Walking with...SeniorSG50

I joined as a photographer in one of Singapore's historic events as they celebrate their Golden Jubilee. The event was coined as SG50 Jubilee BIG Walk 2015 held last November 29 of this year, what made this special moment was that it involved about 25,000 walkers, mostly senior citizens for a walk around historic sites in the city in an estimated 5km long walk.

The walk was to culminate the country's 50th year celebration to relive the past, appreciate the present and relish the future. I felt lucky to be participating in this once in a lifetime occasion. To be one with the people as they journey the historical fragments of their past and to feel their pride and joy in view of the awesomeness of the new infrastructures brought about by the improvements through the developments in time. 

The combination of the old and modern structures transpired among its people, where, both the older and the younger generations walked side by side at each other through the presence of their families, friends and even to those whom were strangers to them, but offered to give their time to support the seniors in reliving their past as they hold on to their wheelchairs and canes in their walk along memory lanes.

I will remember this day not only of the event, but also because this was my first volunteering work as a photographer. I finally got the chance to do so after contacting my friend while surfing the net for a volunteer position among the local lists of volunteer organizations. It was heart warming and an amazing experience to be at the moment and be able to capture the different expressions painted on the face of every senior citizen, the young ones and my fellow volunteers. Every smile is priceless, every effort to support was valuable.

Yet perhaps, there are no other people in this big event that feels luckier than the senior citizens themselves. To be able to stay longer and be witness to the great changes that took place as the years went on. They are the living proof of the struggles and success of this tiny nation. If given the power to do so, I would try to see through their eyes and relive the moment of the past. I remember my late grandmother in them and by saying this, I feel honored to be in their presence, for me, they are the last best story tellers and historians of this time. Their stories and experiences are the real treasures that cannot be contained in a museum, but inside the hearts and minds of every next generation of this country.

Please check out this link for more of my photos of this big event.

Til next time :)

A Perfect Recipe that Blends through the Heart

In my previous post, I discussed about my idea to join a Vietnamese cooking class and learn about the basics of preparing this wonderful Asian menu. More than anything else, I've met wonderful people that shared the same interest as mine, making this experience worthwhile and fun.

Just like the pan that's just starting to heat up, my interest took another turn which led me to no other than my own chef. The short introduction that she had on a site was enough to keep intrigues cooking in the back of my mind. She is a professional from another field before becoming a full time chef. She prefers to call her cooking class as the "Little Green Kitchen", the name of this class alone sets my curiosity on fire, I had to check it twice to make sure I didn't sign up for an all kids cooking class. 

Chef Shalu Asnani

To put all my curiosity to rest, I've finally decided to invite her for a short interview and much to my delight she gladly acknowledged it. Without much further delay, I am pleased to introduce my Instructor, Vegetarian Chef, Shalu Asnani founder of the "Little Green Kitchen" cooking class:

John: Did you ever see yourself being a Chef and becoming the owner of a cooking class?

Shalu: No! I started my career as a lawyer…but several years ago I moved to Beijing, took time out for me and re-discovered my passion for cooking along the way. Anyway, one thing led to another and I’m now a full-time private chef and cooking instructor!

J: We succeed at something because we love doing what we do best and we are influenced by people who are either close to us or by that somebody we look up to. How did you develop your love for cooking and where do you take your influences from?

S: I grew up in a family of full-time home cooks and during my time, kids didn’t have play dates, so I was always hanging around the kitchen when I was bored, as meals were being cooked for the family 3 times a day! My grandmother was an amazing cook, very precise, had a great palate and placed a huge emphasis on cooking from scratch without using processed ingredients, so I didn’t know any other way. The rest of  the family followed in her footsteps so I have always been surrounded by inspiring cooks and till today, I learn as much as I can from my mum and aunts.

J: Being a Chef and an instructor at the same time takes a lot of determination, what inspires you to teach people your knowledge in cooking?

S: I am passionate about being vegetarian, I truly believe it’s the best way to sustain oneself and the environment, not to mention the numerous health and emotional benefits, hence I am eager to teach people how to eat better and help them transition to a plant-based eating.

J: How did you come up with the "Little Green Kitchen" as the name of your cooking class?

S: Well, it’s a home based cooking studio specializing in "green" cuisine!

