Raffles Place Office Lady

Laundry, Drycleaners & Designer Hangbag Cleaners

2011-04-02T20:41:00.004+08:00

Recently I read some news articles / features on having your designer handbags professionally cleaned, and that complaints against drycleaners are on the rise in Singapore the past few years. I thought it would be a good time to do a post on the various laundry shops in Raffles Place I see.

Personally, I would recommend Presto Drycleaners located at OUB Centre (One Raffles Place now) 5th floor just next to the escalator. I had brought a duchess satin evening dress to the drycleaner located at Raffles Exchange but the old woman there told me to "remove the rhinestoned-straps" because "if damaged, not their fault". I was appalled by her unprofessionalism and asked my dress designer what to do. Luckily he recommended that I go to Presto Drycleaners as they are the "better service provider". I googled for the nearest outlet and luckily I found one in OUB Centre! Was I glad I brought my two dresses there (the duchess satin and a silk-linen blend), as the service was efficient, prompt and professional! The lady there was knowledgeable and assured me they are used to good-quality evening wear and they knew how to handle my dresses. What a sharp contrast! I got my dresses back on time, nicely cleaned and pressed, and there were even sponge-padding used to protect my dresses from the hangers! You could see I am still impressed by their service ;)

The first drycleaner at the Raffles Exchange I mentioned has since moved / closed down - no surprise there!

If you wish to find other drycleaners / laundry services in Raffles Place, off-hand I could think of these places (no names because I have not used their services before and would not want to recommend them personally):

Arcade level 3 - at least 2 shops, 1 offers designer handbag-cleaning too
Chevron House level 1, near the "Hitachi Tower Smokers' Corner" hehe!
Goldenshoe Market level 1, beside May Hua Food Court - they offer designer handbag-cleaning and clothes-alteration too
Republic Plaza Tower II level 2 - clothes-alteration services offered too

I have not ventured further than the immediate Raffles Place, so if you found more please let me know! And share with me your comments if you have used any of these laundry shops ;)

By the way, be very careful to whom you send your expensive designer-wear and handbags for cleaning; there is always a risk something goes wrong, and even if the business is willing to make full compensation, as we all know, money may not buy you that same beloved bag / dress again :(

Her Contrariness

2011-02-20T18:59:00.005+08:00

Have you ever thought you did not want something, but later found out you could not have it, and felt disappointed / dejected? All of a sudden you yearn for what you cannot have...such is the contrariness in life (and yes I checked the dictionary, there really is such a word!)

I want...

... but not a pet, get what I mean?

Chinese New Year - Year of The Rabbit

2011-01-30T19:47:00.021+08:00

Time flies, and Chinese all over the world are preparing to send majestic Mr Tigger away, and welcome Hoppy Bunny this Thursday 3 Feb 2011 ;)

I am not sure if it's an age thing, but this year I feel the urge to properly decorate my house and to try and create the appropriate festive atmosphere:

慈菇 (Arrowhead chips) & cookies / Pineapple Pocket Pies from Cedele Raffles Place

My fave kueh bahlu

We call these "bee hives" LOL

Pineapple Tarts - a "must-have" for CNY!

Aren't these peonies simply gorgeous? I love them!

These are actually fruit candies from Taiwan! I bought them from NTUC supermart for only $2.20/box - I had a good laugh over the packaging, because they are exactly like fruit cartons, yet are only palm-sized! So kawaii!

Of course how can I talk about CNY without mentioning hongbaos / red packets? Every year you'd see different designs, but this year pink and cream are favourite new alternatives over the traditional red/gold combination. I liked the pink ones, until I see more and more of the same, so they are not so special anymore I guess hehe...

Here's wishing everyone a prosperous, joyous and healthy Year of Rabbit!

国泰民安
新年快乐
兔年吉祥

Conspicuous Consumption

2011-01-23T16:35:00.010+08:00

Conspicuous consumption, as defined in wikipedia, is "lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth. In the mind of a conspicuous consumer, such display serves as a means of attaining or maintaining social status."

I look around me and this term pops up in my mind constantly - in Singapore shopping is deemed a national hobby (tying in first place with eating!) so it's no wonder you witness consumerism constantly. But what makes it "conspicuous" is the fact that the goods purchased have no intrinsic utility (value) - so would you buy XXX if no one knows about it?

After a whole year of prudent spending - only a short getaway, redeeming air miles for free air tickets to boot - we have decided to pamper ourselves and give in to temptation...

Yes Logong got me an iPad, not just the cover...hehe

My Christmas pressie Part I to Logong - to help him wake up better :P

Christmas pressie Part II to Logong: his latest craze - toy / retro cameras!

Delightful long tees from Uniqlo - Franche Lippée ...do these little red-hooded figures remind you of...

This picture is like my portrait - it never fails to bring a smile to my face! See the complete story on Logong's blog, The Content Guy.

What would you do if you had all the money and time in the world?

2010-10-17T20:39:00.004+08:00

Deepak Chopra, in an episode of Current Mentor (by Current TV), said to find out what's your unique talent / career, ask yourself what would you do if you had all the money and time in the world...this has got me thinking hard.

Clearly I do not have all the money and time in the world, so I shall continue counting beans...until I figure out what do I want to be when I grow up that is! ;)

Your Food Pic Is Worth $3 Each!

2010-08-22T16:05:00.004+08:00

I chanced upon this site shareURmeal while blog-surfing today. Finally I know how all my food pictures can be used for a greater cause!

Beef Bento (Kiraku opp. Golden Shoe)

Lately I have been cutting down on my carbo intake at the advice of my doc. I have been successful in shedding some pounds, but last week my colleague told me some people on protein diet get cranky and depressed from a diet totally lacking in carbo...could it be why I was feeling kinda depressed? If I had to go vegetarian, THEN I'd be depressed! I need meat...

Listless, Purposeless, Unmotivated + Zzz = Depressed?

2010-08-22T00:39:00.006+08:00

It's been quite a long while since my last post...To be honest I love the idea of blogging, but for the life of me I could not seem to find the inspiration / dedication needed to constantly post updates etc. Logong always asks me why do I even want to blog in the first place? I have no answer...

Lately I have been feeling listless and tired all the time. This morning I simply did not want to get out of bed...I woke up at 7am, went back to sleep till 11.30am, had breakfast and became a couch potato till 3pm, and went back to read in bed till 5pm...

