Baby Elephant Born (By Richard Branson)

One of the people in my Google + "Fun & Interesting" circles I follow is my idol Richard Branson.

Came across this story on his Blog about the birth of a baby elephant that was filmed by a honeymoon couple on his game farm and have to share it.

Here is the link. Truly awesome and rare event captured on video.

Richard's Blog

Eviltwin getting a "Kiss" from an Elephant at the Elephant Sanctuary back home. A very wet kiss to say the least.

Burger Hunt Update (Hog's Breath & The Hand Burger)

The good old meat burger is still one of my favourite comfort foods hence my search for the best burger since arriving in Singapore. To be honest things are not looking good so far but then my yardstick is pretty high. More on than later.

The past week included two visits in the burger hunt. First stop, Hogs Breath Cafe down in the Chijmes center that sounded very promising from my research and some foodie write-ups. It's a Ausie style Saloon & Grill.

We ordered the Finger Food Combo to share as a starter and it was seriously tasty (excellent buffalo wings) followed by the Aussie Burger with Curly Fries for my main. I will try to be "diplomatic" with my review. Without a doubt the worst burger I have had in memory, dry, tasteless with oily curly fries. Very disappointing to say the least and the service was painfully slow although it was only 12h30 and the restaurant quite empty.

Yesterday while shopping for my delayed birthday gift, I decided to try another spot that has been on my list for some time now, The HandBurger down in 313@Somerset in Orchard Road.

I had the HandBurger Original, 100% NZ grass fed beef pattie with sweet onion jam, cheddar cheese, handmade barbeque sauce and fries. Not in the top three of the list but a very tasty Burger that will make me go back and explore the rest of their menu options. (No Photo's, forgot the camera at home).

So back to the yardstick and my top three burgers ever. In the number one spot and this is tough one but I have to admit even better than my own.

Karoo Breakfast Burger from Karoo Cattle and Land steakhouse in Fourways, Johannesburg (SA). In fact their are nothing on their menu that is not top notch and the best Boerewors I have ever had.

Number two and a "Very Close" second has to be Eviltwin's Homemade burgers tradionally prepared for the famous Burger Bash days. Here masterfully prepared on the Webber by my good friend Anton during such an event.

Currently third and very surprising contenter is the "The Original ThickBurger" from Carl's Jr and that from a fast Food Joint? Here's the thing. It is a bloody tasty, juicy, always fresh burger and halve the price compared to burgers I have tried from some specialty restaurants.

I am open to any suggestion for my quest to find a better burger.

Gardens by the Bay Opens

I have been personally looking forward to this for more than a year and now the big day has finally arrived. Singapore's latest attraction, the billion dollar Gardens by the Bay , six years in the making will open it's doors this coming Friday. Final touches are being made and it is all systems go for the big day.

This is a photo taken in December 2011 from the Marina Bay Sands Skypark of the Gardens still under development.

Gardens by the Bay span some 101 hectares in total with Bay South the largest at 54 hectares and feature two cooled conservatories, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, several ethnic gardens, restaurants and some "Super Trees" that range between 25 to 50 meters tall.

The Gardens is an integral part of the Singapore Government's strategy, to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden", raising the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora.

Based on the size of the gardens I think the hop on Garden Cruiser Tram ($5) will be ideal for my first visit to explore and take it all in.

Full report back once I have been for my visit, super excited and can't wait.

Peanut Butter Twist

I am a peanut butter fanatic and the selection available in Singapore is outrages. To date I found 5 different brands including my personal favourite, Skippy. Apart from the traditional creamy or crunchy, there are no less than 9 flavours including stuff like roasted peanut, choc crunch, choc stripe, grape stripe, strawberry stripe, roasted honey, grape jelly and reduced fat for the not so slim people. Yum.

I am currently on the creamy phase and have not tried the weird and wonderful variations yet. The wife returned from a business trip to Kuala Lumpur in the week and my customary gift this round was my foodie magazine, BBC Good Food and something I have not seen before, Julies Peanut Butter Sandwich.

Julie's is a Malaysian biscuit company and what makes these biscuits different. Well, it's basically peanut butter stuffed between two salticrax biscuits. Sounds weird but actually works very well together and taste really nice. Go on I dare you, take some salticrax and try it with peanut butter.

