First time...

First time to leave the office this late. LOL!

Just for the sake of posting something.

Are you GAYme enough returns...

Eh, so you think you know your LGBT history?!

Which section of the Singapore Penal Code criminalizes sex between mutually consenting adult men? What do the colors of the rainbow flag mean? How many countries recognize same-sex marriage?

Whether you know your ABCs of everything LGBT or just curious to know more about it or you just want to get into Play for free (Lol!), do come down to Play this Friday night for Are You GAYME Enough? Season II.

It's the second run of the gameshow where contestants get quizzed on topics ranging from sexuality and sexual health to local LGBT history and culture.

Come, come.

Friday, August 17 2012
9.30pm
Play – 21 Tanjong Pagar Road

Line Camera: nice app for cutesy patootsy photos...

 





If you take a look at my phone, you'll find a bunch of photo sfx apps. Most of these I learned about thanks to friends like RKGreg, Tommy and Alynn who use the cameras on their phones quite often. Hehe!

Lately, my fave app is Line Camera, which I found out from Tommy.

The app allows the user to make photos more fun and cute with its various features. Over 100 different frames to choose from, about 21 filters to add more character to the photo, and tons of cute stamps. You can also share your photos with various social networking sites easily.

The app is also free, which makes it even more awesome.

It's the stamps that are my current fave. I'm particularly liking the bear stamps. Hehe!

The app has lately been proving to be very useful and a favorite, especially during the train ride from my side of the island to Pg Boy's side of the island. Hehe! The otherwise dull and monotonous MRT ride becomes less boring because I get so occupied with editing some photos. Hehe!

Go download and try it. ;P

Brunch at Batter Fluffy Flaps in Katong...

With nothing planned this morning, Pg Boy and I decided to head down to Katong area to try out one of the brunch places in the area.

Katong is not really the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of brunch. That just might change. Among with the several food places found outside of i12 Katong mall, there are three possible brunch places for people living on this side of the island.

Pg Boy was suggesting we check out Robolots. I, on the other hand, suggested Batter Fluffy Flaps. While we were walking along Joo Chiat, we noticed that Awfully Chocolate/Mooshi Bakes now also offers brunch. Nice.

We first went to Robolots at to check out the menu. When we got there, the place had just opened for the day. We saw some of the staff still prepping the tables. The menu looked interesting though.

So, we agreed to give it a try on another occasion and try Batter Fluffy Flaps today.

Batter Fluffy Flaps or BFF is a stone's throw away from Robolots and from i12 Katong.

When we got to the place, it wasn't crowded at all. Some tables were occupied but it wasn't very busy yet. I dunno if it's because the place is relatively new or like I said earlier, Katong has yet to be thought of as a brunch place.

Pg Boy and I were able to get a table very quickly. Ordering food wasn't difficult as well. The first thing I would usually look at is the brunch combo. Almost always, I would already be good with it.

The Breakfast Mambo Combo comes with one ham, two bacon strips, two poached egg, two Chipolata sausages, a small portion of greens and cherry tomatoes, and two pancakes. It's $14.

There's a note that prep time takes about 15 minutes. However, since we were there early and since it wasn't packed, the order came in less than 15 minutes.

I thought the food was quite okay. For $14, it wasn't bad. The pancakes were nice. You can get ask for as much syrup as you want. LOL! Two pancakes were enough to go with everything else.

As you can see, there are other dishes on the menu that may be worth trying. In the evening, I think the place also serves some light alcohol to cater to the evening crowd. Hehe!

The best part about the place? All Day Pancakes.

Must go back again to try other dishes.

Batter Fluffy Flaps
89 East Coast Road, #01-01. Singapore 428790.
Tel: 6440- 7071.
Website: www.batterfluffyflaps.com.

Happy birthday, Singapore...

Happy 47th birthday, Singapore!

A little over a year ago, the dream to work in this country became a reality. The objective was originally just to find work in order to finally be able to score that Prada I've been eyeing since forever. Kidding lah.

Looking back now, I came here for one thing but got so much more - good mix of Filipino and Asian friends (such as the guy I'm with in the photo above Melvin, who has shown me the "wild and green" side of the country), opportunities to see a bunch of exhibits and performances I've always been wanting to see, getting more fit and healthy (I think), continuing to do volunteer work, being IAR, and so on.

Really grateful for all these.

Checking out the Hermes Gift of Time exhibit...

After a back-to-back Body Pump and Body Combat class at Capital Tower last Saturday, I headed down to the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to check out the Hermes Gift of Time exhibit.

