Random...

2013, I'm not liking you very much.

Indian for lunch...

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Sunday lunch was at an Indian restau in Turf City called Curry Gardenn. Yes, it's double "n." I'm not so sure why.

Mr. Lim said that he had previously tried Omakase Burger, which was right across Curry Gardenn. However, I wasn't really in the mood to pay for $20 for a burger, even if Omakase Burger is said to be quite good. Hehe!

That's why Mr. Lim, PG Boy and I just agreed to go for Curry Gardenn. It turned out to be quite a good decision as the food was enjoyable.

The lady who attended to us was also very knowledgeable and very good in helping us select what to try. The way she described the food may make one think it was the solution to all problems. Hehe.

We ordered the fish tikka masala, chicken masala, mixed vegetables, garlic naan and rice. I would have loved to try the briyani though. It looked very good when I saw a plate brought to the table next to us. I also ordered samosas, since I really like it. Hehe! The mango lassi was also worth ordering.

While the food took some time to arrive, it was okay because we first munched on the compli pappadam that was served with gravy. Hehe!

It was a good lunch, I must say. For the food and drinks, each one of us just shelled out about $13. Not bad at all.

I would definitely want to come back. Too bad it's too far. Haha!

Curry Gardenn
Address : 200 Turf Club Rd, 01-06
Singapore - 287994
Tel. No. : 6314-4640
Web: http://www.currygardenn.com
Hours: Monday to Friday: 11am to 3.30 pm; 5.30 to 10pm
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 10am to 4pm; 5 pm to 10pm

Sunday noontime at Pasar Bella...

Since Saturday evening, I was not feeling very well.

I am not sure if it has anything to do with the weather. Or if some bug is going around. I just felt feverish. With nothing planned, PG Boy and I just had dinner and then headed back.

Yesterday morning, I was feeling better. I woke up a bit late for Mass but thankfully, I still managed to reach the church in time.

Ian and MkSurf8 invited for brunch, but I opted to skip as I wasn't sure about whether I'd get better. Another reason was because I think I sort of agreed to meet up with Mr. Lim along with PG Boy. Mr. Lim asked if I was up for a hike this past weekend. I told him I didn't have my hiking gear with me and that I wasn't really feeling very well.

Also, I needed to allot some time to head to the library to borrow some books for the tour paper I need to write.

So around noontime, PG Boy and I were at the Bishan Public Library borrowing some books on Singapore history. Afterwards, Mr. Lim picked us up and off we went to the weekend market at The Grandstand (formerly known as Turf City).

After a nice, hearty lunch at an Indian restau named Curry Gardenn, the three of us walked to the nearby weekend market named Pasar Bella to check it out. Pasar in Malay means market. Bella in Italian means beautiful (but I guess you already know that).

Mr. Lim was saying that the Pasar Bella was similar to the Fremantle weekend market at Perth. Since I have never been to Perth, I just went with him to see what it was. If it reminded Mr. Lim and PG Boy of Perth, then it reminded me of Mercato at Fort Bonifacio.

That's what Pasar Bella pretty much is - a nice weekend market where one kind find almost all kinds of stuff including fresh produce and seafood, home decor items, cakes, pastries, macarons, coffee, tea, cheese, wine and so on. There was one store that sold paella! I wish I knew about it before lunch. Hehe!

There were many things to take photos of but unfortunately, my blasted iPhone was acting up and my photos turned out to be quite dull. Hehe!

After lunch and coffee, PG Boy and I headed back home, while Mr. Lim decided to go to Orchard to do some shopping.

I was really tired when I reached home. It was puzzling for me why. Anyway, it was a good Sunday afternoon.

Oh, the thing about Pasar Bella is that it is so difficult to reach. I dun think it's accessible by bus.

CDG and MBMJ: Up for grabs on Ebay and Gumtree...

After years and years of being on the buyer side, I've finally set up today a seller account for Ebay. Hehe!

The first items I've put up for sale are two much-loved items.

In the last quarter of 2012, I kind of went on a Comme des Garcons phase.

The phase was partly influenced by good friend I-van and partly by the good offer by Club21 then.

The result, I have two extra Comme des Garcons tees and two extra Marc by Marc Jacobs tees that have been hanging in my closet since.

All four have never seen the light of day (lol!) and I feel that I won't be going to put them on anytime soon.

That's why I decided that I should probably put them up for sale at insanely discounted prices and let someone else (hopefully, a CDG or Rei Kawakubo or Junya Watanabe or Marc Jacobs fan) enjoy the pieces.

Asking price for the CDGs is $50 each. Asking price for the Marc by Marc shirts is $40 each. And because I am come from an archipelago where haggling is an art, prices are negotiable. Hehe!

