Mom is gone 妈妈走了

My mother was the greatest gift to me. 

Patient and kind, she loved unconditionally. 

She was all I ever hope to be. 

May she rest in peace with the Lord for eternity. 

Until we meet again...

妈妈走了，天堂没有病痛，来生还做您的女儿！

Sungei Road Thieves' Market - WW

Sungei Road Thieves' Market is one of the oldest flea markets in Singapore. It's famous among tourists and many locals. A friend brought me along on his regular trip to the market on a Sunday afternoon. It was my first visit.

Wares were displayed on canvas sheets along the roads in the area. Many of the elderly street pedlars were hawking random collections of second-hand goods, and the place was still packed with visitors.

The street pedlars do not pay rent and they are forbidden to sell brand-new items by the Singapore Government.

My friend commented that many decades ago, if an item was stolen, he could try his luck looking for it at the Thieves' Market and buying it back from the sellers. Whoa.

second-hand watches, anyone?

There were more men and foreign visitors at this market, it is an interesting place to wander around but I did not enjoy mingling with so many men. :P

I was glad to visit Sungei Road Thieves' Market which will be closing down for good to make way for the Sungei Road MRT station, due to open in 2017.

Chinese New Year Bazaar 2015 in Chinatown Singapore - WW

After dinner last evening, my husband and I brought a couple of elderly neighbours to Chinatown to soak in the Lunar New Year festivities and snap photos of the pretty decorations of the Street Light-Up.

Many traditional goodies from cookies, decorative items, waxed meats and preserved fruits to potted plants and clothing were on sale. My neighbours bought some Chinese New Year delicacies.

As my family is still in mourning, we are not celebrating Chinese New Year this year.... but we bought 20 jars of cookies to distribute to some of the elderly residents in our neighbourhood.

These preserved fruits are a must-have in our Chinese New Year shopping due to their auspicious names and meanings.

There was a stall selling a modernised version of wooden clogs. Customers could request to custom make a pair of clogs.

Although it was a weekday night, there were lots of people shopping at the bazaar. We had a light supper before going home with or purchases.  

Assam Laksa in Penang - WW

Assam Laksa just off Armenia Street opposite the bicycle wall mural. 

I didn't do enough homework before leaving for Penang. Spending only 3 hours online to google for the places and good food, my husband and I flew into Penang with a list of 15 things to find/do in 3 days.

One must-do is to track down Penang's famous food - assam laksa. It is a fish-based noodle soup that comes with shredded fish (sardine or mackerel or both) and vegetables such as cucumber, pineapple, onions, red chilies and lettuce. The gravy includes tamarind juice, chillies and lemon grass. When served, the dish would be topped with a tablespoon of prawn paste.

Our first bowl of Assam Laksa was a chance discovery at a coffee shop just opposite the street art " Kids on bicycle".  After snapping pictures of the wall mural, we ordered the cold cendol and ice kacang, but the assam laksa was irresistible. Turns out this unknown assam laksa was my favourite among those I tasted in Penang.    

Famous Penang Road Laksa @ Lebuh Keng Kwee)

We took the free shuttle service to Jalan Penang, then took a walk down the long road with a map of Georgetown ...... the good food places have been circled in red. haha....

When my hubby saw the long queue at Lebuh Keng Kwee, he knew we struck "gold". That was the unmistakable queue for cendol outside Joo Hooi. haha.... 

Happily he queued for the famous assam laksa and then the cendol while I waited in the shade. Despite the long queues, we didn't have to wait long. And everyone just ate .... standing beside the stalls!!

Compared to the earlier stall, the laksa gravy was a little more watery and there was noticeably less fish. Taste-wise, not too bad. But I won't go out of the way to hunt for it.

Hubby and I shared a bowl of Penang’s famous cendol. I didn't dare to eat too much as I was afraid of getting a tummy upset. Anyway, I don't fancy sweet stuff.

Opposite this famous cendol stall was another which was doing a brisk business. We decided to order a bowl to compare the tastes. Both are as good.

