River Safari

Even though I fell terribly sick after getting home from Genting, I still went on a River Safari date with bf the next day because he already bought tickets and I already applied leave for the date and I did not want to waste it by staying at home. If I wanted to stay at home I would have taken a MC. I remember reading on the website of Ministry of Manpower that "If an employee falls sick on his annual leave, his absence from work would still be treated as annual leave and not sick leave.".... Hence, I did not even bother to visit the doctor. I was feeling super sad that I fall sick on a day that I already applied leave for! What I did NOT read was the following sentence, "However, his employer may cancel his annual leave and as a concession, allow him to take sick leave instead." AIYA! Now then see, too late already bah!

So anyway, we had wanted to visit River Safari since it opened, but we wanted to wait for the Amazon River Quest boat ride to launch before we go. It finally launched late last year, perfect timing for our date! However, when we arrived at 12 noon, we saw a board that says the Amazon River Quest boat ride was fully booked for the day. Wah so fast, 3 hours since opening time and all slots full already! So..... we waited for nothing because we still ended up visiting the River Safari without getting to sit on the boat ride. I suggest you arrive at 9am if you really wanna go on the ride.



Although my mouth was full of ulcers back then and it was painful for me to eat, my stomach was still hungry. Before entering, we visited the River Safari Tea House located at the entrance.


River Safari Tea House sells a variety of popular cuisine originated from local dialect groups like Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese, etc.





Something soft to go with my rice, as I couldn't bite into hard stuff due to the ulcers.


I was glad that we ordered the Trio Meat Combination because the duck meat and roasted pork was really nice! The charsiew fared badly though.


The ngoh hiang was also another miss. Have had better ones outside!


Outfit from EARTHDOLL located at Bukit Panjang Plaza #03-21.


At certain points inside River Safari, I felt that it was quite similar to the Sea Aquarium at Sentosa. Many aquarium sea animals featured in River Safari. Not sure if it was due to me being unwell, I felt extremely bored, while bf excitedly checked out his favorite sea animals. In comparison, I felt that the Zoo had a wider variety of animals (that I recognize) and was much more interesting! I found myself being more interested in the panels that share trivia of the animals than the actual animals itself.


Some photo of the animals for your view pleasure in the comfort of your own home!

We went into this Monkey enclosure and it was quite exciting because there was no glass panels nor bars separating the visitors and monkeys. The monkeys came quite near us I was so afraid they would perch themselves on my shoulder or something.


Took this photo because I felt that the enclosure was quite pretty compared to the rest! Looks so luxurious with a pool and a float! Haha.




The most interesting part for me, was the panda enclosure! Kai Kai and Jia Jia! I have no idea how to differentiate the two though... At first there was nothing for us to see because the panda was at a hidden corner and refused go to the area where the visitors can see clearly. Fortunately, after some waiting, food was brought out and the pandas came out!


They look so cute chomping on their food!



Afterwards was tea time at Mama Panda Kitchen!


Mango Pudding and Longan Pudding, refreshing treat!


Would have loved the fried chicken if not for my sore throat....


The main dish that everyone ordered was this pau that was supposed to look like a panda but I think ours looked nothing like a panda. However, the pau was not bad... Inside is red bean paste.


I expected such gimmicky place to serve lousy food but actually quite nice lah! Not super good, but not very bad either.


After some more walking, it was finally the end! We went into the souvenir shop where you can see lots of pandas - the soft toy version.

Look mum! I found Nemo! Haha.


Bf forced the innocent seahorses to kiss. Haha.


Photo of us before we left the place!

Fear Fear Fear

I think I am a super worrier.

I realize that I have been worrying about everything this few days.

Here are some of the things I have been worrying about.

1. Wisdom Tooth Surgery
I went to read wisdom tooth surgery stories online and is now even more afraid after seeing how painful it can be for others. The thought of dealing with the bleeding is enough to make me dread it very much. Sigh. Wisdom tooth why you no grow properly & give me so much pain. Why must people go through unnecessary pain like wisdom tooth? How did people from Tang Dynasty or Qing Dynasty deal with it? Why didn't dramas depict it? I didn't know that stitching is involved till I saw a video on it. I am so afraid! How to brush teeth after?

