Bus Sights: Changi-Geylang

You know, there was a time when I would take lots and lots of pictures whenever I got on a bus, or went out on a bus ride. 

But they've decreased in the last few years.

Not because there's nothing of interest to take. 

Not because the scenery outside the bus window doesn't appeal to me. 

But because in the last few years I've become more prone to falling asleep on the bus and Chonkycam ends up back in the bag after a while. 

A pity it is, but that's how it has been, even this particular afternoon on Bus 51 where we'd boarded from the Jalan Awang bus stop to head into town. 

For some reason Chonkycam came out only when the bus was approaching Joo Chiat Complex and Joo Chiat Road.

The entrance of this road is familiar to me. 

The driveway of this building is also familiar to me. 

Much wider the drop off point is now, much more spacious too. 

And one no longer needs to squeeze through people standing about and around the taxi stand anymore. 

I wonder if the Mr. Vadai shop is still opposite though. 

Onwards the bus went, stopping at the Haig Road Market and Food Center where I unfortunately didn't get to take picture of anything else but the roof of the bus stop, and the residential condo above KINEX behind. 

Further on was the junction of Tanjong Katong Road, City Plaza in front, KINEX behind. I'll always think of this stretch as the part with the coffee house. 

Even though I haven't had the chance to eat there, I've seen a stall offering some sort of fried bananas and kueh kueh and I have been charmed. 

After this junction, the bus stopped at the bus stop outside City Plaza where thankfully I managed to get a couple more pictures of the bus stop, the exterior of the shopping center, and the mobile phone shops looking out towards the road. 

It is up to anyone's thought (what with the attempt to enbloc and all) just how long this plaza will continue to be. 

Or whether- should the attempt succeed- this field, this park will still remain. 

Running alongside the canal by the curve of Guillemard Road, the park looks quiet and empty now, but come Sunday and the grass will be dotted with picnicker groups on their mats sitting about, lying down, eating, snacking, dancing, relaxing, chatting with each other. 

From here the bus entered the stretch commonly known as Geylang, first passing by the junction of Guillemard Road, and the wholesale shop that sells Christmas trees as early as October, then further down, after a salon called Mary-something, after another salon of the Vietnamese style,  there's the mobile phone shop and the restaurant that, if I'm not wrong, sells evening zichar. 

SKOSH's Rosti @ NAFA

I had been a little surprised the other day when my colleague suggested lunch at this cafe on Bencoolen Street near Sunshine Plaza where we had gone to get a couple of materials printed. 

I hadn't known that there was such and such a cafe in NAFA. 

All along I had thought there were a Toast Box and that be it. 

But no, there was this cafe called SKOSH, my colleague said, it was on the ground floor facing the main road, and it served what they called Japanese fusion cuisine. 

I'm no foodie enough to define what exactly Japanese fusion cuisine is. 

But if it's anything like the menu here at SKOSH, well, I'm all for it. 

There're not many places that offer food as clean-tasting as this one. 

Then again, if there are, I'm not familiar where they be. 

The menu here at SKOSH is predominantly brunch, and dinner, and offerings for both are not the same. 

Which menu is better, I don't know, it depends on your appetite, but it is rather enticing to get to choose between, say, a Tsukune Don, a Beef Shabu Shabu Pizza, a Crab & Ikura Fettucine, or a Mentaiko Rosti- all on the dinner menu. 

It does not make easy choice as well when on the brunch menu they have Chicken Katsu & Waffle, Truffled Cream Mushroom Linguine, Grilled Salmon Don and Big Breakfast, not to mention the selection of sandos and onigiris. 

I considered having a Chicken Katsu Sando.

But, to tell the truth, the Big Breakfast sounded rather appetizing. 

Who wouldn't like, for instance, a plate with Egg, Chicken Ham Steak, Yuzu Kombu Butter Toast, and Tater Tots along with Baked Beans and a salad of Cherry Tomatoes and Lettuce with Roasted Sesame Dressing?

