Aug 08 Delevopment

Pictures taken on 30th August 2008 (sat) between 10am to 11am. Punggol Lodge (from background), is catching up fast where all the grasses are removed. Metals are seen inseting into the ground, and they are already doing pile load test. Guess we should be seeing some big holes (like those army guys hide in the trench) in next couple of weeks. Processing rate on both the projects, PV and PL are progressing side by side, though Teambuilding Construction ~ PL, started off late by a few months.

Our 5th Anniversary

As usual we went out for a meal of our like to celebrate this day. Too bad, it was a raining Sat, it has been drizzling the whole day! Despite that, our mood were not affected by the bad weather. We went to the eating houses along Thomas Road for our dinner. We had the "so-call" famous Teochew Abalone Dumpling Noodle (as advertised on TV) @ $3 buck per serving. Quite reasonable i would say, but only get a pitiful slice of abalone! Haha....

Then we went to Thomas Plaza. It had a newly open NTUC Finest supermarket, where it has got all it has, esp the American products. Later part of the day, we went for Swensen Ice Cream treat! The ambience there was nice, no wonder the queue was a long one. We chosen the all-time favourite delights ~ "firehouse" and "Gold Rush". Where both were tasted excellent, with its smooth texture and original flavor.

Firehouse Happy Birthday
Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream smothered with strawberry, pineapple and chocolate fudge toppings, and set aflame to "top-off" this birthday special. (Shown in first picture)

Gold Rush
Chocolate and Coffee ice cream with butterscotch, chocolate fudge and almonds.

Not forgetting today is also another significant day of the closing ceremony for the Beijing Olympic Game 08, with the final score of Singapore winning 1 sliver medal by our very own Table Tennis players. It had made the history after 48 years of our last medal by the swimmer! Good effort to Li Jiawei and team! Bid farewell to the mascots wawa.....See the next Olympic at London in 2012!

Pulau Ubin Trip

Recalling back, on the 24th, exactly 3 few months back in May, was my first trip to Pulau Ubin. I decided to include this into our blog because it was one of our accomplishment in year 2008, which we had planned long before for a day outing. Awaiting for the right opportunity to execute this plan, we had chosen to set off on a sunny Sat morning.

We met at Changi Jetty. Queue for the bumboat. It required a min of 12pax and at $2.50 per person. Bumboat operators run from sunrise to sunset. Upon arriving the place of our destination, we saw a few eating houses near the Jetty, feeling like we were back to the S'pore in it's 70's. we were also welcomed by many bicycles rental assistants. We looked around for our desired bicycles at the best price. His was $5 and mine was $7, for renting the whole day.

Without much delay, we cycled to explore the mysterious place. Our first stop was Chek Jawa, the boardwalk (at north). We cycled thorugh along the winding roads and rocky paths leading into the forest. It was not easy indeed and required a lot of stamina too.

Heading west, we went for the granite quarries. The path was a tough one, with no trees along the way and sweating under the hot sun. Despite these, it was all worthwhile. Finally we arrived at the quarries, with a breathe-taking scenery!

We spent the whole day cycling around the island. That was the only transportation where we can get around with flexibility. Even though it was tiring, but it was so much fun. I would like to go back to the place if even another opportunity. A great place to getaway from the hectic city.

Aug 08 Initial Development

Pictures taken as at 23 Aug 2008 (sat), between 5.30pm - 6.00pm. We can see cranes in place and started work already.

My Birthday Present

My 30th Birthday Present. It is Adidas presented their perfume pair as a limited edition. It have been in the market since June 2008. The perfume for men is named Passion Game it is to celebrate Olympic Games 2008. This is a classic fragrance which mesmerizes with its sensual, musky composition. The top notes of this perfume offer fresh, citrusy aromas mixed with apple. The heart contains lavender and pepper, while the base notes carry a scent of Tonka beans, accords of sequoia and musk. The perfume is available as 50 ml edt.

重庆正宗老火锅 (Chongqing Original Old Hotpot*)

Dining out at 重庆正宗老火锅, located at Chye Sing Building, 87 Beach Road, celebrating his 30th birthday was a great experience. 重庆火锅 has been our all time-favourite eating out place. It allows flexibility where you can drop by there at any timing (since the shop is still open till midnight).

