Journey to the Heart

Thanksgiving - Friends

2009-12-29T01:35:00.003+08:00

Investing in the right group is a very important thing in life, it means the community that you are in and the friends that you may have, sharing life together. 2009 will be over in a couple of days, it's time for reflection again, time for thanksgiving. This Sunday gang has been going on for years and I mean, YEARS, it saw change of people within the group, people in and out, some are no longer in church anymore.

We saw transitions too, from school to work, from singles to courtship to breakups, singles to courtship then marriage, even first kid. This group has gone a long way, from the time when pastors and leaders were worried that we were being too inclusive to us learning to involve and reach out. I give thanks to the Lord for this group of friends, knowing that we have gone a long way and many more years to go for our friendship.

Solo Trip 2 - Cambodia - The Wats

2009-12-24T20:47:00.003+08:00

When Cambodia is mentioned, there are 2 places you ought to visit, the temples at Angkor Wat and the killing fields, but it would turn your vacation into an emotional one if you choose to visit the killing fields, that's one place I refused to go as I know it will be too much for me to take. On the other hand, I was really in awe of the culture and history of Angkor Wat and the temples built.

As So Thai narrated, I can't help but tried relating to the temples mentioned in the Bible, they could be as magnificent or even more than what was in front of my eyes. Imagine having to build huge temples without a single bolt or nails, besides the cravings of the ancient stories, the ancestors took into consideration their daily lives and recorded them for the generations after, it is exactly what I read from my history textbooks. Graduated from civil engineering from Poly and worked in an interior design company after, I understood the complexity of building and construction, what more, marrying design and engineering together. Those who build the temples were really amazing as they took into consideration the drainage system of the temples while working on beautifying them with all the incredible cravings.

Make sure you hire a guide when you visit the temples if you have not read the histories.

Bayon temple is one of the major attractions along the short circuit.

Ta Phrom is one of the biggest temples along the circuit, unfortunately, it is severely damaged and most of the area is under restoration.

Captured this when one of the monks was talking to the tourist

Solo trip 2 - Cambodia - Angkor Wat

2009-12-17T11:54:00.003+08:00

Angkor Wat is the main tourist attraction in Cambodia, which cannot be missed. Without reading much of the history about Angkor Wat, I wanted to visit with meaning, hence, the best was to hire a English Speaking guide to bring me around, explaining to me about the history of Angkor Wat and the temples around. There are 3 different types of temple ticket that travelers can purchase, 1 day, 3 days or 7 days, there used to be a rule that visitors have to visit the temples in 3 or 7 consecutive days but not anymore. Visitors have a week to use up their 3-day pass or a month for the 7-day pass. I have decided to go for 1 day only, afraid that I will be overdosed of temples at the end of the day.

There are 2 major circuits to go round the temples and with a day, I can only go by the short circuit, which allowed me to cover the major attractions.

My guide, So Thai, and tuk-tuk came to pick me up at 4.45am to set off for Sunset at Angkor wat, it took us less than 30 mins to arrive at the entrance to purchase the ticket. It was very cold in the morning, especially when we had to go past the forested area. We found a nice spot and positioned ourselves to wait for the sunrise. For many, we thought that it will be the usual sunrise that we see anywhere else, but not. Best sunrise seen at Angkor Wat is not looking at the sun shining at us literally, but the shadow and the light that shines through as it is rising. It was a beautiful scene! While waiting for the sun to rise, So Thai spent some time explaining to me some of the history of the temples. After the light came up, we adjourned to another location to experience the sunrise.

According to So Thai, we will be able to see the sun shining from the middle of Angkor Wat during every May, a very beautiful scene.

Solo Trip 2: Cambodia - Night 1

2009-12-15T18:52:00.007+08:00

After missing the morning flight, I kind of lost a day to roam and recce around Siem Reap, but it's all good. The guesthouse arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to pick me up from the airport and it saved me all the hassle having to get my way to the guesthouse (Mandalay Inn).

The sun in Cambodia set pretty early as it was winter, hence, I was greeted with chilly weather when I touched down at the airport. It was pretty messy when we tried to get into the custom as the officers needed us to fill up a health declaration form before entering the country, there was no order or whatsoever. Forgot to mention that 80% of my flight was filled with Caucasians, who flew in to do the Angkor Wat Half marathon, which I wanted to take part in as well, but didn't in the end. As this trip wasn't really planned for, there was no itinerary.

