Sacred Food

Other than my Wife's and Mum's cooking, which I hold sacred, there is little else that I can call sacred.

But there is one dish from a paritcular corner of SG, which I have come to call sacred to me. Bar Chor Mee!

As you can see we have something special and unique here. Our weekend ritual brings us to this coffeeshop at Blk 85C, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh where this bowl of heaven can be found. It has become so much a part of our lives I think an entire blog post justifies.

M full.

“Peace, be still!”

This picture comes to mind when I think about the current situation in the financial markets or shall I say the world economic climate. Such tumult, such uncertainty and such anguish on people minds. It’s like these pictures of exhausted traders that are appearing on all news websites and front pages, it seems so orchestrated. Like a Symphony of Destruction playing its way down to your local bank or insurance provider. J

But for me being a converted optimist, I look at what happened after this picture that is important to me.

M Cool!

Lunch @ Sci Park

Lesson in making so-so food look good!

Here is one of my lunch staples. Well staple is going a bit too far, because it actually is Subway sandies. But when the Subway queue is too long and me being an impatient person will choose instead to get lunch from "So Fresh" which has somewhat become a little bit of an oxymoron when you have a look at what's on offer. So my favorite and basically the only thing I order when go there is Teriyaki Chicken Salad. Yes that is the official name on the menu. You may ask where the salad is, well it is hidden but believe me; the 2 sheets of lettuce, 3 pieces of broccoli and coleslaw is there.

So after eating this Teriyaki Chicken Salad, I thought why not photograph it to see if I can make it look nice so that it is more appetizing and appealing. You decide if I am making you hungry I succeeded. If you are turned off, well the conclusion is there is no way to make so-so food look good.

M eating.

Friday: Beautiful Day

What beautiful days Fridays are. Today is especially beautiful because indeed today is a glorious morning full of possibilities. So as Brad Pitt said in the movie Troy "Take it, it's yours!" It's rare to see cloudless skies in Singapore and when do I usually whip out my NV24HD camera (super camera by the way) to take advantage of the great photo opportunities. So here's one picture I just took on the way to work. Subject is boring, well being stuck in jam is boring, but the color tones are lovely.

Rejoice people it's Friday and make the best of what this day has to offer!!!

I know I will!!

M Lovin it!

Leakgaes, Leaves and Landownership

Sounds heavy ya?

Not so, our beloved house is leaking again well that was what we were led to believe. So in the preparation for some minor roofing works and some hacking on the wall, something happened. Further investigation by the guys from B4 Leakage, it was found that the water that is appearing on our study room wall is not a result of leakage from the roof but, if fact condensation. Praise the Lord there is no leakage but "Huh?"

Seems our neighbour has his aircon in the adjacent room on at full blast, at maximum cooling pointing directly at the wall and on the other side of the wall is our study room which is the room with the most sun. So as a result my wall is "sweating" like a glass Bombay Tonic on a Saturday afternoon thus, explaining the wet spots and fungus. Solution? Aside from asking y niehbour to turn off his AC, which might rather selfish, there isn't one actually. Just a stop gap measure of painting the wall with a special epoxy paint that is used on roads to in a sense "waterproof" the walls and prevent the formation of wet spots. Prevention not cure.

So another half day of leave down and another episode on the joys of Landowership. But, in all consideration I know deep down that despite all the issues and whatever, I still love my house, the place I call home, my refuge and the place I will raise my family.

Contented M

[Second try at this after my initial post from my iPhone ran away to some corner of Cyberspace]

Back home safe and sound - Dream Team Re-united

Yes she is back finally. Among the many silly things we have done, the
most recent was going for a holiday without each other. Yes I was out
of leave or so I THOUGHT but there were avoidable reasons that I
succumbed to.

Oh well she is back and in all honesty I am glad she had a good time,
aside from some challenging days, Praise God for technology! So other
than restarting this blog and getting hit on by a male waiter from
Stewhaus(this one will be another entry for sure), the events were
predictable.

Whatever the case; Maju is back! Yippee!

M glad.

Mobile blogging - Take 2

Okay first attempt was less than sucessful. Was it the usual mail
server problem or what?

Let's see attempto secondo.

Thanks,

Marcel

Ferrari and Lollipops

So Ferrari have done a U-turn, and ditched the traffic light system that has caused injury to quite a few of their fuel men and gone back to the trusty lollipop man. The traffic lights is in a sense a great idea, from a series of great Ferrari ideas but I think the system needs a bit of finetuning. But till they get this system sorted out, the manual method will have to do.

