Farm Trip at Kranji

Afternote:
Realised that I was too excited about posting the farm trip...and something else ;p that I actually forgot to provide details about the place = 0

For those who are interested in farm trips like me, you can visit this website www.kranjicountryside.com for the list of farms located at Kranji. There's the veggy farms, fish farms, a mushroom farm, a goat farm and even a frog farm. If you like to be woken up by the chirping of birds and get the first breath of fresh air and be greeted by nothing but the greeneries, you might wanna check out D' Kranji Farm Resort.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is nearby as well and it's a good place to watch the migratory birds or just enjoy the scenery along the board walk as you walk through the mangrove swamp.

To get there, you can hop onto to the Kranji Express at Kranji MRT station at $2/adult, $1/student and senior citizen. Apparently there was a promotional activity "Drive N Hunt" happening that day, so transport was FOC that day :)

Caution:
If you are a banker or from the gar-men, beware when you meet Poison Ivy in person at Bollywood Farm. Not recommended for the faint hearted.
However, if you want to toughen up your kid whilst earning good bucks serving customers, you can consider sending your kids there for training.
Recommendation: Cold grilled brinjal, papaya salad andlemongrass chicken. Banana muffin with choc ice-cream is YUMZZZ!

Day: National Day

Time: 10.15am

Locaton: The Kranji Countryside

Welcome to D' Kranji Resort Farm!

Papayas for anyone?

Didn't know that Singapore has got its very own corn field too.

Sunflowers in the making.

Guavas

Such a pretty brinja aka eggplant. It tastes like egg when grilled. No wonder it's called an eggplant. Not the plant that grows eggs, Uncle Tan.

Ooh...chilli padi

Yea, we have rice field in Singapore too. But the grains seem to have been eaten by the birds.

How we know??......

Cos Aunty Tan went to pick some to see.

Note: For demonstration purpose only.

The bitter gourd from Japan. Tastes good when mixed with preserved ginger. Tastes like the local achar.

According to the owner, bitter gourds are good for diabetic patients.

This one looks like our local breed.

Able to guess what this is?

The banana flower and bananas on top. Bet it could make loads of rojak.

And who have we here... :)

Wendy: U shouldn't believe everything Uncle Tan says...

Karlos: Oh really?


The way to Mr Pee-Wee's place.


Here it is, the eco-friendly Mr Pee-Wee's place :)


What Do You See?


Reminds us of the rural place in Malaysia...a rare sight in Sg now.

Wendy and Karlos: Hey, we're the ones who discovered where Mas Salamat has been hiding all this while...

Exclusive: Caught in action!

Welcome to Bollywood Veggie Farm

This banana flower is HUMUNGOUS.....

A different breed of 'aloe vera' according to Uncle Tan...

It's actually a dragon fruit plant lah......tsk tsk tsk...

Warning: The following pictures may make you think twice about the enjoyment of spas.

View at your own discretion.

Oh no what kind of a spa is this? I can't take it anymore...

Oh my gosh, it's sooo ticklish...wooo eee...!!!

Meanwhile, the men decided to try the spa with more sensation.

Here fishy fishy, pls be gentle with me...

Woh, those fishes are sure hungry...

They sure got the BIG bite...

What Do You See?

Watching NDP has been one of my favourite events of the year. I loved watching the Apaches, the military police doing their cool stunts with the rifles, Chinooks flying with the huge Singapore flag, the amazing transformations by the performers and of course, the singing of the national songs which definitely evokes the feeling of patriotism.

I thought I was going to grow out of watching NDP especially it has since moved to the floating platform at Marina Bay (including failed attempts to get NDP tickets). When I was away last year, I wasn't motivated to watch the parade online either plus and darn, that year it rained for the first time after many many years.

This year's NDP somewhat has reignited my interest. There seems to have a whole lot of hype and publicity. There were road shows held in the heartland, mini campaigns and what was pleasantly surprised was that the NDP Exco had invited Mr Brown to be part of this year's NDP where he would cover the behind-the-scenes actions for NDP 2009.

Well, it might be a plot by the Gahmen like what Mr Brown had suspected. I too raised my brow when I heard that from the news. Plot or not, I thought the objective of reaching out to more people via various channels was met. And it did make me took the time to go online to "check it out".

So, the Gahmen isn't that rigid and inflexible afterall.

You might like to visit this link if you are keen to find out what goes behind the scenes. For those who are working in the Gahmen, I guess it will serve as a good reminder of the tough (well, sometimes @#$%) work you have done and more to come in future. For those who aren't in the service, well, please appreciate the work these people have done, although not all are relevant. You know what I mean.

