Singapore Fireworks Festival 2008

2nd and last dae of the Singapore Fireworks Festival 2008...
todae... by the Koreans
weather was... bad...
but despite bad weather raining down... it does not dampen the Singapore spirit...
many still crowd around the Marina Bay...

went down to The Esplanade to catch a moment wif the pyrotechnics the whole Singapore is crazy abt...
rain slowly started to die down...
it's a bit sian to watch fireworks in the rain...
but it's also thanks to the rain we found a panoramic view of the bay...
rain made the floor wet...
so not many ppl will wanna wet their butts...
so we found a spot...
get a few newspaper... lay on the floor...
and there... we got seats... XD

a bit of drizzle here and there...
and 7 mins past the start of the fireworks...
heavy drizzle started falling...
Zzz...
everybody beared with the heavenly tears till the end of the fireworks b4 scurrying off into shelter...

took a video of the spectacular night event...
please enjoy... :P

Singapore Fireworks Festival 2008 (Korean Team)

Pirated Rigatoni

Went East Coast for cycling todae...
heard from WL dat The Vista Bistro @ Big Splash kitchen staff was previously from Le Papillon...
and that they replicated the rigatoni pasta recipe over there...
so we decided to go try it out...

on the menu... there's a small print that said "Signature Dish"
lol... alright...
so i ordered it...
food came...
the dish looked almost the same...
less the botarga and the shrinkage of prawns...
well... other dan the 2 not so significant differences...
it really looked like the rigatoni pasta from Le Papillon...

then i tasted it...
-_-
immediately i knew the answer...
it couldn't compare to the rigatoni pasta served in Le Papillon...
the taste is way too mild and do not have the "specialness" of LP...
the whole thing juz dun taste right...
i still think LP served the best rigatoni pasta...

Period.

Dead?

I kinda guess so...
been lazy blogging recently... XD
like nothing much to blog...
posts getting lesser and lesser...
guess i'll be blogging once in a blue moon now... :P

Predator Countdown?

Caught my eye a few daes ago...
suddenly recalled the movie Aliens VS Predator...
the symbols of the Predatian language... XD
a countdown for the final explosion?
BOOM!!! and there goes the hotel...

BOOM?

todae VERY busy...
even though last nite was fireworks dae...
yesterdae ain't as busy as todae...
coz maybe todae got last minute walk-in of 9 pax...
maybe...

it all ended wif a bang...

Butchery?

Urgently need minced chicken meat todae...
so was told to go down to butchery to collect...

down at butchery...
asked if our minced chicken is ready...
"nope... not ready yet..."
den he looked at me...
"eh? i remember u... u got work butchery b4 rite?"
"come come... u mince urself..."
-_-
diaoz...
lol... so wat to do?
mince myself loh...

dinner time...
got a big table of 19...
cut down to 15... and finally to 14...
all eating menu de couverte...
so easy to do...
if 14 ppl all eat a là carte... confirm die until jialat jialat...

this new chef here...
is... one spoon rule all dishes...
y?
coz he taste every single dish wif dat one and only spoon...
normal?
yep...
but not when he taste liao den put into his pocket...
and taste another and another till the rest of the service...
without washing the spoon in between... O_o
eeeeeeee... i find it kinda disgusting... XP
maybe dat's his secret to his fantastic dishes... LOL!!!

news in the hotel travel VERY FAST...
news from lvl 71 can reach down to B2 so fast...
even the pastry noes...
wow...

Vacuum Lamination

They printed out the photos for the new dishes...
to be put up for Mr. G to see when he starts work...
coz he haven seen the plating of the new menu yet...

with fear dat the stewarding will destroy the photos when they are washing the kitchen...
or maybe dampen the photos...
we decided to "waterproof" it...
they are printed on A4 paper btw...
we got no laminating machine...
so how?
all we have is a vacuum packing machine...
so we used dat anyway... LOL!!!

TA-DA!!!
looks almost like laminated...
another use for our vacuum packing machine...
cheers!!!