2. Painkillers
My colleague gave me a painkiller to relieve my piercing pain and at first I thought I finally found a cure and popped one. Then I googled and read the possible side effects. "Increases chances of heart attack/stroke. May cause fatal stomach bleeding and these may happen without warning" WAHLAO so risky one this painkiller. Like this I rather tahan the pain! But I ate one pill already :( Anyway, it didn't work at all.

Then another day, my mum gave me another brand of painkiller. This time, I went to google about it first. Saw a news report about a boy having a violent allergic reaction after taking a small dose of this medicine which caused him to shed 65% of his skin and almost losing his life. Although the doctor said it's a 1 in million rare case, it doesn't mean there is no chance. I read the comments under the article and saw a number of people mentioning that they had allergic reactions to the medicine which caused permanent damage like blinded on one eye, or other serious effects. Nobody knows what allergy one has until it has taken place. This is so dangerous and sudden! One day you are well and just because of a medicine, your whole life changes :(

I'd be extracting my wisdom tooth soon and I'd definitely need painkillers to deal with the pain. I seriously hope that the painkillers prescribed would be effective and safe on me!

3. Fire
I watched "As The Light Goes Out" movie some days back and is very terrified with the explosions and fire, with the building collapsing and all. It reignited my fear for disasters and bad situations as my survivor skills in extreme situations are quite weak I think. I thought of 911 and the tsunami disasters. I guess luck is something very important in life. We need not seek to be at the right place at the right time, as long as we are not at the wrong place at the wrong time. All this thoughts made me feel that people who led a healthy, safe and relatively carefree life till they are old are extremely lucky people. Having a too dramatic life is not good. I really dislike how unpredictable life can be when it comes to bad things! If only bad things only happen to people intentionally seeking for it :(

Suddenly, me losing my memory card feels like a small matter compared to what other people went through. Now, I just hope my wisdom tooth surgery would work out well and I would have a fast and smooth recovery. I won't be doing it any time soon though, as the Lunar New Year, Valentines Day and Nadia's wedding is round the corner. Hopefully the pain on my tooth will wear off soon! Really afraid that it will continue to be painful throughout these few months!


*** I realize that I have blogged about this matter before.
Here: http://www.estherxie.com/2010/05/thanks-for-all-participations-for-first.html
And Here: http://www.estherxie.com/2013/12/utopia.html

Adv: Miuee for CNY

Right after all the Christmas gift shopping, it is time for Chinese New Year shopping! Have you done yours?

This year, Chinese New Year falls in end January, slightly earlier than previous years and this means lesser time to get new frocks for Chinese New Year! Fret not if you just checked your schedule and realize you have no time to get new clothes. Fret not if you hate squeezing with the crowd (have you ever been squeezed like sardine in a CNY-shopping-crowd?? It's crazy!). At MIUEE.COM, you can shop from a wide variety of choices in the comfort of your own home!

Everyone should know MIUEE by now. Established since 2009, they are one of the largest online store in Singapore, offering affordable prices - Most of the clothes are priced way lower than other blogshops.

I visited MIUEE.COM to see what I can find for Chinese New Year and here are some of my finds which are suitable!


The pink is just so suitable for Chinese New Year! Love how lady it looks! This dress will definitely garner thumbs up from the relatives.


Another of my selection - pink too. The simple and lovely design makes it a dress that you can still wear anytime after Chinese New Year. The soft material not only gives a gentle-like feel to the wearer, it is also a comfortable dress to last the entire day.


A more dressed-up choice, I am sure wearing this will draw all the compliments to you! Also, florals are good for Chinese New Year!


I like this floral-denim piece that is suitable for Chinese New Year, yet not too girly for girls who don't like to wear dresses.


With so many different designs available, there's something for everyone!

This is my pick! A chiffon blue dress with a detachable jewel neckline. The material is high quality cloth and there's an inner as well. I love the cutting of the dress and how it flatters my figure comfortably.



