Goodbye

I have decided to create new blog to continue diary-lise my happenings in life. Goodbye to all readers and see u there. Friends, please leave me a message should you like to continue the path with me. :-)

Long time no blog

Ya, long time no blog about my trivals. But have been taking pictures of stuffs i do or experienced. Shall be coming back here soon. Stay tune.

Desktop PC

We bought a Compaq Desktop (Compaq Presario SR5490CF) at Funan. It came with extended onsite warranty.

Included features
Specification
Motherboard Name
ASUS: MCP73M01H1
HP: Napa-GL8E
Chipset
NVIDIA GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i
Memory
Memory slots: 2 DIMMS
4 GB* (2 x 2 GB) *Actual available memory may be less
Front-side-bus (processor dependent)
1066 MHz
Power output wattage
300 Watt
Front Productivity Ports
15-in-1 reader
2 USB + headphone + microphone
Expansion Slots
PCI: 1
PCI Express x16: 1
PCI Express x1: 2
Drive Bays
5.25" external: 2
3.5" external: 1
3.5" internal: 2
Processor
Core 2 Quad Q6700 (K) (2.66GHz / 1066 MHz) (95W)
Memory
2 GB (2 x 1 GB) DDR2 PC2-6400
Hard Drive
320 GB 7200 rpm SATA
Primary Optical Drive
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW 12X RAM (+/-)R DL LightScribe SATA
Keyboard and Mouse
Compaq home professional keyboard & Compaq PS/2 optical mouse
Monitors
w2207
Sound
7.1 capable sound with front audio ports (integrated)
Graphics
GeForce 8500GT
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Software-full versions
HP Photosmart Essential 2
CyberLink DVD Suite 5 (in models with an optical burner)
HP DVD Play 2.4 (in models with DVD drive and Vista Home Basic or Business)
HP DVD Play HD DVD 2.4 (in models with HD DVD drive and Vista Home Basic or Business)
HP DVD Play HD DVD/BD 2.4 (in models with HD DVD/BD drive and Vista Home Basic or Business)
muvee autoProducer Basic or muvee autoProducer (version installed varies by model)
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Microsoft Works 9.0 and Office Trial (for Vista)
My HP Games
Software-introductory versions
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 Trial (60-day trial)
Norton Internet Security 2008 (60-day security update subscription)

Government announces plans for Jurong Lake District

URA in talks with stakeholders about plans for tourism, retail and entertainment centre.

A WAVE of changes has been planned for Jurong Lake.

Government officials and industry captains have met and discussed the area’s potential as a commercial, retail and entertainment centre.

Preliminary discussions centred on developing office space, a commercial centre with retail shops, four to five hotels and a resort or theme park for Singaporeans and tourists alike - all clustered around the Chinese and Japanese gardens on the shores of Jurong Lake.

The site will also take in the 12ha area occupied by the now-defunct Tang Dynasty City theme park. Built at a cost of $100 million in 1991, it was forced to shut down in 1999 when it failed to pull in enough visitors.

When news broke last year that Tang Dynasty City was to be demolished, landlord Jurong Town Council and the Singapore Tourism Board said then that they were ‘evaluating the area for redevelopment’ into an attraction.
Multiple sources confirmed - on condition of anonymity - that a feedback session with more than 100 stakeholders was held last month on developing the area. At the session, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) shared its proposed plans and sought reactions to it.

One source said: ‘The plan is to try and do something similar to what was done in Tampines - to have a commercial centre, but also to add leisure elements.’

Another source said Jurong Lake was at the heart of the proposed development, and the viability of a water theme park was discussed.

The Singapore Science Centre, in Jurong Town Hall Road since 1977, will also be moving, but it is unclear when this will happen or where it will move to.

Also unclear is the fate of Snow City. The Straits Times understands that Singapore’s first permanent indoor snow centre has a three-year lease and recently started turning in profits.

URA declined comment, but industry players who have heard about it are excited. A lakeside site, served by the East-West MRT line and near industrial parks and residential areas, is suitable for a mixed development, some said.

