Marina Bay Sands – Night Shots

Went to Marina Bay Sands with a group of friends to see the water show… laser and lights flashing using water and water vapour as the screen… the following are a few shots for that day…

Dessert to end the day… the delicious 豆花~! ^_^

Marina Barrage

Went to Marina Barrage with friends to see see look look… At there we saw many people flying kites… kites with LEDs blinking… Woah cool~! Saw some of the kites crash landed hard on the ground, some entangled in mid-air but still flying, some safely landed on a pond at the area and some nearly landed on someone’s head… Headshot… missed… heng ah… haha ^_^

My friend brought his DSLR camera and tripod there to try out some night shots. Wah I learned something about the purpose of shutter speed and ISO settings… interesting interesting…

Me who didn't bring my Panasonic DMC-LZ10 camera, also try out some night shots using my LG Optimus One P500 phone camera… lol ^_^ The photos appear dark… under-exposed… noisy… grainy… … i guess is due to the lack of surrounding light… even though the phone camera has this option that allows me to set to Night Scene, but i think its not much better… lol ^_^
Disclaimer: I am a noob in photography… haha =)

Thohirah Restaurant at Jalan Kayu - Pattaya

Went to Thohirah Restaurant located at Jalan Kayu with friends to have our dinner.

S$5.50 for the Pattaya.
S$1.00 for the Teh-Tarik (the drink in the photo).

The Pattaya is fried rice wrapped in plain omelette. On top of the egg skin is those chilli sauce that taste a little bit sweet. Similar to those chilli sauce that you get in McDonald. Just by looking at the appearance is already enough to make one drool… lol ^_^

Inside is the fried rice. And what is with the fried rice? I saw prawns, carrot cubes, peas, … … and some dried chilli skin cut into small tiny pieces which i think it spiced up the dish quite a bit. So this dish is slightly spicy with some sweetness due to the sauce. If you don't mind the spicy, this is definitely not a bad choice. ^_^

Changing Blog Header Image

This is a reply to Jiamin’s question regarding changing blog header image.

 

“Jiamin:
hehehe really ah? thank you.  i wanted to change my header but i don't know why i cannot upload any photo. those photos i posted on my blog are all through photobucket. that's why sometimes the loading speed is slow. :\”

Just happened that recently i was also trying to change my blog header image too. Then when i clicked on the edit header link at Blogger –> Design tab –> Page Elements there, I don't see any options for me to upload image that i want to put for header.

Blogger –> Design tab –> Page Elements

Configure Header page after clinking on edit header link

Later then I realised that i actually have to click on the “Remove Image” link 1st before i get to see the upload image options. Initially i was also quite reluctant to click on the “Remove Image” link because i worried that i cannot revert back the changes. (I didn't backup my images, that's why i worried… ^_^)

There are 2 choices for the source of the image used for blog header. You can choose to upload an image file from your computer, which will be uploaded to your corresponding Picasa web account. (not sure if there is settings to change to other image hosting server, but at least for my case, its uploaded to my Picasa web account.)

Or you can set to use an image from web. All you need us just the direct URL to the image. Let’s say for example if you have uploaded your blog header image to Photobucket, then this option is for you~ ^_^

Configure Header page after clicking on the “Remove Image” link

But there is actually no need to worry that i cant revert back, because after clicking on the “Remove Image” link, there is still a “Cancel” button at the bottom to discard all changes to the header. I must have worried too much then… lol ^_^

My IPPT 1st Attempt 2011

This is my first time taking IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test) as an NSmen… lol ^_^ Life too good recently, cant run fast already… As expected, I failed my IPPT test haha…

But its nevertheless an experience. I still remember a few years ago, the IPPT test were all done manually with lots of PTIs (Physical Training Instructor) around making sure everything were done law by law… lol

Now, there is this eIPPT (electronic Individual Physical Proficiency Test) system which is implemented quite some time already. Just that it has been a long time since i last took IPPT test. So this system is relatively new to me. Many things are done with the help of electronics system. As a result, increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the test. Having such system implemented, PTIs no longer need to hold a stop watch, keep track of timing, keep track of counts and write down each participant’s result. Because all the results are recorded electronically in the chip embedded in each participant's number tag.

Hmm… seems like tasks of PTIs are simpler nowadays. haha… will future technologies further make PTI this vocation useless? I personally doubt so. Because it is inevitable that electronics systems might malfunction, and that is where PTIs come into the picture.

During this IPPT test, the electronic apparatus used for 2.4km run test had some problem. The score board was not working. But the test still proceeded on with the PTIs keeping track of each participant’s laps and timing (they claimed that that is for “just in case” purpose), backed to the old style of conducting 2.4km running test. The PTIs are still needed to be there to ensure test still went on even when the electronic system fails.

