Viet Cong Booby Traps - WW

Swing door trap

I find the Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh city a fascinating place. The site was crowded with tourists from all over the world. But my tour group, mostly senior citizens, was not interested in learning about the Vietnam war.

simple pit with sharpened bamboo spikes

So I tagged behind a European group whose tour guide spent his time explaining what we were seeing. We came to a display of 7 booby traps in front of a large mural of American soldiers falling into them.

sticking trap

What chilled me to the bone was the guide's demonstration and explanation of the booby traps and other improvised warfare deployed by the Viet Cong during the war.

Clipping armpit trap

Each of the body-piercing traps were designed to target vital parts of the body, causing great damage to the victim and also to demoralise the other soldiers.

It's sickening to know that the spikes or nails were frequently smeared with faeces, urine or other contaminants to infect the wound which was created as the sharp objects penetrated the soldier’s skin.

Rolling trap

These traps frustrate the enemy and put great stress and psychological fear in the minds of soldiers. Any step they took might be their last.

Folding chair trap

Although these traps don't kill but they did work on my nerves as I went around the site. I became overly cautious, fearful of moving around and touching things after hearing the guide's stories. :P

Fish trap and swinging trap

I have left out the gruesome descriptions of the damage these traps could cause the victims.

I pray that we can live peacefully and there are no more wars in the world so our men need not have such horrible experiences.

See-saw trap

World Peace.

Taiwanese Dessert : Ice-cream Roll with Peanut Brittle Shavings - WW

shaving tool for peanut brittle candy

Walking along Taiwan Jiufen's old street, I came across many stalls selling traditional Taiwanese snacks and desserts. I was fascinated by this elderly man who was hard at work shaving the huge slab of peanut brittle in front of him.  

I watched him for a while and ordered one ice-cream roll with peanut brittle shavings (NT35).

spring roll wrap + peanut brittle shavings + ice-cream + .......

Cilantro was added to the dessert. Interesting! 

Surprisingly, it didn't taste weird.

This icy cold dessert was actually yummy. I finished it although I was shivering as the temperature was 17 degree Celsius on a wet, rainy morning. :D 

22nd Wedding Anniversary - WW

High Tea @ Equinox and a cake to celebrate my 22nd Wedding Anniversary, courtesy of American Express.

Equinox Restaurant is located on Level 70 of Swissôtel The Stamford, we were given a table by the window overlooking the scenic Marina Bay.

I enjoyed the chocolates

“To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.”  
- Helen Rowland (1876-1950) English-American writer

Jiufen Old Street, Taiwan 台湾 九份老街 - WW

Entrance to Jiu Fen Old Street

Jiufen's quaint streets, teahouses, stunning views of the ocean plus a wide variety of novelty and souvenir shops transform it into a popular tourist magnet.

Nestled in the hills in the northeast of Taiwan, this picturesque old town was a prosperous gold mining town until the 1950s. With the decline of gold mining activities, the poor village faded.

Must pose for a photo on Jiufen's famous flights of steps - a great souvenir to bring home

Fortunately, Jiufen's charming layout and architecture was the inspiration for a number of films such as Hou Hsiao-hsien's 'A City of Sadness' (侯孝賢的'悲情城市'), which won the Golden Lion award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival.

This was my second trip to Jiufen and it was still full of fun and delights. I enjoy wandering around this mountain sanctuary. There are lots to see and taste and don't forget to take lots of pictures.

Stalls selling all kinds of traditional Taiwanese food, beverages and snacks lined both sides of the narrow street. It took me quite a while to complete this short winding lane as I was constantly distracted by the sights and wonderful aroma of the food.  

Not wanting to offend the kind vendors who offered food-sampling at almost every stall, I tried everything. :P In the end, I purchased quite a lot of souvenirs to gift away to friends and relatives back home.

teahouses on both sides of the street

a unique teahouse which sells pottery

traditional teahouse and restaurant

 

finally a place which serves coffee!

There are many unique teahouses which offer awesome views of the ocean and mountain of Jiufen. For visitors who dislike the commercialised old street or the noise, these teahouses offer a place to relax. You will forget your worries as you sip a cup of tea and enjoy the scenic view of Jiufen.

Many local residents provide accommodation places. If you were not in a hurry, you may want to pick a nice B and B to stay for the twinkling stars and fishing lights at night. I am planning to stay a night on my next trip to Jiufen.

九份老街的特色就是那復古懷舊的街景, 依舊保留著純樸的舊日生活風貌。
九份環山面海，擁有變化多端的山海美景。
让自己的心沉醉在美丽的山城 - 九份。

Yummy Eats in Taiwan - WW

Superlicious Vanilla Cream Puff  (Kaohsiung) NT35

In Kaohsiung, while my tour group was visiting a Chinese temple, I was checking out the quaint eateries nearby. :P I bought this cream puff to snack on, it was so delicious, I bought another and another......  It was so good, I bought for the whole tour bus. :D

I love visiting Taiwan's 7-Eleven stores. I was eagerly buying food items and beverages to try. I love their wide range of beverages that comes beautifully packaged. The drinks taste good though.

Besides the famous Ding Tai Feng which has long queues at any time of the day, there are other good dumpling restaurants too. Former chefs from Ding Tai Feng set up their own shop..

