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10,000 Buddhas Pagoda [万佛塔] @ Chin Swee Caves Temple [Genting Highlands]

March 22, 2013, 8:30 am
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Travelling to Genting Highlands counts as one of the few journeys where you will find me holding tightly on to an empty plastic bag in case there is an urgent need to puke!

I would try my best to hold it in and the sight of a towering 10,000 Buddhas Pagoda on the mountainside always helps my brain to think positive; "bear it a bit more; the end is near!"

Given the soothing effect the Pagoda has, it would be really ungrateful on my part if i don't dedicate a full blog post of it in this blog; hence, let's begin with my ascent to its top.

For those who don't understand Buddhist scriptures or would like to know more about Buddhism without scanning lines and lines of words - take your pick from the long row of religious books, many of which include interesting stories and even illustrations to hold your attention.

The climb up the spiral staircase is easier provided there aren't many visitors attempting to do the same thing as you. Running up is strongly discouraged as it is easy to miss your footstep.

Fourth Level of Heaven [四重天] - to emulate the heavenly realm, the pagoda has nine levels named auspiciously in Chinese as the different level of heaven. Other that the naming, there is utterly nothing unique at each level.

Please don't expect a spick–and–span facility - i found numerous cob webs and dried bird droppings; tiny inconveniences for the peaceful serenity and calmness at the very top.

Level 9 - i took only three minutes! How the hell did it seem like that i took ages?! Have you readers noticed the "curtains of wire" hanging at the doors? They were installed to prevent birds from flying into the pagoda and dirtying its grounds! 

Oh! The ceiling has this huge lotus flower looking down. Guess most people are more interested in the breathtaking scenery at the pinnacle. 

Frankly, nothing beats being there to take in the view (plus, my photography skill is not great to begin with); i am going to push the blame to the low lying clouds as well!

Main square of Chin Swee Temple - do you know that superstitious gamblers would not visit this temple as they believe it is a Feng Shui landmark to help Genting Highland resort gain extremely good luck to earn from punters?

Instead of miniature statues, the 10,000 Buddhas mentioned refers to the donated Buddha tiles one can buy for a nominee fee to be placed in the pagoda. The slots are not filled yet so technically, the name 10,000 Buddhas Pagoda is incorrect.

Walked to the mid levels to take more photographs. 

Photographers interested in traditional Chinese architecture and culture would totally enjoy this place despite the fact that there is seriously nothing ancient about the man-made structures. 

Gondolas on Awana Skyway! For more details, click here.

These three lazy bums refused to accompany me up the pagoda and i felt to so guilty to have them waiting aimlessly for me! Well, to put things on a brighter side, i do believe they had a great time immersing themselves in crisp cool air peppered with strings of Buddhist recitations coming from a recorder. 

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Location
Chin Swee Caves Temple
Genting Highlands
Malaysia

Opening Hours
7.00am till 5.30pm 
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Absolut Vodka [Produced in Sweden] - Should I Put My Collection Up for Sale?

March 23, 2013, 8:30 am
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Many friends are aware i don't club and that i am a really weak drinker when it comes to alcohol. The two aforementioned conditions, however, didn't dent my interest to collect beautiful bottles of duty-free Absolut Vodka whenever i returned from an overseas trip. 

I amassed quite a good quantity and this would have continued if not for one simple reason; space and the lack of it. 

Since the bottles are now collecting dust and placed in a dark location hardly befitting of their glamorous status, i have been deliberating on the option to sell the entire batch to interested parties (my parents would be so glad to read this)!

There is a question mark in my mind though - would i flout any Singapore law since i don't have the license to sell alcohol and i got them without paying any duty?

Would be grateful for any enlightenment! 
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Mookata Thai Style Steamboat & BBQ @ Golden Mile Complex [Little Thailand]

March 24, 2013, 8:30 am
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Trust me; Thailand style steamboat-and-barbecue is going to be the next big thing in Singapore's dynamic food scene! The sign was clear - a queue even though it was already past dinnertime at 8.30pm! 

It would be extremely desirable to have Thai cuisine in its native country [Thailand, in case you are unaware] but in Singapore, there is one such place where you can have your fix of authentic yet economical Thai food; Golden Mile Complex.

Apart from being located in an authentic site, Mookata New Udon Thai Food restaurant is also often mentioned when it comes to Thai style steamboat-and-barbecue! 

Ordering was fuss free - order one standard set that came with a variety of ingredients. Insufficient? Just top up individual ingredients which were priced separately.  

Standard Set - for a person who has been spoiled with Chinese steamboat buffet style, the servings appeared to be a tad too little. 

Protein ingredients included squid, marinated pork, marinated chicken, pork liver, prawns, hotdog, crabstick and fishballs (beef was included but our dear lala doesn't eat the red meat so we chose to swap).

Guess you don't need further introduction on the vegetables. 

Rice was charged on a per bowl basis although you can get your carbohydrates from the beehoon. That plastic pack of whitish stuff contained a sinfully rich component! 

