RWS Invites Durian Fest 2012

While surfing Facebook a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a RWS (Resorts World Sentosa) photo caption contest. Without much thought, I typed in 3 phrases as my photo caption entry, without any hopes of winning or whatsoever.

A few days later, I was just catching up on my Facebook feed and suddenly, I saw my name on RWS status:" Congratulations GRACE MAGDALENE LEONG - We love your caption! Watch out for our PM:) "

Ecstatic that it is the first photo caption contest which I've participated and won, I shared the link on my Facebook wall, before jumping about in my room while exclaiming a loud WOOHOO!

Durians - many seeds, one mouth, countless satisfaction

2 days later, I received a private Facebook message from RWS, informing me of my prize - a pair of complimentary tickets to their upcoming Durian Fest!

For a durian fanatic like the BF and I, these tickets are truly a god-sent gift! You should have seen our faces as we daydream about the endless assorted durians which we were about to have.

On the day of the Durian Fest, we arrived at Hard Rock Hotel earlier because we feared that there might be a queue. On the contrary, it was a very efficient and fast registration process, and we quickly found ourselves in the colosseum of durians - literally.

We were then ushered to our seats, which was thankfully, near the chiller fans. Needless to say, we had a very airy and breezy experience despite being in an outdoor environment.

As we walked to our seats, we passed by rows of old-school tables and chairs, with dried leaves and twigs on the floor. Well done RWS, for putting so much thought and creativity in re-creating the nostalgic and familiar setting of eating durians by the roadside (or along the street).

Once seated, I was immediately impressed by the impeccable service by RWS. A staff came up to us and offered us free flow of water and sugar cane juice. Then, another staff came and ask us what type of durians do we want to eat.

After submitting our order, the same staff came to us with a durian with his hands, pry-ed open the durian, before leaving our table. SERIOUSLY! The whole experience was so enjoyable and we literally felt so privileged and shiok.

I'm not so sure what counts as a lot of durians, but we basically had 5 durians to ourselves - 猫山王，D24, D101, 红虾 x2. Like that's not enough, we had a fair share of indulgences on their free flow Rambutans, Jackfruit, Mangosteen, and Balaku Fruit.

Though the durian fest lasted 2 hours, we were replete with the durians and fruits by 9:45pm. So the rest of the time, we just sat there, enjoying the nice breeze and hoping that our digestive systems would work faster.

All in all, it was truly an enjoyable and memorable experience - one which made me impressed and sated. The BF was likewise, impressed, and wanted to join their RWS Invites - a programme that puts you on the guest list to experiences that once were the purview of only a few. So for events like the Durian Fest, a member of RWS Invites would only have to pay $48, while a non-member has to pay $60. Quite a good deal I must say, considering the other benefits, deals, promotions and events.

Looks like I'll be heading down to Resorts World Sentosa more frequently than I thought. :)


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An Oscar Night

It's been some time since I've joined my current company, and everything is so far so good.

Yes, there are more reports to submit, more events to run, more KPIs to meet and more work to do. But it has been manageable, thankfully.

Then out of the blue, I'm given the task to organize the company's dinner & dance, which completely threw me off my feet. Panic ensued, as my mind raced with the following questions:

"Why me?"
"Organizing an event for the company, of which I'm not close with the colleagues out of department?"
"What are their expectations for the D&D"
"How do I even get started!?"

*hyperventilates*

Fortunately, with the help and guidance of my department colleagues, the D&D was made possible!

The location of our D&D was held at Hotel Intercontinental, The Bugis Vault. Apart from the pricing, we chose this place because of its grungy decors, which is different from the usual ballroom setting.

Our department's photo! Can you guess the characters that we are dressed up as?

Here's another department, which came together as a group of Wallys. Kudos for team effort, and trying to confuse us!

We also had Princess Leah and Storm Tropper in da house!

A quick glance at the vault with a touch of glamor. Loving the gold star balloons and red carpet!

After an opening speech by the emcees, boss, and buffet dinner, the night turned into a rowdy time of fun and games.

Whether I did a good job or not, I do not know. All I know was that laughter filled the air, the food was good (as claimed by most, there was more than enough alcohol, and everyone was enjoying the photo-booth that we rented.

Ok that sounds like some success. Phew!


