Pineapple Honey Dew Enzymes Drink – 1 week later!

829 days ago

Guys, it has been 1 week since I started on the Pineapple Honey Enzymes drink. Everyday I would shake the fermentation jar and try to mix the fruit pieces and the...

Guys, it has been 1 week since I started on the Pineapple Honey Enzymes drink. Everyday I would shake the fermentation jar and try to mix the fruit pieces and the resulting liquid so that no mold would form on the fruits. I guess the reason is that the liquid will prevent the formation of mold on the surface. Make sense. But I wonder why are we worried about mold in such an environment? More likely the problem would be bad bacteria and those acetobacter bacteria. The problem with my last batch of enzymes drink, I thought had a full blown (white) mold problem. But I now believe that it isn’t mold at all but yeast! Beer brewers will face the same thing when they start their brew – there will be a sudden increase in the amount of yeast (which can grow at the surface of the wort) and it looks exactly like what I have seen in the fermentation container for my enzymes drink. Of course, I could be wrong.

Above is a picture of the beer wort after a few hours with the yeast added. This is what the initial growth of yeast looks like when brewing beer. It is when the yeast grows tremendously at the beginning when it adjusts themselves to the environment depending on the amount of food, oxygen, nutrients and so on. Those brown stuff are remains of barley malt, sugar and hop oils.

Anyway, this is what my Pineapple and Honey Dew Enzymes drink look like after 1 week.

Yes, bubbles forming! They are all trapped between the fruit pieces. Give them a little shake and the bubbles will escape. Carbon Dioxide is one of the by-products of the good bacteria eating the sugars in the fruit-sugar mixture. And this is definitely a good sign. It means that the bacteria is doing work and making this drink probiotic. We all know how important it is to consume probiotic supplements right? Well, this one is even cheaper and tastier. Furthermore, it comes with live enzymes!  (Oh, did I mention that it is easy to do as well?) So, go ahead and make yourself some enzymes drink!

Ahhh….the liquid we call Enzymes Drink. Malaysians seem to love them a lot. Singaporeans are just too tired to bother. Don’t you just love living in such a hectic society? Anyway, this time I had used white rock sugar instead of those brownish ones. And it looks exacttly like pineapple juice. No more complains that it looks horrible from my colleagues anymore! I have used way more pineapples than honey dew, so I expect the taste to be more “pineapple” than honey dew. The Honey Dew I used isn’t that great as compared to the pineapple. The pineapple however was very sweet and aromatic.

Anyway, I have added a little too much sugar to the mixture this time. If I am not wrong, I added 500g of rock sugar to this relatively small batch. In the beginning, there was this thick layer of syrupy sugar settling at the bottom of the container. Took me a few days of constantly shaking the bottle to get it dissolved into the liquid. Well, lesson learned – don’t add too much sugar. But it can actually be a good thing because the sugar acts as a kind of preservative.

Golden Churn Australian Pure Creamery Butter

833 days ago

Ate finish my last block of butter, so I went ahead and bought another. It is kind of sad to see that most Singaporeans are afraid of butter, believing that it...

Ate finish my last block of butter, so I went ahead and bought another. It is kind of sad to see that most Singaporeans are afraid of butter, believing that it makes them fat. But seriously, comparing to Margarine which is full of hydrogenated vegetable oil (aka trans-fat), it is loads better. And there are reports that claims that consuming good quality butter can be good for your heart and it is full of vitamins and other nutrients. Furthermore, butter tastes great! What I normally do is to cut a piece of butter and eat it plain. Some people find it a bit too oily to be eaten straight. If so, I would suggest the simple solution of dissolving it on your spoon. This way, you get some sort of a oil which is easy to swallow. Of course, you can spread it on toasted bread as well. That is what most people do anyway. I remember when I was young, every morning I would drink my hot Milo drink (chocolate drink) along with a piece of butter! And during those times, butter was cheap, very cheap. Now? No way!

Here you have the Golden Churn Australian Pure Creamery Butter. And yes, it is halal certified. 250g of salted butter. Anyway, it is not really that salty.