J: Most of the recipes in the class represent Asian cooking and probably of vegetarian, is that what you are passionate about and why?

S: I grew up in Singapore and have traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, training with chefs and picking up local cooking techniques along the way. I have a real appreciation for fresh, light and flavourful food enhanced with natural herbs and spices, hence Southeast Asian cuisine is my comfort food.

J: What are the preparations that you do before the start of the class?

S: Getting the right ingredients, measuring them out, washing them and separating them into different portions for the different recipes and getting ready all the required equipment. I like to be well prepared before the class so I can focus on teaching and giving my students full attention.

J: If you were to choose one ingredient from your menu, what would that be and why?

S: Tofu – it’s so versatile, can be grilled, sauteed, mashed, and is very flavourful when seasoned well. Plus, it’s high in protein.

J: If you were left with one kitchen utensil to work on what would it be and why?

S: I need 2 – a wooden chopping board and sharp knife!

J: How would you define a perfect recipe? 

S: One that is well balanced and you can taste all the flavours. I like taking my cue from Thai and Vietnamese cuisine where a lot of emphasis is placed on balancing the sweet, spicy, sour and salty flavours in a dish.

J: For the first timers in your cooking class, how would you describe "Little Green Cooking"?

S: Little Green Kitchen is a comfortable and friendly environment where you can either start from scratch or refine your cooking skills to take it to the next level. Anyone is welcome as long as you have an interest in cooking!

J: We feel contented after we've accomplished something, how do you measure your accomplishments at the end of each class? Any advice for aspiring cooks or chefs out there?

S: I feel really happy when students say they enjoyed the experience and more so when they tell me they will definitely be cooking the dishes again at home! Cook what you know and what comes from the heart, and people will flock to you to eat your food. Hone your skills in a particular cuisine and be really good at it.

J: Thank you very much Chef Shalu for taking time to answer the questions and for sharing the inspirations and for giving back your passion in cooking. Please invite them to your class:

S: To book a class please visit www.littlegreenkitchen.com.sg or contact Chef Shalu at shalu@littlegrenekitchen.com.sg for a customized private dining experience.

Aside from the curiosity that hounds me about Chef Shalu and her school, I started this interview with a question in my mind, "What makes up a good chef or a flavorful recipe?" The interview gave me the insights on the idiom "The home is where the heart is" that truly transpired our humble beginnings. 

The values that our families shared becomes a perfect recipe and the warmth of love that we felt is what added flavors in it. As what Chef Shalu had put it into words, "A perfect recipe is one that is well balanced and you can taste all the flavours in it" 

So, if you happened to taste a bad menu or been served by a grouchy chef, you know where to start looking for answers. Hope you'll all find inspirations and learned something from this interview as much as I did, especially for those aspiring in becoming a chef/cook.

Til next time. :)

I'm Alone and It's Awesome

While on the train a few weeks ago, I noticed this lady holding and reading a book in her hands. Nothing much different from the ordinary except that, the title of the book immediately captured my attention. "How to Be Alone" by Sarah Maitland, thoughts in my head suddenly went bouncing back and forth like lotto balls. I was like, who would want to be alone? and more so, why write a book teaching people how to be alone? That's quite a terrible gift to give to someone or even to buy for yourself. Only people who wants priesthood or becoming monks for a vocation would want to have that.

The book was that compelling to me that I decided to have a copy and began reading it. The author's opening introduction right away touches the questions I had in mind the moment I saw that lady from the train. It presents the readers the author's gains and experiences about her taste of solitude from her own personal life accounts. Her issues with separations and living a life alone as a writer. 

Indulging oneself into a life of solitude is met with a lot of criticism and even viewed as a serious cultural problem in the present times, it raises questions about identity and well-being, the author continues. A person engaging in such form of activity is subject to be labeled as sad, mad, and bad. He spent a life of solitude because he is sad and therefore he is becoming mad for doing so. If he isn't sad, then most probably he is bad, a psychopath. The book primarily covers a short history to define and understand the path how our present society evolved oddly in discriminating people who would rather choose to live a life of solitude. From the Romans political civilization and the struggles of the early Christians to pursue a different set of values opposite to the Romans.

