All the while I've expected to be summoned by the traffic police for my driving but this is utterly rydikulez. My first summon is for jaywalking. I was taught to look right and left to check if the road is safe to cross, even for jaywalking.
As the road beside Tampines Interchange's McDonalds was cleared of buses, I safely crossed the road when I noticed someone waving at me. That someone was a fully uniformed traffic police. When he asked for my identification, I can't help but to laugh at my luck. Between my best friend and myself, I'll be the one waiting for the green man. Just for this instance, I saw my bus arriving hence I made my way across once cleared. Sadly I got stopped and missed my bus.
When he returned my identity card, he mentioned to expect a $20 summon to be sent to my address. Fine, I admit it's my mistake that I jaywalked but seriously, shouldn't the police be deployed elsewhere. There are more pressing matter with the rise of dead bodies found over a 3-month period. I would made that comment to the dear traffic policeman but I knew he was just following orders. What are his superiors thinking?
I would conclude that all this was done to replenish the country's reserve. Since the last GE2011, concerns of high cost living were the issue. The government is planning to cut down certain expenses but with the pension payout to 5 ministers, the country reserve may not be sustainable. Hence to replenish the reserves and to relive the reputation of a "Fine" city, they are taking action.
말도 안돼
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Broers Cafe
Nestled in a little corner near City Square Mall, stands a newly open cafe established by two former baristas. I've worked with one of them before and was amazed by his pride and passion for his brew. His enthusiastic relations with the customers is commendable too. I've heard about his dream of opening his own cafe with the experience he gained at the former cafe.
Now, after years of searching and countless hours burnt establishing his dreams, he and his partner finally opened The Broers Cafe. It may not sit at a convenient location but for all the coffee lovers, you should check out the cafe.
The minimalist decor made the cafe a cozy corner for people to enjoy their cuppa. The high stool along the bar is a splendid concept for the two "Brothers" to interact with their customers about anything. The two are quite a chatterbox and their topics are quite versatile, a good way to keep the customers engaged. The other sitting area is quite spacious too, perfect to cater for events. Though sadly The Broers Cafe had just started operations, they have yet to set up a Wifi connection. Maybe it's a good way to stray off those laptop-welding/endless-studying table hoggers like those in most cafes. They can be quite a nuisance.
How about the main objective of a cafe, the coffee beverages? The Broers Cafe serves basic espresso beverages and simple blended beverages. By far, I've tried the espresso beverage, a cappuccino and also a sip of the americano. Boy, did I missed that espresso shot pulled from a manual espresso machine. The intensity of the shot with the creaminess of the steamed milk have been greatly missed. I can no longer have that manually pulled shot at my "usual" joint and the Broers provided the ancient legacy. The art of espresso have been revived. Others may have them but not many could provide that elegant intensity. Well done Broers!
Lastly, the food offering maybe minimal but it does look appetizing. I've tried a slice of the tiramisu and it was splendid. The moist and creaminess of the cake is easy to the palette and it definitely compliment the beverages. I will definitely try the others on my next visits.
The Broers Cafe is definitely young but the essence of a great cafe experience is excellent. They maybe out of the way but it's worth the travel. Do check out the updates at TheBroersCafe.sg and their Facebook for the location.
안녕...
Now, after years of searching and countless hours burnt establishing his dreams, he and his partner finally opened The Broers Cafe. It may not sit at a convenient location but for all the coffee lovers, you should check out the cafe.
The minimalist decor made the cafe a cozy corner for people to enjoy their cuppa. The high stool along the bar is a splendid concept for the two "Brothers" to interact with their customers about anything. The two are quite a chatterbox and their topics are quite versatile, a good way to keep the customers engaged. The other sitting area is quite spacious too, perfect to cater for events. Though sadly The Broers Cafe had just started operations, they have yet to set up a Wifi connection. Maybe it's a good way to stray off those laptop-welding/endless-studying table hoggers like those in most cafes. They can be quite a nuisance.
How about the main objective of a cafe, the coffee beverages? The Broers Cafe serves basic espresso beverages and simple blended beverages. By far, I've tried the espresso beverage, a cappuccino and also a sip of the americano. Boy, did I missed that espresso shot pulled from a manual espresso machine. The intensity of the shot with the creaminess of the steamed milk have been greatly missed. I can no longer have that manually pulled shot at my "usual" joint and the Broers provided the ancient legacy. The art of espresso have been revived. Others may have them but not many could provide that elegant intensity. Well done Broers!