The Yuzu Kombu Butter Toast and the Tater Tots were especially attractive. 

But the appetite this afternoon wasn't quite there.

So, instead of the Big Breakfast, the Oyakodon, or the Chicken Katsu with Waffle, we shared a bowl of Chunky Mushroom Soup, then got an order of Mentaiko Rosti where we added on a Grilled Chicken Chop. 

The Chunky Mushroom Soup was really good. 

It had a hint of creaminess and a What charmed me most wasn't just how perfectly shredded the potatoes were, how well-fried the rosti was, or even the presence of bonito flakes and nori on top. 

It were the bits of tempura crunch, tossed ever so casually all over the chop and the accompanying salad. 

That feel, that bite, that gentle yet satisfying crunch, made for the best surprise when chewing through the delicious soft mush of the potato, the firm of the chicken chop, and the creamy melt of the mayonnaise sliding around with the Mentaiko sauce.   

If the main of potato and chop and sauce felt savory and solid and reassuring, the salad was undoubtedly refreshing. 

In the bowl was Romaine lettuce- one of my favorite vegetables of all time- sliced onions and a small but cute cherry tomato- plus the salad dressing (it felt like Yuzu) and then there were the little balls of tempura crunch which made this salad a coveted one. 

So clean and refreshing the salad was that I felt like having it all on its own, but interestingly, for all its clean feels, save for a Small Bite Miso Caesar Salad, a plate of vegetables was something that SKOSH didn't provide.

Instead they had dessert, and drinks. 

There'll be another time when I come back to try their Matcha Tiramisu, or their Houjicha Brownie with ice cream. 

There'll be another time when I come back to have their Earl Grey Lavender Cheesecake (because, why not?)

And maybe their drinks. 

They've a Taro Latte, a Coconut Latte, even a Biscoff Latte. 

Biscoff should be an interesting drink to have. 

And an sweet, stimulating drink to take on the road. 

Marketing: PETE- A New/Not So New Strategy

We live in a world that is remarkably familiar with the 4Ps of Marketing. 

Whether it be from New York to Kansas to San Francisco to Delhi to Jakarta to Berlin, to Taipei, London, Israel, Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur, no mistake, everyone and anyone who has ever done an academic pursuit in Business Management or Marketing or even any specialty related to the world of business, they no doubt would have come across these fundamentals of Marketing in what most likely was the very first lecture of the term. 

I would know. 

I should know. 

Understanding the 4Ps got me through the module of a diploma-level group project that involved amateurish marketing research into the branding of instant noodles. 

Application of the 4Ps in a thesis about a social service program earned me my bachelor's degree. 

I had thought I knew (more or less) what the whole business of these 4Ps were about. 

But then life came, I moved around, saw different things, and now I know- not all theories work best for everywhere. 

No doubt it is a good theory, one that guides well when it comes to bringing a product out to market but primarily it works best when there're foundations in place, when those foundations have already been applied, or when there's simulation practice in one way or another. 

What if then there are territories where the foundations and fundamentals have been (for whatever reason) somewhat difficult to apply in the regular context of Trade, Business and/or Marketing, or where parameters for the simulations are constantly evolving?

The world is a big place.

And not every place is the same. 

What works for one market might not necessarily work most effective for another. 

And what doesn't work for one market might in fact be the optimal solution for another. 

Let's say, for example, that there be a territory whose people aren't always at hand to apply the fundamentals- let's say it's a big place, or it's a place with some sort of happenings that do not permit easy learning of the fundamentals, or they might have their expertise in other areas besides applying these theories.

What happens then? 

In this somewhat linear formula of MBA-style 4Ps, will they then never be able to bring their products to market?

Or, let's say they do manage to pick up the fundamentals, how long will it take? 

These were questions that came to mind the more I looked about and looked around. 

But somewhere along the way there came opportunities where parts of the puzzle came together, and now, there is, I think, a roadmap that gives room in such territories for products to go to market without having to pay too much attention to the 4Ps. 

