Night Festival 2012

ABBEY: As per their posters I thought Night Festival will only be held indoors; and it wasn't. It was indoors as well as outdoors. First stop is the National Museum. We watched here the performance of Swingapore; an gymnast group that uses rings and drapes on their performances. Other galleries were open for free viewing. 

It was already dark when we went out of the museum and we saw the light and sound art in the walls that became a big screen for the projectors. Then we went on Armenian street. The street was closed as it was the stage for the Argentenian artist that was suspended on a harness, Fuerzabruta La Argentina. Drums, lights and confetti made the performance great. 

Percussion band were inside the Perenakan museum and they kept the audience upbeat with their music. The last performer is a fusion of Chinese drum band and beat box group. They were really  good. I'm impressed that they can produce different sounds only from their mouths. And with the accompaniment of good old Chinese drums, it's a classic. 

We also caught a glimpse of Singapore Arts museum as it was illuminated and "painted" by the projectors. The festival lasted until 2am but we went home before 12 as I have office the next day :)

WILL: Looking for some free night-out? Bras Basah and Bugis Precinct presented the Night Festival on last weekends of August. I know this is a very long due blog and I am apologizing since me and my husband was engaged in some career moves.

      We freed our scheduled for this event and all I know that this is a street party and museums are on Open House. After Abbey's shift, he went to our office to pick me and together we went to this event...and we're too early.

      As I got the program, we immediately went to Singapore National Museum to witness the Circus Swingapore, this are boys and girls doing acrobats using piece of cloths hanging from ceiling. It is amazing. Then we went to Wedding Gown museum. They portrays the evolution it and the different gowns from different Hollywood movies.

     After that, we moved our feet to Armenian Street. Street was jam packed, artists were just feet away from each other. And this is the part I enjoyed most, when the street was filled by confetti and a dancing lady in white is suspended by a rope and circling the whole road. It just turned the Armenian street a dancing ground. We went to Peranakan Museum to have a glimpse why there is a music of drums inside, the beat really made my hips to sway. Haha. As all our adrenaline was drained, we planned to go and leave the place around 9:30PM, but the DJ Koflow & beatboxers boys stopped our pace and stayed for another 30mins. Darl, they are so good.

     Next year, we will definitely go again here. This is a great event to showcase the local talents of Singapore.

Parokya ni Edgar 2012 @ Singapore

ABBEY: One of the greatest Pinoy band was announced to hold a concert here at Singapore last September 8 and 9. Originally it was a one-day concert only but became two due to overwhelming response of their fans. The concert was held at The Arena. We got there an hour before and the queue is already long. A couple of front act bands like Stella's Art built the crowd's excitement for the main artists. At last we heard there sound check. 

The crowd went wild as Chito and Vinci came up front. They sang Buloy, Picha Pie, and Maniwala ka Sana. Chito even made a request on his own band to sing his favorite, Halaga. And Vinci sang Elisi when he "applied as a vocalist of Rivermaya". The night was full of fun, thrills and shouts. It ended on a high note with Yes Yes Show.

WILL: Parokya in Edgar is a famous band since my high school days, but I am a Rivermaya fan.. Haha.. As I read the announcement under the Facebook group of Filipinos in Singapore, I immediately check the veracity of the event. Verified and screenshot, I emailed immediately to my husband, PNE is his favorite band, right there and then agreed to watch it. This is our first time to watch a Filipino performers to do live.

      As the long wait came to an end, we queue on a long line of people circling The Arena at the Clarke Quay. Gosh, it took us 1 1/2 hours before we reached the doors. Front acts, better not to comment. Haha.

      When Parokya enters, people starts to scream on the top of their lungs and then they hit the place first with Buloy. I am shocked that after a decade of knowing their songs, I still knew the lyrics of their pieces. Haha.. This band is so cool. I hope they will never part ways unlike other bands. More power Parokya in Edgar, thank you for visiting us here in Singapore.