I remember Logong telling me, sleeping TOO MUCH is a sign of depression, and boy after reading this article I am ready to go to a shrink! *gasp*

I have long To-Do lists both at work and home, however no matter how long I worked, the To-Do list keeps getting longer and longer, and during the day I always get interrupted by more "urgent" things required by so-and-so...it drives me nuts that I could not mark items "Done" as fast as I would like to!

Then again it could be just that "Time of the Month" or I've had an especially tiring week juggling work / deadlines as well as packing up the office for the unwanted move.

However seeing such pretty things have cheered me up a bit:

Cath Kidston Floral Wellington Boots

Aren't these boots simply adorable? But what on earth would I do with a pair of wellies in Singapore? I have no garden!

And look at these:

These are a few of my favourite things...from Green Gate.

Raffles Place Good Eats: Cafe Gluttony Revisted

2010-02-28T13:44:00.007+08:00

As promised in my previous blog post, I brought my colleagues to Cafe Gluttony last week. It was their first visit and they were pretty excited; we tend to go to the same old places for food and after so many years working in Raffles Place, it can get kind of boring and tired.

The cafe was almost full house when we arrived at around 12.45pm on a Monday. There were 3 helpers and service, though a bit curt, was prompt. Very difference from my last visit on a Saturday evening, which is better for business! After ordering and paying at the counter, our soup + iced lemon tea (part of set $3) were served within 5 minutes. Soup of the day was cream of something (sorry I forgot). It was nice and creamy, but my colleague who has phobia of milky and creamy food, did not like it haha!

2 of us ordered the Tom Yum Chicken Spaghetti (S6.80), while another ordered the Seafood Marinara Spaghetti ($7.50):

We both loved our Tom Yum Spaghetti and the pasta was cooked al dente, not too hard or soft, just nice. The Tom Yum sauce is a bit curry-creamy and the spicyness is just right for me. I tend not to like too spicy food (like ma la hot pot) etc. because I feel the real taste of the dish is masked by the chili oil or hot taste. Who cannot cook a spicy dish? Just add tonnes of chili / pepper and no one can taste the food right?

My other colleague said her Seafood Marinara Spaghetti was nice too. Based on this visit, it is no wonder the Tom Yum Spaghetti is this cafe's signature dish. Since the service was prompt and the wait for the food short, we had a pretty good lunch I'd say.

We'll be back!

Happy Tiger Year & Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-16T14:33:00.008+08:00

Yes 14 Feb 2010 was a day special for the Chinese because not only did we welcome the new Tiger year but also Valentine's Day! Let this be an auspicious year fill with love and world peace!

Looking at the above picture of CNY goodies, I am getting into the festive mood! :P

And look what I spied on my side of the bed on 13 Feb just before we left for my in-laws' for reunion dinner:

Since we were spending the night at my in-laws' Logong surprised me with this green (my fave colour) treat earlier hehe...For years I've been waiting for GREEN M&Ms or Smarties, finally the wait is over!

Thank you Logong! XOXO

Supermarkets in Raffles Place

2010-02-07T19:29:00.004+08:00

Recently our corporate visitors have been staying at the nearby serviced apartments, Ascott Raffles Place. The best thing about this place is daily bookings are available! And the rates are pretty competitive, and definitely much cheaper than The Fullerton Hotel, the next nearest hotel in the heart of CBD. Each apartment comes equipped with a washer and dryer, and if you wish to cook, equipment and utensils are provided in the room too. However I am not sure items like washing detergent and cooking ingredients are available! So where could you buy such essential items if you are staying here for more than 2 weeks and you will not be reimbursed for laundry charges by your company?

If you do not wish to travel by public transport / drive out of the CBD to get some groceries, your best bet is to walk to Cold Storage at the basement of China Square Central.

Here are the store details:

18 Cross Street
#B1-03-04 China Square Central S(048423)

Mon - Sat : 9.00am - 9.00pm
Sun : 10.00am - 9.00pm

Nearest MRT : Chinatown Station
Bus Services: 147, 143, 80

It is not a big supermarket but if you wish to get your normal cleaning detergents, snacks, some convenience food, then this store should meet your needs.

If you find this store not up-to-mark, you could venture a bit further to the following:

Carrefour @ Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall #01-199
Singapore 038983
Tel: 6333 6868
Fax: 6333 6178
Email: singapore@carrefour.com

Opening Hours
10am - 10.30pm (Sun - Thurs)
10am - 11pm (Fri & Sat)

*Free shuttle bus service
provided by Suntec Management
from City Hall MRT

Carrefour @ Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, 2 stations / 5 minutes from Raffles Place)
68 Orchard Road
Plaza Singapura #B1-09
Singapore 238839
Tel: 6836 6868
Fax: 6339 7866
Email: singapore@carrefour.com

Opening Hours
10am - 10.30pm (Sun - Thurs)
10am - 11pm (Fri & Sat)

*Free shuttle bus service
provided by CapitaLand
Frequency: 30 mins
First Bus: 10am Last Bus: 8pm

Jasons Market Place (by Cold Storage) @ Raffles City Basement
(this is a more high-end supermarket so expect to pay a premium on everything!)
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-01 Raffles City Shopping Centre S(179103)

Mon - Sun : 9.00am - 11.00pm

NTUC Fairprice (Singaporeans' favourite co-op)
@ Tiong Bahru Plaza basement 1(Tiong Bahru MRT station is 7 mins' away from RP) (08:00 AM- 11:00 PM)
@ Tanjong Pagar next to Tanjong Pagar Plaza (07:00 AM- 10:00 PM)

Some of these supermarkets, especially Cold Storage, Jasons and Carrefour, have cooked food, cut fresh fruit etc. for takeaway like a deli. So check them out! I am one person who loves to go supermarkets when I am overseas LOL!

Raffles Place Good Eats: Viet Cafe

2010-02-03T16:28:00.001+08:00

Located in the basement of 6 Battery Road, Viet Cafe's entrance is along Battery Road opposite Straits Trading Building. For the past 2 years, the shop front was bare which was why I thought the cafe had closed down; these billboards were only put back up late last year and then I remembered my favourite Vietnamese noodles and lemongrass chicken here!

