We booked the ticket early, making sure we will get the best seat of the IMAX, so as to enjoy the greatest movie of the year.



We already get excited when there is one movie based on one superhero. Therefore when there is one movie and we get to see not one, not two, but four… no, more than four! That is the ultimate exhilaration!
Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America, team up together with Black Widow and Hawkeye, was pushed by the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury to save Earth. The assembly of these Marvel legends marks the world’s strongest team, as well as the clash of the ego.
Making The Avengers is undeniably a commercial strategy but it comes with a big risk. Since the cameo appearance of Nick Fury in Iron Man, we sort of know that the upcoming big plan from the studio. However the strategy comes with a big risk. If they fail, it is gonna a big letdown, to the fans, to the stars and to the Marvel legacy.
The director/writer did it well in meshing them up in a balanced way. The success of the movie comes from the deep interpretation of the character, especially one need to deal with 6 superheroes, and it is a challenge to make sure these big casts got an equal share of the development. The femme fatale touch of Black Widow, anger management issue of Hulk, the ego of Iron Man, the sense of heroism of Captain America and the erm… body of Thor (of course Hulk is more beef up).
True human heroes seemed shadowed but they can serve as a good subplot for a new franchise. How about one movie on S.H.I.E.L.D? It further develops Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury and not forgetting, the decent Agent Phil.
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) turned out to be my personal favorite. It gave me the deepest impression and he played the villain with through depth of his struggle of the dark side within with charisma.
Even though certain ideas can be improved or mentioned more thoroughly, in overall the script is considered a good one. Yes, we do can have more if the duration is 3 hour, but may turn out draggy.

All in all, it is an enjoyment to experience the IMAX 3D and get immersed in the world of clashes and unity of superheroes. I sit back till the screening of a post-credit scene which hinted something. Something which we craze for more, a hint of sequel~~~ we always craze for more~ we are never satisfy~ MORE MORE MORE!!!!!

I ambled along Muhammad Sultan Road which evoked several reminiscences. This area, once bustling with nightspots is now reduced to a line of chic restaurants. I have grown up; Madam Wong, Double O, Orange and Coyote Ugly are things of the past. All I can do is to superimpose these bustles into the current reality in my mind. However Muhammad Sultan Road does boast several good restaurants like Chikuwa Tei and Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse.

Bistecca means “steak”. I feel guilty for not blogging about my Italy Trip, the days when I got to walk on the path filled with historical dust and savoured on some of the most wonderful Italian cuisines. Other than pasta and gelato, one of the Italian finest is Florentina Steak. We had the best steak in Tuscany, and the taste still lingered in my memory which stimulated my taste buds the moment I typed these words. I have been searching for such oomph in Singapore, and Bistecca finally shed some light of hope…

Bistecca is the answer to the true Florentina steak. What they need is a fine cut of steak cooked on a firewood grill followed by a sprinkle of Tuscan salt. Yet achieving such authenticity requires experiences and effort, and the chef behind the scene were serious about finding the most suitable meat source as well as the method to lock the natural flavor of the meat.

The purpose of this dining is more than eating. We have being craving for the Tuscan ambience. Our first move is to order the Chianti Riversa, a red wine originated from the Tuscany.



Before we could sink our teeth into the steak, we got to have a complimentary house-baked focaccia for a start and indulged in the chewy texture after we dipped it in the flavorsome olive oil.
We did not need to wait for long, the large T-bone steak was served on a wooden tray. Florentina steak is meant to serve 2 to 4 persons, and that depends on the appetite of individual. Luckily Yan and I were very hungry on that night which allowed us to finish the large slab of meat.



Our meat, done medium, charred on the surfaced and seemingly tender on the inside. The reddish color revealed the doneness and indicates the attractive texture. We were given two choices of the sauces which I failed to remember. The meat, being highly marbled, its fats itself were a draw, at least to me, soft and melted in my mouth which gave a buttery pleasure.

As mentioned, Yan and I were indeed hungry and our stomachs were still able to hold another 3 scoops of Gelato ice-creams. We picked hazel nut, pistachio and lemon sherbet. They were all excellently good, not only refreshing but strong in taste as well.



Many Italian restaurants have their versions of Florentina steak but they turned out to be disappointment. Reason being steak is not their speciality and the emphasis is always the pastas or pizza. Biscetta only focus on steak which makes it the main draw. I am so glad that finally there is a place which truly brings the Tuscan sensation to the Lion City. What can I ask for more?