Steamboat and BBQ Equipment - the charcoal powered appliance has a weird dome in the middle where you barbecue your meat and a surrounding moat that holds the water for steamboat. 

Begin by placing the whitish stuff on the BBQ dome for lubricating purpose just like the way we use butter and oil on the griddle. By the way, the 'sinfully rich' stuff is raw pork lard!!! Yummy! 

Unique this equipment definitely is although its design can be frustrating for non-native users! The narrow strip of water made it difficult to put in big-leaf vegetables and the convex shape of the BBQ plate meant that some of the food would occasionally slide into the boiling soup! 

To be fair, the ingredients were fresh and the most important factor for me to revisit was the marinated meat. 

Unlike Korean BBQ, the marination was not as intense even though i actually prefer the taste of natural meat juices that was enhanced with the nutty flavour of sesame seeds.

There is a second reason for me to make a return trip to Mookata - the chilli sauce! I could not really describe the taste except it was like the spicier version of the popular Kimball Thai Chilli Sauce mixed with a generous amount of sesame seeds! 

Using charcoal powered equipment has a problem; smoke. Depending on where you sit, this would be an issue of irritation to your eyes. Bring along a set of new clothing if you are thinking of going somewhere else after your meal; the smell lingering on my clothes was bad.

Health conscious individuals would not take kindly to the above sight! Hence, i have made the executive decision not to bring my dad to Mookata; a bloody risk i am not willing to take!

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Location
5001, Beach Road, #01-66B,
Golden Mile Complex

Price
Standard Set - S$39
Rice - S$1 a bowl
Drink - typically S$1.50 each
[No GST and No Service Charge]

Additional Information
Don't order too much in the beginning as you can always request for top up of the ingredients when you have depleted everything from the standard set. As i said before, top-ups were charged separately; in the case of our extra serving of marinated chicken, it was priced at S$10.
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Penang Fried Kueh Teow @ Kedai Minuman Dan Makanan Tai Soon [Johore Bahru]

March 25, 2013, 8:40 am
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It was a day excursion to Johore Bahru with my family last week and my brother in law, knowing we are noobs when it comes to dining in a foreign country, drove us to a local coffee shop that supposedly serves pretty good breakfast. 

The place was crowded with at least eight different stalls for you to choose from!!! Frankly, for a kopitiam that operates only in the morning with that many stalls, they should seriously consider an expansion to add in more tables and chairs. 

Their breakfast offerings included items usually found in the afternoon back in Singapore; one of which is the Penang fried kuah teow (there were others like mixed vegetables rice, roast pork, chicken rice etc).

At RM 5 (normal serving is RM 4), i was impressed with the intensive infusion of the wok-hei. Unfortunately, the lack of a flavourful sourness, signature of Penang char kway teow, means that i am unlikely to be a return customer of this particular stall. 

I might just go back for the freshly fried doughsticks and butterfly buns though! If only they sell cold soya milk for me to dip the hot youtiao. 

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Location
Unknown although i am aware this is near to the popular Taman Seri Tebrau (da ma hua yuan or 大马花园). The Goodyear Autocare is opposite the kopitiam and next to Taman Seri Tebrau.

For added navigation, you may wish to note that the above picture (with KSL shopping mall as its backdrop) is taken right outside the kopitiam. 
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Lee Kheong Roasted Delicacy 李强烧腊 [Roast Duck and Char Siew] @ Hong Lim Food Centre [Chinatown]

March 26, 2013, 8:23 am
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I was super disappointed to find Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist closed last Sunday and even though my stomach was in a murderous mood to get lunch, i was adamant in slowly looking around the available stalls for something which could satisfy my taste buds at the same time.

After circling the hawker centre twice, i finally zeroed in on a stall selling charcoal roasted delights. It would be great if i could travel to Paya Lebar for Kay Lee char siew but i was literally on the verge of fainting from hunger!

The queue was at least 15-person long - not really the best situation when the body was suffering from lack of food. Nonetheless, the human mind is stronger and i persistently soothed my tummy: "This would be good. Look at the fantastically bloody long queue. I assure you would be fattened up in no time"!

It was a torturous wait of forty minutes! I was in fact lucky as i managed to secure the last serving of char siew and there were still ten persons right behind me.

Hunger prevailed with the order of a plate of roasted delights (mix of char siew and roast duck) for two persons for a total of S$10. The usual me would have preferred a standard plate which cost at least S$3 at this stall.

Bad things first - the plain rice was too dry and immensely hard to stomach! The saviour came in the form of the marvellous chilli sauce! On char siew, it had a nice glaze with an inner pinkish glow and tasted extremely healthy; which means it was full of lean meat and devoid of any fat that would have make this sinfully to-die-for (for those who did not get my sarcasm, the char siew here was not my cup of tea)! 

The roast duck was an entirely different picture from the char siew; it was meaty and topped with a layer of crunchy skin that was perfectly charred on top yet dripping with fatty juices underneath. The flavour that remained etched in my memory can only be described as mildly gamey yet sickening delicious! 