I brought an overseas colleague here for lunch last October and was happy to note the menu and taste of the food have largely remained the same. So 2 weeks ago I met up with an old friend here again - I was surprised he even knew this cafe, let alone liked it enough to suggest lunch here!
We both ordered the beef noodle soup (non-spicy) and the set came with the lemongrass chicken side, as well as a choice of drinks. Again we both opted for the sourplum soda - deliciously refreshing! We also ordered the fresh (not friend) spring roll, a typical Vietnamese dish.

Normally I would have chosen the dry vermicelli from Viet Cafe but I wanted to try out other dishes and so chose the classic beef noodle soup. It was alright, not fantastic but not bad either. I guess I still prefer the more flavourful dry vermicelli.

This meal cost us less than SGD 45, so I think each set meal was around SGD 20. The portion served was generous, so if you wanted to give yourself a treat, or want to have a nice place to eat and catch up with old friends or ex-colleagues, this is quite a nice place for lunch.

SunMoon Fruit Shop

2010-02-01T00:18:00.001+08:00

Since there is no supermarket in the immediate Raffles Place area, if you wish to buy fresh fruit then head on down to SunMoon (or Sun Moon I thought) at Chevron House (formerly Caltex House) basement. While prices are slightly higher than say NTUC, the variety here is wider and quality, better. You often see more exotic (and expensive) fruit here too. To cater to the needs of the working crowd, they have in recent months offered fresh fruit juice and cut fruit for sale in convenient take-away packages. They also have individual bananas for sale (1 for SGD 0.40 or 3 for SGD 1), so you need not buy a whole comb and leave them in the office :D However I would get fruit juice and cut fruit from the fruit shops in Arcade or Goldenshoe; it's much cheaper and the juices are less diluted :P But if it's variety and exotic fruit you want, Sun Moon is still the place to go.

Other products on sale are dried fruit (and other assorted snacks), Meiji milk, yoghurt, and ice creams and Snapple juices. I sometimes see organic products too, as well as cereal fruit bars.

We must have a healthy and balanced diet, so make fruit your preferred dessert choice!

Alteration Service - Su Denim & Alter Pro

2010-01-31T01:18:00.008+08:00

Su Denim is located in Raffles Exchange @ Raffles Place MRT, just opposite the row of POSBank ATMs, right next to the florist as you walk towards 6 Battery Road and UOB Plazas. According to my colleagues, to alter the hem of pants, machine-sewn is SGD 5 and hand-sewn, SGD 6. That is pretty reasonable, as much as the ladies / shops in neighbourhood markets would charge. They also sell some bags, apparel and accessories. Check it out!

Another (slightly pricier I think) place to get alteration done is Alter Pro at OUB Centre #02-01A. (Edit 2010-10-17: OUB Centre is now known as One Raffles Place.) This is a very well-established shop in Raffles Place so I guess you can let them alter your clothes with confidence.

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

2010-01-30T15:24:00.014+08:00

Situated just on the outskirt of Chinatown near Chinatown Point, Hong Lim is a brisk 15-min walk from Raffles MRT. The Hong Lim Market and Food Centre are on two floors, with some traditional small shops selling goods like fresh fruit to traditional pastries and Chinese tea. The wet market on the ground floor is opened for business in the mornings, and because of the smell I try not to go near there hehe...as such we tend to eat on the 2nd floor. The famous food stalls here are the curry mee, Outram Char Kway Teow, Crayfish Ipoh Hor Fun, and most famously, Hokkien Prawn Mee (the soup / dry type, not fried.) However over the years, as the old cooks retire, the standard of hawker food here has dropped. However we still venture here from time to time just for something different from the usual food places in Raffles Place.

Spotted a long queue outside this new "Barcook Bakery" (pardon the bad shot but too many people were staring so this was a sneak pic hehe). The savoury buns here look just like those offered in fancier bakery chains, so I wonder what's the attraction. We were too full and did not feel like joining the crowd - it's just bread right?

My colleagues like to come to this nostalgic tidbits shop Hock Lam because their specialty seems to be China-imported candies and such. Remember our childhood favourite Rabbit Milk sweets? You would be surprised to know they come in many flavours these days, and I see them all right here first hehe...I think the shop also carries Chinese tea, Macau almond cookies etc.

If you need some dried seafood 海味 or Chinese herbs, do not miss this modern Chinese medical hall Sin Teck Soon (I translated the name from Chinese 新德信). Since I was a kid, my mom has been patronising the various branches of this family business all over Chinatown. Different family members run each shop these days, and I am sure for a bargain-hunter like mom to approve, their prices and quality must be reasonable & reliable.

My all-time favourite indulgence whenever I come to Hong Lim has surely got to be this:

Kim Hock Guan bak kua or BBQ pork jerky! My dad used to buy from this generations-old shop when I was young, so I am keeping the tradition alive in memory of him. A must-have during Chinese New Year, bak kua is an utterly sinful snack's price will soar as it draws nearer to the big day. Famous shops will see people queueing for 4-5 hours just to get their favourite meat fix. Being Mrs El Cheapo, I am buying some before the prices go up, just to satisfy our craving in the event we are not getting any during CNY. Whoever says you must fight with the masses and pay through the nose during CNY for bak kua? During the rest of the year, the meat is better prepared (not rushed) and cheaper I feel! So let's eat smarter eh?

Speaking of Chinese New Year, I better get started on my spring cleaning! Only 2 weekends left!

The Body Shop 80s Original Haul

2010-01-25T01:18:00.001+08:00

In my previous post on TBS 80s Originals, I mentioned that the "adorable" prices would be until 27 Jan 2010 (Tues). With this in mind, I quickly went to the TPY outlet to grab some before they are sold out. There's still lots of stock in this outlet, and I think TBS is testing the market by bringing back these 80s favourites. So if you feedback to the sales assistants, maybe TBS will make these scents their staples again :P

Logong & I love The Original Mint Source shampoo for its refreshing and natural mint scent & zing - it's the perfect cure for my headaches too! I was surprised to find the Ice Blue shampoo smells just as nice, and it's added with Community Trade aloe vera. The SA told me it's perfect for oily hair (Logong!)

For myself, I got the banana shampoo + conditioner after Rouge Deluxe's rave review. Now I just hope I won't be lazy and will remember to use the conditioner with the shampoo! Out of all these come-back kids, I love Dewberry the best. Logong liked Fuzzy Peach but I still kind of find it artificial - same feeling as back in the 90s haha! I was actually looking forward to getting the Green Apple shower gel, but upon smelling the tester again, I really think it's very artificial, just like the Fuzzy Peach.

