1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #24 - KLGCC

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #24

- KLGCC, Kuala Lumpur Golf Country Club, Malaysia

(Surely one of the most impressive golf courses in this region. Both18holes courses are delightfully tough, with natural surroundings in many holes. Plus their nasi lemak is a must-have to kill the morning hunger pangs)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #23 - Eric Carle

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #23

 - Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Mermaid Theatre Nova Scotia, Fusionopolis, Singapore

(This children's story is a gem, but when performed by these Canadian puppeteers using flourescent puppets in darkness, this wonderful story and its lovable caterpillar simply jump out at your face! Wow, never seen it done like this before..ever)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #22 - Malacca Yong Tau Foo

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #22

- Yong Tau Foo Noodles, Malacca, Malaysia

(One of the best street foodstalls in Malacca and inside a non-descript blue-coloured shop corner - 50m from Bayview Hotel -  is this delightful noodle shop with excellent yong tau foo picks and charsiew add-ons that will shake your tastebuds..yum!)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #21 - JPO

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #21

- Johor Premium Outlet, JB, Malaysia

(Okay, so it's not the size or sizzle of Pandorf in Vienna - see earlier posting "Places #12" - but still, it's quite impressive. Just 30minutes from the Causeway and with Burberry + Coach on its list of luxury names, JPO can be a nice getaway for some retail therapy)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #20 - Kaohsiung

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #20

- Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

(This massive Buddhist Monastery, the largest in Taiwan and possibly the region, housed the impressive 36m high Golden Buddha. The banner on the site caught my eye.."Do Good Things, Speak Good Words, Think Good Thoughts", a good mantra for life, indeed)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #19 - Happy Ever Laughter

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #19

- Happy Ever Laughter,
12 comedians, Esplanade, Singapore

(2 hours of belly-aching laughter, with Najip and Sebastian stealing the show with their sets.

And oh, that Obedient Wife and TCM Lady were new revelations ..they were totally spot-on! Kudos, Siti Khalijah and Judee Tan! And please develop both characters further)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #18 - Taipeh 101

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #18

- Taipeh 101, Taiwan

(Will this be one of the world's new Pyramids in 1000 years' time? One word comes immediately to mind..Wow! Even with half of it behind the clouds.)

1001 Places/Experience to See or Savour #17 - Milk Mango

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #17

- "Milk Mangoes", Pingtung province, southern Taiwan

(Mangoes+glutinous rice from Thailand, sun-dried ones from Philiipines, R2E2 from Australia but "milk" mangoes from Taiwan? Yes, what a super surprise to find them stacked high along the roadside in brilliant shades of yellow and red, and when they are cut fresh into thick icecube sizes that slither into your mouth, hmmm...)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #16 - Gardens By The Bay

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #16

The Supertrees in the evening glow, wow!

- "Gardens By The Bay" Opening Day, with Jason Mraz, Singapore

(This is a 2-in-1 experience that will uplift anyone to new heights! Imagine being serenaded by Grammy-winner Jason Mraz in his soldout concert, on the opening day of the new botanical icon, Gardens By The Bay, right here in sunny Singapore. Hello Life, I'm yours!)

A quote of eternal wisdom from Jason on the night:
"When our true love breaks down and forgets their greatness, it's up to you to love them back into the person you know them to be"

Jason and Corinne May

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #15 - Taipeh Night Market

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #15

- Liu He Night Market, outside Taipeh, Taiwan

(So much to choose from, so little time! The smelly tau foo was ever-present but the big surprise for me was the baked-pau with vege, meat and fresh oysters.. Yum..something different indeed, and possibly the best pau I have ever had!)

Dimsum Dollies' Emma Yong - gone too soon

It's a heartbreak to read that Emma Yong of the Dimsum Dollies trio had passed away.

Dimsum Dollies with the Bengs in Dec2011

She was indeed the lady with that golden voice. Thank you Emma, for giving me so much laughter every time I head out to watch you with your "sisters". We missed you on stage in my last outing to see you at the Esplanade (pix above). Rest in peace, Emma.

SINGAPORE 03May2012: Top theatre actress Emma Yong, one-third of the popular musical comedy "Dim Sum Dollies" has died, after a fight with cancer.