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Kruzer: 6th Anniversary

7th January 2011 marks a special day for Kruzer this year. It's a day where Kruzers celebrate the club's existence and the years of riding together as friends.

So in celebration of Kruzer's 6th anniversary, Kruzers gathere at Petals & Leaves Bistro, Garden Asia for a celebratory dinnner.

Petals & Leaves Bistro

240 Neo Tiew Cresent Singapore 718898
Tel: 65 6898 9111
Fax: 65 6793 651

1

Since Petals & Leaves Bistro was located in a secluded part of North West Singapore, it took me quite some time to figure out the roads.

Fortunately, I managed to arrive without getting lost. PHEW! Upon arrival, I registered for dear and I at the Kruzer booth as shown above.

Soon, it was dusk, followed by twilight. Clusters of people started arriving and one by one, cluster by cluster, we made our way to the dining area for our dinner.

First up that was served was our appetizer, which was either Soup or Salad. Since I've never been a salad person, I chose the Soup which was Cream of Mushroom or Mushroom Soup (Wait - Are they the same thing?!). To be honest, I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the Soup. Comparing with Scotts Restaurant and Lawry's Prime Ribs, this Soup pales in comparison. Ack!

Next up was our Main Course, which took pretty long to be served. Any how, I had the Pan Seared Salmon, which I thought was just ok. Nothing spectacular. In fact, I've tasted much better Salmon by the president of Kruzer himself!

Dear ordered the Mahi Mahi Fish for his main course and when his food finally arrived, the look of disappointment just smeared all over his face because the portions were pretty small for him.

It was a shame that I didn't get to try his Fish. But I thought it smelt funny though.

Regardless of how good or how bad the food is, I guess it's being in the presence of each other's company that matters. RIGHT?

After dinner, dessert, and our beverages (Tea / Coffee) were served, we were then ushered back at the Kruzer booth where were greeted with little cake that were litted with a candle each. Behind each cake was also a cute Kruzer cardboard that states "Happy 6th Anniversary". NICE!

So after we've blown the candles, had our cake, Isaac - the president of Kruzer gave a speech. After which, we had a Lucky Draw before we left for home.

What a night of feasting and fun! It sure was memorable for me, and I believe for dear as well. Thank you Kruzer, for all the trips and events in the past year(s). We certainly look forward for what's in store this year, and the years to come!

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New Year, New Journey

I guess nothing beats starting the new year with some love, joy, bliss, and happiness.

Such is true for the Alex and Dorena's wedding, which was held on 01 January 2011, at 11:00AM, at Megu Event Hall, Singapore Flyer.

And like how we a good year would end well with a good ending, I believe that a good year would begin well with a good start - a wedding!

So to the newly wedded couple, I sincerely wish you happiness, joy, and peace. May the love grow strong as you both start embark on this journey hand in hand.

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Kruzer: Kristmas 2010

With Christmas being a week away, Kruzers decided to have a pre-christmas celebration at Monsta Cafe.

No there were no Turkey, Nougat, and Christmas Cookies. But the Christmas cheer was still evident and strong as we laughed and talked while we ate our dinners/suppers.

It was a night full of joy and fun. And though I was cold from the night breeze and rainy weather, it was warm and fuzzy deep in my heart.

Oh I am so loving Christmas!

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A Night In The Netherworld

Halloween has never been a big thing for both dear and I. But this year, we had the chance to experience the halloween fun and spooks because we had EXCLUSIVE tickets to Universal's Studio Halloween Event - A Night In the Netherworld!

Though the event commenced at 8pm, dear and I arrived earlier to settle down, get the tickets, meet my uncle and his girlfriend, and see if we could beat the crowd. After all, the early bird always gets the worm right?

However, we were dismayed because minutes before 8pm, a long queue was already formed in front of the Universal Studios main entrance. So we joined the queue and waited for the gates to be opened.

When we finally entered in, we were greeted with shrieks, evil laughter, and spooky music that was played from their speakers. The place was dark, with very little light. I was scared and uncertain of what I should expect.

But generally, the crowd was still pretty jovial, and were especially warm towards the Universal Studios staff who were seen giving out free refreshments to us. Well, if you had to ask, it was nothing much; just some Spring rolls, Cotton Candy and Popcorn.

As our tickets each came with two redeemable coupons: One for a free meal and the other for a souvenir bottler with drinks, we decided to redeem our free bottles first. After which, we decided to explore the area, starting with Madagascar world first (see map below).

