21st Birthday

The thrill of travelling alone in an unknown country; foreign language; unfamiliar territory excites me. It had always been my dream to do this, but i was tied down by academics and other commitments. I will not deny that the insecurity and unknown hindered me from making this trip happened earlier. Yet, i'm glad i plucked up my courage and booked the tickets to Hanoi.

It was on purpose that i chose the date of departure to be on my birthday, my 21st. It was not a hasty decision. It was something i had always wanted to do. I am not somebody who yearns for presents, to have a big bang celebration, or to organize a gathering to meet my friends. I cherish all the times i have spent with my friends and family, and do not need a special occasion to ascertain this fact. I also understand not everyone wants to attend an invited 21st Birthday Party as well. Be it the burden of buying an extravagant gift; the burdensome fact of matching the party's theme; or simply the fact where you aren't close enough to the Birthday Boy/Girl.

Even though i am not a person who demands a party, i am more than willing to attend the parties whom i safely call 'good friends'. These are the people whom i believe are true friends, where we treat each other with respect and concern. There are just too many 'Hi-Bye' friends, and people who are just a passing phase in your life. It is important to know who are these true friends that you know will accompany you till old. These friends will be the ones who genuinely wish you the best in whatever you do, and you know you will definitely wish the same for him/her as well. 

I know who are the friends that sincerely wished me and hope for the best. I know that they understand me as well. I am glad i am blessed with many friends that i can proudly call soul-mates. 

I know that i will not compromise our friendships just because i did not host a 21st Birthday Party. Frankly, i am happy that i took this opportunity to go on a self-discovering, exciting, amazing and rewarding Backpacking Adventure. 

Ps: I do, and will always love surprises! 

Precious Time

Time flies and it waits for no one. Either one treasure it, or let it zoom past, leaving nothing behind. 

' Right now is the youngest of your remaining life '

When time past, not only does opportunities go, our youth flows away with it as well. 

Thus, i strongly believe in having no regrets in whatever i do!

Everytime before i do something big or out of my comfort zone, i will definitely feel a sense of uneasiness, having no confidence, and think about the negative outcome. More than often, I tend to give up the idea of trying. On the other hand, my mind always give the exact opposite signal as what my body feels. It forces me to strive for this anonymous task, no matter if my confidence level is only 1%. What it tells me is to go for it, for i will definitely regret if i do not even try.  

All these may seem cliche, yet it resonated perfectly and proved true to what i have experienced so far. There are bound to be some hit and runs; My courage may tilt downwards compared to my cowardliness, forcing me to regret as i had not tried some of the tasks. Ironically, these 'regrets' and 'failures of experimenting' made me more determined and courageous, grabbing every opportunity that comes along, which partly was the fear of feeling regretful again. 

Opportunities do not come by often. Youth only remains for a short period of time. Certain things can only be done at the different stages of life. I want to fully experience the various stages of life, be it the bad and good, for it will make me treasure the future, and also live a life without regrets!

The Light

Had been an eventful week of endless meetings and parades.

I had 3 meetings to attend this week, and one particular one was held at 9am at Jurong! I'm staying at Loyang, so its practically the other end of the Green Line... Quickly arranged with my friend and requested to stay-over at his home, and tagged along his Dad's ride to his office which is in Tuas the next morning!

This year's Engineers' Anniversary Parade was held at Nee Soon Camp, and it was more grand compared to the past. Coincidentally, Thursday was the day that Leslie was passing out from his Medic Course as well! 

Frankly speaking, i've never attended any graduation parades. Only one i've been to were my BMT POP, and OCS Commissioning Parade. The last time i tried attending my school mates POP, and i arrived only in time to hear the Floating Platform blasting the 'Ah Boys to Men' song, just after the recruits had thrown their jockey cap.

Alright, shall let the pictures do the talking!

Udders @ Upper Thompson at 1230am! We were there on a monday midnight, and the place was still jam-pack with many teenagers. Ming Fa Fishball Noodles was full, and many girls were slurping large bowls of mee pok at this unearthly hour. What happens to diet huh??  We were not satisfied, and headed over to Rocher Beancurd to have our fix. 

Leslie's Medic POP!

Headed to Kovan Market and Food Centre for Dinner!

Finally! Caught the ultimate sunset at the best spot in Pasir Ris Park. 

Feeling accomplished

Just finished my 2nd run in 2 days! 

My body is in exercise mode now, and i have returned to lifting free weights and doing dips as a warm-up before my 5km run. 

