KooshLog

Hungry? Must Eat!

2009-12-19T01:41:00.004+08:00

"Cousin-in-law" has a new camera and food blog. Check out his site:

http://hungrymusteat.blogspot.com

Capacity for learning ...

2009-12-19T01:31:00.010+08:00

The boy has been using my iPhone has figured out how to use the intuitive "swiping" navigation technique for some time now. He also knows how to recognise familiar faces in photographs. So last week after enjoying a nice lunch at NYNY with a huge root beer float *sluurrpps!* :P, I decided to test if he is able to combine these 2 skills ...

Singapore Street View

2009-12-06T14:47:00.014+08:00

Google Maps has finally done street view for Singapore.

Here are a few of my favourite scenes:

Kranji Dam
KPE Tunnel
Benjamin Sheares Bridge
Mandai Road
Old Upper Thomson Road (No feeding the monkeys!)
Changi Coast Road
Lim Chu Kang Road a.k.a. "40 Tiang" (Watch out for highway patrol!)
Yishun Dam
Airport Blvd
Telok Paku @ Changi Beach
Kg Wak Hassan

Who knows, if you are lucky, you may spot yourself in the street view scene!

Farm Food

2009-12-06T02:02:00.005+08:00

Recently, I've bookmarked these 3 eateries which were once purely agricultural places. They were all near our home so we decided to check them out.

Firstly, Vanilla Pod. This is the most classy of the 3 places. Nice classy restaurant with great view and ambience in the afternoon. See my previous blog entry here.

Petals and Leaves Bistro (click for slideshow)

Secondly, last week we went to the Petals and Leaves Bistro. Slightly further away in the Kranji area. The food choices were not as extensive as a normal restaurant but were quite adequate. Choices were mainly "western" dishes with some local selections.

They had a big pond for fishing (not sure what kind of fish though) and an activity corner for children. There is also an outdoor playground (although it is a bit run down). This place also has facilities for wedding/dinner receptions and farmstays. Overall, a nice place to have lunch or even stay for a quiet weekend.

Poison Ivy Bistro (click for slideshow)

Finally, this weekend we went to Poison Ivy. SIL saw our photos from Petals and Leaves so we decided to have a family outing to the Kranji area for lunch.

Compared to P&L, it was more "farm like". For $2 you can walk into their farm and see where they grow their organic veggies, which were also available for sale and for lunch. The food on their menu were all local dishes. We ordered quite a bit and the food tastes home cooked and quite nice. Price wasn't too expensive. We had healthy brown rice and quite a number of dishes and it cost us only about $10 per head.

We'll definitely be back to Kranji. Who knows, maybe farm hopping next time?

If you are interested, here's a LINK to google maps to get started. More info can also be found here: http://www.kranjicountryside.com/

Jailbreak

2009-11-26T07:14:00.002+08:00

Trying to get used to the new Simpson's iPhone ...

It's been a while ...

2009-11-23T17:52:00.007+08:00

4th October 2009, that was the last entry on this blog.

Things have been pretty crazy in October and November.

First of all, the bid which we have been working hard on over the past year has just been awarded. HURRAH! What that meant was a whole bunch of preparation work in mid-October, followed by a LONG (2 week) training trip up to San Diego.

Pacific Ocean Sunset, La Jolla, San Diego (Click for slideshow)

San Diego Trip
Many people say that San Diego has got one of the best climates in the world, and I couldn't agree more. It's nice, cool and dry all year round. Not much natural disasters and generally a nice, peaceful place to live in.

Anyway, our training here was pretty tiring as we had a continuous 10 days of training (Yes, INCLUDING weekends). This is because of the tight schedule and as such we cannot afford to delay the start of the project because of training. In spite of this, we still managed to go out in the evenings for dinner, some shopping and generally to soak in some of the evening sights.