Product of Australia! Don’t be surprised. What gave it away? And yes, you will need to keep the butter refrigerated.

Use by 19th Jab 2011. Butter sure can last long. I guess it is due to the concentrated amount of fats in butter that makes it difficult for bacteria to breakdown butter. Butter probably was created by the result of attempting to preserve milk, just like yogurt centuries ago.

Short ingredients list means good – pasteurised cream and salt. No, I doubt that you would be able to find raw butter (butter made from raw milk and unprocessed) in Singapore. So you have to go for the second best which is those butter made from pasteurised cream. You can actually make your own butter by “whipping” cream till it forms a thick mess. Washing away the remaining liquid and you will get butter. Cool right?

Pineapple Honey Dew Enzymes Drink

835 days ago

All humans are naturally lazy. And to prove that I am human, I decided to make myself an enzymes drink without all the hassle of cutting the fruits. Yes, I went...

All humans are naturally lazy. And to prove that I am human, I decided to make myself an enzymes drink without all the hassle of cutting the fruits. Yes, I went to the supermarket and got myself pre-cut fruits! Smart right? Why spend hours cutting fruits (and getting cut by the knife) when you can  get others to cut the fruits for you? Of course I will have some do some cutting myself since the pre-cut fruits are just a little too big to fit into my fermentation container, but most of the work is done by someone else. Life is good when you have nearby supermarkets which knows what you want (and charges you an arm for it). For me, it is either Shop N Save or Sheng Siong. I chose Sheng Siong this time because they are supposed to be cheaper when it comes to fresh produce.

Anyway, I visited Sheng Siong and got myself some Honey Dew and Pineapples. The Honey Dew looks decent and the Pineapples looks surprisingly golden and delicious. And it smells wonderful as well. I got some white rock sugar.This is probably just plain old table sugar which have been crystallize and comes with big(ger) chunks. The total cost of the ingredients is S$5.80. Okay lah. I guess this will produce about 500 to 600ml of healthy probiotic Enzymes Drink. If you have no idea what Enzymes Drinks are all about, let me enlighten you. It is a fruit based drink, in which like yogurt, have been fermented by good bacteria when mixed with sugar to produce a “sour” product. If I am not wrong, it is the lactic acid produced by the bacteria that is causing the tartness of the drink. However, most people will stop the fermentation before it becomes tart so that the drink will be more palatable. The remaining sugar does make the drink taste a little nicer at the end.

Ahhh….the pre-cut fruits! What I have here is the Honey Dew and Pineapples. Oh, that is the white rock sugar on the left. I have no illusions that someone took the effort to cut the fruits for me as fruits do not magically get cut into pieces by themselves. My thanks for your hard work.

The Honey Dew. They call it China Hami Melon. That is 2 bucks for a small piece of melon!

Malaysia Honey Pineapple. Check out how ripe this is! You can smell the aroma of the pineapple even without opening the wrapping. Nice. Oh, that is S$1.50. Yes, in Singapore, everything is that expensive!

Ahhh….white crystal sugar! Packed for Golden Champ Pte Ltd! Wuhahahaha! Golden Champ.

The back.

Yes, made in China. I mean, what isn’t nowadays? The ingredients are cane sugar and water. Basically sucrose.  The reason why I chose this is because it will not impact any colour to the drink. I would like it to be as close to the colour of the fruits as possible. The brown sugar and the brown candy both makes the colour of the enzymes drink a bit ugly, which can be a little turn-off to my family members. So not much of a choice here.

Hmmm…..wow, 15% of the daily recommended intake of iron for just 28g of said sugar. Interesting. I didn’t know processed sugar has iron in it.

The photo I took after I packed everything. Basically I cut up the fruits further (I am not that lazy) and pack them one layer after another with some of the rock sugar. Once I finish the fruits and sugar layers, I top it up with more sugar. It is important to have a slightly thicker layer of sugar at the top. The purpose of the sugar is to “draw” out the fruit juice from the fruits and it is not effective if they are all at the bottom.

Looks nice right? Yes, I know, I should make some more effort to cut the fruits into smaller pieces, but as I said, I am human. And I hate knives.

