Racing past the grounds and headed straight for the skies!

From the directors of Disney's Cars, comes another heartwarming tale of Dusty, the plane who has a fear of heights and seeks to conquer this fear with the help of his friends.

I don't do well with heights either but I had grandpa to help me conquer that fear. 

A ferris wheel ride that made me cry was when he realised I had the courage the size of a mouse and that something needed to be done before it was too late. 

So guess what grandpa did?

He brought me up a rollercoaster. At the age of 58 with a high blood pressure, he ignored the health advisory signages and insisted on bringing his granddaughter for what literally was the ride of her life on Space Mountain- Disneyland.

What came out of that? Mad hair flying everywhere, an inexplicable sense of exhilaration and the best part? Safety in the knowledge of having my gramps with me. 

Now he's just too old to be travelling long haul but Space Mountain rides will always have a special place in my heart.

And I'd love to watch Planes with gramps. Just to let him know...

I haven't forgotten.

:)

A host of exciting activities on Disney’s “Say It With Planes” contest – http://bit.ly/SayItWithPlanes. Participants stand to win Planes movie passes & exclusive premiums.

http://www.facebook.com/disneystudiosSG/app_316644228480884

I've sent the cutest card of Dusty to my girl friend just now. :)

Send yours soon!

Catch “Disney’s Planes” in Singapore cinemas this 5 September 2013! For more updates, like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow@disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!

the simple things in life.

On a whim,

I decided to grab three eggs and a medium sized red onion.

Sliced thinly.

Just of a personal preference, I like dicing up a part of the onion to fry fragrant in the oil before adding in the rest of the onions and beaten eggs.

Add a dash of soy sauce if you'd like.

Variations:

Sliced chilli strips.

Chives.

Sliced tomatoes. (Add a dash of sugar)

Preserved radish.

Diced luncheon meat.

Sliced button mushrooms.

Colorful capsicums.

Are there any other variations to the simply versatile fried egg?

Do leave a comment to add on to my list. :)

breaking fast on the 8th day of Ramadan

The essentials of nasi lemak.

Rice.

Sambal.

And I do concur!

The name literally translated means 'rice in cream'. Coconut cream of course.

And progressions in today's efficient world system means boiling the rice in coconut milk these days.

But here at Nasi Lemak Kukus, you get your coconut rice steamed the time honoured traditional way.

Making sure the calories count!

Now this was a statement that caught my eye. 

Was this a glaring reminder for the kitchen staff?

A daring guarantee for every customer?

Or a subtle challenge for a return visit?

Very nicely encapsulated in a mission statement.

And do we have a Robert Browning fan in the house or perhaps an AC boy?

Most definitely a Commando though ;)

If you know what I mean.

I love the rustic laidback feel of concrete walls filled with writings.

A perfect place to kickback and chillax with good food and great music.

The photos and banner help to highlight food choices for the fickle minded customer. :)

Settling in happily with an order of a Vietnamese drip coffee.

At $2.50.

I kid you not.

Help yourselves to dinner please.

Even as I'm typing this, the unmistakable fragrance of the steamed coconut rice floods my senses.

Past midnight, this is a disaster for my heightened senses.

The good part about this though, 

is that Nasi Lemak Kukus stays open till 3am.

Yet another foodie find going into the treasure trove for midnight supper club dates! :) 

Staying focused and moving on. 

The fragrant rice costs just $1 and it's free flow.

So please. No sharing of rice guys.

Eat up! 

The plethora of dishes that lay ahead all looked tantalizing.

I wanted a bit of everything!

It was only at the checkout counter that I saw how much my little bit of everything cost.

This was an $11 plate of nasi lemak. 

Now I understood why the serving staff behind the counter topped up my okra for me.

The charges per serving are neatly typed and pasted on the glass panel above the dishes.

Still.

I'm not sure how my serving of 3 sambal prawns would cost as compared to say 5 sambal prawns?

Costs aside,

The rice was chewy and had a good bite to it.

It's uniquely different from the nasi lemak rice found in the usual hawker stalls.

The mutton rendang was sedap nya! :)

For a non-mutton lover, the meat didn't have the gamey taste I'm afraid of and it was tender to the bite.

Ayam masak merah was a perennial fave for me till tonight.

The chicken drumstick was tough and the sauce wasn't at all appetizing.

Two choices on the sambal. 

I had the spicy option. 

And boy, that was an instant addiction.

If you ever wanted just rice and sambal,

I'd give this place a 5/5.

Dripped and stirred.

Rich with the fragrance of coffee and thickened with condensed milk.

The perfect accompaniment to my fiery sambal.

Bunch of happy campers!