In business lingo this roadmap is known as Entertainment Commerce, or Entertainment Marketing. 

In easy lingo, let's just call it PETE, which, coincidentally, is an acronym for the four components that this solution constitutes. They're not linear, by the way, these components. Rather, they work in a sort of cyclical manner where one leads to another and where one cannot do without the other. 

Are they of equal importance?

Yes, and no. 

Yes, because they harmonize and balance each other out perfectly. 

No, because two components form the bedrock for the other two to work. 

Let's begin with the first bedrock component.

PRODUCT. 

This is a no-brainer.

Without Product, we have nothing to talk about. 

There's nothing to market.

There's nothing to sell. 

To apply this puzzle, the product must be ready to be presented to the market. Meaning that it cannot be 'in development', it cannot be a 'prototype' and neither can it be 'an MVP'. 

It has to be ready to be sold.

It has to be ready to be marketed. 

It has to be ready to be used. 

SkinCalories applied this PRODUCT component in 2019 with the launch of its Active Glow Mist 100ml, followed a couple of years later by its Active Glow Mist in pocket size of 15ml. That's not the end of it, however, you don't do this with one product in two sizes. No, you have to have at least three, and so there's a Bubble Mask and a Beauty Balm BB Cream's coming along the way. 

In and of itself it's best of the product has the attributes to stand out on its own, especially if the market, like that of Skincare in which SkinCalories is in, is a highly competitive one. 

As such, the Active Glow Mist, manufactured in South Korea, is lavender scented, is made 100% out of organic ingredients, has an EWG certification, works for all ages, and can be used on sensitive skin as well. 

Now comes the second bedrock component.

TECHNOLOGY. 

This is fundamental. 

The whole system, the whole ring, needs this component to function, to work, to be applied effectively to all of the other components as well. 

But, mind, in this context the Technology component doesn't refer to merely Internet connection or Mobile connection or apps or communication tools, but it is the exemplar of technology both current and advanced demonstrated in a singular method: An Avatar. 

SkinCalories revealed the presence of the Technology component through the creation of MAGDA. 

In this avatar alone we have the current technologies of 2D software, 3D software, rendering, digital art, and everything that comes along with it. 

The image alone is a good representation of the current technology. 

SkinCalories has used the avatar of MAGDA on websites, decks, social media, and messaging apps. 

Very useful when creating banners like these to be used as greetings during festive occasions, I tell you. 

But is there all there is to technology? 

No. 

There is still the advanced technology, yes? 

So where does that get demonstrated? 

Say hello to the third component. 

The ENTERTAINMENT. 

Or, as I like to call it, the Character. 

It is the Character that celebrates the strength of advanced technology. 

It is the Character that- with his or her own story- does not drop the line when the campaign is over because she has her own (fictional) journey worthy to be funded as an entertainment franchise. 

It is the Character that enables a personality to shine through so much so that it can be an inspiration, it can be translated into various forms of mediums, it has multiple applications, and it centralizes the whole system in one form or another. 

If you're wondering what the interweave between Entertainment and Technology is, well, let's just keep in mind that the strength of advanced technologies lies in a distinctive function: Real-time Interaction.

What better way, then, to go one step further, and bring Entertainment into the picture, make the avatar into a Character- one that has a story worthy enough to be grown into an entertainment franchise- and through a medium that has the potential to show just what the strengths of said advanced technologies are. 

No more is Technology limited to the abilities of social interaction between person to person, even though we have that in the form of social media and messaging apps. 

Now there's AI. 

Machine-Learning.

Knowledge. 

Which in reality is mostly words until you communicate all that data through the visual of an avatar. 

It could be within an app, for instance- where, say, you make an enquiry about skincare to the avatar (MAGDA, of course), the AI system gathers all the information and knowledge for you, and the avatar MAGDA communicates that answer to you. 

But that's not all. 

Interaction, and real-time interaction are different. 

Plus, advanced tech covers the chips and the graphic cards and the Cores and the augmented reality. 