I was greeted with smiles at the guesthouse, ready to put my bag down and head off to explore the town. Siem Reap is not big at all, hence, it's really easy to get around and it helped that I stayed around the busy area. The people at the guesthouse were very friendly and helped me alot in recommending me places to go and getting transportation for me.

Headed off to town for some dinner hunt, and settled quickly at one of these street stalls as I was starving. Khmer food is the local food which you can find everywhere in Cambodia. As Cambodia is very near to Thailand and Vietnam, some of the cultures are pretty similar, food as well. There are lots of soup dishes and fried rice or noodles on the menu, except that they tend not to be spicy as the Thai food that we are used too.

Ended up with some Fried Noodles and pretty much similar to the Zi Char that we are used to in Singapore. Something different about Khmer food is that, they are not spicy and have lots of vegetables in the dish - I like! The noodles are the yellow noodles that we are used to at home, however, they are thinner.

First Night was recce-ing around, since I missed the day. After dinner, I roamed around, wanting to experience what is Siem Reap like. Once of the famous area in Siem Reap is the Pub Street, where you can find all the dining and drinking. However, when I stepped into the street, I felt as if I want in London or something, as 100% of the patrons sitting around are all Caucasians. It is exactly like Bali and the Patong beach in Phuket, where locals will not be able to afford to patronise the restaurants in the area.

The other popular area for tourists is the Angkor Night Market, where they have all the souvenirs that you can buy back for friends and family. There are tons of stalls in the market, but most of which sell similar things, so it really depends on your bargaining skills and which stall owners are willing to cut the prices that you desire.

Solo trip 2 - Cambodia

2009-12-15T00:23:00.002+08:00

Two years ago, I decided to embark on this journey of solo traveling. Having to share a room with my sister since young, never had a chance to sleep alone or live alone in the future, if I ever get married, hence, traveling alone is the best chance for me to have my own space.

Cambodia is a vacation that I didn't have the time to plan, ticket was bought during Silkair's promotion in September but I didn't nothing since, except for asking around and making reservations for my lodging. Worst of all, I had to miss my flight, but thank God that it's Silkair, meaning, they changed my flight without me having to pay any surcharge. In turn, I managed to spend time with Glen and the kids, which I am thankful for, since I didn't get to go to Hong Kong with them.

Overall, Cambodia was a great experience, everyday was met with answered prayers and I'm really glad that I had the break. Solo traveling can become an addiction, but I do hope that I won't have the chance for such, hoping that future traveling can be with loved ones.

Will be in Cambodia

2009-12-04T02:14:00.003+08:00

Bought the air ticket a couple of months back, and finally it's time for me to leave on a jet plane again. Though it's not the 1 month trip to Australia that I went for last year, but it's my 2nd solo trip! Have been really swarmed with work, hence, didn't have the time to plan for my trip, everything is fluid right now, but it's should be fine. Excitement finally set in yesterday and I really can't wait to board the plane! I'll be back in a week, don't miss me too much.

Ma Maison

2009-12-01T21:31:00.003+08:00

First of all, I think my blog is becoming a travel and food blog *grin* It's ok, there will be more travel photos coming up after next week.

Met up with XY for an impromptu dinner last night and we went to this Japanese-French place, Ma Maison at Bugis. When I first came with my colleagues for lunch, was amazed by the decor as it reminded me of those restaurants that I saw in Tokyo a couple of years. Really love the ambience there, it feels like home! It happened to be Ladies' night and we got 20% off the bill, we saved quite abit for dinner and we've only paid $25 each, considering the amount of food we ate.

Clockwise From top left: Famous Escargots, Hanayaki Beef rice, Ma Maison Hamburger Steak, Beef stew with Butter rice

It was a full beef meal for us, we thought we would waste food looking at the portions, but surprisingly, we finished everything in the end. It was really delicious and I recommend everyone to experience yourself. Just be sure that you go there earlier as you may have to queue for quite a while.