However, we were quickly disappointed because all the sections were closed, except the Hollywood and New York Section! Pfffttttt! What a bummer! I thought we could roam around the whole park to see it in its Halloween atmosphere!

Well, we then walked the other way towards New York Section, where we could clearly see that Halloween Event taking place.

Approaching closer to the gates which is the entrance of the New York Section, we could see actors in ugly masks and costumes ready to scare anyone who walks past. But the 'scary monster' above wasn't that scary, so I was able to take a photo of him with flash instead of running away in shrieks of scream. That was when the staff who accompanied the 'scary monster' advised that flash photography is prohibited. What the heck!

Entering into the New York section, we were quickly welcomed with more 'monsters' who were even scarier and intimidating! Worse still, these monsters can sense your fear, and will taunt you more if you start shunning away!

But dear was brave. And I had my arm locked with his arm, as I discreetly and smoothly shunned away from the monsters because of dear's lack of fear. So anyway, New York section was decorated was totally transformed for the event. Red lights, smokes, evil laughters from speakers, scary monsters, it was as if I was walking through some ghost town!

About half an hour later, the stage lit up and the emcee (as above) started the program. He gave some nasty evil speech and then, introduced more spooky 'monsters' as these 'monsters' walked out from the backstage, jumped off the stage, and started scaring the audience! I was hiding behind dear all the while as he stood there - unshaken and unafraid. Now that's my man!

It didn't take long before we started getting bored. So we sat on the streets of New York and ate our popcorn. After which, we explored the section the second time, and realized that we've missed out their SCARY ZONE.

So we queued for 20 minutes or so, and then walked down the dark alley which leads to the Scary Zone. There, the people ahead were screaming and I got really scared as the 'monsters' started popping out and SCARING YOU IN THE FACE! Some even use real life props such as knife, saw etc. But dear was brave, he could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the 'monsters' and just as they wanted to scare us, he scared them back.

I would think he was trying to protect me, or that he was a brave man. But I guess his just thought it would be funny to scare the 'monsters' before they scared us.

Anyhow, we survived the Scary Zone and proceeded to one of the restaurants to redeem our free meal. There, we chose to eat outside the restaurant, where we could see the stage performance while we ate.

Honestly, apart from the Scare Zone, "Cemetery" - a place where for photo taking, Rock Concert, and random "monsters" scaring you, there wasn't much for the event. Dear and I expected more, seriously.

But well, we still stayed all the way until the end of the event, which was about 11pm. We then decided to have a look see around Resorts World and take some goofy pictures.

All in all, I still don't get why people celebrate Halloween. I'm not one who likes to be scared and events like this cause me to be on my toes for the whole night. Thank goodness dear was with me, else I would have left within the hour!

In any case, I think there is room for improvement if Universal Studios Singapore is thinking of doing this next year. And if they do so, I still think I'd prefer to chill out with dear at somewhere that has plenty of light, air-con, and perhaps a frappe with some chips.

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Batu Pahat 2010 (Day 2)

The very next day, we awoke from our slumber for a local breakfast cuisine at Crystal Inn Cafe.

I was actually pretty upset that their refill rate was a tad slow, leaving dear and I with not much food to fill our tummies.

After which, we headed up to Muar to buy some Otah back to Singapore. Dear was no exception, and bought back some food for his family.

Lunch was next up in our itinerary and we proceeded to Tangkat Restaurant. There, we had yet another satiating lunch consisting of fish, prawns, chicken, pork, and soup.

Last but not least, we settled for some post lunch dessert - DURIANS! You should see the smile on everyone's face when the durians were served.

Unfortunately I had bad cramps the whole day and didn't eat much for lunch as well durians.

Oh well, I had a good time nonetheless. :)

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Batu Pahat 2010 (Day 1)

Last year, a group of our church members headed to Batu Pahat over the National Day Weekened for our Combined Mens' and Ladies' Fellowship.

This year was no exception, as dear and I joined my folks and other church members to Batu Pahat. However, we didn't ride like last year. Instead, we joined the rest who are carpooling to Batu Pahat.

We arrived at our hotel - Crystal Inn in Batu Pahat at about 4 plus, and headed to the Old Shopping Centre located behind the hotel after checking into our rooms.

