♥♥♥♥♥

Several weeks ago in London, Sandy - my regular IM buddy, sent me some pictures of Samantha's new office at Central.



She tempted me back to Singapore with tantalizing offers such as this. "Let's hang out here when you are back!" she suggested. Sure, anywhere with great company is great.

The weeks passed rather s-l-o-w-l-y and soon I was back in SG for a visit. I met HT for tea and we hung out at Burger King, waiting for Sandy to turn up. We were supposed to meet at 530pm.

Me: Hey, I am at Central already.
Sandy: Oh, oh I should be reaching soon.
Me: Okay, give me a call when you are here!

The call never came and I was slightly concerned that HT would be late for his next appointment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Samantha standing a distance away from our table, staring at us - slack jawed. I waved frantically and she reluctantly walked towards us.

Me: SAM! Come, sit down.
Sam: Huh, cannot. We need to go up.
Me: Sit down first lah. Sandy isn't here yet.
Sam: No, cannot. I need to go up now.

Ht and I were both puzzled. We had pulled chairs around for her and wanted her to sit down. Sam, on the other hand, seemed quite insistent on going upstairs.

Me: Why?
Sam: I need to bring these bottles of coke to Ivan.
Me: (HUH)
Sam: Hurry up, I need to go upstairs.
Me: But Sandy is coming.
Sam: It's ok, we can head up first. When Sandy arrives, I will come down and pick her.
Me: (HUH)

HT and I exchanged the looks of "HUH".

Me: Aiyo, so troublesome. Why don't you go up first?
Sam: No, no. You are coming up with me.
Me: But Sandy is coming! I just called her and she said she would be here in 10 minutes.
HT: Sandy always late one. You all go up first.
Me: Let me call her.
Sam: Okay, you call her.

And so I did. Sandy requested me to go up with Sam first. After finding out she was with Alan who would be able to provide some company for her, I obliged. We took an elevator up to the rooftop where there was a beautiful garden, adorned with deck chairs, sofas, and jaccuzis. As I stood there admiring the venue, suddenly, out of the bushes - Alan popped out.

Alan: SURPRISE!

My first instinct was anger. The first thought that came into my mind was that Sandy was somewhere waiting for him, but he has come up here by himself. Just when I was to retort to his disappointed quip of "Eh, why you not scared one?", a huge bunch of people emerged from some bushes!

SURPRISE!


And there was Sandy, with a huge bunch of balloons.

I am usually someone who is quite composed and in control of emotions. The key to maintaining composure is to conjure out every possible scenario to anticipate, so you are mentally and emotionally prepared for it. But this! I'd really thought it was going to be a girly-chillout session at a novel venue Sandy has discovered. Furthermore, my birthday isn't until July!

This, plus the fact that I do sorely miss all my friends in SG and other random factors contributed to the extent at which I was deeply moved when I saw my friends together. *Sniff*



In fact, I can say that many of my friends had put on a great pretence. For instance, Kenneth did not mention a whiff of this while we played tennis in the morning. He had casually asked me what I was doing in the evening and I responded with - Ah, hanging out with the girls. The only thing that could give him away was when I wished him Bon Voyage for his pending Korea trip, he waved me away without a word. Wah lao, I thought, so rude! He has since clarified that he knew he would see me later in the evening, and could send me his wishes for my trip back to London then. :P

Both Cynthia and Candice constantly IM-ed me for possible dates to meet up, despite knowing that they would see me on that very night!

The sneaky babes.


Oh yes, and not forgetting...

The sneaky bastards, *ahem*, hunks.


So, we gathered around to make merry and feast.


The place chosen was awesome. It has little pools and comfortable chairs. You can actually lie there and get a massage, if you want to!


Alas! Soon the dark clouds loomed, and we decided to move the party up to Ivan's office. There were champagne, a large array of food from pizzas to home-cooked beehoon to fusion gourmet takeaways. Looking at my friends gathered together was sufficient to make me filled with happiness. :)





Sandy even bought my favorite cake from Canelé Pâtisserie! She is this one person who probably knows what I like to eat and don't. Mmm, maybe that is because I am similar to Alan in terms of eating habits. Ha ha.

Behold - The Richest Chocolate Cake of all!


Happy Birthday to Me!


They even shared a gift for me! Honestly, I felt spoilt rotten. I was initially happy enough to catch up with my girl friends. Then, I was quite thrilled to see the pretty gardens on top of the Central. The surprise appearance of my friends celebrating my "birthday" was the climax of it all. I really didn't need anything else. That explained why I wasn't so excited about my gift, despite the cajoling to open it quickly.

I already had my dosage of happiness.

Of course, I still had to oblige with the crowd.



It's a Nokia E71!


It was a truly memorable day. Who cares if it was my birthday or not?

