Finding Mr Lazy

Mr Lazy Found!

2009-01-02T23:38:00.004+08:00

I guess every matter gotta have a proper closure. So here is it, my final blog post!

I remembered when I first started blogging, my primary objective was to discover myself. I tried many silly stuffs, and ditched most of them. And eventually stick only to travel, food & photography, which I'm still enjoying every single bit.

However,it is not until my life & work become severely imbalance that I started to thinking about reinventing a new lifestyle so that I could REALLY enjoy living, not working. And that's how I started trying to find my perfect "Mr Lazy" lifestyle.

And so finally, here I am, ready to (try) living my new life & ready to spread my wings to fly once again. Also, blogging gotta go since I don't really enjoy blogging and finding it wasted much of my precious time.

A New Year for a brand New Start! How Wonderful! :)
GOODBYE! Cheers~~~~~~!!!!!!

p.s: Food for thought which I find it inspiring, and hopefully you too!

Pan fried Cod with Bunashimeji

2008-10-27T14:01:00.004+08:00

How would you like to work on Public Holiday? (Deepavali) muahahahaha .. *sighz*

Hokkaido fair is here again at Takashimaya. And if I remembered correctly, it ends today (i.e 27 oct 2008). The ramen looks delicious but I was eying the Cod fish instead. Bought 2 pieces of Cod at the fair @ $3 each, I think that's good value for money.

A quick & simple meal of pan fried Cod with Bunashimeji saute with garlic ... yum!

= THE END =

Music: Lene Marlin ~ Faces

2008-10-21T22:44:00.002+08:00

Seems like a very long time since I updated! LOLz
Me still pretty much alive BUT still buried in work!
And still thinking how to work less enjoy more!
Meantime, just chill out with one of my favorite song ...

Faces - Lene Marlin
Pour me some wine, join me tonight
Surround me with your happy faces
Share some fun stories, stay up all night
Surround me with your friendly faces
Then look at me, when I'm not aware
Then you'll see, I cannot do without you
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too, like I know
You'd do for me too

Pour me some wine, join me tonight
Life is so good when I'm with you
I needed the laughs, I needed you tonight

So look at me, when I'm not aware
Then you'll see, I cannot do without you
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too.
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too.

Slow Dance

2008-09-21T19:09:00.007+08:00

Some thing I pick while reading "The 4-Hour Work week" by Tim Ferriss.
This Poem is written by child psychologist David L. Weatherford
Makes me step back to reexamine my life.

SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-around?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don't dance so fast

Time is short
the music won't last

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast

Time is short
the music won't last

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Each lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast

Time is short
The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there

When you worry and hurry through your day
It is like an unopened gift thrown away

Life is not a race
Do take it slower

Hear the music
Before the song is over

=THE END=

Mutton matters

2008-09-01T00:05:00.004+08:00

On those days when I'm feeling tired and/or cold, mutton soup is always a perfect remedy for me. But on those days I just like to have some preventive herbal soup, our local mutton soup is really too heavy for me. So when I found another mutton soup that taste light & yet nutritious, I jumped in delight!

Chuan Yang Ji (川羊记） serves chinese style mutton soup / steamboat. Unfortunately, I was alone while I was there, so no no for steamboat, I go for their mutton bone soup set @ $7.00

The portion definitely generous (by my standard), light sweet broth with loads of tender juicy ribs. Best of all, there is only a hint of mutton odor. For those who like mutton but are often put off by the smell, this is certainly good news.

Just look at this piece tender delicious ribs soaked in szechuan style chilli, which surprising isn't really too hot. Perhaps they are toning down to adjust for local palate. What a pity! Perhaps they should have option for those time when I crave for heavier taste. Whatever, this will be on my regular visit list from now on.

WHERE
Chuan Yang Ji (川羊记） - Mutton Steamboat
Public Mansion 432 Balestier Road #01-434 Tel 9003 3244
Open 5pm ~ 1am (Sun~Thu), 5pm ~ 3am (Sat, Sun & PH)

Kurobuta

2008-08-24T23:31:00.006+08:00

Our NTUC is certainly getting more up market nowadays. They now have 2 Supermarket (called Fairprice Finest)that stocks gourmet food, one at Bukit Timah Plaza and the other Thomson Plaza. Culina branches are also located inside these 2 supermarket too.

Bought a small piece of Aussie Kurobuta ((Black Berkshire Pig) to sample, cost about $4.50 which was pretty affordable for me. I first tasted Kurobuta when I was traveling around Kyushu, the taste & aroma was simply divine.

Season with only black pepper and Himalayan pink salt

Taste good though still not quite as good as those I had in Kyushu which are more tender which melt-in-your-mouth kind of fats. Hmm ... I wonder how they done that, perhaps I should slow cook at lower temperature? Whatever, going to buy more to indulge soon ;)

= THE END =

Notebook conked out!

2008-08-24T23:20:00.003+08:00

What bad luck, my personal notebook decides not to bootup. The PC Tech confirm harddisk had crashed and was reformatted with Window Vista reinstalled. And finally I have to reinstall all my personal applications which, fortunately, aren't a-lot.

Coincidentally, 2 of my friends have had similar issues with their notebook/desktop, would you called that "fate"? LOLz

grrrrrrrrr ... I need to vent my anger on a baddie!

= THE END +

No Glitters, Only Shivers

2008-08-13T00:51:00.008+08:00

Unfortunately GOLD didn't rebound, broke the support. Weaken Oil and sudden bullish dollars drove it down - oh well, they are all inter-related. Expensive Oil drove inflation, coupled with already weaken dollar, one would have thought traditionally precious metals will be in vogue.

Dollar turnaround was really surprising! This happen after FED, BOE, ECB decides to hold Interest Rates. Initially, I suspect their strengthening of dollar were due to massive carry trade unwind.