Lastly, the food offering maybe minimal but it does look appetizing. I've tried a slice of the tiramisu and it was splendid. The moist and creaminess of the cake is easy to the palette and it definitely compliment the beverages. I will definitely try the others on my next visits.
The Broers Cafe is definitely young but the essence of a great cafe experience is excellent. They maybe out of the way but it's worth the travel. Do check out the updates at TheBroersCafe.sg and their Facebook for the location.
안녕...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Marina Bay Sands Theater - The Lion King
I am still fascinated with what Marina Bay Sands has to offer. When it first opened, I got to marvel the unique Helix bridge on the path to MBS. Next, I was awestruck by the vastness of the MBS Shoppes even though the shops were not operational. Then, I ride up to the Sky Park which sadly was a disappointment because it's only a 1/4 accessibility. I returned to MBS during the fully operational MBS Shoppes and awestruck for the second time by it's selection of shops. And when the Art Science Museum opened, I explored the interior of the unique Lotus structure for the Salvador Dali exhibition. And lastly within the week of the museum, I returned to MBS for the Sands theaters for The Lion King Musical.
![]()
Coming from a high school theater background, I truly enjoyed the experience of theater productions. Gone were the days that I'll be backstage, now I rather be the audience. Though most of my theater that I've attended were by tertiary production and the experience were sub-standard. I also attended a musical which was quite interesting, a different element to theater. It may still be a tertiary production, but the different element truly was a great change.
Now attending a proper theater production, is truly amazing. The Lion King was truly a great experience. The show has a 360 degree experience and thanked Hakimbo for the aisle seats, it enhances the atmosphere. Price may be quite steep for the seats but the location was just superb.
![]()
The show truly followed closely to the movie with an added local references which was truly enjoyable. The musical score was orchestrated with an African vibe that truly provided the authentic mood of the Pridelands. The props were beautifully designed for the vibrant visuals. The comical essence was true to the show and local references made it funnier somehow.
My experience for a proper musical theater production has truly been a great one. And the fascination for Marina Bay Sands has not left me. Now, I'm left with dinning, staying over and maybe the casino(which I would rather not, just like smoking).
안녕
Coming from a high school theater background, I truly enjoyed the experience of theater productions. Gone were the days that I'll be backstage, now I rather be the audience. Though most of my theater that I've attended were by tertiary production and the experience were sub-standard. I also attended a musical which was quite interesting, a different element to theater. It may still be a tertiary production, but the different element truly was a great change.
Now attending a proper theater production, is truly amazing. The Lion King was truly a great experience. The show has a 360 degree experience and thanked Hakimbo for the aisle seats, it enhances the atmosphere. Price may be quite steep for the seats but the location was just superb.
The show truly followed closely to the movie with an added local references which was truly enjoyable. The musical score was orchestrated with an African vibe that truly provided the authentic mood of the Pridelands. The props were beautifully designed for the vibrant visuals. The comical essence was true to the show and local references made it funnier somehow.
My experience for a proper musical theater production has truly been a great one. And the fascination for Marina Bay Sands has not left me. Now, I'm left with dinning, staying over and maybe the casino(which I would rather not, just like smoking).
안녕
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Foreigner In My Own Land
As much as I love to travel and experiencing different cultures, I would still love to return HOME and return to the culture and society that I grew up with. I'm a Malay Singaporean but I don't look Malay. My family categorized me as an "Indo-Extract" because of my mixed Indonesian heritage of Boyanese, Javanese, Bugis and Chinese.
I enjoyed the days when people were curious of my race. Cabbies would speak to me in Mandarin where I gallantly replied in Mandarin. Now those days are gone, with the influx of Foreign Talents especially the Filipinos. Cabbies now will asked me in English, even a Malay uncle greeted "Salamat". I furiously replied him "Terima Kasih" in a thick malay accent.
I still remember my first encounter way back in 2007 when I returned to Starbucks in the CBD. A "malay-looking" customer was waving at me while he's in queue, pointing towards the pastry case. In Starbucks, there is a practice of calling down the line where we'll get the order started before cashing out. As I came up to him, we started yapping something in a different language. I just gazed at him in bewilderment as he continued talking. It was a good 1 minute yap because there's no way for me to butt in "Excuse me". When I the opportunity came, he replied "Oh you're not Filipino?" in Tagalog. WTF!!! Both of us were embarrassed, him talking to me in Tagalog and me being a joke from then on.
