Otanjou-bi Omedetou!

Mastermark's (erstwhile?) employee attains the auspicious age (hush!) and continues to take after Ho Yeow Sun in the looks department. Here's wishing the Jack Russell owner every success in life!

Nice Lamp, Dirty River

It was close to this spot where the cordial couple was inadvertently photographed by a newswriter, providing the sharp-eyed secretaries with (refutable) evidential proof of the liaison. If only...

It All Comes Together

Come August 9, 26,500 red and white shirters will be packing the Padang and playing witness to the 45th 'Andy Pee'. Viewers at home can also cozy up on their couches to catch the 'live' telecast. This is, after all, a time when the stars and crescent converge, and the fireworks go off above the heads of participative ministers.

Who Is Paul Yarrow?

We've heard of Space Raiders (a brand of crisps) and Tomb Raider (Lara Croft), but 'news raider'?

Meet Paul Yarrow, a 42-year-old British citizen who wants to be an overnight celebrity like SuBo in the worst way. The stocky balding man in a beige sweater has been 'gate-crashing' some 100 TV news reports, including BBC's 'live' bulletins on the streets. Someone should either put a restraining order on this 'cam stalker' or offer him a talent contract already.

objet d'art

interspersed face = interface

1V

That would be Cobb's coarse voice saying "I specialize in a very specific type of security" and a PASIV device would also be required for the sharing of dreams to be possible.

Rediffusion

Honest-to-Godness, I was compretely incognizant of Rediffusion's continued subsistence past the seventies (my bad); this so-proclaimed "Singapore's ONLY subscription radio" - as if that's such a good thing, considering MediaCorp runs no less than 13 free-to-air FM stations - has, in actuality, been in the scene for more than 6 decades! Ham!

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

For history buffs keen to know more about the Chinese Revolution and ROC's first provisional president Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the Nanyang Memorial Hall at 12 Tai Gin Road in Balestier is a good place to start. (Mr. David Lee would've been there many times, I'm sure.)

5Built by businessman Boey Chuan Poh in 1880 to house his mistress, this double-storey colonial villa is now a museum and national monument that receives about 2,000 visitors a month. Only that the management needs to eradicate the exterior mosquito problem.

5When rubber magnate Teo Eng Hock acquired the residence for his aged mother back in the early 1900s, the bungalow was then given a new Chinese name, Wan Qing Yuan, to symbolize peace and happiness in the latter's twilight years. Talk about filial piety.

5Convening with his Kuomintang cronies to conspire an uprising? Or were they just discussing about were to go for supper?

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EduTrust

The Council for Private Education (CPE), under the exclusive purview of the Ministry of Education (MOE), has made it explicitly clear that their intention to introduce the newly enacted EduTrust quality certification scheme as part of Singapore's Private Education Act is to 'weed out' smaller and lesser players in the industry presently swamped with Brookes wannabes. It's like fumigation and survival of the fittest.

White Hour Reindeers

Santa's off-season sleigh pullers Dasher, Dancer and Prancer doubling up as wine bar waitresses at Robertson Quay. Can't blame these caribous for trying to cash in on their popularity and closing the income gap against the grossly overpaid Rudolph.

Slow Cooker

So, exactly how long does a Slo-Cooker take to warm up (let alone heat up)? I'm sorry I didn't wait long enough to find out; my patience dissipated before the curry chicken stew could be dumped in :-S

The Hart Dynasty

The pink-and-black attack lives on as third-generation PW stable The Hart Dynasty follows in the footsteps of the legendary Hart Foundation - and, damn, those are plenty big shoes to fill! Constituting the current Unified WWE Tag Team Champions are Tyson Kidd (left), Natalya (center, daughter of Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart) and David Hart Smith (right, son of the late 'British Bulldog' Davey Boy Smith).

Don't Call Me, I Won't Call You

Happily posing for photographs on a stationary military vehicle doesn't necessarily imply I enjoy being called up periodically by the 'good people' over at Sembawang's Dieppe Barracks. Given a choice, I'd rather they 'accidentally erase' my data from their system altogether. Then - and only then - will I be eternally grateful to 'Mean Deaf'. Wahaha...