However, after reading an insightful article, I'm beginning to believe it was due to FED intervention. While they have temporary halt the weaking of dollars, unfortunately, the underlying fundamentals issues remains unresolved.
Dollar Index - Mystery Solved

Of late, I reading about mishaps in some oil fields (explosion) which may leads to supply issues. Oh dear, does that means high oil prices is coming back once again? :(

= THE END =

GOLD Go go go!

2008-08-07T14:59:00.004+08:00

We seem GOLD falling down along with Oil lately, and Dollar has been strengthening against EURO. But today, we see an inverted bullish hammer, which indicates a trend reversal is on the way. (i.e GOLD to rebound).

We will probably know the outcome after BOE & ECB rate decision today.

Seriously, I hope it will rebound since I'm vested in Precious Metal Fund LOLz. If it breach this support level, I believe the down trend will have been validated.
Source: stockcharts.com

= THE END =

Dreams & Goals

2008-07-31T23:57:00.004+08:00

Was chatting with a friend recently, and topic of setting goals & achieving dreams pops up. I was lamenting how long it was before I could fulfill my dreams & Goals, but my friend's comments sort of enlighten me in another different way

ME: Arghhhh ... wonder how long I need to work before I can achieve my dreams!

FRIEND: Aiyah, Dreams without action will forever remains as dreams.

ME: But so troublesome & lazy to action leh

FRIEND: My friend, you have to start planning your steps & actions to actualize your dreams lah. No action, no dreams fulfilled.

ME: Soooo troublesome hmmm ... but what if I don't have dreams? That's means I don't need to headache over planning right?

FRIEND: ........ Well, I guess that right

ME: Thanks for your fantastic idea! I think I just ditch my dreams in the dustbin so that I can do away with all those troublesome planning, goals setting etc. Living in the present, one day at time is not a bad idea too! No dreams, no goals, no headache hahahahaha

FRIEND: erhhh ... but I think you should still ... *interrupted*

ME: Brillant! Simply brilliant! Life is too short to waste on dreams & goal setting shit, C'est La Vie!

FRIEND: -_-;;; ...............

= THE END =

Away & Back to reality

2008-07-27T18:02:00.004+08:00

The 3 day break away from work seems so bloody short! Oh well, vacation ALWAYS appear shorter than expected, doesn't it? Nevertheless, it was real nice respite from work and doing whatever I wanted to do.

I didn't get out of country anyway. Even on the eve of my short break, I'm still rushing out work & all the madness.

So I took this opportunity to clear all outstanding errands, thoughts clearing & day dreaming etc ;P

My Scooter finally got back, almost complete except for non available parts which should arrive in few weeks time. So I'm back to my normal lazy ways of scootering around. Also completed my car service maintenance schedule. So it's 10,000 km before the next service.

It's scary how fast time passes. In a blink, half of 2008 been gone to nowhere & I still gone anywhere yet! So I better get moving before I lose the other half as well.
SO WHAT'S NEXT?
- Planning for a Road Trip
Somehow this website got me kicking again. Though still felt a little tired to travel.
- Declutter & Simplify
- Stay Healthy
- Reorganize Financial Plans
- Reorganize Priorities

Goodluck to myself! -_-;;;

= THE END =

Wakashachiya Curry Udon

2008-07-21T01:04:00.009+08:00

Wakashachiya Curry Udon
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-93/95 The Central @ Clarke Quay
Tel: 6534 9984

Well, Wakashachiya is nothing new if you been following the Singaopore food scene. Unfortunately, I haven't been tracking them for a long time, I spent more time tracking stocks & indices instead LOLz

The CENTRAL is one of the many shopping malls that I have never ever step into yet. The rain finally made me rush into the mall for cover. And I was surprised to see a Japanese cuisine paradise right inside.

I picked Wakashachiya because I missed Japanese style curry rice/udon, however, I ended up with Hitsu Mabushi (Grilled Eel) instead @ $18++

Their food presentation really got me excited! The unagi is already enough to make me drool.

The set comes with condiments (seaweed strips, spring onions & wasabi) & bonita stock. It even comes with instructions on various way to enjoy the meal. I followed out of curiosity.

The first, by far the most usual method I had with Unagi - simply with rice. textures were soft & delectable. However, I would prefer a bit of crisp on the grilled skin

Second way merely adds condiments. I knew some people aren't fond of unagi strong taste/smell (though I found it heavenly). The condiments, especially the wasabi, seems to help mellows it down. Of cause, you better make sure you can handle wasabi in the first place. My trick was to breathe only through the mouth while having wasabi.

Third, added conditments as well as Bonita stock. Bonita stock itself light & pleasant with rice. However, it sort of wash down the unagi, I would make sure the eel don't touch anything wet next time.

All in all, I enjoyed Hitsu Mabushi (Grilled Eel). Services is fast & friendly though the place is kinda small, but it's comfortable enough. Will surely return to try their curries one of these days.

SPC (Final)

2008-07-14T00:06:00.002+08:00

OK, just an final update before the battle ;)
Often, one signal/indicator is not enough to confirm the trend and breakup. Hence a few are usually used to positively confirm and reduce the margin of errors. So what got here?

1. Alligator mouth opening up for action (3 moving average lines branching out)
2. GMMA (Guppy Multiple Moving Average) signals crossover to bullish trend
3. MACD inching up
4. Stochastic hook up again

It's look affirmative. The last close price is $.698, ideally I could like to have it at $6.85 (which is around 50% ~ 62% fibonaaci). Well, I think $6.9 will do, 1st target $7.8, 2nd target $8.2 ..... let see if these work out by end of next week. :D

= THE END =

Evanescence - Hello

2008-07-12T02:15:00.000+08:00

Still of my favorite song after all these years. Admittedly, I didn't understand what the title "Hello" got to do with school, playground, dreams et al.

But when I read that this song was written in remembrance of her younger sister, who pass away when she was just 6 years old. All these lyrics start to make senses again.

