Busy weekend

 

It was a busy weekend. We were invited to Simian's colleague's home for dinner last night and I made pecan pie. Dinner was delicious with a pasta and grilled mushrooms, garlic bread and appetisers to start them off (including an enoki mushroom dip) and brie cheese.

This morning, we managed to get out of bed to go for a run at 7:15 with Dad's usual running group. My run was slower today as it was kind of muddy and yucky inside MacRitchie. We went for breakfast afterwards and Simian and I shared a bowl of vegetarian laksa which was really good (as well as some mock meat :)).

We came home, showered and then Simian and I went to Nex to get some things Simian needed. We love the Iris bus system which allows you to check when the bus is about to leave - if only they had an app for it!

We got back for lunch, took a nap and then Dad and I went to visit my uncle who is ill (with yet another quick stop at Nex to buy some food for him).

Dad and Simian went for a swim in the evening.

Vegan Burg

 

After the book sale, Simian and I had lunch at Vegan Burg.

Cons : too much lettuce in the burger, the patty could have been thicker and the drink was so dilute that we weren't sure which drink belonged to whom.

On the plus side : the patty WAS very tasty, the bread was nice and the sauce they used was good. The Spinach poppers were also very tasty and the fries were good. We agreed that we'd come back again.

Funny story - we couldn't find a tip jar so I gave the tip to one of the waitresses. She just seemed stunned.

Book Sale

 

I don't need more books. I need more books like I need more cats - I still have some from my last trip to the book sale and the ones PlanetofSound loaned me (though I AM going through the pile quickly). When I heard there was a Book Sale however, was I able to resist?

Simian went to work very early and then he came back, picked me up and we went to the book sale. Knowing that Borders was likely to close down, being the vultures that we are, we thought we might be able to pick up some good buys.

It was a good thing Simian lined up to pay very early. By the time we paid up, the queue had snaked around the entire hall and started doubling back. We both left with lots of loot. Simian got computer books. I got 20 books, including some stuff I had been hankering after.

Lunch with M

 

M and I haven't had lunch out for a long time so when she managed to get a half day off, we went to Nex to try Freshness Burger. We heard there was a vegetarian tofu burger and that the place was supposed to be really good. Apparently the branches overseas are known for their many vegetarian options but sadly the one in Singapore has only one.

We had the set - I had the medium sized ice chocolate based on this review. I've had much better iced chocolate and am sorry I paid $5 for iced chocolate which was a pretty small portion too. M agreed the iced chocolate really wasn't all that great.

We also ordered the onion rings. The meal came to $23.40 which M and I thought was pricy. First of all, there were maybe 6 wedges - which works out to 45 cents PER WEDGE. Secondly, when they said tofu burger, I think both of us were expecting some kind of patty. We weren't expecting a slice of tofu, not to mention the fact that it was soft tofu. The avocado was a nice touch and the sauce was good. The buns were also pretty good but we thought we'd be able to make better burgers ourselves - and we'd use firm tofu, which we'd grill first. 5 Guys it ain't.

We were much happier with our Ah Baling upstairs. Yum :)

On the way home, I saw this sign about cyclists. It was a fun afternoon as it always is, hanging out with M.

I also learnt not to use the OCBC ATM to top up your bus card - my card got stuck. A nice lady helped me to get it out.

Pasar Malam

 

I love Pasar Malams - always have. When I found out there was one near where we live, Simian indulged my Pasar Malam obsession by going with me. It's not even that we buy a lot of stuff there, but there's always good food and just the sheer incongruity of stuff going on. It's also the very makeshift quality of the place with stalls just erected on grass or sidewalk. Where else can you find stinky tofu selling a stone's throw away from people selling mattresses?

Pearl Barley and Mushroom with Salsify

Pearl Barley and Mushroom with Salsify
Originally uploaded by ariel1511976

I made this for dinner last night. I was digging in the fridge to see what I could make and I found salsify in a jar which I had bought a while ago. I didn't have fresh mushrooms or mayo and I had an eggplant going off so both went into this. Unfortunately I think fresh mushrooms would have made a huge difference. Fresh salsify probably tastes really different too. As it was getting dark by the time i was done, I had trouble seeing what was in my pan :) We used mustard instead of herb mayo. For all the subtle lemon-ess, when Simian was asked what he liked best, he said the mustard :P

Simian versus the Mall

 

Simian and I went to Nex today. I also cooked with kway teow (flat noodles) for the first time ever today - they soak up gravy/soup almost immediately.

Simian and I went to get some items we needed and we found some cool stores - the NTUC for one thing is huge, and I am eternally happy because I have found a branch of my favourite Ah Balling store there! Be still my beating heart. Simian and I shared a bowl right there and it was as good as ever! What wasn't great is the Little Fish Shop - I ordered some linguine for Mom and it looked miserable. Plus there was hardly any crabmeat on it.

Here are some random photos of Simian drilling at his lab, two pigeons I saw walking around and the mini Maryland cookies we saw in this awesome discount shop. Simian did pretty well in the mall - it was only in the last half an hour or so that he started getting that Get Me Out of Here look!

