London Expat | Singaporean in London

Snow hits London, treacherous roads and flared tempers

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:15:00 +0000

Having convinced that Central London was going to escape the 'heaviest snow to hit the UK in the last 30 years', I turned in before midnight. I was pleasantly surprised when I drew open the blinds in the next morning to find the entire area covered with white.

Much to my disappointment, instead of the expected 16cm, we got at most 5cm of snow, which was hardly enough to justify me not turning up for work. As I trudged through the thin white layer, I couldn't help but noticed that large parts of the pavement and roads were already covered with hard ice.

A walk to the Tube station that normally took me just 10min had slowed to a crawl, and I could see people walking gingerly on the street though I suspect a fall would cause more hurt to one's pride.

I finally reached the Tube station only to find out that the train lines were running. Darn. Another reason to be absent for work gone. With some bus services terminated due to 'treacherous' road conditions, the Tube's platform was packed. Tempers flared when a train had to unload all its passengers due to defective door. Murphy's Law was clearly working overtime.

Treacherous icy pavements lined with abandoned Christmas trees

Normally I would be standing by, stared into empty space and minded my own business. Instead I was standing right at the edge of the crowded platform staring right into the train tracks. I glanced furgitively around my shoulder at the bickering couple behind me - the last thing I wanted was to be under the train instead of in the train.

I finally shuffled into the office an hour later. Ab came in just behind me grimacing.

"Had a fall?" I asked. He nodded pathetically.

Well, it could had been worse.

Heavy snow in London and severe weather warning - sounds all too familiar, isn't it?

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Ab was grinning from ear to ear when he came back from his smoking break.

Severe weather warning issued for London - 18 inches of snow, or so they say

"Hey, saw from the screens downstairs that there is going to be heavy snow tomorrow and there are already severe weather warnings across southern England."

We spent the next five minutes or so debating whether London was considered part of southern England.

But he seemed to be genuinely serious about bringing out his ski gloves to work tomorrow. That is if we aren't all snow in. Everyone was talking about the heavy snow on our way out just now but no one admitted that they were secretly hoping to be snowed in.

Interestingly, those people who claimed that they can't get to work would also be found in the local parks slugging snowballs. Hey, they would blame the train drivers who couldn't get to work, who in turn would blame the bus drivers, who in turn would blame other train and bus drivers.

As of 10pm, I still see no snow in south Islington and my informants at Canary Wharf and Camden reported not a single flake of snow over there as well as of 9pm. So much for the heaviest snow recorded in the last 30 years.

Who knows? I might be snowed in tomorrow.

An Inspector Calls review - Wyndhams Theatre thriller on a limited run

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:44:00 +0000

Set in Victorian England before the outbreak of the Great War, the story was one that many of those who had taken Literature in their GCSE O levels were quite familiar with.

An Inspector Calls, which played at Wyndhams Theatre, depicted the hypocrisy of the rich (business owning middle class in this instance) and how their actions affected the downtrodden working masses. Eva Smith, who was also known as Daisy Renton just before she was supposedly driven to suicide by the collective actions by the Birling family, had her case brought to light by a certain Inspector Goole.

The audience was greeted with a stage that had a red telephone booth on the extreme left where the stage was twisted downwards thereby making it a prop that was essentially part of the play yet conveniently tucked aside. Though the stage was relatively small and shallow, it was made wider and deeper by the clever backdrop of a distant mansion and the Birling residence that was perched up on stilts thereby effectively dividing the the stage into two floors.

Every effort was made by the production to convey the atmosphere of the typical foggy English evening that provided the settings for the play. Right at the onset, fumes were released and blown towards the audience and within seconds, the entire ground floor audience were surrounded by 'fog' and one could almost imagined to be perching just outside the Birlings', listening into the dinner conversation.

Of course, like all good stories, An Inspector Calls had a twist at the end. However, even to the rest of us who were totally clueless, the convincing acting of the cast, especially the characters of Sybil and Sheila Birling, led the audience towards the inevitable.

An Inspector Calls is for those who would like their GCSE text comes alive or simply to have a good old fashioned thriller. The play is of limited run till March 2010, book your tickets in advance.

An Inspector Calls

Wyndhams Theatre

Charing Cross Road

London WC2H 0DA

Looking back at the 10 most popular posts while counting down to 2010

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Having ran out of leave, I had to return to the office today. Apparently, I wasn't the only one in the office. While we were milling around, it struck me that it was the last day of 2009 - a year that many of us would like to forget.

Counting down... (image source)

London Lite folded and London Paper followed suit soon after. The familiar yellow and purple uniforms no longer thronged the streets during evening peak hours and for a short period of time, Londoners had to contend with only Metro, which news was almost a day old by the time the workday ended. Evening Standard, which became free soon solved that problem.

The MPs were plagued by the expenses fiasco while thousands were left disappointed King of Pop's his fifty performances at O2 was cancelled when his heart failed him and fingers seemed to be pointed at his doctor.

There was the aftermath of the credit crunch of course where many City workers were made redundant, which pretty much affected everyone along the food chain.

Even with the uncertainty that lies ahead of us in 2010, I thought it would a great idea to take a look at some of the most popular posts on singaporeaninlondon.com in 2009.

1. Marmite pop up shop on Regent Street

This is certainly a late contender, which saw hundreds of hits in a single day from Twitter. Considering that Marmite is almost the croissant to the French (probably not an apt example but still), I'm not surprised that this post came up top.

2. Legally Blonde the Musical review

I guessed everyone could do with a feel good show and Legally Blonde the Musical, which movie was a surprise hit, provided just the lift that we need. Bring it on!

3. Average Pay in London

With the credit crunch, Londoners did see quite a bit of staff movement. Before heading for the interview, wouldn't it be prudent to check out what others were getting?