Well, I think she received a shocking news about the demise of her younger sister at school on a gloomy rainy day. But she just couldn't make herself believe that the news was for real, and in deep denial by communicating with her dreamy state of mind. Needless to say, she have to wake up from dreams eventually and accept the harsh reality.

It's amazing how she could still remember her emotional state so clearly now and expressed it fluidly in few sentences. I heard She never perform this song live as it was too emotional for her.

Amy Lee rockz!

Evanescence - Hello
Playground school bell rings again,
Rain clouds come to play again,
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to,
Hello...

If I smile and don't believe,
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream,
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken,
Hello, I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide,
I don´t cry...

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping,
Hello, I'm still here,
All that's left of yesterday...
= THE END =

Isetan Hokkaido Fair 2008

2008-07-12T02:06:00.006+08:00

Have been buried in work for past few weeks (if not months),hence haven't been in touch with the latest happening around. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that I still have till 13 July 2008 for Isetan Hokkaido Fair 2008.

I visited Hokkaido many years back and have been yearning for another return trip. But whenever I looked at the work schedules, I just have shake my head. So I can only relish my sweet memories from photos I took while in Hakodate

Live King Crabs!!!

Freshly "slaughtered" uni (Sea Urchins)

Amazing sweet & fragrant musk melon, not to mention their prices too!

Delicious Ice Cream Mochi!

AWESOME!

愈放下愈快乐!

2008-07-09T00:42:00.005+08:00

偶而看到,非常非常的喜欢。所以在此分享。
可是真正能放得下的有几位呢？简直比登天还难呀！哈哈哈...

躲避不一定躲得過
面對不一定最難受
孤單不一定不快樂
得到不一定能長久
失去不一定不再有
轉身不一定最軟弱

別急著說別無選擇
別以為世上的事只有對與錯
許多事情的答案都不是只有一個
一切的一切都有它的因因果果
不需要我們去辯駁
所以我們永遠都有路可以走
你能找到理由難過
也一定能找到快樂

懂的放下的人找到輕鬆
懂的遺忘的人找到自由
懂的關懷的人找到朋友

=完=

TradeSetup: SPC (Updates)

2008-07-03T18:53:00.006+08:00

I must have been very bored to do all these hahahaha ...
Anyway, the pullback finally happened. But there are a little more downside still coming according to those indicators below.

More importantly, we will wait for signs of reversal. Tomorrow Mr Market might be indecisive as our Straits Time Index was down 1.62% today. Probably we could decide to enter or scrap the trade based on signal (candlestick) on the following day.

Today's market having "diarrhea" again hmmm ... wonder when this will end!

Anyway, trying the 2 trendy trade setup which I hope to find out if it will work for stock as well. At this juncture, not playing any real money yet.

So the price line breakout the blue trend line, it should end up at green target line . However, noticing RSI & Stochastic are showing hook down, there may be a retracement which gives an opportunity to enter the trade (about 6.8) before it start moving up to target again @ 7.8. Stop loss at 6.3 support.

Will this works? will see ...... ;P

乳= 小？

2008-07-01T18:31:00.002+08:00

Got this in mailbox, can't help laughing out loud!

一小学老师在解析“乳“字的含义：乳即是小的意思，如：

乳鸽、乳猪、乳牙……要求用小明乳字组词并造句。

小明说：因为现在房价太高，所以我家只能住50平方米的乳房。

老师汗，说造一句。

小明有说：我太小了，连1米多宽的乳沟都跳不过去。

老师大汗:再造一个。

小明:老师,老师，我真的想不出来了,我的乳头都快想破了!

= 完 =

Earth Gingers - Etlingera

2008-06-30T18:31:00.005+08:00

Back in 2007, a friend suggested that the ID for this Earth ginger should be Etlingera coccinea. However, I wasn't so convinced as it didn't really looked like those I googled. But I didn't any good reference books on Gingers, so I excepted what he proposed.

Finally Axel help to ID as E. megalocheilos which looks more close & agreeable to me. :)

References
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/herbarium/digitallib/collections/hlaplants/pdfs/Zin_Etlingera_megalocheilos_w.pdf
http://www.dalbergpoulsen.com/gingers_gallery.html
http://www.dalbergpoulsen.com/ginger_poster.html

= THE END =

Tobiko Pasta

2008-06-30T15:07:00.005+08:00

I fond of quick & easy meals. No fuss & easy to cleanup. I remembered reading somewhere about using Japanese Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe) with Italian Pasta.

This was really easy to prepare.
1. Cook pasta (read instructions on package)
2. Brown minced garlic in Olive Oil
3. Toss pasta into Garlicky Olive Oil
4. Finally, sprinkle Tobiko over ... toss evenly

And I feel that it goes well with eggs too!

= THE END =

Parking Blues

2008-06-30T13:59:00.004+08:00

I always find parking a car the most arduous driving task. My parking skills is something that I don't pride myself with. Not until I see this ~ finally I gladly comfort myself that my parking skills wasn't that bad after all. ;P

Another aspect of parking I try avoid is doing parallel parking. Thanks to strategically marking (done by my instructor) in my test car during driving test, I went thru test without a glitch.

But back to the real world, I'm really avoiding parallel parking at all cost. Well, not until I can master this parking method from Precision Driver Legend, Russ Swift. :D

= THE END =

Close Shave

2008-06-26T13:51:00.006+08:00

Damage claims process Scooter still underway, hopefully it can be sorted out this week so that the actual repair work can proceed. Fortunately, the Scooter still working so I can still ride around. But I had a close shave today with Yellow Taxi.

It's well known that these taxi drivers take their "CUSTOMER FIRST" policy very seriously. I usually either stay away behind them or make a quick pass as they are known to make sudden moves when potential customer waves for them, with total disregard if there are any vehicle close behind them.

I forgot and I met one such incident today, nearly crashing into the Taxi. Fortunately I emergency braked on time. *phew* He apologies profusely and since there was no damages or injuries, I let him off.

