Durian Degustation at East Coast Road

The durian buffet costed $20/head with unlimited helpings of all the durian cultivars they have on hand, except for mao san wang. Like eating fine cheese, there is a proper order to begin the durian degustation. First, we started off with a mild variety and progress to the stronger ones.

We started off with a mild durian - D101. The pulp is slightly sweet and creamy, but easy on the palate. If there ever was a starter durian, it would be the D101.

Followed next was D13 which looked quite similar to Hong Xia but the taste was less complex. Sweet but less fibrous than most durians and not very strong in taste. Good for people trying for the 1st time.

Next up was the famous Penang Hong Xia or Red Prawn or Ang Hay. The characteristic red pulp was very creamy and sticky. The durian was sweet but with a bitter aftertaste, much like eating bitter chocolate. However, I think this batch wasn't really at its prime.

Followed up was the Black Pearl which I thought was the best of the lot that evening. The bitterness in the Black Pearl was excellent. However, before I could snap a picture, the Black pearl were gone!

Then we had the Hulu, named because of its violin like shaped like the gourd of the same name (but this one didn't look like a hulu).

Next on the queue is Jin Feng or Golden Phoenix. It tasted bitter with a more variety texture and strong pungent smell.

Finally was the prized Mao Shan Wang or Butter Durian which was bitter sweet taste and stickly, creamy texture. Flesh can be sweet and bitter within the same fruit.
Not enough? Can always 'da pau' some home...

Circle line opens...

The 5 new MRT stations of the Circle Line begin operations today. This is a 5km stretch from Bartley to Marymount. In between are Serangoon, Lorong Chuan and Bishan stations.

Above: inside Bartley station

Above: this mural at Bartley station consists of 160,000 one-cents coins embedded in glass

Above left: inside Lorong Chuan station - a unique Y-shaped beam, also seen at other Circle Line stations

Above right: another art piece at Lorong Chuan station

Above: inside Bishan station

Above: another unique art piece at Bishan station

Above: Marymount station. Above right: another unique art piece

Above: please give way to alighting passengers. Actually a small thing but seem a BIG headache.

Above: now new & clean train (let's see how long it lasts)

bak chang festival or duanwu jie (端午节）

5 months of 2009 has slipped by. Today is the 5th day of the 5th month in the Lunar calendar. It has been a tradition for the Chinese to celebrate and enjoy the "Rice Dumpling Festival", also known as "Dragon Boat Festival".

The Chinese celebrate the Rice Dumpling Festival by making pyramid-shape dumplings with glutinous rice with savoury fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The traditional dumplings are boring and ordinary, somehow through the years, new creations are added on and of course, all these variations of rice dumplings promise to tantalise different taste buds.

Honestly, if I didn't notice these bak chang hanging at the stalls, I wouldn't have realise today is duanwu jie. I remember I haven't touch bak chang for years. I have gastric and have problem digesting glutinous rice. Besides, bak chang are high-caloried, as such, I do not mind skipping it.

Gallop Stable@Pasir Ris

Singapore's first public horse riding school located at Pasir Ris Carpark C. The stable has 9 schooled ponies, 2 minitures and 1 yearling-Gallopina. Daily activities at the stable includes riding lessons, pony rides and pony feeding. If your kid loves horse riding, check out at the Gallop Stable.


Look at these handsome horses...



Children taking horse riding lessons...

闻猪色变

You have shot to fame almost overnight when you survived 36 days buried beneath rubble during the Sichuan earthquake on 12 May 2008. But today, barely a year later from the big new you have made, most people shun away from you. It's because you are directly or indirectly connected to this respiratory disease called Swine Influenza (swine flu) or H1N1.

Luckily, some experts who stood up for you. They said though it may known as swine flu but this has nothing to do with pig farming. The experts said the problem begins with the wily nature of the influenza virus itself. They thought, if pigs are to be blame, so too are birds and humans.

Now human beings has the reason to get a new flu vaccine every year. The virus has changed so much that it can shake off last year's shot. So add this to your 'annual do-list'.

The good new is that, despite the scare, people can still have their favourite pork chop, bak kwa, bak chor mee and bak ku teh... So take care, pigs.

Shape Run 2009 opens now...

Shape Run opens for registration today. Runners who register at its launch event held at Wisma Atria will get extra goodies, but limited to first 300. Though the registration at Wisma starts at 12pm, but at 10.30am, there were more than 100 in the queue. As it gets nearer to the opening of registration, there were more than 500 in the queue.

Kindness comes from the heart...

Kindness is something that everybody has. However, many of us may not know how and when to be kind. In my country, it looks like we have to be reminded to be kind. The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) aims to encourage Singaporeans to make a positive commitment to gracious living through simple acts of kindness in their daily activities.

Since 2001, SKM took over the National Courtesy Campaign, which was originally launched in 1979. The objectives are to encourage all Singaporeans to be kind and considerate, create public awareness of acts of kindness and to influence and raise the standard of behaviour and responsibility.

Kindness comes from the heart. If it needs someone to push you to be kind, then whatever we do is as good as nothing. Sometimes, one may wonder: what if I'm kind but the other person is very unkind... should we be taught how to respond?