4. London in One Day

Seriously, it wouldn't be possible to get the full flavour of London even in a whole week much less in a day. But for the determined, you could perhaps get a taste of what London has to offer. This post was definitely for those who unfortunately had only a day in London.

5. Boat rowing in Hyde Park

I wrote this post sometime back but it received a constant stream of visitors especially during summer time. There's this thing about having a boat in the open, well, in a big pond in this case.

6. How to spot a Singaporean on a Plane

This was written after How to spot a Brit on a Plane when a commentator (quite correctly) pointed out that it was much easier spotting the Singaporean. Read this with a pinch of salt but the characteristics are not far from the mark.

7. London flash mobs - Giant Pillow Fight

Everytime there is a rumour of a flash mob in London, this post gets a resurgent of hits. I made it a point to go down to Hyde Park to catch some action. Didn't bring along a pillow along but I did get a video clip, which I promptly posted.

8. Japan Centre on Lower Regent Street

Japan Centre since relocated from Piccadilly to Lower Regent Street has become more spacious though the shelves were still pretty bare when I last visited it a couple of weeks back. I guess Londoners still can't do without the special Japanese cuts of shabu shabu and sukiyaki

9. Portobello Market

One of the best loved open air markets by the tourists to London, located at Notting Hill - made famous by the movie hit starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The fact that it fully opens only on Saturdays made it so much more crowded.

10. Rasa Sayang review

This place serves one of the better Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine that you can find in Central London. Apparently many others think the same as well. I used to frequent there but after have been heading to Sedap instead after its services went downhill as it got more popular.

* * *

There you have it, the 10 most popular posts on Singaporean In London in 2009. I must add that you guys have been wonderful (especially those who took time to leave comments) and here's wishing you all the best in 2010. Hmm, going to prepare for the countdown now.

Signing off,
C K
A Singaporean in London

For the last time, I am not a Chinese

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:43:00 +0000

I was nursing my cappuccino and munching on a ham and cheese panini at a café along Marylebone High Street yesterday when a man hovered over me and spoke to me in heavily accented English.

"Are you a Chinese?"
I was dumbfounded and nodded my head hesitatingly. Bad mistake.

"You hang an English and then come over and eat English food, what is this?" And he walked out of the café.

The café owner was suitably apologetic and came over and ranted about how Britain should emulate China and execute all drug traffickers.

I was more amused than not by the entire incident - the man who made the comment in the first place is of African descent, the café owner is of Indian descent and the only other person in the café was the waitress who is an Eastern European and of course there was me. From the accents, it was quite clear that none of us are native English. And the entire incident arose due to a country's policy that we have absolutely no affiliation to.

Then again, Singapore hangs anyone who carries more than 18g of heroin. Akmal Shaikh, who was executed in China was found carrying 4kg. If anyone has got any problem with Singapore's policy, you could either refrain from carrying illegal drugs into Singapore or lodge a formal protest at the Singapore embassy. You can certainly google the address online, the one in London isn't hard to find.

For the record, I am not a Chinese. I am a Singaporean. I say that even though Singapore's founding father, the current Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew made his thoughts quite clear on National Geographic Jan 2010 issue about the hardworking Chinese immigrants and the less driven Singaporeans of whom males have to serve 2 - 2.5 years of National Service.

"Over time, the MM says, Singaporeans have become "less hard-driving and hard-striving." This is why it is a good thing, the MM says, that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants (25 percent of the population is now foreign-born). He is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants, especially those educated newcomers prepared to fight for higher paying jobs. But taking a typically Darwinian stance, the MM describes the country's new subjects as "hungry," with parents who "pushed the children very hard." If native Singaporeans are falling behind because "the spurs are not stuck into the hide," that is their problem."
~ National Geographic Jan 2010

Marmite pop up shop at London's Regent Street - a treat for Marmite fans

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Regent Street was at its usual madness this afternoon and I headed for my sanctuary at Adore Patisserie Cafe when I stumbled upon a Marmite pop up shop. According to the proprietor, the pop up shop started only on the first of November and will shut down on the 31st Dec - in other words, a couple of days' time.

The perfect setting for a cheap Marmite horror flick

The ground floor of the shop was filled with Marmite themed merchandise and foodstuff. Other than the familiar yellow and black bottles of Marmite, cashshew nuts and crisps, they have Marmite biscuit tins (for Marmite pastries of course), t-shirts printed with Marmite inspired prints, postcards, art pieces featuring Marmite and even toasters embossed with the Marmite logo.

You just can't get enough of the black stuff

A casual cafe on the first floor

Everything that you see here is for sale

However, few realised that there was a cafe on the first storey (the staircase was all the way towards the end of the store). A huge table filled with scrawlings by both lovers and haters of Marmite occupied the floor. On the walls were prints and more artworks of you know what. The staff were dishing out free tea and toast (normally going for one quid each) when I was there.

Marmite toast factory

How to produce Marmite - the gist of it anyway

Lovers and haters of Marmite, stand up and be counted!

I had to leave my mark there... lol

My modest haul after tea and toast

Not a bad way to rest your tired legs after an afternoon jousting with the shopping crowds, especially if you happened to be a Marmite fan. Hurry up, you have a few days to catch it before it's shut!

Marmite Pop Up Shop

82 Regent Street,
Quadrant Arcade

London W1

Light snow in London - fingers' crossed

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:52:00 +0000

A light dust of snow hits Central London last night and I was wild with joy. But nope, I wasn't snowed in this morning. No such luck. Decked in my trusty North Face, synthetic leather gloves and ear mufflers, I stepped out into the cold and nearly slipped.

Great. Barely any snow with frozen pavement. Life just isn't fair, is it?

It was reported that London will be hit with 'inches' of snow tonight. I'm not too sure about that now. Looking at it, the snow might just fall over the English Channel instead, assuming snow does fall over water in the first place.

