Sexy, topless and a true Italian beauty

It’s not something that one would possibly imagine with that description I’ve used of sexy and topless I’ve used to describe the curvaceous Italian beauty dressed in a brilliant coat of red that I set my eyes upon yesterday. With its smooth and sensual curves designed to have heads turning, the object of desire that I refer to is what has been named a Spider – the Ferrari 458 Spider to be precise. The latest addition to Ferrari’s range of dream machines, the 458 Spider, which is being introduced in Singapore, joins the 458 Italia to broaden Ferrari’s range of mid-rear engined V8s. It certainly is one, with its open-top configuration, to be noticed and also to be noticed in – and one that will set hearts racing, not just with its ability to launch its occupants from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.4 seconds – but also with its million dollar price-tag (prices start at S$ 998,000 without COE).

A peek at the latest in the range of prancing stallions was offered by Ital Auto yesterday.

Along comes the Spider - a special preview of the beauty with a million dollar price tag.

The 458 Spider is one that is packed with innovative features – including its patented fully retractable aluminium alloy hard-top – a world’s first for a sports car of this layout, which folds so compactly that it fits forward of the engine bay allowing a generously spacious rear bench behind the seats of the berlinetta for the storage of luggage. The hard-top also, compared to a conventional soft-top, offers the advantage of weight savings as well as fast retraction – being able to completely retract in 14 seconds.

Featuring sensual curves and with an open top - the 458 Spider is one to be noticed and one to also be noticed in.

The 458 Spider features a specially designed retractable hard-top which folds into the space in front of the engine bay in just 14 seconds (image courtesy of Ital Auto Pte Ltd).

The 458 Spider is one that packs in 425 kW of pure power in Ferrari’s compact 4.5 litre, naturally aspirated, direct-injection V8 engine which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year. The V8 drives a Ferrari class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated Ferrari E-Diff system. The engine, as well as the clutch and gearbox oil radiators, draw air through intakes which have been integrated with innovative buttresses on the rear of the car designed to optimise the flow of air into the engine bay.

The rear of the car.

The rear features innovative buttresses which integrate intakes to supply air to the naturally aspirated V8 engine and the radiators.

Another look at the rear of the car.

The exhaust pipes.

The car also features a generously sized adjustable electric wind stop to slow and diffuse air flow to the cockpit which will allow conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h. The chassis is also designed to provide identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down through new technical solutions. To have a closer inspection of the 458 Spider, do visit Ital Auto, the exclusive distributor of Ferrari, who are now taking orders for the new 458 Spider, at their showroom in Leng Kee Road.

The steering column - the cockpit features generously sized adjustable electric wind stop to minimise air-flow into the cockpit and the resultant noise allowing a normal conversation to be held even at speeds beyond 200 km/h.

A close-up of the dashboard.

To have a closer look at the sensual curves of the 458 Spider do visit Ital Auto in Leng Kee Road.

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Video of Ferrari’s current range – the 458 Spider is featured at 1’55″:

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458 Spider Technical Specifications

Dimensions
Length 4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Width 1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height 1211 mm (47.7 in.)
Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight 1430 kg (3153 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio 2.51 kg/CV (7.42 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%

Engine
Type 90° V8
Displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)
Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
Specific power output 127 CV/l
Compression ratio 12.5:1

Tyres
Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5”
Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5”
Performance
Maximum speed 320 km/h (198 mph)
0-100 km/h <3.4 s
Fuel consumption + emissions
Fuel consumption*** 11.8 l/100 km
Emissions*** 275 g CO2/km

Gearbox
Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1

Electronics
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS

* With forged wheels and Racing seats
** Including 5 CV of ram effect
*** Combined cycle with HELE system (ECE+EUDC)

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Chasing the dragon through streets of red and gold

I did something I’ve not contemplated doing in a long time over the weekend which was to brave the crowds on the streets of Chinatown on the eve of the Chinese New Year. I must admit that it wasn’t the street market with its offerings of red and gold and festive goodies that drew me, but rather the opportunity to photograph the 108 metre long illuminated three-dimensional Water Dragon decoration that has for the last month or so, dominated the divide between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road at the junction with Upper Cross Street, but since I was already there, I took the opportunity to take what was a thoroughly enjoyable walk around the street market as well.

Beside the street market, another draw to Chinatown in the lead-up to the Chinese New Year is the light-up which this year features a 108 metre long 3D Water Dragon.

The crowds on Pagoda Street on the eve of Chinese New Year.

Dragons, big and small, were everywhere this Chinese New Year.

Last day offers by vendors hoping to dispose of their excess stock attract crowds to the Chinese New Year street market.

Strolling around the street market, I realise that despite the sanitised version of streets that were once never without that spark, there is still some of what is missing to be found on the streets as they come alive in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year. Then as it is now, Chinatown is a focal point for shoppers seeking the essential to welcome the New Year, as they throng the narrow passageways left through streets lined with stalls that offer goods of red and gold – colours considered most auspicious by the Chinese, bringing colour and excitement that remind us of a now distant world.

Melon seeds - a must serve during the New Year.

Groundnuts too ...

Picking tangerines. Tangerines symbolise gold and are exchanged during the New Year for luck and prosperity.

Chopsticks on sale.

The market draws more than the local shopper – tourists mingle with the crowds, as do more recent residents of Singapore – many from a world from which our Chinese ancestors made their passage from in search of a better life and the world which gave us the festival we now celebrate. It is the new arrivals to our land that seem to bring the new Chinatown now to live, much as the ancestors to our older Chinese citizens would have done in very different surroundings. There was a different feel to the surroundings this time as well as a late afternoon downpour threatened to dampen the atmosphere that was building just as the crowd thickened in anticipation of discounts offered by vendors seeking to dispose of excess goods before the streets fall silent for the New Year. Although the downpour did thin the crowd on the streets as many sought shelter in the food outlets that were still opened late on the eve of the New Year, there were still plenty who umbrella in hand, braved the sudden deluge in search of a bargain.

The late afternoon downpour failed to dampen the atmosphere.

A shopper and her daughter under an umbrella.

More recent arrivals from China gathering for a reunion away from home along a five-foot-way in Chinatown. Part of the renewal has seen Chinatown becoming a focal point for the new arrivals from China, as much as it was one for the arrivals of old.

Wet from the rain, I decided to make a move as day became night, but not before seeking the best vantage for a photograph of the Water Dragon. I soon found it, thanks to the hundreds of photos that have been posted. It was then time for a reunion of sorts – not the ones I miss that were always accompanied by the sounds of a Tanjong Pagar Railway Station that has since fallen silent, but one in which tradition has been abandoned – a sign perhaps of who I have become in the brave new world I now find myself in.

An aerial view of the Water Dragon and the light-up.

Perspectives of Art Stage Singapore

I dropped by the Marina Bay Sands Convention and Expo Centre on the last afternoon of the recently concluded 4 day Art Stage Singapore 2012, coming away wishing I had done so earlier, which would have allowed me a lot more time to take in what was on display at the massive art fair. The fair, touted as Asia-Pacific region’s premier art fair, did live up to the hype with some 133 galleries from 18 countries exhibiting with the works of 600 artists on display, including some notable large-scale installations. Providing a platform for networking amongst members of the Asian and International art communities, the fair saw the coming together of some high profile galleries, collectors, curators and artists and attracted a total of 31,000 visitors. Based on information received from the organisers of the fair, there were some notable sales made despite the current economic climate, making the fair a very successful one.

A visit to Art Stage Singapore 2012 offered me an interesting perspective of the Asia-Pacific's premier art fair.

Illusion and Delusion

Attraction and Distraction

Reflection

Light and Shadow

Expressions

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Notable sales made during Art Stage Singapore 2012

• Michael Schultz Gallery sold an “Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting)” by Gerhard Richter for US$1.52 million (S$2 million)
• Haunch of Venison sold a number of Gonkar Gyatso works including the “Dissected Buddha”, 2011, for US$200,000 (S$260,000), as well as an undisclosed piece for US$400,000 (S$518,000)
• Gajah Gallery sold two paintings by I Nyoman Masriadi for US$350,000 (S$453,000)
• Linda Gallery sold a work by Indonesian artist Srihardi Soedarsono for US$232,000 (S$300,000)
• De Sarthe Gallery sold a few sculptures by Bernar Venet for US$100,000 (S$130,000)
• Galerie Perrotin sold MR’s “Desktop of My Mind”, 2011, for US$240,000 (S$311,000)
• Galerie EIGEN + ART sold the “Nervositat” piece by Martin Eder for US$86,000 (S$112,000)
• ESLITE Gallery sold a Wong Hoy Cheong work for US$88,500 (S$115,000)
• Lehmann Maupin sold a neon lighted sculpture by Tracey Emin for US$70,000 (S$109,000) among others
• Volte Gallery sold out most of its Ranbir Kaleka and Sheba Chhachhi pieces
• OV Gallery sold three pieces from their Project Stage booth by Wang Taocheng
• Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art sold three pieces by Shi Jianmin (China)

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Chingay returns with a big splash!

Those who remember the very first Chingay in 1973 will remember it as a parade of lion dances, giant flag bearers, dragon dances, stilt walkers, clowns and juggling acts that took a 3 kilometre route from the old Victoria School to Outram Park. Those were the very first step of what has now become a continuing journey that is now into its 40th year. That first parade featured some 2000 performers that moved along from Tyrwhitt Road, passing Jalan Besar, Bencoolen Street, Bras Basah Road, North Bridge Road, South Bridge Road, Upper Cross Street, New Bridge Road and Outram Road, all of which had been lined with crowds that had gathered in anticipation. Introduced initially to make up for an imposition of a total ban on firecrackers, the parade which had been organised by the People’s Association and the Singapore National Pugilistic Federation, was such a success that it was made into an annual event. Over the years, the Chingay in Singapore has become a highly anticipated event on the calendar, and has evolved into the colourful night-time spectacle featuring participants from far and wide that we and audiences elsewhere look forward to.