The critics of silence find the desire for it as madly, for reasons that it is unnatural for humans to live a lonely life, humans are designed to belong to a pack and to deviate to such is simply ill. It is pathological, man ideally needs the intimacy that can be found in a relationship. It is necessary to health and happiness. Being alone can be dangerous, if something happens to you even in a mild accident, there will be no one there to save you. The list continues from being antisocial, an escapist where a person runs away from the realities of life and living a life of fantasy, and to be selfish person whom only want to seek his own pleasures and feeding his ego.

Though I haven't fully finished reading the book, the question now is, did the author convinced me to be a follower of solitude or for that matter accepted the fact on how to be alone? In many instances, "FEAR" was emphasized by the author as the driving force why many would rather choose not to experience a life in solitude. Fear to be labeled by the social critics. Fear of being discriminated from what is considered normal by most of the civilized world. However, the author stresses that "KNOWLEDGE" is the best antidote to fear and to which I agree. We tend to fear what we don't really know and that becomes our anxiety leading to a more negative self realization that may further lead to our own destruction.

At some point, we needed to switch off our buttons and just be alone with ourselves. To temporarily escape from the chaos and to reprogram our minds into our inner peace so that when we come back into the world of realities, we are refreshed and ready to face the challenges one more time. Being in solitude as the author suggested doesn't need to really go into isolation, we can learn to be alone with ourselves reading a book, taking some coffee, listening to music, a kind of meditation that puts the mind and the body at ease.

Most importantly, and this I fully agree with the author, to be in solitude, it should be freely chosen and not forced on you to be beneficial. After going through solitude, the author began to appreciate more her family, loved more. Secondly, you must have full knowledge and understanding of yourself. So while the author engaged into full solitude, I on the other hand, believe in taking things into moderation. I love to be in touch with my family and some close friends of mine. But even so, I have this deep feeling that we are born to be alone and we will leave this world alone.

Til next time!

I've got the bug

My dear readers, I apologized for being away for sometime. I got caught up with some kind of flu and I am still having this bad cough that just seem to linger for awhile. I'm pretty much fine now, except for this cough which is a total turn-off I guess. Leaves me barking like a dog at night, which I find it hard to sleep. I only see one good thing about it, I find a way to keep the burglars off my place.

Having a cough is so irritating to say the least. I feel like swallowing my whole arm and reach down inside my throat just to scratch that itchy sensation that just won't go away. When it strikes, it's like having that electric drill inside my body and that everything I touched vibrates with it. I can't keep my fingers steady on the keyboard and I lost track of my regular weekly exercises. 

I went to see a doctor and she prescribed me the usual stuff, you know, those round lozenges wrapped like medicines in a foil, a cough syrup with no label, probably containing special formula, mixed in this cylindrical white container, and some extra anti-inflammatory meds for my possibly swelling throat due to coughing. 

Feeling like the real chosen one coming out of the doctor's clinic, I walk with a little pride of the stuff that I got from her. Walking like a boss, as if telling everyone "Hey, look!? see this small plastic bag? it has cough syrup and lozenges in it different from the ones you got from the ordinary over the counter meds. It has special powers specifically made for me. This will take away my cough and flu in no time. So bleed with envy" Two weeks have passed and I am still coughing. Went over the counter and bought the old trusted brand.

Hopefully, I'll feel better by next week. I have an upcoming and interesting topic to share with you guys. I wish you will all find it something amusing and worth reading. Who knows, you'll be learning something new as well. So stay put and keep safe everyone OK? Don't let the flu bug get near you :)

Till next time!

Welcoming A New Kid in Town

A close friend of mine invited me to be the godfather to his son's baptism last Sunday. It was done under the Catholic rites so a priest was the one that administers the baptismal. I became the instant photographer that day as my friend's assigned official photographer was late. To make that more specific, I was the substitute photographer, but it was such a pleasure for me to be a part of that very special day for him and his family. 

Easter Candle

 I couldn't recall how many times I was invited to be the godfather to my friend's sons or daughters. I guess that made me officially a good choice for a "godfather material" friend. 

The only problem with it though is that, I couldn't remember all of their faces, once when they were still babies and right so when some of them were already grown-up. But I think on the hindsight, I could be at the right advantage here for having an appropriate excuse for missing their birthdays, holiday visits and those other gift giving events *smirk* --- just kidding of course =D.

The thing is, if you have attended once or before a Catholic baptismal rite, there are in fact hidden meanings to the things that are being used during the rites. Here are some few trivia.