Another photo. The mix of honey dew, pineapple and rock sugar really looks quite nice.

Okay, I have come to the end of the review. I will update you guys again in 2 weeks time. However, I think that this time I might have a serious problem – too much sugar. I poured the entire 400g of sugar into the fermentation bottle. Perhaps this means that I will have to ferment it longer than 2 weeks?

Some China Brand Jasmine Tea

836 days ago

My mandarin, I gave back to my teacher years ago. So sorry, I have no idea what the brand of this Jasmine Green Tea is. You can find this brand at...

My mandarin, I gave back to my teacher years ago. So sorry, I have no idea what the brand of this Jasmine Green Tea is. You can find this brand at Sheng Siong but I don’t think you can find them in other stores. I tried searching at NTUC and Shop N Save, they don’t carry it. The reason why I am mentioning this is because this brand is pretty cheap. It cost about S$2.60 per 150g of Jasmin Green Tea. Furthermore, this is loose tea, unlike tea bags which usually contains tea dust (which are the lowest possible grade of tea). And it taste decent as well. Not the best or the most delicate of teas, but decent enough to be called a real tea.  Of course, I don’t need to remind you guys of the power of green tea in regards to conferring a number of health benefits to the person who drinks it regularly. It helps to fight off free radicals, helps lower cholesterol levels and have antiviral, anticancer and antioxidants properties. I try to drink unsweetened green tea everyday. You should too. It is not like green tea (even in Singapore) is expensive. You don’t need those fancy Starbucks tea, just those regular old tea will do fine.

The 150g pack of Jasmine Green Tea. Unlike those “scented” green tea, this is just a mix of green tea and Jasmine flowers.  If you remember previously, I bought the Jasmine Pearl Dragon Green tea which are scented with Jasmine and then dried.

Check it out – the White Jasmine flower.

Some mandarin and Japanese words. As I said before, I can only read a few of the words. I believe they are telling you the steps to having one very delicious Jasmine Green Tea beverage which you can enjoy. I always enjoy a nice cup of green tea every morning just before I start work – it makes everything seems so relaxing.

150g Jasmine Tea in an aluminum bag.

Yes, just green tea and jasmine flowers. Doesn’t look at all attractive right? Don’t worry, you just need to put them in a cup and add some hot water. 5 minutes later, you will get some nice smelling tea. But I would caution against drinking green tea which is too hot, so you should let it cool down first before drinking it. I know a lot of people who loves to drink their tea pipping hot. Do note that there are reports that suggest that eating or drinking hot stuff will increase the chances of throat cancer.

Nature Quest Himalayan Rock Salt

837 days ago

You may be wondering what is the purpose of me buying this rock salt. Well, I might be attempting to make myself some fermented vegetables using the centuries old recipes of...

You may be wondering what is the purpose of me buying this rock salt. Well, I might be attempting to make myself some fermented vegetables using the centuries old recipes of mixing vegetables and salt and letting them ferment for weeks. Think of it as Enzymes Drinks but instead of using sugar, you use salt. I know, everyone is so scared of salt due to some of its effects on our blood. But unless you are planning to drink the resulting brine, it should not be that bad. The purpose of the salt is actually to create a hostile environment for other organisms so that the lacto-bacteria appearing naturally on the vegetables will be able to grow and flourish. Once these bacteria are properly setup, they will turn those vegetables into something like a pickle. But from what I read, they will taste loads better than those commercial ones. And yes, you get to be able to experiment with different kinds of vegetables and herbs (and even fruits!) and make your very own pickled vegetables. The most fun part is getting the right combination of vegetables and herbs to make the best tasting pickle.

Anyway, this Nature Quest Himalayan Rock Salt is actually pretty common in our local supermarkets. Sheng Siong, NTUC, Shop N Save and Giant all carry this brand of salt. Some of them are found in the health section but usually they are mixed in with the regular salt/spice section. And it is S$2.80 per 500g. Not cheap at all. But cheaper than those French (or Celtic) Sea Salt. Those are priced about S$5.50 per 500g. It really surprises me how expensive all these commonly available foodstuff are.