Dinner

 

Simian and I went to Ikea again today - but we went to the one at Alexandra. As Simian noted, the one at Tampines doesn't charge for parking, whereas this one does. The cafeteria was also way smaller, had no vegetarian option and the woman behind the counter would not sell me an order of the green beans (it either came with the salmon or not at all).

We also dropped in to see my uncle who is ill. We took most of Simian's purchases to work and then we headed home to feed the cats.

We stopped by the new MyVillage at Serangoon, unaware that it had JUST opened because we wanted to go by the NTUC Finest. There are so many different NTUCs now that we were confused - we thought this would be a large NTUC but it appeats this is the 'gourmet' one. There are a bunch of restaurants in the new building including an Udders Ice Cream. We didn't have time to try it this time, but rest assured I will :)

N has gone back home for a few days so I made PlanetofSound's mushroom pasta - but I varied a few of the ingredients. Thanks to Simian for the photos. M also came by with ice cream - the famous teh halia from Ice Cream Gallery. Thanks M!

Funny sign

 

I saw this hilarious sign while out for lunch with Mom (and buying scratching posts for the cats - I am now sorry I did not carry the double scratching post back. It cost US$9 and S$32!!!).

I picked Simian up from work because it was raining - traffic there and back was mostly smooth but there was huge backup right at the exit where he works and we just sat there forever, without moving.

Valentine's Day

 

I decided to make Pecan Pie Truffles for Simian for Valentine's Day (also because I think we both got food poisoning from eating old truffles that were frozen in December - we're not smart that way). If you look closely, you can see I tried to fashion some into hearts but it wasn't very successful :)

I also managed to score some Vegetarian Tom Yum Paste!

So how did we spend Valentine's Day? In the most romantic way possible of course - playing Guitar Hero!

Simian's Lab

 

I got to see Simian's lab for the first time today. He has a room with a view, as you may have seen from his blog - here are some of my photos.

The kitchen is much smaller than in the old lab - and his new 10X box could barely fit in. Simian has to make a modified 10X with no edamame and no tofu. He also didn't add the Thai curry paste he normally uses. We need to try and find these things - or possibly adapt 10X differently.

Simian is also carrying out his first hack already in the photo - ask him to tell you more if you'd like to know what he did :)

We went to get a new Chinup Bar at Queensway Shopping Centre. My friend J calls it the shifting places because he swears that the shops move around when you blink. For some reason, the place was packed. Then we came home and played Guitar Hero for the first time since we've gotten to Singapore!

Lunch at Minjiang

 

I celebrated my birthday with M, WW and Baby E, D and J today. Simian and I met them at Minjiang where we had a lovely lunch. Baby E looked most suspiciously at me when M let me feed her some of her favourite snack. She wouldn't take it from me, but took it very eagerly from her mother.

As we were leaving, someone stopped D and asked if it was me. She recognised me from my Cat Welfare days and we had a chat about her colony of cats. Simian said my cat handbag gave me away.

I got lovely presents - D got me a beautiful necklace and M got me special prototype earbuds and a holder for my earphone cords. They will also come in useful for running - I've used the ones Imp and Planetofsound got me and they are great too!

Mustafa and signs

 

Yes it took us a whole week to get to Mustafa but we got there today! The place was packed but apparently the new extension is open! While Simian paid for groceries, I went over to the rest of the supermarket to take a look. It's not fully stocked yet but part of it is. It was also almost completely empty compared with the rest of Mustafa.

Here are some funny signs I saw outside the MRT station.

Victoria Street Wholesale Centre

 

Simian and I went to the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre (which has a website!) this morning to source for supplies for his 10X. We ended up buying quite a lot of stuff (and I've found a good source for nuts and dried fruit). I don't know why the only photo I ended up taking of the food was of the ginger - perhaps it is because the ginger here is always incredibly large!

The Wholesale Centre is right across from the transport hub where one can take a bus or cab up to Johor. It's also in close proximity to Arab Street and the Sultan Mosque. It's also a stone's throw from Little India. It's a great area to stroll through and would have been nicer if it wasn't so hot.

Simian's chair

 

Here's Simian's new office chair - or do I mean Jerry's? She went to investigate this morning, decided she loved it and plonked down on it.

Here is Simian leaving on his first bike ride to work. I'll let him tell you more about it on his blog later on, but it took him just over an hour to get there.

Busy Day

Today was Simian's first day of work - when he's awake I am sure he will post photos. We both fell asleep around 10 pm and I'm just up to check email.

I sent Simian to work this morning as he had a lot of stuff with him. Also his new bicycle had yet to arrive (photos of bicycle, which arrived this evening, to come).

When he was at work, I baked a chocolate banana cake, went to buy some food with Mom, dropped a package at the post office, and then Mom and I went to visit my sick Uncle. We also dropped in on a childhood friend who is back from Shanghai with her family. I played with her kids. Interestingly when kids play with cash registers these days, they come with scanners that actually work. As we left, her older daughter yelled, "I love you" - kids are so easy :)). We went to get my glasses fixed, got a new chair for Simian, and then we picked Simian up. Simian and I went for a jog when we came home, had dinner and then we collapsed.