What is YOUR favourite 80s scent from The Body Shop?

The Body Shop 80s Originals

2010-01-24T07:00:00.002+08:00

From Rouge Deluxe, I realised the special prices for the 1980s favourites are valid till 27 Jan 2010 - so hurry down if you are a fan of these scents: Dewberry, Fuzzy Peach, Cucumber and Ice Blue! Prices range from $9.90 (shower gels & hair products) to $12.90 (lotions) and the hair products usually cost $16.90. I like how TBS calls these "adorable prices"!

These fragrances really bring back memories of secondary school days (yep start counting my age!) But my school days were in the 90s and these scents were still so popular. I had a friend Qoochie, she was so mad about Dewberry and Fuzzy Peach she MUST go in for a sniff each and everytime we walked past a TBS shop...those were the days hehe...

When I told Qoochie about the return of these fragrances, she was so excited and guess what? She STILL has the perfumes from those days! I guess they must be so precious she still kept them! Hey we were poor school girls then, so a $20-30 bottle of perfume meant months of saving up ok...

So if these scents bring back equally fond memories for you, hurry on down to the nearest TBS outlet. Good luck!

The Body Shop Post-Christmas / Jan '10 Sale

2010-01-23T13:45:00.008+08:00

Each week after Christmas, TBS has different product ranges on sale. When I saw that the Tea Tree Oil Foaming Cleanser will be on sale at $12.90 each (same as during warehouse sale!) I knew I had to stock up alot for Logong, who has the world's #1 oil-producing face :P He loves this cleanser and since I only got 2 bottles during the last warehouse sale, I have been hoarding it LOL.

So on 6 Jan during lunch hour I rushed down to the nearest TBS outlet at Change Alley; while I always go to the one at OUB Centre basement, it was a small and crowded shop due to its convenient location. I was lucky (or unlucky) as I was the only customer in the shop -- the sales assistant kept following me around pushing products. One such product was the Moisture White Cleansing Powder which was having a 1-for-1 deal @ $29.90 each. The SA tried it on my hand and I loved how the nice clean scent was and my hand felt fresh and soft - it's kind of like Fancl's washing powder but with preservatives of course ;) The SA told me in the decade she's been with TBS, never has this treatment range been on sale / offer. Innocently I took her word for it and bought not 2 but 4 bottles!

Since I was buying quite alot, the SAs convinced me to sign up for membership in order to earn some rebates and discounts. So fine, I signed up and guess what? Just for members upon signing up, they have special deals like 20% off all regular-priced items, and $10 off certain gift sets. As the SAs were so good at their job and I was feeling kind of harrassed, my weak will gave in and I got a Tea Tree Oil set + Wise Woman set as an early present for my mom ;) The Tea Tree Oil set was pretty attractive because the small bottle of oil costs $16.90 on its own, and I now pay only $19.90 for the set which has cleanser, toner and moisturiser thrown in. They would keep telling you you are entitled to such & such deals but must make use of it while the system prompts - I had the feeling I was forced into making alot of impulse purchases which did not feel good. Anyway I was happy with my purchases and knew we would use them for a long time...

I went home and immediately tried the Moisture White Cleansing Powder - after using it for less than 10 days, I noticed my face getting tighter and dry, and to my horror last Thursday at work I found my face peeling! I am so NOT using this product on my sensitive skin again. So much for being an "all skin type" cleanser! I was even more annoyed at the SAs for pushing this product because look what I found out about the TBS on Rouge Deluxe:

The reason for the 1-for-1 deal was because they are introducing the new range Moisture white Shiso! THIS was why they need to get rid of old stock! I really feel cheated. However I will not totally write off TBS because the next day after my big purchase, I was at the Raffles City TBS and the SAs were MUCH nicer and gentler there. The SA was sweet enough to tell me after this big sale, most of the items like White Musk Midnight Iris, Mandarin Orchid & my all-time fave, Cassis Rose will be discontinued! What can I do but stock up on the shower gel, my fave?

I hope you managed to get some good deals during this post-Christmas sale!

Raffles Place Good Eats: Archipelago Brewery

2010-01-20T13:29:00.000+08:00

Whenever we travel, we make it a point to pick up some bottles of Archipelago beers at Duty Free because they are so nice and easy to drink! Logong had been to their brewery bar behind Boat Quay @ Circular Road and always wanted to bring me; so after a hard day's work we decided to pop by last Sat.

At 7pm there was only another small group of Caucasians sitting at one of the high tables outside; I guess people would only show up much later -- unless you are having beer for dinner! :)

We ordered a Wheat ale (lime + pandan flavour) and a brown ale with gula Melaka (brown / palm sugar) - both regular, 350ml. Each reg cost us SGD14 less Happy Hour discount of SGD3.50 - still kind of pricey compared to say, Brewerkz. I'm surprised by the strong lime flavour of the Wheat because with beers, the bitterness usually overpowers the subtle (make it non-existent) fruit or whatever additional flavouring. The brown ale was pretty strong and nutty/smokey(?) so the gula Melaka was not very obvious; it has the highest level of bitterness, so imagine it without the gula! I'm never a good drinker so Logong had to finish most of my brown ale hehe :P

Raffles Place Good Eats: Cafe Gluttony

2010-01-17T13:00:00.009+08:00

Yesterday I had to put in a full day's work - yep on a Saturday! What to do, it's busy period at work for this RPOL! Lucky me, I have got my supportive Logong to keep me company in my office whenever I had to work alone in office. We both feel safer this way hehe...

To reward ourselves for working so hard on a Sat, we went to check out Cafe Gluttony at Boat Quay - or rather at the back of it. When we arrived, there was a table of six in the middle of the tiny restaurant, which is really one of the pre-war shophouses in the row facing OCBC Bank @ Chulia Street. There was only a lady serving and I do not think she is the regular waitress and neither is she the lady boss. The group of six seems to be friends / family because there's lots of chit-chat with this lady, and when asked the address and tel. no. she had to keep popping into the kitchen to ask the chef.

Having said that, I think the prompt and friendly service is all the more commendable seeing how she is not a professional. While we had to wait quite a while for our food - luckily we were not too hungry (it was only 6+pm), the food was served piping hot which was well worth the wait. For just $3 you get a drink + soup of the day, which was cream of broccoli last night. It was nice and thick, and we finished every drop!