Nominated Member of Parliament and fellow actress Janice Koh tweeted late Wednesday night: "We have lost a beautiful actress and one of our most talented performers & singers tonight. Rest in peace, my dear Emma. Miss you..."

Ms Yong, 36, was diagnosed with cancer last year, but appeared to have recovered by the middle of the year, appearing in Dream Academy's Into the Woods in July. However, in December she pulled out of a musical to undergo treatment when the cancer came back.

An established name in Singapore's theatre scene, Ms Yong's acclaimed career spanned a diverse range of roles, from serious drama in Blackbird to lighter fare like Cinderel-LAH and Boeing Boeing, as well as in film (The Blue Mansion).

Of her death, actress Neo Swee Lin tweeted: "RIP darling Emma. Angels bear you aloft. our performing family has lost one of our greatest talents."

- TODAY

1001 Places/Experience to See or Savour #14 - Universal Studio Spore

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #14

- Universal Studios, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore

(Right in my own backyard and it is only now that I realised what a class act this Theme Park is! Took the 3D ride with Optimus Prime and BumbleBee, and gulp..I nearly threw up! But it was all in good spirits. Hanging out with stronger women like Queen Nefertiti, Betty Boop and Marilyn soothe my nerves somewhat)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #13 - Chao Tar Beehoon

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour after Remission #13

- Chao Tar Beehoon, Shi Wei Tian Restaurant, Joo Chiat Place, Singapore

(They really sell this thingie called chao tar beehoon? I thought it was only available from Mum's cooking..and only when she over-fries it? Well, this chao tar "kick" was there, alright and it was surprisingly tasty. This is indeed real comfort food, just the way Mum would have cooked it..go there, bring back the old memories and be surprised..)

**unfortunately, as of Jan 2013, this restaurant appeared to have gone kaput

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #12 - Parndorf

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #12

- Parndorf Designer Outlet, Vienna, Austria

(Over 150 quality outlets in 1 location? Is this real or am I in a dream? Surely, this must be one of the top designer outlets in the world. And with Gucci and Prada on the mall-listing, one can easily burn a hole in the pockets. 50% off, 70% off...wow! You know you had a good time when you have to stop at the Samsonite shop to bring your 'captures' back to the hotel room..)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #11 - Neuschwanstein Castle

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #11


- Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

(Walt Disney saw this castle and decided to make it their own famous logo; Amazing Race saw it too and decided to turn it into a pitstop for Season 20..and I can see why. It is beautiful, even if it was just seen from ouside. After a backbreaking, frost-bite-inducing 25min walk up the hills in -11C winter, it was very much worth it !)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #10 - River Danube, Budapest

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #10


- Cruising down the River Danube, Budapest, Hungary

(This alternative way of cruising the River Danube to see the beautiful city of Budapest is a must-do while there. From the Parliament to the Bastion, these sights from the water-angle are hard to beat, with the waves of this famous blue river swishing past you)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #9 - Studio Photoshoot

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #9

- Covergirl Photoshoot, ABC Studio, Singapore

(Time to refresh one's personal portfolio, and what better way to do so than pick up an ultra-low price Groupon for $15, and head out for a self-esteem-building "Covergirl" shoot that Heidi Klum talks about. But oh, just be prepared to spend another $100 because you can't bear to leave all those 30 other shots behind at the studio! )

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #8 - Krakow

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #8

- Old Town at -18C, Krakow, Poland
(Experiencing -18C is a once-in-a-lifetime event, which is mitigated by indulging in a lovely white fox-fur hat from the Old Market, to keep the brains from freezing! The last time Poland experienced such a deep freeze was 28 years ago. Brrrr...)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #7 - Auschwitz

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #7

- The Holocaust in Auschwitz and Birkenau, Krakow, Poland

(One cannot walk out of these concentration camps without being changed a little, inside us. And in winter at -18C, the camps bring a new meaning to the words 'inhuman atrocity')

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #6 - Brandenburg Gate

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #6

- Brandenburg Gate,

and the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany

(so much history in every brick on these 2 man-made structures..if only every brick could speak to us now, what stories they would tell..)