The Dead Cockroach

Recipe: Yong Tau Foo Soup 酿豆腐汤

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:32:00 +0000

The Yong Tau Foo originated from the chinese ethnic group, Hakka.

It is basically Tofu stuffed with minced meat (add some salted fish to the minced meat mixture for that extra oomph!) and deep fried.

My Mum is a Hakka so she would made it periodically.

I guess as time progresses, more varieties were made available. Vegetables such as brinjal, okra, chilli pepper and bitter gourd joined the family but were stuffed with fish paste instead.

The name Yong Tau Foo has thus been used liberally to apply to foods prepared in this manner.

Yong Tau Foo in soup is generally a healthy (just omit the fried stuffs) one-meal dish comprising mostly of vegetables.

Well, it just happened that it is one of those days when I felt lazy and do not want to cook up a storm in the kitchen.

I bought some pieces of Yong Tau Foo from the wet market and simply threw them into the stock in the evening and voila, dinner is served.

Serve this over a piping hot bowl of steamed rice.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Ingredients (Stock):
1 handful of Ikan Bilis (guts removed, washed)
1 cup Soybeans
Your favourite Yong Tau Foo pieces
Optional:
Some pork bones (blanched)
Some garlic and ginger to neutralize the 'fishy' smell of the Ikan Bilis

Method:
1) Boil a pot of water (1.8L)
2) Add Soybeans
3) Add Ikan Bilis (in a cloth bag for easy removal - see note)
4) Remove the bag containing the Ikan Bilis after 20 minutes
5) Add Yong Tau Foo pieces
6) The soup is ready when all the Yong Tau Foo pieces floats up
7) Serves 3

Assorted pieces of Yong Tau Foo

Note:

Ikan Billis will leave a bitter taste when cooked for too long. I usually do not boil it for more than 20 minutes .
As Soybeans need a longer time to cook, you could boil it for half an hour more on slow fire after removing the Ikan Bilis.
If you are pressed for time due to work, you could always prepare the stock the night before.
You can actually use this stock as a soup base for most soups.

Taming The Alaskan Hummingbird

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:06:00 +0000

"The Shot"

I was captivated by this stunning video of a Hummingbird feeding off someone's hand. It was a beautiful moment detailing the trust the bird had in that person.

You can read about the story behind the shot [here] if you are interested.

Watch the video below.

There used to be a big flowering tree just right outside my window where I work on the computer.

Each morning, there would be three Hummingbirds fluttering around the flowers, getting their daily dose of sweet nectar.

I do not know where they came from but it has been a couple of months since they first appeared.

It was almost like having an episode of Discovery Channel streaming 'live' right in front of me.

It was a breathtaking sight that I look forward to every morning.

Unfortunately, a neighbor complained to our local town council that the tree branches were getting too close to her window and regular trimmings do not seem to please her enough.

I guess her constant complaints to the town council office coupled with cost-concerns in engaging ccontractors to trim the tree regularly resulted in the total removal of the tree.

It has been a long time since I last saw those Hummingbirds again.

When will men ever stop destroying the beauty of nature for their own selfish reasons?

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The Etiquette Of Texting While Walking

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Exactly my pet peeve!

Have you ever been annoyed, at one time or another, by someone in front of you who's walking and texting at the same time?

Urgh! Don't you wish you could shove that person out of your way?

This is especially frustrating when you are pressing for time.

As the video explains, it is plain inconsiderate and potentially dangerous!

Move to one side when you need to text so you do not delay the person walking behind you.

Fortunately, there's hope yet as revealed in the experiment below.

Do you think it will really work here?

Perhaps I could give it a try at the Sunday market!

Singaporeans Are Miserable, Smelly, Un-helpful, And Rude?

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:43:00 +0000

We found the city heavily polluted, way to (sic) crowded, un-charistmatic, bland, and basically a complete waste of time. We concluded that in Singapore there is nothing worth seeing, the temples were un-memorable and crammed inbetween the busy streets, not worth a visit! [via]

Before we get all defensive, remember MP Baey Yam Keng's teachings?

We need to reflect upon ourselves, are we the way they described? [via]

So, are we really what the tourist has made us out to be?

Food for thought?

Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Bak Chor Mee $3.50

Bak Chor Mee (aka Minced Pork Noodle) has always been one of my favored noodle dish.

When I was at Bugis to see the [3D Street Art by Joe Hill] the other day, I thought why not cross over to Seng Huat Eating House at Liang Seah Street for a quick bite?

I had specifically requested for extra vinegar and spiciness but they had either forgotten about my request or added too little to make a difference.

Despite that, however, Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee did not fail me. The al dente mee pok tossed in a winning concoction of chilli and vinegar was such a delight!

After tossing in the sauce

Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee was served with meatball, kidney and pork slices and of course the braised mushroom and bak chor (minced meat).

I do not usually like meatballs but this one was a little different. Is there crispy dried fried fish added in the mixture? Whatever it is, it sure added an extra punch to the bouncy meatball which I wished there were more of.

The kidney slices did not disappoint as well. It was slightly pink without being too raw or overcooked tasting like rubber.

I have always enjoyed having pork slices in my bak chor mee but not every stall serves them. The slices of pork in this bowl was tender and not tough.

Although called Bak Chor Mee, I felt the deciding factor which makes or break a bowl of this noodle lies in the braised mushrooms. Seng Huat's mushrooms were plump and juicy. Chewing on them, I could literally feel the sauce bursting in my mouth...

I really could not find any fault with the mee pok but the soup on the other hand, is a little overwhelming for me as I find it too cloyingly sweet for my liking.

In spite of that, I have to say that Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee is one of the better Bak Chor Mee around even though the portion is a little unfulfilling for me at $3.50.

Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee operates 24 hours. Now you know where to go if you crave for Bak Chor Mee in the middle of the night?

Seng Huat Bak Chor Mee
Seng Huat Eating House
492 North Bridge RoadSingapore 188737

Memories At Old Ford Factory

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:51:00 +0000

The pictures in this entry are clickable and will open in a larger resolution through a new window

During one of my history lessons many years ago, I have learnt that the British surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese at the Old Ford Factory located along Upper Bukit Timah.

I had always thought that the Old Ford Factory have been left vacanted ever since the war ended.

An abandoned building with such a historical story behind it would surely be home to many grievous spirits? (I really outta hand it to my vivid imagination sometimes!)

