Last minute flight out

I was suitably impressed with Jetstar Asia when I called their service hotline this morning. I did not have to hold for 20 minutes as with Malaysian Airlines.

One of the directors at my office needed to travel to KL today. Given the exciting task of finding out which airline would take him, I reached for my trusty flight planners, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways. As I'm not one to fly out at my whim and fancy, I was happy to know that on a Friday afternoon, Jetstar had available seats on board and departs from Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 3.05pm. It could very well be a daily occurrence. Single way costs SGD$119.00, whilst return way is priced at SGD$223.00.

Note: Do not pull last minute stunts unless your business meeting is worth millions in future bonds or it is the last day of the Great Malaysian Sale or you have cash to burn.

Do try the Singapura-Malaya train at least once for a slower pace of life.

Take to the skies with a name you can trust. Jet Star Asia.

Blu Jazz me all night long....

(Photo borrowed from resources.vr-zone.com.sg/clubVR/Blujaz/)


Mm-mm-mmmm....I'm getting all h..o..t under the soft material of my blouse...Maybe it's the potent Long Island Tea and the double Peach Schnapps liqueur... or just watching an old You Tube post I found at the stylish Gala Darling with Demi Moore and Dita Von Teese gyrating and writhing about in various styles of stripteasing... Whatever the cause, my night's about to get wayyyyy betterrrrr.....

You know the feeling. It's as familiar to you as the other amazing buzz of happiness...Except this one's pure liquid pleasure: vodka, tequila, rum, gin, lime juice and a whole lotta happeee timmee....My L.I.T was built to perfection. And only for $15.00.

Make your way down to Blu Jazz Cafe at Bali Lane. It offers cool refuge from the tropical heat, serving you tall glasses of ice cold cocktails, beers and lassi amidst large green frond swaying in the breeze...

Lainey and I shared a deliciously grilled seafood platter, complete with butter rice, succulent scampi, salmon, squid and grilled-crisp vegetables. We complemented this with plates of wedges, garden salad and fried tofu with sweet chilli sauce. Sounds ordinary?

Nay.

The individual offerings were extremely tasty. The salad? Beautifully tossed with sultanas, pine nuts and leaves of fresh salad greens then drizzled lovingly with olive oil and herbs.
Tofu was neatly cubed and pan fried, finally nestling in a bed of freshly sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet chilli sauce. Yum.

I was partial to potatoes tonight but Lainey loves her wedges. I mean, she reallllllllyyyyyy likes them A LOT so I think they were pretty good.

The menu offers the usual cafe fare. To name a few: local Oriental dishes like sweet and sour fish with rice; Western style like burgers, fish and chips, salads; Finger foods like mozzarella sticks; and of course, an extensive drinks list.

We downed the lot with laughter, good conversation, a Heineken, Baileys on the rocks, Long Island Tea and Peach Schnapps. Total cost: $83.00 excluding the $15 taxes.

The crowd was an interesting mix of Europeana Asiana. Chilled out sounds of Rastafarian music in the background. Pleasant staffers. And equally important, roomy space for comfortable one-on-one conversations. I highly recommend this cafe for a chilled out night with girlfriends and/or boyfriends. I enjoyed myself tonight, Laine. Thank you.


Blu Jaz Cafe
11 Bali Lane Singapore 189848
Tel: 6292 3800

Before I turn in...

...I'll leave you with something from Julie Burchill:

"Over the actual map of every great city", said David's friend Matt as they cruised down Baker Street with the top down, the pound up and Sade shimmering on the car radio somewhere in the late eighties, "we can impose a map of the places in the city where we have fucked, chucked and fallen in love."

Location: Georgetown, Penang. Dec 2007.

24 Hour Convenience Invades My Block

A 7-11 store sprung up from the bomb shelter underneath my flat. I found these great hair accessories to wear, but before I could try them on, Superwoman and Superman - benevolent creatures that they are - made the quality checks first.

They gave the thumbs up! Next time you're in a convenience store, don't limit yourself to the instant cup noodles. Buy yourself something pretty to wear!


Cost: $2.90 for Diamond-studded hair clip and $3.90 for Sailor hair band.

UNIFEM - 2 Nassim Road

The colonial-style house has its charms. Upon entering, you are greeted with the comforting scent of pine wood, taking your imagination to the days of old, where the main hall was filled with laughter, the tinkling of champagne flutes, beautifully dressed people of society talking about great ideas. Or often times, just about each other.

Yes, it was a glamorous life.

Fast forward to this millennium. The neighbourhood sure looks spruced up with million dollar apartments and expat-friendly shopping centres. Shrouded in lush greenery, the old house at 2 Nassim Road has not been forgotten. It now shelters three non-profit organisations - UNIFEM Singapore, Hans Seidel Foundation and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs .


Over the weekend, my colleague and I hauled trash bags of outdated documents in a bid to get the office in ship-shape after several years of inattention. We can't all have too much to read but I've never felt more disgusted at the stacks of un-labeled documents cluttered about the small room. A wealth of research materials remains buried in this construction site - improvements will be made over the coming weeks.

Soon enough, the office will be made-over. And when we look good once more, you'll be invited for the housewarming party :-)

For more information, please visit our website http://www.unifemsingapore.org.sg/

Changi Airport

(Photo borrowed from the intelligent blog http://shakewellbeforeuse.wordpress.com/)

Changi Airport Terminal 3 is a massive infrastructure, an impressive architectural achievement that lacks the cheerful, nostalgic warmth of it's older brother and sister. But like all airports, it's a nice weekend go-to place to people watch! Spend late nights at 24-hr Wang's Cafe! Buy chocolates! Buy groceries from NTUC supermarket ! Or organize dinner at a variety of family-style diners!

Tonight, I bade au revoir to my dear friend as she set off for Paris on a work trip; 2 hrs later, I was still in the airport, wishing another friend bon voyage as he departed for Doha to embark on a promising new career.

They will be missed as much as we will be thought of longingly. In such foreign lands, surely they will miss the familiarity of the local roads, local flavors, local lingo and local convenience.

*Dear A, stay strong.*

I love pouches

Who would've thought I'd found must-buys in Mustafa and Chinatown?

We're not talking about kitschy souvenirs for the family members in Östhammar or the weekly groceries. No m'am. Insteaddddd....what I found were Shanghai-glamourous pouches to carry your mobile phone or makeup (bought in Chinatown); and sweet embroidered money pouches from Little India.

Cost: $11 each for the pink and brown pouches and $10.00 for three items in the Chinatown shop.