At about 6:30PM, we assembled at Grand Seaview Restaurant that's located opposite our hotel for dinner.

Dinner was generally tasty and sumptuous, and all of us especially enjoyed the dessert: Corn Ice Cream with Chendol. As dear puts it, it was a good mix as the typical chendol uses coconut milk, but the above dish makes use of the ice cream to provide the same milky sweet taste.

Though dinner ended at almost 9PM, we continued for supper at a nearby food centre and had Stingray, Cuttlefish, and Oyster Omelette. Ha ha! Shopping and Eating are indeed the typical past times of any singaporean!

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Happy Twenty Ten

Happy 2010 everyone! :)

Not sure how each of you celebrate your News Year Eve, but for me, I have always countdown in church, followed by some late night activity, before reaching home in the wee mornings and plonking onto my bed in deep slumber.

This year however, there was no countdown service in church. Instead, we ushered in the new year by having a Sunrise Service at 6:30am. It was symbolic, because through the Sunrise Service, we sought God for His plans and His will for our lives and our church in this new year.

At 6:30am, we arrived at Science Centre. The sky was still dark and the streets were quiet.

We started off with a short time of Praise and Worship, followed be some Testimonials. Both young and old testified about the goodness of God, His providence, His sustenance, His grace, His mercies etc. Indeed, God has been faithful.

Pastor then gave a short word of exaltation and encouragement, and shared about the theme of the church in this quarter.

After which, we prayed for one another, for our lives, and for the church.

When the Sunrise Service was over, it was breakfast time, and the church provided us with a free Mcdonalds Meal. But before dear and I headed to Mcdonalds, we took a quick shot of our couple T-shirt that was given by our bosses.

After breakfast, Dear and I popped down Weston's and Christine's place so that dear can help to fix up some computer issue. That was when I met Bella - Weston's and Christine's third bulldog, for the first time.

As usual, I took many pictures of her. Isn't she just adorable?

Anyhow, though I was tired from the lack of sleep the night before, I am glad to be able to make it for the Sunrise Service and visit the Woo family as well.

Nonetheless, I hope you guys have had a great New Year Eve and New Years Day. As for the rest of 2010, I am pretty sure it is going to zoom past us in a flash.

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Shokudo Food Bazaar

Had an opportunity to attend my company's dinner which was held at Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar.

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road #B1-44E
Singapore 179103
(65) 6837 3793

Unlike the typical Japanese Restaurant like Sakae Sushi or Sushi Tei, Shokudo's concept is similar to Marche, where there are several food stalls with various kinds of japanese dishes for you to choose from. And each time you order a dish, the price of the item will be recorded in the Shokudo card that will be given to you upon entry.

Since I'm not into the raw stuff, the first dish I ordered was an Ungai Hotplate. Honestly, it wasn't fantastic because the taste of the unagi was a tad too "fishy".

Dear ordered some stir-fried vegetables i.e with asparagus, mushrooms, beansprouts etc. It was surprisingly quite a tasty appetizer.

For the main course, dear ordered a Fish Fillet with egg and rice. I tried some, and it was delicious!

He also ordered another dish to share amongst ourselves - Omelette with shrimps. Wait. was it shrimps or seafood. Argh heck! It was the best dish nonetheless, and I highly recommend it!

For my main order, I had Beef Bacon Cheese Burger. As you can see below, the portion is humongous! But man, the beef patty was thick and puffy, coated with cheese, and tasted heavenly when eaten with the bacon. I guess it is more those with appetites of a T-Rex.

My boss ordered some fresh and raw food which I didn't know how to fancy. Truly, this is for those who would enjoy an acquired taste.

Last but not least, we ended the dinner with dessert, and I had a scoop of Chocolate Ice-cream. On the surface, it looks like any other regular Ice-cream. However, it does taste a bit different, and I can't seem to express it out. So you guys just have to try it yourself!

After dinner, we decided to chill somewhere nice and cosy. So we crossed the street and landed up in Raffles Hotel. Honestly, I've never been there before, and I was pretty amazed by the british colonial pillars and outlook.

So we sat at a cosy corner outside the cafe, chatting, laughing, teasing each other and sipping our drinks.

Though dear and I were the youngest amongst the adults, it was nice to mingle around them as they were seriously a fun and cool lot of people.

Ha! What a day of sumptuous food and endless chatter! :D

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