Yes, it is pinkish! It is not only the wrapping that is pink but the salt itself. Amazing, what makes the Himalayan Rock Salt pink? Is it the trace elements in the salt?

Wow, all natural. Contains essential trace minerals. They are also chemical free as well as pollutant free. Furthermore, there is no added free flowing agent. The mines where this salt comes from is in Pakistan. Oh, it is ideal for cooking!

The back of the Nature Quest Himalayan Rock Salt pack.

Okay, soaking vegetables in rock salt solution is recommended to draw out possible insects. This I don’t get. Won’t using normal water in the soak do the same thing? And adding rock salt in the bath can help draw out toxins and to remineralise the body, soothe aches, as well as to soften the skin. I know a lot of ladies would be interested to try this out. It is just too bad that most Singaporean households do not have a soaking bath. Our flats are so small, we only have space for a standing bath.

Nature Quest’s Himalayan Rock Salt, also known as “Saindhav” salt, is mined from the ancient salt deposits formed over millions of years on the mountains of the Himalaya. Shielded from impurities and pollutants, it is the purest form of salt known to man. Naturally, it contains multiple trace minerals that give the brand its unique properties and flavour. Nature Quest’s Himalayan Rock Salt is a natural product that is selected with great care for your cooking delight. Hmmm…..interesting. I guess we have been consuming so much refined salt that our bodies are lacking in trace minerals that can be found in such products.

Nature Quest’s Himalayan Rock Salt is a natural product. Hence, colour, texture and nutritional analysis of the product may vary from pack to pack. That will always be true. If we get conformity in taste and texture (like our favourite McDonalds’ burgers), then we know it have been heavily processed.

Yes, it contains magnesium, calcium, iron, copper and manganese. All trace minerals which are important to our health. Refined salt do not contain these. By the way, 4g of salt is heck of a lot of salt!

Hmmm…the regular table salt that most people consume comprises of mainly sodium chloride and not the original natural salt. Normal table salt is “chemically cleaned” aka processed and in some instances, its chemical structure have been changed through high heating processes as hot as 645 degrees Celsius. The common salt has only two chemical elements while Himalayan rock salt has other essential trace minerals which are required by our bodies. Start using Nature Quest’s Himalayan Rock Salt for seasoning your food, reliving tired foot, creating brine bath and body scrubs.

Okay, I have reached the end of the review. Nothing interesting as of yet. But once I start making my very own fermented vegetables, I will post pictures of it. Ciao for now!

The Great Toa Payoh Central Walkabout (Part 4)

841 days ago

This will be the final part, I swear! I am betting that this is getting  a bit dull for you guys. Well, just endure for the last time as this will...

This will be the final part, I swear! I am betting that this is getting  a bit dull for you guys. Well, just endure for the last time as this will be the last part of the Toa Payoh Central Walkabout pictorial. Anyway, I have run out of photos as well. But it was fun, isn’t it? Going around and taking photos of buildings, people, stuff is actually kind of fun. No wonder photography is such a popular hobby. Oh, I know, my photography skill sucks and the camera I am using is not those professional kind.  If I am not wrong, it is the Fujifilm FinePix A280 digital camera. I was told that this camera is for kids and not professionals. Well, beggars cannot be choosers right?

Okay, we now continue with the great Toa Payoh Central Walkabout. As you guys might know, it is simply a pictorial of Toa Payoh Central. I will walk around the central area snapping photos of buildings and people and getting stares from others thinking who is this crazy fellow walking about taking photos. I say let them guess.

Litter everywhere. Not bad lah. You should see what happens after those Pasar Malams stalls move off – you would think that the place is a rubbish dump! This type of litter still acceptable. Anyway, this stretch of walkway is choke full of shops selling mobile phones, electronic gadgets, clocks and watches.

Singaporeans love leaving their tissues and garbage bags all over the place.

Want some OldTown White Coffee? I never had the pleasure of sipping coffee at this place. Perhaps one day I might try it. It seems to be a rather popular hangout in the afternoons. And what is white coffee?