Turned Carrots

Turned baby carrots todae... Zzz...
turn until my hand cramp liao...
fingers locked into a manner dat however i turn the carrots...
it stays in the exact positions... LOL...

so long never turn carrots liao...
never turn baby carrots b4...

the new chef suddenly changed...
from a devil into an angel... O_o
lol...
baybe coz 2 of our staff cannot take it and complained...
den "threatened" to leave...
oh well...
we'll see how it lasts... :P

Food Feasting

Todae wasn't actually a very busy dae...
but it's only made busy coz of some clearing matters to settle...
tomoro will be the start of the new menu...
so watever is left todae have to be cleared...
those can be used will be used for certain purposes...
those which can't be used... clear away...

left a lot of things... but too sayang to throw away...
so...
we cooked all of them and ate it...
LOL!!!
from lobsters to foie gras and truffles...
not to mention desserts too...
wow... eat until my stomach a bit cramp... Zzz...

Food Tasting

Worked 12½ hrs straight todae...
11am - 11:30pm...
y?
coz got food tasting for the new menu from our new chef Andre starting on 1st July...
so stayed till 5:30pm den finally go down for dinner and start work at 6pm again... -_-
took a lot of photos of the new dishes...
didn't wanna upload so many photos...
so i juz combined all of the photos into one using photoshop... XD

All the new menu dishes...

FOOD!!! GLORIOUS FOOD!!!

dinner was VERY busy...
non stop new orders keep coming in...
work until so tired todae... phew...

Record breaking release

A very slack dae todae...
not many customers...
Edmond Ho came to our kitchen todae... wif 2 of his crew...
not taking food photoraphs...
but the photographs of our new chef...
lol... so funny...
some of our staff act like extras...
"acting" like they are talking in the background...
or walking around behind the chef...
everything looks so comical... LOL!!!

he still remembers me... XD
he said hi to me...
and told one of the staff there...
"this guy used to work in my previous restaurant"
:P

anyway...
dinner not much ppl...
so ended quite early...
very early in fact...
9:30pm we started clearing up the kitchen...
10pm... we're out of the kitchen... LOL!!!

Get Smart

Went for out unit's cohesion at Tampines SAFRA todae...
a very boring dae actually...
soccer... archery... pool... snooker...
they actually booked the entire snooker room juz for out unit...
and play is FOC... :P
we also have free popcorn and balloon sculpting... -_-
some of us brought our families...
but most went alone...
we had lunch there...
which was a bento each...
so fusion sia...
never seen such bento b4...
nope... it's not those japanese rich wif teriyaki or sashimi wif watermelons...
it consisted of fried rice... -_-
oat meal prawns... O_o
baby idako...
and a few grapes... Zzz...
wow... and u call this a bento...

after the prize giving ceremony...
we were finally allowed to out-pro... Zzz...
after which... went home rest a bit b4 going down to Marina Square to meet my dear...

watched Get Smart...
a lame spy movie...
it's lame...
but funnily lame... LOL...
cool lame gadgets...
it's not like "Meet the Spartans" or "Scary Movie"
those are stupidly lame...
Get Smart actually brings in quite a few laughs...
i like the movie...
4/5

Home Sweet Home

I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!
i miss my PC...
i miss my HP...
i miss my bed...
i miss my air-con...
i miss everything...
and most importantly...
i miss my dearest...
haven't seen her for 5 daes...
it's already like 5 mths... :(

carrying all my barang barang...
looking out of the moving cab...
looked at familiar places...
Chong Pang...
the McDonalds across my street...
made me realise how much i missed home...
army life is so sian... Zzz...

ok... anyway... abt these 5 daes...
quite lobo...
a very slack low key ICT...

Day 1.
reported to Jurong Camp II @ 7:30am
1st stop... in-pro
RSM standing in front of the in-pro centre checking and approving hair lengths...
those who passed gets a chop on their hand bearing the crest of Jurong Camp II...
lucky i cut my hair not long ago...
so i passed...
those who failed... gets a hair cut from the barber for a fee of $5
$15 for dying it back black...

checked into bunk and slack a bit...
nothing much on the 1st dae actually...
juz a few briefings and so on...
and familiarizing wif the SAR 21 rifle...
and technical handling test...
nite time... Zzz...