Whatever it is, I know we'll all enjoy ourselves one way or another this Christmas. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Cheers,
C K - A Singaporean in London

First snow in London the previous year

What did you get from your Secret Santa for Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:19:00 +0000

A light shower of snow hit Central London yesterday and while the temperature turned sub zero outside, a couple of us were having a pre-Christmas party in the office.

"Pizzas for everyone!" declared a colleague as she lugged boxes and boxes of pizzas from Pizza Express. Darn, should never had planned for lunch today but I wouldn't let that deter me from grabbing a slice (four to be exact, I was being gluttony) of pizza.

The highlight of the gathering was receiving our presents from our Secret Santa. Well, the official price cap was set at £7.50.

It was most amusing to see people running out of the office to the mall nearby to pick up the presents during office hours. The shopping arcade was doing a roaring business with targeting the Secret Santas with items priced at £4.99, £7.49 and £9.99 - the customary price caps.

Well, after the initial excitement died down, we ripped open our respective presents. Some giggled while others burst out laughing. Guess what I got? A £10 cinema gift card from CineWorld. With the cinema just round the corner, I would probably catch Avatar before Christmas. Good one there, thanks to my Secret Santa!

My colleague got a Single Shot Dispenser, an apt gift for someone who adored his poison. He made it a point to show it to everyone and promised to install it in the office. No complaints there for me.

Are you into Secret Santas this Christmas? What are you getting (or gotten) this time round?

7 reasons why you should take Ryanair

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:13:00 +0000

I flew over to Dubin for a day trip after a friend got me the ticket for a return trip on Ryanair. Without any planning whatsoever, I woke up at 4.30am in the morning to make sure I would be in time for the 8.30am flight. That was a abit overdoing on my part but I guess the kiasu mentality in me kicked in and I just went on auto-pilot (pun unintended).

That guy didn't realise that his head was in the turbine's way - it didn't turn out pretty

By all accounts, Ryanair didn't turn out as bad as I imagined it to to be. In fact, I would strongly recommend it to anyone and here are 7 reasons why you should take Ryanair.

1. Dirt cheap crazy deals

Face it, short of walking to Dublin, which isn't technically possible, Ryanair is probably the cheapest way of getting there. My return tickets cost only 2p (taxes included, you heard that right).

Then again, the promotion was only available for a limited period of time and the number was of course restricted. There were other surcharges on top of that - a couple of pounds if you checked in only at the airport, substantially more if you had to check in luggage. Inflight food cost as well.

For me, I printed out my boarding pass at home, travelled only with a sachel and chose to fast on the plane - that flight cost just 2p for me.

Instead of staff manning counters, you have machines that print your boarding pass for a fee

2. Faster turnaround

I was not sure how that could be a good thing to passengers but I thought I had to give Ryanair some credit for its astonishing turnaround time.

There would be an announcement telling passengers that the flight was ready for boarding before the plane actually landed. While the line began to form, you would see the plane taxiing and stop near the departure gate. As if that was not good enough, the passengers would be led onto the tarmac and exposed to the weather elements (blasting cold winds for my case) before the luggage from the previous flight were unloaded.

When we were finally herded onto the plane, I was so relieve that I almost kissed the stony faced air stewardess.

3. Better seating posture

If the soft cushions of a full service airline gave you backache, you would have come to the right place. Ryanair's stiff upright seat guarranted that you would alight in a stiff upright posture that years of yoga would never achieve.

You could spend your entire flight staring at the emergency escape procedure ... oh that yellow, it hurt my eyes.

4. Never leave anything behind again

Remember the time when you actually left your favourite novel on the plane? You wouldn't have that problem on Ryanair's planes. In fact, the Ryanair plane that I was on was the first plane that came without any netting pouch at the back of the seat. You wouldn't leave anything on the plane simply because there was no place for you to leave it.

I guessed that helped in decreasing the turnaround time as well. Less rubbish for the cabin crew to clear.

5. Environmental friendly

Like EasyJet, Ryanair offered free inflight magazine but unlike the former, the Ryanair magazines were offered only upon request (recall that there was no pouch in the back of the seat in front of you to place it in anyway). Being environmentally friendly, Ryanair cabin crew would come round to collect the magazines before the plane landed.

Cost cutting was just a delightful outcome of that. Talking about massacring a bunch of birds with a single pebble.

6. Driving the boredom away

Bored during flight? Who need onflight entertainment when you could enjoy adverts played through the announcement system every now and then? Lottery cards, hot food and drinks and... more lottery cards, the ads would keep you alert throughout the flight.

7. Revelry music to perk you

When the plane finally landed, nothing perked you up more than a full trumpet revelry that sounded whenever the flight was 'on time'. If you managed to sleep through the earlier ads, it would hit you like a splash of cold water and would surely wake you up.

* * *

Considering that I paid 975 times more for the train to Stansted Airport as compared to my 2p return flight to Dublin, the Ryanair flight was a fantastic deal to be had. Would I fly Ryanair again? You bet but only if I get such deals again.

Hey SH, if you are reading this, thanks for the ticket!

Heading to Dubin on Ryanair - a haphazard trip

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:27:00 +0000

This is sheer madness.

Awhile back, someone bought me a 2p return ticket to Dublin from London Stansted Airport on Ryanair. In the spirit of comparing Easyjet with Ryanair, I decided to go ahead with the trip.

Let's go back to the madness part shall we?

Map, itinerary and some loose change. I'm all set!

The flight departs in a couple of hours' time. In order to make it for the flight at Stansted Airport, I'll have to wake up at 4.30am. Instead of going to sleep two hours ago (I morph into a walking zombie immune to caffeine with less than 5hrs of sleep), I am here posting about this sheer madness.

