pitter patter pitter patter... Splish!

Rain

2005-12-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

"Rain"

I feel it, it's coming[Chorus:]Rain, feel it on my finger tipsHear it on my window paneYour love's coming down likeRain, wash away my sorrowTake away my painYour love's coming down like rainWhen your lips are burning mineAnd you take the time to tell me how you feelWhen you listen to my wordsAnd I know you've heard, I know it's realRain is what this thunder bringsFor the first time I can hear my heart singCall me a fool but I know I'm notI'm gonna stand out here on the mountain topTill I feel your[chorus]When you looked into my eyesAnd you said goodbye could you see my tearsWhen I turned the other wayDid you hear me sayI'd wait for all the dark clouds bursting in a perfect skyYou promised me when you said goodbyeThat you'd return when the storm was doneAnd now I'll wait for the light, I'll wait for the sunTill I feel your[chorus]Here comes the sun, here comes the sunAnd I say, never go awayWaiting is the hardest thing(It's strange I feel like I've known you before)I tell myself that if I believe in you(And I want to understand you)In the dream of you(More and more)With all my heart and all my soul(When I'm with you)That by sheer force of will(I feel like a magical child)I will raise you from the ground(Everything strange)And without a sound you'll appear(Everything wild)And surrender to me, to loveRain is what the thunder bringsFor the first time I can hear my heart singCall me a fool but I know I'm notI'm gonna stand out here on the mountain topTill I feel yourRain, I feel it, it's comingYour love's coming down like[repeat][chorus]Rain, I feel it, it's comingYour love's coming down like[repeat]Rain

By Madonna

Natural remedy to beat the flu

2005-11-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

I have been fighting the flu for 5 days now ever since the morning of the Christmas bazaar on saturday and this morning was the most difficult one. I woke up with a sniffy nose and breathing was difficult. I decided that I had taken enough cirrus for now(besides I ran out of it) and decided to reach out for my natural remedy--eucalyptus. After boiling some water, I poured the water in a mug, put 2 drops in the water and inhaled deeply. A very cooling sensation hit my nose hard. After a few more deep sniffs, I decongested it and the walls of my mucus broke free bringing with it free-flowing mucus. I sniffed a sigh of relief. However, it was not fully decongested yet so I decided to take a eucalyptus shower. 1 drop went into my shampoo and another into my shower gel. After rinsing with lots of hot water, things began to look better and after a few quick blows into a tissue, my nose was mucus-free again. Yay.

I am currently selling my top-grade essential oils at flea markets but if you can't wait for the next flea market to come up then you can get it directly from me.(Only for those living in Singapore.) I am retailing it for S$9.90(transport cost not included in price) Gift boxes available at a small fee.

At 60, your life begins all over again.

2005-11-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

We threw a surprise birthday party on saturday for Papa who is turning 60 this year. 60 is apparently a very important year for the Chinese as some believe that at 60, life begins again. According to 2nd uncle, your life will unfold the way it did when you were born so if you can remember how it began, you will be able to predict the events. Unfortunately, most of us will be suffering from Amnesia by then. Brand new babe or 2nd reincarnation? It is an interesting thought. So if you see someone throwing an elaborate banquet of 200 tables for an elderly member of their family, he/she must be turning 60!

Pop the champagne and raise your glass for a champagne toast. Clink!

Tim Sum at Wah Lok

2005-11-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

Char Siew Sau

Tim sum is one of the wonderful inventions of Chinese cuisine. You gaze adoringly at little morsels of food on plates and make eyes at it before you gobble it down.(At least that's what I do, I have been told) I had the pleasure last thursday of participating in this wonderful ritual at Wah Lok, my favourite tim sum restaurant in Singapore with a friend. Steamed carrot cake served in a glass bowl, har kow, jiu cai dumpling, century egg porridge, egg custard and char siew sau... we had it all. Even my hard-to-please mother had no complaints. She was full of praise for the char siew sau which was chockful of char siew and char siew sauce. Another dish I would recommend that I normally have is the sharks fin dumpling soup.

76 Bras Basah Road
Carlton Hotel
2nd Floor
Tel: 6311-8188/9

Wild Rocket

2005-11-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

There have been several mouth-watering reviews about this restaurant sitting on Mount Emily that serves up a mean Laksa Pesto Spaghetti, a strawberry cheesecake and a dark chocolate gateau so I thought it was time for me to make my way up the hill to try it.