Hopefully, some fan will stumble upon the items. Hehe!

Also, planning to put them up on Gumtree. Whee!

Friday is a holiday...

This Friday is a public holiday in commemoration of Buddha's birthday aka Vesak Day.

I'm really itching to get out of the island, even for just a day.

The one thing I really want to go to is the beach. I already pictured myself on a sun chair by the swimming pool with the current book I'm reading. There's a very cold bottle of beer or a fruit shake on a side table. The only loud sound is that of water from the nearby sea splashing as it hits the rocks.

Ahh, that would be really nice.

I told PG Boy about it. The first thing that came to my mind was the beach resort in Batam that Ian, Chris and MkSurf8 went to two years ago.

I went online to check ferry rates. It was cheapo. I emailed the resort to ask about the day pass rate. It was also quite cheapo.

In my mind, it was a good plan. We can take the first ferry out of Singapore, spend the entire day at the resort, and then take last ferry from Batam heading back to Singapore. I also cannot do an overnight stay because I have a museum session the following day.

However, PG Boy still needed to confirm. Lol.

The other option that came to mind involved neighboring Johor Bahru. Obviously, it's not my first choice but it's the next option. I dun mind going to that reflexology place PG Boy and I usually go to when we're in JB. I could definitely use a fully body massage. A delicious meal at the Chinese restaurant a few steps away would also be nice.

The other thing I wanted to do in JB was to check out the Royal Museum. Yes, JB has one. I learned from one of the curators of the National Museum of Singapore that the royal museum in JB holds quite a number of interesting artefacts.

I Googled for the museum and the sites I saw both say that the museum is closed on Fridays. Boo!

Oh well, we'll see, we'll see.

Mummy Secrets of the Tomb Exhibition at ArtScience Museum...

Photo above from here.

Since last Saturday was International Museum Day, PG Boy and I headed to the museum to unofficially celebrate the said event. Hehe!

Nah, we just really had nothing else planned for Sunday afternoon. I would have wanted to visit one of the museums that offered free admission because of International Museum Day.

However, I expected the museums to be very crowded. Since PG Boy and I were both interested in the Mummy:Secrets of the Tomb exhibit, we just decided we'd go for that one. It wasn't free though. Hehe!

Six mummies are featured at the exhibit. The "star" of these mummies, however, is Nesperennub, a 3,000 year old mummy.

The exhibit begins with a short documentary on the project undertaken by the British Museum to know more about the 3,000 year old mummy. Aided by advanced CT scanning technology and computer visualisation techniques, the museum experts were able to "virtually unwrap" the mummy. It was quite a very interesting 3D documentary. Uhm, I think it may be a bit scary though for the kids.

Also in display are more than 100 stunning artefacts such as statuettes, amulets, figurines that are thousands of years old. The artifacts were quite interesting. When I think about how old they are, I can't help but be amazed.

There was a sign that says no photography allowed, but I saw a few people taking photos. In fact, there was even one person who used flash photography! Hehe!

The exhibit runs until 4 November 2013. Drop by the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands if you're interested in ancient hitory.

Today is International Museum Day...

Photo from here.

In celebration of International Museum Day, free admission at a number of museums across the island. Yay! Among the museums with free admission are Asian Civilisations Museum, Peranakan Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu (which I've yet to visit), Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and SAM at 8Q, and of course, the National Museum of Singapore.

Angry Asian man... :-P

I think I have to stay away from news sites.

The recent news reports have really been making my blood pressure skyrocket. Lol!

I'm turning into one angry Asian man.

It's not just about news from Philippines. It's just from different parts of the region. Hehe!

For some reason, it is kind of difficult not to react and get angry. I dunno. It may be because now I feel like I'm more part of a region and not just one country. Back in the Manila, the news would make me angry but it would more about local news and not so much about regional news.

I guess having moved and lived to another country have paved the way for me to be more interested in regional affairs.

Anyway, just this morning, I read a news report that infuriated me once again. Haha! (I swear sometimes I'm tempted to stop reading news.) I was so angry that I had to message PG Boy about it. I can't believe what I was reading. And what's making me even more angry is that the culprit is the same one that caused such a big problem a few decades ago.

It's just irresponsible journalism, imho. Uhm, scratch that. I don't even think it can be called journalism. It's just irresponsible writing. What's kinda worrying is how the words will be received by those who would get to read the article.

No wonder someone said the pen is mightier than the sword.

By the way, the photo above is of Phil Yu. He's the guy behind Angry Asian Man.com. Yes, the site exists. Photo is from here.

