Yay! Took quite some time from the date we put it on the market, but it's finally over. Even when we were about to apply for the HDB appointment, our buyer had some problems with selling her condo, so we thought we'd have to look for another buyer. But it all turned out well, and we're pretty well-acquainted with our buyer. Nice lady.
And now... to wait for the market to drop so we can go scout for flats. I NEED to get outta here.
THE UNIVERSE IS LISTENING.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Chicken cheese bread
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup water
2 tbsp oilve oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and yeast. Create a well in the centre and add water. With a pair of chopsticks, stir and pull the mixture into a dough. Knead a few times and add olive oil. Knead for 5-8 min, till dough is smooth, elastic and pliable. Cover and let rise for about 40 min.
Meanwhile, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and fry onion till almost translucent. Set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Fry, skin side down, till cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let cool till you are able to shred with your hands. Mix shredded chicken back with its cooked juices, onion, and 1/2 tbsp of the herbs.
On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough to remove the stale air from the first rise. Divide dough evenly into 5 pieces. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Lightly grease a large baking tray or cookie sheet with olive oil.
For each piece, roll out into an oval shape about 10 inches by 5-6 inches wide, 0.5cm thick. Sprinkle with cheese, leaving edges clear. Top with 1/5 of chicken mix, then fold in the long ends and roll up to tuck, somewhat like a spring roll. Pinch to seal. You should have a log about 8-10 inches long. Lay on cookie sheet.
After all logs have been made, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the herbs evenly over all logs. Bake for about 15-20 min, till golden brown on top. Slice and serve.
3 cups plain flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup water
2 tbsp oilve oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and yeast. Create a well in the centre and add water. With a pair of chopsticks, stir and pull the mixture into a dough. Knead a few times and add olive oil. Knead for 5-8 min, till dough is smooth, elastic and pliable. Cover and let rise for about 40 min.
Meanwhile, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and fry onion till almost translucent. Set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Fry, skin side down, till cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let cool till you are able to shred with your hands. Mix shredded chicken back with its cooked juices, onion, and 1/2 tbsp of the herbs.
On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough to remove the stale air from the first rise. Divide dough evenly into 5 pieces. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Lightly grease a large baking tray or cookie sheet with olive oil.
For each piece, roll out into an oval shape about 10 inches by 5-6 inches wide, 0.5cm thick. Sprinkle with cheese, leaving edges clear. Top with 1/5 of chicken mix, then fold in the long ends and roll up to tuck, somewhat like a spring roll. Pinch to seal. You should have a log about 8-10 inches long. Lay on cookie sheet.
After all logs have been made, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the herbs evenly over all logs. Bake for about 15-20 min, till golden brown on top. Slice and serve.
Dough, yeast, etc
I always used to prefer using the breadmaker on the Dough cycle to get whatever dough I needed for making rolls and pizza. This is because kneading by hand was always such a chore and mess, PLUS I felt the end result wasn't as good as using the breadmaker.
But thanks to a cookery show I've been watching a lot of recently, I've learnt to hand knead again, with great results. I now do my kneading in a big glass Luminarc bowl, and I've learnt how to add ingredients and handle the dough so that it really is smooth, elastic and springy after kneading for only about 5 min. From there I can make whatever rolls I want to make, with very little fuss. And along with the finished product comes a wonderful sense of satisfaction. No wonder Angela said kneading is therapeutic for her!
This increased frequency of making bread also means my package of yeast gets used up more quickly and is less in danger of expiring first. I've wasted quite a few packages of yeast in the past. Great stuff!
But thanks to a cookery show I've been watching a lot of recently, I've learnt to hand knead again, with great results. I now do my kneading in a big glass Luminarc bowl, and I've learnt how to add ingredients and handle the dough so that it really is smooth, elastic and springy after kneading for only about 5 min. From there I can make whatever rolls I want to make, with very little fuss. And along with the finished product comes a wonderful sense of satisfaction. No wonder Angela said kneading is therapeutic for her!
This increased frequency of making bread also means my package of yeast gets used up more quickly and is less in danger of expiring first. I've wasted quite a few packages of yeast in the past. Great stuff!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Howl's Moving Castle
The cover of the book, not the movie.