My sole mission was to test out The laksa pesto pasta. The miserly portions of prawns and bland tasting quail's eggs did no justice to the dish. The dish fell pretty flat at first taste and went pretty much downhill after that.

The strawberry cheesecake with marple walnut was equally disappointing. Aside from looking really pretty, served in a martini glass, the cake was too rich. I am not a big fan of cheesecake though. The crabmeat pasta tasted really weird too. The chocolate cake was nice but then again, you can get really nice chocolate cakes down the hill. Perhaps it's early days yet.

Musings

2005-10-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that there are people who are not happy with themselves and like to tear others into pieces. Some are plain unreasonable. I was told today that I do not evoke enough emotions. Well, I can be hot and cold at times, in fact I like to be hot and cold and never lukewarm. That would be the death of me. Multiple personality? Hmm... Surprisingly, I was not mad about it.(real proud of myself) Sometimes, direct attacks of my ego do get to me but I am trying to get more edgey these days and care less about what people think and live more. (Think anthon bourdain... cool edgey, devil-may-care. How can anyone get sick of watching him?) Or maybe because I have more empathy these days for people who work long hours, have difficult work conditions and are hence bouncing off the walls. Perhaps, I drank coconut juice yesterday(hah!hah!). What relation is that? Well, Hindus crack a coconut at the entrance of the temple before entering it to show that they come before God without their ego. Ain't that beautiful? Didn't crack mine though. Maybe it is the thought that counts :)!

On a different note, for the first time yesterday, I had the most frightful experience during a storm. A powerful bolt of lightning lit the sky in the middle of the night and sent a frightful tremor to the ground. Even though I am somewhere half-way up a hdb block, I felt as if someone with that amount of rage that only prolonged time in eternal hell could accumulate had just been let loose from his cell. He screamed a powerful, agonizing scream that resonated in my ears and let out multiple ground-shaking vibrations on the tile that I was standing on.

Coincidentally, I read this interesting paragraph from Paulo Goelho's "The Devil and Miss Prym" which describes evil forces of nature.

"It doesn't take a devil much time to bring about destruction; they are like storms, hurricanes or avalanches, which, in a few short hours, can destroy trees planted two hundred years before."

I will now leave you to contemplate while I read books by authors who evoke extreme emotions to make up for my supposed/real shortcomings in emotions.

Copyright © 2005 by Lee Sui-Lynn

Halo around the moon

2005-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

According to information from Wikipedia:

Halos are also optical phenomena that appear near or around the Sun or Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street lights. There are many types of optical halos, but they are mostly caused by ice crystals in cold cirrus clouds located high (5-10 km, or 3-6 miles) in the upper troposphere. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals is responsible for the type of halo observed. Light is reflected and refracted by the ice crystals and may split up into colors because of dispersion, similarly to the rainbow.

Mid-Autumn Festival

2005-09-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

For the last two nights, sightings of the moon have been spectacular. On the eve of the mid-autumn festival, there was a huge rim surrounding the moon. Yesterday, the rim was much smaller and only a little way outside the circumference of the moon like a highlight. Best place to observe the moon: in a very dark place.

The sea was very rough yesterday. On the way to Coney Island, Amazing Grace 2 bobbed precariously up and down. Angela was enjoying the rough ride though sitting at the rail by the front of the boat and she kept asking me to join her.

The sky was overcast and the clouds threatened to hide the moon in it's cloak. Fortunately, they drifted off in a different direction after a while and moon started peeking shyly from it's veil.

We started with steamed yam first while waiting for the water to boil. The yams are round and look a little like the crust of the century egg. Then we all tucked into the simple steamboat dinner and watched the prawns boiling with anticipation. The mooncakes and tea came out after that. Two types of tea were served. One tasted like a bittergourd tea while the other had a rather fragrant and smooth feel. My mini durian snow skin mooncakes from Hyatt were wilting in the ice-box. Like a flower breathing it's last glorious moments, it sat vulnerably on the palm of my hand before I set it down on the chopping board. Like the sagging skin of an old woman, it collapsed with it's last ounce strength when cut. I was warned about it though. The sales staff at Mezza 9 instructed me to keep it in the freezer and take it out 15 to 20 mins before eating. The taste was light without being coying heavy with a lift to it. I would put it down to 90% pure durian.

Then we took the paper lanterns out and lighted it. It was really pretty with the orange, yellow, pink, green and red lighting up the boat. Off went the lights once they were done. Angela did most of it while Karen and I watched. The guys helped to tie the lanterns up all over the boat. Angela was like a mummy most of the night tending to her babies(the lit' paper lanterns).

