Happy 25th B'day Sel, My Tweet Tweet

For all the anger I've caused you… For the tender love and care I've given you... Time will tell how much I adore you.

When stars won’t shine and no sun shining through... You know that I will always be there for you.
May your hopes and dreams come true!

Stay Sweet,
Vin

Bribing Vin with Dallas Chicken & Ribs

Sel has been going back to the office every alternate Saturday to catch up with work this year. She was having trouble coping with part-time school while working full-time. Thus, as of July last year she had been studying full-time and working with flexible hours. Now, she has trouble coping with work! So she is sacrificing some weekends to work.

Vin has been as supportive and understanding as he could. Nevertheless, he has little tolerance for working over the weekend. He’s favourite argument for Sel having to work on another weekend is “no matter how long you spend working, you can never finish work”. And Sel will counter “a deadline is a deadline. I am not trying to finish all my outstanding but I am trying to meet all my deadlines”.

No one can blame him as we usually have date plans on the weekends. Be it if it’s just to the movies, window shopping or lazing at Yishun Dam dreaming about our future...

So that particular Sunday, Sel promised to bring him to Dallas Chicken & Ribs for dinner as it was really close to her office. Also because, she knows the best way to Vin’s heart is food. There has been quite a hype on Dallas Chicken & Ribs. It is said that the food there is great and the price is really cheap too. Hence, we were both excited about dining there.

Well, it turned out to be pure hype!

From the outside, the place did not look welcoming at all. The interior deco was dark and to Sel’s horror, she saw a lizard on the ceiling. You know she is petrified of lizards! There goes Strike One!

We decided to order the Dallas Special set, Spicy Drumlet set and we traded a bag of fries with onion rings. The counter staff wasn’t really friendly. While waiting for our food to be served, we were trying to watch one of those Indonesian series show on their LCD TV but it was on mute. Like what’s the point?! Then we realised that it was inconvenient to wash hands as you can only do so in the toilet which they have just one. If it is occupied, you will need to queue to wash your hands. For the reasons above, Strike Two!

No doubt they serve their food hot from the fryer. The main attraction which was the chicken was a let down. It was moist and tender, yes. It was also tasteless! The servings were generous but they were really lack of flavour. The fries was so-so, it tasted like those frozen chunky-cut fries you can buy from the supermarket. Okay, so Strike Three! Dallas Chicken & Ribs is out!

Inconvenient location, unfriendly service, lack of ambience and bad food, we are pretty sure that we will not revisit the place again. The place is all about quantity over quality so we left the place feeling really full but not satisfied.

Despite being full, we went ahead and bought their nuggets to take away for snacks. It was pure greediness but we tried to justify ourselves by arguing that this is the first and last time we'll eat there. Thus, we should try everything that we feel like trying. Anyway, the nuggets were not too bad...

Oh, and their onion rings is the BEST!

Visiting the Singapore Zoo

For Sel’s 25th birthday, Vin had promised to bring her to the zoo. As her birthday falls on a weekday, he decided to do it on a weekend in advance. She was so excited the night before that she couldn’t sleep. So Vin had to tell her bedtime stories for her to get to sleep.

We woke up bright and early to make sure that we get there early to have enough time to see every animal and cover every part of the zoo. Sel was so excited that she wouldn’t stop at McDonald’s for breakfast. She insist to go there straight, grab some take away snacks for breakfast and have it while watching one of the animal shows. Everything is so expensive at the zoo. For example, they sell half a sandwich (it was just 1 slice of bread cut into 2 with a filling) at $3. Also, a 600ml bottle of mineral water cost $2. Even so, we couldn’t resist not trying the oreo cheesecake. So in total our “breakfast” cost us $14.80.

With breakfast in hand, we first head to the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre for the Rainforest Fights Back animal show. We were so engrossed with the show that we forgot to eat our breakfast. Hehe… But we managed to get a shot with the cast.





Next stop was the Splash Amphitheatre for the Splash Safari animal show. We got there about 5 minutes before the show starts so we gobbled up our breakfast then. The Splash Safari was somewhat more exciting than the Rainforest Fights Back. Maybe it was because the main character, Philip the sea lion was really charming and full of tricks. Plus, Sel got BIG wet sloppy kiss from him.



Then we head to the Elephants At Work And Play animal show. The show proves that these majestic species are really strong. Thereafter, we head to the Rainforest Kidzworld to have lunch at KFC. So much has changed there. No more big dry playground with the huge net that you can jump around on, what’s left was the pool kind of playground. Nevertheless, the kids seem to be enjoying themselves.

That leaves us the rest of the day to venture. Here are some pictures to share…

Sel posing with the interesting fixtures around the zoo...