Logong chose their popular Chicken Chop while I had the Daily Special - Grilled Salmon. While the Chicken Chop was nothing to shout about, the salmon was cooked just nice - well-done but not dry! Even as I cut the first piece the juice was still running. I will definitely return to try other dishes. As we planned to get a beer at the Archipelago around the corner, we skipped our fave Lavazza coffee ;)

Our 2 set meals set us back SGD23+ and there was no service charge / GST. For such prices in a nice cafe, I cannot ask for more really. I will be sure to go back to try their Tom Yam Spaghetti which was highly recommended by other diners online.

Rip-Off Lucky Bags From agnès b

2010-01-16T23:33:00.008+08:00

Last Thursday AhCapp forwarded me an EDM from agnès b. Singapore; they will be selling the popular Japanese "Fukubukuro bag" (or Lucky Bag) for SGD50/bag - each bag is worth SGD250! How could I resist such a great and exciting deal right?

So on Friday I dragged my two colleagues to go down to my nearest agnès b. outlet and grabbed two bags, one for me and AhCapp each. I must say the service SUX and I was shocked when the SA told me I had to pay cash. Luckily (or not so luckily) I had enough cash to pay for both bags and left.

My colleagues were even more excited than me about opening the bags; I told them too bad, I wanted to wait for AhCapp before opening them. One of the bags was big and soft - a bag I thought! While the other bag was kind of hard, which felt like accessories that AhCapp wanted! To my horror, when I got back to office, I got AhCapp's e-mail telling me to open the Lucky Bags immediately! Her friend had opened hers and found 2 useless pieces of clothing in her bag! Maybe I am ignorant, but I've always thought of agnès b. bags, not apparel, and assumed only bags would be sold in Singapore.

Anyhow imagine my great disappointment and disgust upon opening those silver "Lucky" Bags:

One bag contained the two tops; the other, a key chain and a petticoat -- YES A PETTICOAT, something which our mothers stopped wearing in the 80s I believe! Come on, how on earth could the petticoat and key chain have cost SGD250?! No wonder nobody bought them and they had to be sold in "mystery" bags! What a rip-off!

Now I just hope AhCapp can wear the two tops; otherwise it's SGD100 down the drain - nuts! Lesson learnt - the concept of "Fukubukuro bag" / Lucky Bag in Singapore is too good to be true! What a memorable lesson for 2010...

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-10T16:27:00.004+08:00

During a hectic week at work (see messy desk) look what came in the mail to brighten my day:

It was my 5th anniversary at work last July, and we were allowed to choose one item from a small selection of gifts. Seeing how the jewellery items were too small / short for me, I chose the gift that should come in the biggest Tiffany box LOL...It's a crystal bowl. It was very well-padded so the bowl is smaller than expected. Anyway my 2 other colleagues joked I could use the bowl to eat instant noodles whenever I cook at home. This really cracked me up haha!

Happy 2010 everyone! I hope everything will be peaceful and smooth on the career front :D Cheers!

A Blessed Christmas To You

2009-12-25T14:49:00.001+08:00

I wish you all Joy, Peace and Harmony this Christmas. God Loves Us All Amen!

Qifa Primary School is in the news!

2009-11-28T15:29:00.004+08:00

Qifa Primary School is my alma mater! Since Thursday suddenly people are like, "Qifa?! What school is that?" It has always been a neighbourhood / "heartland" school, and in Singapore lingo that means an ordinary suburban school, not a "top" school where parents have to be on a waitlist to volunteer in order to get a chance to enrol their child into the said school. That for the first time a little-known neighbourhood school Qifa could produce a top student of the year leaves one asking, is it really so important to enrol your child into a top / famous school? Some parents even go to the extent of "donating" thousands of $$$ (and I mean 5-figure sums here, not 4!) in order to secure a seat in a "top" school. This year neighbourhood "heartland" schools grabbed the headlines, so I'd say, "Well done & keep it up!"

I could remember the year before my own PSLE, in 1989, Qifa was also in the news for producing one of the top students of that year. Since then it's been rather low profile I guess, but my classmates who are teachers now tell me Qifa enjoys a good reputation as a good school these days. I am very proud of my alma mater and have such fond memories of my 6 years in Qifa; in fact I feel the closest to my primary school classmates and our Form Teacher, Mrs J Lim who was with us all the way from Pri 4 to 6. I guess I miss the innocence of those days when grades were not everything (yet).

2010 will be the 20th anniversary of our Pri 6 "Graduation"; as always with a large group of people, some keep in contact, some have lost touch; some are no longer in town, and some - no one knows. Maybe it's a good idea to organise a class reunion of sorts? Now now who will be the organiser? Hmmm...

The Men's clinic

2009-11-27T13:00:00.005+08:00

This clinic has got one of the classiest decor I've ever seen (other than high-end designer fashion brands of course). I guess we are used to the concept of a gynaecologist which is medical care for female health, yet the concept of male medical health is not quite as common. Therefore this posh yet discreet little clinic caught my eye when I last went to the Starhub Customer Service Centre which has been relocated to Level 5 of OUB Centre.

The Men's Clinic provides male-focused medical services and has no common waiting area (unlike a gynae or GP clinic!) This comes in handy especially when a guy walks in for a Sexually Transmitted Diseases Screening and Anoymous HIV test which this clinic provides too. It also provides sexual health checks, on top of the usual health screenings and lifestyle / aesthetics services. I even saw "food intolerance testing" in their brochure! How cool is that?

This is really a one-stop service-provider for a man who really cares about his overall well-being; thus the provocative tag line, "Are You Man Enough". Now I wish gynaes all over Singapore could learn from this stylish clinic!

Banks and ATMs around Raffles MRT

2009-11-22T21:16:00.009+08:00

As the financial heart of Singapore, Raffles Place is definitely not short of banks and automated teller machines (ATMs). In fact the head office of major banks are located right here in RP.