I looked at the moon and watched the moonlight falling over the water. There is something very therapeutic about moonlight. It has a calming quality to it. Coupled with the gentle roll of the waves, it was a formidable combination. It is pleasant to look at without hurting your eyes yet powerful enough to light up the ripples of water in it's path. We sighted a school of fish in the distance.

I thought about several songs during my quiet moments: yue liang dai biao wo de xin and shi wu de yue liang. We used to play the latter during harmonica practice as it was one of our signature tunes for the concerts. I reminisced about the times when I used to play in a harmonica band and the days when my cousins(u know u are being thought of, sweetheart) and I used to carry our paper lanterns along the corridor of my grandma's Toa Payoh flat.

Before long, it was time to pack up. Watching the moon is one of my favourite Singapore pastimes. The other is watching a tropical rainstorm.

This trip was made possible by Captain Lee's Sail Excursions.

Copyright © 2005 by Lee Sui-Lynn

Clark Quay

2005-09-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Clark Quay as seen through the eyes of Raindance.

Mind-blowing chocolate cake!

2005-09-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Warning:
You will achieve nothing short of a mind-blowing gastronomic orgasm when you consume this.

Health benefits:
Packed with endorphins.

Packaging:
Comes in a pristine white box.

Quality control:
A tiny cube of dry ice(looks like a white sugar cube) is packed in the box to stop the chocolate mousse from melting.

Feeling a little lethargic today, I did something to perk myself up---- Tucked into my FAVOURITE chocolate cake. It's called Guanaja.

Description at counter:
A French top quality bittersweet chocolate mousse and ganache with 2 layers of chocolate sponges. Comes with a layer of crispy biscuit.

Price: S$3.40 per slice

Freshly made by the Rive Gauche outlet at the basement of Liang Court, it packs a potent punch with the quality Valrhona chocolate. Named after one of the chocolate bars that Valrhona carries.

Drool while you focus your eyes on the pic :).

How to oogle at a chocolate cake
1. First, stare intensely at the chocolate cake.

2. Drink in the aesthetic beauty.

3. Take a deep whiff.

4. Imagine the feeling of biting into it... the smooth velvety texture of the chocolate flowing like a river into your throat before it hits your brain.

5. Bite into it. Voila! You have done it.

P.S.: Love the picture. It's got a very surreal feel to it.

Copyright © 2005 by Lee Sui-Lynn

Shotover Lodge---- a REALLY luxurious lodge

2005-09-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Paradise found
By Lee Sui-Lynn

“Are you game for some serious adventure?” This was the challenge posed to me by a young shop assistant of an Outdoor Shop in Queenstown who was rearing with energy and selling the white water rafting trip. It sounded fantastic, like something out of The Amazing Race. We would first be flown by helicopter to the white water rafting site before going downstream where a bus would pick us up and get us back into town.

You would have thought that she was the expedition leader of the trip when she sighed and told me that she would love to go--- the only thing stopping her was that it wasn’t her turn yet. She needed two extra people to go on the trip as they had to make up the number of 8.

This, is very much the attitude of most Queenstown residents. Though we drove into town on a cold winter afternoon, most Queenstown residents were pretty upbeat about the weather and getting their gear ready for their next outdoor trip. I guess it helps that most of them work in the tourism industry.

As Shirley the young shop assistant at the Outdoor Shop put it philosophically: “You are never gonna do it if you keep thinking about the weather. “

I chickened out and didn’t do the trip as cold water did not appeal to my senses.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps the town was named because “…it was fit for Queen Victoria”, Queenstown is now recognised internationally as New Zealand’s premier visitor destination.

I did do some interesting side trips along the way like the wonderful cruise on Milford Sound, perfect for wet weather like this as the number of waterfalls cascading down increase in numbers and intensity with the rain. I also got to ski at Mount Hutt as Coronet Peak was closed due to bad weather, but only for 3 out of 6 days as it was just the beginning of winter and the weather was still pretty unpredictable. But enough of this, what I planned to do this time round was a relaxing holiday with no care in the world and what better place to do this than in the warmth of Shotover Lodge, perched on a sunny terrace 400 feet above the Shotover River---the richest gold bearing river in the world.