Chingay celebrates its 40th year with the 2012 edition of the annual parade which will usher in the Year of the Dragon.

A scene from the opening segment in which the People's Association Youth Chinese Orchestra's Music Director & Conductor , Mr Ng Seng Hong performs on the erhu.

To mark the 40th edition of the Chingay, the organisers this year have lined up a treat that will certainly prove to be an unique and extraordinary experience – one that will be moved off dry land and into a specially created waterway at the F1 Pit Building. I had the privilege of being treated to a preview of this during Saturday’s full dress rehearsal which was preceded by a briefing to the media chaired by Mr Nah Juay Hng – the Chairman of the Chingay Parade Singapore 2012 Exco. Together with a panel that included Mr Kazuo Sugino of The Japanese Association, Singapore and Mr P Thirunal Karasu of Narpani, Mr Ng provided members of the media with an insight into this year’s parade which will see some 8000 participants splashing their way through a 360 metre waterway. Along with the participants, numerous floats will also make their way down the waterway through the parade’s 8 themed segments.

To mark the occasion of the 40th Chingay, the parade will take place in the glow of a show of light effects along a 360 metre waterway.

Participants moving along the 360 metre waterway.

Participants splashing their way through the waterway.

Participants representing NUS having a splashing good time.

Dubbed as “A Waterway Parade of Love and Care”, the parade will also see the active participation of the Indian community. Joining hands, both new citizens and long time Singaporeans from the community will present “Kaathal Doothu” – “Messengers of Love” with a 250 strong contingent. The parade will also feature performers from elsewhere, notably Japan, China and Indonesia, as well as local troupes and various community groups. The Japanese contingent will comprise 330 members and aims to spread a message of care and love with a 9.5 metre lantern structure that will be accompanied by the strains of the evergreen Japanese song “Ue O Muite Aruko” – more commonly known elsewhere as “Sukiyaki”. The Chinese contingent this year will include 300 young ladies – schoolgirls, as well as dancers from the Red Star Dance Troupe who will feature in a performance entitled “Ta Ge”.

This Chingay will also see the participation of the Indian community with a mix of both long time citizens and newly arrived ones.

A 9.5 metre high lantern will feature in the performance by the Japanese contingent.

300 young ladies from China's schools and its Red Star Dance Troupe will give a performance entitled “Ta Ge”.

The parade this year which ushers in the Chinese Year of the Dragon will also see an abundance of representations of the mythical creature. An opening all dragon segment will see an artistic dragon float, numerous dragons representations, as well as dragon dances form both Singapore and China. The penultimate segment will also see 28 community dragons representing various community grassroots groups in Singapore making an appearance before what will be a very grand finale which will see some 3000 performers and culminate with a rendition of “爱让你看到” or “Love Will Make You See” – the parade’s finale theme song by three popular lead singers, Yang Hai Tao, Joi Chua and Vera.

Ushering in the Year of the Dragon, Chingay will feature numerous dragons.

Fire, water and swirling dragons - Chingay has come a long way since its inception in 1973.

A fire breathing dragon makes an appearance.

The grand finale will see some 3000 performers along the waterway.

On the evidence of the what we were treated to during the full dress rehearsal complete with the well-choreographed lighting effects and dragons swirling to the glow of orange from burst of flames, the parade is one that will be nothing short of spectacular, and definitely one that will be hard to forget. This year’s unique parade on water is also one that is not to be missed and one that I would look forward to with the same anticipation as I did as as that child of eight that I was to that very first Chingay close to four decades ago.

The opening segment will see "Brides of the World" strutting down a catwalk on the waterway.

Faces from the Full Dress Rehearsal

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How to catch Chingay 2012

Tickets for the event which will take place on 2 days – 3 and 4 February 2012, are, as of the day of the media briefing, 80% sold for what is expected to be a sold out event. Information can be found at the Chingay 2012 website (click here). Those unable to obtain tickets are able to catch the parade at a non-waterway section of the 800 metre parade route at free standing areas at the Marina Promenade behind the Singapore Flyer.

The event will also be broadcast live over the two days and see international coverage with stations from Japan, China and Taiwan broadcasting to audiences in their respective countries, as well as see it being beamed live through Chinese internet TV network PPTV which is target at audiences in China, as well as those worldwide – making a live streaming of the event available to a variety of internet enable devices. To catch a live webcast of it, please visit the Chingay 2012 website (click here).

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Pongal in the Village of Lime

An area in Singapore I find myself from time to time wandering in is the area that is referred to as Little India today. It is an area full of life and awash with colour, one that over time, has be successful in retaining its ethnic flavour in a way that the other ethnic districts on the island have not be able to. The area is one that has developed from its early days as a southern Indian settlement that had been established along Serangoon Road. It was an area referred to as “Soonambu Kambam” or “The Village of Lime”, an area that during my childhood drew many from all over Singapore. The old market, Tekka, had been the main draw with the hard-to-find range of spices and exotic ingredients, as well as a fine collection of mutton butchers that were available. It was in accompanying my mother to Tekka that provided me with an introduction to the area which developed into a fascination for it. That would have been more than four decades ago, when Singapore had been a very different place. Time has since made its mark on the area – that old Tekka market set has since been pulled down with the market moving right across Serangoon Road. It is not this incarnation of the old that now draws visitors to the area, but perhaps a new market that now pulls the crowds in. The new comes in the form of Mustafa – a departmental store whose reputation has spread far and wide attracting many in search of a bargain crowding its narrow passageways.

A reflection off a discarded mirror in a back lane. A walk through the Village of Lime does allow for reflection through the windows it provides to the past.

The former Tekka market (with the red roof tiles) was a big draw for many in Singapore (the former Kandang Kerbau Police Station can be seen across Serangoon Road from the old Tekka market) (photo source: National Archives of Singapore).

It is not the old nor the new market that I seek when I visit the area, but it is for the area as it still is today. Despite the encroachment of non traditional businesses – the rag-and-bone trade, budget lodgings, non traditional cafes and watering holes, the soul of the area as it was has still very much been left intact, becoming very much a focal point for many more – the new immigrants and transient workers, who seek the comfort it offers them of a home away from home.

I am drawn to the area by what it still is today.

The Village of Lime is today one that exhibits many moods, moods that are influenced by the time of day, the day of the week, and also the time of the year. The brightest moods are ones seen during the many Hindu festivals – celebrated maybe less boisterously than in the days of old, but one that still adds a flavour that only the area can have. The festivals bring much colour and activity, whether it is the lights and crowds that the lead up to the festival of lights, Deepavali, brings; the noisy street procession during which an extreme act of faith and devotion – the carrying of a Kavadi during Thaipusam is seen; or the four day harvest festival, Pongal, celebrated at this time of the year. Sundays also bring with it a somewhat festive mood, when crowds of transient workers on their precious days off throng the streets and open spaces to escape from the monotony that the long work hours and the stifling confines of their crowded and far-away dormitories bring, creating a new buzz on the streets in the area.

Floral garlands at this year's Pongal bazaar - festivals bring much colour and buzz to the streets of today's Little India.

The Pongal bazaar along Campbell Lane.

Wandering around over the weekend had the added bonus of the Pongal bazaar at Campbell Lane in the lead up to this year’s Pongal celebrations. It is during the lead up and during the four day celebrations that Campbell Lane bursts to life, being where the main festivities are held. This attracts many to the stalls at the bazaar where much of what is needed is to be found – colourful floral garlands, clay and steel pots, and stalks of purple sugarcane and more. The hub for the festivities is a marquee a corner of which an enclosure has been set up to hold cows and goats – a rare sight in urban Singapore, to be honoured during the festival. To get the best feel of the festivities and to soak the atmosphere up, it is best that Campbell Lane is visited during the evenings, when the streets are also lighted up for to celebrate Pongal.

Stalks of purple sugarcane during Pongal.

Cows are honoured during the harvest festival.

A cow is milked at the Pongal celebrations.

Clay pots, decorated with painted mango leaves on sale - new clay pots are used to cook pongal - sweetened rice cooked in milk, as offerings for Pongal.

Steel pots on sale.

Ginger on sale.

Even in the absence of a festival which does change the mood of the place, much of the area’s charm can still be discovered. Best seen on foot, the streets around are littered with colourful double storey pre-war shophouses and is awash in colour. Even when, as I did, one wanders in the relative calm of the morning, there is no shortage of colour on the streets. Sundry shops found around the Dunlop Street area with their displays of fruits and vegetables are ones that immediately catch one’s attention and are ones that shouldn’t be missed.

Having a cup of tea on a five-foot-way outside a cafe.

Onions and potatoes on sale at a sundry shop - essential ingredients in southern Indian cooking.

Gourds on sale.

Wandering around the area and getting lost in the maze of colour is certainly not without reward. There is an astonishing number of places in which the appetite worked up walking around can easily be satisfied (not that anyone needs that excuse for that). And even when satisfying one’s food cravings isn’t on the agenda, it must really be difficult to resist the calling from that nice heartwarming cup of Masala Tea …

A lady dressed in the traditional sari, shops along Dunlop Street.

A lady carrying a young child at a sundry shop.

Strolls through less familiar streets of old

Another wonderful place where I have been able to take a step back into the old world is the city of Ipoh in the northern Malaysian state of Perak. It is a place that I sometimes stop by on my drives up north, one that I may have had less of a connection with than perhaps Georgetown, Kuala Lumpur or Malacca, but one that I always enjoy a visit to. Ipoh does draw a crowd of visitors during the holiday season in Singapore, with many having relations or friends there, some having orginated from a city that has somewhat of a reputation for being a “sleepy town”. It isn’t hard to see why Ipoh acquired the reputation as even on the busiest of days, other than at the crowded eating places and streets crowded with cars, the five-foot-ways of the many pre-war shop houses that dominate the old town are eerily silent, with many of the shop units shuttered shut. However, sleepy as the city that rose from the wealth gained from tin deposits found in the limestone hills that surround it may seem, there is a lot more than the famous food and a break from the fast paced world that Ipoh has to offer.

