Nation's Birthday

Some shots i took of the National Day Parade 2010@ Padang:

It was a beautiful day

The theme of the parade

One of the crowd favourites...

The National Flag

The flypast

The sunset

The Padang

And it ended with a big bang

Lai Wah restaurant

We had a family gathering of sorts when Superman invited family of both sides together to celebrate his graduation.

After much deliberation, we chose Lai Wah Restaurant and pre-ordered a set menu that requires 2 days advance notice.

Here's what we had:

Lai Wah assorted dish (Mayonnaise cold prawn, shredded cold chicken, chicken nuggets, spring rolls, stir-fried egg and century egg)

The fried items were piping hot though nuggets as a starter were a little out of place here.

Braised shark's fin with crab meat

Soup was flavourful though shark's fin could have been more.

Garoupa fish in two styles

Steamed and deep fried, this dish is one of the signature dishes. Superman's dad, a Teochew through and through, said the fish could have been fresher. For me, the steamed wrapped fish slices with spring onions and deep fried fish slices are an interesting play on taste and textures.

Sea cucumber, fish maw with vegetables

The sea cucumber and fish maw is soft and flavourful, the way I like it. Served with tofu and spinach. The tofu are mashed and mixed with some vegetables before being deep fried.

Crispy squid with salted egg yolk
Yumm! I loved the crispy and piping hot squid. The salted egg yolk is not very pronounced but adds a different dimension to the dish. Full of unami flavour!

Fried prawns in crispy nest with mayonnaise

The prawns are large and firm, wrapped with noodles and deep fried. The waitress explained that the crispy bits are mian xian, longevity noodles

Fried E-Fu noodles

The noodles are a bit on the oily side but still good.

Lotus seed red bean paste hot dessert

What I like is that the dessert is once again, piping hot. Not too sweet its a nice way to end the meal with.

Overall, it's a good meal at a reasonable price. Some hits and misses, but good quality food with no MSG. On top of that, there's no GST, no service charge and complimentary tea, peanuts and orange soft drink. We bought our own wine and there's no corkage charge.

This is restaurant with a long history and Superman's dad even commented he brought Superman to this restaurant when Superman was just a baby!

Lai Wah Restaurant

Blk 44, Bendemeer Road,

#01-1436

Singapore 330044

Ganbatte! がんばって!

Attended Superman's graduation ceremony over the last weekend. Superman commented that this graduation meant the most to him.

I knew what he meant.

There were times during his journey to graduation when self-doubt and frustration crept in. Glad that he persevered and graduated after years of hard work.

Mummy was most supportive when she travelled to the other side of Singapore to attend the Superman's graduation ceremony at his invitation. Even though I told her beforehand that there weren't enough ceremony tickets to go around. Was grateful when one member of the family sacrificed his ticket to let mummy attend.

Mummy even bought a teddy bear dressed in matching graduation robes from a booth in the school. The bear did not come cheap but mum dismissed my "protests" by saying how many such graduation ceremonies will she ever get to attend in her lifetime? She says it's just a simple gift for such a momentous and joyous event.

Thanks mum!

Superman, this a prelude to greater things ahead for you. Ganbatte! がんばって!

How many bags does a girl need?

List of some GWP purchases i made:-

Laura Ashley Tote Bag: Big floral tote with long straps but may not suitable for carrying heavy items (No double stitching on ends of straps).

Fred Perry Tote Bag: Big and sturdy with a classic design but straps are smooth and kept slipping off my shoulders.

Agnes B Bag with charm: Medium size bag that can fit in lots of items but cloth material is quite thin. Charm is beautiful though.

Coach Poppy plastic zip pouch with charm: Cheery design on a square plastic pouch(20cm x 20cm). Can be used as a pencil case or toiletries pouch.  Coach Poppy reminds me of Powerpuff Girls.

Liniere(Vol.8) Limited Edition Embroidery Tote Bag: Sturdy, small bag with a minimalist design. Love the ribbon and embroidery details.

Bathing Ape 2010 Mook Camo Bag: Love the design and size of this sturdy bag. Gave it to Superman and he got some positive comments when carrying this bag.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Bag: Dainty bag that can hold more that it looks. One of my favourites.

YSL Mook Bag: Battered but not bruised, it has withstand the rigors I put it through almost everyday. Made of thick cloth with YSL initials stitched in gold, this bag is one that is most versatile and suited for daily use.

Superman just asked me this question yesterday:"Why are you going to a bookstore to buy bags?"

 Gosh, I need to buy some shares in Kinokuniya soon.

A purfect cat

She is the colour of midnight, dark as night.

A sleek and elegant feline, her fur is soft to touch. She looked at me with her bright, round eyes, silently asking me to bring her back. 

In a moment of weakness, I decided to make her mine and give her a good home.

Superman asked: "Are you sure?"

I hesitated for a second and nodded: "Yes"

Happily, I made the purchase and took her home in her cage. Now she sits contentedly in a corner of my home.

Everyone, meet JiJi, the cat. (^.^)