I can remove the pretty jewel easily for different styles! This blue dress is definitely a keeper! A classic that can be worn again and again.



ORDERING TIMELINE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR:

Order by the dates stated to get your items before Chinese New Year, guaranteed!

Local Normal/Registered Mails (by SingPost) - by 7 Jan 2014
Local Courier Delivery (by TA.Q.BIN) - by 10 Jan 2014
Self-Collection - by 10 Jan 2014


TWO MEET-UP SESSIONS FOR LAST WEEK OF JANUARY!

Dates: Monday 27 Jan 2014, Wednesday 29 Jan 2014
Venue: City Hall MRT Station (27 Jan 2014), Jurong East MRT Station (29 Jan 2014)
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Please select "Self-Collection" upon check-out and you will be able to choose your preferred meet-up day.

Credit card / Debit card / PayPal payment is highly recommended during this period to minimise delay between order send in to order confirmation process.

On the site, there is also a LIVE CHAT function at the bottom of the screen if you have any more queries about ordering for Chinese New Year!



Don't go yet! Remember to use this code "9xc2kf89EX" specially for my readers for an ADDITIONAL $2 OFF for any orders above $66, applicable for use with all other promotions!

Shop now: www.miuee.com

Selections from LYRAMINN C36 & C37

LYRAMINN just updated with a new collection and here are my favorites from Collection 36 and 37! Quote ESTHERXIE2 for $2 off :)









Shop: www.lyraminn.com

Genting 2013

Right after Christmas in Singapore, my family went to Genting again for the second time in 2013. To be honest, I was not up for it when they went to make the booking because we have just been up there in March, but in the days leading up to the holiday, I was quite looking forward to the much-needed rest.

Before I start blogging about the four days in Genting, let me tell you what happened AFTER the trip. I fell terribly sick. Day One and Day Two were great fun and good food but by Day Three I was battling with the cold. I do not usually have issues with sleeping in Genting, but this time I felt quite uncomfortable. I woke up every morning with painful cramps probably due to wrong positioning through the night. Then on the long ride home, I got a seat which had aircon blowing directly at my head throughout the day. The aircon cannot be closed. At that point, I already knew I was going to be very sick because since young, I cannot have wind blowing at me directly, especially for long hours. Sigh.

Before the trip, me and bf took leave on the day after I return for our date, but I totally regretted that decision. I was initially looking forward to it very much but sadly I was too sick to enjoy at all. Wasted one annual leave. Then, the next day was New Year's Eve, which was a half day at work but I was too sick to get out of the house. Hence, I wasted another Medical Leave. And, I am scratching all over right now because of my allergies to Panadol.

That's not all. I LOST MY CAMERA'S MEMORY CARD. Four days worth of photos plus some from before the trip. It is a big loss to me and I feel extremely sad about it. I don't remember where I might have misplaced it and I actually spent an entire day trying to find it around the house but nope, CAN'T FIND IT. I took so many photos and they are gone just like that! Don't understand how a memory card can disappear into thin air. At first I was quite sure I brought it home, but after trying to remember and remember, I can't even be sure about that anymore.

Perhaps I should count my blessings that I had transferred some photos from my camera to my phone for instagram posting before I came back, so I still have some photos for this entry. In addition, I got sis to send me some of the photos she took on her phone. But still, I am feeling very sad because she only took afew photos and doesn't have everything I shot. I totally regret not transferring more photos into my phone!

Am blogging this now because I am afraid without photographic evidence, I might forget many of the details of our trip! Hopefully I can find the memory card one day soon! Seriously, how can one be terribly sick AND lose memory card together? I am feeling extremely sad while writing this entry :( Don't even have mood for the new year countdown! (Wrote this entry on New Year's Eve)

DAY ONE:

As usual, we got on our coach in the morning and highlight of the morning was that I dropped my spectacles while eating a bowl of Mee Soto in Yong Peng. Haha. My spectacles are really loose I ought to change to a new one soon! Nowadays I just have to bend my head down and it would drop to the ground.