The chinese-style hotpot has many side dishes of raw meats in thin slices (chicken, pork, beef, liver), fish, squid(sotong) and vegetables are cooked by dipping into the hotpot which is kept simmering at a boiling temperature. The best part of the steamboat meal is savouring the soup after all the meats and vegetables have been cooked and eaten. It is at this time that the soup is at its richest and tastiest!

We went for the less-spicy chilli soup on 1/2 the pot and herbal broth soup in the other half. The chilli mala soup (麻辣汤) was great and I liked the herbal soup too. The freshness of the meats and seafood was pretty obvious. The juicy prawns were a delight too, though my personal favourites were the Fuzhou Fishballs, Gu Chai Dumpling, the gigantic clams and their variaty of fresh mushrooms. Also, this shop offers about 7 or 8 types of dip sauces - sesame oil, peanut etc...allowing their customers to select themselves - nice ! Yummy ! All this for $18 flat (inclusive of free-flow drinks)!

Finally the most incredible thing I saw here - and this is something I've not seen in Singapore for a while - is that the shop workers were actually generously topping up the food!

Spicy hotpot Chongqing-style with mala chilli soup and herbal broth soup !
A variety of choicesMachine-sliced ultra-thin meats - mutton, beef, pork and chickenSquid balls, Fuzhou fish balls, button shrooms and lotus root. Peanut sauce dip sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Construction Noises Affecting Punggol Sec

Ever since the construction start of Punggol Vista in June 08, a new development of Housing Board Build-to-order (BTO) flats that is scheduled for completion in in the second-quarter of 2011, students of Punggol Secondary School, which is located next to the site, are finding are to concentrate in class. Noise from the metal-piling are bringing a lot of worries espcially on those taking "O" & "N" level this year. They feared that they could affect their performance in the upcoming examinations.

While the school has taken active steps to reduce the noise levels, including asking the construction company to install quieter piling rigs, the students are still worried that the noise will persist and make it hard for them to study.

The school contacted the National Environment Agency and a noise meter was installed to monitor the noise. If the noise goes beyond a certain level, the construction company will be fined.

Findings also shown that, the bulk of the noisy construction work was coming from two noisy piling rigs. After discussion, the two rigs were relocated further away from the school as a longer-term solution. The construction company also replaced the noisy piling rigs with quieter 'butterfly buckets'. The school noted a significant reduction in noise level since 4th Aug. Kay Lim has also agreed to suspend work during the N-level listening comprehension, in September.

Four more HDB BTO flats - Punggol Lodge, Damai Grove, Punggol Spring and Punggol Spring - are set to come up in the area over the next few years, and they will be close to the school. The school might asked about the possibility of relocating to a holding school. They will be meeting the Ministry of Education to further discuss the matter and to ensure that there is minimal disruption to the students.

Development Started Aug 08

After much awaiting, Punggol Lodge (shown on the background of the pictures) finally started work already. Pictures were taken on 17th August 2008 about 3pm. Hoping to see more upcoming development.

Punggol Significant Sculpture

It is called : HARMONY 3...

The Gateway Sculpture...It symbolises the beginning of a new era in the planning and design of Public Housing in Singapore.The design of a stylised sail boat is in line with Punggol's town theme of a Waterfront lifestyle. The Sails are held up by three Masts representing the philosophies underpinning the Planning and design of the Town.

MAST OF COMMUNITY

It Forms the Foundation of the "HEARTware" in the building of Stronger and more Vibrant housing Communities.

MAST OF INTEGRATION

Seeks to integrate the many components of Modern life, Housing, Education, Shopping, Transportation, Recreational and Social-Communal facilities...

MAST OF INNOVATION

Symbolises HDB's commitment to constantly innovate in the Planning and Design of public housing to meet higher expectations and the needs of the New Economy.

Celebrating The S'pore Spirit 08

The month of August is here and it is always filled with lots of happening…especially in the year 2008. It start off with the official grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olypmic at the "Bird Nest" on 8/8/08, that day was also an auspicious day for many chinese chosen to tie their knots and welcoming new members to their family!

August is always a special month for us, where there are lots of occasion awaiting us to looking forward to every year, from the celebration of the National Day, viewing the firework together at Padang to dear's birthday and not forgetting our anniversary too.

As usual we went Padang to catch a glismp of the firework. The place was crowded with people! Can see them mostly wearing red, helping to celebrate S'pore 43rd big day together. Despite the drizzling rain, everyone was filled high spirit, holding the umbrella, hoping to watch the parade and firework! It was a nice experience watching the event in the rain indeed!