NOTE TO SELF: Remember to stay away from Taxi!!!
= THE END =

Blogthings: The House Test

2008-06-25T01:07:00.004+08:00

It's really amazing how a few questions could reveal so much about yourself, or was that purely coincidental? Anyway, I gave the House Test @ Blogthings a try, and the results were pretty close, except for the line which I strikeout ;P

What the House Test Says About You

You are happy with who you are, and you don't have an inflated sense of self importance. You do your own thing quietly. You don't take up a lot of space.

You aren't against being community oriented, but it's not really your thing. You tend to prefer to focus on your family and not the neighborhood around you.

You are creative, expressive, and bright. You are always in the middle of some amazing project.

~~You look attractive, but mostly because your rely on your natural good looks to get by.~~

You are moved by what's exotic and unique. You often have the mentality of a traveler, even when you're not traveling.

The House Test

Hibernate Mode

2008-06-23T01:14:00.007+08:00

I almost felt like this poor chained up Yellow-crested Cockatoo. Unable to fly anywhere. Well, at least its being well cared by the owner.

He even has a Yellow-streaked Lory and many more others exotic parrots.

Anyway, life been chaotic & volatile of late. So this blog going into hibernation for now, hmm ... may be for a few months ;P

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
= THE END =

Still Water

2008-06-13T01:28:00.005+08:00

I accidentally left a glass of cold water overnight. In the morning, I was surprised to see many air bubbles clinging inside the glass wall.

Curious, I search & got the answers. But if you are lazy to read through the more scientific explanation, here is a short answer:-
When you draw a glass of cold water from your faucet and allow it to warm to room temperature, nitrogen and oxygen slowly come out of solution, with tiny bubbles forming and coalescing at sites of microscopic imperfections on the glass.

Rick Watling, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, offers this explanation.
Why do bubbles form if a glass of water is left alone for a while?

Another answer went as far as explaining why gushing hot water looks milky! Hmmm ... interesting.
Water Chemistry

= THE END =

Roti John

2008-06-08T23:51:00.006+08:00

Hearsay that Roti John was invented by Shukor stall in 1975 when it was located the old Taman Serasi Hawker centre opposite Botanic Gardens.

Since there are a lot of expatriates staying around Cluny Road area, they try to garner more business from them by pan-frying slices of french loaf with eggs & onions. Essentially, that's a basic omelette sandwiched between baguette.

SO how the name "Roti John" come about? Roti is malay for bread and as for John, that's because they are hell lots of expatriates named John in those days ... so Bread for expatriates called John. hehehehe ... ok the last part was just my foolish guess. ;P

The above has been one of the nicest (i.e presentation) Roti John @ $3. Taste-wise, they are OK, you have choices of filling - minced chicken, mutton or sardines etc. One difference with others that i tried is that, they had flatted the Roti (bread) during pan-fried, makes it easier to eat, imho.

Unfortunately, I forgot the name, they are along Pasir Panjang Road (Opp O' COnners Building) & operates 24hrs - perfect for those nights when I need to burn some midnight oil.

Burmese Buddhist Temple

2008-06-08T22:33:00.010+08:00

I was around Balestier area (well, actually Toa Payoh) since I have to send mum for her mahjong session. The huge Burmese Buddhist Temple ((Maha Sasana Ramsi) certainly looks interesting, and most importantly, I haven't been there yet! So I decide to swing by and take a look at the Burmese temple, experience some Burmese culture as well too!

Layout is typical of any Buddhist temples, perhaps there are fine differences in architectural details & statues which more closely resembles those in Northern Part of Thailand.

This statue of Buddha is sculpted from white marble found in Sagyin Hill, Mayanmar. It has been transported from Mayanmar in 1916 and eventually arrived to Singapore in 1918. *phew* a 2 year feat!

On 3rd floor, the murals painted by devotees depicts the history of Maha Sasana Ramsi

It also houses another beautiful golden statue of Buddha. It's really an interesting visit, and if not for lack of time, I would surely comb the area searching for Burmese food.

More Info about Burmese Buddhist Temple (Maha Sasana Ramsi)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_Buddhist_Temple
http://www.burmesebuddhisttemple.org.sg/index.htm
http://www.livelife.ecitizen.gov.sg/culture/heritage/ht_balestier.asp

Oh, btw Wan Qing Yuan(晚晴园) is just beside the Burmaese Buddhist Temple, pity that they are close for major repair works.

Hit & Run

2008-06-08T22:08:00.004+08:00

Like what you see? Certainly not me! This isn't a posed shot of scooter lying down on its side. Some crooks had done a bad 3 point turn and hit not 1, but 3 bikes. Unfortunately, that happens to be my bike (or scooter)!

I wasn't around, fortunately the other owners had already reported to the police before I discovered this dreadful deed on my scooter.

While the act had not being caught got on security camera, the suspected vehicle & number plate was recorded.

I'm going to be busy for days next week. Hopefully we'll nab that culprit and undo whatever damages done to my scooter. Needless to say, we'll be claiming his insurance!

= THE END =

Pre-Holidays Blues

2008-06-04T23:23:00.008+08:00

Planning for holidays is usually a fairly easy task, especially I'm going alone to visit friends as well as taking a breather from work.

I can simply summarize the plans as follows & I'm good to go:-
1. Decide on a destination
2. Pick a good flight (or route, if driving) plan
3. Choose your choice of accommodation

However, the more I yearn for upcoming holidays, the more new work with incredible deadline begins floating up out of the blue. I have exactly map out the regular tasks to complete, but these new work deadline kills everything down the road.

Incredible but true, suddenly I find my boss going on leave, my associates as well too.

Number One Murphy's Law
If something can go wrong, it will.

To counter its effects
If you want to guarantee it will not rain, carry an umbrella.