Happy birthday, Tonio...

Today is the birthday of one-half of the reason why I exist - my father.

He is 79. Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that he's just a year short of 80. I know he's already upon his twilight years but my memory of him is always of that man on the day I flew out to Singapore a few years ago.

On my most recent visit to Manila, I saw how much he has aged. I think I may have mentioned that in a previous blog post. But seriously, I can't believe how two years have done so much to change him. He was definitely not the man I remembered leaving behind in 2011.

The past few months have been quite trying for the entire family. Somehow, there is something that is holding our family together. I couldn't quite put my finger into what it is just yet. But whatever it is, I am thankful for it.

Last Sunday, I called home to greet my mom Happy Mothers Day. Little did I know that it would also be some sort of Fathers Day. My Dad asked to talk to me.

And for the next minute or two, things that have been waiting to be said for a long time were uttered. That, I think, gave us something we both needed.

Happy birthday, Tonio. Though I'm not there today, I am saying an extra prayer for you tonight. I also look forward to seeing you on my next visit.

A nation's biography and a woman's memoir...

History is the current theme of the titles that I've just read and started reading. Hehe!

As part of my training for the museum guiding activity at the National Museum of Singapore, I picked up a copy of Mark Frosts's and Yu-Mei Blasaingamchow's Singapore: A Biography.

I've just finished the book and I'm quite confident that I've picked up the key events and personalities that any museum guide should at least know.

Also, the book gave me a much better understanding of the country that adopted me. When I learned that I got the job in Singapore, I told myself that one thing I was really going to do when I get here is to immerse myself in the local culture, to learn about the local way of life.

This thinking I suppose stems from the years I was volunteering/working with the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod (the volunteer program of the University of the Philippines). One of the programs I handled was the Summer Immersion Service Program. Every summer, a group of students would be deployed to very remote areas around the country where they are to stay for about three weeks. The aim really of the program is for the students to see that there is something happening outside of the classroom and that there is a need to do something, especially that we belong to the country's premiere state university.

That kind of "learning" was the reason why I really wanted to be involved in different activities while living in Singapore. Believe it or not, I hardly get bored when I'm in Singapore. There are quite a number of things to do around the island. Having lived here for two years (and I'm hoping it will be for several more years), one thing I would like to do really is to show visiting friends that there is so much more to Singapore than Orchard Road. Hehe!

Anyway, the topic deserve a post on its own. I'm going back to the book. What I really loved about the book is that it introduced me to personalities that not too many people know about I guess. We're talking about individuals who don't get to be in the same spotlight that is given to Raffles. People like William Farquhar (who I generally liked very much more than Raffles), Elizabeth Choy, Mamoru Shinozaki, David Marshall, Constance Goh, Mrs. Siraj, May Wong (as in May Wong bar at Neil Road! Haha!), even the rickshaw pullers, the coolies, the convicts, the amahs, the samsui women, and so on.

In a way, reading the book also allowed me to look for parallel histories between Singapore and the Philippines. Hmm, to a certain extent, I think this is one thing I will be able to offer museum visitors when I become an official museum guide. I can relate Singapore history to the histories of neighbouring countries.

Singapore: A Biography is certainly going to help me do that as it is my bible on local history. Hehe!

Meanwhile, the other book is the memoir written by Grace Coddington. In the first few pages of the book, Grace wrote that people only learned of her or became more interested in her after she was featured in the documentary The September Issue.

Grace, I know you won't get to read this, but I want you to know that I have known about you long before The September Issue. And even then, I was already a fan. Sally Singer was correct when she said you are one of the greatest living stylists ever. Because you really are. Period.

I think those who were mentored under her are very lucky. Hehe!

Anyway, I just started on the book. It's been with me since December 2012 (!!!). Haha! I kept on delaying because I didn't want to take out of it's plastic wrapping. Hehe!

What I wouldn't give for the book to be signed by Grace Coddington.

More on the book after I finish it.

What book are you currently reading?

Saturdate at La Petite Cuisine and Habitat Coffee

I may have mentioned it in a previous post, but I will just say it again. One of the things PG Boy and I like to do during weekends is to try out new restaus and cafes around the island.

Okay, I have to correct that. Mostly, the restaus we try are either in the East or the Central part of the island. So far, I've had little success with convincing him to go to my side of town more often. Hehe!

Anyway, last Saturday, PG Boy surprised me by saying that we were going on a dinner date. I really like it when he makes these surprise announcements. Hehe!

He may not agree with this, but usually I would be the one doing the suggesting where to go and he'd usually just agree.

This time, not only did he suggest the place, he even gave two options - either Changi or Marymount.