And then it was Vin's turn at posing...

London Bridge is falling down...

Who's the cuter baby African Elephant?

Comparing sizes... It makes Sel feels petite that day...

Sel was all excited about the elephant ride...

Vin at the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia...

Vin trying to enjoy a free trip to Australia...

We find the backside of the polar bear cuter...

The young Hamadyas Baboon playing Peek-A-Boo...

A coffee place under the late Ah Meng's name...

Posing with the statue of the late Ah Meng...

Not forgetting the other animals…

This is Vin’s favourite picture of the day. He couldn't stop giggling when he saw that the Proboscis Monkey was peeing on his food and friends. It was like a leaking tap, flowing endlessly. Hehe... Right after the leaking stopped, the monkey actually took the leaves that he peed on and ate some. Too bad the shot does not reflect the whole picture.

It was really a fun day! The best birthday gift that Vin could give Sel is the happy memories…

The zoo staff took this lovely picture at the entrance... It cost us $18 at the exit to get it!

Happy Valentine's Day

The first few years we started dating, our relationship was rocky. Partly, it was because Sel was resistant to the idea of being in a relationship. Also, it was because we were new to each others behaviors. The reason we grew so close to each other is that we both seek companionship.

During those few years, we always had a bad experience on valentine’s day. For example, there was once Vin was caught up with something at work and made Sel sit around at Suntec for more than 2 hours. When we finally met and went for dinner, we sat in the restaurant for almost an hour and all that was served was the appetizer! Tired, hungry and disappointed, we head home. Then there was the time that Vin was so sweet, he gave Sel a big bouquet of flowers. It was beautiful. But Sel refused to carry them because she was too embarrassed to the point she threatened to leave the flowers on the floor if Vin did not carry it for her. And the list can go on and on…

It was after those few years that we decided not to celebrate valentine’s day. It is too commercialized anyway.

So, we both agreed that we will not buy each other anything. And we both knew that we were bluffing. Hehe…

His gift for her...Her gift for him…

It was nothing expensive but it’s the thought that counts. Anyway, there was really no celebration. Vin had a course the whole day. We only met up in the evening to do some errands and to have dinner.

Happy valentine's day everyone!

Happy B'day Ibu

We took Ibu to Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant at Furama Riverfront for a surprise dinner on her birthday. From the expression on her face, we can see that she was really pleased and touched with the arrangements that we had made.

As always, birthdays are incomplete without birthday cake, birthday song, birthday wish and blowing of the birthday candles. So we bought her a small heart-shaped cake with a small candle. It looks like a valentine’s cake (probably was) but it’s the best option we had.

To top it up, we each bought a present for her which she seems to like. But the best gift we gave her that day was the invitation for her to stay with us when we get our own house. Along with some assurance that we will always make time for her and that we will take care of her in her old age.

It’s not everyday that we actually show her our love and her birthday was a great opportunity to do so.

Anyway, the food at Kintamani was great.

It looks appetizing, doesn't it?

It was just the four of us. Ayah, Ibu, Sel & Vin.

We were so full, we could not even finish the cake...

The ambience was private and cozy (which we think it’s mainly because there were only a handful of customers). The staffs working that night were really nice and accommodating. They were attentive and gave their recommendations; they even joined us to sing a birthday song for Ibu.

As it was buffet, we left only when we were convinced that we could not even take a single bite anymore. Thereafter, we went exploring the hotel lobby.

We found this beautiful piano outside the ballroom...

Being full and satisfied, we were all sleepy. That's when we call it a night.

For those of you who don't know... Ibu and Ayah is Vin's mom and dad respectively.

Congratulations to Hafizah & Ilham Rubman

Due to some other commitment we had that morning, we missed the newly wed. As such, we did not managed to get a picture of them on the pelamin.

We wish to extend our heartiest congratulations on the wedding! Wishing the two of you the very best in life. May married life be as sweet as your cupcake wedding cake. hehe...

Haircut @ E-Mage

Sel was all smileys on Saturday because she just loves the way the stylist did her hair. All in all, it took about 3 hours. It was a super-duper long process and it went as follows:
1) Dye the middle part of her strands
(because the tips were dry)
2) Then dye the roots and tips
3) Wash
4) Treatment
5) Rinse
6) Trim
7) Blow-dry to style


She was so pleased with the outcome that she kept going around shamelessly asking everyone “nice or not?”!

Minty Foot Powder

For those who really know Sel, you would know that she has got sweaty palms and feet. As such, her feet are always stinky! Hehe…

Well, if you are just like her, you might find this useful. Then again, if you are just like her, you will be too lazy to try.

For who has got sweaty feet and is not lazy like Sel, please let us know if it works…