* I had done something that is going to make my plan concrete! Will unveil the news in time to come! :)

Day Trip to Johor Bahru (KSL Mall + City Square)

Overdued post!

I was really looking for a weekend getaway from Singapore, and feeling really lazy to go Sentosa or Pulau Ubin. I called Gordon and Kah Lun the day before for a trip to JB, and they were spontaneous enough to agree almost immediately! 

We went on a Sunday, met at 11am at Woodlands Interchange to take SBS Service 950 through the causeway. It was a very smooth ride, and in 30mins, we were at the Malaysia customs. This was the part which took some time, about 45mins. We quickly exited JB Sentral and took a cab to KSL Mall, heading to lunch with famished stomachs!

Tried this Bak Kut Teh Restaurant located directly opposite KSL Mall. (Look for the Exit with the Cha Time bubbletea shop)

It was packed, and we were lucky to secure an empty table when we arrived! 1 minute later, there were 3 groups of people waiting in line.

This restaurant serves the herbal style of Hokkien Bak Kut Teh, which is different from the Teo Chew Style of White Pepper. What makes this restaurant unique is that you can add all the different pig innards, such as the stomach and intestines. They also have pork balls and golden mushroom which you could add. However, they differ slightly such that all the extra ingredients are added directly into the bowl of soup, instead of those served 'Kway Chap' style, which are cooked in dark sauce. 

Not to forget, what is Bak Kut Teh without You Tiao! The dough fritters were so delicious! It does not possess the overnight oil taste, and was an ultimate combination when dipped into the piping hot bowl of soup. It was so good that we ordered a second serving!

The soup was so tasty, and what's great is that we can top-up the soup for free! This stall has already been marked in my notebook, and will be my to-go place every time i visit JB!

After lunch, we headed to another place called 'Holiday Inn Mall', where Kah Lun recommended a store which his family purchase contact lenses. It was really cheap, selling at almost 35% lesser than Singapore. I know many people say its dubious, and are unwilling to sacrifice their eyesight for this. Nonetheless, i'm going to try a pair. If it turns out good, it could well save me a small fortune! 

Instead of walking the same route back to KSL Mall, i decided to walk the unbeaten path and explore what other food haunts Malaysia has to offer.

On our way of exploration, we saw this vintage car which was 30% rusty! Just as i whipped out my phone, the owner, an old lady, walked out of the shop and said "take take!" Hahaha! I quickly ushered Gordon and Kah Lun to pose with the cute old lady and her car, which after further DISCUSSION, was actually 40 yrs old!!! 

After a 5mins walk, we ended up in a row of shop houses, and one particular stall selling wanton mee caught my eye! With 10 tables full at the after lunch time of 230pm! I couldn't resist and ordered 2 plates for us to share.

In fact, it was so good, that i forgot to snap a picture before digging in! It was dirt cheap, with a small portion consisting of 4 wantons at 5RM (S), 5.50RM (M) and 6RM (L). 

Next, we continue hunting other food outlets, and i was captivated by the smell of roasted pork, duck and char siew. But Gordon was not able to eat anymore! We then settled on a stall similar to Blackball.

It was not the best tasting combination i had. They had a different take on the ice-shavings, which were soya bean flavoured. However, it was not to my liking. I guess i will stick to the original Blackball outlet!

Headed back to KSL Mall, and decided to catch the newly released Captain America: Winter Soldier 3D! It was my first time catching a 3D Show, and wearing a 3D Specs on top of my Specs. It made me a bit giddy though... Guess i shall stick to my 2D Movies.

Auntie Anne's!! What's a movie without snacks!? And what's better, the 'special' costed only 3.40RM, which amounts to $1.30!? WHAT!!! It cost $3 in Singapore!!! I super super love the exchange rate!! ^.^

After the movie, we had a tour around the mall. (Finally). I bought 2 small lego sets, which consisted of 38 pieces and 98 pieces respectively. Shall upload the final product once i'm done fixing!

Headed back to City Square Mall just after sunset, and decided to dine in a decent restaurant. Found this Japanese place called 'Dontaku Japanese Restaurant' situated on the 3rd floor corner. When we opened the menu, we were blown away by the prices.

3 Ramyun Sets + 2 Sushi platters = 98RM, which amounts to only $13 a person. CAN YOU BELIEVE HOW CHEAP IT IS?! And quality was rather decent as well!

All in all, it was a super good trip! Enjoyed stuffing myself with all the good food, and was a weekend get"fat". Hahahah! 