Since I was somewhere in Dhoby Ghaut and I was too tired to go to Changi, I quickly replied that we should just do Marymount. It's an area we don't really get to visit quite often. Haha!

However, I was a bit doubtful when he said Marymount because I was quite sure there was nothing there except for HDBs and the revered Raffles Institution.

It turns out Marymount would just be our meeting place. We would do a bit of walking towards Upper Thomson Road. Haha!

Alright, if you haven't been to this part of Singapore, this stretch actually has a number of interesting food places. Mr. Lim and I previously tried Nam Kee Chicken Rice. On another of our walks, we headed to Longhouse hawker for lunch.

After about 5-10 minutes of walking, PG Boy and I reached our destination - La Petite Cuisine. It's a French restau that won't burn a hole in your pocket. Hehe!

PG Boy said he read about it in one of the more popular local food blogs and he decided we should try it. The place is quite small, quite intimate. Uhm, I'm not too happy though that the kitchen was directly beside the dining area. Hehe! Dunno about you, but I really dun like leaving a food place smelling like the food place. Thankfully, it wasn't that bad. It probably meant the place has a good exhaust system.

The service was quite quick. The food was enjoyable. I ordered a chicken dish. PG Boy got a duck dish. We both ordered soup to start. There was also compli buns with butter. Our meal came out about $35 I think, which wasn't bad at all.

For dessert and coffee, we headed to Habitat which was just two doors away. I actually liked this place. It had a nice ambiance. It was very relaxed. It had that nice cafe feel. The coffee and the dessert were also quite enjoyable.

On the way back, PG Boy and I saw a few more food places that got us curious. We agreed that we have to go back and explore Upper Thomson more. Hehe!

La Petite Cuisine
227 Upper Thomson Rd Singapore 574359
Tel: 6459 0553

Habitat Coffee
223 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: 6456 2567

Vote smart...

Vote smart today please. :)

PhilHealth, SSS...

When I left the Philippines a few years ago, I stopped doing my monthly contributions to SSS and PhilHealth.

I never really got to fully appreciate these government services so I didn't really see the need to continue contributing. Hehe!

I did get to avail of some benefits one can get from contributing. I was able to make a small loan from SSS, which helped me in my move to Singapore. The other time was when my Dad needed to undergo surgery. The PhilHealth contributions I think helped slash the hospital costs a lot.

Recently, I found myself at Lucky Plaza updating my records with both government agencies. I paid my annual premium for PhilHealth so that my parents may use it when needed (and recently, my Dad has been using the PhilHealth of my bros) and I started continuing my contributions for SSS. According to SSS, one would get some form of pension by 60 years old as long as one has completed at least 120 months of contribution. I checked my contributions and I already have 62 months of contribution.

This somehow encouraged me to continue with my contributions. (I still have to learn though how to compute the pension though. Hehe!)

The lady at the PhilHealth section at iRemit was very nice and helpful. I couldn't say the same about the lady at SSS. Bleh!

I think I'm more keen to continue making the contributions to SSS. My Mom was urging me to start with PAG-IBIG again but I said no for now. Hehe!

At least, there is something good that's coming out from this "challenge" that the family is undergoing right now. I am beginning to appreciate and to see the need for planning for old age.

Sea Princess and Romeo Tan replied...

Thanks to social media apps, it really does seem like celebrities or personalities become more accessible to the man on the street... or should I say, fan on the street. Hehe!

I've been Instagramming for quite some time now, and I do follow quite a number of celebrities/personalities - from the Philippines, from Singapore, from the US, and even from China. Hehe!

However, rarely do I leave a comment on the photos they post. I look at the photos and then continue scrolling up to see the other photos on my food. Once in a while, I would also hit the "Like" button, but that's it.

I dunno. I guess I just don't see why I should leave a comment when I know that most probably, the comment will not get a reply. This I guess is understandable. We're talking about people who have tens of thousands of followers and each photo sometimes has more than 20 comments. So replying to each comment would be so tedious. Hehe!

But then, once in a while, they do reply. And when they do, it is just really plain awesome. Whoopppeee! :)

Random...

Hmmm....

Up at 540AM on a Sunday...

Argh! Who wakes up at 540AM on a Sunday?! Haha!

No matter what I do, I think my body clock has already been fixed to wake up this early even on weekends.

Seriously, I wish I can still stay in bed and just sleep like most of my friends do. But no, I just wake up at this hour and can no longer go back to sleep. I think I got this from my Mom.

I remember her waking up before 5AM (she's much worse... lol!) and she would just do her own stuff by the sort of bar counter at the kitchen.