Assembly. this refers to the whole church members, family, friends and godparents who were present in the church to welcome the baby to the Christian community.

Baptismal promises. parents and godparents gather around the child to proclaim their promises to the child and their belief in the baptismal rites usually inscribed along the Apostle's creed.

Water. the priest pours water over the baby's head as a sign of cleansing the sins. It also symbolizes life, of physical life and of spiritual life into which the baptized person enters into.

Baptismal candle. the candles were lit from the Easter candle which symbolized Christ as the light of the world. The eyes of the baptized child have opened to the light of creation and by the flame of faith which will guide her through the rest of the child's life.

White garment. symbolized the child's new life in Christ. The color white speaks of life's purity, a new life and innocence. 

Finally, the Role of godparents. godparents represent as the second parent to the child. When the parents of the child died prematurely, or becoming irresponsible, the godparents could step-in for the welfare of the child. To nurture the child's faith towards a better Christian living. 

So becoming a godparent to the child doesn't end after the photo sessions are over or when all the coffees and cookies are gone. There are big shoes to fill in the life of the child besides just giving Christmas and birthday gifts every year. Being a godparent, really means becoming a good role model for the child, supporting his or her developments both in faith and his moral upbringing.

There you go. Til next time :)

Bells Ringing like Water Droplets

As the night slowly takes the light of the day, the humidity at the Jubilee Bridge doesn't feel the end is closing in yet. It seems to be celebrating the glory of the sun as it is about to set at a far distance. Heat rises up from the ground and meets the air above it; circulating a warm and very humid gush of air. 

Thirst was becoming a big factor and with every drop of water from the water-bottle feels like a million dollar liquid gold, quenching away your thirst, like nothing on earth could. Yet amidst all these pressing factors surrounding the environment at the Jubilee Bridge that afternoon, I noticed this one uncle, slowly pushing his cart full of cold and breath taking liquid golds of different tastes and flavors. Soaked with ice in a big red rectangular tin cart. He seems to know where to stop and when to come in for the rescue or shall I say, to make a kill for the profits of the day.

Like bees smelling the sweet drop of honey from a flower, the irresistible view from the center of the bridge where an uncle and his cart were, is just like manna from heaven. A pond in the desert or a dew on the leaf. People swarmed his cart in all directions, to grab on something cool and refreshing, enough to fade the thirst and the humidity. Starting from the sunset to the blue hours of the sky, passers-by and the likes couldn't help but get caught at the sight of the uncle's red tin cart. As if it wasn't getting enough attraction, the uncle unleashed his most precious eye-catching "yellow umbrella". A final trick on the sleeve and an act that seals the deal.

I needed to get hold of my senses and prevent myself from falling into the spell,  just to keep my focus on the camera. Regardless of my thirst and uneasy feeling of the heat, I must capture this scene now or forever stay guilty for not doing so. Uncle and his cart are the hero of the day, just like any heroes, they don't die but just fade away. So before he fades away and be remembered as the legend of the Jubilee Bridge, here he is serving the people. I captured his acts before I slip into the darkness..

Til next time :)

Learning to Tame the Flame

I had my first cookbook probably like 5 or 7 years ago. I still keep it well and in good condition, this must be one of my gift when it comes to taking care of books. If there's a guardian of the books then probably I'll fit in that description.

The cookbook was hardbound and it contains about 1600 wok and stir fry recipes. I haven't tried most of it, simply because some of the ingredients are quite hard to find. But those that I've tried further drove my interests in cooking deeper into the realms of the hot and burning world of woks.

So, I've gone from one cookbook to another and jumping from one site to another exploring for more recipes to try on. I even evolved and became a fan of the food channels on the cable network. I used to not like it, but there must be truth in the saying food makes wonders.

This week though, like some ray of inspirations, I decided to take my cooking interest a notch up. I have signed up for a Vietnamese cooking class. I intentionally wanted to join the Thai cooking class, but the schedules were full. So anyway, it was fun and exciting. I've learned to prepare three menus, 1.  Fresh rice paper rolls with mango and mint 2. Spicy tofu with lemon grass plus basil and 3. Vietnamese crepe.