Peanut butter is a versatile product. I like it plain on toast or fresh bread with syrup, topped with syrup and grated cheddar cheese, on crumpets, peanut butter banana bread (my own recipe) and off course topped with jam. Chocolate and peanut butter sweets is a match made in heaven and I love  Hersheys

Reminds of a colleague (This is the honest truth) who one morning in the office made the following revelation, There is no peanuts in peanut butter and she actually believed it. Wake up girl.

Americans consume 700 million pounds of peanut butter annually and technically peanuts are not nuts, Aztec's ground them to a paste some 500 million years ago and peanut butter is an effective bait for mouse traps. 75% of American homes have a jar of peanut butter and one acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. Peanut butter is a excellent source of vitamins and protein. 2 tablespoons contain up to 200 calories.

Lets not forget about the ultimate peanut butter fanatic, The King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley. His favourite, The ultimate fried Peanut butter, Banana & Bacon sandwich.  Can not be good for your health if you eat lots of these little buggers.

Affectionately known as "the Elvis", he is rumoured to consume 12 - 15 sandwiches in a single sitting. Here is a link to the recipe you want to try it. The Elvis

A little Tribute to the King.

Even "Angels" and Brad Pitt loves peanut butter.

Taking a mini break the next 4 days. Enjoy the weekend and "Cyber Chat" on Tuesday.

Beanstro Service Gadget

Recently went to Marina Bay Sands for breakfast and some shopping. As part of my pet project to find the best English Breakfast in Singapore we picked the Beanstro which is an upmarket version of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf situated on the Canal level of the shopping complex. There is an inside eating section but the more interesting and fun seating is around the Rain Oculus where you can relax and enjoy your breakfast at the water's edge with music in the background.

I never considered how the waiters provide service and realised once we were seated that the actual distance the tables are from the restaurant and the additional noise when the Rain Oculus comes pouring down would obviously make this a challenge. Technology to the rescue and a gadget I believe every restaurant should have to avoid bad service. Nothing ruins my meal more than slow service and my pet hate, Trying to get the bill after a wonderful meal.

Each table has one of these with three buttons, Press for Service, Cancel and Bill communicated to the waiters who each wear a receiver. The atmosphere was pleasant, excellent freshly prepared food and the service prompt when I used the gadget.

If you plan your seating time you can actually enjoy the spectacle of the Rain Oculus in action.

To date my number one is still the breakfast at Picotin with the Dome in third. The quest continues.

Carnivore's @ Dempsey Hill

The day had finally arrived and we met Jen and Kai Ee at Carnivore's in Dempsey Hill Saturday evening for the long anticipated pig out and meat festival. Carnivore's is a Churrascaria (Portuguese for BBQ restaurant) which originated in Brazil. We have been fortunate enough to actually visit this traditional eating place in Rio de Janeiro while on holiday and also back home in South Africa so it was going to be interesting to see how this one would compare. No disappointment there.

The restaurant in modern with an atmosphere that is fun, relaxed and simple. The evening buffet consists of 14 churrasco (meat) items served by the knife wielding Passadors (meat waiters) , a salad bar with 15 hot and cold salads and enough condiments to make your head spin. The salad bar is help yourself style and once you are ready you action the meat waiters by turning (in this case) a small round disk next to your plate which is green on one side (Por Favor, Yes Please) and red on the flip side (Obrigado, No Thanks). As long as you display green the waiters will deliver fresh BBQ meat carved with huge knifes to your hearts content.

The biggest challenge with this eating experience is to hold back and not stuff yourself with the first few offerings and salads for that matter. The range of food on offer is amazing and everything is delicious which makes it so difficult to maintain. You can flip the disk and take a breather but in the end even that does not help.

Tried some new dishes in the process, chicken hearts (been there done that) and Feijoada (Brazilian National Dish), stew made with black beans, pig's tail and spare ribs served with rice. Yummie!


 I have been to Carnivore's with friends, groups and family and no matter what you there always has to be a winner, the one that eats the most and I regretfully have to divulge that the "Little" Singapore chick was the Last Woman Standing with Kai Ee a close second. I still can not comprehend how she actually manage to eat so much. The "Big" boerseun lost this round.