Toa Payoh still have many of these old school shophouses. Although they might not be as modern as those shopping malls, they have still some of the olden day charms. But they do get very warm in the afternoons. Something which a lot of Singaporeans don’t appreciate. That is why we all hide at the air-conditioned shopping malls.

Another view.

Some shops underneath the block of flats. Oh, yes, that is a 7-eleven convenience store – it’s a store and more!

Toa Payoh Central Community Building. Not sure what is their purpose though.

Yet again, this is 600 Toa Payoh. At the first floor, we have McDonalds. That is where I have my breakfast. And there is currently a promotion – free coffee for every breakfast order. So if you order Egg McMuffin, you get a free coffee.

This is an interesting photo. Nowadays, cleaners use blowers to blow away leaves. But don’t complain, it is still tough work. Imagine spending the entire day under the hot sun clearing away other people’s rubbish. If only Singaporeans were more civic-minded, we won’t need so many cleaners and sweepers in Singapore.

Ahhhh…..later in the morning, the stalls are all open. This is just in front of the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange. The crowd will arrive very very soon as Singaporeans come out to enjoy their favourite past-time – shopping!

More photos of the same thing. All S$10 only! It seems to me that every stall or shop in Singapore is having some sort of ridiculous offers regularly. But then prices keep on increasing. Boggles the mind doesn’t it?

Ahhh….got people sitting down relaxing like me. Misery loves company.

Oh, this is the Toa Payoh Vista Market. This used to be a very popular market for Toa Payoh Residents. I remember coming to this market (not too sure what was the old name) to buy food, clothing, see doctor, go for tuition, buy textbooks and so on. This place is like a open-air mega mall previously.The crowds were terrible at the weekends.  However, nowadays with shopping malls appearing everywhere, I guess the crowd here has reduced tremendously. Well, out with the old and in with the new. Although this not always mean it is for the better.

Okay guys, I have come to the end of this little walkabout. Hope you guys have enjoyed the pictorial. Toa Payoh Central is a very interesting place to visit. If you have the time, just relax and have a little walkabout at Toa Payoh central and soak up the atmosphere.

Motorcycle Gang Underneath My Block Of Flats

842 days ago

I believe somebody living in my area must have pissed them off and they are here to take revenge. Who is stupid enough to go and piss off a motorcycle gang?...

I believe somebody living in my area must have pissed them off and they are here to take revenge. Who is stupid enough to go and piss off a motorcycle gang? I know I am definitely not the one, as I am not that brave. I don’t even have the guts to look at some motorcyclists, let alone stare one down.

Anyway, this is not some motorcycle gang showdown. It is actually a wedding underneath my flat. If I am not wrong, it is a Malay wedding and the bride and groom was “escorted” by a large number of motorcycles as part of a wedding parade. Actually it is pretty cool. They all arrive at the same time and when the bride and groom exits from the car, all of the motorcycle starts revving their engines, which then attracted kaypo people like me who took photos of the entire thing. I am quite impressed. Too bad, the vehicles they used were all normal motorcycles. It would be even cooler if they were Harley Davidson Bikes, right? Hell, just imagine the noise they would make if all of them started revving their engines at the same time. Probably a lot of broken windows and heart-attacks.

Check it out – over 10 bikes revving their engines. Noisy.

By the time I took the picture, the bride and groom has already left the car.  Those motorcyclists were still revving their engines though. It is interesting to note that the car park underneath my block is full of cars on a Saturday morning. I guess with the increasing ERP gantry rates, nobody can afford to go out. So, they simply leave their beloved cars at the car park and hope nobody scratches them.

Red Bull. 69.

Evil bikers making a lot of noise. I am not happy. Maybe they are from the same motorcycle club or something? The poor guy in the light blue car (with the P Plate) was probably so scared when he heard the motorcycles coming that he peed in his pants.

Another Red Bull car. What’s with Red Bull and cars?

Anyway, no more photos. This is all I took.

Upgraded My Computer

843 days ago

My poor little PC had some major issues a few days ago. I guess it is about time. The PC has lasted me about 4 years, which is not bad considering...