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Location
531A, Upper Cross Street, 
#02-15, Hong Lim Food Centre

Additional Information
Be there early as everything would likely be cleaned out by around 1.30pm (as in my case on a Sunday)!
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The Term of My Heart Condition - Supraventricular Tachycardia

March 27, 2013, 8:30 am
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Image taken from http://joshuatwe.blogspot.sg/2013/01/take-look-at-me-now.html
While watching the hilarious Ah Boys to Men two-part film, i could not help but think back of my days in the national service (Singapore's mandatory conscription for all men). Not the tough training in the movie though as i was placed in a non-combat vocation. 

Please don't get me wrong; i totally enjoyed performing my national duty and took great pride in my service work. In case you are unaware, i was a dental orderly attached to the air force (yes, there are indeed dental clinics in the armed forces)! 

My hyperactivity was well known among my polytechnic friends and some expressed surprise i was not given the healthier Pes A or B. Pes E was my actual medical status; a result of a pre-exisiting heart condition.

Image taken from http://www.straightuplove.com/love-at-first-sight/
Many people have asked me what was the exact medical problem i had; and many a time, my memory drew a blank. I know it has the word "tachycardia" but this was too vague. Tachycardia, in the medical dictionary, only means fast heartbeat which could be easily ignited when you have your "love at first sight" moment.

Image taken from http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.sg/2012/03/wide-complex-tachycardia-after.html
Today, i had my pre-employment medical checkup and since she is the professional, i probed the doctor further on the condition. A doubt has finally been clarified!!! That term is Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)! 

To read more (especially if you love the technical aspect of things), check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supraventricular_tachycardia.

My work is starting on April Fools' Day and i would not be able to gallivant as much as i would love to after that. With this entry in mind, i shall share, in the near future, some of the funny moments i had before my heart operation.

Do look out for them! 
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Kumar: What Makes a Man a Man @ Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay

March 28, 2013, 8:30 am
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To put it bluntly, i am not an "art scene" person and this can be evidenced from the lack of any paid cultural participation in my coming thirty three years of life. Extra cash, in my opinion, would be better spent over a good meal rather than an arts performance. 

This would likely change after attending a live stand up comedy by Singapore's most famous drag queen; Kumar, at "the durians"! 

I didn't actually pay for the ticket as it was complimentary from a cousin who was desperately looking for anyone to accompany her three hours before the show! The fact i am jobless must have compelled her to make the call to me.

The last section of "Circle 3" might not sound appealing for theater veterans but for a "virgin mountain tortoise"; it was nothing to complain about and the steep elevated view was really quite impressive.

As expected from the dazzling diva, he brought the house down with his offending Singlish-peppered jokes (many of them hovering along the racial and sex lines; hence the need to have it rated as R18) and it was nothing short of a laughter filled night for many of us in the audience. 

If there's one thing i would like to be removed, it would be the three (or was it four) musical segments where the queen danced and lip-synced to the lyrics; ONCE(i would vote for the last one if possible) should be more than sufficient. 

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Thank you, Meixin, for the invitation!

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Johnny's 39th Birthday!

March 29, 2013, 3:53 am
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Gosh, this is so way overdue; i am having second thoughts publishing it!! Whatever, better late than never and i do have a loving label called "family" in my blog, don't i? :)

My brother in law, the husband of my elder sister, celebrated his birthday (the last that starts with the number 3) on 20 February and customary of my family culture, a cake is necessary to signify the event!

Please don't ask me what cake it was as i have no recollection! In the dictionary of Cavin, that would likely imply that the cake had nothing that caught the attention of my passive taste buds. 

Family portrait - that's the tradition in play here. 

For more pictures, refer to Joyce's facebook; she is an even more trigger happy photographer than me when it comes to family. On Jovyn, she has a bigger album collection than me although Jovyn stays in my house from Monday to Friday!

Once little fact about Jovyn - she can never keep her eyes away from things she wants, especially food. For her brother, it's the overall happy atmosphere that matters. Kids. 

Hereby i would like to wish Johnny (not a happy birthday since it was way over) many happy moments the rest of this year, and many more years after that.
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Yishun Famous Laksa @ 928 Laksa [Block 928, Yishun Central 1]

March 30, 2013, 6:38 am
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As a Yishunian (have lived here my entire life), i am always proud to tell my friends and colleagues that you can find plenty of good food either within or somewhere near this suburban town!

One of Yishun's food legacies has to be this laksa stall located on the ground floor of a block of flats next to the bus interchange. To prevent any confusion, please keep in mind that it is stationed next to the popular dessert shop i blogged on quite a while ago (they used to co-exist in the same premise but have since separated). 

There are a few more things to note - order at the counter (self service, my dear), limited capacity for dine-in and for those who prefer to eat in (for those fresh bowl of piping hot laksa), you are almost guaranteed to have your sweat glands working like hell!

The star of the day - without any cockles as i find those shit eating shellfish seriously repulsive and could not understand how people could enjoy them [p.s. don't compare my smelly tofu to cockles]! 