Technology is moving beyond that of words to that of visuals, and richly colored, realistic visuals at that. 

It is now a technology that pushes for real-time engagement, real-time interaction that combines the best of data from data servers and throws that out to you beyond the context of words into images that enhance and augment your reality. 

It is for this reason that SkinCalories built a universe around MAGDA, taking her beyond a name and an avatar image into one that has a backstory, a Character Bible, a story beyond, a personality, a growth journey and a developmental arc. 

And it is for this reason that she has a Manga, a Music Video (with SkinCalories's own song Vroom Vroom) and an upcoming Anime that forms the Entertainment component. 

Remember what I wrote earlier about the Product component including an Active Glow Mist in its collection, and that it was lavender scented? 

Well, let's just say that the story carries the theme of Hydration, the theme of Five Elements (harmony) and a lavender flower from the heavens that embodies crystal clear luminance and glistening glowing brilliance. 

Some of us might be wondering just why such mediums be chosen. 

Why not do a live?

Why not do a documentary?

Why not do a game? 

Actually... there is a game. 

There always is. 

But we do consider the presence of INTEL and NVIDIA, and of course, the ACG community which is, in fact, one of the largest and fastest growing communities worldwide. 

We have thus far talked about the three components of this PETE circle. 

Perhaps it is hard to understand how E and T can be so intertwined, but when you consider what the whole meaning of real-time interaction is about, when you consider what the upcoming gear of AR glasses and everything else is about, you'll see that it is T that takes the E to the interactive level, whilst the E celebrates the capabilities of the T. 

So in that sense the T interacts with the E, the E interacts with the T, and then there's the product itself- the P- which (through the AR avatar on her packaging) interacts with both the E and the T. 

But as with all things, in the system, even a harmonious one as this, there's always a climax, a high point, and in this case, it is the second E. 

EVENT. 

People have wondered just what the significance of having an Event is- in the context of PETE- and what the relevance is to the other three components are. 

Very simply put, this last E draws all three together and cements it as a complete system. 

We don't need to delve into discussion just how powerful festivals and events big and small. 

It goes without saying that an Event, in and of itself, is a crowd puller. 

It is an occasion that creates a purpose, unites the community, and serves as both a platform and a presence both at the same time. 

That's what Events are. 

In context of the PETE, however, the Event serves as a focal point when the other three components have begun their way. 

It is at this E (of an Event) that one can transform a product into related merchandise, not merely as a product giveaway as most brand sponsorships do, but as a connection point between the product and the nature of the Event itself. 

When it comes to T the Technology part, whether it be current, emerging or advanced, there is no stopping the stage from becoming a celebration of said Technology. 

And of course there's E the Entertainment, which is the crux of the Event, and what this whole thingmajig is organized for. 

There have been (interested) questions as to how the whole Event can come together

Like, how does it work? 

How can it be done?

It takes a bit of explanation but let's take a look at SkinCalories' upcoming event "Groove & Glow: Ultimate Freestyle War" . 

First of all, would you believe me if I told you that this event weaves the seemingly separate elements of dance, technology and culture seamlessly into a tapestry that celebrates sound, movement, and entertainment? 

Because whilst at first glance it seems to be that of a skincare company (Glow) being involved in dance (Groove) under the genre of freestyle (but which also includes hip hop, street, contemporary and the like), let's not forget the other three elements, namely, Technology, which is, if you ask me, the depth of what this whole event will be. 

But yes, for this Event, there is Technology in Dance.

There is Technology in the Technology.

And there's Technology in the Culture. 

It is expected that dance crews do their best choreography for a competition but Groove & Glow has a technological twist in the form of an (additional) member in their crew- MAGDA. Their moves will need to consider, and include digital character MAGDA in their crew, and by so doing, keep in mind the present capabilities of animation, and motion capture technology. 

It wouldn't be enough, of course, to incorporate motion capture technology and animation and not have a place to showcase it. 

