Thursday, 29th September 2011 3 of us met up at Teo Heng KTV Studio at Sembawang Shopping Centre (SSC) last evening. The 3-week old establishment was the latest addition to Teo Heng’s growing stable of KTV outlets. At first glance, the bright orangey decor that greeted us brought back fond memories of my budget url=http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d559160-r32153156-EasyHotel_London_Earls_Court-London_England.htmlHotel stay in London. Our friend had a Groupon deal @ $23 nett for 3 hours (inclusive of 4 drinks). The usual asking price was around $40+. Our no-frills room was a bit small but relatively comfortable. I liked that the split air-conditioning unit in our room was neither too warm nor too cold and the welcoming, cheerful atmosphere of the place. My only minor gripe was trying to get myself familiar with the touch-s... read more

Sunday, 31st July 2011 It was fortunate that there were no delays at both sides of the customs when we decided to make our way across the Causeway last Sunday morning. On our way back to Singapore, we decided to check out a traditional Wanton Noodles Stall hidden beneath the suburbs of Taman Sentosa. Uncle was very friendly and the crowds were thin that afternoon. I gathered that his yummy noodles catered mostly to the morning clientele given that the kopitiam was full of people when we passed by earlier. I liked the soya sauce seasoning that went with my noodles. A perfect combination together with the generous portions of Char Siew, Chye Sim and the 3 wantons. A satisfying meal to end our Johor Bahru trip as we quickly made our way back to Singapore ... read more

Monday, 27th June 2011 I was up at 3am this morning, ready for my quest to the top of Mount Batur (1,717m) on our sunrise trekking tour. My guesthouse owner, Mr Gomeng and his son were also up early. Together, the 3 of us made our way to the town of Kintamani, about an hour’s drive from Ubud. Along the way, we were greeted by the cool morning breeze and the traffic-free conditions that made driving a real pleasure. By 4am, we had reached the base at the Office of the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides. The starting point was roughly 1,000m above sea level. After parting 260,000 rupiahs (SGD 38) as part of the steep admission and guide fees, we started our 700m ascend to the top of Gunung Batur. The target was to ... read more

Saturday, 25th June 2011 Alas, I finally made my way to the island of Bali, about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Singapore by plane. Our previous attempt in July 2009 was called off amid security concerns following the 2 bombs that went off in the capital city of Jakarta. The AirAsia airbus took off to a turbulent start this morning even though the skies appeared ok. It took quite a bit of effort for the gigantic machine to stabilize in the air. By then, I was scared stiff, totally glued to my window seat, located at row 31 of the aircraft. I was pleasantly surprised to be served a complimentary pack of peanuts on board the budget flight even though free drinks were out of question. Seated next to the window was a real feast ... read more

Saturday, 21st May 2011 We arranged with our driver for our 4-hour drive around Kenting and the historic city of Hengchun before sending us back to Kaohsiung for our onward journey to Taichung. Today was going to be our final day in Taiwan as we were expected to fly home to Singapore the following day. Our knowledgeable driver drove us through the southern coast of Taiwan covering the usual suspects like the Sailing Rock, the Eluanbi Lighthouse as well as the Southern Most Point of Taiwan. After lunch, he drove us to the city of Hengchun where we had the chance to visit 阿嘉's house that was used as one of the key filming sites for the 2008 hit movie, Cape Number 7. Before we departed, we took some pictures of the Old Walls of Hengchun ... read more