Here's a list of them:

Bank of China - 4 Battery Road
CIMB Bank - Singapore Land Tower Level 1
Citibank ATMs - Chevron House, outside Watsons (facing Soo Kee Colour's wall) & Capital Square Church Street
DBS - Banking Hall @ Malacca Street Royal Brothers Building (round the corner from OUB Centre, towards Goldenshoe & opposite Republic Plaza); & PWC Building (next to China Square)
DBS ATMs - Chevron House (outside Watsons) & Lau Pa Sat
HSBC Bank - 21 Collyer Quay HSBC Building Level 1
Indian Bank - 3 Raffles Place, Bharat Building (next to Republic Plaza)
Maybank - Maybank Tower 2 Battery Road (next to Fullerton Hotel)
OCBC ATMs - Raffles Place MRT next to Coralicious
OCBC Bank - Chulia Street (facing Boat Quay)
POSB Bank - Arcade Level 2
POSB ATMs - Raffles Place MRT (between Oska Lau Optical shop and Mount Zion Christian Bookshop); Arcade Level 2, & Goldenshoe Level 1
Standard Chartered Bank - 6 Battery Road
UOB Bank - UOB Plaza 1 (Head Office)
UOB ATMs - Raffles Place MRT (in front of EC House facing escalators)

If you know of more ATMs of banks I have missed out, drop me a comment or e-mail!

Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 Night Race

2009-09-26T22:02:00.021+08:00

Last year, the inaugural Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 Night Race (oh gosh what a mouthful!) took place from 26 - 28 Sep 2008. It's frightening how times flies because a year has zoomed by (pun intended) and we are hosting the second F1 Night Race again!

I am very privileged because I get to "enjoy" the race in the cool comfort of my office - for free! My office is just next to The Fullerton Hotel, which means we get the bird's eye view of the most part of the course:

This was taken on the 2nd night of the race, 27 Sep 2008.

Here's what the same part of the course looked like on 25 Sep 2009, 1 year on in the day:

The course is the perfect route right in the heart of historic Singapore; I wonder if the drivers or visitors appreciate all these national monuments like the City Hall. From watching the race on TV, I realise the drivers could not see much other than the road and the safety fences. How sad if these drivers get to travel all over the world racing in the most vibrant cities of the world, but not see the cities, you know?

It was interesting to see the course being readied in mere days, and I share with you some interesting images right from my office. My Logong says the Singapore CBD has come to a standstill just for these three days:

Can you spot the guy enjoying his million-dollar view?

These workers at the nearby construction site enjoying a VIP viewing location from above 40 storeys I guess!

Note the 3 pleasure crafts on the Singapore River in front of The Esplanade. Wonder if any super star was on any of the yachts?

The sharpest turn / corner has got to be this one right in front of The Fullerton Hotel (and my office!) Most cars would have to slow down to manoeuvre this bend which means eye candy for spectators!

I really hope we will not move office next year; where else could we view the National Day fireworks and the Grand Prix for free every year? It is kind of hazy this weekend and I hope the situation improves, not just for the Grand Prix but for the greater good. Already we are questioning if it is worth the hassle and inconvenience for almost a week, just to attract visitors to Singapore for these 3 days. The road closures and diversions must be causing unimaginable traffic jams; I know of people who work in the Suntec area taking Friday and Monday off just to avoid the madness caused by this race. We Singaporeans are only patient when it comes to queuing up for good food and condos; we simply cannot stand being stuck in traffic jams for more than 90 mins! Haha!

By the way I was not enjoying the race last night even though I was in my office till 11.30pm; I was busy meeting deadlines! How pathethic right? I would have gone home by 6pm if I could! Never knew it could be so noisy till I experienced it last year! WROOM!!!!!

Brown Boxed!?!?

2009-06-20T15:02:00.006+08:00

Yes my Poupee Girl MudpieVivi has been brown boxed!

This is every Poupee Girl's nightmare and the feelings of shock, betrayal & sadness described by other girls are really true! First of all, the penalty of each "bad" item posted is 20 ribbons + 1 random dress up item. I have got 27 items deleted, meaning 540 hard-earned ribbons gone! Can you imagine what other horrors I will find if & when they unlock my account & I could check what dress up items I've lost? What if they are my beloved collection of dresses and umbrellas?! Oh God no...

As they only entertain an inquiry in Japanese, the girls at Live Journal are really a lifesaver. The thing about PG website is it's mostly in Japanese, and since day one I've wondered how on earth do I contact PG for help if this should happen. I only found the instructions & links here:

http://community.livejournal.com/poupee_girl/303653.html#K1

http://community.livejournal.com/poupee_girl/303653.html#L

I've already completed step 1 the sending of apology letter. Step 2 would be to wait for a long "scolding e-mail" from PG and then the last step 3 would be to reply with a request to unlock my account. Maybe the last last step is to PRAY they will unlock my account! As this is supposed to take at least 10 days (the staff are so busy policing they have no time for requests like mine I suppose!) I really cannot do much but wait.

The worst part of this experience is the unfairness of it all. If they only deleted the "bad" items then I only have myself to blame. But the majority (like 60-70%) of the items deleted / penalised are my own legitimate photos! COACH wallet, Kipling gorilla key-chains, and Victoria Secrets panties! Now I realise why some girls place a name card next to the items they are photographing. I will start doing so IF I still want to continue playing PG.

Logong says it's a sign from God to wean me off my addiction to PG :( I should boycott this SNS and make better use of my free time (like complete all my half-done crafts haha!). Oh well he has a point, which is why I am updating this blog. It's time I spend less time playing PG which does nothing to enrich my life really. There you go, I am publicly announcing I will try my best to stay away from PG & spend my free time in more enriching activities (I know Logong will call these activities "housework" *LOL*)

I've a habit of taking food pictures wherever I go; each time I do so, I am eating my own words (pardon the pun, it was irresistible) because year ago, when camera handphones were just born, I told my Logong, "Who on earth came up with this stupid idea of putting a camera with a HP? It's like 2 unmatched objects - like a calculator with built-in comb - duh?! "

I truly, truly appreciate a camera phone when I got my Sony Ericsson Cybershot K810i 2 Christmases ago; the picture quality is so good till today, even my boss had to borrow it to take pics in office because his iPhone camera "sucks" *LOL*

I shall blog about the last few places where I've eaten, just to share my thoughts & opinions ;)

Akan datang (coming soon in Malay!)

How To Prepare A Century Egg "Pei Dan"

2009-02-09T21:30:00.012+08:00

Welcome to my first "How To" post. Since I was talking about cooking Logong's fave "Pei Dan Jok" or Century Egg Pork Porridge, I thought it'd be most useful to have a detailed posting on how to handle this strange-looking egg. You will be interested to know in one episode of the American "Fear Factor" they made the contestants eat this "100 year-old egg"! If only I had participated in that contest haha!