**DISCLAIMER**
The following scenarios are written without prior knowledge of research and based on pure imagination without reference of any incidents related.

Government has released the 5 possible population scenarios of Singapore. Odinchoy presents to you 5 possible transport scenarios of Singapore.


SCENARIO 1
Jerky taxis and manual vehicles are the thing of the past. Singapore, being the finest country with economic success, the citizens demand higher expectation in services. Travel with taxi is now a luxury and that makes Chrysler Taxi has monopolized the island. Luxury travel comes with a high price but it does not stop the people to give it a ride. The demand and supply is maintained and this is due to the habit of the mass who use cab as main mode of transportation.
There is a rise in the demand of taxi drivers as well, in which they are one of the highest-paid professionals in the country, due to the unavoidable fare hike because of inflation. As a true professional, they need to attend course, such as “Basic Communication Skill” and “Image Management.” Other practical skills they need to enquire is “Maintainance of Limousine”. The most common feedback given by the people is that another course that the company should implement is “Basic Etiquette of the Driver”, as there have being cases whereby the drivers tend to take the route with traffic jams. The spokesperson, however replies,” The condition of the road is unavoidable.”
They never realize the condition is unavoidable, but jam is avoidable…

SCENARIO 2
Electronic Road Pricing System is privatized and managed by a company. For many years, the ERP is still restricted within boundary of CBD. The only difference is CBD is expanded across the island; from Tuas to Changi, and Marina to Woodlands. You need to be a millionaire to own a Toyota. Cashcard top-up option is as follows: “$100, $200, $500 and $1000.” The deduction of the value in the cashcard jumps as frequent as the cab meter. However at times due to poor maintainance of the machine, it tends to auto-deduct more value than it supposes to. When such incident happens, the government steps in and asks for an investigation, making sure that justice is given to the car-owners!
Parking system has almost gone electronic throughout the island, we can use our smartphone apps to pay for the parking fee, just by checking-in the parking location and viola! But we must almost remember to check-out if we leave the parking lot, if not the money will be deducted accordingly.
However Singaporeans are always testing the water, they now learn to park at the places which they are not supposed to. Those who want to do that must have one very important smartphone app, SUMMON AUNTIE VISTA PRO Version 5.0.

SCENARIO 3
Be it the poor drainage system, the construction of Marina Barrage or the global warming, flash floods still occurs and Singaporeans conveniently term it as “ponding”. Ponding Alert System is erected to various low-lying grounds which include Bukit Timah area, Orchard Road and several condominiums.
The Ponding Alert System is firstly to stop the traffic from entering the ponding area, secondly the government comes up with a creative mode of transportation when such incidents happen. Boats are used if one wants to travel from one end to another end. The booth and boats are mobile when they can shift their barang barang to the affected area and make their business boomed for awhile. Other business partner includes Duck Tour who sees it as an opportunity, yet their stand is ponding situation should not happen again.

SCENARIO 4
We have a highly sophisticated train track network but there is no train service. Reason being, the company is unable to afford the high maintenance cost without rising the fee. Moreover no one is willing to buy and operate the train system. Train is now a thing of the past.
Train track is now a National Heritage trail. Annual events such Track Trail Marathon are held annually, in which runners get to run on overhead tracks and underground tunnels! Other events include History trail, which tells the generations about urban tales of the MRT stations and the famous major breakdowns which marks the downfall.

SCENARIO 5
Due to the high transport fee, people have to adapt new ways to travel. The sight of man wearing business suit and women in high-heels riding on the bicycle has been common. Like China, bicycle has integrated to everyday life of Singapore. More bicycle tracks are built beside the road, and there is biker’s route of conduct, right-of-way implemented. It is compulsory for students to learn riding a bicycle, as part of a life skill. Ultimately, Singaporeans have effectively telling the world that other than being economically successful, we have done our part to be eco-friendly.

Back to basic, Travel with Ease!

People said that the trains had broken down more often recently. However I feel that this is not the case. It has been like this for the past few years. After the MRT major breakdown in December 2011, it is then many of such cases have been reported and our train service comes under the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

I have been travelling by train since it was constructed. With the extensions of North-East Line, Circle Line and the upcoming Downtown Line, I was pretty excited and convinced our train service is more established and may one day compared with those in other major cities.