Shiraz

ABBEY: After enjoying a rocking concert by Parokya ni Edgar looked for a bite to eat. Then we saw Shiraz's shawarma. I hurriedly get in the queue and ordered a chicken shawarma and falafel. The chicken shawarma combo comes with drinks and fries at less than 15sgd. The veggie falafel is at 8.80. The sauce that we got is garlic-mayo. It was good. Enough to fill our hunger. The branch where we ate is at Clarke Quay.

WILL: After the Parokya ni Edgar concert at The Arena, after screaming our lungs out, after the jumping against the rhythm of their music, I was drained. Totally tired and staved. I can make it to our home and there we can eat a dinner, but Abbey insisted to eat out and refill our body's energy. I just want something light since it is almost 11PM, gladly we passed to Shiraz.

      Shiraz offers Persian cuisine and we just there to hit their shawarma. Abbey ordered chicken shawarma and vegetable falafel. I like their vegetable one, it seems that there is beef inside. Haha,.. This is located 3A River Valley Road Clarke Quay. And their food costs $8.80.

The Body Shop Passion Fruit Body Scrub

ABBEY: I can say that I'm a fan of body scrub now. A clean body gives me a certain amount of confidence. When I tried this product the fruity scent gave me a refreshing feeling. I felt I'm more alive and energized. The salts leaves my skin soft and smooth.

WILL: Abbey signed-up The Body Shop - Love Your Body membership for me here in Singapore. He is the one who buys lotions for me. He knows when and what to buy. My husband is a really an ideal partner, isn't he? Ha!

      Well, being a member, I have the opportunity to know all the events and special promotions they have. They had this 70% warehouse sale, we bought this and stocked-up. Now is the time to try and test this body scrub. 

     As I open the lid, the sweet aroma of this scrub filled up the air of out bathroom. As I gently massage it on, the seeds from this passion fruit helps to scrape my dead skin off. As I washed, my body seems rejuvenated. Lovely isn't. Perfect for sensitive type of skins. 

    Visit The Body Shop branches and ask for the best body scrub that will suit your needs. 

Sentosa Buskers Festival 2012

ABBEY: This is the third time we attended the Buskers Festival at Sentosa. We met Mama Lou; a fine lady with brute strength. She showcases stunts which proves how strong a human being is. From lifting things through her tongue to smashing an apple with her biceps; this woman is great. Next is the Mexican Rock and Roll duo. They did acrobatic acts and juggled with knives. Dangerous as it is, they managed to make their performance funny by their antics. Then we saw the magician. He picked a kid to be his sidekick and the child was game to participate. We had a lot of laugh for the magic tricks. It was a fun day at the festival. Looking forward for their next year's event.

WILL: This is the third annual celebration of Sentosa's Buskers Festival, and now they celebrated it along its 40th anniversary. New lineup of buskers gathered from all over the globe to made us smile. 
      We went here after my office hour, Monday. As we anticipated, more crowd is now flocking each performers. We saw four of the buskers, stunts. The Anonymous Brothers are really funny guys but doing a dangerous act. Ms. Adrian Conde of Argentina-Spain is a magician, every move is so funny and his hands is definitely quicker than my eyes. Mama Lou, I adore her body.. Haha! Guys must be intimidated by her strength. And the last one and definitely not the least, physics plus strength is the key of their performance from Canada and Peru, the LOL Brothers.
      That night is really is really filled by laughter. We are looking forward for this event every year. Thanks Sentosa for bringing this for free and for helping a charity. Oh, compliments to the sound systems for this year. :)

Digestives

ABBEY: My officemate used to bring this crackers at work. I was surprised that Wilma is fond of eating it also. We bought a large pack for 1.95sgd at Sheng Shiong. The cookie tastes good. It has a creamy after taste. Good to be partnered with coffee or tea. Beware to handle it gently else the cookie will crumble.

WILL: My colleague introduced me to this biscuits. At first I was hesitant to get some but Jay insisted. So I took and had a bite. Since then this became one of my favorite biscuits. 

      Its very tasty and it is somewhat melts in my mouth. It reminds me of my childhood biscuits. This available in major supermarkets islandwide, $3. 

Kneipp Singapore Cranberry Tea - Cleansing Herbal Tea

ABBEY:  This is one of the many products Wilma won from Kneipp. The tea is fusion of berries and other antioxidants. Just like Clipper's tea this tea is full of aroma. 