Our last day in Penang..... after shopping for souvenirs at Chowrasta market, hubby suggested eating assam laksa before returning to Singapore. We walked to Lebuh Keng Kwee.

This time an Indonesian server led us to a shophouse, showed us an empty table and took our orders. You can also order an oyster omelette from Kah Kah Oyster Omelette stall.

Very quickly our orders of assam laksa, fruit rojak and cendol arrived. The assam laksa tasted better than the previous day's. haha.....

While we were waiting for our bus back to our hotel, Penang food blogger Ken called and kindly offered to pick us up for a short tour of Penang.

He brought us to Pasar Air Itam Laksa @ Air Itam. It was a 20 minutes drive out from Georgetown.

We didn't have enough time to visit the nearby Kek Lok Si (temple), so we just took a picture of it at the foot of the hill.

Known as the authentic asam laksa in Penang, there was a long queue of locals and tourists in front of the famous stall. A man was busy dishing out bowl after bowl of assam laksa. Ken and I looked for a place to sit while my hubby queued for the noodles.

At first glance, I was quite worried about eating here as the place looked dirty. Only after we had finished eating our noodles, Ken told us why most locals don't eat here.  -_-'"

Well, we have tasted the original Pasar Air Itam asam laksa.  :)

Now that I know how the authentic assam laksa tastes, I can start experimenting and creating my own delicious version. :)

Kluang Railway Station - WW

A few of my Malaysian friends have been raving about the coffee and kaya toast at Kluang Rail Coffee for years, so I decided to go for it.

We went on the Hari Raya Haji public holiday. Bad timing because they were closed for the holidays. haha....

There were quite a number of people waiting for a train on the platform, so we decided to stay and wait too.

We explored the tiny rail station and posed for some pictures. :)

Train schedule and ticket prices.

On the way back to Johor town centre, we stopped at the railway tracks at a village to take some pictures.

There was an elderly guard who opens and closes the gate for vehicles crossing the tracks. He told us the next train would be coming at 6 pm so it was safe to walk on the tracks.

For the next trip to Kluang, we are planning to ride a train here. :)

Singapore's First Life-sized Seashell Race Car @ Royal Plaza on Scotts - WW

Saw this creative life-sized seashells race car displayed outside Royal Plaza on Scotts (RP). The hotel created the first life-sized seashells race car in the world to celebrate Singapore's seventh night motor racing season which will commence on 19 September.

The culinary team of 10 chefs and culinary staff, led by RP’s Executive Chef Darren Ong, took 1130 hours to complete this structure which measures 4.40 metres long, 1.90 metres wide and 1.30 metres tall. A total of 14,880 shells (scallops, clams, mussels and oysters) were collected to decorate the car. The shells are from seafood consumed at the hotel's buffets.

In previous years, the culinary team has created other life-sized race cars with chocolate, pasta,  macaroons and bread.

Kampong Glam Ramadan Bazaar 2014 - WW

I brought my nephews and niece for a visit to Kampong Glam on Sunday afternoon. This area was once home to Singapore’s Malay royalty.

During Ramadan, the place comes alive with performances and street bazaars. Now is a good time to soak in the festivities.

Street stalls open from early afternoon until late into the night. They sell a wide variety of traditional food, fashion and handicrafts.The main attraction of the bazaars for us is the food. :D

Food stalls at the street bazaar cater to Muslims breaking fast. Many locals and foreigners come here for the yummy traditional Muslim food. There are a few food stall owners who will set up a stall here only during the annual fasting month bazaar.

Roti Boyan with Sambal Tumis

I discovered a new snack - Roti Boyan (Indonesian bread) S$3 each. It's mashed potato and egg wrapped in a pastry crust, pan fried to golden brown and dip in a sambal tumis ikan bilis sauce. Delicious!


Kampong Glam Ramadan Bazaar
Muscat Street in front of Sultan Mosque

Happy Dumplings Festival 2014!

Celebrating Dumpling Festival with my family and friends today as we share the dumplings we made. These dumplings are made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. They are cooked by boiling.

