gastronomic delights

Been pretty busy the past few days, hence the lack of updates. (plus the fact that I'm a completely lazy bum.)

Saturday was spent with my family. Wanted to go out with The Happy Club, but as usual, my mom didn't let me go. Oh wells. Still I had fun. We went to Kandahar Road (near Arab Street) to this quaint little Indonesian restaurant for lunch. Just our luck that it starting pouring like anything on our way there. The food was yummy and the price is really reasonable too. U guys should definitely go and try it. U won't regret. Of course, only go if u can stand the chilli! EVERYTHING (with the exception of drinks and desserts) is cooked with chilli! But still... SEDAP!!! Haha.

The restaurant. Haha. No, this was the upstairs. There wasn't space downstairs at first.

The before...

... and the after!

Coconut! Very cooling. Dee-licious!

Makes u drool right? Haha! Best thing was, it's not that filling. So u can eat to ur heart's content there.

After that, we decided to brave the weekend crowds in the malls of Singapore. So we headed to Tampines Mall and proceeded to spend a helluva lot of moolah there. Woohoo! I bought a new luggage at Isetan to bring back my crap to the UK . Then we went to Giordano and splurged on new clothes there. My mom must have been in a great mood, cos she allowed me to get a new jacket, even though I just bought one 3 months ago. Haha! After that, Mom was all ready to call it quits and surrender to the never-ending surge of humans in the shopping complex. However, with my powers of persuasion, we found ourselves in Hush Puppies, where Dad picked up a new pair of shoes. I almost bought a pair of sneakers at $49. But being the good daughter I am, I sensibly said "No, it's ok. I already have a good pair of Converse sneakers. Mom, u don't have to spend this sum of money on me." Well, after this, we went home, tired but happy with the purchases of our day.

The climax of the day was when Uncle Francis lost his housekeys. He had to call the locksmith. Apparently, this wasn't the first time. He locked himself out of his own house before. Haha. I felt kinda sorry for him. I mean, what with kicking urself mentally for losing your own keys, and the added fact that u have to get back inside the house cos u gotta do dialysis, AND ur sister goes screaming at u like some kinda banshee, it really is a living hell. No wonder, he shooed us off in the end. Poor Uncle Francis. He had to pay over $100 to get into his house.

Well, today was slightly different from the usual. First we went to Choa Chu Kang Cemetery. I wanted to pay my respects to my grandparents before I left for UK again. I went down to Aunty Sally's to get roses for my beloved granny. I really do miss her so much. Sigh. Well, we all have to go some time or other. Then we headed to the Garden of Remembrance, where a niche has been bought for when the time comes for exhumation.

The angels standing guard at the entrance of the Garden of Remembrance.

The angels from the second floor. According to my uncle, they were moved here from their original location at some other cemetery.

Beautiful verse.

My dad and I sitting at a little alcove. He is horrible when it comes to taking photos. Always trying to be funny.

Accidental photos always turn out artistic. I just think this one of my mom looked quite nice.

Then we went for lunch at this little place in some little park in Sembawang. U can see the coastline of Johor just across the water.

Beaulieu House. Ambience is great, with the birds chirping and cicadas shrilling in the background. No air-con though, and LOTS of bugs.

Dad perusing the menu. Prices are relatively high, for such an out-of-the-way place.

Dad and the beautiful seaview behind him. Trying to be funny again. Sigh. Hopeless. Haha.

The menu! Great food, for reasonable prices!

Dig in!

Sirloin steak with vinaigrette sauce, medium well. Mm-mm!

We then headed for home. Conversation in the car somehow turned to Changi Prison, so Dad made a detour on Mom's command and we ended up at the Changi Chapel and Museum that commerates the POWs and internees during the Japanese Invasion in WWII. People must have thought we were weirdos. We were like the only Asian people there. But it was very interesting and informative. I feel so sad for the people who had to experience those traumatic times.

The outdoor chapel. People are allowed to pick a flower from the surrounding gardens and place it on the altar to pay respects for those who gave their lives during the war. Problem was, there were no flowers. Haha.

Yes, it's a person. That's just my uncle sitting inside the dungeon. It's a cell made to the exact proportions that the POWs had to live in during the war. It's so realistic, even the air inside smells musty and stuffy. The audio tour inside is scary. Oh, those screams!

Lest we forget. How true.

We must never take our freedom today for granted. For who knows when war will strike again, and we will be fighting for our freedom once more.