Coincidentally, that is where I had to pass by on my way to school every day.

Maybe that is why I would often get the creeps each time my bus pass by it during my journey to school in the pre-dawn hours.

After graduation, I was still fascinated by the rich history associated with the building (albeit still fearful of whatever thing that could be lurking inside).

What I did not know was that The Ford Motor Factory has actually resumed operations after the war in 1947 and was shut down in 1980.

It was only a week ago that I learnt the building was gazzetted as a national monument and already turned into a exhibition gallery from 2006.

Silly me! And I thought the building is still in ruins!

The famous windows I had seen so many times in history books

This year being the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese invasion of Singapore, I decided to pay a long overdue visit to the Old Ford Factory.

While walking the path leading up to the building, a surreal feeling overcome me. Is this the very same path which Lt. General Arthur Percival and his staff officers took while meeting Yamashita to discuss the terms of surrender?

As I approached the building, a nice lady at the entrance gave me a commemorative collar pin [click to see] and asked whether I was interested to attend a talk by World World II survivors at the auditorium which began thirty minutes ago.

I wished I had arrived earlier to attend the talk! I had missed the first thirty minutes and I did not want to interupt the talk so I declined but I do hope to join the next session next week.

The entrance of the exhibition area

Bronze statue of Lt. Gen Arthur Percival & Lt. Gen Yamashita

I got the shivers while looking at Yamashita close-up in the eye.

Prisoners awaiting execution by firing squad

Bayonetting the dead prisoners to make sure that they are really dead

POW

The Japanese moved across Malaya on bicycles

This mode of transportation allows the Japanese troops to advance swiftly.

Lottery tickets?

[Banana money]

This was the currency issued by the Japanese after the fall of Malaya and Singapore. As the authorities printed more money as and when they needed it, it causes a depreciation in the value of the money and high-inflation in the prices of goods.

Inflation

After the war has ended, the Banana money were rendered worthless. However, you would be rich if you had a stash of them today!

How babies meet their untimely end

Aren't you glad you were not born in such turbulent times?

An eyewitness' account

Identification Certificate

Mr Tham Yen Sen - a member of [Force 136]

[Lim Bo Seng]'s funeral in Singapore after the war ended

Men on trial for the ["Double Tenth"] incident (after the war ended)

I shuddered at the fact that accused number 18 and 19 were local chinese men who were interpreters for the Japanese. Were they traitors who helped the Japanese porsecute their fellow countrymen?

[Elizabeth Choy], an exemplary woman of her time, was one of the victims.

Guess what is this?

It's the bucket night-soil system

The entrance/exit to the building

Stepping out from the museum, the lady I met at the door earlier directed me to the buffet.

"Have some refreshments. It's free for all," she says.

I did not enquire why would there be a buffet at a museum but I later overheard her telling someone that the food was sponsored by the [NHB].

I guess it was an appreciation for all visitors who visited the museum during the 70th Anniversary of the Second World War.

This boulder was found near the driveway

The background of the Old Ford Factory

Overcast

The skies were overcast as I was leaving the Old Ford Factory.

I hastened my footsteps and the drizzle soon escalated into a heavy thunderstorm. The weather seemed like a perfect portrayal of my mood at that moment.

Although the war sounded like it happened a long time ago but put it in another perspective, seventy years does not seem that far away either for a relatively young nation like ours.

Just imagine how much misery and pain Singapore has gone through just seventy years ago?

It seemed unbelievable that the peaceful and tranquil country I have grown up in has actually such a dark history.

Operating hours

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3D Street Art By Joe Hill At Parco Bugis Junction

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Aliens VS Predators?

I'm sure you have come across such amazing 3D pavement art from your email or facebook before.

Wouldn't you have wished to see them 'live'?

In partnership with Bugis Junction, organiser National Heritage Board has brought in renowned 3D street art artist, Joe Hill from the UK, to present two new pieces of artwork.

All Aboard!

The inspiration behind this art work

Unfortunately, it was raining the day I was there. The other artwork "DOME" which was located at an unsheltered part (between McDonalds and Starbucks) was covered with plastic sheets hence I was unable to see it but, I was able to find a photo of it.

[via Facebook]

I'm sorry to have posted this entry late for this coming Sunday (February 19) is the last day to see it.

Here are some other 3D street art from Joe Hill around the world!

Wow, they were at ION before?

This was an artwork of Prince William and Kate's royal wedding

This is my favorite

3D Joe & Max
[Website]
[Facebook]

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Thank you!

The Japanese Occupation: Fall Of Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:57:00 +0000

Civilian War Memorial [via]

On February 15, 1942, the British surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army due to the shortage of food and ammunition.

Thus began the horrifying Japanese Occupation which lasted three years and eight months.

In February 1962 - twenty years after the war has ended, remains belonging to civilian victims of the Japanese occupation were unearthed. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce& Industry undertook the responsibility of gathering the remains and creating a memorial.

In February 15, 1967, the Civilian War Memorial was built and the remains were buried under it.

This monument is composed of four similar pillars, symbolizing Singapore's four major races.

On this day every year (also known as "Total Defence Day"), the Government would hold a memorial service to remember the thousands of people killed during the occupation.

Timeline of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore:

December 8, 1941
The Japanese launched air raids and begin bombing all over Singapore.

January 8, 1942
Japanese troops penetrated the outer lines of defence at Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.

January 11, 1942
The Japanese discovered food, ammunition and military maps of Singapore in the railway yards of Kuala Lumpur.

January 17, 1942
The British blew up the causeway linking Malaya and Singapore to stop the Japanese from advancing.

January 30 & 31, 1942
British troops completely withdraw from Malaya into Singapore. In just 55 days, the Malay Peninsula was lost.

The siege of Singapore begun.

February 1, 1942
The Japanese troops repaired the destroyed causeway and reached Singapore.

February 08, 1942
Japanese troops landed on Singapore Island. The British were both outmanned and outgunned.

February 11, 1942
The Japanese 5th Division attacks Indian, Chinese, and British troops along Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Timah.

February 13, 1942
The Japanese reached Pasir Panjang Ridge.

Led by Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Malay Regiment put up a good fight even though they were outnumbered.

The ratio of the Malay Regiment against the Japanese was 1:10.

February 14, 1942
After the fall of Bukit Chandu, the Japanese stormed into nearby Alexandra Hospital, bayoneting patients and staff on sight.