Yes, I'm going to imagine that I'm going to work oversea instead of holidaying next time ;P

=THE END=

RIce Plague

2008-05-31T00:12:00.006+08:00

You know how frustrating it was to see evil weevils crawling around in my pack of rice when all the commodities prices are shooting up.

While they are not poisonous, and probably have extra benefits in form of insect proteins when cook, I'm still not amused.

The fastest & laziest way to weed them out is simply to freeze them to death! So I open my packet of rice and quickly contain them in another bigger pack, securely tied up.

Throw the pack into the freezer, after few hours, you'll find theses irritating evils frozen & dead in the bigger pack. Neat huh?

Oh Weevil
Dear Weevil
Let me show you
Who is EVEN
MORE EVIL
muahahahahaha ....

= THE END =

Heat is STILL ON!

2008-05-26T00:08:00.007+08:00

While the heat (READ: Volatility) on EURUSD may be expected to fall & stagger in the week ahead, the heat (READ: weather) at home (Singapore) don't seems to be dwindling anytime soon.

Well, actually what I'm experiencing now is considered *peanuts* when compared to the insane heat I had while in Bangkok (See thermometer below at Bangkok). Still, for some reasons, it seems more unbearable at home then when I was in Bangkok *shrugged*

Besides heat from natural sources, heat from work been picking up as well too! It's just gets too intense now. Another week of blog break, and hopefully I can resume with my blogging schedules continuing on my recent escapades like:

Cycling from East Coast - Changi Village via Changi Coastal Park Connector

Relaxing walk at our latest attraction on the westside of Singapore - Henderson Wave Bridge

How far will it fall?

2008-05-22T22:11:00.002+08:00

I always watch in awe in this remarkable free fall. Greenback nearly drop 20% against Little Red Dot. And Aussie close to attaining ~~Nirvana~~ Parity (i.e Equal to Greenback)

Loonie & Swissy had previously attempted at this level, only Loonie maded it.

How far will it fall against our Little Red Dot??!! *phew*

= THE END =

Some like it HOT!

2008-05-19T00:28:00.003+08:00

When the going gets HOT, the Bougainvillea gets SIZZLING! Smack right in the middle of ECP Expressway, a stretch of Bougainvillea were blooming madly amidst the scorching heat.

They seems to be striving well, unfortunately, not so for the homo sapiens on this little red dot. I seeking temporary refuge in Shopping Centers & Libraries from now on.

Don't really feel like blogging in this heat, so will take a short summer blog break! ;P

= THE END =

Alexandra Arch & South Ridges

2008-05-11T01:12:00.010+08:00

One of the more exciting development in Singapore that got me really trilled aren't the F1 racing nor those ~~Gambling Dens~~ Integrated Resorts. The Park connectors network & various new trails around nature parks takes the cake instead.

Many have been lamenting for years on why we couldn't have a safe & bicycle-friendly road for cyclist, just like those found around Europe.

Instead of these bicycle friendly roads, there have been a network of Park Connectors & new trails been developed quietly & steadfastly.

I have been waiting for the completion of this particular connector at Alexandra. You seen one of side of the Arch in my previous post. Here is another side. Essentially, this is a bridge that connects HortPark to another part of the trail that leads to Telok Banglah Hill.

The Arch connects to another elevated walkway, which at this height, certainly not recommended those suffering from Acrophobia, I guess. But I can certainly foresee an exciting bird's eye of the surrounding forest to feast your eyes.

This, eventually, goes around, down and then up towards Telok Banglah Hill.

The Arch is officially open on 10~11 May 2008 along with HortPark.

It actually part of the the South Ridges 9km trails that goes from Kent Ridge Park all the way to Harbourfront MRT Station!

How exciting! I certainly will check out very soon!

LINKS
Discovery the Southern Ridges

Lazy Food#2 - Prosciutto with Grissini

2008-05-11T00:45:00.003+08:00

Another food, or rather snack food for the lazy folks.
Simply just wrap Prosciutto (Dry cured ham) around Grissini (Italian bread stick)

There are nicer Prosciutto around, but I need to pay a premium for them ahhh but I need to think of my budgets :(

Anyway, these are fine for an occasion indulgence during office breaks. And really, create stares in the office, wondering why I'm eating raw meat sashimi on giant glico stick. LOLz

Perhaps I just need more practice more on my wrapping skills so I can create a more presentable glico sashimi stick for photography ;P

=== THE END ===

Seasons Change

2008-05-07T21:51:00.009+08:00

On 4 May 2008 (Sunday) afternoon, all blue skies & everything nice. I was lazily & happily baking in hot sun treatment (with a layer of SPF50+ of coz ;P) on my trusty 2 wheels.

Everything looks fine and I'm expecting a spectacular sunset to go along with this kind of fine (but hot!) weather

3 hours later, something else came out of the blue instead. Smog begins to appear, clouding the whole skies as if to signify the arrival of an apocalypse.

I immediately felt uneasy & disturbed, but brushed off as yet another Sumatra forest fires at work.

I was dead wrong! Something more terrible happen elsewhere in Asia. Cyclone batters Myanmar, casualties feared

I'm not too sure if our sudden "Seasons Change" here have got anything to do with Cyclone Nargis @ Myanmar or vice versa. Whatever it is, the no of death & casualties are extremely severe in Myanmar. 20,000 people dead, 40,000 still missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless ... and still counting?!

*sighz* I sincerely pray for safe & speedy rescue efforts and wish those homeless & suffering find strength to tide them through this difficult period.

Links
Myo Kyaw Htun Blog
Globalvoices:Unprecedented cyclone disaster
Google Cares:Google
Support disaster relief in Myanmar
Interactive Map: Myanmar Cyclone

=THE END=

Lazy Plant#1 - Indian Borage

2008-05-05T00:15:00.006+08:00

Indian Borage (Plectranthus amboinicus)
This is one of the easiest plant to grow, perfect for lazy folks. Easily propagated from stem cuttings.