First World Hotel didn't change any bit. Still the same.

Grand Park City Hall Park Palace Lunar New Year 2014

With the kind invite from the people at Park Hotel Group, I went down to Park Palace at Grand Park City Hall for a magnificent Lunar New Year feast.



As with all Lunar New Year reunions, it is started with Yu Sheng. This spread on the table is the Imperial Five Treasures Golden Shunde Yu Sheng ($888++). Exquisitely designed, this luxurious Yusheng is the ultimate culinary indulgence, boasting of five prized treasures of the sea - Abalone, Lobster, Geoduck Clam, Salmon and Hamachi, topped with Caviar and Fish Roe. All the goodies! Instead of the traditional salad of radish and carrots, crispy fried vermicelli is the centerpiece. Unlike the usual sweet taste that Yusheng commonly served in Singapore have, this one is more savoury, and one can definitely eat more than a share. Oh ya, this is topped with some gold flakes. Eat Gold, Get Rich!


Toss high for good fortune and abundance in the upcoming year!


Our tables were decorated prettily!


I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the Imperial Whole Roasted Suckling Pig! For everyone on my table, it's definitely one of the favorite items that night! For me, the best item was the Double-boiled Pot of Fortune with Superior Shark's Fin, Chicken and Wanton. The soup is very tasty, and not like the usual shark fin soup. The goodies inside each bowl is abundant as well.


One good thing comes after another! The Auspicious Lobster Gems in Dual Style features lobster meat cooked in two different ways. The fried one is Lobster Balls with Cheese, while the other is Live Lobster sauteed with Lily Bulbs, Wood Fungus & Asparagus. I like the latter very much, while some others raved about the fried balls. Besides, it's a very beautiful plated dish perfect for Lunar New Year reunion dinner!


Oven-baked Imperial Suckling Pig with Lemongrass


Fortune-filled Reunion Pen Cai with Pig Trotters! Wah this one, full of good stuffs! Definitely everyone on the table will nod in agreement!


The dessert was one that everyone was looking forward to, definitely for durian lovers - Golden Ingots of Good Fortune. It is actually Crispy Fritters with Durian Puree inside. This one garners a thumbs up from me!


These are all the highlights of the dishes served during the Lunar New Year period.

If you are looking for a place to book your Lunar New Year reunion dinner, wait no longer because the date is coming soon! I do think that the food served at Park Palace is of good quality and that's what everyone expects for a Lunar reunion dinner! I would recommend this place to people around me, and the sumptuous meal has left a wonderful impression till now. I believe that your family will remember a delicious feast for years to come!

For enquiries and reservations, you may call 64325543 or email parkpalace.gpch@parkhotelgroup.com

Park Palace
Grand Park City Hall
10 Coleman Street
Singapore 179809


Jacelyn and Nadia were both there as well :)


Just realize that three of us were wearing necklaces! Mine is from HURS! It's one of the rare silver ones in my collection and I have been wearing it quite often because it is very versatile and easy to match!

(Merry Christmas) and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Let me blog this entry backwards and start from Christmas! Wanted to blog about this before I left for Genting but did not manage to finish writing so here's a belated post!



Speaking of Christmas, some days back I taped my camera stripe pink and it looks like candy cane now! Reason why I wrapped it is because I think if I don't, within some months the white surface would become grey with lots of scratches!


Photo after the first portion is done:


So back to 25th December itself, had our Christmas lunch at Bedok with the family and bf. Afterwards, we did some shopping but I didn't manage to get anything I like! Anyway, I really overspent this month on Christmas shopping! Just too tempted by all the pretty packaging! Just keep buy and buy and buy! Now my wallet really big hole already!


On Christmas Eve, everyone in our office had our own Christmas celebration at Raffles Place. Spotted these cute snowmen while heading home!


Gifts from colleagues! :) Love the season of giving, cos I receive gifts like it's my birthday! Haha! And, all the ones closest to me gave me something related to hello kitty, I counted eight in total. Much love!