The pouring rain brings an otherwise sleepy side lane in Ipoh to life - Ipoh has acquired a reputation for being a sleepy town.

A durian seller - another signs of life along the otherwise silent five-foot way.

Despite redevelopment in some areas of Ipoh, there is still a wealth of pre-war architecture to admire in the sleepy town.

One is the Art Deco styled former Ruby Theatre.

Arriving in the pouring rain one afternoon in late December, there wasn’t much I could do except head for Jalan Yau Tet Shin for lunch. The food that the city and its residents are very proud of does without a doubt, make an excellent starting point for any visitor to the city (although finding a parking space can prove a challenge). It is at Jalan Yau Tet Shin that two Steamed Chicken and Beansprout outlets that Ipoh’s residents swear by (read more about this in a previous post) can be found. The location of the two, Onn Kee (安記) and an old Ipoh favourite Lou Wong (老黄) also makes an excellent staging point to make a raid on the confectionery shops the city is equally famous for and to discover some of the old world I am always fond of strolling through – something that as a result of the rain I wasn’t really able to, choosing to wait out the afternoon’s deluge indulging myself in the offerings of another of Ipoh’s food institutions – Funny Mountain Beancurd, a stone’s throw from where I had lunch. The beancurd was exceptionally smooth but all too sweet for me and institution or not, I prefer the ones I am used to back home.

Ipoh's succulent and crunchy beansprouts - a great dish to accompany its equally famous steamed chicken.

There wasn't much to do but wait the afternoon's deluge out.

That is unless one has a toy windmill.

Funny Mountain Beancurd.

Perhaps with the sugar rush the beancurd gave me, the energy had to be expanded in doing some walking and not having previously explored another old part of town down Jalan Raja Ekram close to where another of Ipoh’s food institutions, Foh San (富山) can be found at “Dim Sum Kai” or Dim Sum Street – Jalan Leong Sin Nam. Foh San serves another of the city’s culinary must-trys, Dim Sum, which I did have the opportunity to try this time around. Having also previously tasted the Dim Sum across the street at Ming Court (明阁), I wasn’t quite convinced that what I did taste this time around was better than that.

Dim Sum at Foh San - another Ipoh favourite.

Another well known Chicken restaurant - Cowan Street along Jalan Raja Ekram.

The area around is one where there are several old streets and architectural gems hidden away. On a side street running parallel to Jalan Raja Ekram, Jalan Lau Ek Ching, is one which was a delight to discover. The street has apparently, had quite a bit of history – with a somewhat sleazy past based on news articles that I’ve found in the online newspaper archives of the National Library in Singapore. The is one report that caught my attention, with the explosions in Kuala Lumpur being very much in the news this week – that of a bomb that ripped through a bus that had been parked overnight on a side lane off the street during the Emergency in 1965. What drew me to the street was a row of gorgeous double storey pre-war buildings at the north end which I spotted from Jalan Raja Ekram, which, sadly, would have seen much better times. The signs for the houses are good though, with the obvious attempts at restoration and reuse by new and seemingly trendy businesses already having moved into a few of the units. On the other side of this row is another equally gorgeous row, one that is elevated. Each has a flight of stairs lined by curved balustrades leading up through stone pillars to a small compound.

A row of pre-war houses along Jalan Lau Ek Ching which is receiving a new lease of life.

The inside of one of one of the houses under renovation - a pub and a bridal studio are among the new tenants of the row of houses.

Another look at the exterior.

A staircase leading to another row of houses along Jalan Lau Ek Ching.

A row of pillars along the same row of houses.

Running parallel to Jalan Lau Ek Ching is Jalan Raja Musa Aziz (the former Anderson Road). At the junction of this street with Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil (Clarke Street), is another beautiful sight to behold – that of the Art Deco building that once housed the Ruby Theatre, which again, is one that would have seen much better times. The building was completed in 1938 and leased to a Kuala Lumpur based cinema magnate Mr Ong Ee Lim who housed the Ruby in it. The building was also known as the Lau Ek Ching Building on the evidence of an old postcard, having been owned by the Ipoh gentleman who gave his name to the street I had just walked through, Mr Lau Ek Ching. Based on a report in an issue of the Straits Times dated 2 January 1938, I learnt that the building was built at a cost of $100,000 and designed by an Ipoh based Architect firm Boutcher and Company. It had a seating capacity of 800 at its opening and had its ground floor used as a covered carpark. Today it houses a furniture shop, looking somewhat forlorn and out-of-place even with much of the old that still surrounds it. There was much more to see than the two hours I had permitted. The two hours did feel like too short a time of course, but it wasn’t something that I minded. It did mean that I would have another reason to return to a city that is more old world than new and one which allows me to get away to into a world in which I am always able to find a lot more comfort than the one that I have found myself growing into.

An old postcard of The Ruby in 1960.

The former Ruby today.

A building belonging to the True Jesus Church.

A back lane in Ipoh I found myself wandering through.

The yellow world that Ipoh seems to be.

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More of Ipoh
Posts from a previous visit

A stroll around the streets of Old Ipoh

Ipoh’s grand old railway station

The church of St. John the Divine

The flavours of Ipoh

Ipoh’s Spooner Road

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Jalan Besar roars back to life

Singapore’s finally back – after a 17 year absence, competing against football teams from Malaysia in what is the latest incarnation of the Malaysia Cup – the Malaysian Super Leauge. It was in anticipation of this that crowds gathered at the Jalan Besar Stadium to buy up tickets for the expanded 8000 capacity stadium which last featured as a Malaysia Cup venue amost four decades ago, back in 1973 when the likes of Quah Kim Song and Dollah Kassim were household names. With the crowd behind them, the Lions XII started well, dominating possession and scoring the opening goal through defender Baihakki Khaizan just after the half hour. Unfortunately, slack defending let Kelantan equalise just before half time. The Lions XII failed to raise their game in the second half and were punished when the referre awarded what seemed like a very soft penalty 10 minutes from time which Kelantan converted.

Last night saw Singapore's re-entry into a Malaysian football competition for the first time in 17 years. Strong support for Singapore in its participation in the past saw the much feared Kallang Roar being born. Did the Roar return last night?

The crowd had filled the stadium well before the match started.

Quah Kim Song heading the ball at Jalan Besar Staidum during a Malaysia Cup match in 1973 against Negri Sembilan. That year was the last in whcih Jalan Besar stadium saw the Malaysia Cup competition (source: National Archives of Singapore).

The appearance of some of the footballing greats from Singapore's past teams including Malek Awab from the 1994 Cup winning team lifted the crowd.

For many in Singapore, the game was looked at not just as Singapore’s re-entry into a competition it last participated in in 1994, but also to bring back some of the magic that the intense competition and rivalry that comes about competing against teams across the Causeway brought with it – something that many felt was lacking with the S-League. There was also the expected return of the Roar – associated with the much feared noise that our supporters made in the days of the National Stadium. While admittedly, the game saw a sell out crowd which made as much noise as it could at the start of the game, and when we scored the opener, there were long periods of silence as the game progressed and boos seem to ring a lot louder than cheers of encouragement during the peirods when some noise was heard. Perhaps the much smaller crowd of 7000 to 8000 that the capacity of the stadium permitted compared to 70000 we did see in the early days of the National Stadium when the Kallang Roar was born did have a part to play in this – that we can’t do anything about until the new stadium is built. What on the basis of the initial roar we certainly can do is to raise the level of encouragement and cheers we give our team. With that, and if the team build on the positives and learn from the negatives of the first match, there is no doubt that the Roar (at least partially), and the real magic of the competition, will return.

A section of the crowd.

The starting 11.

The season kicks-off at Jalan Besar to a huge roar.

Singapore dominated play and came close on two occasions as the first half progressed.

Singapore players celebrating the opening goal which Baihakki Khaizan headed in from a free kick on the right.

Rain drops seen in the glare of the floodlights. Part of the game was played in pouring rain.

Despite lots of goal mouth action in the first half Singapore failed to make further progress.

A walk down a street of contrasts and contradictions

Bangkok is a city that I never seem to tire of. The opportunity to wander through its ever so lively streets is something I always find hard to resist. The streets offer a wealth of opportunity for photography and for people watching, and where there I never fail to find something that does catch my eye. The streets, particularly of the new Bangkok, are also one where the contrasts and contradictions that is Bangkok becomes very apparent. It is on the streets where traditional street trades thrive next to the towering blocks of offices and glittering shopping malls, where McDonalds and Starbucks have become as much a part of the landscape as the pushcarts that once dominated the streets, and where a flow of Hijab clad women can be seen streaming past symbols of a trade Bangkok is all too well known for.

A walk or even being stuck in traffic allows a peek into the world of contrasts and contradictions that is Bangkok.

An interesting stretch with a wealth of contrasts and contradictions is a two and a half kilometre one in new Bangkok that I recently took a stroll through from the much venerated Erawan Shrine at the corner of Ratchadamri and Phloen Chit Roads, to first of a series of the many Sois that turn off Sukhumvit Road – lanes that are always waiting to be discovered. It is a walk that I had done almost three decades ago, one that sans the shade provided by the Bangkok Skytrain’s elevated track and the towering blocks that have since sprouted up seemed to be down a very different avenue. What is apparent today are the open arms with which the city and its people, still rich in tradition, have welcomed the new world with – with the unmistakable signs of Christmas dressing up much of the new world I could see in the lead up to what is a western festival.

Signs of the times. A close-up of a Christmas tree at one of the many new malls along the stretch with symbols perhaps of what Christmas has become all about in much of the Asia that has chosen to embrace it.

A group of high school students outside one of the newest shopping malls along Sukhumvit Road, Terminal 21, seen through Christmas and New Year decorations. As with much of the world - the new world finds ready acceptance with the young.

