As I reflect…

Sometimes things may not happen as planned, while at times some things may go awfully wrong. We often complain life is hard on us... but when you look at the apocalypse of Japan’s tsunami on Friday, won’t you agree how lucky we actually are?

Imagine your house disappears, your car floats away like a toy, your family members missing... and everything you've worked for for the past 30 years of your life is swept away in just minutes. When I watched the CNN clip on repeat, it was surreal. I just couldn’t imagine myself being able to cope with the fear and lost of such a scale… 

Despite the awful weekend which I hope will never happen again in my lifetime, I feel really so lucky that I’m safe in the comfort of home and still have a chance to argue with loved ones. Life isn’t so bad afterall is it.

My heart achingly goes to Japan.  

Pressroom Bangsar

Last weekend was my sister’s birthday. Lazy to cook, I decided to treat sis to dinner at Pressroom @ BSC, it’s a vintage European brasserie serving French and English food. 

They have a good variety of wine from many countries, sis and I were so delighted to find our favourite Chablis in their wine list!

The Haute Food Co

If you are looking for cozy new cafes in KL, here’s an idea. Thanks to Piffles who found this place through blog reviews and suggested that we should check it out. I’m the kind of person who is usually disciplined with the weekdays diet but when it comes to weekend (Sunday in particular), I tend to indulge a bit more and let my hair down. The Haute Food Co, Haute is pronounced as “Oht” is a small joint located in Plaza Damas, Sri Hartmas. 

You can choose alfresco or indoor but since the weather wasn’t breezy, we picked the indoor seats.

Singapore Night Safari

I’ve heard about the SG Night Safari since ages ago and finally, I had a chance to see it myself earlier this month. Frankly, I’m not really a zoo person. I like animals but the ones I usually see in the zoo are pretty depressing, as they are either sedated to sleep most of the times or miserably locked in cages. tell me, when was the last time you visited a zoo and actually saw a cheerful animal? Anyway, point aside I was pretty excited about the Night Safari because conceptually the animals are supposed to be living in the wild!

A school of pretty flamingos dancing in the muddy pool

Tit Bits of Singa-land

Some random pictures I took in Singapore recently.

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin at Ion Orchard– I opted for chicken meat instead of their signature pork katsu but I have to say it’s delicious all the same. Be it the curry, batter, radish pickles or rice, all cooked to perfection.  yummy!

Siloso Beach

During a recent trip to Singapore I was craving for some suntan and beach goodies, so we went to Siloso at Sentosa to check out the beach on a beautiful Saturday. The weather was sublime.   

You can get there either by bus or taxi. But as a tourist, I did my part and took a cable car from Mount. Faber to Sentosa Island. It costs SGD 22 for a single ride.

Singapore Food Galore

One thing I learnt about dining in SG, it’s absolutely essential to make table reservations in advance. Especially if you plan to dine out on a weekend, most of the popular restaurants in SG are usually already fully booked. On a Sat night, we took a cab to this family run Italian restaurant somewhere in Bukit Timah in an attempt to get some delicious Italiana, but only to find out they require 5 weeks booking in advance.

5 WEEKS!!! That’s crazy.

Universal Studio Singapore

Visiting Universal Studio is like experiencing movies come to live. Imagine shaking hands with ogre Shrek and Fiona; or dance with the Madagascar’s animals (for real); or be awed by the magnificent Return of The Mummies. Oh not to mention learn how these million dollar production movies were made!

Uniquely Singapore

For suburban working middle class Malaysians like you and I – one of the major attractions in neighboring Singapore is of course, SHOPPING! hehe Orchard Road is a shopping haven, it’s a 2 kilometers road beautifully landscaped and flanked by distinctive shopping malls catered for all walks of life. Last I heard the number is still on the rise. So if you are like me who have limited time to spend on shopping, it’s wise to do some research and devise a little smart plan before the trip, prioritize which shopping malls will best cater your tastes and needs so that you can make the most out of your shopping spree. :)
  

I’ve picked Ion Mall as it has a good mixed of European and local brands and style, followed by Takashimaya, Paragon and Wheelock Place.

Shangri-la at Orange Grove Road

Lodging in Singapore is getting crazy expensive despite the rise of hoteliers there. This trip, I get to stay at Shangri-la Hotel for 4 nights… not the kind of contem boutique hotels I’d normally go for but it was luxurious alright. The hotel is tucked behind shopping paradise Orchard Road (about 10 minutes walk) and covered in lushes of greens. Superb location I’d say.  

 

Their swimming pool is massive. Sunbathing beds are usually covered in shades thus provides a cooling effect even on a hot day. I took dips at the jacuzzi, swam laps, read a book and in between I still managed to squeeze in a siesta.