Source : Straits Times - 20 Feb 2008
**********************************
Government announces plans for Jurong Lake DistrictBy Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 04 April 2008 1129 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore is planning to have its very own lake district in Jurong, which will be a magnet for business and leisure.

The Jurong Lake District – made up of two precincts, Jurong Gateway and Lakeside – will offer a potential development area of 360 hectares or about the size of Marina Bay.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced this when he unveiled the government's Draft Master Plan 2008 on Friday. This plan will guide Singapore's land use over the next 10 to 15 years.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the Jurong Lake District is expected to attract investments worth billions of dollars.

Under the proposed plan, some 750,000 square metres of land will be set aside at Jurong Gateway for offices, hotels, food and beverage, and entertainment uses.

It is also expected to add about 2,800 hotel rooms, equivalent to the hotel belt at the Singapore River area. Land to build 1,000 new private homes will be available as well.

URA said the Jurong Gateway is set to be the biggest commercial hub outside the city centre – nearly 2.5 times the size of the Tampines Regional Centre.

Lakeside, which is the other component of the Jurong Lake District, has been earmarked to be the next waterfront playground.

Urban planners said there will be plenty of leisure options there, including nature-themed and edu-tainment attractions.

But the centrepiece will be a new world-class Science Centre to be located next to the Chinese Garden MRT station.

Visitors can also look forward to lush greenery and water-based activities like kayaking and dragon boating at Lakeside.

- CNA/so
***********

We are looking forward to that! Jurong Pt 3rd extension will be lauching in end of this yr 2008, making it the biggest suburban shopping mall... next year 2009 Pioneer MRT and new Safra Club @ Boon Lay will be ready too!

What I have baking/cooking?

'Claypotless' chicken rice.

Chocolate eclairs






Ta da, soon to be done Soffle Cheesecake

OSIM uPure 100

We bought OSIM uPure 100.
http://www.osim.com/SG/product/upure_100.aspx#more

Did we mention that Jurong residences are using NeWater? Don't know isit this cause or wat, we found the flask & airpot have this grainy brown residues after awhile previously. Perhaps that's normal lah...

We aimed this water purifier for long time but feeling a pinch to get that ;p Saw this water purifier on offer recently and Mr Limau immediately bought it back.

Trust me, the water really taste better as the chlorine is removed. Though this is not better than the expensive Diamond Water thingy but I think this is good enough for us.

1st weekend after wedding

How do we spent our 1st weekend after wedding? I'm sick for the whole week, even worse cough by that weekend. Mr Limau husband was running a fever on Friday too. We got better by Saturday... but I still home-brewed some herbal teas for us. No mood to do any baking. Mr Limau husband addicted to a PS2 fighting game, it's damn bloody lor. Me is his cheerleader, keeping him accompany ;p Our PS2 gaming place is in the masterbedroom tv area. The 2 seater couch with ottaman is a good place to Nua. At night, when husband is chasing soccer matches at the living room, I will be watching scv/tv shows in the masterbedroom. It's just another Nua weekend!

Oh ya, I will be tutoring my nephew every Sunday afternoon for some time. Hopefully I can help him in some ways. kekezz..

Wedding is over

Our wedding is over!!!!

The once in the lifetime major event is over last weekend. It went through quite well and we are pleased with the whole process. More details can be found in my wedding blog.

So, what's left to look forward to now? That probably be the actual day photos from photographer and videos from our friends' videocam; and to hang the 2 wedding portraits on the walls of our house. Then after that, no more wedding-related stuffs to look forward to loh.

Maybe time to go back to cooking & baking?

Our master-bedroom new furniture & An Chuang

Our wedding day is getting near. Lucky us we found a 2 seater sofa for the limited space we have for cozy area, infront of the tv console. The sofa is exactly 1.2m, and we bought a 2' ottaman. Fabric is stripy orangy red and frame is black synthetic leather. We normally place the ottaman anyhow... front, left or right of sofa.

What's these? These are the new bedding stuffs for the new bed!