The leaves have got a strong minty scent. Traditionally being used for coughs, relieve indigestion, stomach cramps& even headaches. But I usually use to make tea only.

Typically, the leaves are green. But mine is the (not so common) variegated form, it comes with creamy white markings on leaves margin.

Grow baby grow, let me have some tea soon! :)

=== THE END ===

Batteryless Pocket Organzier

2008-05-04T23:34:00.007+08:00

I used to be a electronic gadgets junkie. However, I gotten tired the continual chase of technology. Though my previous Clie PDA still very much alive, I decided to go back to the basics (i.e using pen & paper) after I found PocketMod

So my shopping list, expenditure tracking, Vehicle log etc are all individual Pocketmod notes now.

Prints on single side, so you can recycle those single side printed paper.
It cleverly folds into 8 pages of pocket-size notes, each page customized according to your preferences.
Once they done with their usefulness, just recycle by dropping into the shredder. Sweet deal huh? ;P

Highly recommended!
Website: http://www.pocketmod.com/

=== THE END ===

Minced Memories

2008-05-04T22:00:00.003+08:00

I don't have a good memory. When asked about past events, no matter how bad or glorious it were. My recollections are often fragmented & finely minced up. I would remember a bits here & there, but not in entirety.

Fortunately, my sense of perceptions seems pretty fine. I mean I seems to require some sort external stimuli: sights, taste, smell etc for my memory to be operative. That's what happen when I while having this Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle in Pasir Panjang.

The familiar murkiness & wonderfully robust smell in the soup. The sediments are the essence of the soup.

The Bouncy Pork ball, braised mushroom & the unique blend of sauce & Zhenjiang Vinegar. Suddenly, I seems to have been transported back in time. To the time when I was still working in Paya Lebar area.

This Mushroom Minced Pork noodle stall in Pasir Panjang is the same favorite stall of mine when I was working in Paya Lebar. It was my favorite but I lost touch after I moved to the West.

It's certainly wonderful to be seeing them once again in the West! Apparently, they've moved to the west and been staying around Depot Road too ;)

No address, but do check the map.
They opened from Mon ~ Sat from morning till about 3pm
Close on Sunday.

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Lazy Food#1 - Pâté Sandwich

2008-04-30T20:53:00.005+08:00

This got to be one of the easiest & satisfying meal to assemble up when you need a quick bite.

Although this Pâté may not be easy, you can certainly get them pretty easily from supermarket here (Singapore). Otherwise a can of China Mailing brand Luncheon Meat would do just fine for me as well. Add some salad greens like baby spinach, or lettuce, batavia or my favorite, the Rocket(Arugula), but I'm always kinda slow when it comes to shopping ... they sells out pretty fast grrrrrrrr.....

Sometimes, when I'm in the mood, I would love slices of red onions, dash of Vietnamese nước mắm (Fish sauce) & bit Chili padi to up the Scoville scale for a little more kick!

Usually baguette (prefer Vietnamese type) is the way to go. But during rush hour, I would grab whatever staple that's available.

Happy Labor Day!

===The End===

Early Autumn Mitake

2008-04-28T00:29:00.017+08:00

A mere mention of Japan, and it's not uncommon to see people starting to conjure up images of cosmopolitan city of Tokyo.

But I'm not a city person. Nested deep inside is a really simple, down-to-earth person, longing to be at peace with nature.

Tokyo? Don't really interest me anymore, fortunately, while attempting to get away from all these modern madness, serendipity found me.

About 2 hours away to the west of Tokyo (via JR Ome Line) lies the mountainous region of Okutama (奥多摩).

Being early in the autumn, when splendid fall colors are still asleep, these wonderful wild mushroom harvests begin showing up at make-shift stall. I haven't done a mushroom hunting myself as yet, hopefully I will have some opportunity in the near future.

Beautiful Tama river(多摩川) still flowing with torrents of icy cold water from the mountains.

Further up the Tama River (多摩川), families were having fun fishing out river trouts.

These poor thing will end up as lovely BBQ lunch for these happy families. Sprinkle some salt, perhaps a few branches of herbs like rosemary ~ marvelous! What a wonderful, lazy life I'm longing to be with.

But I am not with family nor equipped with fishing gear for battles with these lovely fishes. So I would buy a piece here to satiate all my needs.

Oh, did I mention Mitake(御岳)? Mount Mitake(御岳山) is one of the attractions in Okutama(奥多摩), but I'm fully mesmerize by the surrounding that's tantalizing all my sensory. I never made it to Mount Mitake hahahaha ...

Alright, I do Mount Mitake next time I'm here again .. heh!

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JB Beef Noodle

2008-04-27T00:51:00.000+08:00

Delicious food need not necessary be located in the most convenient places (e.g Big shopping malls, building etc). Sometimes, run down places gives you unexpected surprises. And one of my favourite hunt got to be Beef Noodle stall in JB.

The location is quite out-of-way for those who don't have their own transport. Even you've reach there via Taxi, I'm not too sure how you going return as I hardly find any taxi around, maybe hitchhike? heh ...

CLosing up, you see my favorite JB Beer Noodle stall on the right. The duck rice (Left) is pretty good as well.

For RM5 (small), you get small bite size beef which are really nice & tender. RM6 (big) gets you more ingredients like tendons & other spare parts of moo-moo. And what makes this especially delicious is probably the special dark sauce, which I think it's a combo of dark soy sauce & braised sauce from beef. Simply delightful.

Queues are long, so be prepared to wait about 15mins or so. And they are sold out usually by 2 or 3pm.

LOCATION: I realize the google maps are really outdated. there is no way to go via Jalan Lumba Kuda you see here. This path has been cutoff due to construction of new Johor custom & immigration Building

But you can reach Jalan Lumba Kuda via another route further up of Jalan Tun Adbul Razak. If you can't figure out how to go, drop me an email then.

View Larger Map

Bloody Week!