All in all, it was a fruitful trip. Fruitful in the sense that both the official (i.e. training) and unofficial (i.e. shopping and eating) objectives were achieved. :D

Back Home
After the tiring trip, we had only 1 day of rest before work started. And work was full day meetings and discussions for almost 2 more continuous weeks! Nothing much exciting to blog here though.

Finally
Now that the initial stage of the project is done, we can finally take a short breather before the next phase starts in a week's time. (Just to let you know in case you do not see any more updates here, you know I am busy working. REALLY.)

-= SONDAMBI =-

2009-10-04T21:53:00.007+08:00

What do you get when you put a Korean chio bu together with some others plus catchy/funky music? SONDAMBI!! And very entertaining MVs :-D

iPhone 3GS

2009-10-04T20:28:00.012+08:00

I was looking around for a phone for some time since a couple of months ago. My main criteria was that the phone must allow me to enter data fairly quickly and have a large enough screen for surfing the net, so I narrowed it down to the Nokia N97 because it has an external keyboard.

In the end, curiosity about the new iPhone 3GS got the better of me, and now I am the owner of a 32GB 3GS ... and a SingTel contract.

I've been using the 3GS for nearly a month now. My phone is not "jailbroken" and is currently running on OS 3.1. This is what I think:

Likes:
- fast and smooth user friendly interface
- a whole lot of applications available
- Huge built-in memory for all kinds of stuff
- keyboard in landscape mode works better than a physical one (I can type almost as fast as if I am on a full sized keyboard now!)
- Location based services aplenty, and current location is determined quite accurately
- many accessories in the market

Dislikes:
- iTunes not exactly very zippy or user friendly. Not used to their "sync" concept.
- Battery power lasts about a day (less if you use Wifi and 3G data)
- Proprietary OS imposes restrictions on developer's apps (e.g. developer's applications are single threaded and not multi-threaded) I used to have a timer application running on my Nokia to remind me when to put my eyedrops. The iPhone has a similar app but requires it to run in the foreground. If you close it, it doesn't work anymore.
- A number of restrictions on the OS, most noticeable is the lack of Bluetooth file transfer (i.e. I cannot send files or pictures to someone else using Bluetooth)
- You cannot replace the built-in Calendar application with a better third party application
- There is no TASKS and TODO lists available on the iPhone
- The battery is part of the phone and not user replaceable.

I'm sure there's more but these are just the main ones which I can think about right now. Overall it is a good phone, but does it live up to it's hype? Well almost ...

Updates

2009-10-04T09:15:00.003+08:00

A friend told me that my blog has not been updated for some time now. My reply was that there was either nothing to blog about (totally unbelievable) or most of the recent events are more private and not suitable to be posted in a public blog. It is actually more the latter.

Anyhow, this is my first post after a long break (skipped the whole of September in fact), just to say that I am still around. :)

Lunch @ Vanilla Pod

2009-08-30T14:14:00.007+08:00

Decided to try out Vanilla Pod for a nice quiet Saturday lunch as it was near our place. When we reached there just after 12pm, it was quiet. Wandered around and found the restaurant after asking the staff. The main restaurant is hidden behind the garden. There is also a cafe/bar at the front with nice cosy sofas (maybe next time can try chilling out here).

Anyway, we weren't big eaters so we ordered soup and shared a plate of pork knuckles which we almost couldn't finish. Overall the ambience was really nice and peaceful. Good place for a stress free lunch or chit-chat.

Will probably come back here to try other stuff on their menu like pasta, pizzas and dessert.

Trabeculectomy

2009-07-30T11:23:00.010+08:00

Most of the people whom I know who have recently gone for eye surgery were to improve their vision, and I will be going today too, but it's to save mine. Yes, the right eye which has stabilised for the past year has gone hay-wire again. The IOP (i.e. eye-pressure) spiked again, even when I am on 3 types of meds. This leaves me not much of a choice but to go for a Trabeculectory to relieve the pressure.

The op is this afternoon and I am supposed to fast from 10:30 am. I just finished my last sip from my Slurpee about an hour ago and I'm already feeling a bit thirsty :P. Anyway, hope this op will fix this problem once and for all.