It started off with the air plane show (Black Knights) at 650pm, where the planes flew pass above our heads performing different stunts. At 7pm, the helicopter with the gigantic S'pore flag flew past us, along with the national antheme. It was the moment that touched many of the Singaporean hearts. We waited patiently for that special moment to arrive.

Finally at 8pm sharp, came the explosion of the firework! Even the people and vehicals passing by the roads halt for that moment to take a look at the breathetaking scene! Flash lights were busy flashing to capture that beautiful moment for remembrance, including myself!

Fencing Up Begin

Finally Punggol Lodge can be seen fencing up on 26th July 08. Hoping for more development to come.

Thank You Lady Luck

Never had i thought today will be my lucky day! My company had organised a divisional gathering for Food Supplies Dept. All staff were invited and asked to join in the fun at the Pepper Pepperoni pub at Pasir Panjang. This was also meant as a celebration to farewell some of our senior staff in the company. One of them is my ex-boss, JO and my current superior in Ship Supplies Dept. Both had been with the company for many years, especially JO, for more than 20yrs at least! He had helped me a lot during my days in the company. Without his help and support, think i won't be staying here till today! He has given me opportunity to persuit in other work area and had given me direction in my career path. Really appreciate him from the bottom of my heart. Let me salute him!

Well, today's gathering was not only merely drinking and interacting with each other, the most exciting part was the lucky draw session. They were divided into 2 sessions. One of them was the Bingo lotte, where one had to strike 5 number in a row before he/she entitled to get the cash prize. Hmm...no luck after so many tries of numbers being read! Sigh...Take a break...high tide..have a pee first! See lady luck will shine on me this time for the grand draw after my loo! Haha..While i was peeing, i kind of hearing my name being called! My colleague came running knocking at my door excitingly! Was it really me huh?? Was i dreaming or getting tipsy again after the drink?? I had won myself the home threater system worth $800 plus (featuring below)!! This was my first time ever i had won any prizes ever since i joined the company! It came at the right time too, for my new home!

This day can be the most exciting night for the past half a year of 2008. A memorable night indeed!


Pioneer HTZ262DVD

Features:
-360W digital power
-USB Terminal
-3 Spot Front Surround (HTZ161DVD)
-Power Output RMS 60 W x 6 (satellite x 5, subwoofer)
-4 functions (DVD/Tuner/USB/Line)
-DVD/SVCD/VCD/CD player
-Progressive Scan (PAL/NTSC)
-Built-in DTS/Dolby Digital/Dolby Pro Logic II Decoders
-DivX/WMA (Windows Media Audio)/MPEG-4 AAC/MP3 Playback
-PhotoViewer (JPEG Playback)
-PHOTO + MUSIC MIX
-Plays any area, region, zone PAL or NTSC DVD on any TV, Anywhere
-Playback formats: DVD-Video (PAL/NTSC Any Region), DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD,
SVCD, red book CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD, JPEG CD, DivX
-PLAYLIST for easy song selection
-GigaByte Music (DVD Data Disc Playback)
-FM/AM 30 Preset Stations
-Tall Speaker units: 7.7 cm x 2 + 2.6 cm 2-way, Small Speaker and Centre Speaker units: 7.7 cm, Subwoofer unit: 16 cm

360W digital power
· The compact HTZ262DVD comes with four stylish 'tallboy' surround sound speakers to
deliver a powerful surround sound experience. The digital power supply avoids distortion when playing back digital sources (such as audio CD or DVD video). Whats more, the compact size of the digital amplifier allows a slim and stylish design.

Slim, handsome 'tallboy' speakers
· Tall, slim 2-way front speakers featuring two 7.7cm woofers and a 2.6 cm tweeter for superb sound along with beautiful styling to match the decor in your home.

USB front input connection
· Now you can play the MP3/WMA/MPEG-4 AAC music files in your USB memory device through your Pioneer DVD home theatre system.

Photo & music slideshow mix
· There's a new way to share your digital photos with friends - Pioneer's Photo and Music mix. Now you can enjoy JPEG slideshows on your home theatre system along with a
musical accompaniment. All you need to do is copy your JPEG photos and the music data
to a DVD/CD disc or USB memory device. Then, simply plug it into the handy front panel USB connector for a whole new style of multimedia entertainment.

