(The crazy girls are back for another edition of Crazy Xmas, but this time, the boys stole the show. Sebastian Tan is always better in short 10 minutes doses..he did Frosty the snowman with a belly full of laughter. And Kumar is as usual, the star of the evening. All in all, it was a laugh-a-minute show, and it was good to see the DimSum Dollies whole again, with Denise Tan filling in the big shoes of Emma)
(Better than any roast suckling pig, Chinese style, this Spanish suckling pig is simply delicious. We got a real kick from it the first time ever when we were in Segovia, Spain..and we were hooked! We said we will surely check this dish out again in Singapore, and sure enough, this version at Serenity Restaurant did not disappoint. They even allow for the 'plate-throwing-breaking' stunt which brings good luck, if your order the whole pig. But a quarter was just nice for 2. Yum! )
(Whenever the hunger pangs build up and the peranakan girl in me shouts for comfort food, I head to the Peranakan Inn at Katong. The grilled fish with a sliver of chili paste is simply heavenly. Add the babi buah keluak, sotong with long beans and the chap chye, it is a perfect meal for two. And all these for less than $50..surely, the best value-for-money quality Peranakan restaurant in town. Just sitting in the restaurant with the owner's large matriarch photo on the wall brings back a ton of childhood memories. What a gem!)
(Took to the big stage this year by being the emcee for my children's annual graduation concert at the NTUC Auditorium, in front of a 430 strong audience. Nerve wrecking at first, but I delivered it like a pro. In fact, as the evening went on, I felt a tinge of sadness that the concert was about to be over, not realizing that I had successfully MC-ed my first ever event on a big stage. Yes, it's an experience for life! I feel like I have scaled a huge mountain today)
(Seeing them for the first time, you expect them to be smaller. But these giant panda bears are bigger than I thought. This most famous icon of the world's endangered species need little for us to get excited over..even as they lay almost still in this specially built cooled enclosure here at the new River Safari - Kai Kai was left out for public viewing whilst Jia Jia was kept in her den, seemingly on heat and awaiting Kai Kai's attention)
(The famous Erawan Buddhist Shrine, with the 4-face Buddha, was a must-visit for us, in this 2nd trip to Bangkok, this time, solely for some R&R. Do prayers here get answered? Well, mine did!)
(The guy knows all the Hokkien expletives on stage but it's his tuneful singing of his songs, both English and Hokkien, that impressed more. He seemed better in short doses, rather than one lumpsum of 90minutes, though. But his bringing on stage a "Mini-Me Beng" stole the show...all of 8-years old. Imagine what his life will turn out to be, being exposed to all these "benging" in his tender childhood age..let's see if he pops up on stage in 20 years' time with a bigger gutter mouth than Sebastian)
(The venue may be new but the songs of the Phantom are timeless. Saw this musical several times before but this time, seeing it in MBS makes the whole place come alive even more..must be the sound system in a more compact atmosphere. The scene where Christine is taken to the dungeon on a boat is still magically created. Will I see it again when the Phantom returns? Absolutely...)
(Pizza for over $100? Well, my pizzas had never crossed the $50 mark, so trying out the much acclaimed Mozza Pizzaria here, helmed by Chef Mario Batali, was always going to be some gastronomic experience. And so it was - our pizza was a lovely mix of thinly sliced ham and fresh vegetables on top, one I had never had before. But together with a juicy lamb shank, this meal was just nice for 2. Topped up by a delightful dessert with tiramisu origins, it turned out to be quite a treat indeed)
(This well known Arbat Street is filled with souvenir shops but at one corner stood Hard Rock Café, with a free-standing drum set drawing out the rock-chick in me. This trip to Russia rounded out nicely with an evening performance by the Moscow Circus, or a version of. The bigtop tent with elephants and tigers that one would associate with this famous circus were missing..but the show was pretty good quality still).JPG)
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(This massive square, rich in history, takes a good half-day to walk around. Behind the Kremlin Wall hides the 3 large cathedrals..and of course, the workplace of one Mr. Putin, whom we 'caught' lounging around the square. Not to be outdone were his more illustrious past, Stalin and Lenin. Just a few days back, Usian Bolt was caught shooting his lightning bolts around the square too, as part of the IAAF games)
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(How can anyone contain one's glee at the sight of this magnificent cathedral? The St Basil's Cathedral is truly the one icon that represents Russia..seeing it is similar in feeling to seeing the Great Pyramids for the first time. The beautifully coloured 6-onions at the top are simply outstanding. So many images on TV of this cathedral that I have seen before but now..it is right in front of me! Jump for joy! )
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(We weren't searching for Snowden at the Moscow Airport but the timing of the affair - just weeks prior to my visit - made this stop at the airport kind of special. Being a good-size airport, we can see why he made it there comfortably for so long. But how about that speed record on that train from St Petersburg to Moscow, eh? 208kmh, the fastest train I had been on.. comfortable and impressive!).JPG)
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(Venice again? No, it's St Petersburg still, but can you see the similarities? An amazing sunset greeted us..and it's almost 10pm! You can see clearly now why this city is called the Venice of the North. Against this city skyline, this moment before the sun drops below the buildings is so beautifully peaceful)
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(If there's a Winter Palace, then there must also be a Summer Palace, for Czar Peter the Great. Filled with fountains, all 64 of them and 2 lovely gardens, this beautiful palace is filled with people, both locals and tourists. Seeing so many Russian beauties, one get the feeling that supermodels and Sharapova's are everywhere in this country; just look at this one behind me..ahh, to be young again)
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