Typically, laksa contains a mix of yellow noodles and thick bee hoon (vermicelli) even though personally, i would go for thick bee hoon. Mom has drilled into my memory long time ago that the latter type is less fattening than the former while just bee hoon lacks the thickness to attain that fulfilling bite. 

Despite the absence of fresh, pulpy prawns, the creamy gravy (thanks to coconut milk; for a creamier texture, mix in the yolk of the hard boiled egg) was delicious with a lip smacking flavour that pushes me to want more and more! 

I was never a laksa person until i was forced to share a bowl at 928 laksa with my mom back when i was still a secondary school student! And till this day, 928 Laksa remains my favourite laksa stall. 

By the way, don't waste the slurping good gravy (you can exercise another day to even out the calories). I would be more than happy to drink it from your bowl; upon your agreement of course! 

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Location
928, #01-155,
Yishun Central 1

Price
Minimum S$2.50
S$0.20 extra for takeaways.

Opening Hours
9am till 7pm or while stocks last.
Morning - Earlier than 7pm (as early as 4.30pm).

Additional Information
The queue can be quite significant for a neighbourhood eatery!

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Japan's No 1 Special Katsudon - Simply Delicious @ Ginza Bairin [Ion Orchard]

April 1, 2013, 7:05 am
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Japan's No 1?!? I always take such sensational taglines with a pinch of salt as more often than not; statistics can be tweaked in a manner that you can be number one in anything for the sake of marketing.

For me, it's just a matter of whether i should spend my hard earned money and find out the truth myself. I decided to give Ginza Bairin a try for one reason; my recent craving for Saboten's deep fried pork cutlet! 

No service staff will go to your order and take your order! Like Cafe Cartel a while ago, there was a counter where you can place your orders, make payment and collect the number for which the server can identify to serve the dishes. 

The concept was, on the surface, an efficient time saver that would cut down on manpower although from the point of the diners, the queue can be frustratingly long when you have a few indecisive customers ahead of you.

Want to take a look of Japan's No 1 Special Katsudon? I was pretty hungry at that time and upgraded to a set (S$1 extra) that included a bowl of miso soup and pickles. 

Ta-dah! 

Don't belittle the seemingly cooked egg with runny yolk; its half-boiled consistency played as important a role as the katsu (pork cutlet)! Without it, the taste pinnacle of the katsudon would be effectively lost. 

I am normally a gyu don rather than a katsu don person and was totally not expecting much. Hence, when i scooped a mixture of katsu, rice and egg into my mouth, my taste buds were immediately arrested by the intensity of flavour;  an amazing combination of well seasoned, juicy pork cutlet that was half drenched in egg yolk and moist rice that sat beneath an omelette with onions in sauce! 

Need i say more? I am not sure if it is confirmed to be the number one Katsudon in Japan but it definitely is a number one in my heart. 

At least for the moment.

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Location
2, Orchard Turn, ION Orchard
#B4-39/40/41/42

Price
Katsudon Set - S$17.50
[Inclusive of GST. No Service Charge]

Menu
As above. Click and save the picture on your computer to zoom in! As usual, prices are subject to change. 

Additional Information
Not everything was as impressive as the katsudon. My sister had the fillet katsu curry which was a great disappointment. The irony - it was said to be the best seller. 
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Niche of The People's President - Dr Wee Kim Wee @ Mandai Columbarium

April 2, 2013, 7:15 am
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Qingming Festival is here again but departing from previous years, last week was actually my first official visit to Mandai Columbarium for Qingming. 

More on that in another post; today, i am going to touch on a person who held a largely ceremonial position between 1985 and 1993 that was widely discussed (and hotly debated) two years ago. 

Singapore's 4th head of state - Dr Wee Kim Wee. 

Known affectionately as the people's president, he opted to have his ashed placed together with his beloved citizens although as an ex-president, he was given the privilege to be buried in the state cemetery located at Kranji War Memorial. 

Coincidentally, his ashes were kept in the same block, albeit of a different level, as my late grandmother! His presence has a comfortable stabilizing effect; which spirit would dare create havoc and incur the wrath of a president?! At least that's what any superstitious Chinese would associate with.

We decided to pay our respects to this great president (the other being Mr Ong Teng Cheong); my relatives were also of the opinion that he would be able to 'help' put the country right again. It might sound ridiculous yet personally, i feel that his candidature was a golden period of prosperity and strong unity among Singaporeans, unlike the Singapore today. 

Prayers aside, please be considerate towards Dr Wee's neighbours - personal space is still highly regarded, even in the netherworld. 

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Location
300 Mandai Rd, Eugenia Block,
Level 1, Row 1, Niche 0322,
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium

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Hearty Paws - A Touching Movie That Will Draw Tears from Dog Lovers

April 3, 2013, 6:21 am
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Thanks to the train fault during peak hours earlier this morning, i managed to complete watching an old 2006 Korean movie known as "Hearty Paws".

I was anticipating a light-hearted comedy with an animal theme and wasn't at all prepared to fight back my tears every now and then on the crowded train (i must have attracted quite a number of weird looks)!