A young daughter of a street food vendor enjoys a meal from a food vendor of the new world, as her mother prepares to welcome her first customers of the day.

The draw of street fare is still there despite the arrival of the new fare found in more comfortable premises.

Grilled fish on display at a street food stall. Street food does still have its place, being a choice for many for its affordability even as McDonalds and air-conditioned foodcourts have set themselves firmly in place.

Despite the new clothes that now adorn the area, the worn out clothes that it wore when I first walked down the street is still very visible. For some reason, the clinical new world is one that seems to hold the grimy old world in a tight embrace, taking it with it on the journey into the new world that is to come. There is no doubt that Bangkok, more than any other South-East Asian capital, has ample room in its quest for modernity for the traditions it was built upon, both religious and cultural. Despite the signs of a Christian feast all around – the city is still one where its traditional religious observances and practices are very much intertwined with daily life. The Erawan Shrine at the start of the walk is one where this can be observed as steady streams of devotees to Phra Phrom kneeling to make offerings in the incense filled air at each of the Hindu deity’s four faces outnumber the flow of gawking tourists the shrine also attracts.

A steady stream of devotees make offerings through the day at the Erawan Shrine.

Resident dancers at rest at the Erawan Shrine. The dancers are engaged by devotees to Phra Phrom who have had their prayers answered.

A performance by the resident dancers of the Erawan Shrine.

Further down Phloen Chit Road, at the junction with Wireless or Witthayu Road, is a marker of a previous world that refuses to go away. One that takes us back to when much of the area was owned by Bangkok’s foremost real estate developer, Nai Lert. Resembling what many have referred to as a stone cannon stuck in the ground, a somewhat ungainly looking stump is the surviving one of six that Nai Lert had used to mark the boundaries of the land he owned (based on information at the British Embassy’s website) – part of which he sold to the British Government which had its embassy there until it was sold not too long ago to have a new shopping mall built. The marker now looks out-of-place in the shadows of the glass and steel that now threatens to engulf it.

The surviving "upturned cannon" that served as a marker to the boundaries of Nai Lert's property.

A set of flyovers appear towards the end of Phloen Chit Road – those of an Expressway doesn’t seem to have eased the crunch on the road that the flyovers now cast a huge shadow over. It is just beyond this that a railway level crossing marks where Phloen Chit Road ends and Sukhumvit Road begins. What greets the eye as one looks down the tracks is a scene typical of the railway lines in this part of the world – and one that reminds us of a Bangkok that the modernisation of the city hasn’t been able to shake off.

The new shopping malls sit side-by-side with the Bangkok that was more once more commonly seen. Food stalls squatting along the railway tracks where Ploen Chit Road meets Sukhumvit Road.

The many Sois off Sukhumvit Road that soon come up are a wonderful world to explore and where many more of Bangkok’s contradictions await discovery. Wandering through the lowest of the odd-numbered Sois, you would be forgiven for thinking that you’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up on the streets of the Middle East. Stepping back out into the main streets, one quickly realises that one’s feet are firmly planted in the City of Angels as one is quickly reminded of that side of Bangkok that the city is unfortunately infamous for.

The many Sois off Sukhumvit Road also offers many a tuk-tuk driver an opportunity to escape from Bangkok's traffic.

Besides Starbucks, the is a choice of the many watering holes for something a little stronger.

The short walk through the contrast the different worlds soon takes me to one of the latest developments on the stretch – Terminal 21 – one that promises to take the shopper on a retail journey to places far and wide. For me, it wasn’t the new mall which took me on a journey, but that two and a half kilometre walk that preceded my visit to the mall. It was a journey that perhaps started with a walk down from the docks of Klong Toey some three decades before and one that I still am taking through time, through space and through the many contrasts and contradictions of the fast changing world that I find in a city and in a part of that city that has never ceased to fascinate me.

Rambutans at a street vendor's stall off Sukhumvit Road. Beside the tourist oriented street vendors along Sukhumvit Road, there are many others that colour the streets which still cater to the local population.

Haggling with a street vegetable vendor.

The streets also offer many opportunities for people watching - a young lady in a contemplative mood seen through the maze of street food vendors.

A popcorn vendor pushing his cart down the sidewalk.

Pushing a different cart - a street vendor (smiling) helps an unfortunate motorist along Sukhumvit Road.

A dough fritter vendor at work.

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe. A shopper seeks help from a sidewalk cobbler for a broken heel.

A shelter for that which provide shelter. Parasols of a street vendor rest resting against a telephone booth.

A column of motorcylists facing a very lengthy wait at a major intersection supporting themselves with the help of the kerb.

An ancient world in new Hanoi

Seemingly far removed from the commotion of Hanoi’s busy streets, lies a sanctuary of serenity – one that takes one away to a Hanoi of a thousand years ago. Built first to venerate the great Chinese sage Confucius, the Van Mieu or Temple of Literature, dates back to an era in which the city that it finds around it was founded, and is a wonderfully preserved work of architecture and one that serves as icon of Hanoi’s cultural heritage and a beautiful representation of Confucian inspired architecture that has survived to this day. The Van Mieu has also greater cultural significance to Hanoi and to Vietnam, being the site of the country’s first university – it is within its grounds, not long after it was built in 1070 that a centre of learning was established in 1076 – one that served to educate the elites for a system of public administration that was greatly influenced by Vietnam’s neighbours to the north and one that functioned for some seven centuries.

The Temple of Literature offers an escape from the crowded streets of Hanoi to a beautiful ancient centre of learning.

The Van Mieu complex we find today is one that has been built over a long period and is laid out around five courtyards, each with an ornamental portal serving as an entrance. Stepping through the first, the Van Mieu Gate, even with the buzz of the weekend’s crowd that was there, the tranquillity of the Van Mieu soon overcomes you as the dissonance of the busy streets left behind quickly fades away. The crowd – flocks of pretty ladies – fresh graduates from the city’s newer universities dressed in the traditional Ao Dai behind the layers of less traditional outerwear on what was a chilly winter’s day, seemed to blend into the well manicured gardens of the first courtyard and beyond the second gate in the second courtyard.

The Van Mieu Gate which is the main entrance to the Temple of Literature complex.

The well manicured first courtyard as seen through the second gate.

At the end of the second – the third gate, Khue Van Cac or the Constellation of Literature – a much more recent addition built in 1805 is one that is hard not to notice with an upper level where four radiating suns can be seen facing the four cardinal points of the compass. Through this gate, one is confronted by what seems like a huge reflecting pool – Thien Quang Tinh or the Well of Heavenly Clarity, flanked one both sides by open sided buildings that house 82 surviving stone stelae (out of the original 112), set on pedestals of giant stone tortoises – that of those conferred with Doctorates during the 15th to the 18th centuries.

The Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac). The third gate leading into the third courtyard where the Well of Heavenly Clarity is located.

A lady in an Ao Dai poses at a side portal into the third courtyard.

The Well of Heavenly Clarity in the third courtyard.

Some of the 82 surviving stone stelae of scholars who passed the examinations at the Temple of Literature.

The part of the complex where Confucius is venerated lies beyond the fourth gate, one that is flanked by two stone warriors. It is at the end of the courtyard where the Temple of Confucius is found. The two incense filled buildings are ones that house the Altar of Confucius, in the Bai Duong – the open sided House of Ceremonies where the Altar of Confucius at which the Emperor and Mandarins are said to have make offerings at, and in the red lacquered building behind the Bai Duong. Behind the red of the wooden panels that line the second building that the statues of the Great Sage and his four main disciples are found.

A stone warrior stands guard at the gateway into the fourth courtyard.

The fourth courtyard with the Temple of Confucius.

Reflection of the Temple of Confucius in a pail of water.

Wooden wall panels on the Temple of Confucius.

View through the Temple of Confucius.

Wall and door panels on the Temple of Confucius.

Temple of Confucius.

Statue of Confucius in the Temple of Confucius.

Inside the Temple of Confucius.

Beyond the Temple of Confucius, the fifth and last of the courtyards where the Quoc Tu Giam – the academy was located. The original buildings were destroyed by French bombing during the 1940s and much of what can be seen today is a reconstruction carried out in 2000. In the main building at the end of the courtyard, the altars to three of the Ly Dynasty emperors are found. On either side of the buildings, there is also a huge drum and a huge brass bell housed in two pavilion like structures – popular spots for those seeking a photo opportunity.

Altar to one of the Ly Dynasty Emperors in the reconstructed Quoc Tu Giam - the National Academy which was established in 1076 to educate Mandarins.

In the two hours I spent exploring the Van Mieu, it did feel as if I had lost myself in that ancient world that it had emerged from. Stepping back into the world that Hanoi has now become, I felt first a realisation and then a sense of wonderment of what I had just emerged from – a significant piece of the history of the country that I was visiting, one of a beauty and elegance that is a joy to behold, and one that goes far back to a time long before the country I am from was even put on the map.

Shadow and light - inside the Quoc Tu Giam.

A view through a screen towards the fifth courtyard.

Hanoi in its shades of grey

Hanoi, which I visited this winter, is city that has made a big impression on me. It is a city that for a long while, I had wanted to visit. It is a city that has intrigued me in the past, having lived a good part of my younger days in a region whose political climate had very much been influenced by the Cold War, the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Hanoi, along with the rest of Vietnam, is today a very different world from the one that must have emerged from a war that would have devasted it. The city does still have many reminders of the war, as well as of the somewhat chequered history the nation it is a capital to has had. There is always that reminder of the Communist Party that still governs it in flags, banners, posters and also Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum making it difficult not to realise that, even as the country has embraced economic policies that would have those who led it during the war turning in their final resting places.

Two ladies pose in the traditional Ao Dai at the Temple of Literature. Hanoi is where tradition ...

... coexists and blends in with the new world.

An itinerant vendor stares into a shop window.

The charge of the two-wheel brigade on the streets of old Hanoi.

Two wheels that sometimes see well dressed riders dressed fashionably with killer heels.