I've gained additional tips during the class, such as for the fresh rice paper rolls, you only need to dip the rice paper rolls in the warm water as quickly as possible otherwise, it will become soggy and too sticky to roll. 

If the fiber starts to appear more while you're chopping the lemon grass, you may want to peal off the outer layer and start with the fresh inner layer. Mushroom stems tend to be hard and it's not nice for cooking. They're usually chopped-off for other usage such as for soup base. 

I've learned to do proper julienne (cutting to result in longer, thinner strips), it usually starts off with cutting the sides of the vegetable such as a carrot to form angles or corners like a box. Start slicing the sides into thin layers and proceed to cut into thin strips.

I've done the right way to chop using the chef knife, holding the top of the knife with your fingers while trying to guide the middle of the knife's sharp edge to do the chopping. This is usually easier to do than using the knife's sharp edge near the point of the knife. 

I basically came to class to correct my own mistakes, learn the proper methods and perform the simple techniques, but what I got was more than what I paid for, I've met wonderful people, teamed-up and enjoyed learning together with them. That to me was priceless.

The photos above are the menus we've cooked in a roughly 2 hour cooking session. The first was the spicy tofu, the fresh rice paper rolls and the Vietnamese crepe. I am more than happy to share the recipe here, but due to copyright notice attached to the recipes, I'm not able to do so. Apologize for that guys.  

Til next time.

:)

Is The Doctor In?

I figured in a bike accident last June of 2014 after going down a rough, rocky and steep slope during one of my first time adventures in a remote island close by together with my friends. The place is familiar to both tourists and locals because of its natural and man-made scenic. To get there, you'll have to take a small boat from the mainland which will cost you just a few bucks and reach your destination in about 15 min to 20 min probably.

The accident caused me scraped skins below my right eye, on my cheek bone, and on my left knee. I had a deep cut on my chin that required seven stitches to close it, a minor fractured left wrist that had me wore a cast close to a month or so, and a torn pants.

I decided to write down some of my thoughts about it and you can take this advice or tips whenever you feel it's useful when going for an adventure or a bike trail.

Bring your own bicycle. As much as possible and whenever you can, try to avoid renting. I'm not saying that renting a bike is bad, it's just that, you're in for less risk when riding your own bike. Nobody is more familiar with it than you. You know the feel, the fit, the grips, the brakes. You've taken a ride on it for a long time and you've treated it like a trusted friend. Apart from these, you can save by using your own bike.

Check the rented bicycles. If you can't avoid renting, do a thorough check with it. Take a quick ride on it to get you familiar with the bicycle. Check the breaks well. Have a feel for the height, if you're not satisfied, ask the guy to adjust it for you. Try to shift speed and check if it works. Don't forget the chair, it should be properly fixed and doesn't loose easily.

Avoid renting the same types of bicycles. This was probably one of our mistakes. My friends and I rented the same color, the same type, the same model of bikes. We decided to park them beside each other near a tree after we've reached our destination. Upon returning, we just took off and rode with it not knowing if we have switched bikes or not. In my case, I can't forget how that right hand break caused the front wheel to stop on a down slope. I'm used to a right hand brake to control the rear wheel and I'm pretty sure I checked the bike I rented before that.

Take note of the emergency numbers and watch out for trail warnings. I was lucky enough that my friend was riding behind me when that happened. Importantly, he's able to get the emergency number to call for assistance. Trail warnings can easily get lost of our sights specially when you're not really minding about it or when your excitement adrenaline are high. I didn't notice the steep slope warning sign and everyone seems to be just riding their bikes downward so it's easy to get caught with the majority.

Bring along extra first aid kits. I believe this is quite a very common advice when trailing but just to emphasize it once more. The emergency response team may get some time before they'll reach your location. Better to get prepared.

Have a friend or two to get along with you. If you can, try to tag along a friend or friends when going out to unfamiliar places. You'll get to form a support group when unexpected things happened along the way. 

Plan your adventures well. This should be at the top of my list here, to plan your activities well before setting out. Our adventure wasn't really planned out, it was just as the spark of the moment, my friend invited me and he invited another friend of his and we three just met on the same day. Originally, he planned to go fishing and I planned to go taking pictures. We only got to learn about renting bikes after we arrived there. We are all first timers in that place. 

