entry in our new Visitor Book. It's not something we would have thought about or buy but without a doubt it is one of our priced possessions and always has it's special place in the house ready for some new entries. The book has now entered it's fourth "Era" as we always "Turn Over a New Page" when we move.
Entrees are only made for special occasions and not just normal visits. It has to be something special like The Legendary Eviltwin's Feast, Halloween, Christmas, Birthdays, Office Parties, a stay over at our house or any other memorable occasion. Over the years the book has grown to 176 entrees from friends, overseas guests, family and other people deemed to be special enough to write a entree. Sadly some of the people who did make entrees are no longer with us and makes the book even more precious.
Some entrees were made by children,drawing little pictures who are now adults, friends who fell by the wayside, and to be honest the book should have more entrees, but there were always those parties that resulted in nobody remembering to actually present the book at the end of the evening. Still great fun. Sometimes we take the book and read some of the stories and reflect back on the fun times we had together.
I did not think we would have any entrees in Singapore for at least the first year, but how wrong I was. Trevor came over last Saturday for a Eviltwin home cooked meal and made the 3rd Singapore entry. It's a very special book and some of my readers having contributed with their entrees.
I have never been a follower of the great prophets of the world but one thing is for sure, there are just too many coincidences across multiple cultures to not result in any meaning or reality. This is the year of the supposedly Galactic Alignment that happens only every 26000 years. Surely that can not be a good thing, not that anybody knows what actually will happen. There is plenty of speculation and video material on this subject you can watch on your own. So, instead of writing about the different prophets and their predictions let me share some of the realities instead.
I am not scared of death. In fact, I am more scared of what the world has become and my remaining years on this earth. The rich has become richer, the poor become poorer and the so called middle class has all but disappeared. It has become a world of wars, famine, death and suffering. I have seen it change for the worse in my lifetime and I do not like it.
The Mayan calender ends, and so the Chinese I Ching, Nostradamus predicted this, The Free Masons carved the warnings in the great Cathedrals, the Egyptians recorded it in the Pyramids and the Hopi Indians carved it in the rocks of the Arizona Desert. All of them include predictions of pretty much the same things. Economical and Political upheaval, increase in the frequency of natural disasters, depleted natural resources, and great financial turmoil. Now there are some serious warning bells backed up by facts.
I have done a posting before on the changing world weather and even since then there has been serious world tragedies. Just take a look at January 2012 and what has happened so far. There has already been floods, extreme cold weather, earth quakes, political turmoil, financial meltdown and the year has just began.
Since 1998 every summer has been hotter than the previous year, there has been two major Tsunamis, countless earth quakes, volcano eruptions, not to mention floods, drought and other strange weather conditions world wide never experienced before with the same frequency.
Supposedly there will be 3 eclipses in 2012 which in itself is a phenomenon none of us has experienced. I like to take the "The Glass is Half Full" view and look on the optimistic side. Maybe the date in question spell out a crucial time where humanity has to head the warnings and decide on our own destiny. The choice is ours to determine our future and one thing is sure, we can not continue on the path we have followed. It's a time to take action and create a new world balance.
We can not continue our depletion of the world resources, allow nature to become extinct at the current alarming rate and continue to act like we do not have any influence over what will happen in the future. We have to own up or the world is going to hell no matter what the Prophets predicted.
The latest Singapore crime statistics were released this morning and in a nutshell there has been a 7% drop in 2011 resulting in a 20 year low in this regard. My Personal view, Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world. Check out the full report here Singapore Crime Stats
The How Safe is Singapore question I often get asked is however not related to crime but more from a natural disaster point of view with the favourite comment, That's where the Tsunami struck. So lets take a look at the history in this regard. In the past hundred years apart from "Floods" in 1969, 1978 and 2011 there has been no other natural disasters of any kind in Singapore.
The floods were also not major, but rather flash floods due to heavy rain over a very short period with the drainage systems not coping. This problem is currently being addressed with new drainage and prevention systems being implemented. Floods in Singapore
I do not include WWII and the invasion and occupation of the Singapore by the Japanese. Those were some very dark days and a whole story on its own. Singapore has had some other disasters over the years with the collapse of the Nicoll Highway (2004), Cable Car Accident (1983), and Spyros Tanker explosion in 1978 killing 76 people and post war the worst accident in terms of lives lost in history.
All said and done Singapore is a very safe place to live in. Read up on the details here. Singapore Disasters
One of the Founding Fathers of modern Singapore, DR Toh Chin Chye and former Prime Minister died on Friday aged 90 and was buried yesterday according to his instructions in a private funeral held at the Mandai Crematorium. "Singapore has lost a Great Man"
RIP
The colours of the Singapore flag represent red for brotherhood
and equality; white for purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young
nation on the rise. The five stars stand for Singapore's ideals of democracy,
peace, progress, justice and equality.
The crescent moon originally served as a symbol of assurance to
the Malays in 1959 —the year the flag was designed— that Singapore was not a
Chinese state. Today it is generally said that the moon signified a young nation
rising. The flag was designed initially to have three stars, until leaders such
as then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye expressed concern that Singapore
might be perceived to have associations with the Malayan Communist Party, the
flag of which also had three stars. The flag was originally meant to be red as
red is a very traditional Chinese colour. But because of the fear of Communism in
those days, a completely red flag was abandoned.