Post Exam

2009-11-26T01:23:00.003+08:00

After my paper on Thursday, decided to reward myself with a long weekend. Turned out that Pa and Ma didn't have to do business on Friday, I decided to go for a swim with them. Recently, they decided that they need to be active and healthy, hence, swimming became a weekly routine for them. It's been forever since I spend time with them alone, so it was quite a new experience for me. We sent my bro to camp and then headed for breakfast, where ma could do some 'shopping'. Went to Queenstown swimming complex for a swim, and the pool was almost empty on a Friday morning. I did my usual training while they did their own stuff, it was a nice time spent and I wished everyday could be like that. But well, in my dreams I guess.

The photo above was taken by my Blackberry and was posted on my tweet.

Post Exam - Fried Rice

2009-11-19T21:05:00.002+08:00

Fried rice is the first dish my grandma taught me to cook when I was in Primary 2. After my paper today, I decided to go for some retail therapy at Bukit Panjang Plaza. Went NTUC for some grocery shopping, and wanted to cook some fried rice with the leftover rice. This fried rice has been the only fried rice that I ever know how to cook, it reminds me of the memories of grandma.

Pre-Exam meal

2009-11-19T20:59:00.002+08:00

This semester did not go well at all, I didn't have time for revision at all, just too difficult to get leave. Managed to get a half day before the paper. I would normally cook instant noodles for my meals and didn't really bother to go downstairs to get food. Coincidentally, mum cooked some mui cai, so I needed to do was to cook some rice and it's a meal. I added a can of button mushrooms into the mui cai for variety and oven baked some luncheon meat. This was my lunch and dinner.

The Muji Experience - Tiramisu

2009-11-19T20:48:00.002+08:00

Tiramisu is one of my favourite dessert, with the smoothness and the mix of coffee and a little twist of alcohol. The last time I made Tiramisu was a couple of years back when I was working in ESPN, I made it for my seniors. it may look easy to do, but it is definitely not easy to get the right texture of the moose. With Muji's Tiramisu, you don't have to worry, all you need is milk and the rest is taken care of. It is really easy to prepare, just blend the mix and milk together for 2 mintues, you got the moose. Pour into the container for it to set about an hour and sift the chocolate powder which is included, and refrigerate it.

I shall make the sponge next time and I believe it will taste better.

The Muji Experience - Fried Rice Jambaraya

2009-11-18T20:47:00.002+08:00

This is the first time that I tried out the fried rice products of Muji. One packet serves 2 persons, and it is very easy to cook, you may want to try next time. It has mushrooms and chicken cubes inside.

Instructions: Wash rice for 2 person in rice cooker, pour the mix into rice and mix well, leave it to cook. Once the rice is cooked, you may want to add more ingredients, I added some luncheon meat in 20 mins before eating.

I was home, so the portion for 2 was my lunch and dinner.

A Gift

2009-11-13T01:02:00.003+08:00

It's my boss' last day today, sigh, change is the only constant right? So it seems like boss changing is pretty constant for our team too. My direct boss is someone whom I learned alot from, she's a mentor, a friend, she's one who's not afraid to lecture me and she's one who is not stingy in her praises to us as well. It's sad to have her leave us, but we wish her all the best as well.

Here is a gift from her, all 3 of us have a personalized pen from her, each with a symbolic color and with our names engraved on it. It's a pleasant surprise, a really nice gesture from her. We'll really miss her!

Growing up

2009-11-09T01:13:00.000+08:00

This little chap has grown up so much, he has been such a great joy. He will be a fine young man in years to come.

Doesn't his smile melt your heart?

爱心 dinner

2009-11-08T23:41:00.000+08:00

Had the privilege of having the Daddy & Mummy cooked dinner for me. It's rare, as I haven't had homecooked food for a while, it's heartwarming for me. Recently, there have been so many weddings going on, one which I totally forgot yesterday. Conversations at dinner table with friends have been surrounded with home affairs, something which I want to experience as well. Times when I do wonder, when will my turn come, but I do know that it's all in God's hands and it's all according to His timing.

A word for Mr & Mrs Tay, thanks for the love that you shower upon me. I really am touched. Thank you!