However, point to note is not to enter during Sundays! It took us almost 45mins to clear the Malaysia Customs. What's worse is when you reach the bus interchange, it was FREAKING JAM PACKED. Queues of 200m were snaking everywhere, and it was almost an impossible task finding the start line. We were stuck waiting in the lousy ventilation and sardine-packed place for an hr. By the time we arrived back in Woodlands interchange, it was already 1130pm.

Nonetheless, it was a great place. I will definitely go back again, and of course on a weekday! 

Aloy Thai (Tampines Mall)

Had a catch-up session with Yina and Bryan over dinner.

Yina suggested Aloy Thai, which i have never tried nor heard of before. However, when i arrived at 730pm, it was way crowded, with at least 10 people in the queue! When we were to order our food, we were dismayed as many of the top sellers were sold out... Nonetheless, there were still other delicious items on the menu which did not disappoint!

Tom Yum Seafood Soup ($7.50)

Fried Butter Calamari ($8.50)

Basil Leaves (White) with Chicken ($6.90)

Fried French Beans with Minced Pork ($6.50)

[I'm really reluctant to post this photo. It was off-focus and that piece of 

French Bean in the middle is SOOOO misplaced!! But i took only one picture...]

Food was really delicious! The Tom Yum Soup had generous servings of squid, prawns and mushrooms. It was really spicy in my opinion, and had the perfect "tangy" taste. It was good to pour some on the rice and eaten as well, where the rice was cooked nicely, soaking up the well-seasoned soup!

The Butter Fried Calamari was also a new dish to me. Usually, it would be Fried Calamari with Mayonaisse, or Fried Calamari with Salted Egg Yolk. In this case, the butter was not over-powering, and the Calamari was still crunchy despite the melted butter. The squid was also not over-cooked, which provided the perfect balance of chewiness.

The Basil Leaves (White) with Chicken was actually fried with white ground pepper. It was good, and not so spicy due to the coconut milk added. It was an average dish though.

Lastly, the Fried French Beans with Minced Pork was good as well. The beans were blanched well, and it was crunchy. However, the minced pork and sauce was a little salty though. Not to worry, pairing it with rice would solve the problem.

Bryan and i ordered the Thai Red Milk Tea ($2.20). It had more of the red tea taste, and is less sweet than most of the other stalls i had. However, i would prefer it even with lesser sugar. A good try though!

Overall, the total bill came up to $34.60, which was really reasonable in a shopping mall environment! I sense that this will be my new Thai Food Haunt compared to Nakhon's Thai Kitchen!

MOOKATA (New Udon Thai Food)

Mookata has became increasingly popular among Singaporeans in the past couple of years. I was a bit bewildered, thinking why in the world were people eating their BBQ food coated in PORK LARD! Every single inch of meat is coated in that...that...that...(imagining all the fats forming around my tummy now). The soup is lined with the fats that drizzled down the charred-grilled pan...

Yet, i was blown away when i placed that first piece of meat into my mouth. I still remember that moment, 2 months back, on a carefree Friday night, with a bunch of hungry soldiers. The aroma of the marination, the sesame seed, the unique and signature chilli sauce.ohhhhh....soooo good. 

So, i visited the place with my family today. 

The place is called New Udon Thai Food, located on the first floor of Golden Mile Complex. I was lost when i came the first time, because of the mix between Golden Mile "Complex" and "Tower". The Tower is not unfamiliar to me, as i had been frequenting the place since young for the Hainanese Steamboat Restaurant, "Thien Kee Steamboat". The place served super delicious chicken rice, char siew, satay, sweet and sour pork, fried baby squid. In fact, everything is AWESOME!!!

Okok, back to today's topic on MOOKATA. 

Yes, it looks freaking shiok right! However, i was super disappointed!!! 

After queuing for half an hr (even though i arrived at 645pm), and the memory of my first experience still lingering, today's meal was a complete letdown :( 

The soup wasn't as tasty anymore. The meat wasn't as delectable anymore. And, the price wasn't the same anymore!!! Just 2 months ago, it was $39/set, which would serve 2 comfortably. However, it rose to $45/set now. 15% spike in price?! The waiter lamented that everything also increase in price, only pay remain the same. How can they not increase their price also. I checked out another MOOKATA stall just 30m away, and it was still $39/set. 

I hope that the stall still stay true to its roots and deliver delectable MOOKATA to customers, and not fluctuate its standards. It has a string of loyal customers, and i hope it is not an opportunist act of using the excuse of increase in price of condiments to mark up their meals. I am already searching for a new MOOKATA place..


Oh Yes, before i forget, Hooray that it rained today after 2 months of drought!