Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013

Race pack of what would have been my first marathon. Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore or Marathon Singapore is the biggest international marathon in Singapore. It is held annually on the first Sunday of December and has a record of 50,000 participants (whoah!) in 2009.

So if a person will only have one run (whatever distance) in a year, you'll see him/her at this one :) 

3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young

I'm no longer as young as I would want to be but I've started travelling recently and I'm enjoying it while I'm still single and able.

But why travel instead of saving and working your ass off?
1. Travel is best done when you are at your best physical state, i.e. when you are young and healthy.
2. Travel will open your eyes and you'll see the world. This will help you in your studies, work and relationships.
3. Travel will trigger your zest for life, ignite your passion and make you fall in love.

Here are Jeff Goins' 3 Reasons to Travel While You're Young

What do you think? What are your reasons for travelling when you're young? :)

Thai Affair

My craving for mango salad took us to Thai Affair - an authentic Thai restaurant at The Central. They didn't have mango salad but had papaya salad and I enjoyed their lunch sets at $8.90 net including an appetizer, a main dish and drink - not too bad for a quick lunch in the city :)

The appetizers were average in taste, the spaghetti red curry is a new concept to me and my favorite is the pad ka prao in pork which is really tasty and spicy.

Papaya Salad and Green Chicken Curry

Pad Ka Prao with Rice (Pork) - My favorite!

Spaghetti Red Curry

Friends who lunch together, stay together. Always a delight to spend time with two of my favorite ladies.

Thai Affair is at Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-48 (S) 059817

Tel: +65 6224 6229

5 Regrets People Make on their Deathbed

This year of 2013 has been a turning point in my life. I've committed my life to Jesus and started engaging my faith. Acknowledging His presence and overflowing goodness, I'm left wondering what's next and this desire to make my life worthwhile and to be of use to others.

Early this morning, a friend shared me this verse:

33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[b] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” (Luke 11:33-36 NIV)


This verse reminds me that whatever I'm experiencing should reflect in my words, actions and decisions moving forward. I'm no longer the old person I was and should bring with with me my light wherever I go. Live life with passion, with purpose and regretless.


Two hours after I received the verse, I read about A Nurse Reveals Top 5 Regrets People Make on their Deathbed.

Read it and be blessed. :)

Clever Ad by BA

I think this is a pretty clever (if not brilliant) ad by British Airways.

A breath of fresh air in the advertising scene - 

something that's not creepy and scandalous :D

Bumbu

Several reasons to smile today:

1. I had the privilege to have lunch with a colleague for the first time and she took me to this restaurant - Bumbu.

2. Tried Thai-Indonesian cuisine for the first time. I find it interesting.

3. Was introduced to the lovely area that is Telok Ayer. I shall be back. :)

Green Curry Chicken - Creamy and spicy just the way I like it!

Fried Fish Slices in Thai Sauce

Photos of Old Singapore & Malaysia on the Walls

Bumbu is at 125 Telok Ayer Street (S) 068954

Tel: +65 6536 8636, +65 6536 8638

Bintan V - Reaching Out to the Orphans

Dancing with the Kids

Our God is the father of the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) and His promise to these kids --- "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18)

Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants us to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like Him, so love is the foundation of every command He has given us: “The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love others as you love yourself'” (Galatians 5:14) and this includes those who are fatherless and those are different in color, culture, language and faith.

Sarina. 

It took some time before this young and gentle lady warmed up to me. 

I've exhausted all the Bahasa lines I've got 

and the only response I elicited from her is her age.

After 1.5 hours, I asked her if we can do a selfie and guess what, 

she leaned towards me, looked at my phone and smiled for this photo.

It's funny how universal the 'selfie' is. 

Sarina and I have geographic, cultural and language barriers 

but we both understand how to pose for 'selfies'.

Viet Inn

Found a good place for traditional Vietnamese cuisine today! Random finds like this is always exciting :D

Mango Salad - So good!

I love mango salads so I ordered one. The beef salad with lemon had a very generous serving of meat - definitely great value for its $8 price!

Beef Salad with Lemon - Great value for money!

Fresh Spring Rolls

Being right at the heart of Raffles CBD, next to Boat Quay and walking distance to MRT, this restaurant has great location. Good-tasting food at wallet-friendly prices (for a sit-down place in Raffles at least) will make me come back and try other dishes :)

Viet Inn is at 49 Circular Road (S) 049404
Tel: +65 6536 1847

Mellben Seafood

Finally got to try this much talked-about seafood restaurant last night at their Ang Mo Kio branch. First tip: Call to reserve a table as queue can get crazy even on weekdays.

Claypot Crab Bee Hoon Soup - Really tasty!

Second tip: Order their best seller the Claypot Crab Bee Hoon Soup. I didn't think too much of it at first but my friends say it's really good and Foursquare tips seem to agree. The soup is really tasty and creamy, something definitely different and good at the same time.

Fried Fish in Thai Sauce - My favorite

Chilli Crab - Best with buns

Third tip: Watch out for the price-absent menus. Make sure you clarify how much each dish costs and stick to your original orders; staff will upsell and offer you more food.

Buttered Prawns - Really good

Deep Fried Tofu - Liked it and I don't even like tofu :D

Third tip: Get dirty, lose your poise and just enjoy the delicious food. Worry about your smelly fingers and scary bill later! :D

Mellben Seafood is at Blk 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, #01-222 (S)

Tel: +65 6285 6762

Salomon X-Trail Run 2013

Salomon always has the cutest running tees! Loving the vouchers included in the race pack :)

Run Happy 2013

Excited for this! Another fun twist to running is happening in a few hours :) See you happy runners!