200 died in the massacre.

February 15, 1942
Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, the British commander in Singapore, surrendered unconditionally at Ford Motor Factory in Bukit Timah.

In just seven days, Singapore, the "Impregnable Fortress", had fallen.

February 17, 1942
Singapore was renamed Syonanto (昭南岛), meaning "Light of the South".

February 18, 1942
The first round of execution took place at Changi Beach.

August 6, 1945
Atomic bomb "Little Boy" exploded 1,900 feet above Hiroshima at 8:15 am.

August 8, 1945
Atomic bomb "Fat Man"exploded 1,650 feet above Nagasaki at 11:02 am.

August 15, 1945
Japan surrendered.

I hope the post-war generations will not forget how our forefathers have suffered during the war and not taking the peace we had today for granted.

Thanks to the selfless sacrifice of the men from our Singapore Armed Forces for being vigilant and keeping our shores safe.

Flying People In New York City

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:49:00 +0000

I know I might be a little too late for this but there were sightings of people flying in the skies all over NYC.

Those were not real people, of course.

They were RC (radio-controlled) planes which were made to resembled humans.

The 'sightings' were actually marketing tatics for the movie "Chronicle" which is basically about three high school students who misused their new-found supernatural powers.

Watch the "flying people" in action below...

Don't you think they looked like real people from far? I think it is darn cool!

Here's the trailer for Chronicle.

Your Song

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:28:00 +0000

Really like this ad

Just ignore the KFC bits...

Here's the cover by Ellie Goulding

Here's the original by Elton John

Your Song

Writer: ELTON JOHN, BERNIE TAUPIN

It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those, who can easily hide
I don't have much money, but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again no,
Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show
I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody, this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope don't you mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song,
It's for people like you, that keep it turned on.

So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do
You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen.

HAPPY VALENTINES' DAY!

The Malaysia I-City KFC Assault

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +0000

[via malaysiakini]

A video footage of KFC staff assaulting its customer at I-City in Shah Alam, Malaysia has gone viral on the internet.

In the video, three male staff stormed out of the counter and one of them was seen trying to hold back the other two from approaching the victim.

As more staff emerged from within, one of them suddenly dashed forward amid the confusion and punched the victim, causing him to fall onto a chair.

Rumors were rife that the victim had insulted the KFC staff with degratory words which led to the attack.

The victim, Danny Ng, held the press conference to clarify and deny allegations by netizens that the assault was due to him uttering vuglar and discriminatory words at the KFC staff.

While Ng admitted that he was angry and had shouted at the staff, he stressed he “definitely did not use vulgarities or make racial slurs.” [via JakartaGlobe]

Watch the [video]

Here's the english press conference by the victim

Here's the mandarin press conference

Report of the press conference in the chinese paper

Was it a deliberate move to place the KFC advertisement below the report? And the irony of it was the chinese tagline that says "Enjoy the great taste AT HOME"...

Would this incident have been avoided if the victim had stayed home that evening?

It beats (pun intended) me how an established fast food giant like KFC would have allowed its restaurant to run out of chicken. Somthing smells fowl (foul) here.

Did the Store Manager not conduct a proper inventory record to ensure that there is enough stock to supply the stores' daily operations?

This is not the first time that KFC Malaysia has come under fire for the misconduct of its kitchen staff though.

In 2011, two videos of KFC staff tempering with food began circulating online: one revealed a male kitchen staff swiping the chicken parts against the sole of his shoe before dusting it with flour and setting it aside, apparently for the frying process; the other video shows a male and female staff wringing dirty water from rags into what seemed to be a pressure cooker.

[Video 1]
[Video 2]

Mohammad Alwi, KFC Malaysia’s Director of Restaurant Operations, has since made a [public apology] for the shocking videos.

Will he be making another public apology for this latest furore? I wonder what strategy will he take to repair this service breakdown with customers?

UPDATES:

KFC Malaysia has responded.

And no, it's not Mohammad Alwi this time but Alan Au, Deputy President of KFC Malaysia.

UPDATES: (11 February)

Jess6366, the eyewitness who captured the 28 seconds assault on video has come forward to give her account of what actually happened on that fateful day at I-City KFC on 06 February.

UPDATES: (13 February)

[via Mr Brown]

The assailants do not appear to be the least remorseful over their actions. (Btw, this newspaper no editor one ah?)

狗狗的悲歌：爱我就别弃养我

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:03:00 +0000

当初的爱呢？

养狗不是赶流行。

每当电影里有个别犬种的出现，总会造成大家一窝峰的到宠物店去买。

事先没完全了解犬种的个性和需要就盲目地把它买回家。

后来才发现家里那只狗的体形越养越大，毛脱的厉害，过于好动，又爱吠，等等…

一时兴起买了狗，最后却因为不像想象中那样而决定弃养它！

这，实在让人好心疼！

您知道小狗其实跟小孩一样，都是需要很多的照顾和管教吗？

你有时间训练它吗？你有耐心教养它吗？你会厌恶天天帮它清理粪便吗？

养狗不能玩玩地因为它是一条生命！

养狗前是需要深思熟虑的。

家里会有人对狗的毛屑敏感吗？未来几年有搬家或移民的计划吗？工作和课业会受影响吗？狗儿会长时间被独自留在家吗？

切记当你闷的时后会有朋友做伴，有电脑，电动游戏可玩，还可以逛街看电影。

但，它呢？

它就只有你。

To you, he is nothing but to him, you are his everything!

狗儿或许在你的生命中出现那几年而已但它却是在用它的一生来陪伴你！

要是没办法给狗儿一个素质的生活，就别把它带回家免得毁了它一生。

若真的决定要养的话，请考虑到流浪之家收养一只吧。

那我会感到很欣慰，因为世上又多了一位好心的收养者。

社会上的某些角落有许多可怜的流浪狗。

它们也曾经有个家，有主人的疼爱。

但应为主人的三分钟热度而被弃养了。

千万别让狗儿因您的过错（冲动地把他带回家）而赔上了性命！

不管什么狗，都需要一个爱它的主人和一个温暖的家。

请尊重生命：以结扎取代扑杀，以领养取代购买！

我长大了想做贪官 I Wanna Be A Greedy Corrupt Official When I Grow Up

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:26:00 +0000

What do you wanna be when you grow up?

A survey on the career choice of children in Singapore revealed that nearly 10 per cent of them think that being the President is the "coolest" job in the world.