Here's then the Technology part, which, in this context covers both the visual representation of it (MAGDA) and the technology of Unreal Engine that renders the character, and her moves, real-time. 

It is the kind of performance that augments the physical stage with that of a digital character who will be performing the same dance moves as her real life counterparts, bringing the presence of Mixed Reality to what would ordinarily be a regular dance competition. 

Now, if this be the Dance and the Technology covered, where then is the presence of said tech in the Culture?

The scenarios. 

The sets. 

The sets of Groove & Glow are not a blank canvas.

It wouldn't be Mixed Reality Immersive that way. 

So the organizers have planned that the scenarios take place in, say, an Alley, an Underground Fight Club, a Marketplace, a Rooftop... all crafted by Unreal. 

So, yes, there is Tech Tech in the core of this whole PETE system. 

But it isn't just in the hands of the participants. 

It's also in the hands of the attendees and those who are watching it livestreamed elsewhere. 

MAGDA's on the Product packaging, and given that it comes with each ticket, well, there you have it, the Product has turned into Event Merchandise. 

Da Xi's Taiwanese

So I've been on the hunt for nice Taiwanese food ever since the outlet of Isshin Machi at G.R.I.D closed down. 

Shocker that one, I tell you. 

One day we were there having Lu Rou Fan and pork cutlet and milk tea with caramel.

Next thing we knew, the lights were out, the curtains were gone, and the shutters were down. 

I don't know where the nice Taiwanese foods are, actually, and so in a way I'm glad that not too far away from the Selegie area in Plaza Singapura on Dhoby Ghaut there's Da Xi, a casual restaurant/cafe that my friend discovered quite by chance and decided it worth trying a meal there. 

We went there on a weekday evening. 

And can I just say that there were so many foods I wanted to try? 

Not just the mains but the drinks as well.

What the full menu of Da Xi is, well, I don't know, but they've got signature dishes, including appetizers, vegetables, and amongst them, dumplings prepared three different ways are one. 

Dumplings in chicken broth sounded interesting- I liked how thick the broth looked in the menu picture- but safer is the fried, so this evening we had ours pan-fried instead.

A pleasant surprise it was when the plate came. 

I had not thought that them dumplings be fried above a thin layer of flour crust, much less that the crust resemble that of a honeycomb, and be crispy hot like a delicious cracker.

To get to the dumplings you had to break the crust according to the shape of the dumplings, flip each piece over, then eat through the crust until you got to the soft chewy skin of the dumpling itself. 

It was quite fun trying to carefully poke through the honeycomb-like crust without spearing through the dumpling itself. 

Full of soft tender minced pork each piece was, with chives and everything, served with a dip of vinegar and ginger. 

I must say though, there was a fair bit of oil at the bottom of the plate we saw when we finished, but it didn't really matter- if one is going to have the fried, then let it be fried. 

For dinner this evening, my friend got a bowl of Lu Rou Fan- with a hard boiled egg that he gave to me. 

I got a bowl of soup noodles. 

Both dishes, to some, might not be much to yak about- they are pretty ordinary when it comes to Taiwanese cuisine- but we liked the fact that the Lu Rou Fan of rice and braised meat in sauce had a simplicity to it, and it was a day where I wanted to have the warm, comforting feeling of soft, chewy noodles swirling about in hot, clear soup. 

Perhaps the best dish of all we had this evening was this chive pancake with pork floss. 

Ordinary as it might seem, this is one of the dishes that we miss most about Taiwan. 

A street food snack it is supposed to be, but this one here is one thick piece of a crepe flour, chewy, soft, easy to tear, slightly salty, and well fried with egg so one gets the feel of eggy omelet mixed with the thin grainy crisp of flour. 

I like the chew (mixed a little with the crunch)

I like how the crunch crashes into the chew. 

Then there's the faint sweet from the pork floss. 

It gives a wee bit of feathery feel. 

Perhaps the next time when I visit Da Xi back here at Plaza Singapura, I'll try some of their drinks. $6 it might be, but I fancy the colors, and I don't mind taro as a sort of dessert-drink over the course of the meal. 