---[Updates]---------

30 Jul 2009:
Reached early for surgery. Drove myself and Dad there. Wifey would be driving us home after the op. The surgery went pretty smoothly although it was kinda scary at times. Especially when injecting anesthetic near the eye and during the surgery itself. The entire duration was about half-hour, and near the end it was a bit painful as I can feel the stitching done near the cornea as the anesthetic was wearing out.

31 Jul 2009:
First review at the doc went ok. Doc said the op went "uneventfully". Did some cleaning up of the eye and Doc said pressure was at 8 mm/Hg (Ideal is about 10-12 mm/Hg).

3 Aug 2009:
Second review at the doc. Doc measured pressure and it dropped to 4 mm/Hg. Was told to reduce frequency of medication to help increase the pressure. Next review on Wed.

12 Aug 2009:
Third review at the doc. Doc measured pressure and it was still at 4 mm/Hg. He did not seem too concerned as he is confident that the healing process will eventually bring up the pressure. Further check on the retina and vessels did not show any bleeding or wrinkling so everything seemed to be fine. Next review will be 2 weeks later.

24 Aug 2009: Fourth review at the doc. Eye was feeling prickly and the surface of the eye seems to have some wrinkling whenever I look to the centre. So went to see the doc earlier to see if anything is wrong. Thought I would have a long wait since I didn't have an appointment but surprisingly there weren't much patients. Doc checked and said it was ok, the wrinking was caused by excess fluid being filtered out and showed that the Trabeculectomy was working fine. Pressure was up to 6 mm/Hg, just out of the official hypotony range. Vision has improved slightly and the next review will be in mid-Sep.

Orchard Central

2009-07-05T09:25:00.010+08:00

Yesterday was wifey's facial appointment again. So I was a CentrePoint kid for an hour or so. Was a bit lazy so spent some time in the car listening to music before heading out to the mall to take a walk around. Didn't manage to buy anything during that half hour walk though.

After wifey was done, we went over to the new Orchard Central mall just across the road from CentrePoint. It was an interesting experience. Designed by DP Architects and developed by Far East Organisation, it is touted as Singapore's first "Vertical Mall" at Orchard. The building is narrow and tall. Even though not all the shops were open, you could get a feel of how it would be like when it is fully "operational".

The building has lots of steel and glass. Glass lifts and plenty of escalators. They even have a rock climbing area at the long and narrow atrium. Yesterday, they were playing jive music and some shoppers (not sure of they were really shoppers) were dancing the jive at the atrium!

The shopping area is divided into various clusters. There are 12 floors in total with about 8 floors of shopping. All the levels are longish in design. Some of the shops are "open concept" and you actually walk through them without knowing where is the actual "entrance". Most of the retail shops are fashion with some sports shops on the 4th and 5th level. Although the concept is refreshing, it could get a bit confusing trying to navigate through the shops.

The highlight of the day was the rooftop garden at the 11th and 12th floor. Although not officially ready, we managed to walk through the "construction area" and got to see the view from the top floor of OC, nice! I think the view would be much nicer at night. I am also guessing that there is going to be some restaurants on the roof garden when it is complete. Too bad I did't bring my camera along. Will definitely come back again to take a look next time.

Comparing Home Loans

2009-07-04T13:30:00.005+08:00

If you are looking at financing (or re-financing) your property in Singapore to save $$$. Check out this website => SMARTLOANS.SG

Has a cool wizard to perform calculations for you, and you can see what the various banks are offering before contacting them for more details.

Sanctuary

2009-07-03T22:49:00.007+08:00

Everybody has their little space in the world. Some find comfort in a little place at home, some at the poolside, at the beach or even (yes) in the bathroom.

Mine just happens to be in a little portable 1.5m x 2.5m space behind the steering wheel. Yes, it's the car.