Train itself is more than a mode of transportation; it is a measure of the level of development of a city. For a train being deemed as a nuisance, not trusted by the people, and even the topic of heated discussion filled with negative comments, it again reflects our development of a city.

Lion City, now overwhelmed with skyscrapers, notably challenging for heights and spaces, we have proven the world we are powerful in terms of economy. What lies amongst the concrete jungle is the world doesn’t know unless surfaced. The reason for such public reaction is rooted to us, the citizens. We have suppressed our annoyance for too long. Track faults, breakdowns and disruptions were pretty common; at least for the past few years, the more popular cases will be suicide. Yet, we were much laid-back in terms of addressing much concern. With no voices from us, the assumption was made that everything ran well or we accept such mistakes graciously. Hence, the breaking point was triggered.

Now any minor disruption is eligible to become the headline of the day. Train delay is a valid reason for late-coming. Even Universities are working on contingency plans for exam candidates who are caught up in train delay. We might have overreacted to a certain extent, for me, I still maintain that laid-back attitude, “Normal lah, What’s new?” Certain things are truly unavoidable but I have faith that it is going to be better, because the world is watching us.

This is really a wake-up call for the train service, for the government and the people. SMRT, be more alert. Government, be more involved, People, be more proactive in voicing out. We all can do our part to make our nation a better place in the world.

This is the place which Yan was eager to go~~
Yan’s birthday brunch at Yan Ting （宴庭）, what can be more appropriate than that?



Renowned as the top Cantonese restaurant in Singapore, situated in the 5-star St.Regis Hotel, Yan Ting has become the prestigious yum-cha hangout for the tai-tais and businessmen. It is also often being blogged by famous local food blogger ladyironchef which has drawn attention from many dim sum-worshippers.

We came here especially for their ala carte Weekend Brunch Buffet, which we were able to order their specialties from the menu. The buffet includes one serving of braised shark fin with crab roe and one portion of lobster.
The items on the menu sparked our impulse to order everything. However it was a challenge for two of us to sample everything. Therefore we must choose wisely.

I believe this is one of the main draw for me, I am not listening to that preaching of “STOP EATING SHARK’S FIN… BLAH BLAH”. This is the savory generous portion which enlightened my day. The broth of the right viscosity was filled with fins, crab roe and meat.






Lobster has been regarded the king of crustaceans on the plate, and it is a norm to serve lobster to uphold that prestige. We are given a choice of preparation of the lobster, wok-baked with superior stock and spring onion, gratinated with cheese and bacon or wok-based with garlic and butter.

Yan preferred her lobster to be wok-baked with superior sauce, and she had indeed indulged in the freshness of the succulent meat.





 As for my garlic and butter lobster, it looked tough on the outside but the meat is equally succulent.

Pig Trotter Vinegar（猪脚姜醋）



This signature dish of Yan Ting; the tender meat and soft skin, perfectly braised in the spicy vinegar stock, were filled with fragrance. This was an very appetizing dish and I almost wanting to order a bowl of rice to go with it~~ Not forgetting to mention that braised egg which did not fail to make Yan wow~~
It might look like a claypot filled with the trotter, it was merely an illusion. Most of the stuff in the claypot are ginger cubes~

Salmon sashimi



It did seem kind of strange to order sashimi in a Cantonese restaurant. However it retains the freshness of what a true sashimi should acquire…


Their dim sum is deemed to be the must-try in the restaurant. Dumplings are the gems of the dim sum, due of the beauty of the translucent skin wrapped around the filling. I agree that the skin of the dumpling, be it the scallop or the prawn, was chewy and the filling is succulent.



                   

 Braised chicken feet were flavorsome and Yan loved it.


The excitement of breaking the salted egg lava bun (流沙包) is the sight of the bright yellow liquid which flows out lavishly, and sometimes spurt out~ the lava bun here is comparable with the one I had at Victor’s Kitchen, which serves the best in town.




However the highlight is the Pan-fried radish cake.


Radish cake often has a deceiving unappealing look which is unparalleled to the taste. It is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The determinant is definitely the generous shreds of radish beneath. Yan commented that it was almost similar to the one she had at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Specialist （添好运点心专卖店）, Hong Kong.


