Old Maid

At today's Nostalgia Anonymous communion, we'll be reminiscing on the childhood game of Old Maid (known in Japan as Yubaba Yuugi) and the inadvertent bruises that were consequent of it.

Last Straw

"This is it. I've already bought TOTO, 4D, Singapore Sweep and Scratchit! - in addition to betting on football, motor racing and even synchronized swimming. If I still fail to strike a single lottery, then there's only one last thing destined for me to do - jump into the river and die."

Camping Out

'Deficit finan-cing' has caused more family units these days to curtail house-hold expen-diture by moving into DIY camping tents that not many discern were the inspiration for one of the fragments in 4BIA.

BAYWATCH

It's been Guinnessed as "THE most watched TV show in the world of all time" (with over 1.1 billion viewers), a declaration that continues to baffle me till this day (move aside, CSI!). Just where did these bold digits come from? Certainly not from CJ Parker's (Pamela Anderson) empty head?

At any rate, those Los Angeles County Lifeguards must have the most enviable livelihood in the world. I mean, all they do day in, day out is run around with their designer kisbies and look pretty (even for the guys). If anything else, more time's devoted to BGR than CPR. Drowners? What drowners? And who cares?

Methinks executive producer and star David 'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT' Hasselhoff has a fetish for flesh parades...then again, who doesn't? And how do we sign up?

Hong Kong Street

For the past two veeks or so, I've traversed this street many a time by virtue of reasons too tiresome to explain. In a snailshell, this is a place where shops (since the olden days) selling dried provender such as bird's nest and sea cucumber can still be found along the refurbished five foot ways. Nice contrariety against the urban backdrop, no? :-)

Sandcastles vs Real Castle?

(Above left): Quintessential sandcastles (where are the moat and drawbridge?) embellishing the beach of East Coast Park. 'Happy Hols', indeed!

(Above right): Dragon's Keep closed on weekends and public holidays. Prince Charming will have to wait another day.

In the Fields

// The goth out prancing in the lallang fields...look how very carefree seventeen is //

Hei Luo Mi

Two 'shichens' (= four hours) beyond my ample lunch of roti prata, I could only stomach black glutinous rice (porridge) as dessert for dinner. The laoban asked me if I wanted to add coconut milk as sweetener, and I thought it was a no-brainer. Must admit I lapped it up within minutes. What's more, it cost only $1.20 (at Tiong Bahru Food Centre) and is also safe for gluten-free sustenance.

Kimono

Or yukata? Whichever it is, Amy Kok's counting on them to complete her transformation into a maiko. Fan!

Chupa Found?

In September 2007, it was reported by several news networks and wire services that a Texan woman named Phylis Canion had found what she claimed to be a Chupacabra head outside her Cuero ranch 80 miles southeast of San Antonio. Ladies and gentlefolks, fellow cryptofreaks, is this your impression of a goat sucker? Or this?

Slumber in the Park (PG)

"Hiong kan. Can't even sleep in peace without some chow Bengali mata in short pants kacau-ing me. Poverty my fault, issit? Afterwards wake up must go Apollo KTV look for girls."

92 Zion Road

where i used to send zhuang shiwei home every week...7 years ago

Countdown Dance Party Canceled

Organizer MediaCorp has yet to issue an official statement pertaining to the abrupt cancellation of Party@The Float, citing only "unforeseen circumstances". Ticketer SISTIC is, of course, none the wiser. But we suspect it has something to do with DJ KoFlow's cash flow problems.

Full House

It's a holding in Poker.

It's an album by Fairport Convention.

It's an American television series.

Most of all, it's The Jewel Box on New Year's Eve.

So book early to avoid disappointment!

Game Haven

Dear Patrons, please read our disclaimer before entering game haven. The Management will NOT bear any responsibility for loss of dignity, integrity or even sanity. Here, we play all kinds of games - from video games to online games, to mind games and 'reindeer games' (AKA 'patriot games', which are a high-level form of international espionage). Are you game?

Lobang King (Advert Fully Paid for by the Si Lang Kia)

Technophiles looking for good-deal lobangs on HTC phone accessories (e.g. batteries, cables & adapters, chargers, headsets, pouches and styluses) can contact Mr. Jimmy Chia (here seen performing a dangerous stunt in Vietnam) @ 9632-5725.

Some of the Food (sans KFC)

Noel Eve fetes at MMI have, over time, become Standard Operating Procedure (we're, after all, an ISO-certified company). Even the catering's the same! A quick rundown of ration (clockwise from top): Spicy fried rice and fried mee siam, Canadian Pizza, finger foods from Old Chang Kee. Conspicuously missing is the perennial favorite Kentucky Fried Chicken, which, by the time my camera swang into action, was already 'half-hoovered'. Haha!

* Feliz Navidad *

HAPPY NATIVITY TO ALL THE CHRISTIANS OF THE WORLD!

FAST & FURIOUS

Good to see the whole gang back. Especially main man Vin Diesel. And we thought he'd moved on to THE PACIFIER.

River Ride

For as low as $13, tourists can acquaint themselves with "an incredible microcosm of a nation's life and time, a rich kaleidoscope of cultures and heritage, a colorful potpourri of stories and anecdotes". Relive history and see where Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles whizzed when he first stepped ashore on the northern bank of the Singapore River.

Fidget

Recently installed another widget (read: frivolous frill) on this blog. It's called FEEDJIT and, as its name implies, it's supposed to feed you with 'live' traffic stats of your blog - even though it involves refreshing your page every now and then. Kinda like that primitive Flintstones car, eh?