Travel light and wear protective gears. I was carrying my camera equipment at my back when I was rolling down the slope. This plus a misplaced hand brake are just the perfect recipe for a disaster. So, if we have planned our adventures well, these could have been avoided.

I was able to recover following the post therapy sessions, although I still find my wrist a bit stiff. The bonus part was when my doctor took a picture of me while he was holding my phone to be part of my remembrance after removing the stitches on my chin. He convincingly asked me if I actually want to have one. Cool, huh? Hope you get something out of my unfortunate adventure.

:)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I finally had the chance to explore the Singapore Philatelic Museum. The building itself already had a lot of stories to tell. Built in the early 1900s and was initially part of an Anglo-Chinese school, it was later restored and transformed into the current stamp museum where it proudly stood originally decades of years ago.

Spices and condiments

Going inside this beautiful piece of historical structure was even more exciting as it opens up that nostalgic feeling from the past as I go through the collections of old stamps, memorabilia and priceless historical facts that tells about the origin, the culture, the struggles and success of this tiny nation of Singapore.

This 2-storey stamp museum is literally like a giant stamp book collection. Each of the rooms that I go to represents the pages of the book and it tells of a story that is just like looking right straight through the eyes of my grandmother.

Big wooden doors are left open, inviting you to step, and go back in time to witness the events unfold before your very presence. Remnants from the 1800s parcels and seals had spoken of an era where Singapore was still at its infancy stage. Trying to recognize her roots and identifying the different immigrants that flooded her soil. The shifting of powers from her colonizer up to the present times were all captured in the letters and stamps that serve as her blue prints for the future where she now stands firm and proud.

Gents

As the new Singapore continues to grow, its journey is in part documented inside other rooms. Linking the modern country from its past as a form of respect and valuing the lessons it manifested. 

Having been enlightened by the nation's historical journey, a little topping on the cake is a welcoming sight as it tries to incorporate an educational kid's corner or room to keep the youngsters entertained and at the same time make learning fun for them. Meanwhile, humor has also found its way around the museum building as seen from this toilet's sign. 

Truly, there's a lot of value and reasons to give respect to the past. One can only look into the history to understand fully the course of the future. In the words of a famous Roman philosopher "To know nothing of what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child." -Cicero

For more photos of my visit to the Singapore Philatelic Museum please go to this link to photos:

Til next time :)

Flashes in the Rain

Going around the neighborhood from my rented flat after a heavy afternoon down pour, I came to these four common structures that I regularly found or see in here. You are likely to discover these same structures co-existing in every community town council if you are staying in one of these buildings and are using these public amenities here in Singapore.

Singapore homes

HDB (Housing and Development Board)

If you are someone new in here, you could easily mistake these as commercial buildings but they're not. These tall building structures are home to most of the people here in Singapore. These are commonly termed as HDB. A term that was derived from the very government board under the Ministry of National Developments that takes care of the housing programs and the developments for the welfare of the Singaporeans in terms of providing quality homes and living environments.

In some other ways, they are called flats. Where options to own a 1-room, 2-rooms, 3-rooms types of flats and so on are being offered depending on the terms and conditions set by the Singapore government regulations that maintains the much needed cost effective approach that will allow each Singaporean family to own a decent house for themselves.

Singapore's version of the children's community playground

Children's playground

You will never miss these fancy colored structures around Singapore's community. They are like the usual TV sets where in every home is a must have.

Made of durable plastics, built to protect the safety of the children, these structures were designed to allow the kids to explore and have fun. The floor area is covered with rubber mats and some of the posts were enclosed in a rubber protective as well. 

Common to these playgrounds are the slides, bridge and ladders. Others may include small plastic rock climbing walls and some simple mind games like the tic-tac-toe.

So if you happened to plan to get your kid into one of McDonald's play areas, but failed to do so, don't fret, just head to one of these playgrounds near you.

Hawkers

Hawker Centers

These are the fast food equivalent of Singapore except that it offers wide varieties of local and even some western recipes in their menus.

Common home cooked local cuisines are the usual top priorities of these food stalls found in these hawker centers. Much like the western fast foods, all you need to do is to choose the menu of your liking, pay for it and then wait as it is being cooked at the same time.

Hawker centers are being graded according to their cleanliness and hygiene practices. Administered by NEA(National Environment Agency) of Singapore, the stalls are graded from A to D where grade A being the highest and grade D as the lowest mark. If you're not that finicky go ahead and try it out, the foods are simply nice.