The juxtaposition of new on the old is evident especially on the streets of the Old Quarter.

More juxtapositions ...

The is a lot of the old that is not just juxtaposed with, but blends very much in with the new that the country’s economic progress over the last two decades has brought. The Hanoi of old, set in the colourful narrow and bustling streets of the Old Quarter, sits beside the Hanoi of the French Colonial masters – its wide avenues and elegant buildings in stark contrast. In both, there are the sidewalks dominated by itinerant vendors or the low tables and stoold set up by vendors operating out of narrow doorways, in instances right next to a shop window with a display of the latest objects of desire. It is at the low tables and stools of the sidewalks where in fact the best fare in a city that celebrates its food can sometimes be savoured. Here well dressed men and women are often spotted sitting on the low stools in what almost seems a posture that lacks dignity, enjoying their night out in the city, or a bowl of pho in the morning before heading into the office. It is in scenes such as this that best illustrates Hanoi as a city that is full of contrasts and perhaps contradictions where it isn’t just where black is seen against white, but where there also are many shades of grey.

Two wheelers prove to be useful in many ways ...

... and many can't leave home with it.

Diners at Chả cá Lã Vọng - a well known restaurant that serves Chả cá - a must try "Grilled Fish" dish.

A pho restaurant spills out into the sidewalk in the Old Quarter.

Sidewalks are the domain of the many itinerant vendors.

Views of more sidewalks.

A young lady having a bowl of pho for breakfast on the sidewalk before heading into the office.

A back lane.

The sidewalks are where many locals are seen enjoying their night out.

Some of the best food can be savoured at the low tables and stools of the sidewalks.

A food vendor operating out of a doorway.

A sidewalk food vendor.

Evening falls on Hoan Kiem Lake - looking at Turtle Tower.

Seeking an old world over the New Year

Strange as it may seem, I found myself wandering around streets some 350 kilometres away during the lead up to the New Year, thinking for a while that I was in a Singapore that I had my wonderful childhood in. The streets of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur where I was has been a source of fascination for me since my first visit there as a child of six and it has also become, along with other parts of the country, a place where I often search for that world – the Singapore of my childhood that is now lost to me. The streets of Kuala Lumpur today and those of the Singapore of yesterday are undeniably two very different worlds – worlds far apart in many ways. Both cities have seen dramatic changes in four decades since my first visit and are today hardly recognisable from the cities they had emerged from. There is however one key difference in how either city have gone through their respective transformations. Where with Singapore, much of what made Singapore, Singapore, has now been lost – replaced in many cases by the cold hard stare of glass, steel and concrete, there is still the buzz of daily life that can be discovered nestled in between the towering edifices of modern Kuala Lumpur.

There are places I remember ... that resemble this. A back lane off the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

An area that I take particular joy in wandering around has become known as the city’s Chinatown – centred on Petaling Street or Jalan Petaling, once a must-go destination on my almost annual visits to the city to savour some of its culinary offerings. The street market it is well known for has unfortunately seen the inevitable invasion of stalls that provide a wider apppeal to a tourist than the local, but there is still in and around the area a world much like that old world we have left behind in Singapore to stumble upon. It is in the five-foot ways and narrow alleyways off the main street that this older world I seek is tucked away. One, alleyway which runs parallel to Petaling Street off Madras Lane (or Jalan Sultan) is home to what must be a well known wet market, teeming in the early hours of daylight with many from the area and beyond, in search for the day’s supply of fresh produce. I first came to know of the market on a trip to Kuala Lumpur that coicided with my very first journey out of the now forgotten Tanjong Pagar Railway Station some two decades ago – and it nice to see that it still is set in that wet, slippery and less than pleasant smelling passageway that leads to what must seem like a reward at the end of it.

The wet market at Madras Lane.

A butcher's assistant at the wet market.

What lies at the end of the wet market is a cluster of food stalls – ones that have a reputation for being amongst the best in a city where sumptous street fare is never hard to find. Despite the less than pleasant demeanour with which customers of some of the stalls are served, the cluster never fails to draw a steady stream of hungry customers in the mornings and the very popular Chee Cheong Fun, Yong Tau Foo and Assam Laksa usually sells out by the time one arrives for a late lunch.

Madras Lane is also famous for its street fare.

The early morning crowd at the Yong Tau Foo stall.

Enjoying a bowl of noodles at Madras Lane.

After a bowl of the irresistable Assam Laksa and a glass of warm soya bean milk the morning I found myself there, there was still time to discover what else Madras Lane had to offer. The five-foot ways and crowded back lanes was certainly a joy to wander through -a hole-in-the-wall shop with colourful magazines strung up for sale, as well as a shop lot where one could have an offending mole removed caught my eye as did a back lane strewn with pushcarts awaiting use to serve the evening’s dining crowd, a back lane barber, a sidewalk fortune-teller, and a cobbler waiting patiently for his next customer.

A bowl of Assam Laksa I had to have.

A sidewalk fortune teller along Jalan Sultan.

A hole-in-the-wall shop.

A five-foot way along Jalan Sultan.

Have that offending mole removed.

I suppose I would have spent the entire day immersing myself in that old world – but that unfortunately wasn’t that Singapore that I had sought, although it did in many ways remind me of it. It was time then to transport myself to the new world – first for lunch and for a look at another area I was familiar with from my early visits to the city – the Bukit Bintang area which has also seen tremendous change. And as darkness descended on the city for the last time in the old year, it was time to embrace the new – in a way that even an old world cannot escape from – with a blast of colours in the sky, but perhaps in a gentler and quieter way than it would have been if I had stayed at home. With that there is a realisation that much of the old ways will soon be forgotten … but there is that hope that the city I found myself in, would cling tightly on to those little reminders of its past which would allow me many more opportunities to seek the familiarity and comfort of the old world that I can no longer find in the place I grew up in.

A somewhat quieter welcome to 2012 than I would have expected in Singapore - fireworks over Bandar Utama in Malaysia.

The finale after the 10 minute dispay over Bandar Utama.

Get Ready to Paint the Town Peri-Peri

I’m never one to chicken out of painting the town red whenever I am offered a chance to. And now, there’s a chance not just to paint the town not just red, but also very saucy, as well as getting away being chicken, with a nationwide campaign launched by Nando’s to hunt for Singapore’s Favourite Peri-Peri Flavour! Peri-Peri sauce is as most of us who have been stung by that first flavourful bite into the juicy, succulent and well marinated famous flame-grilled chicken know, synonymous with Nando’s, offering four degrees of hotness with Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot, or Extra Hot flavouring it. Singaporeans we know, do like it hot, but just how hot we like it is something that Nando’s hopes to find out in a contest that runs from 1 December 2011 to 31 January 2012 and will perhaps offer voters a much better choice than what we had in voting contests of recent memory.

Some like it hot! There's a chance now to vote for how hot you actually like it!

Do let Nando's know how hot you like it!

Speaking about the launch of the campaign, Ms Mac Chung Lynn, CEO of Nando’s Chickenland Singapore Pte Ltd, said: “This campaign is a celebration of Nando’s key ingredient that has made it famous all over the world – the specially blended Peri-Peri sauces. We hope to engage Singapore in a fun and competitive voting contest while simultaneously communicating our vibrant brand personality and key attributes.” During the campaign period, Singaporeans can cast their votes – at any of the five Nando’s outlets they dine in, during Nando’s street activation activities, or via their Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/Nandosperiperichickensingapore). Online voters and those involved in the street activation activities are also entitled to win instant prizes via lucky dips that include 1,000 full chickens amongst other prizes, and hotting things up even further, at the end of the voting period, 100 lucky voters of the winning flavour will be invited to participate in a specially themed Nando’s party that we are given to understand is guaranteed to raise the Peri-o-meter temperature even further!

Don't be surprised to see some pretty faces rallying for their favourite flavour during the campaign.

With all that to raise the temperature this cold and wet time of the year, there certainly is no reason to go cold on this vote and however hot you do like your chix – there is one – flavour that is, that will definitely please you … so do head down to a Nando’s outlet, or to the Nando’s Facebook Page and make your choice. And remember, please vote saucily!

Voting Card for restaurant diners.

My choice is clear!

Be seduced by some Extra Hot Chix!

Much as I am somewhat of a glutton, I must admit that it doesn’t take a glutton to think twice about accepting and invitation for a food tasting session at Nando’s – especially when one discovers out the delectable treats the restaurant in Singapore now has to offer on its menu. Nando’s, famous for its flame-grilled chicken, has been one of my favourite drools ever since my first bite, having stumbled upon one outlet on a cold, wet and dark winter’s evening in London in 1995 – and when that invitation to go for the Nando’s Chickenland Getaway, it had to be a yes.

I have been a fan of Peri-Peri since stumbling upon a Nando's outlet in London in 1995.

Walking into what seemed like a group of unruly protestors holding placards at their new Tampines Mall outlet, it did feel like I might have been in London again – I wasn’t of course, the protestors actually promoters for Nando’s latest campaign which I wold mention in another post. Being one of the later ones to arrive, it wasn’t long before the first of several treats came – in the form of colourful Designer Drinks – Madeira Red and Refresh Mint. One sip of the Madeira Red – a pomegranate lemonade made with Sprite, and I was in a very sweet and refreshing part of heaven! Loved it so much that I had to have another.

Designer Drinks to die for.

Soon after the drinks were served and introductions were made to break the ice, it was time to share – we were advised that sharing is very much a part of the culture that gave us Nando’s and a feature of Nando’s menus are sharing meals – one, a starter, Pestico was promptly served together with some other starter items on the menu – Wild Mushroom Soup with Bread and Chicken Livers with Portuguese Roll. The chicken, as well as livers, are made with the secretly blended world-famous Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce that makes Nando’s such a huge hit – which come in four flavours from which the customer can choose from which are Extra Hot, Hot, Mild and Lemon and Herb. I’ve always been one for Extra Hot the Petisco platter which was flavoured just with that, was, I thought, made it perfect. The Petisco comes with chicken wings and thighs, served with olives, Peri hummus and Cream Perinaise on the side and is a sharing platter that is certainly an excellent way to begin any meal at Nando’s. I am not one for innards, but with Peri-Peri flavouring it, I really didn’t mind the Chicken Livers at all. The other item is also a good way to start – Wild Mushroom Soup loaded with the taste of wild mushrooms! And with starters so mouth-watering, it did seem as if there wasn’t going to be place for what was to come.