The railway station, which ceased operations last year and has since been usually closed to the public, is the venue for Hermes' traveling exhibit.

The exhibit was set up at the main area where the ticket counters used to be. A mini-museum of sorts with 7 rooms of installation art was erected in the middle of the hall.

Conceptualizing the exhibit was American artist Hilton McConnico.

Upon your entry to the second room labeled "Free Time", you will be given a small pouch for you to place your watch or phone or any timepiece. The idea is so that you can take your time to appreciate the exhibit.

My favorite room has to be the "Stroke of Time." In it, one will find a huge cat mosaic staring at a caged parrot in the middle of the room. Both the cat and the parrot are made up of recycled pieces of Hermes leather. It was really brilliant.

The concept of the room has something to do about freeing time. In the same room, two Hermes pieces are on display.  One is from the 1920s, while the other is from the 1990s. Both pieces still look great.

I was planning to do just a quick stop at the exhibit, because I had to head back to Tampines and meet up with Pg Boy but I ended up spending more than an hour at the exhibit space. Haha!

Good exhibit to visit if you wany to kill time or if you want to appreciate the Gift of Time.

The exhibit runs until 12 August 2012, 11am – 9pm daily. Entrance is free.

Cycling adventure at Ubin...

Pulau Ubin is an island at the North Eastern side of Singapore.

The name Pulau Ubin literally translates to Tile Island. According to nature walk/hiking buddy Melvin, there were several granite quarrying sites in the island. The granite was then transported to the main island for the buildings. Today, the quarries are filled with fresh water and now add to the panoramic scene of the island.

It is one of the last few areas in the country that is yet to be modernized. No towering housing units, no Prada or Vuitton, no foreign talent (sorry I had to make that joke! Hehe!). Instead, you will see wooden houses, lush green surroundings, wild animals roaming around freely. This is how Singapore was before it became the very modern city most people know it to be now. To me, it reminded me of the several trips I had to the countryside back in the Philippines. The simple houses, the relaxed environment, the freedom from city traffic and chaos - it was a nice place to be at on a Sunday morning.

Melvin, his friends David and Patrick, and I boarded one of the bumboats at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal around 9AM. After a very short 15-minute boat ride, we reached the Pulau Ubin jetty. Once you get off the bumboat and make your way out of the jetty, it feels like being transported back in time when Singapore had a "kampung" (village) way of living.

We rented a bike at the main village and began our day of exploring. I haven't been on a bike for several years so I had a very shaky start. Hehe! There is an island taxi one can rent, but there is really no fun in that, is there?

The first stretch of the cycling route was on concrete road, which somehow made it easy. After a while, the guys made a turn somewhere and we entered into rugged trail. This proved to be much, much more challenging. Hehe!

The reward for surviving was reaching the Chek Jawa Wetlands. Here, several different ecosystems may be observed. You have a portion covered with plants and trees. Further walking and you will reach a mangrove forested area. A little more walking and you will be led out into a view of the sea where you can see the main Singapore island. Hehe!

One will also find an authentic pre-war Tudor style home built in the 1930s. From the marker, the house is said to be built in the 1930s b then Chief Surveyor Langdon Williams as a holiday home. It now houses the Chek Jawa Visitor Centre.

By the time we were back at the Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, it was already noontime and the four of us were tired and starving. We started to make our way back. The trail going down was a bit more challenging and more steep. I know because I crashed. Haha! There was a warning about the slope being kind of steep. Still, I lost control of the bike and the next thing I know, I was going down very fast and I knew that I was already going to crash.

Thankfully, it was just some cuts and bruises on the knee, calves and arms and nothing major.

On the way back, we passed by one of the old quarries which now looks like some kind of lake. Hehe!

We were back at the main village past 12, and Melvin led the way to one of the restaus for a much-needed lunch. The guys took care of ordering - squid, clams, sweet potato leaves, and one more "exotic" dish. Hehe!

It was definitely a good Sunday morning activity.

By the way, if you're in SG and you like nature or if you just want to experience how Singapore was back in the 1960s, then you should go and make that trip to Pulau Ubin already.

According to Melvin, the government has plans to develop the island already. He even mentioned that there will be an MRT going to the island.

Pinoy food place at East Coast Road...

For OFWs in the Eastern side of the island who are having a craving for Pinoy food, there's a food place along East Coast Road to head to.

Yesterday, Richie messaged around 5PM to ask if I was up for dinner with him and Mon. He said he was craving for Pinoy food.