This was followed by being a pilot, a police officer and a singer.

When asked on the first "three things they would do" if they became the Prime Minister, responses ranged from helping to save energy and water, rounding up sick animals and sending them to a vet as well as creating scholarships for those in need.

Other humourous responses included building another theme park like Universal Studios, banning cockroaches and even making it compulsory to eat chips everyday,

The study by recruitment firm Adecco covered 120 children between the ages of seven and 14.

It seeks to understand their career aspirations and thoughts about work and life.

The study showed that being a teacher is the top career choice, followed by becoming a doctor, pilot or flight attendant.

The youngsters who stated a desire to become a teacher, had monthly salary expectations ranging from S$50 to S$10,000.

But about 80 per cent of respondents believe that it is more important to "spend time with family" than making "lots of money".

This is the sixth year that Adecco has carried out the survey.

Ms Lynne Ng, regional director of Adecco South East Asia, said: "With every year that this survey is conducted, I see the responses becoming more adventurous and interesting, whilst still demonstrating the importance of family and community.

"It's clear that children pick up on news and conversations around them and often use this information to plan for their own future - and in many cases a brighter future for others". [via CNA]

Now, what about the career choices of kids from China? While there are not too much of a difference compared to Singapore, one particular kid made a very unusual career choice.

Is this a reflection of their society?

Skip to 2:00

港人登报反蝗虫海报 Ad calling PRCs 'locusts' runs in Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:59:00 +0000

获选刊登「反蝗虫」海报

北大教授孔庆东发表「港人是狗」之言论后，在香港引起轩然大波！

[香港高登讨论区]发起登报行动，共同集资约10万港元以狮子山为题材，制作了「反蝗虫海报」 - 暗指中国大陆客是蝗虫来侵占香港资源。

Kong Qing Dong, a University Professor in Peking has riled millions in Hong Kong after criticizing Hong Kong citizens as ["dogs", "bastards" and "thieves"] on an online talkshow.

In retaliation, netizens from [Hong Kong Golden Forum] funded a full page advertisement on Apple Daily - branding the PRCs as locusts for infiltrating Hong Kong and exhausting all her resources.

HONG KONG — A group of Hong Kongers published a newspaper ad Wednesday insulting mainland Chinese as "locusts", amid seething resentment over rising mainland influence in the southern city.
The full-page advertisement in the widely-read Apple Daily also demanded the government take action to stop the "infiltration" of mainlanders into the former British colony.
It features an enormous locust overlooking Hong Kong's iconic skyline with the words "Hong Kongers have had enough!" and "This city is dying, you know?"
Online group Golden Forum funded the page-11 ad with donations from users of its Internet chat service.
The group "strongly demands... a stop to the unlimited infiltration of mainland Chinese couples into Hong Kong," it said in the ad, referring to the thousands of mainland women who come to Hong Kong to give birth every year.
Many Hong Kongers also dislike the shadowy role that Beijing plays in local politics, along with the flashy displays of wealth by mainland Chinese tourists who are coming to the city in increasing numbers to splurge on luxury goods.
Last month Italian clothing chain Dolce & Gabbana apologised to the people of Hong Kong for allegedly discriminating against them in favour of wealthy mainland shoppers.
The upmarket clothing chain had faced weeks of angry protests at its showcase Hong Kong store after a security guard allegedly told local people that only mainlanders were allowed to take photographs there.
In a similar vein, an audio file uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday claims to expose health and beauty products retailer Mannings for discriminating against locals in a sale of baby formula.
A shop assistant is heard telling a local woman that the sale is only available to people with mainland Chinese passports. A Facebook page calling for a boycott of Mannings already has 133 "likes".
"How can stores in our own Hong Kong discriminate against us... this is spread of hate mentality," reads a comment on the YouTube clip.
Over 100,000 people have "liked" a Facebook page dedicated to forcing the government to stop mainland Chinese women from giving birth in the city.
Local women have taken to the streets in protest at shortages of beds and soaring maternity costs.
"Officials are to blame for this mess that impacts each and every Hong Konger. Shame on them!" reads one comment on the Facebook page.
The "Anti-Locusts" campaign follows remarks by a Chinese professor in January calling locals of the former British colony "bastards", "dogs" and "cheats".
Kong Qingdong said Hong Kong people were "used to being the dogs of British colonialists -- they are dogs, not humans".
Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under the One Country Two Systems arrangement giving it limited autonomy and enjoys civil freedoms not seen on the mainland.
The professor was furious at a video that went viral online showing Hong Kongers scolding a mainland girl for flouting rules against eating on the city's subway trains.
A recent survey found that more than 79 percent of Hong Kong people identified themselves as Hong Kongers instead of Chinese. More identified themselves as "Asians" than as citizens of the People's Republic of China.
A senior central government official criticised the University of Hong Kong's poll as "illogical", saying respondents should have been asked if they saw themselves as "British citizens" or "Chinese citizens" [via].

狮子山(Lion Rock)

狮子山是位于九龙塘与新界之间的一座著名山峰。它见证了香港如何从一个小渔村发展至今日的成就。它总能让人在绝望时找到“狮子山精神”，并勇敢的迎接新挑战！

《狮子山下》侧是香港一部播了近二十一年的长寿单元电视剧。从1973年播至1994年，它描述了当时低下阶层的香港人是如何在逆境中挣扎求存和奋斗的故事。

由此看来，狮子山在香港人的心目中，是有一定的地位的。

The Lion Rock is a famous hill situated between Kowloon Tong and New Territories. It has witnessed the growth of Hong Kong from a mere fishing village to its present day success thus it is where Hong Kongers looked upon for strength to fight against new challenges.

"Below the Lion Rock" is a Hong Kong TV drama series which has been telecasted for 21 years since 1973! The story reflects the struggles of its people and their fight against all odds to survive in this society.

The Lion Rock therefore, plays an important role in the hearts of Hong Kongers.

网民也选用了《富士山下》唱出对内地人与一些香港政策的不满…

Netizens has also made a song out of "Beneath Mount Fuji" expressing their sentiments and displeasure against the PRCs and certain Hong Kong policies.

富士山下 - 陈奕迅（原唱者）
Beneath Mount Fuji by Eason Chan

Sentosa Flowers: Enchanted Spring

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:58:00 +0000

By the time this post is up, I would have already visited Sentosa twice - the first time being the week before Chinese New Year and the second time during the annual Sentosa Flowers (圣淘沙春節花會).