Mr Brown goes to the NDP 2009

I've been reading comments in the papers about this year's NDP song. To be honest, everytime they played the song after a show, I usually switched channels. Not that I didn't appreciate the song but somehow it just didn't catch my attention. Until I caught the spoof of the NDP 2009 Theme Song "Lekuasimi" (aka you see what see in Hokkien) which made me appreciate the original version (but I had to admit that I remembered the lyrics of the spoof version more clearly, partly thanks to Uncle Tan for continuously humming the spoof version). You'll know what I mean after you've watched it. Honestly, the tune is quite catchy, just that it's not that easy to sing along except "What do you see? What do you see?"

I remembered asking my ex-boss who used to be with the RSAF why the need to spend so much time, money and effort on NDP. Well, besides showing others (shan't be too politically explicit here) what latest gadgets we have and the strength of our military power, it's also a National Education time where it serves to remind all Singaporeans not to take what we have built and achieved for granted and we should all feel proud to be a Singaporean and to face the challenges together as a nation despite our size.

Don't dismiss it as something insignificant and that it can't make people feel patriotic with just that one celebration (to be exact, should be 8 in all including the rehearsals which I too had just found out from Mr Brown). I was told that even an Ah Beng who is not that patriotic cried when he was watching the NDP live onsite.

P/S: Whoever has lobangs for next year's NDP pleassse let me know. I haven't been to any one yet for the last 31 years. Thank you in advance.

I thought the Pledge Moment was a great idea. Not only those who went to the parade can experience the feeling of patriotism, I believe those who took part in the pledge too must have felt something. Uncle Tan and I did though it was done in front of the TV. It didn't require a lot of effort, it might be a little awkward to some, but it's a powerful way to reaffirm your beliefs. Just like renewing your marriage vows.

Btw, in case you wonder who Mr Brown is, he isn't an angmoh (or perhaps he wanted to become one). He is the veteran Singapore blogger who writes satirical stuff on Singapore National Education Series and other funny musings on the dysfunctional side of Singapore life since 1997.

I wanted to do a similar spoof titled "Aijiasimi" (what do you wanna eat) given that Singapore is a food paradise and this is a common question asked before lunch time. I'm only a few lines done and perhaps could save it for next year if they happen to do something like "Lechiosimi" (what are you laughing about) as the economy should have improved by then =)

Photography Service

Announcing......

The start of my friend's photography service KC Photography

If you or your friends, relatives, family members, colleagues, company etc. would like to engage a freelance professional photographer for events, graduation ceremonies, ROMs, actual day weddings, family portraits or glamour shots. please feel free to give her a call to find out more or check out her rates.

No obligations of course :)

She has been my personal photographer, or rather, our family photographer for the past 10 years which goes from our vacation shoots to crazy home DIY studio shoots (with Uncle Tan as a busker, my mum as a college student, one of my cousins as a kimono dancer etc.) to my mum's personal portfolio to me and my brother's graduation photos, ROM photos and actual day wedding shoots including my brother's upcoming wedding next year.

She's also good in taking sports photos as seen in the recent AYG event. You can check out her past portfolio at her blog:

http://kc27photography.blogspot.com/

If you like her service, please feel free to help spread the word around too =)

A simple happiness

I didn't know a simple act of washing face can bring such smiles. I'd never be able to feel the sense of contentment of living a simple life.

The trailer on TV prompted me to watch the first episode. It's one of the best things that I get from watching TV - I get to see what's going on the outside world, and realise how fortunate we are...and how poor we are.

We are fortunate, especially Singaporeans, where we have no natural calamities. The most would be the haze from Indonesia or the flooding during rainy seasons. Other than that, it's the usual complains on the ungracious acts, people get caught eating in the trains, buses not arriving on time, toilets are dirty, dustbins not enough etc. We are the pampered and sheltered lot.

I'm a city kid, although I'm glad I grew up having real masak masak and self-invented toys to play with. Now I'm hooked on games in Facebook and Pop Caps, and that was partly the reason why I had sort of neglected updating my blog besides trying to catch up with my work.

Because of that programme, it has somewhat changed my mindset of Ah Tiongs. At least some of them. They can be the simple and nice folks without the air of arrogance, without the scheming minds that their richer counterparts have. It's sad to see that prosperity somehow is inversely related to the values people have.

I knew the programme will make me go teary, but I had to watch it, I had to remind myself there's more to life, I wanted to tell myself how minute our problems are compared to theirs. Humans are forgetful beings, we need to be reminded.

The first episode brings us to the earthquake zone in Sichuan. The journey was arduous and on route, the sight of massive destruction of roads and buildings showed the prowess of nature, as if it was angry with how we have willfully wasted what it has given us.