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Signs of Southern Ridges

In a coup d'essai to conquer one half of the 9-kilometer chain of green sanctuary, Odysseuses will be introduced to and indoctrinated with a slew of cautionary signages and tidings. Heed them well, or risk hazard.

5In case anyone contemplates cleaning their grimy Athlete's feet at the water cooler/fountain, don't! Be considerate!

5And, frankly, no point also. The monkeys and squirrels are only gonna soil 'em with their shit again.

5So if you see casualities with cracked craniums lying along the trail, don't panic. It's all part of the 'unique experience'.

D-Generation S

Albeit not a total knockout like Tata Young, Thai actress Achita Sikamana is far from an ugly broad. But she had to star in that SHUTTER movie...

I don't know how old she is, but I see youth, radiance and exuberance. Time's definitely on her side.

As Natre the unloved schoolgirl in the aforesaid scarer, she looks as dull as ditchwater...no wonder she got ditched.

As Natre the vengeful ghost, let's just say beauty is subjective. If stigmatized foreheads, bleeding eyes and hemorrhaging mouths are your thing, then who's to argue?

Henderson Waves Series

After two consecutive Sundays of cloudburst, the gods finally showed mercy and compassion toward this enthu nature walker. (*Kowtows ten times and chants something unintelligible*)
As Heath Ledger's diabolical Joker - gloved palm and all - cues: "Here...we...go!"

5A disbranched (yes, there's such a word) tree...trunk along Forest Walk. Embarkment point: Alexandra Road (ahead of IKEA Building). Are we thinking human catapult?

5At 36 meters above sea level, Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore - linking Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park. Distance: 300 meters (this is only a small section of it).

5Mount Faber Park. Can pass off as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Or the future classified location for SURVIVOR 27.

5The curvy facade/formation of the overpass reminds one of a caterpillar.

5Telok Blangah Estate. Part of the Bukit Merah Planning Area and formerly the Temenggong's village. Marang Trail's next!

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Lim Hou-sen

High flyer: My whilom campmate 'House' is now a biomedical researcher who co-invented/patented the "Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement". I'm guessing it's not a pendant.

Fake Pug

Aww...look at his muzzled, wrinkly mug. Doncha just wanna kiss and cuddle him? Well, you can, 'cept he won't respond 'cos this cutie's only a matted display model. Feckless pet owner" wannabes could consider getting one of these.

Nasi Ayam 2: SBR

One of the disadvantages of working in the corporate office is not being able to adhere to designated lunch hours (gastritis alert!). I pity the staff there. This is the Malay chicken rice from (some) South Bridge Road (coffee shop) kind Old Pete had to pack for me, which I then had to gobble in the conference room, last week when I was drafted over by you-know-who to deal with those dreaded diaries. Where's Carey??

End of Days

Did biblical prophecies foretell the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ? What had Nostradamus to say about Arma-geddon? If the stars really rained on the earth on December 21, 2012, as portended in the Mayan/Aztec calendar, can our nuke-proof bomb shelters keep us safe?

Santas Gettin' Busy

For reindeer feed this Kristmas, the Real McKring has to pull double duty as a saxophone serenator.

His snow-guised impostors, on the other hand, are busy snooping around fireplaces and snitching pre-Yule presents.

James Cameron

<< He's a three-time Academy Award® winning director/ producer/ film editor. He's, we all know, the 'King of the World'. But is the prime mover behind THE TERMINATOR, ALIENS and TRUE LIES 'commitment-phobic'? Has he been undone by his own (last great) success actualized 11 years ago? One word: AVATAR.

nvpc (PG)

Welcome to The Giving Place. In the spirit of social service, nvpc was set up to promote philanthropy and volunteerism in Singapore. But that doesn't mean giving away your used condoms and volunteering to put them on for the other parties, yah?

Evian Excess

Every drop of Evian natural mineral water, first tested in 1807 and "filtered through a vast aquifer" deep within the French Alps, typifies purity untouched by man. It's a shame salts and sulphur compounds don't sit well with me, which is why I much prefer my First Choice drinking water (obtainable for only 85 cents). Bah.

NADA SO SO

5Sibling love: Director Nobuhiro Doi's coming-of-age story picked up acting nominations for its pair of anchors at the 29th Japanese Academy Awards.

In the film's most poignant scene, Kaoru (Masami Nagasawa) reluctantly leaves home after completing school to begin a new phase of her life. She bows and tearfully thanks her doting and supportive step-brother Yotaro (Satoshi Tsumabuki) for raising her through the years after they became orphaned children.

It was a Kleenex moment for me, because I think kinship is so underrated?, and that sorrowful title song didn't help...

Play It Again, Sam

Since Mr. Richard Clay-derman is still stuck in traffic, shall we have Sam the piano tuner indulge - and hopefully dazzle - us with his pseudo-classical rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?

Jarred Herbs

How would you obtain a balance between health and ho chiak? For me, the sporadic herbal chicken's still tolerable. But if we're talking about herbal solids and solvents everee single meal from breakfast to supper, then I'm afraid you've got another thing coming, Ching Chong...

No Smoking

As reported by Channel NewsAsia two days ago: "The smoking ban (in Singapore) will be extended to all indoor public places and some outdoor places by January 2009. The National Environment Agency will also step up its enforcement efforts. Some outdoor places, like playgrounds and exercise areas, will be smoke-free next year. So too will all indoor public areas such as multi-storey and basement car parks, lift lobbies, non-aircon shopping centres and shops."
Good riddance!