I will be combining shots from both visits into one post. I have blogged about the [Sentosa Boardwalk] in the previous post. I shall now begin this post with entering Sentosa.

Loved the greenery!

Visitors to Sentosa via the boardwalk could purchase a ticket at the ticketing office (located near the end of the Tropical Rainforest theme) or, if you are a local or a tourist possessing an EzLink card, you could simply tap your way in at the gantry.

This is what you see the moment you enter Sentosa via the Sentosa Boardwalk.

The Sentosa Express from Vivocity will arrive via these tracks

Where to go first?

Artificial limestone cave?

The interior

Looking out from within the limstone cave

This needs no further introduction - Universal Studios Singapore (USS)

I still have not got the chance to visit USS, yet. Will find a chance to do so soon.

Malaysian Food Street

I had wanted to have my brunch here but was put off by the crowd. *Gonna knock myself on the head for turning down the invitation to attend the food tasting before it opens to public.* Not sure if this is gonna be a permanent thing? Will dedicate a post to this soon.

The second week I returned, the crowd got worst. We now have to queue to get inside!

The revolving dragon

Dragon spotted at The Forum, above the Casino

RAWRRR! Be awed!

This dragon had lanterns for body

Pretty impressive!

Directions

Withdraw all your money and hand them over to the Casino

The Lake of Dreams fountain

RW = Resort World

The Merlion - a symbolic icon of Singapore

"The Carp Leaps Over The Dragon Gate"

鯉魚躍龍門

Was waiting for that PRC to finish taking 987,654,321th

shots of herself in the same pose at the letter 'S'

One week later...

I knew there was something amiss with this dragon

One week later...

Tadah!

Dragon on a wall

One week later...

You could 畫龍點睛 with it...

Tea terrace

Dinosaurs

Teapot arch made with Pussy Willows

Who came up with the name "Pussy Willows"?

It sounds like a dirty word...

Dragon sand sculpture

Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom

Butterfly Park

Imbiah Lookout

Sentosa Skyline Luge (Imbiah)

Luge going down to Siloso

Kids can do it too

Witnessed a pair of PRC women plucking the fruits

off this plant outside the Cable Car ticketing office...

*horrors*

Found a couple of eggs on my way down to Merlion Plaza

Bought a Vanilla Hokkaido Ice Cream for two bucks

Teasing the Merlion

No ice cream inside the cone?

Freaking expensive for ONE scoop of ice cream!

Back to the Festive Walk to see the dragons...

Loved this cartoon-fied Merlion

The Merlion

Headed towards Siloso Beach via Merlion Walk.

Flying Jellyfishes

iFly, uFly, everybodyFly!

Sentosa Skyline Luge (Siloso)

Going up to Skyline Luge (Imbiah)

from Skyline Luge (Siloso)

Going up, up, up!

Luge coming down, down, down!

Slow down...

Siloso Beach

Tranquil

Bikini Bar

The sun was burning hot that day

Hence decided to take the Sentosa Express at Beach Station...

View from Beach Station

Back to Imbiah Station

Saw another cute Merlion

Candy tree!

Don't you wish this tree is real?

Maltesers @ $1.50

Why didn't I buy? WHY? WHY? WHY?

M&Ms

Time for lunch

Guess what? I bought these from Vivocity Giant and have been lugging them (the Pokka drink was six in a pack) around the island all day. I didn't know there are KFC and 7-11 at Sentosa now... #fail

Heading back towards Sentosa Boardwalk...

The Sentosa Boardwalk and the pink Sentosa Express heading back to Vivocity

Crane Dance

The Crane Dance bellowing black smoke...

The Enter and Exit gantry if you are coming by Sentosa Boardwalk

$1 per entry

Just tap and go. I'm now tapping out.

Bridge over troubled waters?

Heading back to Vivocity via the Sentosa Boardwalk

What used to be the old World Trade Centre

Viewing deck

I wish they could extend the shelter over here. It could get unbearably hot during the afternoons.

The stairs with the curves and lines

How it looked like from the bottom of the stairs

Viewing deck above the F&B outlet

Back at Vivocity

Did you know that this is my first visit to Vivocity? It was quite out of the way from where I lived and one of my 2012 New Year resolutions was to actually come here. So must take a picture to prove that I 到此一遊 before. One resolution down!

No, make that TWO resolutions down. The other resolution was to visit Sentosa! Heh!

Nice sculpture

A view of Sentosa from Vivocity

I had a nasty cramp just after stepping off the Sentosa Boardwalk

香港人大战内地人 Hong Kongers VS PRCs

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:47:00 +0000

孔庆东的衰样… 叫谁看了都想揍！

近日在youtube看到香港人与内地客因内地小孩在地铁里吃零食面弄的一地都是而掀开了骂战。

谁对谁错我无法判断。

有可能是港男小题大做又或者是内地女态度不好。

但最令人无法忍受的是，这段视频被人po上网之后，某位内地大学教授接受电视台的访问时就发表了对此事的看法。

香港人很多是狗! - 孔庆东

吓！是我听错了吗？

为人师表的他怎么能因为听不懂别人的语言而侮辱他人是狗，是王八蛋呢？这像是一名学者该说的话吗？这会不会太失礼人啦？

他接着说，

你可能只讲长大地方的“方言”，你家乡的母语，你没有义务说别的地方的话。- 孔庆东

这就对啦！香港人不就是从小说广东话的吗？那他们有什么义务跟你内地人说普通话呢？这不是自相矛盾吗？

他还说了，

说普通话的人没有义务，没有必要掌握任何一种方言。中国人有义务说普通话，你没有义务说别的地方的话。- 孔庆东

怎么反客为主了？到了香港为何要香港人迁就内地人说普通话啊？难道内地人去了非洲也要土著跟他说普通话吗？

不掌握其他语言/方言是他吃亏我也尊重他的选择，但当他听不懂别人所说的话时就骂人是狗，是王八蛋，心里阴暗，有目的什么的？这是哪门子的道理啊？再说了，广东话不是来自大陆的方言吗？难道他连四川人，上海人，福建人，海南人也一起骂吗？