On Sunday, our Hainanese Tan Clan Association organised a dumpling making and a dragon boat making contest for members and their families. There was a good turnout.

Glad to see loving couples, family members and friends learning a skill and having fun together. The old and young had an enjoyable and fun afternoon making dumplings and folding paper boats.

There were 6 teams participating in the contest. The members put in a lot of effort and used much creativity to make their entries stand out. The room was filled with much laughter of all the participants.

The judges had a hard time deciding the winner. They decided to make every participant happy by giving everyone prizes. :D

Breakfast in Jalan Badik 1, Johor Bahru

Ipoh curry noodles RM6 and steamed vermicelli with pork patty RM9

We drove up to Johor Bahru with a friend very early on a Sunday morning to hunt for delicious food and maybe some durians. :)

Our GPS went haywire and we found ourselves in an unfamiliar territory, Jalan Badik 1. Thank our lucky stars! There were many eateries to choose from and we had a fantastic breakfast after discovering several awesome food stalls which sell dishes that are not found in Singapore.

Coconut and red bean pancakes RM1.10 each

We had our breakfast with the locals who recommended the good eats. We chatted with some of the stall owners and tried to find out more about their dishes. :)

The men liked the Ipoh curry noodles and this unique steamed vermicelli with pork patty in high stock. I will try to replicate this dish at home :)

My husband was ecstatic to find his favourite crispy pancake with fresh coconut filling that was not too sweet. There are three versions, one can order the mini rolls, Super Big pancake or a crispy one with 6 types of fillings to choose from.

Yong Tau Hu with special sauce RM7.50

My friend noticed that almost every table had a plate of yong tau hu (stuffed bean curd). He wanted to have a taste although I was feeling quite full by then. I selected some pieces of yong tau hu and watched the lady hawker prepared them and ladled a special sauce over it. The delicious sauce tasted like curry combined with sweet yellow bean sauce.  

After breakfast, we checked out another coffee shop opposite the one we patronised. Will go back to try the many food stalls here. :)

与网友过海到新山吃早餐。因GPS出状况, 没找到我们要去的咖啡店。却意外地发现了美食宝地!

当地人好热情地介绍他们的特色佳肴。 好享受今早的美味早餐。我还会回去尝尝其他摊位的熟食。

我们的早餐 :

怡保咖喱面                      6 马币
猪肉饼蒸米粉                  9 马币
现炸油条配黑咖啡     1.50 马币
椰子面煎粿                 1.10 马币
酿豆腐 (特制的酱汁)  7.50马币

Vietnamese Lacquer Art - WW

After travelling for more than two hours on a bus, we took a toilet break at a rest stop on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh city. While waiting for the rest of the tour members, I wandered around the area and discovered a lacquer art painting demonstration.

It was fascinating watching the artists worked.

A young artist was drawing the outline with chalk and apply crushed egg shell.

materials for the lacquer art - eggshells

shells, mother of pearl

Rubbing and polishing after the painting has been completed

During the three-day trip in Vietnam, our tour guide sneakily included souvenir shops selling expensive lacquer ware and Vietnamese products in our tightly scheduled itinerary.

As a result, we missed visiting the famous Saigon Notre Dame Basilica and Saigon Central Post Office because she insisted on visiting a lacquer factory when we had only an hour before our dinner on a cruise ship. Her 15-minute stop turned into an hour long of shopping. ISH. *feeling frustrated*
 

Vietnamese Fruits - WW

After an early breakfast in the hotel on our second day in Ho Chi Minh city, a few members and I strolled to a nearby street market. It was noisy and chaotic as there were many customers who were bargaining with stallholders over the prices of produce. 

Several ladies wanted to buy fruits back to Singapore after seeing the wide variety of Vietnamese fruits.

a street market in Ho Chi Minh city

custard apples

raw tamarind fruits

Breast Milk Fruit (Vu Sua)

*Are you giggling?*

I had my first taste of this breast milk fruit at a tropical fruit farm. I didn't know what its name was until I returned to Singapore and googled for information. The succulent and soft flesh tastes like sweet milk.  