The taste is sour and sweet. As I drink, it keeps me relaxed and cheerful throughout the day.

WILL: Thanks to City Wander Walker for letting me to win a the Kneipp grand prize. We went to Guardian Paragon Branch and look for Ms Henrissa, hooray she knew how to speak Filipino. Abbey chose to have this tea.

      This cranberry tea is a drink for cleansing. We chose this, who will not want to be cleansed anyway? This costs $9.60. The taste? Awesome! We really like the taste of this tea. Cranberry really floats with every cup. 

      They have varieties of flavor to choose from that suits your needs. Next time we will definitely buy the pack of good night tea.  

Tapsilog

Thin slices of beef
1/2 cup Soy sauce
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper

Mix soy sauce, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Marinate the beef for at least 12 hours.

To cook, drain the beef from marinade and put in a pan. Put 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once water is gone put some oil to fry the beef. Serve with egg and rice.

VERDICT
WILL: If you are a Filipino in abroad, aren't you miss tapsilog? Well, we do! And my husband knew it. He told me that he have surprise for my lunch then, indeed ecstatic, I am truly happy to see tapsilog inside my lock&lock. 
      It seems that I tasted again the tapsilog I am eating near Recto. Love this. The best ka talaga Abraham. :) 

Dôme Cafés Singapore

ABBEY: When we got our vouchers for Dome Cafe we decided to visit their branch at Dempsey Hill. I tried their seared fish fillet; and it comes with fries and green salad. 

I also had mocha. The taste is delicious and texture is very fine. It is served on a fancy mug. Dome Cafe also pasta (starts at less than 15sgd) and sandwiches at less 10sgd.

WILL: First of all, thank you Citibank credit cards for this vouchers. 

      I got a breakfast when Abbey is from night shift, a very yummy sandwich and tea from Dome Cafe. Then when I got the chance to choose for Citibank vouchers, I intentionally chose to have a $20 voucher on this cafe and I want to invade their branch at Dempsey Hill(I am really curious on this place). One stone, two hits. 

      After our remittance in Lucky Plaza, we hit bus 123 after 20mins we are at the Dome Cafe. I really asked Abbey to allow me to drink a coffee. Its been 6months since my last cup of it. Abbey agreed then I savor to their cappuccino($4.60). I enjoy the every sip I had done. Haha. 

      Since it was Saturday, I just ate the free lunch from our office, so I only asked to order one seared fish fillet to share. The fillet fish is so soft and their tartar sauce and mango dip made a difference to others. 

      You may like to visit their Dempsey Hill branch, another way to spend a weekend. 

I Love NATAS 2012

ABBEY: NATAS is a fair that travelers are waiting for. For 4sgd (3sgd with MasterCard) you can enter the fair and search for the travel package for your dream vacation. We went there August 26, Sunday. We were looking for Korea package but unfortunately we didn't find one. It's either its out of budget, too many days, or only Mandarin tour.  Only a couple of agencies are offering free and easy but the offer is only until the end of this year. In the end we just collected the brochures so we can plan what are places we will visit for our trip. Maybe next NATAS we can find our Paris tour package.

WILL: This is one of the event we are really looking forward to. NATAS stands for National Association of Travel Agent Singapore, so what we are expecting a bargain of tour packages and free and easy. 
      Early morning we woke up and marched pur way to Singapore Expo bought a discounted entrance fee by Mastercard and straight away started our hunt. 
      Many travel agencies offers Korea tour but no one has a english speaking tour guide is available for next year. We went to look for free and easy and the difference feom this free and easy is only $500, tsk tsk! 
      My dream collapsed but I will not give up to pursue my husband's dream. Haha. We left empty handed but now we are for plan B. :) 

Wheels and Wieners

ABBEY:  

This diner is at located at 25A Perak Road in Little India. With table settings and decorations set at 1950's this will definitely get you back in time. The staff advised us to try their beef stew and bacon at 10sgd ( usually 25). I got their Five O with fries at 16sgd. The food is delicious specially the hotdog. The fries is a bit drenched in oil though. We munched on the food as we check out Chat's latest phone. 

