Family Reunion 'Tunch' @ The Dining Room

The Dining Room, Sheraton Towers with its cascading waterfalls, rockpools and lush greenery provided an unforgettable setting and serene ambience for our family reunion meal. We were spoilt for choices by their splendid international spread. Not only did we had Asian exotics, Western cuisines and local favourites to pick from, there were also the tantalising sashimi and mussels; and also the exquisite desserts for the sweet tooths.
Since it was the eve of Lunar New Year, items for doing up a "Lo Hei", a chinese raw fish salad dish were also available for patrons who wanted to toss the dish in style.
Hmmm... truly a hearty reunion "Tunch" (lunch + tea).
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Annual Gathering - 21 Jan 2009

Once again, it is our annual get together with our ex-bosses & ex-colleagues. This time round, we had a sumptuous dinner at "Rice Table" graciously treated by our ex-boss, Muk.
So much to eat, so much to talk and share; and so much to laugh about ... Well, let the pictures tell for itself ...

Gd O' Time

"Needing a break that weekend after just the recent going back to a brand new school term and was suddenly piled with extraordinary load of school assignments." So that was my boy's request for last weekend.
Not because of the recent Peranakan Drama "Little Nyonya", somehow we landed at Changi Village in this Peranaka Restaurant called "Gd O' Times" ordering some of their well-known dishes. Nothing to shout about. We were not totally satisfied with the food we ordered.
Other than rather sour, the Assam Fish Head gravy was quite diluted. The Ayam(chicken) Buah Keluah was not adequately pungent & pasty. Another disappointment was their Babi Ponteh . The pork belly used to braise with preserved bean paste (tau cheo), dried mushrooms, cinnamon and bamboo shoots was not at all authentic. The Chap Chye was just ordinary. We enjoyed the Squids in Ink very much . The texture of the squids was right and spongy to chew. The lemon and assam used were well marinated into the squids to give it that distinctive taste. All of us agreed that if we were ever to go back to that place, we must order that dish again.



Dinner was a "So-so" but our family evening walk along the stretch of Changi beach was breathtaking. Especially knowing that we were standing at the eastern-most tip of Singapore; watching the occasional boats moving in and out of the canal into the open sea, looking and listening to the rushing waves. In a moment, all that has indeed taken away that "must-break-free" pang from my boy.

Some Updates on my Unknown New Plants

The little blade-like leaf I posted earlier has now grown so much longer. I am quite sure this is a red Hippeastrums from the family of Amaryllidaceae (am-uh-ril-id-AY-see-ee) . My husband said the flowers he saw in Medan were red too. Just like those in the picture below he captured in the highlands of Medan. My gardening friend identifies mine as a Hippeastrums (hip-ee-ASS-trum) . Only the colour type of the flowers cannot be confirmed until we see the first bloom. There is also another species which bears white flowers. Hippeastrums actually originated from The Netherlands. Let's wait for the first bloom to confirm.
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Remember the last time I told you that I didn't want to post a pot without anything in it? Well, this is the one I can proudly show it to you now. I can confirm this unknown new plant will turn out to be like the one I am showing to you now in the picture below. It's Dahlia. I can tell from the leaves of my plant with those I saw in a recent visit to World Farm, a nursery in Sembawang area.

So, you know what I mean? You need plenty of patience to reap the reward of your "hardwork" & also the test of time to satisfy your curiosity in true gardening.
Interestingly, I love the feeling of surprises! That joy of nursing a plant whether from seeds, stem cuttings or just the roots. That feeling of many days not seeing anything, waiting & waiting; then suddenly one morning or one evening, a little seedling pops out to the surface of the soil. It's just like that seedling telling me: "Hey, I am here at last! Thanks for not giving up on me". I hope I can express it better here but I can't think of a better way to do it - just sheer indescribable HAPPINESS!