The Furnace known as London Underground

It is amazing that in a developed city like London, the most commonly utilized transport mode - the London Underground - is not equipped with air-conditioning. No doubt, London usually suffers from freezing temperatures 75% of the year. Still, I can't fathom why they can't build the air-conditioners that can be utilized the rest of the 25% of the year and just freaking turn them off the rest of the time!

Just imagine being squashed into the tube with the rest of the commuters who are sticky with perspiration, the air thick with odours. Ugh! I only had to suffer 2 stops from Waterloo to London Bridge and I felt faint.

The tube advice includes "Carry water with you." Ha! Do these people even take the tube? The peak-hour carriages are usually so squashed you can't even swing a bottle of water to take a swig.

Yet another reason to love Singapore's MRT.

Ahoy! All onboard!

Alan's sister, Doris, has chartered a yacht from Lifestyle Adventures Asia and invited us to spend a leisurely Sunday morning basking in the scorching sun.

We woke up in the ungodly hours to make our way to the shores at Keppel Bay.





We walked towards the rows of spanking new, sparkling white yachts parked neatly at the Marina.



Yello, all!


Alas, our yacht didn't look that impressive. Still, it served us well with adequate amenities and nice interior decoration.

The Hidden Treasure II


It has a great sundeck fronting the yacht, suitable for the skewers-wannabes to roast themselves mercilessly.

We aren't skewers though!


On the top deck, there is an alfresco dining area and a comfortable sheltered lounge area beside the captain of the yacht.



We were the cowardly sun-fearers who hid under the shelter, lounging near the captain with cans of coke, sprite and mineral water. The rest of the sun-worshippers could be seen at the sundeck, or at the alfresco dining area.



We passed by several islands - Kusu Island, St John's and Sisters Island...

Are people who live on Kusu Island called Kusuians?


We finally stopped at a quiet beach where there were two other private yachts. We anchored about 10 meters away from the island and lunch was served.



Apparently, lunch was served by Garibaldi - one of the top Italian restaurants in Singapore. However, being on a yacht does mean you can get quite nauseous, despite how delicious the food may be. I had very little portions, just in case I might get seasick.

Feeling a little green in the face.


The humidity in Singapore is just incredible. Sitting under the sun doing NOTHING could make me perspire tonnes. The only way to cool down is to leap into the waters, or dip your legs into the water from a quaint little platform at the back of the boat.



Doris and her posse proceeded to swim and do a little exploration of the little island.



We remained onboard, dipping our little toes into the cool sea, occasionally trying to spot swarms of little fishies.



Alan pedalled around in the kayak, others frolicked in the waters with beer in their hands.

It was definitely an enjoyable way to while away a Sunday morning.

Singapore Airline

I have been travelling via a number of airline companies in my life. Of course, my favorite is the Singapore Airlines, and very proudly so. A number of foreigners I have met have also mentioned their preferences for Singapore Airlines since the service offered is usually helpful and friendly (and pleasing to the eyes too!). Further, SQ has one of the best in-flight entertainment systems with the widest range of games and movies. In my experience, the stewards and stewardesses for European and American airline companies behave as if they were the lords and the ladies, bossing you around on the planes.

Nevertheless, being typically Singaporean, I still have one thing to gripe about SQ.

You see, I like Qantas or British Airways seats because they have foldable headrest.

Something that looks like this...


(Picture taken from here)

This very simple ergonomic property is extremely important, especially on long flights. It prevents my head from lolling over to a fellow passenger who might be (unfortunately) sitting next to me while I am snoozing. It supports my head, as opposed to my neck pillow which supports my neck. To get a good snooze on the flight, the best combination is to have the foldable headrest and the neck pillow.

For some reason, SQ has neglected this aspect.

So, I'm saying 'Hello, Singapore!' with a very sore neck and dazed eyes.

Strike!

Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union have walked out from their usual work tasks at the London Underground from 7pm yesterday to 7pm on Thursday, bringing the network to a standstill.

Yep, and the Tube breaks down again!


According to the Daily Mail,

Defiant Tube union boss Bob Crow vowed today to strike for "as long as it takes".
He refused to bow to pressure from the Prime Minister and the Mayor to order his members back to work - despite bringing misery to millions of commuters. The leader of the RMT union said he would keep industrial action going this week and next, regardless of the cost to London. Crisis talks had been due to resume today - but industry sources revealed Mr Crow would not be attending.

Wow. No worries about the inconveniences to 3.5 million London commuters, no worries about crippling London's already-injured economy. The Tube strike is set to be the costliest ever - with London businesses set to lose more than £50 million a day.

You know, Mr Crow, I don't see how the transport authorities or the Mayor can offer you any better terms, if the London's economy is to go on in this disrupted manner.

Now, Singaporeans, are you starting to love the Singapore's ever-stable SMRT?