In addition to the marvelous performance by Yoo Seung-Ho, the 13 year-old actor and Dolly, the loyal Labrador retriever, i must say i was most impressed with the acting skills of Kim Hyang-Gi, the very cute 6 year-old actress.

There's another reason why i am so drawn to Hyang-Gi; her haunting similarity to my niece Jovyn (her antics and especially her adorable cheeks)! 

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Very Brief Summary [includes spoilers]
A young pair of brother and sister were abandoned by their mom (status of dad was unknown; likely dead) and to please his sister for her birthday, the boy stole a Labrador puppy. Puppy grew up and although barely self sustaining, life was somewhat happy until the day when the sister drowned in a lake [tearjerker scene #1]. 

Boy blamed the dog and left alone for Pusan city to find his mom (effectively leaving the dog to fend for himself). Dog faithfully followed the boy via the railway tracks, found him yet was totally ignored. Boy found the mom but could not bring himself to tell her that her daughter has passed away. Furthermore, the mom was already planning to leave for the states. 

The boy left and was picked up by a syndicate that used children to make money. At this point, you could roughly guess that bad things happen and the dog, while trying to protect the boy, was badly injured and eventually passed away [tearjerker scene #2].

What i have written above could not reflect the touching story in its actuality and i would strongly recommend that you catch the movie on youtube (which i have faithfully appended above for your viewing pleasure)! 
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Talisman Marking on the Granite Tablet of Some Niches - 妙法蓮華經 (Lotus Sutra) @ Mandai Crematorium

April 4, 2013, 7:48 am
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I was supposed to touch on more details of my recent visit to Mandai Crematorium but given how busy i was in my new workplace, i am seeking your utmost understanding for yet another short post today!

Length aside, the topic could generate some curiosity from readers who are interested in matters concerning the dead; a most intriguing subject especially in the superstitious Chinese context. 

Has anyone ever noticed this line of talisman-like black characters on the granite tablets that cover the niches? When i first saw it, i brushed it aside thinking it could be a one-off occurrence of low cultural significance. 

Walked past a second one and when my eyes caught a third one with the same marking, questions started swimming in my head on the actual purpose of these cursive Chinese characters. 

After searching online (google is my best friend), i managed to get an answer; albeit an inconclusive one. 

Picture taken from http://www.puti.org.tw/PUTI005.htm
妙法蓮華經, also known as Lotus Sutra, appeared to be the exact words on those granite tablets. However, why was its use so prevalent for the dead and not other sutras? From the readings on wikipedia (not exactly a research approved portal), i could identify two likely reasons:

1) Talks on Timelessness and that Death is not the Termination
2) Lotus Sutra is assumed to the most superior of all Buddhist sutras

Picture taken from http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh95/grandview/books/000166_000172_ch.htm
Any enlightened soul trained in Buddhist doctrine is able to give their inputs or clarify / refute my wrong assumptions? 
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Mandai Crematorium for Qing Ming Festival 2013 (清明節)

April 6, 2013, 8:30 am
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For those who are still confused about the exact duration in 2013, the Qingming Festival is on 04 February (24th Day of the 2nd Lunar Month) and the period for performing your "filial" duty began ten days before and ends ten days after the actual day! 

I was scheduled to visit my paternal grandparents at their resting place at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery but could not manage to wake up on time. Hence, i took extra effort to ensure i made it for my grandparents on my mother's side (mom had to do her best to wake me up anyway as i was the designated driver that day).  

This is the first time i am actually paying a visit to my great grandparents and also the very first time i know their Chinese names. My great grandfather was 潘维衣 whereas his wife was known as 黄妹娘. For the benefit of my relatives, you may find them at no 348 along row 123, level 1 of the Camellia block. 

While my mom and relatives were preparing for the rite, i took the opportunity to explore the vicinity. 

The thing about crematorium is that there's hardly any differentiation from one deceased to another deceased except for the photos and names on the granite slab sealing the compartment storing the urn(s). 

Most of the flowers were fake and i suspected they were placed (and likely reused for next year) by the caretakers; how can it be that every holder has flowers when it was only four days before Qingming?! Singaporeans are known to do things at the very last moment!

Praying to the earth deity is the first step of the rite. Once that's done, family may then offer their prayers (lighting up of the joss sticks was part and parcel of the rite) in front of the tablet and invite the ancestors to enjoy the offerings. 

Before wrapping up, light up the joss sticks and offer your prayers again. In the Chinese beliefs, ancestors are supposed to protect their descendants and it's quite the norm to ask for wishes similar to what people ask from the deities.  

Final step - burning the paper money. This is something i could not explain rationally - the notion that you can effortlessly print so much money means that inflation is going to be so incredulously high in the underworld; your ancestors cannot really buy anything at all! 

You know why Singapore is so foggy in the past few weeks? Thanks to paper burning. 

Don't get me started on the inconsiderate mess as well! Tourists' clouded impression that Singapore is literally litter-free should honestly pay a visit to our heartlands or walk into a Chinese cemetery or crematorium during Qingming. 

