Straits Kitchen @ Hyatt Hotel

So, the family had a fantastic dinner tonight!! We gathered together to have a wonderful time of fellowship over a lovely meal!

Serving up a huge selection of local delights, Straits Kitchen is a 'two-thumbs up' for anyone who is wanting a good meal with this huge a selection!

mom!

gordon!

sarah!

the display of roast chicken and ducks

my initial plate of gastronomical food!
(carrot cake, chilli crab, 'man-tou' buns!)

aunty hong!

uncle john!

jeremy!

bernard!

a selection from the tandoori
(samosas, prawns, and chicken!)

aunty kath!

uncle kian heng!

praise!

joseph!

the selection from the desserts section
(fried banana fritters and 'orh-ni' yam paste)

the second selection from the desserts section
(milk pudding, malay kueh kuehs, egg tarts!)

aunty em!

uncle sze cheng!

gloria!

gladys!

gabriel!

So, there was a pleasant surprise for Mom!! Since it's her birthday on Oct 3rd, my aunts got the service staff to bring over a team to sing a delightful birthday song to Mom!!

look at the surprise on her face!

they did a great song!

What a lovely dinner it was! Now, I need to go bathe and change out! I need to catch up on sleep too!

A beautiful day it's been! I'm a happy happy boy!!!

Photos Update!

Mom and Gordon are back! Went around today running loads of errands, and catching up. =)

world's best mom!

gordon!

sarah!

me!

Michelle's Departure
on
18 September 2008

michelle and jon!

zheng xun

yan deng

logan
(he's really not THAT shy..)

michelle's sis, sandra

hah!

more photos of michelle!

And then we started goofing around, becoming the cam whores no one ever knew. Grahahahahaha!!~~

zx and peter

speak no evil,
hear no evil,
see no evil.

sister's love!

getting lost in terminal 3?

zheng xun getting coordinates
(notice the position of the map)

Hahahahahaha~~

Tired tired after a whole day running errands. Off to rest for now! =)

Dinner @ Home

So, I decided to make my own dinner tonight. I decided on something simple and nothing too extravagant. Something to fill my tummy for the night would be just fine. Looked through my fridge and came up with this. *grin*

Simplicity Redefined

romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes
halved eggs
blaunched grey prawns
mozarella baked walnut slices

sprinkled with freshly crushed black pepper
drizzled with a lemon hollandaise sauce

I love being able to come up with such pretty, and not forgetting to mention gastronomical, food. Being a chef sure has its perks. *wide grin*

Updating with 61 Photos!!!

Hi there world! I'm back with an update of my past week! It's been absolutely amazing as I've done so much this week that I feel it's passed so quick!

Sarah's 20th Birthday Celebration
@
Original Sin

So, Mom and Dad suggested I brought Sarah out for a good meal on her birthday since they are not around. She decided on Original Sin and it was a wonderful evening out. Weilin and Aphy joined us for the dinner, and the evening was simply one to remember. *wide grin*

the happy birthday gal!

aphy!

weilin!

bruschetta

mushroom gratin

aphy's main - eggplant

my main - lasagne

weilin's main - polenta

sarah's main - penne

there must be a picture of peter!

brownie a la mode for desserts!

walnut cheesecake - yummm~

Manpower Branch Cohesion
@
Kui Shin Bo

So, we finally had our long awaited lunch for cohesion! I have been waiting for it for nearly 4 months man. Haha. Thanks to our boss, we were privileged to gather for it! The fun we had was just fantastic man. *wide grin x99*

the gang who went for it!

ben!
(watcha looking at punk?)

logan isaac gordon =.='''

chief
(the tempura is superb)

ming de -acting shy

much better dude!

kaisheng
(trying to hide from me)

nomnomnom jon

logan looks better when he smiles
(camera-shy boy)

cpt priscilla!
(an angel in disguise)

yandeng
(pouting)

emerson xu
(chew and swallow first la..)

the host - cpt vincent loh

mdm margaret

li jian
(flower pose?)

zheng xun
(so many people like to pout now =.=''')

with eyes opened this time
(whoa someone got double eyelids as well)

simon ft. the statue of liberty?
(new display pic? =P)

alvin
(always pouting)

yes li jian =.='''
(forever acting cute la..)

nat!!!

randomness

the family of cpt vincent
(except the reflection of ben =P)

miss yap is finally in a photo!

cpt vincent with baby alfred
(awwwwwwwww)

I want to abduct him
(teeheeheehee...)

the league of extraordinary gentlemen
(not)

nat acting shocked
(noooooooooooooooo.... save me.....)

me
(there must always be a picture of peter remember?)

best buddy
(don't forget me when I ord hor)

alfred woke up!!
(emerson: this photo looks wrong =.=''')

the typical friendster gal face pic
(credits: zheng xun)

isn't this familiar?
(refer to photos from the battalion dinner =P)

photogenic shot of yandeng

wow such love
(starts puking)

whoa, he emo?

pondering about life?

have a cuppa =)

and keep friends close to your heart =)

ming de and myself!