The first task was to help build a house from scratch and they helped a school to build a library filled with books. They also taught the children basic hygiene such as washing their hands and face and brushing their teeth. Seeing the faces that brimmed with joy made me envy the simple happiness they have. We have taken many things for granted and we have become too complicated be easily satisfied.

They featured a girl whose mother died of complications after giving birth to her. She stayed with her maternal grandparents as her dad had remarried and lived in another village. My heart went out to her grandma as she carried a bagful of branches as that she had gathered for the day. It was heavy certainly. Her grandma started crying as she shared about the teasing by her granddaughter's classmates - that she is an orphan. She was sad that her daughter was not able to watch her own child grow up. The girl wept quietly as she comforted her grandmother. I realised that regardless of wealth status, humans instinctively can't seem to accept very well things that are different from them.

The other was a deaf-mute girl who was unable to attend a normal school because of her condition. She was a pretty little girl full of optimism. The volunteers tried to convince her parents to send her to a special school so that she could continue her education. She was lucky to have met these volunteers as education, transportation and living expenses were taken care of. The parents were unwilling at first as they couldn't bear to live apart with her, but eventually agreed for the sake of her future. The host couldn't hold back his tears as the girl tried to call his name in her husky little voice. I was happy for her.

Life was tough and the harsh weather made it harder. Perhaps that is how they learn to be resilient and I admired their tenacity and strength.

Oh, the programme is called "Stars for a Cause", aired on every Thurs, 8pm on Ch U. I shan't elaborate more, catch it and I hope it will make a little difference in your life.

Caught in the Act

I did an 'auntie' thing yesterday which I still felt tickled when I think about it.

As I was passing by the 'overwhelming' bakery shop at the centre (the bakery is often packed with people and the breads are always topped with stuff of all sorts that somehow makes the breads look literally 'overwhelming' to me), I caught a stealthy act in action from the corner of my eye.

I was amazed at my quick, if not instant, response.

"哇!可以用手拿面包啊?!!"

The uncles around turned to look at who made that loud and clear comment. The sales assistant immediately went up to stop the auntie who seemed oblivious to what was going on.

It was too late. Her hand had already "ravaged" the 2nd piece of bread with her "I-believe-yet-to-wash" hand. I didn't know buying bread now is similar to buying fish in the market where one can 'press' to test the freshness before making the purchase.

I wonder if she could have been an NEA officer in disguise, checking on the bread's freshness "first hand"...

Most bakeries are using bread covers to prevent breads from being exposed to germs/bacteria/ people's saliva. Even then, that still didn't stop some who still insist on "hands-on" experience. Especially in that crowded bakery, it was not tough to practice that. That auntie was taking her time to scrutinize the breads. No one saw what she was doing. I hope it was the case and not no one bothered with what she was doing.

With the recent hygiene scare and the eminent flu pandemic, some Singaporeans somehow still don't "wake up" their idea. Many people would lament and said it's "heng suay" (depends on your luck). But why leave it to chances when you can take a more pro-active role?

I'm definitely not a clean freak and I am not against the idea of "lap sup jia lap sup dua" (the belief that one's immunity would be stronger if he/she doesn't grow up in a totally clean environment), but to these people who might indirectly cause a series of unfortunate events happening, I think I have the responsibility to correct what's not right.

So besides litter bugs, spitters and inconsiderate smokers, I've now added unhygienic homo sapiens to my list.

It seems that it's always easy to spot an ungracious act as opposed to a gracious one. To a gracious act direct at me, I'd thank the person sincerely with a big smile. But for gracious acts which are directed at others, I suppose I could only give a smile to acknowledge the kind act. It's tougher to capture on camera as well.

Well, if you have ideas, do let me know. It's always better to share something good besides highlighting the not-so-good stuff. The world is already a tough place to live in, should try to make it better. And I'm trying to make it better by also "educating" those who are on my list ;p

It's Spring again...

Tomorrow is the Spring Festival for Zurich. Time flies...it's already been a year.

Ironically, I've been missing the weather there. Ok, I used to whine at the cold weather and trying to convince everyone, including myself, that I'm a tropical gal who prefers the tropical climate. But with the temperature climbing from 27°C to 30°C, I'm truly beginning to miss the "cold and gloomy weather" quite a lot. Talking about the grass is always greener on the other side :>

I guess Uncle Tan and myself, including my friends who had been there, would continue to miss the place and relish the memorable times there. And to share and "view" our fond memories, Uncle Tan is currently working on a project to make a coffee table book, or rather, a few coffee books that compiles some of the pictures we've taken.

Uncle Tan's colleague from Zurich came to Singapore a couple of weeks back. Well, he sort of brought some "Siwss air" here with the chocolates and the well wishes from the rest in Zurich. We played host for a day before he went off to Hong Kong meeting his friends.