2008-04-27T00:03:00.000+08:00

Actually it started last weekend, but we couldn't do much until more support are available. Fortunately, issues finally closed, and I'm close to completing all the paperwork. Yeah, paperwork is really important, as the saying goes ~ No Job's Finished Until the Paperwork is Done *sighz*

Incidentally, I bought some Italian Blood orange recently. Being superstitious often, I wonder if they are the cause for my latest predicament *silly me* lolz

Blood orange hails from land of Mafia, Sicily ... aha! I wonder if the red color are any of their "good" doing! But no, really, the red colored are actually due to presence of Anthocyanin, the wonder pigment that suppose to be a powerful antioxidants.

The most common types of blood oranges are: the Tarocco, Sanguinello and Moro. Probably there maybe more hybrids or crosses.

The one I got was probably Moro, sweet, less acidic & packed with antioxidants ~ that's the way I like it! Unfortunately, I have already left with my last bloody strain. I'm wondering to have it neat or try blending them with some green fairy spirits *grinz*

Well, we will see .....

Popcorn Parable

2008-04-20T12:37:00.000+08:00

As I was still pondering over the lesson in The Parable over some popcorns recently, some new lessons seems to sprout out from my head again.

Isn't it amazing how a small raw corn kernel can puff up into many times its size by mere application of heat?

It's the same with life - you need at least a seed, an idea to build into something of grandeur scale. If you do not have any seeds or ideas, you're simply an empty popcorn bag or vessel with no direction in life, no dreams, no living.

With this seeds, they will allow you to expand in all directions - no I don't mean anatomically but the direction in life leading to your dreams.

The heat refers to your plan & action. Needless to say, not all popcorns will pop. So if the seed don't pop, don't waste time to apply more heat, discard them!. Again, in life, there is no point in holding on to unrealistic dreams, when ideas don't hold, it's better to discard early and move on.

And so what if there are too many seeds or ideas - just do them in batches, step by step you achieve without them overwhelming yourself

Several lessons can be pickup from here.
1. Everything starts from an idea
2. If idea is unrealistic, discard & move on
3. If there are too many, plan & execute step by step

Lastly, if you are lucky to have enough popcorns for yourself, share it around. Your kindness to friends / stranger will surely gladden everybody hearts.

p.s: btw, I just ran out my last pack of popcorn, would you be glad to share your popcorns with me ;P

Ejector Room?

2008-04-20T12:33:00.001+08:00

Hmm ... I often wonder what goes behind the door of this Ejector Room? Heh ...
(The End)

Tanglin Halt Chicken Biryani

2008-04-20T11:10:00.000+08:00

Queues don't lie, this is especially true when comes to food. And so, when I chanced upon a queue at Blk 49 Tanglin Halt Rd, Peking Room Kopitiam, I wasted no time to join the queue.

Surprising, Peking Room Kopitiam don't sells Peking food, not even typical china food. There's a chinese porridge & malay food stall which was closed when I was there for lunch.

Tanglin Halt Roti Prata was named so probably because they sell Roti Prata in the morning (One of Singaporeans' favourite breakfast & supper).By noon, they also sells Biryani for the lunch crowds.

When the plate of Chicken Biryani arrives, it sure doesn't looks so appetizing. I took my first bite anyway and pleasantly surprised at the soft textured rice. It reminds me fondly of Bario Rice (Highland rice that are only grown in Kelapit Highlands@Borneo) which I bought from Kuching last year.

Another bite at the chicken showed up another surprise - it's very tender and it would seems like the meat fibers have been shredded internally, though it still looked as complete outside. These tastes wonderful!

Curry is fine, flavorsome but bit tone down for my palate. Overall, I enjoyed this Biryani and will be glad to be back for more.

WHERE: Peking Room, Blk 49 Tanglin Halt Rd

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Earth Day 2008

2008-04-19T01:25:00.000+08:00

Earth Day falls on 22 Apr. Hopefully by now, everybody should be aware that our dearest Earth is falling sick rapidly. One way to help is to keep yourself & others informed on the ongoing environmental issues as well as learning ways we help to reduce these damages.

In conjunction with HBO Asia, National Library @ 100 Victoria Street will be screening the An Inconvenient Truth
Venue: National Library Imagination Room
Date/Time - Sat, 19 Apr 2008, 3.00 pm

If you missed this, you can still catch it at Singapore Botanical Gardens
Date : 20 Apr
Time : 11am - 1pm ; 2pm - 4pm
Venue: Function Hall, Botany Centre

Source: http://www.climatecrisis.net/

And if these are still not enough .....

National Nature Society is organizing Earth Day celebration at Yishun Park on 26 Apr 2008
NSS: Celebrate Earth Day at Yishun Park

Singapore Zoological Gardens are having special events during Earth Day
Singapore Zoo: Celebrate Earth Day 2008

National Geographic Asia also having special programmes on this special day
NGCAsia: Earth Day Specials

And how about trying this cool software called, Localcooling, said to help optimize your PC power consumption!

As for yours sincerely, having watched "An Inconvenient Truth", I'll probably will be lazing around elsewhere doing nothing, consuming nothing & hence wasting nothing. After all, from the look of this noticeboard, I'm not sure what I can do other then nothingness? In fact, they even wanted me to walk there too!!! ;P

Remembering Songkran

2008-04-14T00:09:00.000+08:00

I was in Bangkok for Songkran during 2006. Fun time though I must say, it's really too wild & too HOT (i.e the weather) for me.

This Year, Songkran falls on 12 – 15 April 2008. Yes, it's happening right now. More info in the following link
Songkran.Net

Though I will won't miss the truly mad water battles, I sorely missed the Khao Chae (Rice in cold Jasmine scented water, served with various delectable condiments) that are only available during summer.