Pestico - a starter to share with chicken wings and thighs, pita and hummus and olives.

Chicken Livers with Portuguese Roll.

Comfort food - Wild Mushroom Soup with Bread - loaded with the flavour of Wild Mushrooms.

Having done an excellent job in delivering the starters, the polite and attentive staff soon delivered the main courses – first up were attractive looking tender pieces of marinated flame-grilled chicken thighs on a skwewer supported by a metal frame, and served with sides – Espetada. This came to us again in different flavours – I tried the Lemon and Herb, which I always thought was a nice choice if the senses demanded something that wasn’t hot. I loved it – the juicy and flavourful bits of chicken would certainly be a huge hit with anyone who tries them and makes an excellent alternative choice of a chicken dish. We also had flame grilled quarters of chicken as is traditionally served in Nando’s as well as another dish that I was really surprised with – the Cataplana. I requested for the chicken to come naked – so to speak – served without the topping of Peri-Peri sauce that it seems to be always doused in both in Singapore and Malaysia – something which I felt disguises the real taste of the famous flame-grilled chicken. What came was served just how I asked for it – and I wasn’t at all disappointed. Without the chicken unclothed, I could as I suspected, taste it for what it really was – the rich flavours of chicken pieces that had been flavourfully marinated coming to the fore – just the way I had fallen in love with it off that cold dark street in London.

The Espetada being served.

The Espetada - skewered pieces of deliciously marinated flame-grilled chicken thighs, comes served with a choice of two side dishes.

A close-up of the Espetada dish which makes an excellent alternative to the traditional serving of chicken quarters.

Naked chix which appeal to me - without the huge amount of sauce that it is often served with - this is how I think that you can really taste the flavours that makes Nando's such a hit worldwide.

What I thought was a most excellent addition to the wonderful Nando’s menu is the Cataplana. I always have enjoyed a meal of the traditional rice dishes found around much of the Mediterranean which are always full of flavour, but I have always found the flavours a little overpowering on the dishes, being used to how rice is served in this part of the world. Half expecting that to be the same of the Cataplana with strips of Peri-Peri basted chicken, peppers and ripe tomatoes trapped in a traditional copper dish over a bed of spice rice, which the menu suggests is waiting to be opened, I was pleasantly surprised with the rich but subtle flavours found in the dish, flavours that certainly did not overpower, but complemented the ingredients perfectly and it is for me not just a dish waiting to be opened, but one I can’t wait to have a go at again!

The one that really surprised me with it's rich flavours that do not overpower - the Cataplana.

No makan session would be complete without desserts, and after the wonderful main courses that were served, Nando’s obliged with a selection of wonderful looking desserts, which included Natas – traditional Portuguese egg custard tarts (something I always find hard to resist), cakes and another item that so delighted me – Chocolate Crunch Rolls – melted chocolates mixed with biscuits – which didn’t do my attempts at shedding some weight no favours – as I just had to have more of it!

The selection of desserts from Nando's includes Natas, and Chocolate Crunch Roll.

I guess with all that on offer, there is more reason to be seduced by Nando’s hot chix, especially with Nando’s expansion into the heartlands with two new outlets, the one that I had the treat in at Tampines Mall and another that will be opened in December at Katong I12. Both are decorated in the warm and welcoming colours and natural wood and certainly adds to the dining ambience. Nando’s I12 Katong will also offer something more when it opens, with an exclusive Breakfast menu, as well as with extended opening hours till 1am from Sundays to Thursdays, and till 3am on Friday and Saturday late nights. A special Snack and Beverage menu will be on offer during the extended hours.

Nando's newly opened Tampines Mall outlet (image courtesy of Nando's Singapore).

To commemorate the opening of the two outlets, Nando’s has also introduced sharing meals for the festive period that is ideal for families and groups of friends. Available in platters for two, four or six people, what is on offer are juicy chicken thighs grilled to perfection, grilled corn on the cobs, Mediterranean rice, salads, potato wedges and other side dishes. Something else that is surely reason enough to go to Nando’s this festive season to celebrate!

Nando's Sharing Meals to celebrate the opening of the two latest Nando's outlets (image courtesy of Nando's Singapore).

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Information on Nando’s Sharing Meals:

Celebration for 2 – $38.80
- 2 x ¼ chickens
- 1 x Peri Wedges & Creamy Perinaise
- 1 x Salad (Choice of Portuguese or Caesar Salad)
- 3 x Regular Sidelines of your choice
- 1 x Citra (1/2 litre)

Celebration for 4 – $68.80
- 4 x ¼ chickens
- 1 x Peri Wedges & Creamy Perinaise
- 1 x Salad (Choice of Portuguese or Caesar Salad)
- 4 x Large Sidelines of your choice
- 1 x Citra (1 litre)

Celebration for 6 – $98.80
- 6 x ¼ chickens
- 1 x Peri Wedges & Creamy Perinaise
- 2 x Salad (Choice of Portuguese or Caesar Salad)
- 5 x Large Sidelines of your choice
- 2 x Citra (1 litre)

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A 20¢ ice-ball and one cool customer

The 20 cent ice-ball makes a comeback this weekend (10 and 11 Dec 2011) at two locations in the Bras Basah – Bugis precinct, at the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage along Footpaths project. Once commonly found snack vendors such as ice-ball and kacang puteh seller, along with barbers, fortune tellers and cobblers, have been brought back for the project, and on the evidence of the crowds that turned up the last weekend, were a huge hit.

The 20 cent palm sugar (Gula Melaka) and syrup laden ice-ball makes a come back this weekend,

Evaporated milk is another favourite topping!

Seen amongst the crowds last weekend was one cool customer – a young lady, who discovered entirely on her own, how best to eat that 20 cent ice-ball. It was certainly not with the sheet of plastic that is used for hygienic reasons these days … but with her bare hands … allowing the sticky syrup laden melting liquid dribble down her chin and through her fingers. And when it did get too cold for her tiny fingers, she found herself a wonderful solution ….

Now, it doesn't quite feel right with the sheet of plastic ...

... now that feels a lot better ....

oops ... it's melting!

And, brrr ... it's cold!

But delicious!

Yummy!

My fingers are frozen ... now what do I do?

I guess that's what the pocket in my bib is for!

Now for a second bite.

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About The Heritage Along Footpaths project:

The Heritage Along Footpaths project seeks to re-introduce trades that were once common at two designated sites within the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct – the Singapore Art Museum and Stamford Arts Centre (along the mural wall facing Middle Road). At each of the sites, tradesmen that were once commonly found along alleyways or five-foot ways – namely street barbers, cobblers, fortune tellers, ice-ball sellers and kachang puteh sellers – will ply their wares at prices of the past. Research conducted on these once-common trades will also be on display for the public to learn more about Singapore’s history and heritage.

Heritage Along Footpaths is part of the NHB’s initiative to inject greater vibrancy into the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct, an area rich in the arts and heritage. Said Mr Alvin Tan, Director, Heritage Institutions & Industry Development: “Through this project, NHB hopes to re-introduce once familiar street sights and businesses in the arts and cultural district and in doing so, re-acquaint Singaporeans with trades that were once an integral part of our community heritage. It also presents the perfect opportunity for younger Singaporeans to experience first-hand the early lives of their grandparents, and, in the process, reinforce bonding across the generations who share a common history and identity.”

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Extreme action on the Bay

This weekend will see some Extreme action returning to Marina Bay as Singapore plays host to the 9th Leg and grande finale of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series™ – the second time the Extreme 40 circuit will be seen at Marina Bay, the first time being in December 2009. The race will see ten teams featuring 40 of the world´s best sailors racing from Wednesday 7 December to Sunday 11 December 2011 in what is the final and deciding round of the 2011 season. The race will commence at 2pm on each day with the 9th to the 11th being public days, and action can be caught at the Extreme Race Village which is located at the site of the Singapore Flyer, which will be opened to the public from Friday to Sunday.

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The Extreme 40 Boat

The creators of the Extreme 40 took the biggest, fastest sailing boat in the Olympics — then made it twice as big and even faster. And no, brakes do not come as standard… The concept of Extreme 40 is to bring the sailing to the public and not the other way round.
The Extreme 40 catamaran is a scaled-up version of the former Olympic class Tornado, all of the dimensions are relative to the Tornado, it’s just twice as big and incredibly fast. Both light -for better speed and acceleration potential – and very stiff – to withstand the huge efforts put on the structure – the Extreme 40s are made of a honeycomb core trapped between two carbon fiber skins. The stability is provided by the shape of the structure, the Extreme 40 being a “rectangle” sitting on the water, but things change very quickly when the wind kicks in and one hull starts to fly: it’s a treat for spectators, and a real challenge for the crew who have to maintain the balance whilst making the most of the boat’s potential. The generous sail area allows Extreme 40s to sail faster than the wind, in just 15 knots of wind, an Extreme 40 is capable of traveling at 25+ knots.