My poor little PC had some major issues a few days ago. I guess it is about time. The PC has lasted me about 4 years, which is not bad considering the quality of PC components these days. It would start and then reboot continuously. Sometimes it would just refuse to even boot up. Not even going to the bios screen. Sometimes it would startup properly, then unexpectedly shut down half way. I believe that the problem lies with the motherboard (or mainboard). I had tested the graphics card and memory and even removed all unnecessary components like HDD, DVDROM drive and floppy disk, but still no go. In my opinion, it is seldom the processor that is faulty. As for the power supply unit, I did not have a spare PSU to test. It could be, but again, I find that highly unlikely.Usually PSU problems are more consistent unlike this which had intermittent shutdowns and restarts.

Anyway, I went and bought a new motherboard, processor and RAM. Budget one, might you. I didn’t have the dough to buy expensive high end processors and boards. AMD x 2 245 processor, Biostar MCP6P M2+ Mainboard (nVidia Geforce 6150 SE/nForce 430 chipset) and 2GB RAM. The cost? S$265! That’s very very cheap right? I remembered the time when a full set of computer would set you back about 2 to 3 thousand dollars. Now you can get a relatively decent PC for S$899 with 19″ LCD monitor. Of course the trade off would be the quality. Yes, they have 2 to 3 years of warranty. But don’t expect them to last long and you might need to spend some time on removing components from your PC and sending them in for repairs.  It is interesting to note that although a lot of consumers when buying PC and PC parts, they tend to look at how long the warranty is, but they don’t make use of the warranty. When something breaks down, they just ditch the whole thing and get a new one. Yes, PC prices have dropped tremendously over the years, and a lot of consumers feel that the effort of sending the parts for repair is not worth it. Just go and buy a new set – easy and it is guaranteed working! I feel that way too. But sometimes I am just too cheap to do that. But sometimes you find it extremely irritating to have to spend time troubleshooting the PC, going down and buying the PC components and fixing it, especially when you are busy or just tired from work.

But now, my computer is up and running. Seems fine without much of a problem. I am happy. Cross my fingers that it will last me for a few more years. I really cannot afford  to fork out more money for my PC.

The Great Toa Payoh Central Walkabout (Part 3)

844 days ago

Alright, we are going to continue with the Toa Payoh Central Walkabout which I started about 2 weeks ago. If you had read the first two parts, you would have seen...

Alright, we are going to continue with the Toa Payoh Central Walkabout which I started about 2 weeks ago. If you had read the first two parts, you would have seen several photos of the area outside the bus/MRT interchange and the area next to Courts. Now, we are moving towards the Toa Payoh library, which I might add have been in existence since when I was like a wee baby. Of course back then, it wasn’t as spanking modern like it is now. But at the very least, it was air-conditioned and had what I like most – books! When I was young, I love reading books about war and history. In fact, I subscribed to a World War II magazine which had old WW2 newspapers, propaganda photos and even badges and insignias. It was so cool back then. However, my interest was not shared with others in my family, so I was usually left in the history section of the library while the rest of my family went their separate ways.

Anyway, I was at Toa Payoh to rest and relax (and of course to take photos) at the library. But it was not yet open. Our library opens at 10am. I often wonder why? Most shops in Singapore open latest at 9am but apparently our library opens only at 10am. Probably because our library is not a profit-making organization and there is no incentive for the govt to start opening the library earlier. And it might even cost more money since air-conditioning and lights at the library have to be paid by the government. Don’t you love such a calculative government? Our country’s pride and joy.

Anyway, this is the Toa Payoh Library. Just before 10am, there will already be a crowd of people gathering outside waiting to be allowed to get into the air-conditioned heaven.  Singapore is just too warm to stay outside. We need air-conditioning to survive!

I don’t know what this is. I guess it is some sort of a fountain which has a small shelter. I wonder why is there a need to shelter the fountain?  And it is not much of  a shelter anyway. The fountain has not started yet. Oh, on the right, is Shop N Save. And on the left is yet another food court.

600 Toa Payoh! Basically McDonalds, a food court and a snooker joint. Pathetic. And the food court is not even air-conditioned. Or at least when I entered the place, I didn’t feel any air-conditioning. Or it was not working. Or they shut it off. Whatever. This place sucks. Not much of anything.