Took the MRT to the Tiger Balm gardens yesterday. It's an attraction that is not on the most popular Singapore attractions lists but certainly worth a visit. Just 70 meters from the Haw Par Villa MRT station it is very accessible. Entrance is free and the gardens are very interesting and beautiful. A leisurely 2 hour stroll in the gardens, entertaining for both adults and kids. Very good destination to take the family for a weekend outing.
The gardens have cold drink dispensing machines so make sure you have some coins on hand or take your own food and drinks along. Toilet facilities are very good. There are loads of benches, dungeon walkways and other areas to take a sit down and enjoy the scenery and present some great photo opportunities.
Haw Par Villa, formerly called Tiger Balm Gardens, was originally constructed in 1937 by "Tiger Balm King" Aw Boon Haw as a grand residence for his younger brother, Aw Boon Par, who helped create their fortune with the analgesic balm. In English, Haw Par Villa translates as Villa of the Tiger and Leopard. Aw Boon Haw created an entertainment park to teach and preserve Chinese values.
The gardens contain more than a 1000 colourful statues, and 150 giant tableaux centred around Chinese folklore, legends, history ad Confucian ideology. Morality tales included classic battles between good and evil and tributes to Chinese cultural heroes such as the famous pugilist Wu Song, who tamed a ferocious tiger with his bare hands.
I include some of my favourites as it is obviously impossible to share all whole experience with you. Take your time to study the statues as you can easily miss some of the incredible details. There are thousands of story boards to read which could turn this into a interesting learning experience.
The Erotic One - A woman breastfeeding an old man
The Weird One - One of the new attractions. It's a vintage car dressed up to look like a tiger. It's a replica of the 'Tiger Car' that the late Mr. Aw Boon Haw owned.
The Gory One - Animal biting someones leg
The Suggestive One - Not sure what to think
The Big One - A 7000 Kilo Scowling Gorilla
The Skinny One - This guy needs to get some food soon
The Human Crab One - What the hell ??
The Liberty One - A Bit Small but still
I highly recommend a visit to the gardens and include a collage of some of the other interesting photos taken during my visit. Look carefully at the details of the statues and you will be amazed. Weird and wonderful.
It's been a slow past two weeks with not much exploring and time spend at home. Actually very nice to just lounge around as our next visitors arrive in just under 6 weeks and then the roller coaster ride start again. Time flies and I can hardly believe the first month of 2012 is already behind us. Don't forget, this is our last year on earth or at least according to some prophets. More on this in a separate post.
After recovering from my little stomach bug, I have spent some time on two of my favourite past times. Movies and Food. So here goes. Since discovering my special Mutton Curry from the little shop in the middle of Ang Mo Kio Hub I have been trying to find out what the vegetable stuff is they give me with the rice. Last weekend when Jen was here I asked her and she said it is Achar. Now, I know South African Indian achar and it certainly did not look anything like that.
I did some Internet research starting with photos to match the dish and eventually, Eureka, I found it. It is Nonya Achar, or Peranakan Spicy Pickled Vegetables. I love the stuff and can eat it with everything, okay maybe not ice cream. Perenakan cuisine is a whole new dimension that I can explore and enjoy and the first step was to re-create the Nonya Achar. I found several online recipes ranging from the original Homemade recipe, very complex to some much easier Simplified recipes. I had to do my own version and here it is.
I used thinly sliced red onion, cucumber, thinly sliced lenght wise and cut in halve, cabbage thinly sliced, carrots thick Julienne style and finely two fresh red chillies chopped with pips. To make the pickle sauce I used 2 teaspoons white sugar, 1 thirds cup white vinegar and 1 third cup water. Mix together until sugar dissolves. And here is my own touch. Add a good splash of fish sauce and balsamic vinegar. Mix together the sauce and the vegetables and let it stand in the fridge for a few hours before use. It is to die for. Tangy and crispy with a sour and spicy kick from hell if you add the chillies. I have been having little bits for the past 4 days and will make a new batch tomorrow.
Been searching in the shops to see if you can buy it and found it today. They keep it on the shelve where all the Tofu is in Fairprice. Bought a tub for comparison purposes but my version rocks.
One of the benefits of being a Trailing Spouse and not working at this stage was the fact that I could watch the Goldenglobes and the SAG awards live for the first time in my life. Back home it was always on a Monday morning and even if I did record it the results would have been all over the news and media and that is like reading the last page of a book and then trying to enjoy it. Just not on. So, there are some seriously good movies and TV shows in the running with the Oscars round the corner and the nominations finalised, not too mention some outstanding acting.
I have seen most of them and can highly recommend, The Descendants,Moneyball,Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Warhorse. The Artist is a black and white which I just do not like but sure it must be good based on the wins so far. My personal favourite but does contain some shocking scenes and not for the faint hearted. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
There is also some great TV shows like Boardwalk Empire, Boss, Modern Family, Episodes and Homeland. I have watched the trailers but the one that stand out is definitely Homeland. I watched episode 1 and it's one of those shows you just have to know what happens next. Thankfully, I had the whole season 1 downloaded and ended up watching all 12 episodes in two days. Bloody magnificent.
