Week in Summary

Just a simple summary of the week that has gone by.

Tuesday went for badminton as usual. But this time StupidGenius managed to book 4 courts, i.e. we got the whole sports complex for our use. And this is the first time I use my new badminton racquet since I got it more than 3 weeks ago (look at my new racquet here, hehe).

Thursday went KTV with colleagues, the first session in more than 2 months. Went with some of the newbies, like DT Jr, CH and Joe. Though it was some time since my last visit, I didn't really learn any new songs within the period. So found quite a number of new songs that I can learn for the next session.

Friday went dinner with friends at 糖水 cafe at Liang Seah Street. It was a Hong Kong style cafe and the food was those standard stuff you would find in a Hong Kong Cafe, according to my friend. I ordered a 餐蛋肠粉 which was pretty normal.

After dinner went for pool at a place called Pool Fusion (@ Midland House). Played or about an hour plus before going home.

Sunday wanted to go skating but was informed by Irene that it was raining at the east side. Checked with FL at about 1245pm and she said that it was still drizzling at Parkway. The last few times when I decided to go ahead to ECP in this situation ended up sitting at Mac for hours. So decided not to go this time. Later learnt from Irene that the sun was up for a while before it started raining again in the afternoon.

Emirates Stadium Opens Its Door

A new stadium opens while it was the end of the road for a Highbury legend.

He has been entertaining the Highbury faithfuls for the past 11 years, and he is none other than Dennis Bergkamp. It was the last match for Bergkamp in his testimonial against Ajax XI. While the result was 2-1 in favour of the Gunners, it was a pity that Bergkamp did not score. The match also featured many Gunners favourites past and present, such as Seaman, Dixon, Wright, Petit, Vieira and of course Henry.

As the Gunners go into the new season with a new stadium, we would miss the guiles and tricks from Mr Ice Man.

Lost and Found

Today left my waist pouch at BK and went off. Only remembered about it after like 15 minutes later. I hastily went back to the outlet to see if I could retrieve it. To my surprise, it was still lying at the same spot where I place it when I left. Lucky sia...

FL's Birthday Celebration (Belated)

FL's birthday was on the 15th, but most of us were at the retreat. So we asked her out on friday for a dinner. There were 9 of us at the dinner, including her, i.e. =.=, DT, Irene and Colin, PS, S, StupidGenius and me. We went to a restaurant called 北京麻小. Its located at the end of the food street at Chinatown, i.e. Smith Street, facing Partyworld KTV.

Quite a few of the dishes that we had ordered were spicy. Some tasted like those that we had tried during the ESC lunch in April. Went for dessert at Jing Jing Cafe (formerly only a dessert house) across the road. It just moved here not long ago. LW replaced DT (literally) after the dinner. Spent quite a while at the cafe before going home.

Flickr down

Refer here for more details. Luckily most of my photos are still showing... :P

PS: Flickr back up again... :D

Superman Returns

Watched Superman Return at Omnimax on Wednesday with S, StupidGenius and V. Can't really remembered what happened in the previous episode or how Superman disappeared from the scene that transpire to his return in this episode. Just find that the show was a bit too long, especially when the seat was not very comfy this time around with little leg space.

Refer here for the plot and other information about the movie

ECQ Retreat 2006 : Day 4

This was the final day of the retreat, not much time for anything as we gotta check out of the hotel by 1130am. But still managed to find time to walk to Pratunam Center (which was about 10+ minutes walking distance). But not many shop was opened as it was still early. Bought some food and drink for consumption on flight. Not expectedly, by 1130am, we were still waiting for some to check out. And there were people who went missing.

Reached airport, checked in and then went makan at the Pizza Company. A bit rush for time but in the end, still managed to make it (by a long mile actually).

Two hour plus later, it was home sweet home... :D

Trying to Catch Up

Just back from the retreat at about 6pm today. Came home after dinner, then unpack, and wash up. After finished everything is about 9+ liao. This retreat is kind of strange, will write about it after clearing my back logs, which is piling up...