Yes, now we know, this is a place for people to hang their cloths to dry! Singapore’s public areas is THE PREFECT place to dry your clothes. Luckily, they didn’t hang their undergarments this time. Somebody might steal them. Maybe tomorrow or next week.

Shop N Save. On the second floor is actually Fortune Restaurant. If I remembered correctly, it was one of the oldest restaurants in Singapore. But a few years ago when I ate here, the food sucks big time. And it is not cheap either. Too bad. I was expecting some really good old-fashioned Chinese cuisine from this restaurant.

Woohooo! StorHub Self Storage. Just across the street from Shop N Save. If you need storage like for your entire porn collection, this is the place to go.

On the other side, yet another coffee shop.

Hey look, there is a crowd queuing up here.

Oh, this is Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution. I believe that this is a “free” clinic. The consultation fees are waived but I think the medicine are subsidized. And it looks like Singaporeans are a sickly bunch. We see queues forming outside clinics, hospitals and places like these every day. The price we have to pay for Singapore’s success. Either that or the price of Singapore’s medications has gone off the roof and there are just a lot of poor people in Singapore. I am actually beginning to think that our medical industry is starting to show signs of breaking. Soon the medical cost will be beyond that of regular Singaporeans and we will have yet another serious problem in our hands (like the current property nightmare) that shifts the burden to the common man on the streets. I really hope that our healthcare industry doesn’t become like America’s. That would really be disastrous.

The Singapore Chinese Physicians Association. What is the purpose of this association? I have absolutely no idea. I think it should be a something good, or at least something meant for the people.

Wow, they even have a herbal garden. And we have a blue motorcycle parking right in front of it. Don’t you love the considerate Singaporean motorcyclists?

Herbs! Some of them are dying. Let’s write an email and complain about the gardener.

More herbs.

Okay, you have reached the end of Part 3. I hope that you have enjoyed this little writeup. I will continue the writeup on the Toa Payoh Central Walkabout soon. If you are interested, please read the 1st and 2nd parts here: Part 1 - Part 2. Need to fix my computer first.

Looking For A Pet?

846 days ago

I think having a pet is good. However, I am sure that there are a lot of people who disagree with me. They say that it is troublesome or expensive or...

I think having a pet is good. However, I am sure that there are a lot of people who disagree with me. They say that it is troublesome or expensive or that it is dirty. Or they lack space in their small flats. Yes, it is true that having a pet can be troublesome, can be expensive and if you don’t take care, it can get all dirty and so on. But all-in-all, it depends on the individual. Some people take very good care of their car, going for regular maintenance and check-up, some even upgrade or tune their cars, change the rims and tyres and so on. These cost money too. This is the exact same thing as having a pet. And, you get a companion – a living, breathing companion. I mean, if you can’t afford a pet, of course you shouldn’t get a pet. But if you like pets, I think you should keep an open mind about having pets. And pets do not really have to be expensive. Having a small aquarium setup is relative cheap. I don’t think it will exceed more than a few hundred dollars. I used to keep hamsters when I was younger and it wasn’t expensive – just a cage and some accessories, plus food. Don’t need that much space either.

Yes, we all know that it can be a hassle. Food, bath, clean-up, going to see the veterinary…… But just think of the benefits of having a pet whom you love and sometimes even for life. They can also give you a peace of mind which no car or iphone can give you. I have a friend who keeps fish. And he told me that whenever he feels stressed out, he would sit next to the fish tank and look at his fishes swimming around. This helps to keep him calm and level-headed. Pets are a great companion, especially if you like animals. Dogs are great for kids. Raising dogs allows kids to understand more about life itself. And training these beautiful beasts can also help kids learn about discipline and behaviour. I doubt that we can find such lessons in life anywhere else. Kids can also learn to appreciate life if they have a pet. And we do have a lot of choices in Singapore. I know a lot of bird keepers in my area. My next door neighbour has two dogs whom she love like her own children.

So, if you are interested in getting a pet, please check out our directory listing at Singapore Pets. I wish you all the best in finding the perfect pet. Hope that you will love and cherish them.

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