After we stuffed ourselves and the evening drew to an end, Jen suggested we go for a coffee at Ben & Jerry's up the road so we can walk of some of the "Fat". And what does she and Kai Ee order? Waffle with two scoops of ice cream and Caffe Latte. Unbelievable.

Great evening and a highly recommended experience if you are a "Carnivore".

Makansutra Food Safari

Cracked the nod and got invited by NotaTourist to go on the Makansutra Food Safari this past Wednesday night. I have been on many African animal safari's but a food safari certainly would be my first. With much anticipation we met at the Singtel Comm Centre and boarded our bus round 7pm with our host and tour guide non other that the famous Singapore Makan Guru himself, K.F Seetoh.

On our way to the first stop the Guru explained that the tour would be a reverse dining experience starting with desert. He explained the history of Singapore food,  Hawker Centers and shared some funny stories and the fact that we would spend the evening in the East of the island to experience some true Peranakan cuisine. His a extremely knowledgeable, down to earth and funny man to say the least.

First stop, the Springleaf Eating House in Bedok South. The Guru introduced us to the "Chef", and  master of Muah Chee, and we watched how he plucked the dough by hand, deep fry the little balls in palm oil and tossthem in ground nuts and sesame seeds. A seriously delicious snack with a unique combination of chewy and crunchy. We had to hold back as the evening was young.





Cheng Teng, a common sweet soup like dessert followed served cold and contained eight ingredients. This dessert will differ from stall to stall with ingredients like sweet potato, dried longan, barley, gingko nuts, lotus seeds and giant sago. Me and Zelma shared one an to be honest not something I will order again. It's not bad but I just don't like cold soup and that is that. Cheng Teng is believed to get rid of humidity and heat of the body.

 We boarded the bus and on the way there the Guru explained the history of the Guan Hoe Soon restaurant which opened it's doors in 1953 and is the oldest Peranakan establishment in Singapore situated in the Joo Chiat area.

We were served 3 Peranakan favourites,  Otak-Otak (cake made from fish meat and spices), Ayam Buah Kelauk (a Nonya tradition and basically a very distinct tasting chicken curry dish) and finally Nonya Chap Chye ( a stunning mix vegetable stew made with black bean paste and off course side servings of rice.

Restaurant owner, Raymond is third generation and I can highly recommend a visit. It's comfort food at its best and I ended up having two servings of each which would come back and haunt me dearly at our final destination. Mind blowing good food.

Back on the bus and the Guru had a quiz on what we thought our final destination and food experience would be. After some wild ideas and destinations he explained that this was a very special stall where a "one and a half man team" still prepare the Singapore national favourite by hand including the chilly paste. East Coast Park and Chili Crab and now I regretted my indiscretion at our previous stop.

We proceeded to our reserved table outside the Leng Heng BBQ stall, ordered some Tiger beers and gathered with our little group, Ken , Bibi and Avalone, and the Guru hovering between tables.

Another thee dishes were promptly served, flat bread stuffed with a prawns, Kiam Chey Ark (Salted Vegetable and Duck Soup) and a huge bowl of steaming Chili Crab with those little breads to scoop up the sauce

But luck was on my side. I was not the only one that was "stuffed" at this stage from all the food and although everybody at the table tasted all the dishes there was no "Big" impact made on that very nice Chili Crab. A short discussion about etiquette with Bibi and Avalone assured me that it was quite in order to take a "Doggie Bag" or Tah Paw (to take food home) with the Chili Crab.

I truly memorable, interesting and fun filled adventure which I can recommend to you all. Check out the tours on the Makansutra web page.

Special thanks to The Guru, Bibi, Kenn and Avalone and my wife Zelma for the great company and interesting discussions during the evening. 4 hours, 3 stops, 8 dishes and more fun than I have had in a very long time.

PS. Chili Crab is even better and extremely nice the next day and the fact that you are alone at home and can "pig out" to your hearts content with no worry about how messy it get's makes it even better.

On the way back on the bus I had a chat with the Guru about food in general and some of my food heroes. Turns out the Guru had taken Anthony Bourdain (my number one food hero) around in Singapore and he rated the Crab Bee Hoon at Sin Huat as the best in the world. It appears on the Bourdain "Places to Eat before you Die" at number 5. Apparently a bowl of this famous soup will set you back $79.