Christmas 2024

We're well into the month of March.

And it has just occurred to me that I haven't written about Christmas of 2024 one bit at all. 

I have been occupied, I suppose, in one way or another, and the brain gets somewhat muddled from time to time, but to pass through two and a half months at least without realizing what you haven't yet done is something new altogether. 

It used to be that I had it on draft- and I left it there until the right time. 

But I had completely forgotten about it for the year of 2024.

Despite me looking at the series of pictures from time to time. 

Maybe because the Christmas of 2024 was a tad different from the years before. 

It was a year where I didn't do the annual Christmas tradition of running around top-tier hotels snapping pictures of their Christmas decor and Christmas trees. 

It was a year, too, where I didn't get to try, and sight, the usual trimmings of Christmas foods that I like, and sometimes crave for during the course of the year. 

All in all it was a very different Christmas, and one which, I have to say I don't regret. 

The season began for me sometime in end October in Bangkok, Thailand, where, in the open space outside Central World, in the midst of lightning and a thunderstorm, I caught sight of my very first Christmas tree for the year, and my very first overseas Christmas tree in more than ten years. 

After that very first tree there were a few more trees here and there at various places around the city. 

There was a tree that I saw on the top floor of Central Embassy right near OKONOMI where I'd gone to have lunch, and this tree I particularly remember because it looked like it had been frosted over with snow. 

Of course I had to take picture of the Christmas in the lobby of Urbana Langsuan where I stayed in late November, and which tree they had really put in effort, what with all these wrapped presents here and there surrounding the tree, and huge pine cone decor at the check-in counters. 

There were trees whose pictures I took at Centara Grand, and in Central World itself. 

Let's just say I do remember the rich reds and glittery golds of Centara Grand rather well. 

And likewise the beautiful blue 'Frozen' blue shade of the decor on the huge Christmas tree right in the center of the Central World atrium- sponsored by Samsung. 

There was one tree that continues to strike the mind months after I've seen it.

It's not a tree in the middle of all the tourism bustle.

Neither is it a tree in a five-star.

But it is a tree done up with great sincerity with the lights all in blue and lots and lots of colorful metallic balls hanging from the branches. 

They went all out with this one, I tell you.

Seeing all these trees from Bangkok now I can't help but be thankful. 

Never in my life had I imagined I would one day be seeing Christmas in Bangkok, and not just once, but three.

A part of me wishes that there had been opportunities more, but, considering that at the beginning of the year I didn't even think I'd have a chance, well, it's certainly worth being thankful for.

That doesn't mean that we didn't do a celebration on the island. 

Neither does it mean that I didn't get to take pictures of Christmas trees.

I did- but just one. 

Outside this Korean-style dessert cafe in Velocity where I had been accompanying an elderly lady to her medical appointment in TTSH behind next door. 

The season of Christmas was like a Christmas tree charm. 

A very small one.

I don't recall whether or not we went out to Orchard on Christmas Eve (it used to be another tradition of mine) but this year we somehow found ourselves near Jalan Besar (maybe we had gone to Mustafa prior) and so decided to have dinner at this place that my friend had thoughtfully made a reservation. 

REX Steakhouse & Bar, located at Cavan Road, is (considerably) a casual eatery in this part of Jalan Besar that serves up quality steaks, quality beef burgers, a comfortable ambience, and at a good price. 

I wasn't surprised to find a casual steakhouse this part of town.

The Kitchener-Tyrwhitt area continues to hold its own as a hipster place all these years and is (still) a place where people come hang out when they want drinks, specialty cheese, Thai food, zichar and, on weekends, brunch. 

What charmed me very much, however, was the service, and the food. 

We weren't dressed for the Christmas Eve occasion but no short of a warm welcome we received as the staff guided to a little table by the window. 

I wish I could tell you what exactly there was in the menu but I didn't take a picture and I don't really remember. 