When you buy a century egg from the market, this is how the "pei dan" looks like:

It looks like an egg that has been packed with brown mud and saw dust / rice husks! It's made from duck's egg if I am not wrong, and preserved using what I do not know! I will "Google" it when I have the time hehe!

Anyway I hate getting my hands dirty, so I like to remove the mud surrounding the egg by using the plastic wrap (that comes with the egg) or a plastic bag! Just hold the egg with both hands, and use the thumbs to just push or scrape the mud off the egg, whichever works best. Here's how:

Use both thumbs!

You do not need to remove 100% of the mud; you can wash off whatever remains and it should be clean enough like this:

Proceed to peel off the shell like you would a hard-boiled egg. Be gentle, but it's not as fragile as a raw chicken's egg. Here's how a peeled century egg looks like:

See the snowflakes-like crystals in the egg? This is a very well-preserved egg! And if the yolk looks watery like this, this shows it's an even better century egg! I was lucky mom got such a nice fresh egg for me! :D

People would cut it into wedges lengthwise, and serve raw with pickled ginger as an appetiser (super yummy!) For cooking my porridge, I dice it into smaller pieces like so:

This is ready to go right into the porridge and you could eat this raw, so there's no need to overcook the century egg or it will melt!

Now this century egg is not so scary to prepare or eat, is it? :)

"Pei Dan Jok" or Century Egg Pork Porridge =)

2009-02-08T22:32:00.016+08:00

"Pei Dan Jok" or Century Egg Pork Porridge is my Hubby's all-time fave breakfast (or lunch) food. If you bring him to have dim sum, just give him this and a char siew bun and he's a happy boy! Quite easy to please eh?

I decided to make my mom's very own recipe and got mom to help me get the raw pork (I have a phobia of handling raw meat, so I hope Logong you appreciate this!) + century egg from the market days before CNY. Mom told me with some bones added, the dish (be it porridge / soup) will be "sweeter" & tastier. After much delay (I had not realised meat takes so long to defost!) I managed to cook this for Logong on 31 Jan 2009.

So here you go, the ingredients:

Please refer to my post on how to deal with the century egg which could be really strange if it's your first time seeing / hearing about it haha!

You will need to marinate the meat with lots of salt (preferably overnight, or at least 2-3 hours before cooking). Then about 2-3 hours before you start cooking, add some oil to the rice to "condition" it. I use about 1 tbsp of oil to 1/2 (half) cup of rice (I chose Japanese just for fun, and you could use Thai Jasmine rice). You may also soak the dried scallops to soften them.

When ready to cook, boil some hot water to scald the meat; discard the water as this step serves to clean the meat and remove any unpleasant meat smell / taste. Into a pot, add the rice, pork and scallops. Fill half the pot with water (about 10 times the volume of rice you are cooking) and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, lower heat to let the porridge simmer. At this point it looks like you are going to have rice soup (I warned my Hubby because I feared I had added too much water!) but be patient.

Meanwhile you can go prepare the century egg, which I have detailed in a separate post.

After about 30-40 mins, your pot's contents should look like porridge! If it's too thick, add some water! If too watery still, continue to simmer and let the liquid reduce. The thickness of porridge is very much to individual taste, so you have to judge for yourself here.

Remove the meat (not the bones!) from the pot and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. I like to use scissors because it's easier! Put these meat pieces back into the porridge; You can now add the chopped century egg into the porridge mixture too. Let the mixture simmer for about 10-15mins more till you get the preferred consistency; you may also wish to taste your porridge now for the salt level. Because the meat has been salted overnight, by right you do not need to add any; however this is to personal taste, so add accordingly.

Voila, here's the completed "Pei Dan Jok"!

Enjoy!

Learning To Cook 101: Breakfasts!

2009-02-01T22:20:00.007+08:00

I am blessed with a mother who is a great cook; the irony is none of her three children could cook (well)! However ever since my sister-in-law moved in with my mom after I got married, all of us are slowly interested in learning to cook from mom because it took my sis-in-law to make us appreciate mom's cooking knowledge. I've always loved to bake more than cook; as we grow older, we also realised home-cooked food really is a luxury and before we know it, once my mom is too old to cook, all these family dishes would be lost forever! Problem is, the kitchen is always the domain (kingdom) of the mothers -- this is true of everyone I know! Just as there's a Chinese saying that one mountain cannot be inhabited by two tigers, no kitchen can be ruled by two "queens". We had to do things exactly the way mom wanted or else it's scolding time! Therefore it was always easier to just stay out of the kitchen! After I got married, we stayed with my in-laws, so it goes without saying who dominates there...

So you could say with my own home and kitchen now, and a new oven and Kitchen Aid mixer to boot, I have no excuse not to bake and cook anymore! Without further ado, let me share with you what I cooked for Logong today for breakfast (err... brunch)! The very first sumptous breakfast I had cooked for Logong was the day after we "officially" moved into our own flat. Here you go:

This was my attempt to cook the lovely hot breakfasts we ate almost daily when we were in Tasmania, Australia for our honeymoon in 2003. There's always a nice grilled tomato (substituted by fresh cherry tomatoes here) and sauteed mushrooms which I love. The eggs and sausages make this a power-packed (and arteries-clogging!) breakfast which gave us enough energy to go exploring the rest of our days! If you look at the time stamp on this pic, this was actually our brunch *LOL*

Today, I cooked eggs and mushrooms for Logong and he ate everything; this makes me really happy, but it was the way he ate all my century egg pork porridge ("Pei Dan Jok")yesterday which really warms my heart :) I learnt from mom how to cook this fave dish of Logong's; supposed to cook this during the CNY holidays but I did not expect the meat to take so long to defrost, so I could only cook it yesterday. Please see my next post for my yummy "Pei Dan Jok"! ;)

Merry Christmas & Happy 2009!!!

2008-12-28T00:25:00.012+08:00

Well before we know it, 2008 will be gone and 2009 is here! Time really flies and year-end / new year is always a time for reflection, hopes and dreams. I must say as I grow older, the more I crave private time alone with myself and logong. This could be why I was very pleasantly surprised that we did not have any plans for Christmas Eve -- no family dinner, no parties to attend, no work to do - PERFECT!