When I got the message, I had just reached Tampines station and was on my way to the bus interchange to head back to Pg Boy's place.

Rich said he was still at Marina Square and that he and Mon would be free to meet 7 plus.

Uhm, I just spent almost the entire day in the central area (gym + the Hermes exhibit) and I wasn't really up for making the trip back to the city again. Hehe! I know, I know - lazy.

I suggested to Rich that maybe we can have dinner in the East and that I'll tell Pg Boy about it.

Thanks to one of the many food sites, Rich discovered Leonardo's Place at East Coast Road. (But according to several sites, it was formerly called Pinoy Cuisine.)

Great I thought. It wasn't too far from Tampines and it was right across i12 Katong.  The best thing was there was a direct bus from Pg Boy's place to Parkway Parade, which was the street next to East Coast Road.

By 7:30, Pg Boy and I were walking along the stretch of East Coast Road to look for the place.

The look and feel of Leonardo's Place was quite similar to its neighbouring restaus. It was simple and relaxed.

Rich and Mon had just ordered when we arrived - Pinakbet, Tortang Talong, Ginataang Sitaw, and the main star of the night - Crispy Pata. Hehe! We just decided to add Chicken Adobo for Pg Boy.

I'm really glad that they were able to make the Crispy Pata just like how it would be cooked back in the Philippines. I've tried the Crispy Pata at the Kopitiam in Novena, but it's not as good as this one. The only thing that could have been better was the Tortang Talong. I think they forgot about that order. When we reminded the wait staff about it, they probably decided to rush cooking the dish. Not a very good result.

But everything else was enjoyable. Pg Boy tried the veggie dishes, and he ended up liking Pinakbet more than the Ginataang Sitaw.

The food was great and reasonably priced. I think we paid about $15 per person for the feast that we had. Not bad, eh?

From Leondardo's Place, we walked towards Joo Chiat for dessert at Awfully Chocolate. Hehe!

Twas definitely a happy Saturday night.

Leonardo's Place
43 East Coast Rd  Singapore 428764
6344 9096

Madz night...

As I've previously posted, a bunch of Filipino friends and I were able to catch the one-night only Madz concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

It was Coly who sent a group FB message whether anyone would be interested to watch the concert.

Everyone in the group said yes. Pg Boy also said he was interested to watch the concert since he missed the performance in his hometown.

Unfortunately, he had to fly out that week for work. Tipz and Rea were also not able to watch the show because of work.

Still, we ended up being a huge group - Coly, Rich, Mon, Owen, Jupiter, Ian, Chris, Edsel and me. Hehe!

As expected, the Madz didn't fail to amaze. After each song, there would be thunderous applause from the audience.

It was definitely a proud moment for Filipinos.

What was also great that night was that I noticed that there were several locals and ang mohs who watched the show. I thought that it would be 80-90% Filipinos, but I was really glad to see a mixed crowd. Yey!

The Philippine Madrigal Singers, or Madz, was founded in 1963 by tNational Artist Professor Andrea O. Veneracion. It used to be called the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers. I'm not sure when the name change happened.

I can't remember the last time I watched them perform, so I was really glad they had a performance here.

Jiro dreams of sushi...

I recently found out that Jiro Dreams of Sushi is playing in select cinemas in Singapore.

It's a documentary on 85-year-old Jiro Ono, who is said to be the world's greatest sushi chef.

Somewhat hidden in a Tokyo subway station is Jiro-san's 10-seat sushi only restaurant. Dun be fooled by the simplicity of the restau. The place was awarded a 3 star Michelin. From what I read, the sushi is really expensive and one has to book several weeks in advance just to be able to get a seat at Jiro's sushi bar.

I watched the trailer, and he talks about "shokunin." It refers to someone who is skilled at his profession. The way Jiro described it though, it's not just about being skilled. It is about constantly striving to achieve perfection in what one does.

So it probably means that it may refer to anything, yeah? Whether you're a business tycoon or a street cleaner, you can "achieve" or strive to be shokunin.

In the movie The Last Samurai, the character played by Tom Cruise wrote in his diary about the people in the samurai village that captured/adopted him, "From the morning they wake up until the end of the day, they (referring to the people) do nothing but strive to be perfect at what they do." Or something like that...

What I'm trying to say really is I couldn't help but admire this kind of discipline of the Japanese.

I want to be Japanese in my next life. LOL!

Kidding aside, I hope to be able to catch this docu while it's still showing here in SG.