When I first heard of it, I was determined not to plan for the trip. In fact, I wasn't even sure I'll be going until four hours ago. That meant no reading up about Dublin or even bothered to find out what the city offered. The rational part of me emerged victorious and I popped by Waterstone during today's lunchtime and start flipping Lonely Planet's Guide to Dublin.

Then it dawned to me that there isn't any connecting trains between Dublin and Dublin Airport. I panicked. I wasn't too good with buses. That wasn't going well at all. Then again, what was I expecting? I went online at the first opportunity, googled for Dublin's city map and found a rough itinerary on Dublin in A Day, and printed both out.

With a passport, Ryanair boarding pass, a black and white Dublin map printed with a printer screaming for ink refills, and a dubious looking itinerary, I'll be off to Dublin in approximately 5hrs' time. The Tube and Stansted Express better be running perfectly well.

Wish me luck and have a frosty weekend.

Read about why I think you should fly Ryanair.

Where to eat in Canary Wharf during lunch - five tried and tested spots

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Now that I'm spending most of my daylight hours in Canary Wharf, I too, like countless others, are let out into the underground mall looking for food during lunch. Well, while we do have our favourites lunch spots, the more popularly known ones often have ridiculously long queues. It doesn't help that those who are fortunate enough to get a table will spend the next hour gloating over those still in the queue while picking on the morsels on their plates.

After some hits and misses, I have reduced the pool of good and reliable lunch spots to just five and here they are.

Hazev

This Turkish delight is a short walk across a footbridge to Heron Quays. Though it's quite popular during lunch time, there is ample seating space so no need to worry about not having a table even without reservation. Good food and friendly service is what Hazev is known for, not to mention the good lunch deals (below £10).

Curve Restaurant and Bar

This restaurant at Marriot is across another footbridge to West India Quay. It was almost empty when I was there so no issues about getting a table. Great lunch deals to be had especially on Fridays - a starter, a main (fish and chips), dessert and coffee/tea for just £10.

Wagamama

This has always been a crowd pleaser. However, it's almost impossible to get a table for lunch on Fridays (don't ask me why). It's not too bad on other weekdays though. Ask for a window seat and you'll be staring down at the crowds milling about below. (below £10)

Nando's

This Portuguese's grilled chicken that hails from South Africa is no strangers to Londoners (and people from over 30 countries). There is a long queue during lunch regardless of which day it is of the week. Sometimes I wonder whether Nando's actually pay people to queue outside. The best time to drop by would actually be around 1.30pm when the line dissipates. (below £10)

Waitrose Curry Rice

When all else fails, there's always the reliable Waitrose. My personal favourite is the curry rice counter right at the back of the store on the ground floor. Curiously, even though the seating area is relatively small, I never encounter any problem getting a table. If you are starving, you can always get a roast chicken thigh to go with your curry rice. (below £5)

Have you got any other good eating places to recommend at Canary Wharf?

Legally Blonde The Musical review (London Savoy Theatre) - superb cast with great chemistry let down by the props

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:26:00 +0000

I normally avoid watching plays that have spun off from successful movies and the last thing I want is for the favorable impression that I have for a movie to be spoilt by a sub-par play performance. The Chicago that I caught in New York didn't quite make the mark. Not that the cast wasn't competent, it was just that they didn't have chemistry that was oozing from Renée Zellweger, Catharine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere in the 2002 movie.

But after being pleasantly surprised by Sister Act even with my high expectations as the movie was a classic, I didn't raise too much fuss when Wife suggested catching Legally Blonde The Musical at Savoy Theatre.

Cast and Storyline

Mention Legally Blonde, the image of Reese Whitherspoon prancing around with her pink jacket, with a puppy (decked in pink) in one hand and an LV clutch in another, immediately comes to mind. Legally Blonde the Musical didn't disappoint a single bit. Sheridan Smith's Elle Woods was the wide eye blonde who had a keen fashion sense and her only weakness was Warner (Duncan James) whom she was determined to marry. When he decided to break up with her for someone more 'serious', she followed him to Harvard Law and there the story unfolded.

Other than Elle, the other notable character in the play was Emmett (Alex Gaumond), the underdog who fell for Elle when they met at Harvard. Gaumond was a convincing Emmett and when his dogged look lit up in the shopping mall when Elle picked up some clothes for him, he lifted the entire audience's hearts.

UPS guy added a comical touch

While Smith is not Witherspoon, she introduced a totally refreshing and irresistibly positive take of Elle Woods. Even with her petite figure, her stage presence was evident right at the onset. Look out for the UPS guy though. Legally Blonde The Musical added a superb comical dimension of the UPS guy who was the knight in shining armour for Elle's pal Paulette.

Props was a letdown

Pity about the props though. The backdrop failed to lift off five minutes into the musical and there was a further wait for a couple of minutes before the musical had to be restarted all over again. Not only that, the sequins were popping off Smith's dress during a step dance… her bracelet fell off in another routine. In a courtroom scene, the judge kept on thumping her hammer and bits of it flew off.

Other than the technical glitches, Legally Blonde The Musical was one of those uplifting and cheerful performances that you probably wouldn't really remember in a couple of months' time but boy, it was good while it lasted.

Legally Blonde is not sold at TKTS and is selling out for more popular time slots. Book your advance tickets at Theatre Direct now!

The Sun, the tweed jacket man and the Page Three Girl

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:56:00 +0000

The man steps into the Tube train. He straightens his tweed jacket, removed his Paul Smith scarf, adjust his glasses and runs his hands through his thinning grey hair. Drawing to his full height of just over six feet, he exudes this distinguish air as he took a cursory glance around the train cabin as he seeks for an empty seat.

He spots one just a couple of feet behind him and strolls leisurely towards it. He sits down and lets out an almost inaudible sigh - it's good to finally rest the feet after an entire day of walking. He catches a glimpse of a folded newspaper beside him and picks it up.