I watched the Japanese animated film by Miyazaki Hayao some years back. Honestly, because it was in Japanese and the subs were rather too fast for me, I didn't get much of the plot. Till now, I can only remember scattered images.
A few months back I found out that the film was actually based on the book of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones (whose book Archer's Goon I read some years ago), and set out to get my hands on it from the local library. Muahaha! Just started reading a couple of days ago.
It's quite annoying really, because my mind keeps conjuring up images from the film, so much that I cannot enjoy the book from a fresh new perspective. Thankfully, the movie missed out quite a lot of details (or maybe it's just that I didn't catch them in the film since most of it went past in a blur), so I am able to reimagine the scene. A lot more things make sense now, but I am only about halfway through.
I have devoured Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series, Dalemark quartet and am now setting out to read her individual novels. I love that every story has some element of the supernatural in it. Don't understand why they're mostly classified under the Young Readers' (10-12 yrs) section though. I doubt I would have understood most of it if I were that age.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Anything Goes Muffins
Before I lose this recipe again. Makes 12-18 muffins.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup white sugar
3 tsps baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup oil
Filling - as much as you want of choc chips, chopped walnut, shaved carrot, oatmeal/rolled oats
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degC. Line muffin pans with baking cups.
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl (sift for lighter muffins) and mix thoroughly. In another, large bowl, combine all wet ingredients and add dry ingredients, stirring till all dry ingredients are just moistened. Remember that undermixed batter makes the yummiest muffins.
Fill baking cups with batter till 1/3 or 1/2 full and bake for 15-20 min.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup white sugar
3 tsps baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup oil
Filling - as much as you want of choc chips, chopped walnut, shaved carrot, oatmeal/rolled oats
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degC. Line muffin pans with baking cups.
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl (sift for lighter muffins) and mix thoroughly. In another, large bowl, combine all wet ingredients and add dry ingredients, stirring till all dry ingredients are just moistened. Remember that undermixed batter makes the yummiest muffins.
Fill baking cups with batter till 1/3 or 1/2 full and bake for 15-20 min.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Pinky and The Brain
People in my age group will remember this short cartoon. Unfortunately Kids Central doesn't show this anymore, so my kids don't get to, ahem, enjoy it. Somebody once sent me the lyrics and the .wav to the theme song, and I have never gotten it out of my system. I hope it will bring you some laughs (and don't ask me why I can remember all the words by heart!).
Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain
One is a genius
The other's insane
They're laboratory mice
Their genes have been spliced
They're Pinky, they're Pinky and the
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain BRAIN
Before each night is done
Their plan will be unfurled
By the dawning of the sun
They'll take over the world
They're Pinky and the Brain
Yes Pinky and the Brain
Their twilight campaign
Is easy to explain
To prove their mousey worth
They'll overthrow the earth
They're Pinky, they're Pinky and the
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain
NARF!
Pinky and the Brain
Pinky and the Brain
One is a genius
The other's insane
They're laboratory mice
Their genes have been spliced
They're Pinky, they're Pinky and the
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain BRAIN
Before each night is done
Their plan will be unfurled
By the dawning of the sun
They'll take over the world
They're Pinky and the Brain
Yes Pinky and the Brain
Their twilight campaign
Is easy to explain
To prove their mousey worth
They'll overthrow the earth
They're Pinky, they're Pinky and the
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain
NARF!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Steamed Milk Custard
Ingredients:
1 egg white
3/4 cup fresh milk
1 tsp ginger juice (optional)
sugar to taste (about 1-2 tsps)
Method:
Heat milk in a small saucepan just till it starts to bubble, do not let milk boil over.
Beat eggwhite well in a small heatproof bowl (eg. rice bowl, chawanmushi bowl, dessert bowl) and pour in milk, whisking continuously. Add sugar and ginger juice.
Immediately steam over high heat for 2 min and then low heat for 1 min. Serve hot or chilled.
Tip:
I usually do this with leftover eggwhites when I use yolks in other recipes, so I get 3-5 bowls of custard to eat over a few days. Yum! If you are going to chill your custard, remember to cover each bowl with cling wrap before putting it in the fridge, to protect the custard from absorbing smells in the fridge.