Comfort Zone
I remember eating at a European-style café at Tanjong Pagar not too long ago, with natural skylight streaming in through the roof, pleasant company and the wonderful aroma of Rosemary chicken baking in the oven. What particularly struck me about this surrealistic experience was the astute observation that one of my companions made upon tucking into her chicken, “I haven’t been fed this well for a long time…”

When I went over to Shotover Lodge in New Zealand in June, that same feeling hit me--- I felt that I hadn’t been well taken care of for a long time because Steve and Jeanette were wonderful hosts. I felt that someone was able to anticipate my needs for the first time in my life--- exclusive unobtrusive service that is not second to the Ritz-Carlton, company when I needed it and food that looked so good that I could hardly bear to eat it… tantalising cupcakes with lemon curd served in white crockery beckoning me invitingly in front of a fireplace with warm tea soon after arrival. It looked like something out of Vogue or Martha Stewart.

I bit into the warm cupcakes in anticipation of greatness and I was not disappointed--- the lemon curd was warm without being coyingly sweet and the cupcake was so light that it felt fat-free but at the same time, extremely tasty.

A tour around the house took us to an outdoor jacuzzi at the edge of the property overlooking Shotover River. Kept warm at all times by a cover, one can jump in for a soak in the warm sunshine or under the soft moonlight. The next best thing to having an outdoor shower facility, you can be one with nature without feeling like you are exposing too much flesh. A quick sprint to your room after the soak in the chilly winter temperatures heightens the experience.

Herbs can also be found in the outdoor garden with thyme, parsley, chives and mint plants among our finds.

A quick peek in the bedroom unearthed finds of every sort of comfort possible--- an electric towel heater in the bathroom with towels neatly folded across, wine bottles and mineral water tucked discreetly into the wooden cupboard out-of-sight, teabags, milo and sugared cookies in a tin should you long for one in the middle of the night---even pretty napkins to wipe your mouth after eating are not forgotten. You needn’t fret if you can’t sleep, there is camomile tea and Healtheries Caffeine-free bedtime for peaceful sleep if counting sheep doesn’t help.

Caffein addicts are catered for as well. Dry roasted grounded coffee in an air-tight container and a coffee plunger can be found in this little cupboard of delights. It makes me feel like I am reading Enid Blyton all over again… of the magic faraway tree that has different lands coming and going, sometimes nice ones with jelly growing on trees. Yeah, this is one of the good lands. It’s pure gourmet heaven in a bedroom.

On top of that, the bar fridge is stocked with Taittinger Champagne Brute NV, Mate’s Vineyard Kumeu Chardonnay, Charles Wiffen Sauvignon Blanc, orange juice, nectarine, apple & raspberry juice and even organic apple juice. Coke, tonic water, milk, beer and cheese are other things you can find. Pecans, cashews, pistachios, hazels, brazils almonds are among the two specialty nut packs placed on the table tantalisingly inviting one to take a bite. And Belgian chocolate bars lie in gold foil just within reach. It’s as if someone second-guessed you.

Then, there is pre-dinner drinks every night, European-style to look forward to. By late afternoon, Jeanette can be found in the kitchen preparing the hors d’ oeuvre in her wonderful kitchen with savoury smells of pastry baking filling the air. Though we missed the experience as we had booked the restaurant up at the cable car area for dinner, there was a real tinge of regret lingering inside me long after, as I was sure it would have been something wonderful with good company and beautiful antiques and objects all around.

I did get to have a look at the antiques though. There is an intriguing picture of a bare-breasted Indonesian woman in one painting which Steve explains was how the local women were like before the Europeans came to Bali, discovered it and made them cover up their chests with clothing. Various Hindu deities abound as do small dowry boxes from Kerala which I understand was the home of the spice trade and where black pepper was so prized that it was called black gold.

Then there is a Dutch colonial table on which sits a clock from Burma from the deco era and rice measures from India that were used to sell rice.

Now for Breakfast…
Breakfast is a real treat here with freshly squeezed juice and a choice of either Warm Blackberry and Apple Oatmeal Crumble or Bircher Muesli with Preserved Apricots and Organic Yogurt. For the mains, we could have either the Wood Smoked Salmon on Kumera Chive Hotcakes with a Poached Egg or The Lodus Mixed Grill which consisted of Sicillian Fennel Sausages, Bacon, Tomato, Mushrooms and Eggs otherwise known as “The Army Breakfast”. I had the Wood Smoked Salmon which was perfectly done, smoked on the premises with melt-in-the-mouth Kumera(native sweet potato)----it has never tasted sweeter. And we ended on a sweet note with a Banana Passion Fruit Chocolate Tart which was just out-of-the-world. The dark chocolate was soft, the way it should be. Different textures made this dish amazing with the fresh banana pepping up the dish.