ECQ Retreat 2006 : Day 3

As usual, woke up, washed up, went breakfast and it was time to go to the weekend market. Quite a big group was going and we needa took a few cabs down to the place. I shared a cab with Irene, S and SS. As the different groups arrived at different time, and possibly alighted at different locations, we all walked on our own. After a while, we met the other groups at one of the lane of shops. So D, S and I decided to stick together as the rest were only planning to stay at the market for at most a couple of hours. So we went on separate ways.

Had a very bad experience the last time I came here, i.e. I lost my wallet. So this time I was quite paranoid. I put my cash in separate locations and was constantly checking that my wallet was still around. We walked for quite a long hour, about 3 hours plus I think. This time I did not buy anything from here, only D and S bought only bought a T shirt from here, while D and S bought a lot more. D bought some souveniors, hair clips, a T shirt and some other little stuff while S bought mainly handbags and T shirts.

We sat down for a break after that. Then we decided to go around the outer perimeter of the market. Along the way bought some snacks and drinks.

There was a stall selling puppy. And this was one of them.

Saw this man performance some magic trick with a little book, which he was selling for THB20.

Then we passed by a booth where they were promoting a new green tea drinks. The staff then asked S and I to participate in a little game. She then gave us two bottles of the green tea for our effort.

By the time we were done and left the weekend market, it was about 530pm. We went back to the hotel and waited for E, whom we were meeting for dinner. She came by pretty punctually and we went to a nearby restaurant for our meal. We chatted while having dinner, and heard that some of the staff saw E the previous day at MBK, with her good friend... :P . She was meeting her other group of friends, so had to leave after dinner. As there was still time, she went with D, PK and XY etc to Siam area and we parted.

Later on, I went to Khao San Road with DT, Irene, S, V and YP. We took 2 separate cabs there and alighted at different locations. It took us a while before we found the other group. Took quite some time for us to walk the whole street.

Saw one of the stalls selling this 'exotic' food... :D. I have tried this on my last trip to BKK btw.

There is this Sidewalk Cafe but we didn't patronize it.

After that stopped by a place for a drink (not sure if it could be called a pub). I ordered a cocktail called "Sex on the beach", but it tasted very much like cough syrup.

Head back to the hotel for a change of clothes before going for foot reflexology. This time we went to another massage parlour. Altogether there were 7 of us and the session costed THB180 per pax. Linda was still doing her foot reflex when we reached, with CH accompanying her.

By the time we were all done, it was way past 2am and we called it a day.

ECQ Retreat 2006 : Day 2

Had only a couple of hours (or so) of sleep before being awaken by an earlier than usual morning call, at 530 local time (i.e. 630am Singapore time). It was from D's client as there were some glitches back in sg. Slept for another hour before the actual morning call came, by which I had already woken up. Washed up, had breakfast, and then proceed to the check in room for the game briefing. The teams set off at around 915am.

I had chosen to follow the team of Uncle Chong, Hui Lam, Templar, Boon Chan and Jovine. The teams had to take group photos with / at certain items / places as indicated by the clues. There were some tasks and items in which they could perform and collect respectively.

The team set off for Amari Watergate Hotel first.

Along the way, HL manage to take the pic of the various taxis on the road, as part of one of the tasks.

Then we found some locals who were not shy from wearing the specs with ECQ$.

Also went a few other places for the group photos.

Took a cab back to hotel when it was almost 12 noon. They were the third team to be back. However, the team finished fourth overall after the score were tallied. By the time the last team returned, it was about 1245pm already and we were all taken to a restaurant for lunch. WK made a brief speech after lunch and some of the new staff were given time to introduce themselves.

It was free and easy after lunch. D, Irene, S and me went MBK for some shopping. We walked all the way from the restaurant, as the local tour guide says it is within walking distance. On the way there, changed some S$ to THB, as I've known that this money changer was offering a better rate than the others from my last trip. That time we did not change our currency here.