He likes our weather, our food, especially seafood, and......the shopping. These are the general things they like about Singapore. I even heard that one of the colleagues who was posted here to work was so awed by the city sights and lights that he could just sit and view the city sights the whole night, with beer of course :)

They love the city buzz while we love their tranquil hush;
They admired our city sights while we desire their green lush;
They see the vigour of city life yet we perceive it as the hustle and rush.
We are indeed, ironic creatures of such.

Some of the photos we took of Urs :)

Entering into the number "3" + 1

The HR lady must have been amused by me when I went to sign my appointment letter last week. Somehow I forgot my Uncle Tan's ID number, his title and......our wedding date. I remembered the customary date but the ROM date is something that it's there but needed greater effort to retrieve the info from a certain section of the brain.

I called Uncle Tan. His advice - refer to the wedding ring. Aha, so it's good to imprint dates afterall. But I had a hard time trying to decipher the imprint and, a hard time trying to believe that I've been officially married for 5 years! OMG!!!

I guess the number '3' has some effect on women in terms of memory and behaviour...ok or maybe just me...as I can literally see some of you raising your eyebrows already.

I did something finally that I have been wanting to do for some time - perming my hair. Partly because I wanted to do something different while I still can and partly because of laziness as it's easier to bun up a permed hair and and more versatile to do different style. But then I forgot my weakness - laziness.

The frown between my eyes simply stayed locked from the moment the curlers were removed till I went back home. It was different from the curl I had 2 weeks ago at my bro's ROM. I looked like those baby dolls with those super fluffed up hairdo.

The stylist says big curls doesn't last very long and suggested a mixture of medium and small curls so that by the time the hair 'settles', it'd look more natural.

So for the next few weeks, Auntie Kin will have her hair bun up or pin up until the hair decides to settle, if it ever. Ok, so it's one thing tried.

And from now on, I would be contented to have my hair curled just for the moment than wanting the curls to stay with me longer.

Kunsthaus (Art Museum)

Finally managed to get these pics uploaded from my mobile if not because I was down with flu and had to take a break.

Sorting out these pics, this season's Amazing Race which had shown parts of Switzerland....arghh!!! It's calling me back!!!

The art museum in Zurich is one of the places I'd recommend to visit if you love arts. You'll be happy to be able to see the works of world renowned artists such as Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Piccaso, Claude Monet and Marc Chagall (the guy who did the stained glass for the Fraumünster Church in Zurich.
It was only towards the end of my stay in Zurich that I finally managed to step out to explore a little bit more without Uncle Tan around (other than the shopping trips in town ;p)

Located at Helmplatz 1, you can take Tram 3, 5, 8, 9 or Bus 31 and stop at "Kunsthaus" stop.

Opening hours:
Sat, Sun, Tues: 10 am - 6 pm
Wed to Fri: 10 am - 8 pm
Usually the museums here are closed on Mondays.
Fee: CHF 12 for adults and CHF 8 for students (for permanent exhibitions).
Fees for temporary exhibits cost about CHF 18.

Try to give the place about 3-4 hrs as it houses quite a huge collection of works ranging from the Old Masters to Impressionism and Post-Nordic Expressionism to Swiss Painting to Modern Classical. I had to finish my visit a little early because of an over-friendly tourist from Brasil who had helped to guide me to the right building. I guess I'm not used to the ang moh friendliess yet :>

As the pics were taken with my mobile, so the quality will be somewhat affected. Still, hope this could give you a glimpse of some of the charming works displayed and hope it'll entice you to visit this museum when you're there. Enjoy :)

I'm always very amazed and struck with how life-like such portraits are. Some looked as if they are like photo-quality.

These 2 pics are a little blur due to the lighting. But imagine the minutest details such as the rocks, the leaves, the various shades due to the lighting......it's awesome.

I admired this artist who can paint such a picture. This is the actual size of the painting. The one above is the zoom-in version.

This place looks familiar...Venice

Contemporary art

This is done by Mark Rothko(1903-1970) in 1963, using white, blacks, called "Grays on Marooni". Contemporary arts really need a lot of your imagination :)

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973

Tete, buste de femme, 1940

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973
Tete, 1913

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Le bassin aux nympheas avec iris, um1914/22

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Der Seerosenteich am Abend um 1916-1922

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Le phare a Honfleur, 1864

Claude Monet
La Falaise a Dieppe, 1882

Auguste Rodin, 1840-1917

Das eherne Zeitalter, 1876/77

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890
Chaumieres a Auvers, 1890

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890
Cabanes blaunches aux
Saintes-Maries , 1888

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890

Travali des chanps, 1885