What I do recall were the feasts they were offering. 

Not sure if there were any specific Christmas ones (I think there were) but there was this Feast for 3 or 4 which had Smoked Pork Belly, Pork Sausages, Iberico Pulled Pork, USDA Beef Brisket, and Brioche buns. 

Then there were the St. Louis Pork Ribs that from the pictures looked really, really good. 

I looked at them, thinking it be great fun to eat those ribs (using hands) on Christmas Eve but my friend got intrigued by their burgers, of which selections they had The B.M.C, the Classic Single, the Classic Double, a French Onion Burger, and a Pulled Pork & Sausage Burger.

The French Onion burger seemed interesting- between the buns there was a Double Beef Patty, Smoked Provolone, Gruyere Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Bone Marrow butter and Beef Jus. 

I wondered what Bone Marrow butter tasted like. 

It seemed like an adventurous thing to have. 

But wise it is to be cautious (and safe) on Christmas Eve, so we agreed on the Classic Double instead. 

It had a Double Beef Patty, two slices of American Cheese, and vegetables in the form of Lettuce, Tomatoes and Red Onions. For the sauce it was the Classic Burger Sauce, which, I have to admit, I don't really know what it was but it tasted good anyway. 

We were pleasantly surprised by the patties. 

Especially since we have had experiences where the burger looks good and solid and everything but the patties were actually hard and dry. 

Here at REX Steakhouse we were delighted to find that the patties were just the right portion, had just the right amount of firmness in the minced meat, and were grilled perfect enough that you could feel the oil bursting out from the meat inside your mouth but not to the degree that you actually got jelak.

I took the top bun.

My friend took the bottom.  

We also decided we'd have a couple of appetizers, and so hard it was for us to choose, I tell you. 

On one hand the Macho Nachos looked good- we have a thing for nachos and black olives and guacamole- then there was the Chili Brisket with Cornbread that I wanted to try, the Crispy Buffalo Wings and the Texas Chili Cheese Fries. 

Originally I had my eye on the cornbread, even as a side, but I was already having half a bun, and there were other table appetizers I wanted to try.

So we had an order of Crispy Mother Cluckers, and a second order of Housemade Sausage. 

The Mother Cluckers were great. 

They didn't really look like the picture in the menu but it didn't matter. 

I loved the batter even though for some reason I couldn't taste much of the beer in the beer battered chicken strips but the Carolina mustard dip was so good we asked the staff if we could have more.

The Spicy Italian Sausages (the housemade ones) were just as good. 

Up till now I hadn't known that sausages could have this sort of chew- I'm used to the tough German kind, the soft hot dog kind, or the hard lup cheong kind- but this one had a chew that, in fact, felt quite fun. 

It would have been lovely had we had the stomach to have some of their sides, like the Coleslaw, the Mac & Cheese, or even the Potato & Egg salad, but I wanted dessert over sides, so from the menu we chose a key lime meringue pie. 

It's a lovely memory to see these pictures taken almost three months ago. 

I think of us at that table looking out the window towards Jalan Besar Stadium and the quiet of Cavan Road to our side. 

I think of us being thankful for the year that had passed and the times that we had had. 

Was it strange celebrating Christmas Eve in a place on a quiet stretch of a suburb outside town?

No.

After all we weren't the only ones there. 

There were other diners that evening, most of which came after us, and everyone looked like they were there for a quiet, relaxing meal, including a solo lady who plugged in her ears, steadily ate through her burger, paid, and left. 

She sticks in my mind because I have a deep admiration for those who can eat alone. 

I've never been able to. 

Even if it be places that I'm familiar with. 

It's just a joy to be able to share a meal with a loved one who knows your tastes and knows that at your favorite Thai restaurant you'll order either Dish One or Dish Two. 

My friend never gets surprised whenever I order Pad See Ew from Tuk Tuk Cha. 

Especially if it is Christmas time. 

He knows I'm all for wok-fried flat rice noodles with soy sauce, and what better time than the season for feasting where I'm definitely down for the food that I like, never mind the salt and the oil. 