Shopped for a while at MBK before D and I decided that it was better to split up with the gals as we were looking at different stuff. Arranged to meet up again at around 5pm to buy some local food. Meanwhile D and I walked a bit then went down to take a break and snack at Baskin Robbins. I bought a pair of 3/4 shorts at MBK.

After getting back to the hotel to put our stuff from shopping, the same 4 of us went to a nearby massage parlour for a Thai traditional massage. Finally get to do it this time round as I never died on my last trip. 300 THB for a 2-hour session seems pretty good value for money.

It was dinner after that, where XY also joined in. We took a cab down to Tawan Daeng for dinner, which costs us THB150 (with additional THB40 highway toll... ... ... and the return trip only cost THB80).

The place was quite crowded when we reached. There were no table available inside. So we took a queue number and waited. After a while, we decided to take a seat on the outside and the waitress would let us sit inside the pub once there is a table available. We did not order too much food as the table was too small to accomodate so many dishes. Then we got a table inside halfway through our meal. But we did not get a good seat, as we couldn't see the stage from where we were sitting. Although the main performance has ended, there were still some singing performance on and off. We also ordered a litre of beer.

By the time we finished our dinner and got back to the hotel it was already around 1am, which was time to zzz....

ECQ Retreat 2006 : Day 1

Gathered at the office at about 245pm. the chartered bus would fetch us to the airport at around 3pm. As usual, people dilly-dallied, and it was not before 315pm that we left for Changi. To check in at the airport as a group was really messy. The seats were pre-assigned rather than according to the sequence at which we checked in at the counter. In the end, many of us have to swap seats in order to get our preferred seat partner... :P

Waiting for boarding

Arrived at BKK International Airport at around 630 local time. But there was a lot of waiting time, e.g. gotta wait quite some time for those who required to apply for visa-on-arrival.

Waiting at BKK International Airport

And also waited for the bus to come after that. Travelled for some 20 minutes before reaching the hotel.

The hotel lobby

After reaching the hotel, Bangkok Palace Hotel, still needed some time to settle the room assignment. The local tour leader then offered to bring us to a place for seafood dinner, if we were interested. Many of the staff went. I couldn't go as I needed to go scouting with the rest of the ESC members for the venue for the group activity the next day.

Was only able to go recce at about 930pm, after checking in and settling down our stuff. Went to check out some of the places that we were unsure if they were still around, e.g. the KTV box at Big C. As the rest of the places we wanted to check out were outdoor, there weren't any time constraint. So we decided to go for dinner first.

ESC Members 2006

Had dinner along the stretch near Central World Plaza, the same place where I had dinner on the second night when I came BKK in March. But ordered from a different stall this time around. S and XY said the food this time is better, but i can't really remember the last one liao... :P...

Walked down to the Erawan Shrine after dinner to confirm that the 4 faced buddha is still around. It was vandalized in March and was only repaired and replaced in May. Then proceed to Siam area to confirm the location of Hard Rock Cafe.

Outside Hard Rock Cafe

By this time, the locations for the various checkpoint for the game the next day were more or less confirmed liao, so we headed back to our hotel on foot. We go back the same route that we came, then reached Pratunam area and decided to stop by the chicken rice stall opposite Pratunam Center for supper. Coincidentally, I had eaten at the same stall on the same night where I had dinner the other time (i.e. the second night of my last trip).

By the time we had our fills, shopped a bit at a convenient store nearby, and took 2 separate cabs back to the hotel, it was about 130am already. After taking a shower, we still gotta meet for a while to tie up some loose ends for the game the next day. Finally was able to concuss at near to 3am.

Two Years Already

2 years on. With about 250+ entries, that is about an entry every 3 days. From 3 months an entry initially, up to a peak of almost an entry per day. I was surprised I have done quite a fair bit of writing. How long this will last, only time will tell...

New Tiong Bahru Market

Went to the newly renovated Tiong Bahru market for dinner (ehh... may not be that new as I don't know when it was opened actually). As usual ordered a variety of food. Luckily we were able to finish them all. Also met HT and LW here as well.