Thanks to Openrice.sg for the invite and to the awesome coordinators- Calvin and Fizah. :)

Nasi Lemak Kukus 

(http://sg.openrice.com/singapore/restaurant/nasi-lemak-kukus/23724/)

Address: 908 Upper Thomson Road, S(787111)

Thank you

Mum and I are diametrically opposing forces. Yet essentially we're one and the same. She's 55 this year and not looking a tad bit like her age. 

See what I mean? 
Same same but different.

Yes her vanity in skin care shows in the cute fridge stock piled full of skin food that she uses religiously. The facials that she makes appointments for and quarrels relentlessly till she gets her usual therapist. But that's really where her extravagance ends. Oh wait. There are those numerous handbags she just cannot stop herself from buying. With good reason. Yes of course every reason for a handbag is good. There's the classic, "Let's buy, we share?" or the neverending quest for a clutch. And because that quest never ends, let's just go with a handbag. Because how can you go to Europe without returning with a bag. Oh let's make it a few bags since we're at it. 

And have we discussed about shoes yet?

  

Aside from all that. She's as simple as simple comes. She doesn't go out with her friends and there are the few that she's declined so often they don't call anymore just because she cannot stop worrying about the family. What she worries about I would never know.

 A 21 year old son goes out for a swim competition and she wonders aloud, "I don't know if ah boy brought out an extra set of clothes to change into." This ah boy of hers has gone through the full army commando test. Complete with a Ranger badge and wings to boot. An 18 year old son goes to church on his own one Sunday and she immediately calls home shortly after leaving, "Hey, go take xxx bus to this place to switch buses. Do you know how to go?" And yes, he has been in the church for a long while and he does come home after church on his own every week. 

So where does ah girl feature in all this? Sadly, the days of the above-mentioned eye-roll and cringe worthy calls and statements have passed me by. 

Once upon a time, I rejoiced for that. Thinking it was a testimony to my ticket to freedom, their acknowledgement to my entrance to adulthood. It is true. Youth is the perfect excuse to ignorance. 

An Italian family holiday in recent years has seen the cumulative stress take over. I demanded to know why it was always about the boys. Never about me. Mum walks out of the shower and simply says, "You're grown up already girl. Your brothers are still young. The age difference is so big. Of course Mama would worry about them." And if she ended her statement there. I would've walked out into the streets of Rome and never come home. But she didn't, "Mama is very proud of you, for all the things you've done. Being a teacher, packing lunch for me. I always say good things about you. You're all grown up now. We trust that you can think and manage things on your own." While that stopped me from my wild attempt at walking out into the streets, it got me thinking. That's me right there. Ms I-can-handle-the-world. Ms Independent. Did anyone ask what alias I had? Ms I'm-bloody-tired-somedays-of-trying-to-save-the-world-and-be-strong? Yeah, that's a mouthful right there. No wonder no one has asked. The night ended with me locked in the room under the covers crying myself to sleep.

She loves me. She just loves my brothers more. 

She loves my dad the most. :) Truth.

It doesn't make me love her less. She travelled alone with me on a plane ride to look for my dad who was permanently flying around when I was young. Very young. Was that Australia that we went to? 
I remember translating Aussie slangs for her. She couldn't make out a thing our family friends were saying.
That's probably where the certain twang in my voice came from.
I've been laughed about it since young. 
The torture continues till the present.

She suffocated me to death with Hello Kitty collectibles. You name it, I had it. She bought me surprise presents every week. just because. I had dolphin pendants. Bear chunky bracelets -even before they were statement pieces-. Fast forwarding ahead. She spoke to me almost every chance possible delaying dinner time, when I was on exchange. I cried as hell. So badly till she almost bought a ticket to fly over with grandma. Thinking back, I should've let her come. Just so grandma would have the chance to see Montreal. On graduation from university, she took me on a HK trip with granddad. Amidst tears from a broken heart. All she did was to tell me to stop the tears for he wasn't worth it. She let me cry. She scolded me for not stopping. She walked about with me. She ate sushi at 9pm with me. 

See? Sushi at 9pm.
We had Itacho before Itacho was famous.

She went wherever I wanted to. Because she knew I needed her. 
On graduation from NIE, she let me go to London on one day's notice. Booking flights, changing currency. Just because she knew I needed a break. No questions asked. A lot of worries but still she let me go. She has stood by me even when mistakes I've made are not worthy of being stood by. She put up with my frustrations. Even if it meant being told to shut up. She apologizes for being brash with me. She shares verses to encourage me. She tells me that it's okay. Even when it's not. Even when I cannot even stand myself.

Right now, she's sleeping in her room and I just wanted to tell her, that I'm sorry and I love you very much. There's no one else in the world I'd rather share a gelato with.