On my previous travels there, I thought that New Zealanders were nice straight-forward people who specialised in good, value-for-money homestays, motels and backpackers but lacked a certain business savviness.

This time round, that perspective’s changed. After meeting Steve and Jeanette who are both shrewd marketeers and entrepreneurs who have seen much of the world (Steve and Jeanette were creators of the very successful Remarkables Lodge which has since been sold), I have changed my mind. New Zealand has become a serious destination for both gourmets and people who enjoy the outdoors. As Jeanette says,”Creating a memorable experience for guests is like creating a piece of art. We have taken a fantastic location, excellent facilities, award winning hospitality, fine food and wine, and woven it together to create an experience far richer than the sum of its parts.”

I couldn’t agree more. I did leave with human sweetness lingering inside me long after I left---from the chocolates initialled with my name that I found on my pillow that night. Now, that’s marketing savvy combined with true warmth. Where else can you find that?

Travel File
GETTING THERE… Air New Zealand National and Air New Zealand Link provide scheduled daily air services to/from international gateways of Auckland and Christchurch, as well as Rotorua and Wellington. Air New Zealand operates a regular weekly direct Sydney/Queenstown service year-round and direct Brisbane – Queenstown flight in the winter. Coach services like Intercity, Johnson’s Coachlines, Catch-A-Bus, and Great Sights also provide daily services to/from Christchurch. Self-drive---allow half a day from Invercargill or Dunedin, a full day from Churchchurch.

STAY AT…
Shotover Lodge---a luxury accommodation that is close to Queenstown. Twin/Double at NZ$375 per night. It includes hot country breakfast, pre-dinner drinks with hors d’oeuvres, use of all lodge facilities and complimentary transfers to ski resort shuttle bus.

Browns Boutique Hotel, a 10-bedroom hotel five minutes from Queenstown Centre with stunning views of the Remarkables mountain range from every room.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO…

There is plenty to do here whether it is action-packed activities like jetboating, bungy jumping, whitewater rafting, luging, parapenting, skydiving, fly by wire or skiing. There are also more relaxed trips like the Queenstown wine trail which takes you to a few wineries like Gibbston Valley Winery, Wentworth Estate and Charm Farm. A lunch at the superb courtyard restaurant in Gibbston Valley Winery is not to be missed.

Copyright © 2003 by Lee Sui-Lynn

My 1st Lomo outing

2005-09-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

So after being excited for 2 days, I went for my 1st Lomo outing--- Heineken Greenspace City Hunt. Never touched or played with a lomo camera prior to this so I felt like a kid playing with his new toy for the first time.

Things I learnt:

-- It's still about your vision.

-- Colour, colour, colour.

--- Don't follow blindly.

We had to cover 18 different places.

Let me tell you about my wayang adventure.

1st, I was made fun of by the 2 Ah Peks at the Tong Ah Coffee Shop when I asked them if I could shoot their photograph. They told me cheekily: S$1000 for each person then they will grant me permission.

2nd, Kopi uncle making coffee scolded me when I tried to take a few shots of the counter he was at. 'Cannot take photo here anh...'

Fortunately, number 3 was luckier. I met this really sweet girl Adelyn and we decided to take a break at the kopit tiam. I told her what happened and she answered, "That's why it is worth two points." Ha! Ha! I had a good laugh. Gave her some advice before I proceeded on to the next stop: Shoot and run.

Dou mei(unlucky) 4--- Couldn't find the cobblestones at Duxton Hill. Went up and down the road twice. Met Adelyn while I was trawling the street like a roadsweeper. She told me it was at the end of the road. After trawling one more round, I found out that there was Part II to the road and I only did Part I. Enlightened :)!

To be cont.

Copyright © 2005 by Lee Sui-Lynn

Musings

2005-08-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

There is a refreshing scent in the air. It starts with a sudden cool breeze hitting my face and a subtle almost imperceptible drop in temperature. Winds change direction almost impulsively dashing at full speed past me and then it comes… a drop, two drops and a few more. The scent gets stronger: it is both light and feminine with a muskiness that is masculine. I drink in the scent deeply… again and again. Then I lose sight of consciousness and fall.

Copyright © 2005 by Lee Sui-Lynn