Happiness is more important. 

Christmas time 2024 saw us having a good deal of our favorite foods. 

Not all which belonged to the season, by the way. 

I think we were quite determined to avoid the 'seasonal' (and overpriced) foods. 

So Christmas Day saw us heading to Springleaf at Jln Tua Kong for a plate of crispy, skillfully flopped murtabak that was chock full of beef bits and chili and mayonnaise. 

So full were we that we decided to skip dinner and go straight to Jane Deer at North Bridge Road opposite Bugis Junction for their signature desserts. 

My friend took a bowl of peach gum.

"Collagen very good for the skin!" He enthused.

But my heart had been leaning towards the Steamed Egg White for the longest time. 

So I got that.

And wished myself a Blessed Christmas 2024.

Comfort Food of Instant Noodles

Not too long ago I found this picture in my phone.

It is a good one.

It is the kind of picture I look at whenever I want to feel warm and fuzzy and comfortable and cozy. 

It is also the kind of picture that, thankfully or not so thankfully, I don't seem to have very much anymore. 

Gone are the days where I could have instant noodles up to three times a week. 

Gone too are the days when I didn't have any freedom with the kind of seasoning I wanted and had to eat whatever was decided for me. 

Instant noodles have always been a part of my life. 

And as so there're memories both good and not so good associated with it. 

I wish I could say that instant noodles have always, consistently been a food that brought me comfort, but life's not always so, yes? 

Especially when there are times when I wish the noodles were not seen as a flippant choice of meal when choices there could have been much better. 

Thankfully some of my pleasantest memories have occurred in recent years, like this bowl of Myojo Seafood that I cooked, and ate, either around Christmas, or was it my birthday, at home, because I wanted to have something special to me, something exclusively mine. 

Funny thing about this bowl of noodles, however, is that I didn't feel like using the pot even though on hindsight I really should have.

I have, after all, a pot that's designed especially for such a purpose, to just put water in, put the noodles in, close the lid and let it cook. 

But for some reason, whenever I want to cook these noodles I'm too bum to even take out the pot and just pour hot water straight into the bowl. 

Really, I shouldn't do that. 

What I should do is to get a packet of noodles whose seasoning I really like, like Nissin's Tonkotsu ramen, or Myojo's Seafood, or Koka's Laksa (if they still be around), cook my noodles inside this Little Blue Pot, and steam a tray of siew mais on the top both at the same time. 

Yes, that's what I should do. 

It would, otherwise, be no different from the time when these noodles were seen as nothing more than a means to an end, when choice of seasoning didn't matter (you took the ikan bilis cube and nothing else) and it became a go-to meal when you wanted to excessively save money. 

I will not forget the time when two people stood for 45 minutes in a supermarket and tried to make up their minds about Noodle Flavor 1 or 2 for what was a 10sen difference (SGD$0.05), and after that, whilst not having the means to prepare the noodles well, had it done in a half-cooked style that made the noodles neither warm and appetizing, nor the hot dog pleasant on the tongue. 

Especially since there were other just as good food alternatives nearby. 

There are very few instances where the memory of noodles gets particularly bad. 

The half-cooked attempt is one of them. 

But there's still another one. 

I didn't have a problem with the noodles of this one. 

I had a problem with the other ingredients. 

Chicken feet are not, and never have been my thing, and I don't care if they be fried, stewed, steamed or boiled. 

Watching a relative fish out noodles from a rice cooker (up in the Blue Mountains) with all them chicken feet swimming about in the soup below is to me a memory as unnerving as the day I first saw it all those years ago. 

There was a chicken foot in my bowl.

I couldn't eat it. 

I'm not sure if I enjoyed those noodles very much either, tasteless as they were.  

I'm not the kind to eat noodles without any sort of flavor.

And even it be those days when I'm not into the seasoning, there's always the magic of butter, sesame oil and mixed herbs that sufficient flavor which doesn't overwhelm.