[photo credit to Jamd]

Foilage

As gardens go, ours well not the best in the world but it is ours. Not like we are going to get feature in Garden Weekly anytime soon but, I think there is something to be proud of here. So recently we got ourselves some more plants. Yes it was time to spruce up our waning garden. But I must say I like the new plant (pictured) reminds me of an elphant ear. When we first moved into our "green" home, I was thinking to myself "Yes! I shall become the gardener who will be spending hours tending to my plants." But of course, that was just a little too ambitous for someone who detests getting his hands dirty a bit of a stupid contradiction really. Yeah I have an obessive complusive syndrome of washing my hands when they get dirty or smell. I just can't stand to get my hands dirty. Probably, the reason why I am one of the few Indians who does not like to use his hands to eat food, even Indian food for that matter. Another blog post here, me thinks!

M

Dinner for ONE

So the wife is away and usually when that happens the question dawns on me. What do I do after work? Go straight home, most often the choice. But then the dreaded question pops. "What's for dinner?"

My gosh this is painful question when you are solo. So as I was on my way home, I got stuck in traffic at Portsdown Road. Being the impatient sort I decided to check out the new joints that have opened there. So overtaking everyone I headed down the road and landed at Pietrasanta.

"Table for one" I said much to the amazement of the maître d'. As I later reported, having dinner in a nice restaurant by yourself, surrounded by crowded tables and the occasional confused look is a rather empowering feeling. It’s like telling everyone “Here I am, alone and I am cool with it!” I used to do this quite often for lunches and found it very therapeutic. But I think this was my first dinner alone in a long time. Of course, one cannot do this sort thing too often it gets quite pathetic and sad.

So had a Peroni, Nastro Assuro beer, so-so Lamb chops and this wonderful Italian dessert (pictured). So there; answered my daily dreaded question but with a twist.

M

F1 in Singapore? Pinch me!

And the next stop on the F1 calendar is Singapore. Eh? Tell me that one year ago....or maybe two years ago I would have laughed. Tell me that 10 years ago when F1 became more popular in the region with the opening of Sepang race track it would be impossibility. But it here, in all its decibels. The Singapore GP is a reality, I was excited yes but just one week away from the race it all hit me. Being a F1 follower since 1984 when I used to watch races on RTM 10, with commentary in Malay to now where there are F1 themed bar and events in Singapore. Just pinch me.

Of course when I got to the track on Friday, the hairstanding feeling was there. But it was not until the cars started around in anger that the hairstand feeling really came. Overall it was an excellent GP. I was very proud that my country, Singapore put up such a great show. Much to Mr Luca’s disagreement, another blog entry altogether.

M

Flowers of Peyrolles

So on my trip to Aix, which is in the Provence part of France, so somewhat in the middle of nowhere, what could I possibly find round about 30 minutes away? FAMILY! Yes indeed the family tree that stretched itself to a quaint place called Peyrolles en Provence. Which incidentally most of my colleagues in Aix had no clue where it was.

For my sole weekend in Provence, when I could have been flying to Belgium to watch F1 on favourite Grand Prix track in Spa, I decided instead to chill out in the French countryside with the family. And to be honest, I am glad to have made that decision.

I was greeted by flowers. Yes many in the garden and 3 flowers in particular, Claudia, Chloe and Andrea who are my nieces. They were a bunch of fun, after the initial shyness evaporated. Daughters of my cousin who I have not seen in almost 25 years.

Communication was a challenge as they did not speak English and my French was much to be desired after only a few classes at Alliance. But we managed with the trusty French – English dic and then later when we got lazy, www.reverso.com to aid us with those lost in translation moments.

M in Peyrolles

The love of Photography

I am probably the most "cannot make it" photographer around. A passion that started many yonks ago has slowly fizzled out to the point that I am so lazy to take pictures I recently did not even bother to take a camera on my trip overseas and settled on just using my iPhone to take pictures.

So recently I invested in a small camera that is extremely portable after the one my wife got for me, in an attempt to revive the passion, died suddenly while in Europe.

So armed with my camera, I flew to Paris then to Marseille and then a taxi to Aix en Provence primarily for business. But I guess I was not expecting what I experienced when I was there. A revival!!! Yes the shutter happy boy was back and not just taking snaps but, working for the shot.