This is a yummy snack!? This poster was promoting these sexy snacks at a busy street in Ximenting, Taipei. I didn't try. 

Celebrating Dragon New Year - RT/WW

龙年吉祥

新年快乐！愿您在新的一年里财源广进、身体健康、平安快乐。

I am still celebrating my Dragon New Year despite falling ill because I ate too much festive goodies and Mandarin oranges. :P

We had several rounds of  "lo hei"  (Prosperity Toss) ...... hoping to add more wealth to our wallets. :D

Wordless Wednesday

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Wishing Spheres - Countdown to 2012! - WW

Marina Bay, also known as the Bay of Hope and Light, will have 20,000 wishing spheres floating in its water. This spectacular visual arts display carries the hopes of over half a million people in Singapore.

Throughout December, people penned their wishes on these wishing spheres at various wishing stations located around Singapore. It's free-of-charge, no purchases is required.

The wishing spheres containing hand-written wishes were floated onto the waters of Marina Bay on 18th December. Finally, my hopes for the new year are floating among the 500,000 wishes on the beautiful bay. 

I can't believe this year is coming to an end. I am looking forward to the annual Marina Bay Singapore Countdown taking place on New Year's Eve. Come join the party!

Singapore's Integration Community Learning Journey - RT/WW

On Sunday evening, I went on an Integration Community Learning Journey with a group of 40 residents comprising locals and several new immigrants.

From Mountbatten Community Centre, a coach sent us to Clarke Quay where we took a water taxi and cruised along the scenic Singapore River. Tour guide Joseph provided information and explained the historical heritage of the river to the group.

Although it was drizzling, the wet weather could not dampen the excitement of our group. Besides young parents who brought along their kids, there were two 3-generation families and several elderly couples.

This tour provided opportunities for new immigrants and locals to interact and communicate with one another, and improve their understanding of each other's culture, values and norms.

I was warmed several instances by the sweet gestures of these people who shared their snacks with me and  sheltered me with their umbrellas as I clicked away with my camera in the rain. 

The cruise along the Singapore River was an absolutely enjoyable journey. The scenic sights on both sides of the river yielded many beautiful pictures.

We had a quick stop at the Marina Bay City Gallery where interactive exhibits tell the story of Marina Bay's transformation from a busy trading port to the dazzling Singapore centrepiece it is today.

We have a bird's eye view of Marina Bay's intricate architecture and lush gardens over a digital state-of-the-art model.

A bento dinner was given to each of us and we had a picnic on the event plaza overlooking the beautiful Marina Bay.

View of our financial district at night from Marina promenade

There was a 45-minutte break for members to window shop in Marina Bay Sands Shopping Mall before the laser show started at 8pm. Unfortunately it started to rain and we had to watch the laser show from inside the mall. I will go back for this light and water outdoor spectacle another day.    

Through this integration programme which lasted 4 hours and cost a mere S$2, the new Singapore citizens have an opportunity to mingle and interact with grassroots leaders and volunteers from their local community who share their experiences of living in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. They also learn how they can participate or volunteer in the community. Family members are encouraged to participate in the programmes offered to the new Singapore citizens, to make this learning journey meaningful for the entire family.

Wordless Wednesday

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Mnet Asia Music Awards (MAMA) 2011 in Singapore - WW

The prestigious 2011 Mnet Asian Music Award (MAMA) was held in Singapore on 29 November, at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

What excited me most was seeing my idols, Superstars Lee Byung Hun and Song Seung Hun, in Singapore. *screams**screams*

Tickets for this massive awards ceremony were snapped up the moment they went on sale. My son is ill and could not attend this awesome event. His favourite K-pop stars are the nine-member girl group SNSD who won the Best Female Group Award and Best Artist of the Year

Many of the female stars are so pretty. We ladies couldn't help admiring their beautiful dresses and gowns too. It was a star-studded, entertaining evening with so many popular stars descending on our little island.

Actor Song Seung Hun

Many fans waited for hours just to see their favourite stars. I hear stories of my friends' teenaged kids who hired cars and taxis to chase after their idols. I wish I were their age and could go along with them. haha......

Congratulations to the winners!

Best New Male Artist Award - Huh Gak
Best New Female Artist Award - A Pink
Singapore Choice Award - Super Junior
Best New Artist (Solo) Award - Wei Chen
Best New Asian Artist Group Award - AZIAtix
Best Drama O.S.T Award - Baek Ji Yeong
Best Rap Performance Award - Leessang
Best Male Artist Award - Kim HyunJoong

Best Group Vocal Performance Award - 2NE1

Best Male Group Dance Performance Award - B2st
Best Female Group Dance Performance Award - Miss A
Best Music Video Award - Big Bang
Best Vocal Performance Solo Artist Award - IU
Best Band Performance Award - CNBlue
Best Dance Solo Performance Award - Hyuna
MAMA Sponsorship Award - YB

Best Male Group Award - Super Junior

Best Female Group Award - Girl's Generation
Best Song of the Year award - 2NE1
Best Album of the Year - Super Junior

Best Artist of the Year - Girl's Generation

Wordless Wednesday

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