Durian Durian

Time to wake up to go PS's home...

The four of us meet, and we were on our way...

Went to Larkin Station, and then transfer to an express bus to Batu Pahat

After about 2 hours ++, we reached...

We saw the durian tree...

And picked up the durians...

There was a banana tree, but the bananas wasn't ripe...

And there's a price to pay to eat the durians...

But its worth it in the end!

New Kids on the Block

Newbies @ the pool table

Why Like This (Again)?

I am puzzled why certain things turn out to be the way it is right now... And I don't think I am gonna find out the reason behind it... Perhaps it's better to be ignorant about certain things... Perhaps...

Lunch @ Hock Lam Beef Kuay Teow

Finally get to try the beef kuay teow at Purvis Street during lunch today. Some of my usual lunch kakis don't eat beef, so its difficult to get them to come here during lunch. So took the chance to come here as I was meeting FT for lunch.

The beef kuay teow really tasted a bit different from those usual ones outside. Can't really find a word to describe, but its not too bad. They add peanut crumbs into the noodle as well, which reminds me of the wanton noodle that I ate in Bangkok.

Fifa World Cup 2006: Semi Final

So only 4 matches and 4 teams are left in the competition now. And yet again it is going to be a European team winning this World Cup.

Of the 4, Germany has to be the hot favourite as they are the home nation. They went through the QF by beating Argentina on 4-2 on penalties (yet again). These Germans are really good at penalties. And this time, Lehmann saved two penalties to help his team progress to the semis. Their attacks are led by two Polish-born players, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. I liked what I saw so far from Podolski. And Klose has a knack at scoring at World Cup Finals, having scored 10 in two tournaments already. Chances are the German can win this edition of World Cup, although its not going to be easy against the ever improving Italian side in the SF. Most likely we wouldn't see the same scoreline as in the last friendly match between the two sides for the upcoming match.

While they were lucky to come through in the last round, there was no luck involved in their win this time around. Italy saw off the challenge of Ukraine as expected, although the 3-0 scoreline did flatter them a little. Luca Toni, the Serie A topscorer last season with 31 goals, finally opened his account in the World Cup with a brace in the QF match. Their defense has only conceded one goal so far in the competition, an own goal from Cristian Zaccardo no less. They should be put to a sterner test in the semis against a very potent German side.

Portugal did enough to book their place in the semis, although the talking point of their QF game against England has to be the sending off of Wayne Rooney, especially C.Ronaldo's part in the episode. England, who has not played well throughout the tournament but still managed to progress so far, were undone yet again in another penalty shootout. Eriksson must be dreading facing Scolari's team. Three times he faces him and three consecutive knockouts in the QF of a major tournament (World Cup 2002 1-2 vs Brazil and Euro 2004 2-2 (AET), 5-6 (PEN) vs Portugal). I thought England had a chance as Portugal were missing the influential playmaker Deco and defender Costinha through suspension. However, once Rooney got sent off, England was going to be in trouble. Already without the injured Owen, now they only have Crouch and the untried Walcott, who didn't even had a game in Germany (how he got into the squad ahead of other established strikers such as Defoe, only Mr Eriksson can tell us). And when the game goes into penalties, I knew it was game over for England. Sure enough, Ricardo made 3 saves as England were bundled out of the tournament.

France were uninspiring in their group games. However they came good when it mattered most. The 1-0 win over Brazil in the QF probably made them favourite for their semi final fixture. Have been largely impressed by a certain Franck Ribéry, who spots this prominent scar on the right side of his face. He was a relatively uncapped player before the World Cup but his performance so far indicate otherwise (think he could be a good signing Mr Wenger... :P). And could this tournament be a final swansong for Zizou before he retires? He turned in an inspiring performance for France against the Brazilians, laying on the winning goal for Henry. We will know come 9 July as two games still stand in his way. But first let's bring on the Portuguese.