Of course it helped a great deal that Aix was a place that was easy to fall in love with and that I did. It was truly a walk back for me to the old days when what was most important was getting good shots to bring home and show all. This trip resuscitated that. For a viewing of more pictures from Aix head to my Facebook photo thingamajiggy @ http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34663&l=02c7a&id=603519964

Let’s hope the passion lives on ya

M in Aix

Restarting something that should not have stopped

It has been a year, well actually more than a year. But, the momentum of writing a blog evenutally died. But I guess since the year has gone by, ....

Okay at this point I stopped again and another year went by

....but now after another year, I am picking up from where I left off and should not have ever stopped. I got demoralised that no one was reading my blog, but was that the reason why I started it in the first place. Of course not!! So here is the re-start of the less know "Marcel Blogs" blog.

About Me

A 30 something, who loves life and is always looking for ways to enrich it. Before the onset of my 30s, there came a point in my life when I said there has to be more to life than work and sleep so I set up on looking for more.

This search brought me first to me to photography; this was an obvious choice since I love to travel. My pictures eventually caught the eyes of my wonderful wife who was so impressed that she graced me with a date and she eventually married me and I am super blessed for that. After her, she helped me to find my way back to God and have decided to make Him a permanent part of my life. Our mutual love for kids and God has us serving in our church’s Children’s Ministry. Food is another passion of mine although I am a “not fussy foodie”.

 

About Blog

Blogging is something new that I have started and it has been really good to me. Many people have told me to write a book about my life and past adventures so this is meant to be a way for me to keep track of my life and adventures, so it is a very much a ME thing. But, I am always willing to share my new discoveries and am hoping that my experiences can impact someone out there as I am sure there are many people who have stood where I have. Even if it doesn’t have a great impact, if I caused a smile, then my mission is accomplished!

M writing history.

One title race is over, another one to go

After a magnificent season and one of the most exciting races of all time at Estoril, the 2006 MotoGP World Championship will go right down to the wire. The final race of the year, the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana, will welcome what will surely be a sell-out crowd gathered to see either Valentino Rossi or Nicky Hayden take the ultimate accolade in motorcycle racing.

Rossi leads the championship for the first time this season, and could not have chosen a better race to enter with an 8 point advantage. The Italian has made an outstanding comeback against all odds after a series of DNFs gave him his worst ever start to a premier class season. Since his last mechanical failure at Laguna Seca, the reigning World Champion has been on a run of five consecutive podium finishes, his last victory coming in Malaysia at the start of the triple flyaway. If Rossi can make it six wins this season at Valencia, or finishes above rival Nicky Hayden in the race, then he will take a sixth consecutive premier class title and become the only champion of the 990cc era. All this sounds too familiar does it not?

Well the F1 championship has ended and I guess the best way to sum things up is like this: Massa wins, Schumacher shines, Alonso Champ! So the season is over and let look forward to the last race of Moto GP in Valencia and after let mope around till it all starts again next year!

M

Luck?? Perhaps not!!

I guess in all fairness FA might have just won the WDC 2006. He may not be the best champion but he will be the champ nonetheless. Of course no one can fault his driving; he is a great driver, just wished he let his driving do the talking.

It was one of those times when you’d wish to have all the action on the race track but engine failure is a very real problem and that’s F1. This is something that MS fans and Tifosi know only too well, a-la-early MS-Ferrari days. Of course many would argue that it is not over yet, and yes it is not over yet. MS can still win it but that would be quite out of the ordinary as FA just needs one point in the next race to win. But then again Brazil is a race where just about anything can happen. Let’s hope it is an entertaining race to cap off a great season.

I guess the real fight will be down to whom finishes 3rd in the WDC, Massa or Fisi..It’s anyone’s game this one, with only one point separating the two. And of course there is the WCC to play for as well. Which I think can only be done with a Ferrari one-two.

It is unfortunate that the media has spun things around to make it sound that MS entire career is dependant on this one championship and that if he fails to clear it he is not that great after all. Well as media goes sensationalism is their way. Well I guess the 7 world championship and the name all over the F1 record books should remind the press.

With the end of the motor sport season near, F1 is almost sewn up. Moto GP as always has been a cracking season. Can Rossi do it again? He is closing in on Nicky Hayden to take yet another title but he is still on the back foot. So that would be one to keep a close eye on.