The web link shows the official performance during Songkran with Grand Palace in the background. For the unofficial water battles, check out my slideshow :)

All Blacks

2008-04-13T17:54:00.000+08:00

It's seems like a black day for me, I seeing a lot of black today LOLz

I was having my Javanese Nasi Padang, and this black cat comes around, coaxing me for some Sambal fish that I was having. I'm surprised this blackie seems to be able to handle the fiery hot chili. I remember feeding spicy fish to cats elsewhere, they wouldn't take it at all.

Isn't she a lovely cat!? Reminds me of Everready Batteries LOLz

Elsewhere, I spotted a cool Harley Davidson VRSCDX NIGHT ROD SPECIAL

Oh, there was a BLACK SLK200 Roadster parked nearby, but somehow I wasn't so interested in that ;P

Turkish Delights

2008-04-13T17:34:00.001+08:00

Someone have been touring Turkey & gorging on copious Turkish food & delights *so envious* and all I got was this. *sighz* ;P

From 080413-Turk

Oh, I found this Turkish Sweets at NTUC, love the slight spiced taste. Unfortunately, I no longer could find them again at NTUC :(

p.s: Please ignore the Read More in this post; It been appearing ever since I add extra codes to hide/expand long posts. Quirks of Blogspot that never got improved ever since I left them a year ago. Good thing they finally added Category (via Label features)

The Parable

2008-04-12T18:48:00.001+08:00

I'm sure many have already read about the Mexican Fisherman Parable, if you have't done so, you could read from here, here & here. I like this parable but since most have been written from western perspective, I thought I just writeup an Asian edition as well too ;P

So here goes ......

While touring around Northern Thailand, a modern Asian tourist stumbled upon wonderfully aromatic & delicious rice cooked by a Thai Villager. Upon further queries, he learned that the villagers have been harvesting wild rice in a secret spot amongst the mountains. He complimented the Thai for the fantastic rice and asked him how long it took to harvest them.

"Not very long" replied the Thai

"So why didn't you stay out longer and harvest more?" asked the puzzled Asian

"Because it already sufficient to support our family daily needs"

"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"Well, I have long afternoon naps & tea with my lover, play with children a little, soak in hot spring bath, enjoy driving around the mountains. In the evening, we go village to visit my friends, play guitar, sing songs & be merry ..... "

The Asian interrupted. "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you achieve greater success! You should start harvesting longer every day. You can sell extra rice your harvest to generate more revenue.

"And then?" asked the Thai

"With extra revenue, you can employ more people. This will brings in more harvest and hence even greater profits. After which, you can start export the rice yourself, expand your geographical reach for even better profits! Then, you can leave this small village and head to big modern cities, setup big enterprises to make even more money"

"How long?"

"20, perhaps 25 years?

"And after that?"

"Now, this is where it gets interesting. Once your business becomes really big, you can IPO and start selling stocks to make millions & millions of dollars"

"Oh really? Okie, and after that?"

"After that you'll ve able to retire, live in small village, have long afternoon naps & tea with your lover, play with your children, drive around and spend evening with enjoying with your village friends."

************* Self Thoughts *****************
Quite often, we have been locked in that silly rat race, trying to achieve success & happiness as defined by others. Did we stop, step out for a moment, and asked ourselves what we truly wanted? Who knows, we may already be there!

The original Mexican Fisherman story is a inspiration for me, It has taught me not to be blind follower of herd in the pursue of success & happiness. Instead, we should define for ourselves what truly ours.

Hopefully my asian edition is close to what it's trying to teach.
********************************************
Notes about Photos
All photos in the slideshow are taken during my trip to North Thailand (Mae Hong Son) during 2002. They are taken at various places - Mae Chaem, Pai, Mae-U-Kor. The Mexican Sunflower fields are spectacular.

More information can be found in the following website.
Travel Mae Hong Son

Chow Time!

2008-04-09T01:47:00.001+08:00

Tucked in the HDB heartland Kopitiam in Ghim Moh, Western Chow cooks up Hainanese style Western food that were once served to British Colonial Masters of yesteryears.

I have a go at their Hainanese style beef stew. At $6, I do think it's a steal! Gravy was delectable & vegetables wonderfully done.

More importantly, the stewed beef are incredibly tender, just look at those teeth marks of mine!
I surely be back for more favorites like Hainanese Pork chops, Ox-Tail Stew etc soon!

ADDRESSES
Blk 134 Lorong Ah Soo
#01-454
Singapore 530134
http://www.westernchow.com/html/main/maplorongahsoo.html

Blk 19 Ghim Moh Road,
#01-229
Singapore 270019
Closed on Every Tuesday.
http://www.westernchow.com/html/main/mapghimmoh.html

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New Millennium

2008-04-09T00:08:00.000+08:00

I adore traveling, trekking, food, photography & bit of booze, caffeine. Okay, good spring water too, especially after my trip from Kyushu savoring spring water from source.

I worked very hard so as to afford all these pleasures within my means. But something went wrong, terribly wrong in fact. There seems to be less & less time for all my favorite things, not forgetting the perpetual tiredness that comes along the way. And as the song "Millennium" by Robbie goes ....

Some say that we are players
some say that we are pawns
but we've been making money since the day that we were born
Got to slow down,
cause we'll low down.

Yes, indeed its time to slow down. Maybe temporary, wish it will be eternity though. Here I am, trying to find the laziness in me. Not the laziness as in loafing aimlessly, but "laziness" as being more efficient so that I can laze around more often with my favorite things.

Efficiency is intelligent laziness. ~David Dunham

And so, Finding Mr Lazy was born as an exploratory blog, in search of intelligent & creative laziness. Needless to say, it will be dotted with my favorite things too!

However, due to my new found "laziness", this will eventually be a weekly weekend updated only blog. But I'm sure you'll understand why :)
........................................................................................
I had a short stint in Sydney during Millennium 2000. A gorgeous sunrise greeted me one fine day. It was a beautiful day .............

Welcome Aboard!

p.s: And oh yes, I will experimenting with Adsense stuffs as well too. Cheers!