Michelle's Farewell Party!

So, last night I was engaged to plan and prepare for Michelle's event before she leaves for UK to further her studies. It was an amazing night as I prepared for a group of 2o people, and all of which enjoyed the evening so much!

fantastic shot of us!

make your own salad!
(served with lemon hollandaise or basil vinaigrette)

baguettes, walnut loaves, and multi-grains
(served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

cocktails and mocktails
(prepared by michelle and sandra)

remember?
(yeap, the photo of the chef must be here)

logan covering up
(but he has double eyelids!)

michelle and jon
(awwwwwwwww)

logan on guitar hero
(quite good what!)

sandra the pro
(rock chick ftw)

Finally done with this post!! Now I need to clean up the dishes from last night's party and upload the photos to Facebook. Gragh!!

Haha, check back soon for more updates!!!

Happy 20th Birthday Sarah!!!

Happy 20th Birthday!!!
May All Your Wishes Be Granted,
And Success In All You Set Out To Do!

I love you Sister!

Photos From Events!!!

As promised, here are some photos that people have been asking me for since the last weekend. Will be putting them up here, but without as much words. Haha.

Gladys and Gabriel's Birthday Party
@
Temasek Poly!!!

group shot 1

gladys cutting the cake

the other birthday kiddo - gabriel

group shot 2

group shot 3

group shot 4

smiley gladys

jon came along

with his gf mich!

Celebration of Pastor's Big 40th
with the August Babies!!!

group shot!

pastor before the cake came out

the youths listen intently

awfully chocolate!!!

he got look 40 meh?..

Baking a Tiramisu
with Ben!!!
(if you want to know who it was for, ask him yourself)

the happy boy

the end product! yummy!!

No, we didn't have the end product. Rather, as seen in the first photo, we made a smaller version to have it for ourselves. Haha. It was niceeee~~~

Sending Andy & Charlene Off

Finally, an update after such a long time!

That must be going through most of your minds when you're reading this post. Haha. As promised I will blog about last night (with the photos), and even upload the photos of Facebook alright? *grin*

So, after work yesterday, I rushed off for home to swim before heading to the Airport to send them both off. Yes, I'm back to swimming after 8 years. You heard it right - 8 long years! Well, I realise I shouldn't give up a sport that I love so much. So, last night was the 3rd consecutive day I've started on my swimming again, and I swam 20 laps (alternating between breast-stroke and freestyle) to condition my body.

Anyway, here are the photos from last night!

the group photo!

charlene & jerome

charlene & myself

myself & eq

yuxuan, jerome, ben, shen

jeslin & pam

the gals!

andy & myself

ernest & eq

pastor simon!

wendy & melvin

jerald & myself

the guys!

shen & andy

jerald & andy

jerome & andy

charlene & jerald

After heading home and having a good bath, I slept at close to 1am! It's a miracle I could even wake up this morning to drag myself to camp. Haha.

I think I better turn in early tonight. Thankfully, tomorrow's Friday! Thank God It's Friday!!

Battalion's 30th Anniversary Dinner!!!

So, last night was definitely a night to remember. We went for the Battalion's 30th Anniversary dinner, out of usual uniforms, and everyone looked good for the occasion. For the one and only time I've got, I made sure I took lots of photos with my colleagues before I ORD in December. I don't even know if we'll have another chance to take this many photos anymore. Haha.

S1 branch!

I didn't get a lot of photos from last year's dinner and I've regretted it since. So, I made sure I took loads of them last night. Interestingly, everyone was really sporting and we did get a few really funny photos. Haha.

yandeng and his face

I really appreciate all my friends in S1 branch man. They are the reason why my NSF life isn't all that boring. They light up my life. Heh.

Oh yes. Chief Clerk was so lame. He placed the decorative parsley from the different dishes all onto my plate. It came up to such a mountain Nat decided to take a photo of it because everyone thought it was just too funny.

eeks

The program was really boring, and loud. The speakers were just above our table and the piercing voices from our RSM and the MC were just unbearable. That aside, I made my own enjoyment by snapping continuous photos of my table.

zheng xun decided to act cute

Don't you agree everyone look better without specs? Both of us usually wear them to camp because we don't feel the need to wear contacts for work. Dinners like this allow us to dress up and look better for one night, and that's enough because I get to take photos!

li jian became a baby

That is his signature pose ok~!! It's like some infant not knowing what's happening and just pointing to the camera. Lolx. Oh, and this guy can dance. The best part? It's self-taught. Haha. Zheng Xun was practically learning the C-Walk from him all night. Haha.

no prizes for guessing who suggested this

*roll eyes* Li Jian ah.. You're infectious. But I like how the photo came out. Yes, pretty cute for 3 guys trying to make it look that way. Hahahahaha.