1 egg white
3/4 cup fresh milk
1 tsp ginger juice (optional)
sugar to taste (about 1-2 tsps)
Method:
Heat milk in a small saucepan just till it starts to bubble, do not let milk boil over.
Beat eggwhite well in a small heatproof bowl (eg. rice bowl, chawanmushi bowl, dessert bowl) and pour in milk, whisking continuously. Add sugar and ginger juice.
Immediately steam over high heat for 2 min and then low heat for 1 min. Serve hot or chilled.
Tip:
I usually do this with leftover eggwhites when I use yolks in other recipes, so I get 3-5 bowls of custard to eat over a few days. Yum! If you are going to chill your custard, remember to cover each bowl with cling wrap before putting it in the fridge, to protect the custard from absorbing smells in the fridge.
Chocolate Pound Cake
Makes 2 8X4 loaves or 24-30 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8oz.) block cream cheese, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tsps baking powder (optional)
5 eggs
2 tsps vanilla flavour
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degC, grease and flour loaf pans or line muffin pan with baking cups.
In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar at medium speed till light and fluffy, about 5 min. In a separate bowl, sift together plain flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Beat in flour mixture and eggs alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into pans or muffin cups and bake for 1hr, till toothpick inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
Food science:
The authentic pound cake has no leavening agent, eg. baking soda or baking powder in it. Natural leavening comes from whipping of the fats in the recipe, hence the creaming part must go on for some time, at least till the colour of the butter lightens quite a bit. This is why the baking powder is optional, as sometimes I find adding it doesn't help at all, at other times it does make the cake a little lighter. Nothing is expired so I haven't figured it out. There are recipes using milk and whipping cream instead of the cream cheese, but I haven't had such good results with milk, and I haven't tried whipping cream yet (all my whipping cream goes on New England Clam Chowder, yummy! but oh so fattening).
It is worth mentioning that HL who doesn't eat desserts and cakes in general said this was GOOD. Essentially because it's not too sweet and yet very rich and chocolatey. Also received rave reviews at a kids' party I went to today. But I've done this a couple of times in succession so the next cake will probably be something else eg. carrot cupcakes?
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8oz.) block cream cheese, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tsps baking powder (optional)
5 eggs
2 tsps vanilla flavour
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degC, grease and flour loaf pans or line muffin pan with baking cups.
In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar at medium speed till light and fluffy, about 5 min. In a separate bowl, sift together plain flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Beat in flour mixture and eggs alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into pans or muffin cups and bake for 1hr, till toothpick inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
Food science:
The authentic pound cake has no leavening agent, eg. baking soda or baking powder in it. Natural leavening comes from whipping of the fats in the recipe, hence the creaming part must go on for some time, at least till the colour of the butter lightens quite a bit. This is why the baking powder is optional, as sometimes I find adding it doesn't help at all, at other times it does make the cake a little lighter. Nothing is expired so I haven't figured it out. There are recipes using milk and whipping cream instead of the cream cheese, but I haven't had such good results with milk, and I haven't tried whipping cream yet (all my whipping cream goes on New England Clam Chowder, yummy! but oh so fattening).
It is worth mentioning that HL who doesn't eat desserts and cakes in general said this was GOOD. Essentially because it's not too sweet and yet very rich and chocolatey. Also received rave reviews at a kids' party I went to today. But I've done this a couple of times in succession so the next cake will probably be something else eg. carrot cupcakes?
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Not AGAIN!!
Last night.10.45pm.
We were all in our room with the door closed, Ray was already asleep. Suddenly we heard the house alarm go off, but thinking that my Mom was downstairs, she should be able to fix it. However, the alarm persisted and I began to realise that this sounded different from the usual "forced entry" alarm.
So I opened my bedroom door and was hit straight in the face with a cloud of smoke and a terrible charred smell. Previous experiences (yep, this wasn't the first and it probably wouldn't be the last) told me immediately what had happened. Mom must have left something cooking on the stove, gone into her room and totally forgotten about it.
So we rushed downstairs, I to my Mom's room to knock, only to find that SHE WAS OUT. I could feel the lava boiling up inside me. HL had turned off the fire by this time, so we went to open all the doors and windows. It was rice porridge, and only a little in the big pot, so what did she have to go and heat it up for? And even left the house without turning it off!