It's where I spend 2 hours a day (or more), and I enjoy the time when I am driving alone on the way back home. Whether I'm sad, stressed, angry etc. a slow drive home with the appropriate music usually fixes things.

Even during the day, this little private sanctuary provides comfort during lunchtime or when I need a break from the office. Because it is portable, I can choose my environment and ambience depending on my mood.

Anyway, today was no exception. With several things on my mind, the usual 20 minute drive took me twice as long, and the music twice as loud. Surprisingly, I wasn't even bothered by all the inconsiderate drivers...

Imagine ...

2009-07-03T22:29:00.014+08:00

Your Section had received orders to take this very important hill at all costs. Intel informed you that the area is lightly defended, so you take only what you need. When you arrived, you find yourself surrounded by a well entrenched platoon, supported by mortar fire. You press on ...

It was an uphill battle. One Section against so many enemy troops, you are outnumbered. Fighting for days, you grow tired. Reinforcements are badly needed, but none were in sight. You begin to wonder about the real importance of this hill ...

Suddenly, HQ radios in that reinforcements were available. They join in the fight. However, as they were engaging the enemy, some of your comrades are hit by their friendly fire ...

Through the smoke, you can see the objective at the top of the hill is now near. The battle is nearly over. In a hours time, you could be standing on top of the hill and planting your flag. However, even though the battle could be won, the war is not over.

Your troops are exhausted and some are wounded. You are still stuck with your reinforcements, and there is a high chance of an enemy counter attack. The question is, will you stay and defend because of that piece of land, or because you fought so hard for it?

Flock 2.5

2009-06-27T01:22:00.001+08:00

Testing out posting a blog entry using Flock 2.5, the "Social" web browser ...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Palawan Beach

2009-06-27T00:26:00.007+08:00

It's been ages since I set foot on a beach. So last Monday we took the opportunity to take leave and bring the boy to let him experience sand under his feet. We chose Monday morning because there would be less people at the beach, even though it is currently the school holidays.

Reached there bright and early (10 a.m.) and immediately found a nice secluded spot (with a shelter) at the breakwater on Palawan Beach. Had our KFC breakfast at the private beach with the birds (and a squirrel!). The weather that day was really nice and cool. If only I had brought a hammock ... :-)

Anyway, after breakfast, the boy experienced sand for the first time. He initially stood on one leg (the one with the shoe still on) ... and after removing both shoes, he didn't dare to move after walking a few steps! I guess either he is not used to the prickly sand, or maybe his feet are still too sensitive.

Anyhow, it was a nice relaxing morning and we left before it got too hot at noon. Maybe next time can come back to explore Siloso Beach (more happening) or Tanjong Beach (more private).

Click HERE for the slideshow

Father's Day 2009

2009-06-21T00:53:00.009+08:00

This is the first Father's Day that I am officially "celebrating". Last year, the boy was only 1 month old. So the attention was on the 1 month celebrations.

Anyway, lunch was on wifey (of course, and just as well since I lost my wallet the day before!), and I picked the location. Chose Friends @ Jelita because they currently have a 1-for-1 promotion going on for their set lunch and dinner.

Their set lunch and dinner is a tad expensive, so it was good that they had a 1-for-1. Anyway, the food is not bad. Enjoyed a peaceful lunch, mostly because the boy was asleep, but had to rush through dessert and tea as he was awake by then.

Click photo for slideshow.

Lost ...

2009-06-21T00:09:00.005+08:00

Have you ever done something and later you realised that it's the dumbest thing you have ever done? That happened to me last Friday.

To keep a long story short, I basically left my wallet on top of the car. Moral of the story is not to leave anything OUTSIDE the car. If you have to leave something, dump it somewhere INSIDE (unless you want to lose it of course).

Being "Cool"

2009-06-07T16:37:00.011+08:00

The boy is growing fast. It is amazing to see him develop his skills, especially his emotions. Luckily for us, being happy is something which he tends to show quite often. Soon, he will learn a host of other emotions, some desirable and others not, and these will be displayed freely.