He cringes when he realises that he has picked up The Sun. Well, it could have been the Metro or the Evening Standard - that would have been at least respectable. But nope, it has to be The Sun. Full of pictures, some of it a bit more offending (to him at least) than the others. On a normal day, he won't be caught dead with a tabloid but it will certainly look odd to the rest of the passengers if he discreetly tucks it behind him. The burden is his to bear at for the duration of the journey.

He flips it open, knowing fully what to expect. The Page 3 Girl, in her full glory is splashed across, well, page 3. His brows furrows as he concentrates really hard on the relatively thin column of the Amanda Knox trial. It's apparent that he has taken some interest in the ongoing trial as he ponders over every word in the article.

After a considerable amount of time, he flips another page and then another. The announcement calls for his stop. He looks up for confirmation, folds The Sun into half and tucks it under his arms as he steps out of the train.

After all, The Sun does write a lot about the Knox murder trial.

Last minute Christmas shopping again? Why not do it online this time round?

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:04:00 +0000

If you haven't noticed, Christmas is here again. Then again, how can you not? Daylight hours are getting shorter, people are getting more jovial as they began to wrap up their work and prepare for Christmas, your inbox is flooded with email invitations to various Christmas parties.

If only you have gotten all your presents.

Well, if you are like most people, you are probably going to leave Christmas gifts shopping till the last week before Christmas. It's almost amusing to see how people go frantically around at Selfridges and John Lewis. These people will go rummaging through the remmants strewn across the shelves before realising that they are fighting a lost cause and begin to buy anything and everything.

I know because I was one of them. Secret Santa at the workplace was embarressing last year. Luckily the guy who got Boots' facewash for oily face didn't find out who his Secret Santa was.

However, if you really hate to go jostle with the crowds along Oxford Street, there is always online shopping. After some trial and error and bad experiences, I come to trust only two online stores -

Amazon

Over at Amazon, not only you will have access to literally all the books that you'll ever come across, they have a whole lot of other items as well. Invariably, Amazon's price beats those offered at high street stores even with the sales going on due to the already steep discounts that Amazon offers. If you are looking for even further savings, why not go for secondhand items that are available as well?

For this festive season, Amazon offers free shipping regardless of how much you order directly from it. However, take note that it can take a couple of days to arrive (mine have so far reached within the week) so do place your orders fast.

John Lewis

This Oxford Street mall offers a really fuss free and comprehensive online store. What I really like about John Lewis online store is its efficient delivery (within 5 working days but usually earlier than that). Also, unlike other major retailers, it doesn't use Royal Mail but Home Delivery Network instead - no need to worry about strikes and other delays due to high volume.

What's best about John Lewis is that the package comes nicely wrapped and if you are not satisfied with the item for whatever reason, you could always request for them to pick it up (at no cost to you) and issue a refund with no questions ask. What have you got to lose?

With these two online stores, all you need to do is to countdown to Christmas. Hmm, I wonder whether there'll be any snow this time round.

Have you got any other recommended sites for online shopping?

London Underground Oyster card - why would you pay for a £4 single trip card?

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:41:00 +0000

An acquaintance of mine flew over to London from Shanghai for work purposes for a couple days made a remark about how expensive London's public transport is. I found out that he has been paying £4 for each tube ride. Granted, London's Underground is relatively more expensive than any comparable subway system in the world but paying £4 for a tube ride within zone 1 (even for a single stop) is ridiculous.

The great Oyster card paradox

That made me wonder why one trip tickets are still being sold.

Technically, you can go up to the ticket booths and get a stored value Oyster card, which requires a refundable deposit of just £3 and load it up with £1.60 (total cost = £4.60). That will allow you to take one trip within Zone 1 and then refund the Oyster card (and get back your £3) at the destination stop. Total cost of the trip? Just £1.60.

Tough luck if you happen to have only £4 with you - you end up paying that for your Tube ride. If you happen to have just 60p more, the same trip will probably cost you just £1.60. That doesn't sound right, does it? Or am I missing something?

Christmas with The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas review, probably the best Christmas present you can treat yourself to

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Before the Ocean Eleven (as we know it) that featured the slick George Clooney and the swaggering Brad Pitt, the 1960 original saw Frank Sinatra come together with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. But it wasn't Ocean Eleven that the trio were known for - they were in fact more popularly known in the Las Vegas circuit (together with Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford) as the Rat Pack.

This Christmas season, the Rat Pack is back to entertain the the London crowds with their Christmas with The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas performance at Adelphi Theatre. Frank Sinatra (by Louis Hoover) opens the performance and thrills the audience with his charismatic presence. Dean Martin (by Craig Els) as the tall, sauave and with the ever charming baritone crooner, and Sammy Davis Jr (by Jason Pennycooke) with his light hearted numbers and showmanship come right up and warm up the crowd.

While serenading the audience with songs that include 'White Christmas', 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer', 'Winter Wonderland', 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!', 'Auld Lang Syne' among numerous other popular pieces that they have previously recorded, the performance intertwines the personalities and pet peeves within the almost 2hr 30min show.

Frank is sensitve about his thinning pate - Dean and Sammy never lets him forget about his 'reflective top'. Dean is forever tipsy and slurred over his words but never far from his whiskey. Sammy is ever conscious of his colour as segregation was still an issue in the 50s and 60s.

The Sands Hotel - the trio also starred in Ocean Eleven filmed over there in 1960

This is one of those shows that gets better as it goes along. The first half focuses mainly on the individual performances with the alluring Burelli sisters who are, by the way, serve as very welcome distractions. The second half, however, show the trio sharing the stage, relaxed and making merry around a mobile bar while still belting out evergreen songs one after another.