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Weekend Race Programme:

Friday 9th December
12:00 – 20:00 – Extreme Race Village opening times
12:00 – 14:00 – Moth Racing
14:00 – 17:00 – Extreme 40s Stadium Racing
17:30 – Public presentation to the top boat of the day

Saturday 10th December
10:00 – 12:00 – Moth Racing
12:00 – 20:00 – Extreme Race Village opening times
11:00 – 14:00 – Optimists Racing and NeilPryde Racing Series
14:00 – 17:00 – Extreme 40s Stadium Racing
17:30 – Public presentation to the top boat of the day
17:00 – 19:00 – NeilPryde Racing Series

Sunday 11th December
11:00 – 12:00 – Moth Racing
12:00 – 20:00 – Extreme Race Village opening times
12:00 – 14:00 – Optimists Racing and NeilPryde Racing Series
14:00 – 17:00 – Extreme 40s Stadium Racing
17:30 – Championship trophy presentation

**please note that times/activities might vary

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The Gala Opening of the 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema

The Cathay last night saw a crowd that had gathered to welcome the ever so lovely Carole Bouquet at a red carpet event – opening of the Societe Generale Private Banking 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema. Ms Bouquet, was there to open the six-day French film festival together with Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance, the association responsible for the promotion of French Cinema internationally. Also gracing the event were members of a delegation of French film personalities which is in Singapore to promote the French film industry and will be presenting their films and taking questions from audiences at the Festival screenings.

Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance with Ms Carole Bouquet.

At a press conference held before last evening’s Gala Opening during which was Ms Bouquet and members of the artistic delegation were introduced, Mr Clermont-Tonnerre, spoke of how uniFrance hopes to participate in more events such as this not just to increase the market share of French films in Singapore which is estimated add about only 1%, but also to increase cooperation between the French and local film industries as well as increase its distribution network. Also speaking at the conference was Ms Bouquet, who revealed that she had only just landed a few hours before. Ms Bouquet, who is well-known for her role in the 1981 James Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only and as the face of fashion house Chanel in the 1980s, has over 40 films to her credit, added that she was happy to be in Singapore together with the delegation and to be the “godmother” of the 15 films which will showcase the diversity of French Cinema.

Ms Carole Bouquet with Mr Olivier Gougeon, Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific, Societe Generale Private Banking.

For the festival’s title sponsor is Societe Generale Private Banking, bringing the festival to Singapore, is very much an extension of the sponsorship of the Cannes Film Festival by its Head Office. Its Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific, Mr Olivier Gougeon, spoke of the French zeal for filmmaking which the organisation hopes to share by creating a first of its kind artistic, cultural and industry exchange. He also added that he hoped that this would not “just be a rendezvous with French Cinema, but a date”.

Stéphane Rybojad, Director, Forces spéciales (Special Forces) with Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Director, Elle s’appelait Sarah (Sarah’s Key).

Ismaël Ferroukhi, Director, Les hommes libres (Free Men) sharing a lighthearted moment with Mathieu Demy, Actor/Director, Americano.

Ms Bouquet speaking.

The crowd that attended the Gala Opening was treated to a brilliant opening movie, The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius – and an appearance on stage of Ms Bouquet and the delegation. The movie, a (largely) silent movie set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931, looks at the decline of a male star as the silent movie era made way for the talkies and stars Jean Dujardin, one of France’s leading actors, who took the accolade of the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film, alongside Bérénice Bejo. The festival will run from 8 to 13 December 2011 with tickets priced at $10 each. A list of films to be shown as well as a synopsis of each film can be found at this page (click here). More information on the festival, ticketing and schedule can be found at the festival’s website www.rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.sg.

The Gala Opening of the Societe Private Banking 1st Rendezvous with French Cinema was held at the Cathay.

Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance with Ms Bouquet and the other members of the Artistic Delegation on stage at the opening of the Societe Private Banking 1st Rendezvous with French Cinema.

Mr Clermont-Tonnerre and the gorgeous Ms Bouquet.

Cobbler, Cobbler, Mend my Shoe

Sidewalk cobblers, a rare breed now in Singapore, can still be found if one looks hard enough. Once a common sight along sidewalks, five-foot-ways and back lanes, the age of disposables and trends has seen a falling demand for the trade. My mother frequently visited the sidewalk cobbler to have her shoes mended or resoled. I remember many of them around the sidewalks and footpaths around Raffles Place back in the 1970s and they did a roaring trade with a steady stream of customers – particularly ladies whose shoes needed a broken heel fixed – seated patiently on a stool, and feet in flip-flops the cobbler provided, as the cobbler did a quick fix. The sidewalk cobbler is one of the trades that the National Heritage Board (NHB) has brought back to bring life back to the footpaths in their Heritage along Footpaths project which was launched last weekend – you would be able to catch them in action again for one more weekend (10 and 11 Dec 2011) at two locations in the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct – the Stamford Arts Centre and the Singapore Art Museum, where you would be able to have a pair of shoes fixed at prices that we have not seen since the good old days.

The sidewalk cobbler, once a common feature in Singapore, has seen falling demand for his services in the age of disposables and are now more commonly found in other parts of South East Asia like this one in Kluang, Malaysia.

Tools of the trade - now seldom seen in Singapore.

Replaced by modern conveniences such as roll-on shoe polish and ...

... the tin of glue.

The sidewalk cobbler at NHB's Heritage along Footpaths where you can have your shoes fixed at 50 cents a pair

The sidewalk cobbler at work.

A close-up of the cobbler.

The customer might have been provided with a pair of flip-flops and a stool to sit on by a sidewalk cobbler as she waits for that quick shoe fix.

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About The Heritage Along Footpaths project:

The Heritage Along Footpaths project seeks to re-introduce trades that were once common at two designated sites within the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct – the Singapore Art Museum and Stamford Arts Centre (along the mural wall facing Middle Road). At each of the sites, tradesmen that were once commonly found along alleyways or five-foot ways – namely street barbers, cobblers, fortune tellers, ice-ball sellers and kachang puteh sellers – will ply their wares at prices of the past. Research conducted on these once-common trades will also be on display for the public to learn more about Singapore’s history and heritage.

Heritage Along Footpaths is part of the NHB’s initiative to inject greater vibrancy into the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct, an area rich in the arts and heritage. Said Mr Alvin Tan, Director, Heritage Institutions & Industry Development: “Through this project, NHB hopes to re-introduce once familiar street sights and businesses in the arts and cultural district and in doing so, re-acquaint Singaporeans with trades that were once an integral part of our community heritage. It also presents the perfect opportunity for younger Singaporeans to experience first-hand the early lives of their grandparents, and, in the process, reinforce bonding across the generations who share a common history and identity.”

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The five-foot-way barber

Once upon a time, in a Singapore we have long forgotten, you probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid seeing someone having his hair cut on the five-foot-way. These days, the five-foot-way, sidewalk, roadside or back alley barber, as he might be known as, is less of a common sight in a Singapore that has abandoned its previous life on the streets for the more comfortable air-conditioned premises we partake of most of our daily activities in. The sidewalk barber did made a reappearance at two locations last weekend in a part of Singapore that I will from my previous interactions always associate with that Singapore they were commonly found in. This was part of the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage along Footpaths initiative, which saw not just the once familiar sight of barber chairs and mirrors mounted on walls, but also the likes of cobblers, fortune-tellers and ice-ball vendors making an appearance along the five-foot-way.

Old style barbers - those along the sidewalks and in barbershops always started with the customary spray.

I myself have never had the experience of having my hair cut along a five-foot-way or in a back lane, my father preferring to take me to the more santised premises of the neighbourhood Indian barber shop with its mirror lined walls I loved to stare into and the unmistakable smell of talcum powder and hair oil. I certainly don’t remember prices that the NHB has set – 50 cents, for haircuts … remembering them to be $2 perhaps when I was able to make my own visits to the barber in the early 1970s. I do remember however that a neighbour of mine did frequent a five-foot-way barber in his old neighbourhood at Ah Hood Road at which he paid 70 cents for his monthly crop.

Closed cropped hairstyles were a standard of the sidewalk barbers.

I was never fond of the Indian barber – who on my father’s instructions never failed to give me a close-crop or a crew-cut and later in life when I could make my own choice, I preferred (as most of my peers did) to visit the Malay barber instead – one Bugs Bunny, in Toa Payoh opened at the start of the 1970s and is still right where it opened, with its decor not having changed in four decades. The Malay barbershop grew in popularity in the 1970s as they delivered crops that in line with the latest styles. Many of the popular Malay barbershops were as a matter of fact run by barbers that had come off the streets – one of the very successful chains – Sri Dewa was started by a certain Mr Ramadan bin Fahmi who had started his trade under a cherry tree in Thomson Road.

Barber chairs making a reappearance on the five-foot-way.

The barbers would be returning to the two locations this weekend (Sat 10 Dec 2011 and Sun 11 Dec 2011 – 10 am to 5 pm), the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and at the Stamford Arts Centre. Based on what a satisfied customer I met at the SAM said, be prepared for a queue which he said had already formed before the start of business at 10 am for a crop at prices which the gentlemen said “you can’t find in Singapore anymore”.

Tools of the trade being used - a comb and a pair of scissors.

Giving a shave - no longer used is a blade sharpened on a strap of leather but one with a disposable razor.

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About The Heritage Along Footpaths project:

The Heritage Along Footpaths project seeks to re-introduce trades that were once common at two designated sites within the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct – the Singapore Art Museum and Stamford Arts Centre (along the mural wall facing Middle Road). At each of the sites, tradesmen that were once commonly found along alleyways or five-foot ways – namely street barbers, cobblers, fortune tellers, ice-ball sellers and kachang puteh sellers – will ply their wares at prices of the past. Research conducted on these once-common trades will also be on display for the public to learn more about Singapore’s history and heritage.

Heritage Along Footpaths is part of the NHB’s initiative to inject greater vibrancy into the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct, an area rich in the arts and heritage. Said Mr Alvin Tan, Director, Heritage Institutions & Industry Development: “Through this project, NHB hopes to re-introduce once familiar street sights and businesses in the arts and cultural district and in doing so, re-acquaint Singaporeans with trades that were once an integral part of our community heritage. It also presents the perfect opportunity for younger Singaporeans to experience first-hand the early lives of their grandparents, and, in the process, reinforce bonding across the generations who share a common history and identity.”