Seriously, this incident has been going on till date. This people would blatantly communicate to me and most of my friends in Tagalog, and reply "Oh not Filipino" with majority change of enthusiasm when serving. Hello!!! Singapore not Manila!!! You guys have such obnoxious courage to try and see if we're one of you by speaking Tagalog. Most Singapore would still speak English when in doubt.
Recently, one of them managed to identify that I'm not one of them. But something ticked me off when he asked, "How often do you go back Malaysia?". I asked why go back and he asked me if I don't go back to my family. WTF!!! And the same "OH?" came out of his mouth when I said I'm born here. You're a freaking PR and don't you know that the Malays were the aboriginal and Indonesian, Chinese and Indians came to trade and build a society here. I hated him since, wait I hated him since the start (another story as you read on).
Singapore used to be litter-free. Now there's litters of them everywhere(Singapore is still clean). It used to be them clustered around Lucky Plaza and the park where Ion's was built over Sundays. Now they're everywhere on all days. They're packing the transportation which became a national issue. They're renting housing units which rises the cost of housing. So housing became another national issue because Singaporeans can't afford the price that was bench marked due to the foreigners. And lastly, they're taking over professional positions which also became a national issue.
And here's the last story I'm going to share about employment. I was initially employed as an executive but was pulled back the position before I started work due to no experience and the company do not want to create internal dispute for people who have been awaiting their promotion. I was fine with the decision as I require a job but a month after, my department hired a Filipino as an executive. Seriously??? As an employer before, I know foreign talents are cheaper, better qualification and they have a certain confidence that they are able to portray during interviews. They come in with degrees and experience but they're still doing shitty jobs. Local diplomas are worthless now, it's being graded similar to an ITE cert. We can't even get into the position that bench marked our qualifications, thanks to them and their degrees.
I'm fine if they can work based on their qualifications. They once show integrity because they were the minority before. Now that they became a common workforce, they tested the water and managed to skimmed through doing half-standard to shitty job. So this supervisor of mine produced shits that majority of the team are cleaning after. If my job offer is pulled because of him, I can take that position and do it better. If you can carry the balls of the boss, I know how to pull down your reputation which the team is doing currently. We had enough of clearing shits. Even the China employees are doing better than them.
I may have a few Philippines friends and they are somehow not the typical Filipinos. Heck, they're even against what had happened in Singapore. I'm became truly unhappy with the Filipinos ethics and it felt good that I managed to snapped at some of them. My patient tolerance is just not meant for them.
So please get this straight, I may be in an identity crisis but I sure am not a Filipino
I enjoyed the days when people were curious of my race. Cabbies would speak to me in Mandarin where I gallantly replied in Mandarin. Now those days are gone, with the influx of Foreign Talents especially the Filipinos. Cabbies now will asked me in English, even a Malay uncle greeted "Salamat". I furiously replied him "Terima Kasih" in a thick malay accent.
I still remember my first encounter way back in 2007 when I returned to Starbucks in the CBD. A "malay-looking" customer was waving at me while he's in queue, pointing towards the pastry case. In Starbucks, there is a practice of calling down the line where we'll get the order started before cashing out. As I came up to him, we started yapping something in a different language. I just gazed at him in bewilderment as he continued talking. It was a good 1 minute yap because there's no way for me to butt in "Excuse me". When I the opportunity came, he replied "Oh you're not Filipino?" in Tagalog. WTF!!! Both of us were embarrassed, him talking to me in Tagalog and me being a joke from then on.
Seriously, this incident has been going on till date. This people would blatantly communicate to me and most of my friends in Tagalog, and reply "Oh not Filipino" with majority change of enthusiasm when serving. Hello!!! Singapore not Manila!!! You guys have such obnoxious courage to try and see if we're one of you by speaking Tagalog. Most Singapore would still speak English when in doubt.
Recently, one of them managed to identify that I'm not one of them. But something ticked me off when he asked, "How often do you go back Malaysia?". I asked why go back and he asked me if I don't go back to my family. WTF!!! And the same "OH?" came out of his mouth when I said I'm born here. You're a freaking PR and don't you know that the Malays were the aboriginal and Indonesian, Chinese and Indians came to trade and build a society here. I hated him since, wait I hated him since the start (another story as you read on).