I was able to leave work much earlier than logong, so I had the luxury of taking a late afternoon nap (those late nights surfing Poupee Girl are bad, bad, bad!). When he arrived home, we went to the nearby hawker centre to eat our favourite junk food - BBQ chicken wings and char kway teow! Unfortunately the rojak and satay stalls were both closed so we had to make do with these two dishes. We had bubble tea and more junk food from the TPY pasar malam to look forward to! *LOL* While drinking our fave honey red tea with pearls, we browsed the same old junk they sell in the night market, and I bought some coconut & peanut tutu kueh (logong's fave too *grin*).

It was while walking home that I confided in logong that I was very happy - he just said, "Good." I think after a year of ups & downs at work, he was glad to see me for once saying I was "happy". When you love someone, I guess when s/he s happy, that means you are happy too -- simple as that.

It is with this happiness that I wish for world peace and a better 2009 to come. Knowing the global economy will be in recession, I still feel optimistic because afterall it's just money. Life is more than just economics and money; I wish for better work-life balance, and that all my loved ones are healthy and content. What more could we ask for really? I am grateful to God for all that I have, and pray the Lord will use me according to His plan.

For my Christmas gift this year, significantly, I have chosen this 365 days calendar; it's a daily companion with a daily act of kindness that I can practise. I have always believed that if everyone would just be more considerate and behave with more kindness, this world will be a better place. Logong will usually then respond with, "If you want to change the world, change yourself first." This is very true because it is easy for us to complain about others and yet not reflect on our own behaviour first. Therefore I hope this little calendar of mine will help me remember to be kind in all ways, big & small.

On this positive note, I wish you all a Blessed 2009!

PS. my Poupee Girl MudpieVivi has her very first three sets of kimono in celebration of the New Year! Isn't she pretty? :P

My New Hairstyle

2008-12-08T16:42:00.008+08:00

Yes I've gone & done it -- permed my hair for the first time!

When I had longer hair a couple of years ago, I seriously wanted to perm my hair; I love long and wavy hair and no way will I rebond mine! I guess it's just me, give me curves over straight lines anyday! Hehe! I've always thought one needed long hair in order to perm, and each time my hair gets to shoulder-length, friends would tell me they prefer shorter hair on me :(

Last year, I trusted my stylist Calvin Gan to cut my hair from shoulder-length to a bob! And being the creative stylist he is, Calvin has been giving me a different bob the past 16 months! While bobs are great for me - non-fussy, stylish and low maintenance, I yearned for something different. I am sick of my colleagues and mom asking me, "Huh you cut your hair already? No difference!" Well I've give them different this time round! This being the long holiday weekend and I've taken leave tomorrow, I will see what are their reactions come Wednesday!

I must say it's a long and tiring process to get my hair permed. Calvin gave me a normal cold liquid perm (thank God, because it's MUCH cheaper!) which took more than 2 hours to complete. I was at the salon from 1 to 4.30pm; my bum hurt from sitting still for so long! :P

However when I put on my specs to see the end result, my heart was going pitter-patter! I loved my new look - it's something I've never imagined on me, and I am glad Logong (my hubby) loved my new look too! this is great because HE paid for my perm haha! Thank you Logong! *muah*

Unfortunately if I want my curls to last, I need to do some daily maintenance and styling which is nightmare for lazy old me. I usually wake up at the latest possible time to get ready for work, so it's like a race each morning to catch the bus hehe...I will see how I manage on Wed ;)

A little bit about my stylist Calvin Gan: Calvin has been my stylist for the past 7 years from Hairitage days; my best friend WY recommended him to me, and she's known him for an even longer time! Recently (1 Dec 2008 actually) he started his own salon / cafe with his partner. I really admire people like them, who dare to pursue their dreams to do what they have always wanted to do. No one ever said it would be easy, but I guess challenges make you appreciate your happiness and achievements much more, right?

Congratulations Calvin & all the best!

Here's their new business at Shaw Tower (Beach Road) which will be officially opened on 16 January 2009:

Do drop by to support them! Their cafe is absolutely gorgeous with an eclectic collection of second-hand furniture that they have restored! Too bad I did not take a picture. If I cannot afford a haircut there, I hope to at least enjoy a cup of tea there once in a while!

My Latest Addiction: Poupeegirl

2008-12-08T16:00:00.034+08:00

Thanks to my best friend WY, I am now seriously addicted to Poupee Girl! I managed to sign up on 28 Oct 2008 and I have not looked back since *LOL* I could easily sit in front of my computer for 2 to 3 hours each day, and the main obsession is to dress up my Poupee Girl MudpieVivi.

This game reminds me of the paperdolls of old when we girls were still in primary school (yes that was more than 20 years ago!) Except now, the name of the game is RIBBONS! Yep that's Poupeegirl currency - you trade in ribbons which you can earn in various ways, and as a last resort - buy with cold hard "cash" (credit card and paypal that is). Seriously, fashion is BIG business and this being a Japanese product, well, enough said hehe...

When I have more time I shall blog more about Poupee Girl but for now, I will end by inviting you to check out my MudpieVivi, my best friend WY's AhCapp, & Phoebe's Qoochie! Of course when you join such a lively community, you have to make some friends right? Meet WY's friend miki and Phoebe's buddy 3sica!

Here are Qoochie, myself and AhCapp after we got our FREE COACH bag *LOL* A woman can NEVER have too many bags (or shoes or clothes or make-up...get it? :P)

My First Blog

2008-12-08T14:40:00.009+08:00

Welcome to my first blog! I have been toying with the idea of starting my own blog for the longest time, but having so many hobbies / interests I do not know what I should blog about! Moreover my job keeps me very busy, so much so that I do not have much energy left by the end of the day...

I do not know if turning 30 made me rethink my life, but let's just say many events have taken place the past six months which made me think a lot. One lesson learnt is that life is too short to be spent working all the time; no one worries about work on their deathbed!

There are really many things I wish to accomplish (see, do, eat and wear!) before I grow too old, and I guess the first step I've taken to start living life to the fullest is a brand new hairstyle! Yes I've gone & done it -- permed my hair!

I simply love my new hairstyle; thanks Calvin! More about Calvin & my hairstyle later...

With this blog, I hope I will have the incentive to push myself to experience more of life, so that I can share my little joys with everyone reading. I invite you to visit me often!

Cheers!
MudpieVivi