Day 2.
stupid chop still on my hand...
like those pork u see sold in the wet market... -_-
had IPPT in the morning...
thought i would fail...
if fail... i gotta retake it another time outside... Zzz...
but luckily...
i passed...
went for an outing to my mother camp - Khatib Camp
for a refresher course on calling for artillery fire...
air-con room... woot...
go back...
dinner...
Zzz...

Day 3.
went for 300m range...
hated it...
y?
coz it's group combat shoot... -_-
in order for marksmanship...
ur detail of 6 members must have a total of 80% hit
day shoot... out of 15 rounds... i hit 12... missed 3...
6 members... 2 marksman 4 average shooter...
passed... as for now...
den came the nite shoot...
this is the nightmare...
vision not very clear... so grades drop by a bit...
2 average shooter... and...
4 bobo shooter!!!!!! O_o
and by bobo... i mean BOBO...
each of them... hit 2 out of 15... 3 out of 15... etc... Zzz...
OMG!!!
out of 90 rounds (15 each × 6) we scored only 27...
talk abt boboness...
i hit around 10+ out of 15
so in the end if by judging by individual shoot...
i couldn't get a marksmanship... missed by a bit...
but got a pass...
but wif 4 bobos in the team... i failed... -_-
rarrr...

range very boring... juz shoot... wait... and eat... and shoot... and wait... and eat again...
den go back... Zzz... so sian...
even more sian is $200 fly away... boo hoo...

Day 4.
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Support company went for their shoot todae...
so we went for a mini map planning excercise...
in the OPs planning room...
air-con again...
happiness...
officers listened and did their planning...
us? sleeping in the air-con room... LOL!!!
at abt 3pm... we're done...
went up to bunk to clean our stupid rifles...
we were allowed to book out todae for nights off...
so we tried to clean our rifles fast...
let the armourer check...
fail... -_-
clean again...
let him check again... fail again... Zzz...
clean until very clean le... and let him check...
FAIL!!! O_o
kaoz... u want black rifles become silver rifles den u happy izzit? Zzz...
so pek chek...
din bother to book out anymore...
coz by the time we book out and reach home...
it's time to leave home le... -_-
so went for dinner...
and cleaned one last time b4 letting the "bird" man check again...
and finally i passed...
i think he purposely de... Zzz...

Day 5.
Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie company went out for their ASO training...
us?
not involved...
so?
slept in bunk...
slacked in bunk...
until abt 12pm... went for lunch...
slacked in bunk again...
went to mess...
canteen...
bunk again...
all the way until abt 4pm... were de-kitted...
went to Auditorium for AAR and post ICT survey...
book out...
stuck at guard room...
coz orders not passed yet for our unit to be released... Zzz...
coz A, B and C company haven clear all their things yet...
so we waited until abt 9pm den we can go off... Zzz...
sian...

tomoro gotta go Tampines SAFRA for unit cohesion...
and will out-pro there... Zzz...
sianz... gotta wake up early again...

ICT : Incoming

Will be going for ICT tomoro...
so i'll be MIAing for a week...
dun miss me too much...
XD

went home... started packing for my ICT...
searched high and low for my SAF ID tag (AKA dog tag)...
can't find it...
opened every single box and rummaged through EVERYTHING in hope of finding it...
but to no avail...
couldn't recall where on earth i put my ID tag 4 yrs ago... -_-
duh...
and when i almost gave up...
searched every where le...
and when i searched the last place...
THERE IT IS!!! O_o
it's sitting in my SBO all along... Zzz...
argh...

Q. Why is it that you always find what you are looking for in the last place you search?

A. Because once you found the item, you stop searching anymore!!! LOL!!! XD

working is sian...