Public Fitness Area

Fitness Area

With the Singapore government's effort to indulge every Singaporean into a program about keeping their health in tip top shape and a priority, they have built these public fitness areas to provide them with the much needed basic equipment to support them in their daily simple exercise routine. 

These include sit-up benches, pull-up bars, and chest presses just to name a few. So if you're looking for that Arnold Schwarzenegger's physique just drop by in one of these fitness areas and sweat your hearts out. Most importantly, these are free to use and no membership renewal to bug you ever.

There are many other icons and structures around other places that identifies them as uniquely Singapore, but these four areas in the community seem to stand out as quite "the common" when visiting this place.

Til next time :)

Dress code: Formal

Waking up quite late on a Monday morning, bright sunshine lit and filled the room from the window next to my bed. I can hear the sounds of the wind in the trees, leaves rustles and birds gleeful songs that already occupied the empty park outside.

Nothing so special about this day so I said to myself, just the normal routine of a simple man like myself. Funny that I used to count the days as it comes by but now everything seems to be in an enclosed capsule where time doesn't exist and everything else is moving so slowly like in a slow motion state.

While slouching over the sofa trying to figure out what’s going to be my itinerary for the day and hoping not to get tangled into some paralysis by analysis, I was surprised to hear my phone ringing coming from my room. It took me for a while to identify that it was from my phone because I normally set it on vibrate mode, but by some twist of fate, I set the sounds on and with a thought of giving it a try. I am surely certain that I have lost track of the tunes that goes with it and I just want to make sure it still does sound good the way it was made to be.

With eagerness, I quickly rose from the couch and went to pick-up the phone, I stared shortly at it and with some bit of anxiousness as I try to figure out who this number was before I blurted out the word “Hello?!...”. Then a soft and gentle voice of a lady came out of the opposite line confirming my name and the resume that I’ve sent over to her email address. She informed me of an interview to be scheduled the next day at 11am. I thought it was one of those credit card agents, but to my relief, I gladly agreed on the schedule and sincerely thanked the lady. I confirmed the email she sent through my personal email address and I was left with an ecstatic feeling for the rest of the day as if I’ve won some $100 from the lotto.

I’m not really into a suit and tie or the business attire, I just don’t feel comfortable wearing one. I’m a regular dude who’s into shirts and jeans and maybe some casual clothing when just heading for work. I’m in the manufacturing and technical sector for a long time now and that’s usually the dress code so it’s not really a big deal. Except this day is my interview and it was required from the email confirmation, and so I headed to my closet and searched for my trusty business attire minus the tie. I chose to wear a light blue long sleeves and tucked it in a khaki chino pants then paired that with my old durable brown leather boots which I polished the night before. I stood in front of the mirror and did a final check of myself with a few minutes remaining. Feeling like a big time buffoon, I quickly grab my house keys and walk my way towards the nearest bus stop and took a bus towards the interview venue.

With my mind preoccupied with the how's and what's of the interview, I suddenly realized that I left my phone back home. I thought that it’s going to be least of my worries since I’m pretty much self-assured that my name will be registered as an expected guest for this interview event most probably at the reception area, or so I thought. It turns out after I arrived at my destination, that’s about 3-5min before 11am, the building houses many offices with different firms even though it’s all under one company name. How am I going to know that, when all the details are in my phone through my email?! Worse, I am so dependent on my phone.

I wasn’t ready to push the panic button yet, I told myself, “go check your name on the guest list” which I did, but the guard at the reception told me that it’s not their usual practice, they always go by whoever was your contact person. Strike two, again, I don’t have the name or couldn’t remember the name of the contact person. My panic button is now reaching boiling point, but I’m still trying to keep my cool. I have one final attempt, I’ve asked the receptionist to allow me to make an outside call to contact my friend and ask for help to open my email address but just like moments before a disaster, the phone call turned in vain as I couldn’t contact my friend, strike 3. With my panic button now reaching the super hot lava level, I have no choice but to press the button. I left the company without any means to contact my interviewer and to inform her. This is the first time that happened to me.