One of my Vietnamese students described how he eats the fruit. Make a hole in the fruit, place his mouth over the hole and suck the soft flesh out. Yup, I understand why it is called the breast milk fruit now.

Are you still giggling? :D

Tropical Fruit Farm@Ho Chi Minh City - WW

sweet tasting Vietnamese fruits

Our second day in Ho Chi Minh city, we went island hopping on the Mekong Delta where the people make their living as farmers and fishermen. The majority of Vietnam's fruits come from the many orchards here. We were going to visit a fruit farm and later have lunch in a fish farm.

                                                  riding a horse cart

Four of us rode on a rickety cart as the horse trotted through a rustic village to our destination. The sun was scorching hot and we were sweating profusely. Luckily the ride lasted only 15 minutes. It was fun. :)

We arrived at a lush tropical gardens to sample tropical fruits. Many of the fruits are easily available in Singapore. 5 small plates of cut fruits were shared among a table of 6 people. They didn't serve us their famous dragonfruit.

While we snacked on tropical fruits, there was a live traditional music performance. After singing 3 songs, they came around with baskets to collect $$$. :D

Half an hour later, we found ourselves seated on a sampan, cruising down a canal. Four persons to a row boat, we had to sit quite still and hold on to the sides of the small boat while a Vietnamese lady did the rowing. It was not easy for me to take good photos with only one free hand. LOL

Along the canal were lots of nipah palms. Their fruits called attap chee are sweet, translucent, gelatinous balls used as a dessert ingredient in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

At the end of the canal, our ferry was waiting. Time for our late lunch. Hungryyy.

Que Delicioso With Christian Escribà and Patricia Schmidt - WW

Spanish pastry chefs sharing their knowledge and techniques of chocolate creations

I was selected to participate in an exclusive, invitation-only, media session with pastry power couple Christian Escribà and Patricia Schmidt at ToTT.

We were treated to light refreshments with a free flow of drinks before the event started.

Chef Patricia Schmidt checking on my work

At Que Delicioso with Christian Escribà and Patricia Schmidt, I got the chance to make my own delectable and beautiful chocolate creations under the chefs’ watchful eyes!

playful Chef Christian stressing me out 

Chef Christian showed us some of his magnificent creations before we proceeded to the kitchen to make our own chocolates.

crazy skull game set

Each of the participants was given a crazy skull game set and an apron. After putting on the apron, we watched a demonstration on the preparation of a habanero filling and two chocolate pastes.

The chefs had prepared the chocolate pastes in advance, so we just needed to pipe them into the moulds.

Piping a nutty chocolate paste over my deadly habanero mixture. Who's gonna pick the chilli skull? *evil smile*

What a fantastic dessert to bring to a party! ;)

Sporty Chef Christian played Russian Roulette with us. One of these chocolate skulls contains a spicy chilli filling. Who would get to taste it? Would Chef Christian be the unfortunate guy?

A goody bag from ToTT and Escriba Asia  

Two unlucky participants ate the chilli skulls. I was so relieved I was not the one to pick it. *Phew*

Chef Christian and Chef Patricia autographed their books for us and we had a group picture before calling it a night.

The world’s first confectionery extravaganza, Fantasìa by Escribà (22 to 24 August), is slated to take place at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre Halls D and E in closer proximity to Bayfront MRT station for easier access to visitors arriving by train.

A world’s first unique concept bringing together fantasy, artistry and theatre, Fantasìa by Escribà will be a spellbinding showcase made of chocolate, pastry and sugar led by the pastry chefs and their team of pastry aficionados.

Spanning 8,000m² of exhibition space, Fantasìa by Escribà will feature eye-popping exhibitions ranging from a chocolate waterfall, life-sized chocolate animals and a 6m tall wedding cake surrounded by a 10m long edible wall.

Tickets are now available at www.fantasiaescriba.com

ToTT, 856 Dunearn Road, Singapore 589472