2 seater sofa

We need to source for a 2 seater couch/sofa for MBR relax corner. There is a space for a 1.25m for the sofa. It's not a common dimension, as its kind of short. This sofa fits but the design is stiff and hard. :-( Got to continue searching...

Kueh Bangkit

On end January, i thot of doing some 'festive food' for the Chinese New Year (CNY). A colleague inspired me when she took her home-made Kueh Bangkit to the office... hmmm nice. I always like pandan pandan food. Hence, ambitious Ms Allo determine to try it out at home!

Attempt 1: FAILED!!
Ok, why fail... Tapioca flour dough is very sensive to humidity. It get dried very easily hence the baker's action got to be very fast to prevent dough to get dried too fast. And me Ms Allo as a novice, hands & legs are kind of... slow (no helper!) I barely make it to cut the cookie from the alomost-dry dough and sent to the oven. Sotong me was too engross in washing/cleaning the kitchen that my eyes and mind forgot about the 'sensitive' cookies... IT GOT BURNT!




Argh... frankly speaking the taste is pretty nice... [but with a burnt smell/taste :-(] The appearance definitely failed terribly. But i still put them into container... hoping i can continue eating them... hahaha...

Attempt 2: PASSED!
Ambitious and determine Ms Allo won't gave up. The failed attempt disappoint her and decided to try again. With the remainings ingredient and some replenished stuffs, I tried again. I make sure all the necessary stuffs are within reached and the time spent on the cookie cutting on the dough was definitely faster.



See, the color look more decent right?! I can even bring to both parents and colleagues to try... Yeah!

Table with drop-leaf

We have bought this make-shift table which suppose to be a Dining table supposingly. It has a White foil plastic top and a folding drop-leaf.

Dimension: W60xL48/90, H74cm.





What is it for? Ans: to have more table-top space
It can turn into a table for guests if we having feast/gathering. Quite a decent buy as it is not too expensive.

My wound

This is my wound after 5 days. When will the scar fade away??!

1.1.08 Roast Chicken

I wanna try out the Rotisserie function hence I lombang mum to get a fresh chicken on 31st Dec 2007. Mum gotten me a whole unwashed chicken! It's a medium size one and I feel it's a little too big to start with. OMG, the chicken head and feets were still intact and I have to wash the chicken and chop off the head myself! I never knew I can do that all by myself. I washed the chicken, marinate it and then kept it in the fridge.

On 1.1.2008, after i woke up in the noon time, I roast it in the oven with Rotisserie. It wasn't that stable initially and I have to stop the turning of chicken and adjust the metal rod. "Ouch!", my hand touched the top and I got my hand scalded. Sob...




These pics show the process of cooking the chicken.

raw

marinated & wrapped

started roasting process

roasting in process

done

Personally i rate the chicken quite nicely done. It's juicy and taste just right. Not too bland or saltish. The thing is the skin is not dry and crisp enough.

Xmas Day Buys

We bought another item for the kitchen, Panasonic NN-SD577M Inverter Oven. Quite a good buy.










And Philips Hand Mixer.


Gotten this hand mixer for $40. Yesterday I have mixed the mixture manually for around 20min virgourously, its really tedious. Hence went to buy this 'helper' to ease the task.

24th Dec 2007 Virgin attempt with Tefal Oven

It's Christmas Day Eve. My office is operating till 3:30pm. I've won a Hamper (from the lot of declared hampers).


Mr Limau Hubby (finally) fulfilled his promise of making Spaghetti. Oh well, it tasted not bad for first attempt!



This is our Xmas Eve dinner. Proudly prepared by Chef Limau, served with Sparkling Apple Juice.

Alright, after dinner I have decided to try out the oven. Hee, and below were what I've bought from Bakery Supplier:



Before...


All ready to go into the Oven!

during...




almost ready...



Tada!..
It's done successfully! The cute little butter cupcakes. A little too wet and too buttery to perfect cupcakes.

Wanna bring them to the Xmas Party initially but did not at the end. It ended up in ours and olur families' stomachs :-)

First try: PASSED!