Dr. Cafe

How I normally start my day - A little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus.😊 

Cappuccino, double shot with non-fat milk from Dr. Cafe, which claims to make the best coffee in the world. ☕️

Touring A Massive Barbie Doll Collection

Photo Credit: www.hindustantimes.com

I'm so amazed at how our office is passionate in raising funds for victims of supertyphoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) in the Philippines. There's collection of goods, toy auction, bake sale, breakfast sale and ticket selling to tour Jian Yang's massive Barbie doll collection. In a span of 20 years, Jian has amassed over 6,000 Barbie dolls and is reported to be one of the largest collections in the world. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing tickets ($15 each). All proceeds will be donated.

Baguette - The Viet Inspired Deli

I first saw this deli at International Plaza during one of my quick lunch breaks. I tried their baguettes but got hooked with their curry chicken with rice (of course!) My friends and I spotted their Vivo City branch much later and it has a bigger space with an outdoor dining area.

Reasons why I keep coming back to this deli:

1. Wallet-friendly prices.

2. Fresh vegetables, good-tasting dishes with 'Vietnamese' kick.

3. Limited menu, which is a good thing for me - no headache and no confusion as to what to order.

Baguette - The Viet Inspired Deli is at #01-163 Vivo City, 1 Harbourfront Walk

Tel: +65 6493 1426

Laduree

French macaroons. Expensive. Fancy food. Hard to find. Dessert of the rich.

My curiosity started when celebrities started posting their photos with French macaroons when travelling in Europe. And my curiosity was satisfied when a generous vendor gave our office two large boxes of the luxurious French brand Laduree. 

So they came in a very fancy box with the Laduree gold crest and fancy ribbons that got me so excited. The colorful double-decker lovelies looked like semiprecious stones in a jewelry box (okay, I might be a little bit exaggerating here).

The shells were a little bit harder than I expected but just enough to hold the filling together. My favorite flavors include vanilla, pistachio, strawberry candy marshmallow and chocolate (admittingly good even if I don't like chocolate-flavored anything). 

Laduree is at #02-09 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6884 7361

The Merchants of Bollywood

I have heard of the term Bollywood and I've seen bits and pieces from YouTube clips and Hollywood films such as Slumdog Millionaire and TV shows such as Outsourced. However, these did not prepare me for what I was about to see when I stepped into the Grand Theater of Marina Bay Sands last night.

Intricately detailed and lavish costumes, humorous lines, exaggerated acting and high-energy dancing from start until the very end made this show very entertaining to watch (no boring parts!) No wonder London's The Times describes it as "Their energy is electrifying.. it's a high octane pleasure."

The free tickets gifted to us by Base Entertainment gave us VIP seats (second row, woot!) and we were so close to the stage that we literally saw sweat splashing as the dancers danced their hearts out. Thank you Base Entertainment!

This Australian musical written and directed by Toby Gough is about the history of the Bollywood film industry. Based on the true story of a well-known Bollywood dance choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant and her grandfather Hiralalji Merchant, a pioneering Bollywood choreographer, this musical started touring in 2006 and was well-received in Europe, Australia, Canada and Asia. The group had a sold-out run in Singapore in 2010.  

Props were no way under-toned.

Intricate and elaborate costumes.

Intricate and elaborate costumes.

A simple but powerful number.

Love the intricacy and extravagance of the dresses in the wedding dance.

Love the intricacy and extravagance of the dresses in the wedding dance.

Love the intricacy and extravagance of the dresses in the wedding dance.

A very intense number showcasing grief and respect.

Let's go disco!

Let's go disco!

Ending on a high note! (Don't be distracted by the 6-packs, haha)

The Merchants of Bollywood is in Singapore for a limited 8 performances only. Get your tickets now - you don't want to miss out! 

Performances are at Mastercard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands from November 5-10, 2013.

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2013

I've been wanting to do trail running in the mountains of Vietnam or Indonesia so when my dear sister asked me to sign up for Penang Bridge International Marathon because she already did - I registered for my first marathon overseas.

I read that this is the biggest marathon in Southeast Asia with this year's registered participants numbering more than 45,000! Whew!

I received my race pack (well not really a pack because it only contained my running tee and bib) via courier.

Here's what Tourism Malaysia says about this marathon:

Held annually since 1985, The Penang Bridge International Marathon caters to runners from local and international grounds. The marathon is recognized for its captivating sight of the sunrise as it reveals the panoramic view of the "Pearl of the Orient." Thousands come together to race across The Penang Bridge, the third longest bridge in the world.

Great Eastern Women's Run 2013

I claimed my Great Eastern Women's Run (GEWR) race pack last Sunday and is impressed with how they upped their kit from last year. The Adidas race tee, athlete's guide, race bib, vouchers (yay!) and all the freebies (more yay!) are packed in a messenger bag (last year's was a duffel bag).

GEWR is one of the two female-exclusive runs in Singapore, the Shape Run being the other. This is a very special run for me because it's the very first run I did and I completed it without any training or preparation due to a personal problem last year.

Last year's run was organized well with a lot of cheerers, hydration stops positioned well and the 'staff knew their stuff'. The race carnival was designed to be family-oriented with lots of booths and things to entertain both kids and adults. And yes, a lot of free food for everyone!

Looking forward to this year's run on Sunday!  

Giving Is Social

Join us this Saturday evening as we support our dear friends launch Giving Is Social - a campaign promoting corporate volunteerism, giving and social networking. No experience is required, just an open mind and willing heart to see lives changed.

Know more about the event through Giving is Social and the Facebook event page. Please RSVP here.