后来，主持人提起香港环境比大陆干净一些，他说，

这个是对的，为什么干净？这就是靠法制。不是靠素质，是靠法制。- 孔庆东

这里，他同意法制是对的。

接着，他又把矛头指向新加坡人。他说，

跟新加坡一样，抽烟罚五千快钱，法律吗！凡是用法制维持起来的持续，说明人没有素质，没有自觉，不打就不好了，不打就不好活，
这就说明什么字，一个字，“贱”！- 孔庆东

ㄟ他怎么现在又骂起新加坡人“贱”啦？我们碍着他什么啦？他说话为什么反反复复的？一会儿说法制是对的，一会儿又说靠法制是没素质，没自觉？难道内地人就很有素质，很自觉吗？请睁大眼睛看看他们那「闻名遐迩」的公厕！大概可以列入世界第八大奇观了吧？

在电视上看见有关[西装男当街非礼醉倒街边的女子]与[两岁小孩被两辆车子碾过]的新闻可是让人心寒的是，居然都无人伸出援手帮帮她们。素质呢？自觉呢？

当四川汶川发生512大地震后，是[谁帮内地筹款震灾]？台湾也主动发起捐款行动了居然还被他嘲讽是“[假民主]” ？

反到是这位[辽宁姐姐又贡献了些什么]？

还有，为了迎接08年奥运，内地因为一直无法有效控制狂犬病疫情而对所有狗只展开了[“杀无赦”屠杀大行动]。不止街上的流浪狗惨遭乱棍活活打死，就连家犬也不能幸免被杀的厄运。这跟1937年南京大屠杀里草菅人命的日本鬼子有何不同？

请问，这一切就是孔教授指的“素质”与“自觉”吗？

我想更不用提什么豆腐渣建筑，病死猪，毒奶粉，黑心油等事件了…

我明白﹐他的言論並不代表所有內地人的看法。

內地有“素质”与“自觉”的人當然不少。

我不會像他那么偏激﹐一竹竿打翻全船人。

我要說的是﹐不管什麼地方都會有好人與壞人共存的。

他就憑什麼斷定哪兒個族群全都是好人哪兒個族群又是壞人﹖

他誰啊？
就算骂人也要讲道理啊！他根本就是野蛮，不可理喻，强词夺理！

引发这次事件的导火线

面子是人给的但脸皮是自己丢的！他若想要得到别人的尊重，请先反省反省自己的言行举止。

在此奉劝孔叫兽一句：到别人的地方请谦卑点 - 别把你的「恶习」给带过来…

感恩喔！

Sentosa Boardwalk

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0000

The S$70 million Sentosa Boardwalk was officially opened on 29 January 2011. It has been almost a year since it's opening but it was only until last week that I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful boardwalk linking Sentosa to the mainland.

The 545m (I believe it's more than that; can anyone advice the exact length?) boardwalk features five tropical landscape themes indigenous to Singapore.

They are:

- Mangrove

- Rock Garden

- Terrain & Hill

- Coastal Floral

- Tropical Rainforest

A scenic view before our walk

Theme One: Mangrove

Do not be put off by the 0.5km walk as the boardwalk is coupled with travelators. There are benches, F&B outlets and viewing deck along the way for you to rest your feet and to check out the scenery.

Cruise ship with lips

Theme Two: Rock Garden

Vivocity Waterfront Promenade

Taken from the viewing deck

Theme Three: Terrain & Hill

Curves and lines

Singapore Cruise Center

Sheltered travelators on either side of the direction

Theme Four: Coastal Floral

Theme Five: Tropical Rainforest

Klonghae Floating Market, Hat Yai

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:58:00 +0000

After leaving [Guanyin Shan], we headed for Klonghae Floating Market.

Alighting from the coach, we had to walk some distance before making our way down the slope to where the boats are.

There was no proper path for us to walk and no handrail for the elderly to hold onto. Due to the bout of rain earlier, the ground was slippery with mud.

Should one person slipped on the slope, many more would be knocked down like bowling pins.

Quite dangerous, if you ask me.

I think there was supposed to be a wooden platform for people to walk on (refer to the picture below) but somehow when we were there, the platform just wasn't there.

[via]

Hawkers selling sugared drinks

Sugared drinks served in ceramic cups which you can bring home

Otak Otak

Seafood on skewers

KFC

Actually, there are two sections to Klonghae. The river section which you have already seen above and the land section below which is like a bazaar.

Fear factor #1

Fear factor #2

Fear factor #3

Fear factor #4

Quail eggs

The finished product

Betta fish for sale

Not sure what these are...

Grilled fish

Landing site for flies

Needs no further introduction

I've tasted better ones elsewhere

Siamese cat

She just had puppies

It breaks my heart seeing this emaciated dog begging for food

*Heartbreaking*

Frankly speaking, there is really nothing much to see or do here. It is just a congregation of hawkers except that they are on boats. Given a choice, I would not want to come back for a second time.

Klonghae Floating Market is open only from Friday to Sunday (3pm to 9pm).

We'll be watching the Tranvestite show next! Watch out for the next entry!

About that $1.50 Chai Tow Kway Analogy...

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:32:00 +0000

[via Cartoon Press]

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Acting Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Chan Chun Sing has said that pay was not a factor for the team that forms the government.

He was fielding a question on political pay, in the first ministerial visit conducted since the general election in May.

While a dialogue session at Jurong Spring Community Club formed the crux of the visit, Mr Chan spent the better part of Sunday morning speaking to residents over breakfast, as well as visiting their homes to hear their concerns.

Some of these concerns included congestion and safety issues around Lakeside MRT station.

At the dialogue session, municipal issues were raised - such as creating recreational facilities for young people in the area. But concerns surrounding population, ministerial pay, as well as the integration of foreigners took centre stage.

On whether a possible pay cut in ministerial pay after the salary review would make ministers less motivated, Mr Chan related his own experience.

He said: "I don't think anyone of them comes here for the money. They come here to provide a better life for the next generation... One of the reasons why I stepped forward was because I know I'm joining a team of people that are not here for the money."

He added that the key is to find the right balance.

He said: "Money should not be the one (factor) to attract them in. On the other hand, money should also not be the bugbear to deter them.

"(For example,) you go to Peach Garden, you eat the S$10 XO Sauce chye tow kuay (fried carrot cake), you can be quite happy right? Because you are satisfied with the service and so on. On the other hand, you can go to a hawker centre, even if they charge you S$1.50, you might not want to eat it if the quality is not good." - [Chan Chun Sing]

My $2.50 Carrot Cake without XO Sauce but still delish!