If there is just one show that you watch this Christmas, let it be the Christmas with The Rat Pack. Although I would advise against bringing teenagers along as they will be horrified to see their parents swaying with Frank Sinatra's voice and swooning over Dean Martin's come-hither eyes. There was one in front of me and she sunk low into her seat as her mother begin dancing in her seat to Sammy Davis Jr's beat. For fans of Frank, Dean or Sammy, Christmas with The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas will be a perfect early Christmas present. Book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment!

Christmas with Rat Pack - Live from Vegas

Adelphi Theatre

409 - 412, Strand,

London, WC2R 0NS

What to wear in London - a reliable way to find out

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:53:00 +0000

You know what they say about the English weather. It's fickle (often changing to and fro between bad and really bad). Period. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against the English weather. Coming from a tropical isle where weather is hot and humid year round and weather forecasts on TV exist only to take up airtime, the fickleness of the English weather is almost welcomed, up to a certain point that is.

Always grey, nothing very fickle about that really... (image source)

The first thing that I check every morning is the London's weather forecast on my phone. That's important as it'll literally dictate how I will go about the entire day - what to wear, which route to take, mode of transportation or whether I should just go back to sleep.

However, the nifty phone weather forecast app in my phone is not always reliable. Of late, from my conversation with my colleagues, I found out how Londoners decide the mode of dressing for a particular day. The answer lies with BBC Breakfast.

You should probably call in sick if you see this!

Every morning at around 8am, Carol Kirkwood will present a short segment of the day's weather on BBC Breakfast. In her segment, she'll invariably be film standing out in the open somewhere in London. Now, herein lies the key. If she's wearing a thick jacket, do the same as well. If she's wearing a pair of gloves, don't be shy to don one too. If she's carrying an umbrella, don't even think of leaving yours at home.

I have found her to be rather reliable thus far. Well, just as a backup, do take a quick glance outside your window before you go wondering out in the open. After all, with Christmas just round the corner, it pays to take the extra care to ensure that you'll be fit and healthy to jostle with the crowds for last minute Christmas gifts shopping.

Shoot London Treasure Map - something for the family and your mates

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

A friend whose family is flying into London for a visit asked me for some recommendation for where to bring them. I was stumped. Despite the number of activities listed by Timeout London, you'll be hardpressed to find an activity that caters to the entire family without breaking the bank.

Shoot Experience has launched a Shoot London Treasure Map that caters for just that. The simple package that was sent to me comes with a simple map of central London flanked by Waterloo Bridge (west), Barbican (North), Tower Bridge (East) and Borough Rd (South), neatly inserted into a waterproof pouch (lanyard attached) and a plastic compass that actually works (I've verified that).

A light waterproof package is what you get

The idea is to go around the prescribed area spotting the sights and attractions using clues such as

"Officially rebuilt five times since original conception, this dome still dominates."

If you're stumped, you can always head towards the online cheatsheet.

Once identified, the idea is to take photos of the sight/attractions and upload it online and apparently there are prizes to be won. Creativity is defintely one of the criteria to win yourself an Olympus camera. Shoot London Treasure Map can be obtained from the official website at £10 each.

I guess the weather is a letdown of late. If what BBC says is correct, we're looking at 'a touch of frost' for this coming week. You might think that Shoot London Treasure Map is not really for Londoners. Afterall, you have been walking past St. Paul's enough times for it to blend into the background. Hey, don't be a spoilsport. Rather than spending a lazy afternoon at Starbucks sipping overpriced latte, you may as well be going around the capital with your camera.

Who knows? You may stumble upon a side of London that you have never seen before. That's the way to keep the wintry blues away. One tip: Bring along a more detailed map, the one provided is a bit scanty. Enjoy!

London DLR - reality ceases to exist and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere comes alive

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I recall reading Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere way before I step foot in London. In the book, Gaiman skillfully splices the everyday life in London into what we perceived as reality or "London Above" and the part that we choose to ignore or "London Below".

In "London Below", everything exists in a separate plane and things do not work the same way the do in "London Above". Neverwhere went on to explore the London Underground stations where an Earl holds court at Earl's Court station, an Angel residing at Angel station and the terror of crossing the bridge engulfed by the darkness of the night at, you've guessed it - Knightsbridge.

I am travelling on the DLR this morning and it strucks me that reality ceases to exist once you step into a DLR station, and once you step into a DLR train, turning back is almost certainly impossible. It's like I have stepped into "London Below".

DLR time phenomenon - It will be a folly if you think that a DLR minute is equivalent to the minute as you understand. The moment you step into a DLR station, Einstein Theory of Relativity kicks in. Time is expanded within the confines of space. Not only each second becomes longer, the number of them in each minute increases.

I realise that an adjustment factor is in order and the current recommendation is 1.45. If it says on the display panel that the train to Lewisham will arrive in say 5min, the 'real' time is just over 7min. Don't take my word for it, check it out yourself.

Technology ceases to exist - Considering the amount of money being poured into the DLR every year (to be honest, I don't know how much that is but I'm sure 'a lot' is just about right), you would expect the station and staff to be equipped with the most advanced weaponary, ahem, I mean equipment, right?

When Jubilee Line conveniently broke down during the peak evening hours, everybody crowded to the DLR station at Canary Wharf. The result was bodies jammed pack against each other in every square feet of the platform (the '2012' scene where people desperate to board the giant ships imediately comes into mind). Instead of using the public announcement system, DLR staff squeezed through the crowds and screaming directions at the top of their voices. Loudspeakers? What's that?

The tunnel of nothingness - the DLR trains pulls into Bank and everyone steps out as that's where the train terminates. I alight at one end of the platform and proceed to the opposite end as the train doors close.

There is a loud thumping and I look up. There is a man who is still in a carriage. He throws himself at the glass panel to attract my attention - the 'door open' button no longer works when the train is in Bank.