So sian...
work so sian...
come home nothing to blog...
everydae is the same...
so wat's special to blog abt?
nothing's special to blog...
so i guess i'll only blog once in a blue moon then...

was supposedly a relaxing night for tonite...
until some crazy ppl came in at 10:45 to eat... -_-
helloooooooo......
our last order is at 10:30?
Zzz...
ppl juz dun understand dat we need to go home huh?
the whole kitchen is closed...
and we gotta open it back up just for ur order... -_-
haiz...

how i wish time flies faster...
July...

Sex and the City

Watched the movie - Sex and the City todae...
nothing much to blog though...
so i'll keep it short... :P
nice movie actually...
very touching...
go watch...
LOL!!!
dat's it... ciaoz...
4/5

Will you marry me?

One thing u get to see sometimes when working in a fine dining restaurant and a romantic setting is...

u get to see marriage proposals once in a while... :P

the music is nice...
in the dimly lit restaurant...
savouring food - fine dine
the ambience is great...
the breathtaking night view of the city scape...
a perfect setting 71 storeys on Singapore's tallest hotel...
a romantic evening...

in the kitchen...
we were preparing the "special" dessert for the guest...
a chocolate sphere on a bed of rose petals and dry ice...
and in that sphere...
a diamond ring...
glitters ever so brightly as we held it to the light...
my guess is it costs no less dan a 5-digit sum...

everything look so dreamy...
dessert is served...
this guy here is going to be the happiest person on earth...
as she opened up the chocolate...
in lies the stone of every girl's dream...
the guy knelt down facing her...
in front of every single guests in the restaurant...
and said the most sacred words...
"will you marry me?"
which girl would say no?
it's like a fairy tale to all...
everything is so perfect...
what could go wrong?

.


.


.


.


.

.

.

.

.

.

.
.
.
.
.
.

EVERYTHING!!!

the girl said NO... O_o
ouch...

from the perfect night for the guy...
turned into his greatest nightmare...
i dunno where he's gonna put his face...
the entire kitchen was conversing abt them...
hot topic of the night...

well... wat's the conclusion?
doesn't mean dat u r rich and u treat a girl to a fancy restaurant means she'll marry you...

- Money doesn't buy love

Once in a blue moon

Wow...
1st time in Jaan i see so little reservations...
lunch not busy...
left kitchen at 2:30pm...
by far the earliest... XD

dinner even earlier...
4 pax...
8pm+ no new orders liao...
rot in the kitchen...
doing watever mise-en-place for tomoro...
though there is nothing left to do...
by 10pm... kitchen already cleaned up...
left the kitchen at 10:15pm... LOL...

heard tomoro nite will be a very busy nite...
coz Equinox Restaurant closed for private functions...
so all walk-in guests dining in Equinox will be pushed to Jaan... O_o

anyway... saw Alvin in the changing room todae...
todae his 1st dae of orientation... hahaa...
will see him in Prego soon... :P

Doneness Test

Todae so busy lah... Zzz...
so tired... haiz...
anyway...
during dinner...
got a big table order 6 wagyu steaks...
plus a few other main courses...
and guess wat doneness they ordered?
1 well done...
2 medium well...
1 medium...
1 medium rare...
AND... 1 RARE!!! -_-

kaoz...
challenging sia... Zzz...
y can't they all eat the same doneness?... -_-
so crap...
oh well...
wat to do?...

Narnia 2 : Prince Caspian

Watched Narnia 2 todae...
wif Kars... Naq and Sabrina...
quite nice...
though i prefer the 1st movie more...
has more originality...
3.5/5

i also need to really thank Kars and Naq for the impromptu post bdae celebration for me...
lol...
so sweet of them...
this is the 1st time friends actually celebrated my bdae for me...
really appreciated their effort...

Happy Birthday to me...

Yep... it's my bdae todae... XD
and thanks everyone for their bdae wishes... :)

and becoz it's my bdae todae...
we finish work early...
y?
coz todae is Mondae...
and very few ppl eat todae... LOL!!!
so last dessert fire at abt 10:15pm...
clear the kitchen...
etc etc...
leave the kitchen by 10:30 liao...
wahahaha!!!

happiness...