Done with the great grandparents; now on the way to my maternal grandmother. 

Unlike Camellia block, Eugenia was much more spacious with a more comfortable space between each row!   Come to think about it, i didn't really check if it's the same for the ground level since metal tables were available on the ground level at Camellia block for families to place their offerings. 

Opposite Eugenia was a block with two unoccupied levels! Should i check them out at night during the non-peak season? It would be so exciting!! 

It was barely 6am yet the turnout (of the living, not dead) was not too bad. It's always nice to see the attendance of the younger generation as more often than not, Qingming is a dying (pun not intended) festival.

Again for the relatives' benefit (and mine should my memory start failing as i get much older), grandmother is located at number 0414 along row 07, level 3 of the Eugenia block.

I remember this grandmother well as she passed away when i was already at an adult age of 27 years old and i have collection of many memories involving her when i was growing up. Coincidentally, my current work touches on her suffering ten-year journey before her demise. 

Praying at another location requires another rite! Hail to air pollution!

Time: 6.24am; the car park was already jam-packed with vehicles. Moral of the story - wake up at 4am (like i did) to beat the crowd and the scorching sun! 
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Shoon Huat Bak Kut Teh [顺发肉骨茶] & its Impressive Sesame Oil Chicken (麻油鸡) @ Johore Bahru

April 6, 2013, 10:08 pm
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There are two schools of thought when it comes to Bak Kut Teh (BKT); more often than not, a native would either stick to the local peppery style or totally reject it for the herbal style more commonly found across the causeway in Malaysia. 

I am considered a misfit as i am equally comfortable with either type of BKT. Today, i am going to talk about this particular BKT in Johore Bahru which, according to my brother in law, is popular with Singaporeans on weekends; Shoon Huat.

Air-conditioning lovers might find it extremely difficult to be guzzling boiling hot soup in such typical kopitiam setting. Fret not as you just have to step in further into the shop.

A section has already been converted to an indoor dining area with vastly different decor and cool air blasting down your neck! 

Our order - claypot bak kut teh for four persons with additional "liao" (ingredients). 

This wasn't the BKT i expected. It was too chock-full of ingredients; many of which i don't take, like pig livers, pig intestines etc. Furthermore, the clear soup was more like mixed pork soup (猪杂汤) with a vague herbal taste and nothing like the BKT i know. To be fair, i should have requested for a typical serving of BKT with pork ribs for comparison purpose. 

Despite the disappointing BKT, the sizzling pot of sesame oil chicken was a ray of optimism for me to revisit Shoon Huat in the future. 

Fantastic to go with plain white rice, the sweet savoury sauce was a delightful concoction of chicken (duh), spring onions, sesame oil, ginger, dark soya sauce and a hint of Chinese wine! The chicken was extremely tender and fell off the bones with minimal effort. If there's anything to complain about, i could actually do with a more generous serving of chicken! 

To lick clean a bowl was an easy feat for me when it comes to delicious food but to do so when i was having diarrhea said a lot on how much i totally enjoyed the food (note: the sesame oil chicken and not the BKT).

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Location
Jalan Sutera 1, Taman Sentosa
[Near Taman Seri Tebrau (da ma hua yuan or 大马花园)]

Price
As above. A singular serving of BKT cost RM 8.00 for one person whereas the sesame chicken had a price tag of RM 9.00 for small and RM 11.00 for medium. 
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Birth Order and its Impact on YOUR Personality

April 8, 2013, 7:35 am
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This is an interesting piece of information i grabbed from one of the many Facebook feeds for sharing. 

I am a middle child and despite hearing so much of the middle child syndrome, my situation is slightly more unique as i also happen to be the only son in a Chinese family. Nevertheless, just a few paragraphs for your reading pleasure. 

Oldest Child
The oldest(s) child are rarely bad. They come off as bossy because they created a sense of responsibility at a very young age. They are usually the bossiest in the family but they are also people pleasers. Children in the eldest position tend to marry or stay in a relationship for a long period of time. They are perfectionists and put themselves under a lot of pressure at time.

=> My elder sister is an example although she wasn't really bossy to begin with; she has violent tendencies though!

Youngest Child
They often behave as if they are the only child and expect others to do things and make decisions for them. At times, they feel that they are the weakest / smallest of the family. They are very tricky and know how to manipulate people into doing things for them. The youngest child are fun and well liked by others and are usually really good at examining and studying people. In a group, they are the loudest and love to seek attention. If you are dating a person of such birth order, the worst thing you can do is tell them what to do. They have low expectations in a relationship, are innovative and usually have the best sense of humor. However, they are usually undisciplined, self centered and have a high ego.

=> My younger sister (for those who are in shock, she is indeed the youngest child in my family) is not loud, is not self centered and she must be one of the most disciplined person i have ever known; her gym regime has always been pretty consistent unlike many of us. 

