.....times of refreshing.....

Vending Machine A

Vending Machine B

Have a good weekend , folks !

I guess I posted too many heavyweights posts over the last two months covering my trip to China, thus I decided to go light today or for the next few posts. Oh, you are right, I also running out of ideas to post or probably suffering from a 'withdrawal symptom' , not mental block.  I am looking for more travelogue to write, actually!! LOL

Well, I actually decided to wake up early to run in order to train for my coming NTUC 350 and Sundown Half-Marathons in April and May respectively. However, since I gotta have my breakfast at around 7.30am or else I be late for work, it seems impossible for me to run more than 10KM or cover between 10KM-15KM. To my standard, that would take 2 hours+. If I were to do that, I needed to wake up at 5am+ to run! I think that's really tough for me, who is not a morning person. And, because of that, I salute the disciplined runners who managed to sleep early and wake up as early as 5am to train! I think I can only wake up at 6am+ and that would mean I can only covers 5-6KM the most. So, it's still back to night runs where I have more time but I will try a few morning runs as most of the runs starts in the early morning.

I was at Dragon-i restaurant at Aeon Bukit Indah last weekend, which I think it was opened not too long ago. This was actually the first time my family and I dined there, as we usually go to Canton-i instead.

My pork ribs La mian ... I must say it's very nice, especially the soup

That 'big' Shanghainese Pau again... my kid wanted it and he said it's so much better than the one we had in ChengHuan Miao in Shanghai, and cheaper too here! Oh, he shared my ramen too, since he had a JCO donut not long ago and still full.

A chicken and mushoom rice for my wifey and little princess to share.

A refreshing pot of Pu-erh tea

I think I will patronize Dragon-i more than Canton-i. The food seems more delicious while I can find the HK dim sum from Canton-i from a lot of places.

LOL ... I finally got some my parcel from a dear blogger , which consisted of a CD that has my favourite selection of songs and some surprise gifts and voila..and a medal too! I was not around when they delivered to me during the CNY week (or didn't even deliver as I didn't see any receipt for collection) and they send the parcel back ! This kind blogger sent it back to me again but my wifey was out and I was at work. However, Poslaju left a receipt this time to ask me to collect at their warehouse.

 Well, here's the medal for religiously spamming this blogger's posts...LOL.. And, that was a nice silver medal where my curious kid kept asking me why I got the medal.

Nice medal hor? Got name somemore!!

And, of course, I quickly played the CD on my car entertainment system once I got on the car. These are 'not too old' chinese songs which I heard from the radio but unable to get all of them in a playlist and now, I finally got it! The design of the CD reminds me of my West Lake trip in Hangzhou!!

Cappuccino

And my favourite Ham and Cheedar Cheese Ciabatta

Just a short post today and I thought it's great to blog about this Kajang Satay located at Dengkil R&R , while I was driving back from Ipoh to JB. I always wanted to try this satay after hearing from my relatives that it is good. However, each time I always give it a pass due to various reasons, like having our meals in nearby Seremban instead or the R&R was closed for renovation recently.


We didn't order a lot as we just had our lunch at the Sg Buloh R&R, thus just 10 sticks to try it. The satay was thick with lots of meat but too bad it was not hot when served. However, by dipping it in the hot gravy, which I thought was tasty, helps to warm the satay back. Overall, I think it's good though not as delicious as I thought to be.

Have a good weekend!

Lots of stalls setup to extend their business during CNY

I finally had Lou Wong Chicken Hor Fun again and though the bean sprout and chicken are still good, I find somehow the soup for the hor fun not as good as before. Overall, it's still good.

Half-chicken for four of us

Big bean sprouts ...yummy

The soft and smooth Hor fun ....

I guess I will try other 'taugeh ayam' like Ong Kee next time ....

Well, though there's still seven more days where we can finally declared the Chinese New Year is over, the holidays are virtually over for most of us... LOL. Yes, it's back to work today and I am sure most of you have a good week of holidays and spent quality time with your family. I was back in Ipoh as usual and like previous years, I do go around town to check things out. It's been a while since I last went to concubine lane in old town and I thought maybe it's a good idea to check it out during CNY. It was kinda quiet there on the second day of CNY though there are some tourists around. And, I was amazed at how commercialized that place has became, unlike the past where it was some very old houses standing by. Now, most of it has become shops selling souvenirs and desserts.

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The popular Kong Heng restaurant nearby, still standing there. I used to patronise it for the hor fun, popiah and white coffee

Strolling around the concubine lane... and there was a light drizzle

A souvenir shop there

Some buildings are refurbished and nicely painted

The 'Plan B' cafe nearby

Love the locks here ... for couples?