Anthony's Must Visit Restaurants List

Another must see for any Expats or even prospective Expats is the company Avalone works for called Ncompassmobility. Check it out for some very helpful programmes.

Trainspotting

No, not the 1996 movie Trainspotting starring Ewan McGregor but a new hobby in Singapore and so bizarre I can not comprehend how bored you actually must be to take part in this one. I have heard about "Train surfing" back home, you know that one where you get on top of a train and "Surf" ultimately getting electrocuted or die in some other horrendous way. Turns out the Indians also like this crazy pastime. I digress.

Back to the Trainspotting and at least this one is as safe as you can get. A local club, SGTrains has seen their membership double since January this year. And no, I am not joking. The club gets together on weekends to participate in the hobby of Trainspotting. Basically looking at trains for very long periods of time. Some even record the serial numbers on train cars to see if they are in sequence.

Other activities include checking if things have changed on the interior of the trains, changes in advertisements and so on. Come on people. How can this be fun or interesting? Get a life and do something exciting.

Apparently, the group have gained valuable insight that will assist to enhance the future of train interiors and on board advertising. Maybe there is some purpose to this one but I just don't get it.

I hope I never ever get so bored and join this Group.

Best of luck to all the Trainspotters. Have "Fun"

The Bomb Shelter

Since arriving here the "Bomb Shelter" has intrigued me, probably because this is a foreign concept back home. While visiting prospective properties with Jen it became apparent that this is something that all houses had although it made no sense to me at all. The Battle of Singapore ended in 1945 with the Japanese surrender and there has been no war for the past 67 years, so why all the Bomb shelters?

Must be a historical thing I thought but upon investigation the contrary is actually true. The first law requiring public shelters was only passed in 1983 by Government in a move to build the first public shelters at 9 underground MRT Stations. In 1987 the Government expanded the programme and built shelters at the foot of new HDB buildings, other public places, community centres and secondary schools.

On 07 October 1997, Parliament passed the Civil Defence Shelter Bill requiring Home Shelters (HS) in all new residential developments.

The Household Shelter (HS) in a purposely built dwelling unit, typically the store cum pantry with its walls, floor and ceiling strengthened with increased thickness. The walls are set back by specified distances from the building exterior and the entrance to the HS is installed with an SCDF-approved light protective steel door.

After reading the Singapore Civil Defence Force mission statement I guess it really does make sense. The shelter programme is part of the Government's plan to build up the Civil Defence preparedness under the umbrella of Total Defence.

Clear out the clutter and make sure your Home Shelter has room for all your loved ones in the event of an emergency. The Public Warning system will be sounded to warn people to take shelter in the event of an emergency.

Don't know where your nearest shelter is. The SCDF website has a nifty link that give you a list of shelters, distances from your location and maps. Another good use for your Postal Code

Check it out here

So will you survive in your HS on the 12 floor of your high rise housing estate. If it is a 9/11 event probably not. In most attacks the Home Shelter will protect you against the initial impact and give you and emergency crew the opportunity to act.

I found this answer on the web

The Insider


"During an attack, residents will have little time to seek cover. According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the rationale for building household bomb shelters is to provide the quickest access to protection. Captain Eric Chua, from SCDF’s media relations department, says residents are protected by ‘a combination of thickened structures and the shielding offered by the surrounding walls, floor and ceiling slab. Shelters are stacked in vertical columns [to] enhance the resilience of buildings against blast effects.’

The good captain adds that studies have shown damage is usually localised at the point of impact. ‘Several floors may be perforated, but the building as a whole may remain standing,’ he says. Chua reassures us that since 1994, biennial tests have been conducted to ensure that Singapore’s buildings are able to withstand blasts and adds, ‘SCDF has several types of aerial-rescue appliances and equipment to deal with different rescue situations, including rescue from heights."

This story first appeared in Aug 2007.

PS. So who is the safest in Singapore?

The maids as they typically end up in the Bomb Shelters as there sleeping quarters.

Go Figure???

Pizza Hut goes "Sandwich"

As you will know by now I am not a big Take away fan but one of my occasional favourite treats is a Subway sandwich especially for breakfast. I have only visited Pizza Hut once (prefer my own homemade pizza) since arriving in Singapore and Subway numerous times so this is an interesting development and one that I will certainly explore.