Middle Child
This child never had rights of an older and younger child; they often feel as if life is unfair. The good things are that they are highly adaptive, willing to do things differently and can compromise better than others. Besides being good at keeping promises and able to get along really well with people, they are independent and usually don't rely on others. A peacemaker yet a rebel in a group. Likely a stubborn cow which dislikes computation. Asking for help is something they don't enjoy; they either feel too embarrassed or rather learn for themselves. Lastly, they don't like to share their feelings!

=> I am a classic example and i thought the above sum up my personality pretty comprehensively except for thing; i totally love numbers! 

p.s. as i have always said, humans are too complicated and there's really nowhere you can find any analysing tools or tests that can 100% predict your personality. Therefore, read everything with a pinch of salt yet with an open minded heart. :)

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Canopy Flyer @ Universal Studios Singapore [USS]

April 11, 2013, 5:51 am
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It was not until my 8th visit to USS that i finally got the chance, and patience, to queue for the Canopy Flyer; a roller coaster attraction with the ability to fly just a few inches above the man-made canopy of "Jurassic Park".

The queue wasn't tormentingly long but when you have more thrilling rides like Transformers 4D, Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon etc; there is a high chance you would not be keen to join the line of people with an estimated wait of thirty minutes.

Designed like a futuristic cable system i would love to see implemented in major zoos, safaris, the ride had a dissatisfying flight time of only forty five seconds! Short the duration might be although its speed would have your legs and arms swinging beyond your control. 

It was fun, especially on a hot day. If only this could be further expanded to the entire theme park.

Want to see how the ride goes? 
Check out the above video!
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Location
The Lost World Zone 
Universal Studios Singapore 
For all my entries on Universal Studios Singapore, please click http://cavinteo.blogspot.sg/search/label/Universal%20Studios%20Singapore
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Choa Chu Kang Cemetery for Qing Ming Festival 2013 (清明節)

April 12, 2013, 8:30 am
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My trip to Mandai Crematorium was only the first of two parts for this year's Qing Ming festival. 

After departing the crematorium at 6.30am, it took us less than thirty minutes to reach the incredibly straight and long Lim Chu Kang road. For my post on Lim Chu Kang road, click here.

The day was early yet the roads were filled with motor vehicles queuing to enter the narrow lanes leading deep into the immensely large cemetery. Thanks to the hardworking policemen on duty, traffic conditions were not as bad as previous years.

As i have consistently advised car drivers, perform your Qing Ming rites in the early morning. The sun would be merciless in trying its very best to burn you between 8am and 6pm; and that's provided you can easily get a spot to park your car. 

Many people have the thinking that tradition is rapidly dying in globalised Singapore. From what i see, the decline is not dire as one believes it to be; there were so many youngsters! 

Preparing for the prayer session for my maternal grandfather who passed away on Christmas Day twenty three years ago. 

Tidying up the tomb and putting on a new auspiciously coloured collar for the stone lion are part and parcel of what Qing Ming is all about.

Anyone knows the significance of having a white circle (flour was used i think) surrounding the generous stash of paper money? If i remember correctly, the circle is like a shield to deter other spirits from "stealing" the money from its rightful owner. 

True to Qing Ming custom, i am once again adding on to the worsening haze situation; a small minority though. 

However, unlike the family in the above picture, i am not a contributor to Singapore's littering problem! Furthermore, the resounding "huat ah" is a major source of noise pollution in the cemetery!

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For more information on Qing Ming, please click here.
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Fish and Crab Shack [滋味海鲜屋] @ The Maritime Experiential Museum™ [Resort World Sentosa]

April 13, 2013, 8:21 am
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I am still sorting out the hundreds of pictures for The Maritime Experiential Museum and S.E.A. Aquarium! In the meantime, let's start with something simpler; food.

The fish and crab shack, as the name suggests, was no posh restaurant. You don't have to worry about hygiene or rude staff decked out in tattoos and eye patches but you do need to order and pay for your food at the counter.

Like De Burg (i so miss the decadence burger!), you collect your stuff from the counter once this device starts blinking. Don't you just love the technology behind it?! In the past, i would have to either wait at the counter or check with the staff every few minutes! 

Chicken Wings
Comparable to those from Ikea with the exception that these were less flavourful. Kon, the absolute foodie, found them disappointing. 

Prawn and Bacon Spaghetti
I was so looking forward to this delicious pot of spaghetti. 

To be honest, i thought the wrong dish was sent and cross examined it a couple of times against the picture on the menu. Truth hurts and it could get only get worse. Cream sauce was too thin, spaghetti was too salty and it was obvious right from the start that the meaty ingredients (prawns, bacons etc) failed miserably to enhance the lackluster taste.

"Zheng He" Seafood Fried Rice
Despite the lack of any exciting vibrancy in the presentation, this was the best of the lot as far as taste was concerned. Would you like to guess what the deciding factor was? 

The pork floss. 

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For the kind of price we paid, we deserved better food. 