Happy mother's day. Everyday. 

when words fail to describe

Time as a family shared.

A skill learnt.

A recipe shared.

Passing it on to the generations.

Shapes and sizes as your heart desires.

Curry chicken and potato filling this attempt.

Apple next perhaps?

Same buttery flaky pastry. 

Mmmm. :)

Cheesy Bites Trio Pizza Pre-launch Party Invitation

                         Growing up as a Pizza Hut fan and now blogging as a Pizza Hut fan.

And maybe this post might just make you a convert!

This was my second bloggers' exclusive pre-launch party preview. We were promptly ushered to our seats and presented with the menu for a drink order.
Customer service that touches your heart.
My brother was very thankful for a drink after our mad rush through the working crowd on a rainy night.

                A lychee green tea on my recommendations, was a refreshing treat for his senses.

Shortly after,

we were served the Hut's Platter.

Perfect for sharing.

Even if my brother was abstaining from deep fried items.

That's just the perfect excuse to polish off all the spicy chicken drumlets.

Sigh...

                                            I'm kidding. See? We're still happy siblings.

Because that just means more fries for me!

With barbecue cheese sauce.

Even he couldn't resist sneaking a couple of fries. :)

And what I love about the previews at Pizza Hut?

You get to see the behind the scenes -making- of their new creations.

Even the toppings have standard measurements.

So you'll be sure you won't be compromised on the quality and quantity of ingredients on your pizza.

What a burst of pretty colour! 

And in case you were wondering?

This is so labour intensive that they are selling only one standard size.

No large sized cheesy bites or the kitchen people would have a field day putting on dashes of colour on your bites.

And always the heart thumping action watching fellow bloggers battle it out with a challenge round.

But it was a friendly competition.

Who says girls always play rough?

Andrew must be a good teacher.

And now he has to suffer because his disciples have done well!

And boy, were they pleased with their creations. :)

And as a reward, they got to bring home the pizzas they made!

Aww.

  

If you always thought Pizza Hut was just good for their pizzas,

you'd be much surprised by their Hut's Chicken Steak.

A generous piece of chicken breast skin on, for maximum satisfaction.

The mushroom gravy and tomato salsa was also a treat! 

And there's more!

With a Seafood Parchment Pasta.

A deliciously spicy tomato based pasta with generous servings of seafood.

Be warned that it is high on the spice-o-meter. 

Caught on camera.

For using the camera.

And look what we have here!

The star of the night.

Oh we could hardly wait to pull these apart!

Black and white sesame mix had a brilliantly fragrant taste when you bite onto those little seeds.

And I loved the chipotle stuffed with cream cheese.

I'd skip the nacho cheese dip on this. It was perfect on its own.

Last but not least,

the parmesan.

That went perfect with the nacho cheese sauce.

Boy were we stuffed by the time we were done!

Oh yum!

If you haven't already gotten your hands on an order of cheesy bites trio.
Check out the dine in promotions at this link:
http://www.pizzahut.com.sg/dine_in/promos/CheesyDelight.asp
I've already told you why they only do regular sized ones ;)

The dummy's how-to-enjoy-a-cheesy-bites-trio guide.

And if you wanted to get your hands dirty in the comfort of your home,

check out their delivery promotions right here!

Indulge in double the goodness packed in one scrumptious deal!

                                                                      http://bit.ly/phdeliverysg

officer's mess @ temasek club

my first dragonboat session at kallang with the TNT paddlers.

it was a nice cloudy day. 

the water was almost too cold. 

thank goodness for my rashy.

it was a nice recreational pace. 

30 strokes 60 strokes.

working on the A frame and the twist.

longer

harder

deeper.

only when taken in context with the dragonboaters.

finding back what i miss.

smelling like team spirit.

we decided to head over to temasek club to shower.

for the fact that he pays $10.90 annually.

let's damn well use those facilities.

we were famished by then.

well, let's make it him.

he was already in the queue when i came out from the shower.

best prata in portsdown road!

it's not hard to declare this as truth when you're the only prata stall around.

i decided to give their masala chicken a shot.

ohmyyum.

although i much prefer the one at shami. 

the gravy there is invincible.

for lack of a better word of course.

this one wasn't so big on the portion size either.

but cashew nuts.

what a nice surprise. :)

skip the rice.

go for this instead...

and as advertised.

this was really the best.

that i've had so far.

i kid you not.

fluffy on the insides. crisp on the outside.

and it didnt even taste too heavily oiled.

how did he do it!

and as much as i love curry.

the curry here was a tad too generous with the salt.

you'd be downing litres of water if you drank it all up.

prata kosong.

with sugar.

that's my perfect sunday. :)