Uzumaki 2

house • butterfly • chaos • erosion • escape • labyrinth • completion • galaxies

Kristen Stewart

Obviously, I can't speak for all the hot-blooded 'Martians', but this blogger's so enamored with Stephenie Meyer's sullen heroine that there's nothing more he wishes than to propose to her (after a dramatic pause): "Marry me, Bella."

Ask Xiyun

Dang, I have no ID what you call this appliance. Is it a 'dough maker'? Or is it an 'egg beater'? I know I'm not getting my bearings right. (But, hey, it didn't get 'tecno' spelled correctly, either.) Let's just phone up Ms. Heng and ask her, already.

Fun Travel Redemption

You can only redeem your lifetime supply of M&M's chox provided you give way to YOG vix (AKA 'road hoggers') passing through along the designated second lanes. Er...

Bunyip

The bunyip is a "large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes". Granted, every native tribe in the world wants to lay claim to the most badass cryptid; Australia's no different, given it's land mass. My only question is: Has Yanling, in her four years of stay in Melbourne so far, encountered this disputed 'water spirit' yet?

Bo Lang Kua

Why no audience? Maybe it's the timing (not Seventh Lunar Month yet). Maybe it's the location (Clarke Quay). Or maybe it's the presentation (using tape recorder instead of musical instruments) that's not producing a sense of authenticity. Who knows?

Crossroads

I feel like I'm standing right smack in the middle of a busy Shibuya cross-road - lost and not knowing where to go. Can someone lend me a map or compass?

Stringed Puppets

Old woman: Let me teach you how to train your dragon - the Viking way.

Old man: And let me teach you how to work a spell - the Hogwarts way.

Old woman: Oh, who're we kidding? We're nothing more than a coupla stringed puppets.

Old man: Manipulated endlessly by the evil corporate villains.

Machinery | Musculature

taylor lautner's powered exoskeleton by yamaha

Daniel Turns 52!

Our former (and first) Finance Manager celebrates his birthday today. Mr. Ang's youthful demeanor and easy-going disposition has won him many a fan in SYTs he had the pleasure of teaching. Or perhaps it's his knack for 'management impersonation' and that involuntary 'Mandible Claw' that prove to be a real lady-killer.

'Pot Stickers'

After learning how to 'photo-fix' with my SE Yari, I discovered an all-new, never-before-seen clarity on my captures. Cool! Now this plate of guo tie (pan-fried dumplings) from Great World City's Food Junction looks even more mouth-watering than in reality. You can even see glints of oil on 'em!

Maha Sasana Ramsi

As one can see, it was a scorchingly hot day outside Singapore's only Burmese Buddhist temple. I bet the devotees themselves didn't feel much heat because 心 静 自 然 凉 (meaning a calm/peaceful heart/mind begets coolness in your body), right?

iTrouble

Apple's iPhone 4 may be the hippest new toy in town, but this faddish gadget does come with its fair share of hiccups - most notably one with a fancy name like the 'Death Grip' (read: "a reception problem with the iPhone, which seems to occur when the phone is held near the lower left corner, especially if the hand touches a tiny gap in the iPhone 4's steel antenna band"). Still worth the investment, tech junkies? You decide.

Victor Van Dort?

He's finally come up with a bright idea to resurrect his Corpse Bride.

Hooks

There was a time aeons ago when these hooks would be filled with hanging cages of chirping parakeets. But ever since that Mani made a quick name for himself and became a celebrity prophet, the rest of the feathers flocked away together.

Yoga

I've been receiving so many phone calls (which I refer to as 'prank calls') asking me to join this fitness club and that yoga class. First of all, I don't know where they got my number from. But I have to admit, they're good. (And they're usually Filipinos.) My question is, how different is yoga from, say, pilates? I'm sure it's like comparing apples and oranges, but let's just say - for argument's sake - that I'm stupid...