Poach cod fish with chinese cabbage in superior broth


I have to complement that this cod fish deserves my thumbs-up~ a good cod fish acquires the flaky flesh to be chewy, and I love the light broth which the cod is soaked in. This is extremely delicious!


Yan and I were very full, but we insisted to try the BBQ combination （烧腊拼盘）, which consists of roasted pork belly, char siew, roasted duck and soy sauce chicken.



However we requested the portion to be small. The meats were somehow average but did not allow us to leave a deep impression…

Duck Soup with Lotus Root



How can we miss out the soup? Cantonese takes soup brewing very seriously. Simmering the pot of soup for a period of time and one will need to monitor the flame, as well as the right proportion of the various ingredients; it is a form of culinary art. The soup we picked did not disappoint us. We were overwhelmed with the aroma when served. When we sipped the first spoonful of the hot piping soup, it gave us the homely warmth not only in the mouth but the heart as well.

Egg Tart



Last but not least, we had egg tarts as part of the sweet ending. However the texture of the egg tart can be better and the crust is too buttery which is not favorable to Yan’s taste.


The constant refill of the Chinese Pu’er helped in flushing away greasy feeling.



Letting the time passed, got ourselves immersed in the less boisterous atmosphere, this should be the way to spend a lazy afternoon. The brunch is the one of the most satisfying brunch we ever had, not only filling and the reputable quality is up to the expectation. As for the Dim sum, being renowned, we believe that we did taste better ones before. However this will not stop us from coming here again.
At the price of $98++, we got to enjoy a bowl of shark fin soup and lobster, as well as the unlimited order of ala carte items such as their dim sum and much more varieties. It only depends on how much you can eat~~ It is always good to come with a larger group, so that we can try more items~~

Is it really coincidence that it will always rain during Qing Ming Festival? The period for Chinese to pay tributes to the departed.

Other than normal offering such as food, Chinese knew the importance to keep up to date. Paper objects are more than Hell Money, paper shirt and tie or the paper human figures who are supposed to be maid which is the popular element of Chinese horror movies.
Hence paper objects may become essential for offering. The copies of a vast array of products, closely tied in with the current commercial world. If the living is crazy about it, we probably assume the dead loves it too.
Other than paper cars, houses and yacht, luxury goods such as LV and Gucci remains as hot favourite, they are made to look as similar as those imitations available here.

Why we assume technology has already spread to the afterlife’s world? Ipad and iphone continue to be the most popular things to be burnt. Apple has monopolized the realm of the dead, no one is making Samsung Galaxy or Blackberry… The only concern is will there a network up there? Are there app store available? Perhaps there is, Steve Jobs is up there too, you know… but he may not expand it to the Chinese market… yet.

Laptops, another essential which I always wonder why. There is no ways to communicate with the dead. What are these used for? Can they surf net? If only medium can transfer their knowledge onto the net and develop a network… if only~
Qing Ming has the history of 2000 years and it is one important festival for the Chinese. One of the main traditional practices is burning of the papers. Such an action raises the concern. it is regarded as a threat to the environment due to the wastage of paper, and the smoke emitted from the combustion. People are encouraged to burn lesser, if possible none, as so to promote a Green Qing Ming Festival.

Kind of annoying when I come across the term Green Qing Ming Festival~ are we wasting paper? Is this the main problem of the pollution? We are doing this only once a year and it is a custom. This has been a debate between tradition and environment. However the question is has such custom giving a significant impact to the pollution? I believe all these are a fraction of the total damage done to the Earth. We often remind the young traditional values and the meaning behind a practice. Why people are not looking into the truth behind the environmental damage before they made such comments? Is this another cultural discrimination which people see us practicing inappropriately?

I support green movement but at the same time, I believe in preserving the values left behind by our ancestors.
I believe in new ways of doing things but tradition should not be threatened.

Last but not least, other than Hell Money and ipad, we can burn this instead~

I decided to break the Quiet Time and back to the now unfamiliar unreal zone. Yet can I find a comfort here? It is only temporary, but the time should be sufficient to pen down a few thoughts.
I always need to revisit my inner-self, asking myself what a person I am. The sense of uselessness kept engulfing me. I always feel I can do more but yes, the key word is only ‘feel’. I only have difficult taking the first step. The crucial first step denotes the factor of the path to be taken… still missing. I am not going to give myself excuses but merely lack of confidence. I am unable to find a way to pick myself up. I even mess up the things which I often feel confidence of. However certain constraints lead me to realize some things will not turn out the way it is.
The ego is playing tricks again; I thought I can control the wind, the rain and the sun. However this is never the case, and never will. I just feel uncomfortable when the control is gone.
People say certain things require experience. However it has quite sometimes, what have I gain? What have I learnt?
I cannot answer.