It's time for Mould & Paint

2009-11-08T22:51:00.000+08:00

One of my duties during the visit was to accompany Kymmie with Mould & Paint. We did dinosaurs and we are still wondering why Kymmie likes them so much. After painting for abit, Kym grew sleepy out of a sudden, hence, I had to continue with the work.

It was fun I must say, haven't done art & craft for a while, and I loved it. As a handy person, I totally enjoyed the moment that I was left to do the work, below are photos that the Daddy took as evidence.

Here are the end products, and they glow in the dark too :)

Fantastic 4 missing 1

2009-11-08T22:48:00.000+08:00

Baby Desiree was there with Daddy for a visit. We've decided to attempt to take photos of the 3 of them together, missing Elsbeth in it, hence, the fantastic 4 is missing 1, but still, it's worth the attempts.

Which one do you like best?

The photographer in the making

2009-11-08T22:21:00.000+08:00

Kym likes to take photos with my G9 whenever she gets hold of it and she is always limited to a couple of shots. Seriously, she has one of the requirements needed to be a good photographer - steady hands.

The Siblings moment

2009-11-07T22:12:00.000+08:00

Finally got to spend some time with the Tays after awhile. Just thought that I should that before their Bintan trip next week, and of course, photo-taking sessions are not to be missed.

This photo is a fantastic representation of Kym & Zach, it's amazing how these 2 have grown, especially with number 3 on the way, attention given will have to be split. Ain't this pair of siblings adorable?

This is my team

2009-11-05T23:06:00.003+08:00

It's been tough for these past months, but I'm glad that I have a great team. Unfortunately, it's not going to be long, as my boss is leaving us. It's really not easy to find someone whom one can respect and you can really learn alot from at work. A mentor is hardly to come by especially at work, whilst work is hard enough, having a boss who understands and protects can be very comforting. As a team, we work extremely well together, I really thank God for that.

Running Running...no more

2009-11-01T23:45:00.004+08:00

Went for run with tribe people, overestimated my 3rd weeks' break. Supposed to run 16km non-stop, but not the case for sure. My under utilised ligament was strained and it's time for treatment. Well, I did complete the 16km, however, walking for the last few kms. I so miss running, I so need to run.

Mac vs PC

2009-10-30T00:01:00.004+08:00

Here it comes again. I always love the Mac vs PC series. This is the latest, is it really different?

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Shopping

2009-10-27T20:47:00.003+08:00

You can never go without shopping in Hong Kong, you can literally shop till you drop. The fashion is Hong Kong is definitely nicer and most of the stuffs are cheaper in Singapore. I bought 4 pairs of shoes during my 2nd trip, the fourth pair is actually a pair of Salomon, got it at the sports street in Mongkok, you can get it at 30-40% less than in Singapore, so that is a MUST BUY.

The 2 pairs of white flates are from a little shop at Mongkok, it is designed by a Hong Konger and all those are handmade, branded 8cm nicechoice. You can get it at 20% lesser than back home, apparently, there is a Singaporean distributor who brings into the country and sell at some fashion shops at a much higher price. According to the shopowner, alot of Singaporeans would order from them at least 3-4 weeks earlier and they would collect from the shop when they arrive in Hong Kong. That is a very good idea and you could consolidate orders with friends and bring the shoes back to Singapore, saving you some shipping cost. You could look at the designs online and contact them with your sizes and order.

Online gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/8cm.nicechoice
Online Shop: http://shop35494159.taobao.com/
Email: 8cm.nicechoice@gmail.com

The Muji Experience - Pasta Botargo

2009-10-27T20:35:00.002+08:00

Silence in this space for a while and it's Muji time. Bought Botargo sauce from Muji the other day, it's on 10% discount and unlike the other sauces, this package is for 2 persons. I decided to add more ingredients into this dish when I was in the supermarket, bought some button mushrooms and honey baked ham. These are the basics for a simple pasta meal, though Botargo is supposed to be some seafood pasta, but with those 2 additional ingredients, the dish is still as yummy.

The day they got married

2009-10-21T10:18:00.003+08:00

After 7 years of friendship, 4 years of courtship, they finally tie the knot. To both my good friends who married each other, it was a beautiful day. Looking back these years, it seems like yesterday, it has been a journey of God's blessing to both of them. Now, I have a new hangout after Sunday Service :)