Thankfully, the house is equipped with a smoke alarm, as we cannot smell or hear anything once we are in our room.
We were all in our room with the door closed, Ray was already asleep. Suddenly we heard the house alarm go off, but thinking that my Mom was downstairs, she should be able to fix it. However, the alarm persisted and I began to realise that this sounded different from the usual "forced entry" alarm.
So I opened my bedroom door and was hit straight in the face with a cloud of smoke and a terrible charred smell. Previous experiences (yep, this wasn't the first and it probably wouldn't be the last) told me immediately what had happened. Mom must have left something cooking on the stove, gone into her room and totally forgotten about it.
So we rushed downstairs, I to my Mom's room to knock, only to find that SHE WAS OUT. I could feel the lava boiling up inside me. HL had turned off the fire by this time, so we went to open all the doors and windows. It was rice porridge, and only a little in the big pot, so what did she have to go and heat it up for? And even left the house without turning it off!
Thankfully, the house is equipped with a smoke alarm, as we cannot smell or hear anything once we are in our room.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes Recipe
Taken from Allrecipes.com, with some minor adjustments. I make these in the form of mini-pancakes because Ray likes them that way. Also great for bringing to school potlucks with some knobs of butter on top.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
Method
Sift flour, baking powder and salt and sugar into a large bowl. For fluffier pancakes, sift twice.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the rest of the ingredients. Mix till smooth.
Heat a nonstick frying pan ovver medium high heat. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan per pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
Method
Sift flour, baking powder and salt and sugar into a large bowl. For fluffier pancakes, sift twice.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the rest of the ingredients. Mix till smooth.
Heat a nonstick frying pan ovver medium high heat. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan per pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Memories of my Mama
I can hear her calling my name in her own special way...
I remember the way she doted on my kids (just as she used to dote on me when I was a kid) and was always asking after them...
How she asked me everytime she saw me whether I had enough money to spend...
Her expression as she sat on her chair, blankly staring into space...
The lighting up of her face when she turned to look at the kids playing around her...
The way she grinned at my jokes or when I teased her...
The grief still remains, if I allow myself to sink into it. Perhaps in time, it will fade away into a more bearable sadness, and then perhaps a tender memory. But the memory will always be with me.
I remember the way she doted on my kids (just as she used to dote on me when I was a kid) and was always asking after them...
How she asked me everytime she saw me whether I had enough money to spend...
Her expression as she sat on her chair, blankly staring into space...
The lighting up of her face when she turned to look at the kids playing around her...
The way she grinned at my jokes or when I teased her...
The grief still remains, if I allow myself to sink into it. Perhaps in time, it will fade away into a more bearable sadness, and then perhaps a tender memory. But the memory will always be with me.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Missing Someone
I wake up in the middle of the night and as the mists of sleep begin to clear, I begin to think of my Mama. My brain registers that she's not there anymore, sitting in her chair in the little flat at Bedok, and my eyes start to flood.
I did not cry when they brought her body back to the void deck, not when I gazed upon her face, nor when I helped put on a shoe for her (according to the rites). When I speak with my relatives, I am usually smiling and eager to do whatever I can to help.
But in the middle of the night, when nobody is around to watch, I miss my Mama. I miss her SOOO much! And when I am in her flat, sitting in a chair or using the loo, everything seems just so normal, and it's so easy to imagine that she's still there, sitting in her usual chair, or walking slowly around leaning on her walking aid.
I love looking at the photos taken in her youth. She looks so lovely, posing at the tender age of 20 or thereabouts for the camera, and we have a few really pretty ones taken in the studio. My grandma always liked to look pretty (which girl doesn't?), and would always insist on dyeing her hair whenever we brought her to the hairdresser's. Everybody else would try, in vain, to dissuade her, because we all feel that she looks really good with silver hair. Our hairdresser will be asking us, the next time we visit her salon, when Mama will be coming to use her services again. It will be tough.
I never knew it would be this tough.
I did not cry when they brought her body back to the void deck, not when I gazed upon her face, nor when I helped put on a shoe for her (according to the rites). When I speak with my relatives, I am usually smiling and eager to do whatever I can to help.