Once upon a time, we were all like this, free with our emotions. I don't know when one starts to learn to put a "filter" on them. Different people learn different "filters" and I guess that partly contributes to the development of our personality.

I don't get called names often but the ones that I always hear are things like "Mr. Cool" or "Cool Man" etc. Why? I guess I may have too many "filters" in place. How did they get there? Maybe it's being the eldest in the family, or having to take on more responsibility and provide a good example to siblings. Well, no idea really.

How does one change then? I got a clue from last week's course on leadership. The trainer mentioned that the human mind consists of 10% consciousness and 90% unconsciousness. To get to the 90%, we have to go through that 10%. My guess is that all these filters are in that unconscious part of the brain and I will need to exercise a lot of practice through the conscious brain in order to effect a change.

So technically it seems one can change his or her personality, and it's really a matter of conscious re-learning.

Commitment

2009-06-07T16:20:00.012+08:00

What is commitment?

Does doing a project and working more than 100 hours of OT, sacrificing valuable family time and having your health affected count?

What happens when after all these, the boss of the project tells your team to stop "messing around" and wants to put everyone in a room for a week to "focus" on completing more tasks?

Is it a question of commitment? Productivity? Or is there some other motive?

A Tale of two House-cleaners

2009-06-07T16:09:00.012+08:00

We have a house-cleaner which comes every alternate week to clean up the house. Recently, we had to change to another cos the previous one decided to do some food business.

Anyway, both are friends and they are from China. However, when it comes to working, one of them will spend 10% of the working time playing with the boy, and sometimes will take "urgent leave", resulting in us having to skip one week of cleaning or do it ourselves.

The other is very hardworking. She is here every week and even works to the extent of doing OT (overtime) for an extra half hour. Furthermore, she refused to accept payment for the OT saying that it was OK! What surprised us was that even though she is not making much, she gave the boy an Ang Pow for his birthday!

Luckily for us, this is our current house-cleaner. The next time she does OT we will insist on her getting paid. Where to find such attitude these days?

Hot Park

2009-06-06T16:22:00.007+08:00

In case you are wondering of there was a spelling error on the title of this entry, there isn't. The title appropriately describes our experience this morning at the HortPark off Alexandra Road.

We decided to bring the boy down to HortPark today for a short morning walk before lunch. I guess we were a bit late and the weather ended up very hot. There were plenty of things to see for the greenfinger but other than that, it was just heat and sweat. Anyway, we managed to explore most part of the park even though we had to rush from shade to shade.

If you are ever thinking of going there, best time is EARLY morning or LATE evening.

Click photo for slideshow.

Numbers

2009-05-23T07:22:00.006+08:00

As Wifey got out of the car with the boy, she suddenly stopped and stared. What's up, I asked. She told me to look at the cars in front ...

It's a sign. All the three cars parked in front of us had license plates with 2, 2, 3 & 4 in them. The first thing that came into our minds was "System Roll". Yeah, let's hope we get lucky.

Visit to the Zoo

2009-05-17T10:16:00.004+08:00

It's been ages since I've visited the zoo. The last time I was there, Kidz World wasn't even developed yet. So it was no wonder that I didn't know it existed till a colleague told me about it and I went to check the website.

Anyway, wifey got a weekday pass for the Zoo from her office, and it happens to cover the boy's actual birthday. So to give him an extra treat, and for us to take a break from the office, we decided to go make day trip to the Zoo.

Other than the usual pram, baby bag etc. I also brought along the K20D with 2 lenses. It was lots of stuff to carry around and I guess it was also great exercise.

Of the whole trip, the boy enjoyed himself thoroughly at the Kidz World wet play area. Spent at least 2 out of the 5 hours we were there!

Next time if you are planning to drop by the Zoo and Kidz World, I would recommend weekdays, even if it means taking leave. It is totally worth it!

Click on the photo below to see the slideshow.