Homeopathy

Sounds like a good challenge to me!

Tea and Queequeg

 

My Dad gave Simian some Chinese tea to take to work with him. I looked at the box closely today and burst out laughing.

Here's also a photo of Queequeg with the toy I got her. She loves it because it squeaks in distress when she bites in.

Of Food and Malls

 

Simian and I went to the dentist today. Instead of the seven cavities he was told he had when we went to the dentist in Maryland, we were told he needed one filling. I had my first filling today. The last two dentists I saw had told me there might be a problem with one of the teeth. The first dentist told me to extract it. The second one told me to just watch it and this dentist patched it up for me. Then he told me my teeth were in good shape and I had above average dental hygeiene. His assistant told me she even bet I flossed. I therefore love this dentist and will go be going back :) Also his assistant has a phenomenal memory. We last went to this dentist as kids (I went on to an orthodontist and stopped seeing this dentist for most of my teenage/young adult years) and looking at our names, she remembered whom our parents were and even Simian's brother. That's pretty impressive.

We had lunch with my Dad and his friends and had vegetarian yu sheng. Today I learnt this is only ever done in Singapore and Malaysia.

We also stopped into a mall and got ourselves a new tv. Poor Simian - he's spent more time in malls and shops the last few days then he probably has in years. I saw this Korean food store in the mall and thought of HJ and JH.

Errands

 

We had a busy day but got a lot done. I went for a checkup this morning with my cardiologist and then we went to the Soup Spoon for lunch. We managed to get computer parts, do some banking, get Simian a travel card for the MRT (the subway), and stop at Salvation Army to look for a bike (they only had one - and it was ruty and wasn't in good condition.

We also went to look at tv sets at Harvey Norman. The salesperson was highly unhelpful - telling us that all tvs in that price range were the same. We went home to look it up and there are diffrerences. We ended up not buying anything.

Incidentally the MRT now has lit maps on the doors to show you which station you are approaching and which side of the train the doors are opening on. Very smart. I had to take a photo.

Simian's work area

 

Simian has set up his work area - and this is his new room mate, Jerry :)

Of cables and friends

 

It's been a busy two days since we got back. The nice part? Seeing family and friends and kitties and puppies. Ariel isn't as good as when I was last here but she still asks to eat and run around.

Simian managed to fix our super slow internet by fixing the router. Now downloads sre fantastic!

Simian and I went to Funan Centre to try and get some cables for our PCs and laptops which run off a US plug. We went to Challenger, where prices were just ridiculous. We managed to get the cables at a much cheaper store downstairs. Dad had given us a ride as he went to buy food for dinner.

PlanetofSound and Imp joined us for dinner at home They also got me special headphones to run with for my birthday! Thanks guys ! We then proceeded to watch Eurovision clips on youtube!

Back in Singapore

Simian and I are back in Singapore. We had a good flight - both of us slept a lot and watched movies (Simian's four to my three). I also finished a book and started another.

We got back and went for a run during which I almost died. I guess going from 27 degrees Fahrenheit to 27 degrees Celsius will do that to you.

We went to Ikea and got Simian's furniture. He's just done putting up the furniture in his new study (the guest room). The place was surprisingly crowded for Chinese New Year.

I've been trying not to give in to the temptation of going to bed too early - but I must have passed out 5 times. Simian is doing much better than I am - I think he only fell asleep twice.

At the airport

Simian and I are now at the airport in the lounge using free wifi :) We made the drive up here comfortably. There was a Scatter Scanner machine and Simian and I both opted out. The TSA agents were both professional (both of us got patted down by someone who was of the same gender). The agent I got explained which areas she was going to pat down and said she would use the back of her hands when it got to the sensitive areas. It was not uncomfortable in any way.

Our minivan was huge and thankfully Simian was driving because the wind was very strong. There was very little ice though and the snow was cleared so it all went well.

Simian is onto his second plate of food already :)

Bye!

Bye everyone - we're leaving for Singapore now and the weather has held. In fact the sun is out for the first time in days.

We'll miss everyone here but will be glad to see everyone in Singapore. Tune in for the next chapter - Simian's new lab in Singapore.

We can't wait to be back in Spring when the weather is lovely again (though it's actually pretty nice today!)

We have the best friends

We had several offers to look in at the house. Several people offered to feed my birds (maybe the fact that I mentioned it oh, maybe a few hundred times had something to do with it). Thanks Will for feeding my birds (and doing everything else too!) despite what Simian says :)

Suntaneye's husby is also looking after the condo for us (thanks Suntaneye and her husby!).

Suntaneye and her husby also offered to bring dinner over tonight in case we had no food. Plus several neighbours offered to pick up our mail and drive in at house of our home so it looks occupied. We also had offers to drive us all the way to Newark from Suntaneye and her Husby and Will.

You guys are all the best - really :) Thanks for being such wonderful friends.

Who ISN'T our friend? The weather. We're keeping an eye out to see how bad the roads will be.