After the dinner, the real fun started. We decided to head over to The Cathay at Dhoby Ghaut for the midnight show of Batman's The Dark Knight.

the gang

The only movie that had tickets was at 1.30am. Unfortunately, Ming De was unable to join us because he has NDP duty the next day.

We slacked around for a whole 2 hours. Going up and down the escalators uncountable times, we finally settled down at a spot just to chit chat and play finger games. Haha.

Oh, and before I forget to mention. Alvin won Top 3 Fund Raisers for the Army Half Marathon in our Battalion.

the proud dude

As some of them decide to get Starbucks, the rest of us decide to sit around the fountain. That was when I saw a good shot of Josiah I had to snap.

freaky, no?

Lolx. Yes yes, I'm lame but I make people smile ok~!! It was just so fun hanging around these guys. Everyone just laughed the night morning away.

Oh, and before I forget!!

my buddy nat!!!

This guy's the best thing that's happened to me since I entered the army. He's been the buddy I need, always lending a listening ear when I require it. Always advising me on the best decision I can make, he is one that's quick to listen and slow to speak. I appreciate him for the times we have, and I believe I don't want to lose this good friend even when my NSF term is over.

What a fantastic evening of fun and laughter! I couldn't ask from more than these. The great company I had, along with photos to remember this evening by, just makes my life that bit more colourful and cheerful.

Peter. Please Meet Peter.

I had to post this. I found this photo on the DR's Group on Facebook. I could hardly believe my eyes man.

VERSUS

The first photo was taken years ago, and I looked so much older in it. The latter was taken a month ago in Hong Kong.

=.='''

I'm shocked.

Chinese New Year 2008

Well, this is going to be a short and sweet update on the first 3 days of the Chinese New Year! It's been a splendid time with family and friends, and I'm glad I dragged myself out for the times of fellowship we had.

The family came over to the apartment tonight for a wonderful evening! Mama cooked for the whole gang, and it was just a joy to sit around the poolside enjoying the company of the whole family!

joseph and praise

gladys

gabriel

Ah, it's always to see the young ones commune with the older more mature folks. Haha. Mom and Sarah spent the entire preparing the feast for the gang, and boy were we glad to taste such great food from the 2 wonderful ladies!

keep the smiles coming~

Gordon opened another priced bottle he's had for 10 years, just to share it with me the other night! I'm truly honoured he would share his wines with me~ I've always known how much sentimental value these are to him.

wine appreciation by the poolside

The poolside is also well decorated for the occasion! With lanterns hanging on the trees that surround the pool, it definitely was the place to have dinner with the whole family!

pretty lanterns~

Aunty Kath and Uncle Kian Heng also got us the must-have Yu Sheng for the gathering! Getting a large from Sakae was definitely costly, but well worth every mouthful! The serving of salmon was generous, and the combination of tastes were fresh and compatible with one another!

yummy!

a generous serving of gold-coins too!

Those represent wealth, which everyone needs! Wahahahahaha~ This year is going to be a prosperous year for everyone! Huat ah!

baked popiah

A healthier choice for the conscious! Sarah helped prepare these and they came out great. Filling was really tasty, and the skin crisp to every bite!

garlic chicken

fried fish fillets

Not shown in the photo is a very very yummy Chilli Crab Sauce which accompanied the fish! It's award-winning I'm sure! Maybe one day I'll master it and let some of you lucky tastebuds have a go at it~

cheng teng

A very nourishing dessert to end such a splendid evening! Made with 6 different herbs (it's kinda a secret so I can't reveal. Lolx) and my favourite ginko nuts, this dish definitely left a sweet impression for the night!

Oh! Uncle Sze Cheng drove Uncle John's pick-up here, so he was willing to give us all a lift home!

the children at the back

They just love sitting at the back don't they? It seems like the world to them when their hair gets blown by the wind. Haha.

gladys' lovin' it!

It's been a great 3 days with family. Being able just to spend time with the ones I love just makes every moment precious. I'm glad for family and friends, people who have always been a blessing in my life.

To all of you who have had a great CNY too, remember God during the festivities and always thank Him for the wonderful stuff he places in our lives. Never take everyday for granted!