Location
8 Sentosa Gateway Waterfront 
The Maritime Experiential Museum
Resorts World Sentosa

Price
Chicken Wings - S$11 for six
Prawn and Bacon Spaghetti - S$15.90
"Zheng He" Seafood Fried Rice - S$12.90
[Subject to GST]

Menu
As above
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The Maritime Experiential Museum & its Amazing Typhoon Theatre [海事博物馆及水族馆] @ Resort World Sentosa

April 14, 2013, 8:30 am
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The Maritime Experiential Museum was initially a separate ticketed attraction but with the launch of S.E.A Aquarium (the world's largest aquarium), the museum is now packaged as a two-attraction day pass for visitors. 

This would not make any economic sense to historical maritime buffs although on the P&L sheet, many of us have heard that it was in the red. Nonetheless, i am going to start with The Maritime Experiential Museum first. 

Enter and be greeted by the bow of what appeared to be a gigantic ancient ship known as Treasure Ship (宝船); which was part of the Zheng He exhibit and definitely the most impressive one. 

Admiral Zheng He, a eunuch from the Ming Dynasty, commanded seven expeditions to the Indian Ocean - one of which had an unthinkable (at least for that era) fleet of 27,800 men and over 250 ships!

For better visual representations on how stunning the sight could be, you may check out the numerous floating models that "sailed" alongside the treasure ship. 

Part of the area was actually open to the general public. Stay a bit longer in the air-conditioned compound and wait for the fearsome lion figurehead to spew smoke. 

What follows shortly was a complimentary video show on Zheng He and his famous voyages!

Tickets were required from this point onward. As you might have guessed by now, this is a maritime journey traversing through the marketplaces (known as souks in the middle east) of various ports of call undertaken by the Zheng He fleet. 

Qui Nhon of the Champa Kingdom (of current day Vietnam) was the first stop.

Besides the signature nón lá (those conical hats), Qui Nhon offered other trading commodities of interest to other countries, like lotus seeds!

Palembang on the Sumatra Island of current day Indonesia. There were many life-like mannequins to be your photographic companion even though it can be hard to grab one on a weekend.

Galle of Sri Lanka - i didn't know Sri Lanka has the highest density of gem deposits in the world! 

Calicut, officially known as Kozhikode [India] - be charmed by the snake charmers! Come to think of it, i just realised from the above photograph that the flute was gone! Bloody inconsiderate visitors!
The lucrative spice trade in India was the driving force for the eventual colonisation of this spice rich nation. 

Muscat [Oman] - another important port in the ancient times. By the way, the above shoes are called woven shoes, not Aladdin shoes! Haha

Manlindi [Kenya] with its supply of leather from animals found nowhere else except in Africa. 

Interesting the race appeared to be although the Gang of Four could hardly wait to view the largest aquarium in the whole wide world! Add in the weekend crowd and you know it is impossible to complete it! 

Warning board and do's and dont's of the Typhoon Theatre. On weekends, this would be a separately paid admission (at S$10). Rule of the thumb - go on weekdays to make full use of your hard earned money.

More exhibits beyond the gantry of the theatre! As it was a weekend and Typhoon Theatre being a paid admission, there were comparatively much lesser people in this compound.

This means we can take our time to explore the interactive exhibits like the one above! It was a celestial navigation device using the star (that white dot on the war), the horizon and that palm-shaped wood block. 

Cross section of the same Treasure Ship we saw in the beginning! In the modern times, such squeezed housing for rhinoceros would likely warrant a letter of complaint from SPCA and global protests.

Jewel of Muscat - an actual Arabian dhow based on the design of a 1,200 years old shipwreck that was reproduced in 2010 and sailed from Oman to Singapore as a gift from the Sultanate of Oman! 

Its first journey was likely its last journey since the Jewel of Muscat was the centrepiece for the maritime museum; a pity visitors were not allowed to climb aboard. :( 

Anyway, the story in the Typhoon Theatre [台风剧场] was set during the Tang Dynasty (or was it the Ming?) when the marine route was much preferred over the dangerous route via the Silk road. 

Let's watch a pre-theatrical video (basically, this family needed to sent a royal gift to another country and a typhoon hit them during the journey) before entering the dome-shaped theatre. The rule on no picture taking was strictly enforced. No matter what, the show blew me away! 

Words cannot explicitly express how good it was! Notice another door right above the door where everyone was exiting? That was the entrance to the theatre. For more details, pay a visit to the Typhoon Theatre and experience it personally!

Guess what was the scene that met us when we exited the theatre? 

An enormous aquarium featuring a shipwreck; a direct link to the storyline we just experienced in the Typhoon Theatre and an indirect reference to the close by S.E.A Aquarium.

Everyone was marveling at the nice surprise and was busy taking photographs! 

Sadly, the viewing panel rapidly hyped up the excitement to visit the S.E.A Aquarium and even though there was more to the maritime museum; most people gave it a miss. 

A real pity as the connecting gallery between the Typhoon Theatre and S.E.A Aquarium housed the maritime archaeology gallery and antique collection from the 15th century Bakau Shipwreck. 

Oh well, i shall have a closer look the next time i visit with my parents! 

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Website
Click HERE.

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