On the issue of integrating foreigners, Mr Chan said the role of the community was crucial, and that the government had to balance the intake of foreigners with that of supporting a country that was facing a low fertility rate and an ageing population.

He said: "The government is very very aware of this challenge. We can bring in so many foreigners, but beyond a certain point, we cannot bring in foreigners because you need to assimilate them, and you need time to accept them, and they need time to adjust to you."

Mr Chan added that while the government has in place many ways of trying to support the process, such as through the work of the National Integration Committee, it is not enough.

He said the community needs to play a part too.

At the same time, he said it is crucial for Singaporeans to remember that most of them are also the descendants of foreigners.

Mr Chan added there are alternatives to maintaining population growth, by sustaining current levels. But to do that, three areas need to be satisfied - by increasing productivity, improving work processes and by retraining and upgrading skills of older workers - all of which, he said, have been tried and have met its own set of challenges.

Mr Chan also addressed concerns over the social ills of gambling.

He said a survey on the social fallout of gambling will be released in February.

And in light of an uncertain economic outlook, Mr Chan said his ministry will look into creative ways to help those affected by a possible downturn.

He said: "Regardless of which area, we know that this year, the economic outlook may not be so rosy, so from the MCYS and various other ministries, we will have in place contingency plans to make sure that should the downturn come about, we have in place measures to help those SIngaporeans who are really in need.

"We'll find creative ways to make sure we help them, together with the community groups and other private organisations - working as a team. I'm confident that if we work as a team, between the government, the private sector and the people sector, we should have the resources to take care of our people comprehensively." [via CNA]

Who agree with me? Kee Chiu!

豪大大鸡排 Hot Star Large Fried Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Hot Star

If you are a fan of XXL fried chicken cutlets found in Taiwan night markets, look no further as Hot Star - the founder of Large Fried Chicken - as claimed on it's signboard, is finally here in Singapore!

This franchise is conveniently located at City Square Mall.

If you are coming by train, alight at Farrer Park MRT station and head towards Exit I.

I like how the underground tunnel leads you straight to the basement of City Square Mall with Hot Star just a couple of steps away from the entrance!

In fact, they are situated right outside KFC! Bold move!

Hey, now there's no need to brave the scorching sun or chilly rain just to satisfy that crave for XXL fried chicken anymore!

The various items on the menu

I was half expecting to see a long snaking queue but on the contrary, there were no customers before me and I was able to place my order as soon as I arrived.

Perhaps it was still early as I was there slightly before noon.

I ordered the Chicken Combo Meal ($6.70) which comes with a side of sweet potato fries and a drink.

Be prepared to wait as the chicken was only fried upon ordering. I guess the same goes with the fries. I have waited for about ten minutes or so. Do expect a longer wait if there's a queue!

I forgot to do a size comparison but it is definitely larger than my palm

(with fingers outstretched)

Since the chicken was fried on the spot, I had to wait for it to cool down before I could sink my teeth in.

Fiery concoction of spices

At first bite, I could feel the crunchiness and the flavors exploding in my mouth. I was expecting the chicken breast to be bland but it was actually well marinated on the inside.

I asked for "extra hot" and it set my tongue on fire!

Watch out for bones

As per Hot Star's practice, they do not cut up the fried chicken

I love the fries!

To be honest, I thought I was eating some regular chunky fries with plum flavor. I only realised it was sweet potato fries after I got back and did some research for this post.

I love the plum flavored seasoning though it was a lil salty

Seriously, I can't tell the difference. Either my tongue have been numbed by the spiciness or the taste of the sweet potato has been overwhelmed by the seasonings.

As tasty as it might be, do go easy on the seasonings!

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken
City Square Mall
180 Kitchener Road, #B1-K7
Singapore 208539
Daily: 10am - 10pm

还僵尸男原貌！Go Beyond The Cover!

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:49:00 +0000

化妆品品牌[Dermablend Professional]最近找来加拿大男模[Rico Genest]为旗下化妆品拍摄了一支广告。

清秀白净的男模先是在镜头前脱掉上衣，再开始往身上涂沫一番。

原本以为男模是在化妆但其实不然。

相反的，男模正在卸妆。

只见不一会儿功夫，该处便露出了一点刺青。

原来，男模外号叫僵尸男，也叫Zombie Boy。

在广告里，品牌化妆师事先帮他把全身的刺青都用遮瑕膏盖掉了，然后又以倒带的方式呈现整个过程，大大凸显了产品的功效。

结果竟是让人难以置信！这遮瑕膏也太厉害了！它或许是想暂时去除纹身者的福音哦！

真让人不得不佩服这遮瑕膏的魔力！

[via ftape.com]

Be enthralled by this cosmetics commercial for [Dermablend Professional] featuring Canadian Model, [Rico Genest].

The model is a tattoo fanatic whose obsession with tattoos has led to 80% of his body being covered by intricate designs of an entire skeleton (skull included) and is thematically, the depiction of a decomposing body.

It comes as no surprise that he is also known as "Zombie Boy" among his circle of friends and fans.

Before entering the scene, make-up artistes have already concealed his tattoos with concealer.

As the video begins, it shows the model removing bits of the concealer from his chest and face revealing the tattoos beneath.

From 1:47 on, the time-lapsed footage showcasing his transformation was played backwards.

The resulting effect is nothing short of amazing! The concealer really can conceal anything!

For those who may want to temporarily hide their tattoos, this could be your answer!

Once again, I'm awed by the power of make-up!

幕後花絮
Behind the scenes

Burger King Discriminates NS Men?

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:40:00 +0000

I was at Burger King's [Facbook page] and came across this allegation by "BusNo64" made against it's Filipino store manager at their Tampines North Community Centre outlet.

WARNING: Coarse language used here

my niece is working as a part-time crew on weekends in burgerking tampinese north cc outlet.....dis is wat she told me dis morning while havin lunch with her family.....

BK employs lots of fucking pinoys and there is one particular fucking male pinoy shift mgr at her outlet who is damn kuailan and cheehong...always try to get fresh with the female crew members.....yesterday there is this open mobilisation, and one the male crew member was affected...so he inform dis fucking pinoy shift mgr that he got to report back to camp...KNN the fucking pinoy then chastise him for not giving him notice earlier...the make crew member then told him he did inform the restaurant mgr last month about it....the fucking pinoy shift mgr then borpian let him go...afterwards, dis fucking pinoy shift mgr was heard telling other staffs that employing male sinkie crew can be very troublesome as they need to go for army duties...best not to employ them......my niece was veri mad and told the pinoy mgr dat national service is compulsory and all male citizens need to do their duty...but guess wat the pinoy shift mgr say to her ???