Other than the chip that store the results, there are also RFID tag and antenna (i guess so… ^_^) inside the number tag. So there is a gantry setup on the running track which everytime the number tag passes through it, there will be a “beep” sound. This reminds me of the ERP system for cars in highways… lol ^_^ So us having the number tag pin on our shirt, running pass the gantry looks just like a “Human ERP System”. Haha… -__-"

Kway Chap or Bo Chap?

So is this what we call Kway Chap? Or is this simply Bo Chap (don't care)?

 
Kway Chap at Plaza Singapura’s Kopitiam.

Try this kway chap store at your own risk. From personal experience, we customers don’t get to choose what we want. I was queuing at the store when my brother who is before me asked the store person if he can choose the items that he wants. The store person turned down his request and says that the items left are limited… So what he gets for his kwap chap are… … beancurd, beancurds and BEANCURDS~!

I personally find that this is a bit unfair. Beancurds at the price of S$3.50++ (if i didnt remember wrong), what a good business deal… If there are not much items left, why cant she sells it at a cheaper price instead?

For the sake of my readers who wants to know what kind of kway chap I and my brother were expecting, I shall present you guys and gals the following links which I found…

“http://friends.myspacecreator.info/albums/userpics/10001/kway_chap.jpg
Kway Chap ($3 and above)

The usual plate of kway chap comes with an egg, large pig intestines (Hokkien: tua teng), tao pok (I don’t know what this is in english! Its pronounced like doubt without the t sound like douuuuuu and pork. douuuuu porkkkk. Ok. Moving on, theres also pork and pig skin (which i don’t eat). The one shown in the picture is the $3 one.” ~ http://passionoflife.net/258/the-day-of-the-innards/

Chinese New Year 2011 Day 3 – Visit to Sentosa Flowers Festival 2011

Haha… its the third day of Chinese New Year~! I went to Sentosa Flowers Festival 2011 with family. But half way through the trip, the sky turn dark and rain… and then it stop raining for a while… and then it rain again… sigh… =(

Luckily I still managed to capture some photos of the flowers which I personally find it slightly better than those photos I took in the past… lol ^o^ Photography skill improved a little bit with the tips I learned from brother and colleagues… hehe… ^_^ On a second thought, perhaps is because the flowers are nice which gives me the illusion that my photography skill improved… haha

The following are a few photos I took using my Panasonic DMC-LZ10 camera…
 

The holy giant green rabbit~! I think it is as tall as a 4 to 5 storeys HDB flat~!

Rabbit made up of flowers…

In case you guys and gals didn't managed to guess it right, the photo above is a rat made up of several purple flowers… lol ^_^ There are also other Chinese zodiac animals made up of flowers, but i only managed to snap a few… haha

Yes I know, you all saw it… the brown colour patches on the purple flowers… they are withering… =(

Chinese New Year 2011 Day 1 - Dinner at RamenPlay (NEX)

Chinese New Year, as usual, most shops and eatery stalls are closed… And what my family usually did was, go to KFC for our lunch… lol ^_^

But there are some changes this year as we have our lunch at home 1st before set off to relatives house to bai nian. At the end of the day, we settle our dinner at RamenPlay 拉面玩家 at NEX.

Pork Katsu Tori Set
Somehow, i find this dish a bit filling (maybe because ate too many CNY titbits before dinner ^_^)… so its definitely worth the money in tems of $ spent over food amount. Onion-haters will not like this dish because the pork katsu is covered with eggs, onions and ONIONS~!

Wafu Shoyu Ramen

Yaki Gyoza
The Gyoza are nice~! Crispy dumpling skin at one side with juicy meat inside it… wow~!
One thing I am quite puzzle over is that, why is it that only one side of the dumpling skin is crispy? Went to Wiki for it and found the following:

“The most popular preparation method is the pan-fried style called Yaki-gyōza (焼き餃子), in which the dumpling is first fried on one flat side, creating a crispy skin. Then, water is added and the pan sealed with a lid, until the upper part of the gyōza is steamed.” ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozi

So its meant to be like this, one side crispy only.

When billing, we got 3 time chances to play the lucky DIP.

Of all 3 chances, we get 3 free drink vouchers… chey~~~ haha ^_^

Chinese New Year Eve Family Reunion Dinner 除夕夜团圆饭 2011

Yoz its Chinese New Year Eve~! The following are the dishes we have for our Family Reunion Dinner 2011…

A lot of food ah~! Wahaha~! ^_^

黄油鸡
Chicken

Mixed vegetables

盆菜
Poon Choi

Prawn

烧肉
Pork

莲藕汤
Lotus Root Soup

So what did you guys and gals have for Family Reunion Dinner?
Lastly, I shall wish all a Happy Chinese New Year 2011~! ^_^