Singapore used to be litter-free. Now there's litters of them everywhere(Singapore is still clean). It used to be them clustered around Lucky Plaza and the park where Ion's was built over Sundays. Now they're everywhere on all days. They're packing the transportation which became a national issue. They're renting housing units which rises the cost of housing. So housing became another national issue because Singaporeans can't afford the price that was bench marked due to the foreigners. And lastly, they're taking over professional positions which also became a national issue.
And here's the last story I'm going to share about employment. I was initially employed as an executive but was pulled back the position before I started work due to no experience and the company do not want to create internal dispute for people who have been awaiting their promotion. I was fine with the decision as I require a job but a month after, my department hired a Filipino as an executive. Seriously??? As an employer before, I know foreign talents are cheaper, better qualification and they have a certain confidence that they are able to portray during interviews. They come in with degrees and experience but they're still doing shitty jobs. Local diplomas are worthless now, it's being graded similar to an ITE cert. We can't even get into the position that bench marked our qualifications, thanks to them and their degrees.
I'm fine if they can work based on their qualifications. They once show integrity because they were the minority before. Now that they became a common workforce, they tested the water and managed to skimmed through doing half-standard to shitty job. So this supervisor of mine produced shits that majority of the team are cleaning after. If my job offer is pulled because of him, I can take that position and do it better. If you can carry the balls of the boss, I know how to pull down your reputation which the team is doing currently. We had enough of clearing shits. Even the China employees are doing better than them.
I may have a few Philippines friends and they are somehow not the typical Filipinos. Heck, they're even against what had happened in Singapore. I'm became truly unhappy with the Filipinos ethics and it felt good that I managed to snapped at some of them. My patient tolerance is just not meant for them.
So please get this straight, I may be in an identity crisis but I sure am not a Filipino
Art Science Museum - Salvador Dali
I'm not really an arty-farty kind of guy. I may have a creative mind but not everyone can understand an artist mind. Hence I'm arty in my way. LOL...
Throughout my whole life, I dare to say that this is the second time I've been into an art museum. The first was Singapore National Museum during the Festival of Lights in 2008. Now in 2011, I've been to the newly opened Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands. I'm truly intrigued by MBS that I wanted to complete whatever that they have to offer. I'm left with the hotel stay and casino, I'll be checking the theater the following week.
Anyway onto the topic:
I first heard of Dali when I was in Starbucks Amazing Race, in search of Dali work in Singapore - Homage to Newton. Most of his works are eccentric and a term I learnt surreal. Dali with his iconic moustache does portrays similar surrealism and eccentricity as his work.
Another known work is the The Persistence of Memory, with his iconic melted pocket watch pieces. The painting was not featured at the museum but the elements of the melted pocket watch were everywhere. Other element that is scattered around the museum were the lobster and the Mae West Lips Sofa.
Actually, my main intention was to check out the Art Science Museum. My friends wanted to catch Dali's Exhibition so I wanted to tag along. Not wanting to be left out, I did a quick read on Dali and I managed to relate and appreciate most of his work.
Throughout my whole life, I dare to say that this is the second time I've been into an art museum. The first was Singapore National Museum during the Festival of Lights in 2008. Now in 2011, I've been to the newly opened Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands. I'm truly intrigued by MBS that I wanted to complete whatever that they have to offer. I'm left with the hotel stay and casino, I'll be checking the theater the following week.
Anyway onto the topic:
Salvador Dali
I first heard of Dali when I was in Starbucks Amazing Race, in search of Dali work in Singapore - Homage to Newton. Most of his works are eccentric and a term I learnt surreal. Dali with his iconic moustache does portrays similar surrealism and eccentricity as his work.
Another known work is the The Persistence of Memory, with his iconic melted pocket watch pieces. The painting was not featured at the museum but the elements of the melted pocket watch were everywhere. Other element that is scattered around the museum were the lobster and the Mae West Lips Sofa.
 |
| Litters of Lobsters |
 |
| Mae West Lips Sofa |
 |
| Melting Pocket Watch |
Lesson learnt:
Read up about the exhibit before going even though you'll be able to read them at the exhibit itself. The experience itself is different between going into the exhibit as a total noob than knowing some facts of the exhibit.
Check out my Flickr for the photos of the Art Science Museum.
Ja Matta!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)