On the other hand, I am also thankful to be able to wake up this early. I feel like I'm able to do more, experience more, see more and so on because I am out of bed early. Just last Wednesday, Mr. Lim and I were talking about how we always find it difficult to get people to join us on our nature walks.

Our conclusion: We are the only two crazy people among our friends willing to wake up quite early for Mother Nature. Hehe! However, we both agreed that we felt good about that being able to do a lot of things already while the rest of the island is still in bed. Hehe!

So, this whole waking up early is not so bad after all, I guess.

I voted today...

I took the afternoon off today to head down to the Philippine Embassy to vote.

I dunno if age has something to do with it or it's being away from the Philippines, but I've noticed I've become more political these past few years. I want to know what's really happening with the Philippines. I want to know what's happening in Singapore. I want to know what's happening in other parts of the world.

In a way, it's both good and bad. Hehe! It's good because I am updated with the latest news. It's bad because sometimes I get so angry with the news that I feel like my blood pressure really shoots up. Hehe! That's why on some days, I choose to skip the news.

Going back to the election, I already psyched myself for all sorts of inconveniences when I reach the embassy. But surprise, surprise, everything was very efficient and very organised. Well done, COMELEC! :D

I was done in about 10 minutes. Well, for one, there weren't that many people voting. It was very easy though. I just showed my IC. The staff verified my name and then I was given a slip of paper indicating which precint I should go to.

The venue was well-organised and most importantly, there was A/C! Haha! I really appreciated it given that this afternoon was very humid. I was sweating buckets on the way to the embassy.

The COMELEC staff explained what I needed to do. I took a seat. Made my vote and afterwards, I was led to the PCOS machine to submit my ballot. Very, very quick!

< Given this, there's really no excuse for us not to vote. The embassy will be open Monday to Sunday, 9AM - 5PM until 13 May for all voters.

So please, please do vote. Your vote could be the one to prevent from from winning a seat.

And as they say, if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain...

48...

Reposting from Tipz who reposted from Chuvaness who reposted it from Oprah(?). Hehe!

I'm 48. Same as Tipz, I dun fully agree with the results but there is truth to it. ;)

What's your number?

1. When do you feel your best?
A) in the morning
B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night

2. You usually walk…
A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down E) very slowly

3. When talking to people you…
A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with…
A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with…
A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you…
A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You’re working very hard, concentrating hard, and you’re interrupted….
A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
C) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most….
A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are…
A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
E) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are…
A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS: 1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e ) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points, check your total, and see how others see you.

OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should handle with care. You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader, who’s quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who’s constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who’ll always cheer them up and help them out. 31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful, and practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who’s extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn’t want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think you’re boring. Only those who know you well, know that you aren’t.

Labor day, cycling day...

Happy Labor Day!

Woke up quite early today to go cycling with my nature walk buddy Mr. Lim. Originally, the plan was to meet up this Sunday for our usual nature walk. Since PG Boy will be out of town, I thought Mr. Lim and I could go on one of our long nature walks. Early this week, he messaged that he wouldn't be free this weekend.

So, we just agreed to meet up today. However, I told him that I wanted to stay in the East and that I had to head back by noontime. It's the middle of the week and I didn't want the day to be too tiring because there's still work tomorrow.

That's why he suggested that we just go cycling at East Coast Park. I was a bit surprised that he suggested we could to East Coast Park because I remember him saying that the bike rental at ECP is just too ex. About $8-$10 an hour. It is actually expensive because when we went to Pulau Ubin, that was what we paid for a half-day bike rent.

Anyway, we spent about two hours cycling along the bike route of ECP. We took the path going to Changi Airport. I like that path, even when I went running with MkSurf8, Chris and Ian, because there weren't too many people who go that way. The run, or in this case, the cycling becomes even more relaxing.

The East Coast Park is actually one of my favorite places around the island. If it weren't so far away from my place or even from PG Boy's place, I think I would go there more often.

From ECP, Mr. Lim and I headed to the Old Airport Road Hawker Centre for lunch. The place is home to quite a few popular food stalls. One of these is the lor mee stall. When Mr. Lim and I left the place, the lor mee stall had a very long queue. I'm guessing the last guy in the line would have to wait for about 20-30 minutes before he got his lor mee. The other "interesting" food stalls in this hawker centre are the stall that sells turtle soup and another one that sells crocodile meat. Eesh! I dun think I'm ready to try either. Hehe.

Afterward, Mr. Lim did a little bit of grocery at the wet market and Fair Price before he dropped me off at Eunos. I headed back to PG Boy's place and then just spent the afternoon taking a nap, looking for prospect jobs and calling the Phils. Something's up.