But in the middle of the night, when nobody is around to watch, I miss my Mama. I miss her SOOO much! And when I am in her flat, sitting in a chair or using the loo, everything seems just so normal, and it's so easy to imagine that she's still there, sitting in her usual chair, or walking slowly around leaning on her walking aid.
I love looking at the photos taken in her youth. She looks so lovely, posing at the tender age of 20 or thereabouts for the camera, and we have a few really pretty ones taken in the studio. My grandma always liked to look pretty (which girl doesn't?), and would always insist on dyeing her hair whenever we brought her to the hairdresser's. Everybody else would try, in vain, to dissuade her, because we all feel that she looks really good with silver hair. Our hairdresser will be asking us, the next time we visit her salon, when Mama will be coming to use her services again. It will be tough.
I never knew it would be this tough.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Too soon to say Goodbye
I woke up this morning to the news that my Grandma (who cared for me from babyhood till I was in P1), died in her sleep last night. She was 89 years old according to the Lunar Calendar.
My Uncle who lives with her in a rented studio apartment in Bedok, told us that she didn't wake at her usual time this morning, didn't respond to his calling, and when he touched her, she was cold all over. He'd tried to rub oil on her temples etc, but to no avail. So he called my Dad to go over and ascertain.
So we are now in the middle of making preparations for the wake/funeral.
It was totally unexpected, because she was in relatively good health, after a serious ear infection more than a year ago which caused her to lose consciousness and finally required her to undergo an operation. But she had been well since her recovery.
I am only thankful that she left peacefully - according to my Uncle she had not been eating much the last couple of days but had gotten up and moved around as per normal. I wonder whether she had known that she was leaving us soon. She woke up in the middle of the night to relieve herself and after returning to bed, did not wake again.
Mama, wherever you are, I will be praying for your soul. I will miss you much, and wish that I had brought your lunch yesterday and seen your face, heard your voice, one last time.
I know we don't say this in our Cantonese culture, but I love you.
My Uncle who lives with her in a rented studio apartment in Bedok, told us that she didn't wake at her usual time this morning, didn't respond to his calling, and when he touched her, she was cold all over. He'd tried to rub oil on her temples etc, but to no avail. So he called my Dad to go over and ascertain.
So we are now in the middle of making preparations for the wake/funeral.
It was totally unexpected, because she was in relatively good health, after a serious ear infection more than a year ago which caused her to lose consciousness and finally required her to undergo an operation. But she had been well since her recovery.
I am only thankful that she left peacefully - according to my Uncle she had not been eating much the last couple of days but had gotten up and moved around as per normal. I wonder whether she had known that she was leaving us soon. She woke up in the middle of the night to relieve herself and after returning to bed, did not wake again.
Mama, wherever you are, I will be praying for your soul. I will miss you much, and wish that I had brought your lunch yesterday and seen your face, heard your voice, one last time.
I know we don't say this in our Cantonese culture, but I love you.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
More babies in Singapore!
My heartiest congratulations to Rita and Serene's families on their newest arrivals.
It still tickles me to remember that Rita's husband, on his way to the labour ward to meet Rita, bumped into Serene who didn't reach the delivery suites in time and was birthing at the lobby of Mount Alvernia! Drama-mama, man...
Wishing you both a blessed 5th and 6th babymoon respectively.
It still tickles me to remember that Rita's husband, on his way to the labour ward to meet Rita, bumped into Serene who didn't reach the delivery suites in time and was birthing at the lobby of Mount Alvernia! Drama-mama, man...
Wishing you both a blessed 5th and 6th babymoon respectively.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Review of the BKK trip
What I remember most - the heat. Traffic. Food. The heat. Shopping. People. Did I mention the heat? Oh I did. And Tuk-tuks.
Ray and I enjoyed our rides on the Tuk-tuks very much, and it's my regret that I didn't manage to get a good shot of one or other of us in one.
Unfortunately, because Ruvie was just not well enough, we spent a lot of time in our hotel room, either trying to get him to sleep or waiting for him to wake up from his nap. He wouldn't eat at all, not even his favourite sausages and bacon, and nursed occasionally, so I got pretty worried. In fact, he's noticeably lighter and thinner now. But his appetite seems better.