Pinnacle - Up Close

A closer look from across the street at the now completed and occupyable Pinnacle@Duxton. Absolutely astounding, ain't it? Had this architectural achievement not won the 2010 Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia last month, it would really have been a great travesty.

Walking on Water

We all know only Jesus Christ is capable of walking on water. However, an increasing number of individuals (including Criss Angel) are claiming and 'proving' that they, too, can manifest this miracle of the Gospel. We'll leave that at that for now, and introduce you to the term 'liquid mountaineering', which involves 'athletes' sprinting from land and onto the surface of a lake, for instance. Are they pushing the boundaries of human physicality and approaching divinity? Nah.

Singapore Crocodile Farm Series

5Or Tan Moh Hong Reptile Skin & Crocodile Farm, as it's called. Located at 790 Upper Serangoon Road (not far from our MMI Kovan preschool), this humble 'hideaway' was founded more than 60 years ago at the end of World War II by Mr. Tan Gna Chia. (It's all research, baby.)

5Like we need to be warned/reminded at all. With a bite force exceeding 5,000 pounds per square inch (340 atm), which is the strongest of all animals, we wouldn't risk anything. (Surprisingly, as much as crocs' jaws can snap close with immense power, they don't possess much strength to open them - and one can even keep their mouths shut using a single rubber band!)

5Two pairs of Crocodylidae members basking in the midday sun. Frankly, their family is so huge I can't - for the life of me - tell a caiman species from a gharial.

5Is this an alligator? I have no idea. All I know is it looks positively menacing. Easy, boy.

Spain Win World Cup

Felicidades Espana, Campeones del Mundo! Finally. You richly deserve it.

Old Phone

An antique 'candlestick' telephone commonly used back in the 1890s. Rust-prone and heavy as hell.

Where the Wild Things Are

maurice sendak's formative depiction of his definitive work

ROSWELL

When ROSWELL premiered on The WB tele-network in the fall of 1999, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was about the only other too-cool-for-school paranatural teen series around. Admittedly, I was a staunch follower of the show for the sake of Shiri Appleby, whom I thought was both sweet and strong as Liz Parker. Come to think of it, her relationship with Max Evans (Jason Behr) reminds me of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in the Twilight series.

Is It Here Yet?

Every evening after work, I glance up at this LTA bus arrival information panel to determine if I should wait for my service number 123 or walk home. Albeit not 100 percent accurate, it's a reliable-enough 'agarator'.

Basically, any timing/duration under 10 minutes is deemed 'waitable' :-)

Ace Ventura's Van?

The eccentric (and possibly insane) Pet Detective must've gone out to look for his missing capuchin Spike. Hurry back quickly, or Daisy Irani the no-nonsense car park warden from ONE MORE CHANCE's gonna give you a summon!

Paul the Octopus

This psychic sea creature has been garnering much international media attention by correctly predicting the outcomes of all six World Cup matches involving the German squad. An oraculous feat! And please protect our favorite celebrity mollusk from those rampant 'death threats' to kill, cook and eat it!

'CIA'

Customers at Cafe In Action won't only get to enjoy the usual Cappuccino complete with creative latte art, but also get a good look at how the whole preparation process is like - down to the kitchen staff's endless bickering amongst each other on whose turn it should be to pound coffee beans.

寿 司

在 你 庆 祝 五 十 大 寿 时 公 司 请 你 吃 的

Chain Letter

Be it scammy lucky draws (e.g. "you've been selected to win 25% of Warren Buffett's fortune!") or phony pleas/petitions (e.g. a child in South America is dying of a rare blood disease and desperately needs your bone marrow), chain letters are a source of annoyance. Even if it's my own friends who send them to me via e-mail or SMS ("if you forward this message to 10 idiots, you'll receive a free GST Offset Package; otherwise, bad luck will follow you like a shadow"), I'll simply ignore. So, please don't bother.

▲ Access Granted ▲

Make way for the Red Rhino riders! Siam ji bi!

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