The 'Plan B' cafe .. it was crowded but I like the nostalgic feel there.

Opposite the concubine lane is the famous herbal tea , Hor Yan Hor museum. It was closed then.

And, some colonial buildings around old town which were re-painted. I am glad they didn't demolish it .

My kids were delighted to spot a MilkCow ice-cream shop opposite Concubine Lane. Usually, they have to get it in Bugis Junction, Singapore as there was no Milkcow in JB, whenever they cross the causeway. It was crowded then , since lots of eateries are not opened.

Nice to see a modern eatery in an old pre-war building

Three ice-creams for the four of us

Little princess enjoying her milky way ice-cream.

To be frank, I always likes to drive around Ipoh's old town whenever I am back, either to stroll around or enjoyed the white coffee and delicacies there. :)

I just can't keep my mind off from blogging on tourism places, thanks to a month of blogging about my travelogue. Anyway, since it's Chinese New Year, here are some pixs I took while I strolled around the popular Bugis area in SG, which is fast becoming the second chinatown here.

A god of fortune ushering the folks there!

Lots of stalls setup for the festival!

More stores here near the 'Foo Lou Sau' Building. At the background is Suntec City.

Oh, I had a bowl of Miso Tonkatsu Ramen later after doing some shopping at nearby Sim Lim Square. I really miss the ramen ... it's been a while since I had it !*slurp* ....

I have finally came to the end of my travelogue covering the Jiangnam area and this will be the last post. I hope the travelogue didn't bore you guys down as it was really an intense packed tour with lots of itineraries. My family and I do enjoyed the tour very much and it's also our first time stepped onto China. Well, I definitely will visit China again but might not be this year, but who knows...LOL

Well, we have already checked out from our hotel and while waiting to catch the 12 midnight flight back to Singapore, we were brought around one of the most happening places in Shanghai, which is the Bund. Overlooking the Huangpu river and lots of skyscrappers of old and new, this is indeed the pride of Shanghai people. Though it rains on a cold night, it didn't stop us as well as lots of folks enjoying the night scenery there!! Yes, we have not visited Shanghai if we have yet to step onto the Bund...  and that's from me and some my readers in earlier posts. LOL

We were at the crossroads of Nanjing Road and Zhongsan road. Check out the umbrellas who were waiting to cross the road.

Buildings along ..err.. was it Zhongsan road? Love the colonial buildings there!

A view from the Bund...

Another view from the Bund...

Looking at the bund from the traffic lights

I was trying to figure out this colonial building, was it Peace Hotel ? I am sure you guys can help me. :)

And, yours truly all wet as well as all wrapped up with my victory sign! LOL

Then, it was a tiring but satisfactory trip home to Singapore. And, I finally sweat again when reached Singapore at 5am, after enjoying a week of winter!

Walking down memory lane....

It was drizzling then ...

More 'old town' and colonial types of buildings here

After a short walk down memory lane, we reached the popular Chenghun Miao. Well, there was a temple here but some of the premises has been converted to shopping malls or shops. Anyway, we didn't visit the temple but mainly strolled and shopped around, as well as have our lunch here. Though it was raining, the places was really crowded on a Sunday afternoon.

At the ChengHun Miao, love the ancient architecture designs there!

Wet, wet, wet with the drizzling which seems on and off., but I was mesmerised with the architecture designs here.

Folks taking pixs and shopping under the rain. Check out the row of kiosks in the background selling all sorts of crafts.

At another section of the square

I can't stop taking pics around while following wifey and kids to shop. We mainly bought tidbits which were locally produced there.

What a beautiful intrinsic Chinese architecture designs

I wonder if the upper level housed some of the temple..

Folks enjoying the drizzle and cool weather it seems.

We had our lunch at a nearby large food-court over there. There were lots of food on displayed and you just take what you like, and bring to the counter for payments.

The spacious food-court at ChengHun Miao

Some 'big' Xiao long pau which needed a straw to suck out the soup

err... I called this 'satay'. Also got some fried vermicelli and rice for the kids

Of course, when you are in Shanghai, this dish cannot be missed!

Displayed of food at the foodcourt

Lots of dim sum here

Fermented beancurd... it's not as 'smelly' as I wished and expected ... LOL

'Tau Foo Fah' but it's sour!! Its like drinking beancurd soup!

And, a plain vermicelli for wifey

All in all, these foods cost me around RMB120-130+!! Shanghai is really an expensive place !!