We did consider taking turns to go shopping, and I did manage to cover quite a bit on our 3rd day, with Ray in tow. We went all over Baiyoke Sky (to find they had nothing we wanted), then we headed over to Indra Square, and got a headstart on real shopping, all within 2 hrs.
I need to go look for this OTHER wholesale centre Lynn was talking about, seems they have lots of hair accessories, real cheap. Wonder when I'll get a chance to go again? Especially since I'd much rather get to Taiwan.
Ray and I enjoyed our rides on the Tuk-tuks very much, and it's my regret that I didn't manage to get a good shot of one or other of us in one.
Unfortunately, because Ruvie was just not well enough, we spent a lot of time in our hotel room, either trying to get him to sleep or waiting for him to wake up from his nap. He wouldn't eat at all, not even his favourite sausages and bacon, and nursed occasionally, so I got pretty worried. In fact, he's noticeably lighter and thinner now. But his appetite seems better.
We did consider taking turns to go shopping, and I did manage to cover quite a bit on our 3rd day, with Ray in tow. We went all over Baiyoke Sky (to find they had nothing we wanted), then we headed over to Indra Square, and got a headstart on real shopping, all within 2 hrs.
I need to go look for this OTHER wholesale centre Lynn was talking about, seems they have lots of hair accessories, real cheap. Wonder when I'll get a chance to go again? Especially since I'd much rather get to Taiwan.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Our son almost lost his leg in BKK
It was time to head for the airport for our return flight home. We found a taxi and HL got the luggage into the boot while I got the kids into the back seat. I was guiding Ruvie on how to climb up into the taxi and he had one foot in, when suddenly the taxi took off.
Horrors! I shouted "Hey stop!" and the cabbie braked about half a metre's displacement away. Ruvie had fallen onto his back and his foot just avoided being crushed by the cab's rear wheel. The cabbie then had the nerve to REVERSE. Gosh! What if he had really gone over him this time??
All this happened within a few seconds and I only managed to grab Ruvie up after that. We moved well away from the taxi, he was crying and I was just holding him close. Everyone rushed over and the cabbie apologised and insisted he thought all was clear because HL, who was sitting in the front seat, had shut his door. WTF?? You should check that EVERYONE is in and ALL doors are closed before you hit the gas!
We know that Bangkok drivers are very good at manoeuvreing through the traffic, but now I've come to add another word - CARELESS. I dread to think what would've happened if I hadn't shouted for him to step on the brake. Even now my mind keeps going over the whole scenario like a nightmare that keeps replaying.
I'm only thankful that Ruvie's ok, other than the shock.
Horrors! I shouted "Hey stop!" and the cabbie braked about half a metre's displacement away. Ruvie had fallen onto his back and his foot just avoided being crushed by the cab's rear wheel. The cabbie then had the nerve to REVERSE. Gosh! What if he had really gone over him this time??
All this happened within a few seconds and I only managed to grab Ruvie up after that. We moved well away from the taxi, he was crying and I was just holding him close. Everyone rushed over and the cabbie apologised and insisted he thought all was clear because HL, who was sitting in the front seat, had shut his door. WTF?? You should check that EVERYONE is in and ALL doors are closed before you hit the gas!
We know that Bangkok drivers are very good at manoeuvreing through the traffic, but now I've come to add another word - CARELESS. I dread to think what would've happened if I hadn't shouted for him to step on the brake. Even now my mind keeps going over the whole scenario like a nightmare that keeps replaying.
I'm only thankful that Ruvie's ok, other than the shock.
Walking in a circle
I spent the last night (or what was left of it after the kids went to bed at 12mn) setting up my Flickr account and synchronising everything, just so I can upload photos to my blog (again). Why? Because the "Done" button is missing on my Add Image popup window, so although I can select photos for uploading, I can't get them onto the blog itself! And I've just reinstalled the latest version of Firefox!!! Someone PLEASE tell me why, when I never had this problem before I reinstalled Firefox.
It's so troublesome to have to go a whole circle just to get this done.
1. Upload photo to blog via email through Flickr.
2. Edit post, with image in it, via Blogger.
And to make things worse, my Blogger Compose page has gone wacko with the Enter key. I keep finding return carriages in places where they don't belong, making words and sentences attentuated in weird places.