"I am now also a singapore citizen, but i no need to do any national service...so no big deal right? "

my niece hear oredi damn tulan but since she is planning on quitting after CNY, so she did not argue further....

KNNBCCB, why we give this kind of fucking pinoy foreigner bastard citizenship without any NS??????

[via BusNo64 Sammyboy Forum]

Three days later, Burger King posted their findings on their Facebook:

click to enlarge

BusNo64 posted this on 08 January 2012 and Burger King took two days to complete their investigations. Whether the allegations are true or otherwise, I am impressed with their efficiency.

Edit: 12 January 2012

It has been two days since Burger King issued their investigations but till now, there is no sign of BusNo64 backing up his claims.

Were the allegations untrue? If so, what is his intention to smear the reputation of the fast food restaurant then?

Now it's BusNo64 words against Burger King.

Your thoughts?

Guan Yin Shan, Hat Yai

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:47:00 +0000

My apologies for the delay of this post! Blame it all on the recent Christmas and New Year's Eve distractions! (Excuses! Excuses!)

So after visiting [Kim Yong Market] in the morning, we returned to our hotel for a quick rest before starting our itinerary for the day at noon.

It was still drizzling when we boarded the coach to go for our lunch at a local chinese restaurant during which, the sky seemed to have cleared a little.

After dinner, we did a bit of shopping at a local produce store （土产店）and leather-craft store before setting off for Guan Yin Shan.

Guan Yin = Goddess of Mercy
Shan = Mountain

So now you know how Guan Yin Shan got it's name?

According to the Thai tour guide, the piece of land where Guan Yin Shan was built initially belonged to the Muslims. So, why was a chinese temple built over it then?

The tour guide explained that a Datuk deity （拿督公） appeared in the dreams of the Muslims one night and talked them into giving the land to the chinese to build this temple.

Don't ask me why were the Muslims so obliging but this is what we were told...

Beautiful Lotus

More Lotus

The dragon's mouth which leads to the Laughing Buddha

The Jade Emperor and his dragons

You can buy fire crackers (comes in different length) from the temple and set them off for good luck.

The "tower" where you hang up your firecracker

The area surrounding the tower was littered with tiny red pieces of paper from the firecrackers.

Did you know that this is actually a cliff and below the red horizon is actually the mouth of a waterfall? I know because I looked down. I was surprised to have made this discovery.

One slip is all it takes to send me falling to my watery grave below.

The box containing our firecracker

As you can see, those on top were the residue of the newly fired cracker while those below have already been compacted into one big solid slab. There must be at least a couple of years worth of red paper there!

Just as we boarded the coach for our next destination, it started to rain again...

Stay tuned for the next post as we'll be visiting Klonghae Floating Market!

2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

2011的最后几个小时都在重复地听着这首歌。

跟新年并没多大的关系，纯粹只是喜欢而已。

很感触，很有feel…

大家在新的一年里有什么鸿图大计呢？

在此祝各位身体健康，前程似锦！

Kim Yong Market, Hat Yai

noreply@blogger.com (The Dead Cockroach) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:26:00 +0000

Before I proceed with Kim Yong Market, allow me to digress a little about the previous night after checking-in into President Hotel.

After inspecting the room and making sure that everything is (not) in order, we swiftly hopped onto a tuktuk headed for the night market around Lee Gardens.

One of my aims for this Hat Yai trip is to have the Samurai Burger from McDonalds. Woe is me that I could only have a taste of this divine burger once a year!

Seriously, can we not have even one non-halal outlet in Singapore that serves all things porky?

PORK BURGER IN YOUR FACE! NAH!

The streets of Hat Yai are lined with plenty of stalls selling food, clothes and knick knacks.

This stall is located vertically opposite Lee Gardens

We tried the hugeass prawns a year ago but realized it to be leftovers from the previous day which was refried and put on sale again. The prawn is not even as big as it appear to be - after removing the head, there is only that much flesh left.

T-Shirt for the twitter addict

Ahhh, land of the quirky (and sometimes rude) T-Shirts!

I did not get any T-Shirts this year. Just some bermudas, that's all.

It was a rather quick trip to Lee Gardens as we already knew what we needed so we just headed straight to the stalls that we frequent and bought what we wanted before returning to the hotel to rest for the night.

Next morning!

That was when the unhappy breakfast incident took place. (Refer to the previous post [here])

After breakfast, it was free and easy for us till noon before the tour guide brought us out for some touristy activities.

Since we had some time on our hands, we decided to visit Kim Yong Market.

During our last visit with my cousin and his side of the clan last year, we put up at Diamond Hotel and we went to Kim Yong Market for breakfast every single day.

Unfortunately, it rained that morning and it was such a hassle carrying a umbrella while trying to take pictures at the same time.

Gloomy weather ahead

If you wanna experience life of the locals, you have to visit their market

There are two sections to the market - the indoors and the outdoors.

The indoors one is like a labyrinth filled with narrow passageways with many twists and turns while the outdoor one is like an extension spilling onto the roads.

Love the gloomy clouds

Fruits

More fruits

Pre-cooked fish

Some common and not so common vegetables

Petai

Best with prawns and sambal!

Muslim lady selling Pomegranate and other random fruits

Due to it's close proximity to the Malaysian borders, do not be surprised to find many Thai Muslims in Hat Yai.

Such a hassle eating them! Have to keep spitting the seeds!

In another lane, there is a dedicated street for the food hawkers. There is this particular stall selling fried stuffs which I loved.

The pink ones contained koo chye and the brown ones yam paste!

I partically fell in love with these fried snacks when I first ate them a year ago. The koo chye one was juicy and savoury while the yam one was sweet (yet not too sweet).

Mum spoke to them in Hakka

Sinfully oily

Yam paste!

Over here, you can find everything from clothes, shoes and handbags to vegetables, meat and dried goods. (Over here, people buy Pistachios, Cashew Nuts, etc by the kilos)

You must come take a look if you ever had the chance to visit Hat Yai.

Kim Yong Market is within walking distance (about 5 - 8 minutes) from Diamond Hotel - a bit more if you are coming from Lee Gardens.