Yello!

Selfridges is a popular chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom, founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store is located in London's Oxford Street and recently celebrated its first hundred years in business with a Centenary Exhibition of amazing events, stunning art installations and fabulous celebrities.



As Cynthia did her last minute shopping at Selfridges, we chanced upon a newly opened Yellow Café.



Since Cynthia's favorite color is yellow and my favorite kind of food is dessert, it is no wonder both of us got suddenly distracted and drawn to the colorful eatery.



We decided to have the Original English Cream Tea set as an appetizer to our lunch.

Cynthia says yay.


The very yellow store guide


There were scones, clotted cream, jam and of course, tea.

Sleepy Cynthia needs her tea..


..as I get unimpressed by the scones.


There was some deejay on a nearby stage blasting loud music, hence providing a less-than-relaxing atmosphere for me to rest my weary feet. Overall, despite the spiffy decor, I found the food rather mediocre and boring. I could produce the same scones and tea at home too. All I need is some reaaaally yellow cardboard as a background, I guess.

One O One

Felix finally completed his CFA Level 3 examination on Saturday, after countless weekends of revision. Woohoo! Well done, honey, on your discipine and hard work!

Weeks before the revered date, Felix was already planning his "Operation Action Hero" - a list of tasks and activities he wants to execute after he regains his freedom. One of them includes going for a nice dinner date.

For excellent dining locations in London, Toptable is the site one should utilize. It has a huge variety of great restaurants listed, sometimes offering many worthy discounts and special offers. The sample menus with prices and reviews are a great help too. After skimming through the seemingly-endless list, we randomly decided on the One O One Restaurant at Knightsbridge.





The One O One Restaurant is an apparently highly acclaimed fish & seafood restaurant located within the Sheraton Hotel, in Knightsbridge. The menu has been designed by a talented Head Chef, Pascal Proyart who specialises in the fish recipes from his native Brittany. A little cautious about the hype created by media, we visited the restaurant with some amount of skeptism.

However, the cloud of uncertainty gradually lifted as we arrived at the restaurant a good half hour before it opened. The waiter was friendly and helpful, offering us drinks and impeccable service, even before we were seated at our table.

The Les Pains included plain and brown bread - light, airy with a wholesome crust and suitably warmed. Felix was a huge fan of the Focaccia which was spongy and fluffy with black olive bits. The bread were accompanied by a duet of butter - one unsalted and the other mixed with salty seaweed. The latter did taste quite heavenly and not much was left after Felix devoured his fourth piece of Focaccia.

Amuse Bouche


The amuse bouche, literally translated as "mouth amuser" in French, is complimentary from the chef and consists of raw tuna bedded in a shot glass with couscous and coiffed with some kind of lemon mousse. (I didn't really remember every word of what the waiter was saying.)

Entrée


For starters, I had Red Tuna Tartar with Crispy Soft Shell Crab Tempura, Sushi Rice and Wasabi Sorbet while Felix decisively chose Scottish Smoked Salmon with Parsley Crushed Potato & Capers, Horseradish Cream Mouillette, Balsamic Jelly. Being a fan of sashimi, I love the fresh tasting red tuna pieces that have been cleverly mixed with a tangy, zesty sauce. The tempura was fragrant and crispy, with the crabmeat melting at your mouth as you chew. The most interesting part of this dish is actually the wasabi sorbet. It was cold, pungent and sweet - a unique blend of tastes I have not quite experienced before.

Plat Principal


Although the restaurant is famed for its fish recipes, I was feeling carnivorous last evening and opted for Roasted Spring Lamb Fillet with Olive and Rosemary Jus Garlic Confit Persillé, Ratatouille and Gnocchi. The lamb was one of the best-cooked lamb I have ever eaten - tender, moist and juicy. Felix had (after much great difficulty) chosen to indulge in Oven Baked Fillet of Wild Seabass with Niçoise Tapenade, Basil Crushed Potato, Mozzarella, Artichokes and Olive Oil Barigoule Sauce According to him, the fish has been cooked to perfection - light, extremely flavourful with the flesh dissolving at the tip of his tongue.

Dessert


For dessert, we shared the Cinnamon Poached Pear with Warm Chocolate Sauce, Meringue Stick, Almond Sorbet. The almond sorbet was heavenly and wonderfully paired with the poached pears drenched in generous amounts of chocolate sauce. It was so delectable, I swore we finished the dessert in less than 5 minutes. I even attempted to savour every drip of the chocolate sauce, with Felix trying to tilt that plate such that any remaining chocolate sauce can be easily ladled from the plate.

Throughout the dining experience, the service was timely, patient and warm. The waiters were friendly and rather knowledgeable, although their accents were sometimes difficult to understand.

What's more, the meal came with a 50% discount from toptable!