Pizza Hut, The United States biggest pizza chain is going head on with sandwich shops, in particular those bearing the name of the category leader Subway, with a new item backed by a large media campaign.

The P'Zolo will be shaped like a sandwich and will be available in a variety of fillings like Buffalo Chicken, Meat Trio and Italian Steak. There new offering will be an alternative to your everyday sandwich priced at US$3 (S$3.85) a piece or two for US$5.

"We're happy to pick a fight with sub players today on consumers behalf" - Pizza Hut

The P'Zolo campaign includes television commercials, a "See Ya sub" game on the Pizza Hut Face book page, online adds and in store signs.

Get a preview at Pizza Hut Facebook

I watched Undercover Boss USA on Monday which coincidentally featured Subway. Subway is the largest sandwich chain in the US and number 2 in fast food world overall, behind McDonald's. A privately held company started by Fred DeLuca with $1000 he borrowed from a friend in August 1965.

Subway surpassed McDonald's with 33,749 restaurants at the end of 2010 but McDonald's is still bigger in revenue terms.

Falling Maids & Windows

Apart form all the rain, strolling around the neighbourhood or walking around the many high rise housing estates you might want to take note of the following and something that has never even crossed my mind.

You might get hit by a falling maid or even a window as it turns out as a result of the increase of these cases. The falling maid problem has been in the news from time to time since my arrival here and it is tragic to say the least. Being a maid in Singapore can be life threatening if you end up working for a employer living in one of the high rise estates.

In another incident last week, a maid fell from the 12th floor and thankfully managed to get saved from the 11th floor while cleaning windows. The Minister of Manpower has taken action on this dangerous situation ruling with immediate effect that employers will not allow their domestic workers to clean windows unless two conditions are met.

The employer or an adult representative of the employer must be physically present to supervise the maid and secondly, window grilles must be installed and locked during the cleaning process. To date in 2012 alone, 9 maids have lost their lives cleaning windows.

Personally, I feel this should be banned outright and leave it to a professional cleaning company with the right gear and experience to clean your windows once a year. 

A bigger reason for concern is the amount of fallen window cases. There has been a 75 per cent increase in the first 5 months of this year with some 35 cases of falling windows. Falling windows are from across all estate types including HDB Flats, apartments and condominiums. Mainly due to poor maintenance authorities have issued kits and plan at least 10 roving exhibitions on window safety.

Full article Sharp-increase-in-falling-windows

I was going to call the posting It's Raining Men ??? as I just could not get the song out of my head but in the end decided it would be disrespectful.

You can check out the video on YouTube

"Shoebox" living

Would you live in a Shoebox apartment? This is one of the latest hot topics being discussed in Singapore and was featured on Talking Point Live TV show last week. This is not a new concept globally and very acceptable in cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Manhattan. In Singapore terms these apartments are defined as being between 300sqf (28 Sqm) - 500 sqf (46sqm). Typical layout consists of a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and a living area and a bomb shelter.

More on the Bomb Shelter in a separate posting.

Sounds very small and but does come with some distinct advantages. There are currently some 2500 such units in Singapore with the projected growth to 9700 in 2015. Available on the free market with no current Government Regulations is one of the big attractions and typically built close to the city makes it very convenient for the younger generation.

Sure, they are more expensive as some older units, condos and HDB Flats, but then the location is not as good. Some Singaporeans feel this "Pigeonhole" living should be regulated by the Government to restrict the building of such units.

Surely, there are enough Government Regulated housing like HDB Flats in Singapore. The demand for these units are driven by their "affordability, location, a change in the social culture where young singles want some independence and own their own property, and the fact that they are actually very good investments. So let the free market run it's course.

A few weeks back when the Sky Habitat Condo's went on sale in Bishan, the one bedroom units were sold out in the first day. Proof, that there is a huge demand for smaller units that is affordable for first time buyers. There are also some concerns about the physiological impact as a result of living in such small spaces.

In conclusion, let me say this. These units might be small but they are modern, designed to use available space to the maximum with all amenities. I have seen much worse in my own country where the majority of people still live in shacks. Much smaller, often housing families with no water, sewerage and electricity. 

Does not look so bad from this perspective???????