WILL: Via viber, Abbey said, "On Monday we have a date." then I replied, "Let me check first my schedule.". All I can do is smirk when he send a sarcasm sms "Tsk! Too busy?!". Haha! 
Of course, who am I to resist the offer? So I free up my heavy schedule for that Monday and Chat is free too so we all meet up at Wheels and Wieners.  
      It was located in the heart of Singapore's Little India and surrounded by backpackers' flats. As we enter this restaurant, its like we blasted back to past. I got their Monday promo $10 for Jack's Beef and Bacon Stew. The taste?, awesome. The thickness and lovely aroma of the stew clicked well with the garlic bread. Abbey's one was served and after taking a bite, he told me to taste it. Exaggerated it may seem but the hotdog really tastes good. And so Chat's standard in food was met by this diner. We really love the hotdogs in here. 
      Before going back to our pads, I visited their washroom, and I was astounded also by its design. Unlucky, my bag and camera is not with me, never got a chance to take a photo. 
This is very recommendable. If happens that you are along Sin Ming Tower, pay a visit in here. :) 

Clipper Organic Nettle & Peppermint Infusion Tea

ABBEY: This is one of my favorite tea fusions. I have tried their berry and mint infusions. At 7sgd per pack (20 tea bags), its reasonable. By the way that is the price when the tea is on sale :) I forgot the original price. The mint infusion keeps me relax as it leaves a trace of mint in your throat and nasal passages. I told Wilma that its like a mint gum soaked in a warm tea. I like berry as its aroma fills my workspace when I prepare it. I prefer berry with crackers or pastries and mint by drinking it alone.

WILL: Not only Abbey but also Chat is turned to be a tea drinker. She read about the benefits of tea leaves in our body then she decided to go for it. I recommend her to try on the Detox flavored Clipper's tea then when she got at Cold Storage in Vivo, she saw that all Clipper's product was on sale. I grabbed the chance, rode a bus to vivo and bought two packs of Peppermint flavoured tea. 
      The taste? Refreshing! Even I am drinking a hot tea it seems it was iced cool when I breathed in the after taste. This costs $3.95 on sale. 

Geláre Singapore

ABBEY: At last we set foot on this waffle house and that day they're offering it at half the price. Yes, you heard it right, Gelare in Suntec City Mall offers half the price for waffles every Tuesdays. I got their chocolate chip waffle and Wilma had the plain one; all for less than 10sgd. Each waffle has whipped cream and of course the syrup. It tastes delicious and very sweet. This is recommended for all who has sweet tooth.

WILL:  I am a lover of different breads and pastries and this waffle shop is not exempted. Since I got here in Singapore, I really dreamed of dining in here and that hope ignites more when I saw their 50% off every Tuesdays, hehe.
       At last!, for almost two years when we got the chance to dine in here. At their Suntec City branch, we savor its aroma then our order was served. Freshly baked waffles really makes my day! It is not too sweet and yet the taste is amazing. Love it a lot. Sarap! 

Pangat Indian Restaurant - Suntec City Tower 2

ABBEY: Ravi and Nitin introduced me to this vegan diner at Level 3 of Suntec City Mall. We have tried their samosa and vada pav for 2sgd per pair. Masala tea is at 1.8sgd. 

I asked Wilma to try it one time. They are only offering lunch sets by that time. We ordered 2 naan lunch sets (less than 6sgd per meal) along with 3 vegetable side dish each. I like the taste of aloo and daal. When it becomes too spicy for me I munch on the sweet rice crispies and eat again.

WILL:  I am a big big fan of naan and prata. I really love those piece of doughs fried then dip to a fish curry sauce. Before going to Hermes exhibit, I asked my husband if we can take some bite in any indian restaurant and then he suggested to go for Pangat. This is located at the 3rd floor of Suntec City near Singapore Post :) 

       We ordered a chapatti set for $5.50. Ha! Cravings was satisfied. Cheap and yet the food is so tasty. This is a great place to dine in once you go to Comex for next week. Recommended.