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You’ve gotta love that Verve

Nothing beats having simple things done right, and that is just what a Pizza Bar in Marina Bay, which had its opening on 1 Dec 2011, attempts to do with its selection of pizzas, pastas and gelato. “Simple things done right” is a guiding principle that has found its way into the motto of Verve, the group that behind the Pizza Bar which is the latest addition to its family, as well as Pizzerias in Clarke Quay and One North, having started out at its original location in Gillman Village.

Gelato being served on opening night on 1 Dec 2011. An exquisite set of flavours of Verve's homemade gelato is on offer at the Pizza Bar on Marina Bay at $6 a scoop.

Mr Rob Coldman and partner Karen on opening night.

The band played on ....

Verve, the brainchild of Mr Rob Coldman, is very much inspired by passionate people behind simple but great products that people want, products that are without complication and fuss. This includes the likes of Enrico Piaggio, whose vision of developing a low-cost motorcycle for the masses in the 1940s resulted in the Vespa scooter – the simplicity of which endures to this very day.

Pizzas, gelato, tiramisù shots, cocktails and more was on offer at Verve Marina Bay's opening night on 1 Dec 2011.

My introduction to Verve, came by way of an invitation to an event at the Marina Bay City Gallery which culminated in a tasting session at the al fresco Pizza Bar – the setting of which was simple and almost unassuming. Comfortably seated, it was what came next that delighted me. First to be served were the cocktails and if not for the fact that I was driving, I would have had more than one of the refreshing Appletinis, made with fresh Granny Smith apples. The selection of starters Calamari with Garlic Cream and Potato Wedges with Chilli Crab dip were simply well fried, drained and utterly delicious especially the Chilli Crab dip that accompanied the wedges.

An Appletini - made with fresh Granny Smith apples.

Verve Pizza Bar at the Marina Bay City Gallery.

Calamari with Verve Garlic Cream.

Potato Wedges with Chilli Crab dip.

What I certainly enjoyed the most were the pizzas – authentic thin crust Italian style pizzas made with fresh dough and topped with a simple and well-balanced selection of toppings that gave the pizzas a clean and uncomplicated taste – just how I like my pizzas. Of the pizzas we were to taste, the Enzo bowled me over with its toppings of Peking duck with just the right amount of sauce, fresh Japanese cucumber and spring onions –the menu did hint that “You’ll come back for more!” and its something I certainly would go back for a lot more! The other pizzas on offer, the Altobello (Spicy Beef), Mancini (BBQ Chicken) and Capricciosa (Ham and Artichokes), were no less delicious, and if not for the unique experience of Peking duck on pizza the Capricciosa would have got my vote.

Pizza Capricciosa with Mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked.

Pizza Mancini - BBQ chicken with onions, cheese and peppers.

Pizza Enzo - Peking duck topped with fresh Japanese cucumber ... the menu suggests that "You'll come back for more!" - I certainly would!

There was also a treat at the end, a raid on the gelato bar. With a selection of Forrest Berries Sorbet, Decadent Chocolate, Lime Sorbet, Chocolate Baileys, Hazelnut, pistachio, Green Almond, Vanilla Cognac, Cookies and Cream – it was hard to make a choice. I finally settled on the Hazelnut – I somehow invariably fall for a nut flavoured gelato, something that I had no regrets about, savouring each mouthful of the soft creamy and nutty flavoured treat – something as well that I would most certainly be back again for more!

Too many choices at the gelato counter!

A selection of gelato.

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About Verve:

Verve was established with a short motto that has become the guiding principle to our business proposition. “Simple things done right”.

We’ve been inspired by passionate people who have set out to do the same. People who have provided simple but great products that people want, without complication and without fuss.

People like aeronautical designer, Enrico Piaggio who back in the 1940′s had a vision of a low-cost motorcycle for the masses.

Long before ergonomic studies had been recognised or fully understood, the riding position of the Vespa was designed by Enrico to let the rider sit upright with a clear view, comfortably and safely.

The motorbikes of the time he found to be uncomfortable and bulky, with wheels that were difficult to change after a puncture. Worse still, the drive chain made them dirty. However, his aeronautical experience secured the answer to every problem. To eliminate the chain he designed a vehicle with a stress-bearing body and direct mesh; he put the gear lever on the handlebar to make it easier to ride; to make tyre changing easier he removed the forks in favour of a supporting arm similar to an olio aircraft carriage. Finally, he designed a body that would protect the driver so that he would not get dirty or dishevelled.

In 1946 the first Vespa (Wasp in Italian) was born. It has become an enduring icon in it’s own right, and as transport for the masses is a perfect example of something simple, done right.

Classic images of Enrico’s work can be found at our new restaurant at One-North, off North Buona Vista Road.

Like Enrico’s Vespa, our aim is to continually improve.

http://verve.sg.

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The Ultimate Battle has begun …

Recruits are now being sought for a battle for the Universe which arrived at the shores of Singapore on 2 December 2011. The battle is one that pits the forces of good against that of evil, and what is at stake is a Universe that is ruled not by humans, but by humanoid robots that are able to transform into machines such as vehicles – a virtual one that many of us have had an introduction to as an a member of the audience in 3D on a cinema screen. We now have the opportunity not just to be armchair observers of that battle, but to actually get right into the thick of the action as the latest human recruits of NEST riding on EVAC, an AUTOBOT recruit who makes his debut as a character as it joins in on his first battle to help protect the ALLSPARK shard from the evil DECEPTICONS – on TRANSFORMERS The Ride which had its World Premiere at Universal Studios Singapore® on Friday.

The ride is located within Sci-Fi City, one of seven zones of Universal Studios Singapore.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle opens at Universal Studios Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa (image courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore).

TRANSFORMERS The Ride was launched at a Grand Opening party at Universal Studios Singapore on 2 Dec 2011.

The highly anticipated ride was powered up at a Grand Opening party, by TRANSFORMERS director and executive producer Michael Bay, who made a grand entrance on stage in a 2010 edition of the Chevrolet Camaro, with the ALLSPARK shard. Bay also served as what is Asia’s most technologically advanced motion thrill ride’s creative consultant. On stage with Bay, were Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of the Genting Group and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS); Mr Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, Mr Tan Hee Teck, CEO RWS; and Facebook fan contest winner Mr Malcom Chen.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro making its entrance.

Michael Bay making a grand entrance in a 2010 edition of the Chevrolet Camaro (image courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore).

Mr Michael Bay being introduced on stage as Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay and Mr Tom Williams looks on.

The ALLSPARK shard was inserted by Mr Michael Bay to power up the ride.

All guests to the party had an opportunity to experience the Ultimate 3D Battle, something that must be the ultimate experience for any fan of the TRANSFORMERS or for that matter anyone else seeking to have a four-minute adrenaline rush on the back of EVAC, a Stealth Transport Bot, who we are told is as agile and fast as they come. Going through the ride’s entrance, Guests are led through a Pre-show area resembling a NEST facility where the anticipation builds where Guest are introduced to the world of the AUTOBOTS and prepared for the ride with paraphernalia as well as instructions for the ride, including an ALLSPARK shard containment chamber, before arriving at the waiting area to board EVAC.

All guests to the party were able to have an experience on the Ultimate 3D Battle.

Guest are taken through a Pre-show area to the ride.

ALLSPARK containment in the Pre-show area.

TV monitors providing instructions to guest in the Pre-show area.

Battle glasses (3D glasses) for the Battle.

The waiting area before boarding EVAC.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride - EVAC ready to roll (image courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore).

On board EVAC, Guests are seated in three rows of four seats and secured in with a lap bar (personal belongings may be placed on the floor or in a net placed in front of the seated Guest). It is once EVAC is launched where the fun starts (of course!) as Guests are immersed in a fast pace, heart-pumping battle between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS – some which are seen spring right into your face (fans will be thrilled to come face-to-face with BUMBLEBEE and OPTIMUS PRIME), as EVAC accelerates, decelerates and reverses through subway tunnels, over roof-tops, across city streets, in between skyscrapers (even falling in between them) and even crashing into buildings which feels so real! Spectacular 3D effects that make the ride a truly awesome experience and a must-go. Chiefly responsible for these visual effects is Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) a division of Lucasfilm Ltd, which had digital artists working simultaneously out of their offices in California and Singapore. The project was also one that was worked on simultaneously with the most recent feature film TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon which was the 4th highest grossing global movie of all time. For me – it was certainly an amazing experience and one that I would certainly want to have many more experiences on – and if I may borrow from a phrase from a famous hero of many battles past, I came out of Sentosa and I shall return – just for what must certainly be the Ultimate 3D Battle!

TRANSFORMERS The Ride - BUMBLEBEE hands over the ALLSPARK.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride - OPTIMUS PRIME battles MEGATRON (image courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore).

Bumblebee guards the entrance to the ride.

EVAC who makes his debut as a character on the ride.

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About TRANSFORMERS The Ride:

TRANSFORMERS The Ride is located within Sci-Fi City – one of the seven zones of Universal Studios Singapore. The attraction is enhanced both by a TRANSFORMERS retail store, the TRANSFORMERS Supply Vault, and a new food/beverage venue, the Starbot Café. In addition, theme park guests will be welcomed to TRANSFORMERS The Ride by a walking OPTIMUS PRIME character who measures a whopping 2.9 metres in height, a 2.3 metre tall walking BUMBLEBEE character, providing great photo opportunities for the family.

A special 3D2N Ultimate Fun package for TRANSFORMERS The Ride has been rolled out through the Resorts World Sentosa website and authorised travel agents, which includes complimentary TRANSFORMERS The Ride souvenirs.

Guests planning to visit Universal Studios Singapore and take part in the ultimate 3D battle at TRANSFORMERS The Ride this holiday season are encouraged to make prior reservations as quickly as possible through the Resorts World Sentosa website at www.rwsentosa.com.

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TRANSFORMERS and its logo and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 DreamWorks L.L.C. and Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Universal Studios Singapore® & © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

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