He looks at me in despair as the DLR train pulls away from Platform 10 into a tunnel of darkness. We are told that the train will eventually remerges on Platform 9 facing the opposite direction. That's what they will like us to believe. I never saw the man again.

Life exists on a parallel plane on the DLR

When Neil Gaiman writes about 'London Below' in Neverwhere, he wasn't imagining things. Somewhere in the abyss beneath London, there is a land without loudspeakers. And a man trapped in the ever expanding time space.

Image of Neverwhere by digitalmuse

Roger Federer vs Andy Murray - Barclays ATP 2009 at London's O2. What a difference a match makes...

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:51:00 +0000

The crowd is excited for they have braved the drizzle and howling winds blowing across London to witness the clash between two tennis greats - World number 1 and World number 4.

Some have booked their tickets way in advance without knowing the match line-up while many have gotten theirs on the resale market often at a high premium.

But they have all come to O2 to back one of their own.

"Let us all put our hands together to welcome the World number 4 and British number 1 (with a unashamedly deliberate drawl)... Andy Murray!"

The horde goes wild, clapping their hands sore and yelling their voices hoarse, "Andy, Andy, Andy!".

A two page interview of Andy Murray featured in Wall Street Journal before the match reflects a confident player

If a match can be won merely by the amount of support a player has, Roger Federer would have gone back home a defeated man without serving a ball, it's as simple as that.

Andy Murray walks out of the dressing room with the camera fixated on him. His trademark sullen look hardens when he emerges into the arena.

The crowd catches sight of their champion and goes ballistic. He looks up and for the briefest of moment manages a half a smile before striding purposefully towards his seat knowing fully what is expected of him.

Roger Federer is out next. You can sense the immense respect the spectators have got for this legend, arguably the best tennis player of all time. Even hardcore Andy Murray fans cheered for him begrudgingly. He smiled to the crowd and raised his racket for a moment in acknowledgement while walking calmly to his seat.

The umpire tosses the coin and it's in Federer's favour. He surprises everyone and chooses to receive for the first game. After a couple of minutes warming up, both players take their positions. Murray throws the ball up and smacks it towards Federer who manages to return it without too much trouble. The first point goes to Federer only after a prolonged rally. The spectators know that the trouble that they went through getting their tickets will not come to naught.

The crows went wild at London's O2

As the game progresses, it become quite clear who the better player is. Murray depends greatly on his agility and the power of his serves. He manages to score a number of aces at the appropriate times and took the first set 3-6. Federer, on the other hand, exudes confidence through the fluidity of his movements. He hardly moves across the court as there is rarely a need to. He takes the second set with 6-3.

Something just snaps in Murray in the last set. His serves land in the net more often than across the court. He is frustrated and hits his head with his racket. The Murray supporters, having sense the end is near, is noticeably subdued as the Federer supporters smell blood. Federer goes in for the kill and finishes Murray off in the final set with 6-1.

A dejected Andy Murray after the match - Evening Standard

On hindsight, I wonder whether Murray knows what hit him. Granted that Federer doesn't have Murray's power but he makes it up with the maturity in his play. We know what happens when a player leans on physical strength and Nadal is a point in case. That night, Murray's sullenness failed to wipe the smug off Federer's face.

MenKind - where to get presents for men this Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:43:00 +0000

A female colleague asked me in the pantry yesterday on what to get for her guy friend for Christmas. It seems she gets the feeling that he doesn't quite like the gifts that she has got for him previously. Naturally, I asked her what she has gotten for him and she went like, "Well, you know, stuff like wallets, sweaters, shoes…"

Can't blame the guy really. Seriously, getting a present that guys like isn't exactly rocket science. Given a choice, guys generally prefer gadgets and items with crass humour, definintely not fashion accessories. This is for the ladies out there: the rule of thumb is to get something that you probably wouldn't want to receive yourself.

Think Xbox 360 games, cufflinks with cheeky messages and silly electronic toys. You get the idea.

If you're still in a fix, there is always MenKind, which newest branch opens at Angel Islington. Marketing itself as the one stop shop to to get presents and toys for men and big boys, Menkind is one of the few stores catering to the big kid in every guy.

I took the opportunity to pop in during the weekend and was suitably impressed with what they've got. Godfather figurines, a full roulette set with chips included, bendy figurines to act out your ultimate kamasutra positions (hmm...), a furry dog toy that does nothing but rolls around and laughs (nice!), even a bathing robe that reads Italian Stallion.

Granted that they are not refine presents that you feel like you should be getting your guy, but to be honest, we would very much prefer these to a Braun Buffel wallet that we spend most of our time sitting on.

I was fixated on this for a full two minutes. I rest my case.

Now he has something to do in his free time

An open invitation to his mates to pop by for a game or two

Tell him that he's the Stallion

Frank Skinner's Credit Crunch Cabaret review - an evening of riotous laughter Frank Skinner's style

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Like Karinsulai, I like Michael McIntyre. You can't really fault him for his brand of clean cut humour; he picks at daily encounters (on the London Underground, at hotel buffet tables, getting spit on incidentaly when chatting) that we can easily relate to.

Michael McIntyre's "Man Drawer"

In fact, his comedy is so safe that there was this teeny bit of stunned silence among the audience when he mentioned that the first word that a Scottish baby utter is the word 'bastard' during his stand up comedy performance in Scotland. But that went well in the end.

Shappi Khorsandi is another comedian who plays it safe. Her routine is largely self deprecating and her targets invariably coincide with public opinion - British National Party, the Iranian regime (as she puts it), you get the idea.

Shappi Khorsandi - "Live at Apollo"

Enter Frank Skinner.

People love Frank Skinner because he is nothing like Michael McIntyre and Shappi Khorsandi. In his Credit Crunch Cabaret, he went all over a girl seated on the front row wearing a red cap, asking her whether she had cancer. Halfway through, he wondered why two people with Down Syndrome didn't give each other a thumbs up when they walked past each other.