Blogger Help is no use and I couldn't get beyond the first few pages of Google's Blogger Help Group.
It's so troublesome to have to go a whole circle just to get this done.
1. Upload photo to blog via email through Flickr.
2. Edit post, with image in it, via Blogger.
And to make things worse, my Blogger Compose page has gone wacko with the Enter key. I keep finding return carriages in places where they don't belong, making words and sentences attentuated in weird places.
Blogger Help is no use and I couldn't get beyond the first few pages of Google's Blogger Help Group.
New wheels
Our Honda Fit 1.3, arrived 2 weeks ago. Love the pickup! The Chevrolet Aveo couldn't hit 60km/hr without going past the 3000rev mark. But I feel rather short in it though. And the reception for the radio is not as good as the Aveo's.
My Mini-Travel Guide to Bangkok
Places to visit/shop:
1. Centralworld - the newest mall in Bangkok. Large, spacious, clean, it reminds us of the best malls along Orchard Rd, except it's not as crowded. Food in poshy restaurant costing only as much as that from food courts in Sg, quality excellent! We had dinner at a restaurant called Kobune. There are lots of Jap restaurants here, and Kinokuniya, probably because as we say in Mandarin, "the Japanese wind is blowing at the moment". But everything in ToysRus is more ex than in Sg. We know, we checked it out.
2. MBK - probably the most famous mall in BKK? I got a few bags from a shop here - Udom Age.
2. Indra Square - an older, more neighbourhood mall in the Pratunam area where our hotel was. Kind of like Peninsular Plaza, and Pearl Centre. Practically everything you can find at MBK, you can get almost at half price here, plus it's nearer to our hotel.
We stayed at the Eastin Bangkok Hotel, booked online via Agoda. Thanks to Lynn for the recommendation! There's a roadside stall just across the road (outside 7-11) selling the best chicken/pork satay we've ever tasted, and for only 5 baht per stick. Good business round the clock. We wanted to get more on our last day but it wasn't open.
1. Centralworld - the newest mall in Bangkok. Large, spacious, clean, it reminds us of the best malls along Orchard Rd, except it's not as crowded. Food in poshy restaurant costing only as much as that from food courts in Sg, quality excellent! We had dinner at a restaurant called Kobune. There are lots of Jap restaurants here, and Kinokuniya, probably because as we say in Mandarin, "the Japanese wind is blowing at the moment". But everything in ToysRus is more ex than in Sg. We know, we checked it out.
2. MBK - probably the most famous mall in BKK? I got a few bags from a shop here - Udom Age.
2. Indra Square - an older, more neighbourhood mall in the Pratunam area where our hotel was. Kind of like Peninsular Plaza, and Pearl Centre. Practically everything you can find at MBK, you can get almost at half price here, plus it's nearer to our hotel.
We stayed at the Eastin Bangkok Hotel, booked online via Agoda. Thanks to Lynn for the recommendation! There's a roadside stall just across the road (outside 7-11) selling the best chicken/pork satay we've ever tasted, and for only 5 baht per stick. Good business round the clock. We wanted to get more on our last day but it wasn't open.
23 April 2007 - MN or thereabouts
Bangkok.
A city that never sleeps. There seem as many cars whizzing by on the highway below our window now as in the day when we first arrived.
It is our first night in BKK. The 2 hour plane ride was gruelling as Ruvie hadn't had enough sleep the night before and isn't fully recovered from his flu. He really made life miserable for many of the passengers around us. As it is, we are dreading the return flight.
Despite my fatigue, I can't sleep. Overtired, unfamiliar surroundings, I am so envious of those 3 who can enter Dreamland within 1 min from closing their eyes. Two shots of prolactin don't work either. I think I need to pray.
A city that never sleeps. There seem as many cars whizzing by on the highway below our window now as in the day when we first arrived.
It is our first night in BKK. The 2 hour plane ride was gruelling as Ruvie hadn't had enough sleep the night before and isn't fully recovered from his flu. He really made life miserable for many of the passengers around us. As it is, we are dreading the return flight.
Despite my fatigue, I can't sleep. Overtired, unfamiliar surroundings, I am so envious of those 3 who can enter Dreamland within 1 min from closing their eyes. Two shots of prolactin don't work either. I think I need to pray.
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