In my opinion Thai are a bunch of creative breed. They have a way to make things simple yet with impact. 
And again in my opinion, I think it is necessary to stop people from assuming Thai can only make good horror movies.Here is another Thai movie which will showcase the talent of uprising Thai filmmaker.
Starring the lead of Suckseed, which I will somehow expect that his image will be stereotypical, With limited humor, this turned out to be a more serious movie than Suckseed. The Billionaire is based on the story of the founder of crispy seaweed, Tao Kae Noi.
A spoilt teenager who knew how to make money through internet games, and at the same time, spend money brainlessly. When his family was in debt, he felt the need to do something to clear the debt of the family, and decided to start a business. However his youth was a barrier to the corporate world and the story unfolded how he overcome the odds to make his business a success, and becomes a true TAO KAE NOI (young boss).

True story never fails to inspire and gives failures hope to succeed. The theme of The Billionaire never revolves around topics on money, but more of the failures behind each action and the response which lead to changes which a person desires. No one will truly about acting, cinematography, the story itself already is enough to inspire people.


P/S: I think it is a good idea to smuggle a few packets of seaweed snacks into the cinema while watching the movie~~ a good alternative of popcorns!



Do take note that the crisp may disturb the people around you and give you a 'shoooooo'~

Tucked away from the crowded Orchard, amongst the row of colonial-style shophouses in Tudor Court, Hediard is perhaps our new cosy laid-back hideout for a Sunday Brunch.
Started in France over 150 years ago, Hediard is now a global boutique-café chain. Elegantly furnished, the interior allured a Parisian romance which allows you to forget that you are in Singapore until you see what is outside the single arch window.



We scanned through the menu and having a hard time trying to pronounce the names, and had a tough time making our choices for a nice Sunday brunch. The hungry me was tempted to have the Hédiard Breakfast Set.




What I appreciate is that Hediard even gives its very best for the simplest food. The country-style bread is toasted to be crispy on the outside and fluffy soft on the inside which goes out with the mildly sweet jam and marmalade.

Another great surprise comes from this plain croissant.


Filled with rich buttery flavour, the flaky texture and crispy crust is the draw.
This croissant is said to be the best in Singapore, and it is one of the best I have so far.

Yan’s Creamy Scrambled Egg turned out to be a unique dish.




Scrambled egg is worst when dry. As the name suggests, the creamy texture is consistent and it felt like eating melted cheese. Best eaten after sprinkles of salt and pepper!


All meal ends well with a great dessert.

Moelleux chocolate cake with vanilla crème Anglaise




That small chocolate cake breaks open, and the lukewarm molten chocolate flows out lavishly. The sinful look is the greatest temptation and only fool will resist. Yan led out a brilliant delight once she gave it a virgin taste…
The saucer of yellowish vanilla turned out to be the mildly sweet which is easily forgotten after trying the delicious chocolate cake.


Crafted with coffee powder on the frothed milk, the ‘H’ is the recognizable brand name.



Took a sip of the smooth and strong cappuccino in the near-empty café on a lazy Sunday afternoon, it was wonderful to let the time passed unknowingly.

With wonderful food and drink among the French chic, what can I expect more? Before we left, it is adjoining avant-garde grocery store which specialised in opulent French wine and jams. Even if you do not want to buy anything, it is still an enjoyment to give a quick peep at the exquisites.

Chinese particularly loves the Year of Dragon.
To be honest with you, I have strange obsession with images of dragon on accessories~

Presenting my 14 year-old Jean Paul Gaultier keypouch,
I am so in love with this beauty that i stopped bringing around and kept it in a box, stuffed with 3 packets of silica gel, and stored it in a corner far away from direct sunlight...
 
Beside it is my one-month old Shanghai Tang wallet, my self-indulged Christmas gift….
hoping it will get rid of any bad luck in the New Year~~

能让我龙年行大运！