Still feeling determined, I’ve searched for computer shops nearby, but couldn’t find one, and in the end, I succumbed to the defeat. I left took another bus and head back home, now I feel like a real buffoon. All those preparations for nothing. Upon reaching home, I contact my interviewer, apologized and found out she was also trying to contact me. I’ve requested for a reschedule which she gladly offered in the afternoon on the same day.

Bottom line, I’ve learned that, to always save or write down the details immediately and keep it somewhere safe, maybe inside your wallet or bag that you’re going to bring with you on the day of the interview. It’s better to have a copy than nothing at all. Low tech is still the king!

:)

Was it change or just temporary?

It's almost a month now after I quit my current job. I now considered that an item for the old chest. Working and leaving my so called life's bread and butter wasn't that all easy, specially when time starts to show how harsh it can get and how it can leave you defenseless to emotional scars. My mind keeps going back and forth with "what ifs" until finally all you can do is just to give in.

It wasn't that I am forced to change my job, but rather I was presented an offer to work on a different field which I have always wanted to do. To try my foot on different pastures and wander just to see how far and green these pastures are for me. I am always open for changes, to me the challenges it present will always be an added experience and a big item in my quest for life's big box of chocolates. Maybe, I'll discuss more about this new offer when the time comes on a separate topic.

We cannot escape making big decisions in our lives, this is just like day and night, it is there and you'll just have to accept and prepare yourself whenever it turns knocking at your door one day. Certain events, whether good or catastrophic, birth of a child, wedding, going to different places, losing someone, new career changes and the list could go on. Mine came end of June this year and I have to make quick decisions whether to jump into the opportunity or stay. So like the real follower of Aristotle's principle about knowing thyself, I grab this opportunity as something new, kinda exciting, worth to learn.

I've decided to end my connection with my current job when August comes, so July went into much preparation and then executing the plan. I prepared my resignation letter, signed and folded neatly into a white envelope and finely scribbled the name of my boss at the back. I placed it on top of his crowded table at his cube, after trying to find a room for it before I left my night shift job so that he can read it first thing in the morning. As I am walking towards where the shuttle bus was parked which usually takes us to our home destinations, I cannot contain my mind from imagining how the sequence is going to be, from the time my boss arrived, as he is setting himself and into finding the letter with his amazement or maybe a surprised look on his face, he starts gently or even hurriedly opening the letter out of the envelope then begins reading it...

The cool breeze of the early winds touching my face and the first sight of the morning sun gives me a feeling of calmness amidst this imaginative chaos boiling inside of me while listening to Miley Cyrus song "The Climb". Yes I know, hold down your reactions first, this song was released before the coming out of the "wild" Miley Cyrus, so yes, it's a valid feel good song and you cannot twerk on it.

My body and mind drifts between the reality and the dream land as I struggle to keep awake just in time to reach home and snuggle into my precious bed. It's always a mental and physical fight going home coming from the night shift job and which most of the time fatigue is certainly almost is the winner.

I was in between dreams and nightmare sort of state when I was awaken by a buzzing sound at around 2pm. Feeling a little bit dizzy and groggy, I picked up the phone to answer it and whatever I felt before that just seem to disappear when I heard my boss's voice at the end of the line. He called just to confirm my last day of service, then without another word, he thanked and dropped the phone. I was left staring at the ceiling and thinking whether I was still dreaming or I am just imagining. One thing for sure, I had a hard time going back to sleep afterwards. Another item for my eye bags.

The remaining times I spent with my team were just trying to teach them some tricks of my own in solving some of the common issues we've met along the way. Towards end of my time at work, my sentimental part of me started to kick in, I always have this feeling of attachment to the people and the place that I have worked with specially when having a supportive team such as mine. So seldom you'll find this kind of team in a workplace, so whenever you've found one, it's quite a bitter sweet emotional stir. My team was composed of different people from different places, from the technical side down to the production side, but we get to know and worked together as a good team. I felt a little of the mixed emotions right there.

As I was about to exit my work place, I've met outside another group of our support team and greeted me and trying to convince me to stay back for a short time, whether it was just a gesture or for real they know at the end of the day, I am certain to do my curtain call and survive the new challenges ahead of me. While walking away to do my final adieu, I had this thought popped out somewhere from inside my remaining brain cells "while change is the only permanent thing is this world, permanence is with the presence of a temporary state, so was it change or just temporary?" A state at which the world has both to offer.

:)