GigaByte Music
· Now you can enjoy all the music on your PC in your living room thanks to Pioneer's GigaByte music system. Simply burn your music collection to a DVD data disc for easy, instant playback on your PIoneer home theatre system. Now theres no need for troublesome swapping CDs because your Pioneer system becomes a jukebox with over 1000songs availible.

Playback formats
· Pioneer home theatre systems not only play back DVD-R/RW discs, but also CD and VCD discs as well as WMA and JPEG files. What’s more, the HTZ262DVD also plays back DivX- the most popular video compression technology.

Smooth, film-like images
· Pioneer’s HTZ262DVD features advanced video technology that delivers smooth, film-like images free from flicker and other unwanted artefacts on moving objects.

Ease of use
· As well as incredible performance, Pioneer home theatre systems are easy-to-use. The HTZ262DVD also features colour-coded speaker wires with 'phone-jack' connections for trouble-free set up

Specification:

System
· Functions 4 (DVD/Tuner/USB/Line)
· Remote Control Unit

Amplifier
· RMS Front 60W x 2 (1kHz,10% T.H.D.,4 ohms) / 50W x 2 (1kHz, 10% T.H.D., 6 ohms)
· RMS Centre 60W (1kHz,10% T.H.D.,4 ohms) / 50W (1kHz, 10% T.H.D., 6 ohms)
· RMS Surround 60W x 2 (1kHz,10% T.H.D.,4ohms) / 50W x 2 (1kHz, 10% T.H.D., 6 ohms)
· RMS Subwoofer 60W (1kHz,10% T.H.D.,4ohms) / 50W 1kHz, 10% T.H.D., 6 ohms)
· Sound Control Bass/Treble
· Sound Field Control (SFC) Yes (6 modes)
· Bass Mode Music/Cinema/Off
· Timer Sleep

Disc Player
· Player Type/Disc Capability Single Tray/ 1 disc
· DVD/VCD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW
· DTS-CD
· DVD-R/RW (Video Mode)
· DVD-RW (Video Recording Format)
· Video Output (AUTO/PAL/NTSC)
· Progressive Scan Yes (PAL/NTSC)
· Video Zoom
· Programmed Play (Tracks) Yes (24)
· Random Play/Repeat Play Yes/Yes
· DivX Playback
· MP3 Playback
· WMA (Windows Media® Audio)
· JPEG Viewer
· JPEG Slide Show
· High Quality OSD
· Photo + Music function
· GigaByte Music function

Surround Sound modes
· Dolbly Digital
· DTS
· Dolby Pro Logic
· Dolby Pro Logic 2 Movie
· Dolby Pro Logic 2 Music
· STEREO (OFF)

USB connectivity
· MP3
· WMA
· MPEG-4 AAC

Tuner
· Band (Preset Stations) FM/AM (30)

Speaker specifications
· Front 7.7cm x 2 + 2.6cm tweeter
· Centre 7.7cm
· Surround 7.7cm x 2 + 2.6cm tweeter
· Subwoofer 16cm
· Power Requirement 110/220-240V 50/60Hz

· XV-DV262 DVD/CD Receiver (420 x 60 x 332 mm / 3.1 kg)

· S-DV262T Speaker System (Front, Surround 260 x 1096.3 x 260 mm) /
· 4.1 kg,Centre 220 x 90 x 100 mm / 0.7 kg)
· S-DV262SW Subwoofer (190 x 360 x 320 mm / 4.0 kg)

Provided Accessories
· Remote Control
· Batteries
· Instruction Book
· Stereo AV Cables - RCA Type (Red, Yellow,White)
· AM/FM antenna cable
· Speaker Wires
· Power Cord

Model: HTZ-262 DVD
Shipping Weight: 50lbs

The Birdie Paradise

On 16th July 08, we visited the Jurong Bird Park. Its been a long time since dear last visited there. All thanks to the complimentry pass. Well, the park was a small one and can be completed within 2 to 3hrs. Lucky thing there's Bird Show keeping us occupied. There is an open-air aviary, where birds are allowed to fly above our heads..walking in there was a "worrying" experience! Cos its hard to predict when shits of the birds will dropped onto our heads! Photo shooting the birds was another challengued, since they never kept still! Despite their movements, we managed to take a few shots for our remembrance.