He was unstoppable from then on.

When he asked a volunteer to climb over a barrier and get up the stage, he joked that he would feel real bad if that volunteer was on a wheelchair. He went on to ask if there was any Chinese in the theatre and caught sight of two who were seated near the front. "Are you Chinese Chinese or are you British Chinese? You would know if I go and say some Chinese gibberish, would you? Something along the lines of 'hee haw lei haa'. Darn.".

The audience lapped it all up. Those who were a bit hesitant initially merrily joined in the chorus during Frank's charming "Credit Crunch Cabaret" banjo (his signature instrument) number. You get a feeling that with him, anything goes and the fact that a number went back to the same show repeatedly (Frank named and spoke to them during the show) said quite a bit.

As Frank said, "My Manager nearly fainted when I told him that I'm going to do a show and sell tickets at only 10 quid". Well, I'm sure glad he did go on and do just that.

Frank Skinner's "Oh Oh Oh Oh Osama Bin Laden" in a seperate performance

But I thought that the star in Credit Crunch Cabaret on 16 Nov wasn't Frank Skinner himself but one of his guest performers who mime his way through two songs. I tried Googling for him but was not able to find any trace of him. Would definitely appreciate if anyone (anyone at all) would let me know who is the guy behind that hilarious act. Cheers!

Marmite oven baked cashew nuts - Waitrose fuels the Great Marmite Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:07:00 +0000

I'm not sure whether it's just me but despite my best efforts, I've yet to acquire a taste for Marmite.

It's not like I've started late - Mum, who for some reason, thought that it was healthy and used to mix a healthy does of that with my porridge when I was a kid. Decades later, though I don't dislike it, I still find Marmite's taste a cross between soy sauce and concentrated chicken essence. In other words, a bit weird. Then again, that's coming from a durian lover.

Well, I'm obviously the minority here in London. The English do not only have Marmite on toast, they buy Marmite by the buckets. The other day, I saw Marmite coated cashew nuts in Waitrose at Brunswick Square. Am I surprised? Hardly, considering that Waitrose carries Marmite Cereal Bars as well and even market a premium brand of Marmite though I've yet to figure out the difference between that and the usual ones.

To top it all, I actually saw a advert on a Tube train that was advertising for an online shopping portal. At the top of the recommended presents for this Christmas is... yep, a tub of Marmite. There you go, no need to fret shopping for presents this festive season!

Marmite lovers, say "Aye"!

Londoners' obsession with sending cards - yep, those 'Season Greetings' cards

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Londoners' obsession with their cards never fails to fascinate me. By cards, I mean the ones that you pop into a shop when you have nothing better to get for someone on a special occasion. Could be a birthday, anniversary, wedding, retirement - there is a card for any occasion.

There are even cards for lesser occasions - "thinking of you" (sent only when you are anything but), "missing you" (ditto), "I'm sorry" (if it comes to that, I seriously doubt a card will help), “Congratulations on your promotion!” (that should have been mine), “Get well soon” (I can’t be doing two persons’ work all the time), “Welcome back!” (now get on with it). I could go on and on. But let's face it. You bought a card only because you have absolutely no idea what else to give and you deem the receiver only worthy of a recycled paper folded into halves with some stuff printed on it.

I was in the lift when I noticed that a colleague was carrying a Scribbler paper carrier.

"Someone's birthday coming?" I took a stab.

"Yep, I only realised my husband's birthday is tomorrow and I thought I'll just grab a card first." There you have it.

"I supposed you told him that you have a surprise for him…".

"But of course! Now I just have to think about what that'll be". But hey, at least he's getting a card.

If you have to get a card, you can either get one of those cards filled with words and just sign off at the bottom (why reinvent the wheel?) or a blank card and go on to write an 500 word essay. Either way, please, for gawdsake, do not get a blank card and just sign it off. It reminds me of the faceless PR people sending off tons of Seasons Greetings cards to the unfortunate souls who bought something from the company a decade ago.

Anyway, the season of card sending is here again. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief in London when Royal Mail called off the impending strike (for now). Let the cards sending begin. What joy!

Get your charity Christmas cards for National Autistic Society here.

Japan Centre's new location at London's Lower Regent Street - bigger, spankier and more fanciful

noreply@blogger.com (C K) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Those who have a soft spot for anything Japanese would be glad to find out that the Japan Centre at London Piccadilly has moved to a location with a larger shop at Lower Regent Street, which is a mere 5 minute stroll from its former site along Piccadilly.

The new Japan Centre, beside Mitsukoshi (and Mitsukoshi Restaurant ), stocks the regular Japanese groceries that we are familiar with and much more. With its additional floor space, there is now a seafood counter, a full size bakery and an extended eating area for its sushi counter that has proven to be a hit.

Pre-packed sashimi at the fish and meat counter

It seemed that the staff are still in the process of stocking up the shop's shelves when we were there two weeks back as the display was quite rather sparse as compared to the Piccadilly shop. Probably I was just addicted to the joy of finding something that I was looking for in the crammed displays in the old shop; the new Japan Centre does reminds me a bit of Mugen with its cleaner layout.

Some great gifts to be had here

Tempura at the sushi counter

We were tempted by the tempura don (rice) shrink wrapped in clear plastic in its red plastic bowls. After paying at the till, we took it to the sushi counter to be heated up. The staff popped it into the microwave for exactly 45 seconds and we tucked into it at the tables without much fanfare. I must say that at £6 per serving, it was a bit on the costly side.

Japanese styled cockery

However, that didn't prevent me from getting some shabu shabu for our steamboat and packets of instant noodles.

Oh, do consider heading to Mitsukoshi Restaurant next door for lunch if you are heading to Japan Centre for your groceries.

Japan Centre

14-16 Regent Street

London SW1Y 4PH