With WRC, this one is interesting. Loeb is leading the championship with almost 30 points and around 4 races to go from Gronholm. So seems like any other championship, but if you could not predict a spanner being thrown into the works, here’s one: Loeb has fractured his arm in four places in a mountain biking accident effectively putting him out of the season for the next few races. He will miss Turkey for sure and Rally Oz but, he says he will try to be back for the last two rallies.

Not to make things further dramatic…his replacement for the next two races is none other than Colin Mcrae. Well have to see how that one plays out.

Verbal Diarrhoea : Knowledge Work in an Oblivious World

Ever looked at a candidate's resume and see that he has 10 years experience and only one job to boot and think hmmm this guy has got the right balance of experience and loyalty to the company. And then upon interviewing him, you find that his technical knowledge is a little rusty but you think; he can be developed. So you hire the guy only to find that actually the reason why this person was in that job for 10 years was nothing to do with loyalty. It was due to the fact that he was comfortable where he was and never chose to develop himself any further because the company just wanted to him to maintain status quo. So what went wrong here?

Another scenario, another Joe comes for interview, great resume as well. 10 years experience but 5 jobs. Hmmm..you raise an eyebrow, and are concerned that this guy could be a job hopper. So you decide not to invest in him, because you postulate that he may leave in yes you guessed it - 2years. So what went wrong here?

At this point you are probably wondering what the heck has what I have just said got to do with the title. Well the like hood is that the guy with 5 jobs will most likely bring more to the table than the guy with the one job. Of course it really depends on the industry in question. Are you in a knowledge industry or are you in an industry where throughput and turnaround time is the key.

Like our brothers in manufacturing, throughput and turnaround time is the key to being successful. However, banking on this type of industry might be the wrong way to go. Let’s take a page from the great American manufacturing industry. In the land where manufacturing began.....but ooohh wait there is China. A study was done and it concluded that no matter what the US manufacturing industry did to improve throughput and turnaround, no matter how many initiatives where put in place to bring "value" to the diminishing value chain, the manufacturing industry in the US has and will permanently migrate itself to China and it will not return.

So what do we in Singapore have to look forward to? We are sort of in between the tightrope where one end in the good old and reliable manufacturing industry where repeatability, turnaround and throughput are king. And then there is the other side where the knowledge industry beckons. Well we are most or less almost 3/4 of the way to the knowledge side as we abandon the quest of manufacturing supremacy. Even the government knows this, as can be seen in the change in education policy. No more technical classes or manual trade education in the top or mediocre schools. Those subjects are reserved for the non auditory or visual learners who end up in ITE. And the trend is to be more academically focused rather than creative focused.

So where do we go then? What comes of us, who have had the traditional education? Do we go find a company where you can get lost in your own oblivion within the company and become part of the furniture in the office? So the question of the two earlier scenarios comes back, two guys both 1o years of experience but one has got 5 jobs and the other 1 job, what do you do?

Well ask them the question about where we are heading and their opinion about Knowledge industry as opposed as to Manufacturing base....and the answer will show you the way...

Disclaimer: Whatever has been said here should not be taken against the author as this is a rant, a rave and a non-violent means for venting of human emotion. If the thoughts and the flow of the above verbage are erratic this too shouldn’t be taken against the author as the word “diarrhoea” implies a lack of control.

"Champion" now turning on his own team

Yes I am right Alonso has lost it royally. This guy has taken being a spoilt sport to a new level! I will be glad when he is forgotten and lost to history. Perhaps his age could be blamed for his lack of maturity but, whatever the case maybe even if by some chance he wins the 2006 title he would not be a great champ!

You can turn on your rivals, your teammate, your fans even, but your team? He said that they are more focused on winning the constructors title, maybe some one should tell him if he wins the title most likely the team will win the constructors as well.

Sigh!

We are in for a treat for next two races! Whatever the case maybe it will go down to Brazil as the decider unless Alonso manages to do something so dumb he gets points deducted. If that happens oh man will we ever hear the end of the whinge.

M

What's up with Alonso?

I think the pressure of being a forgotten champ is getting to FA! If he loses this season, he will become like the many world champions that just won for one year because they had a good car. Just like how Damon Hill and Villeneuve. There is one thing that these 3 losers have in common.

There all have a common hatred for MS. However, the only true world champion other than MS during this era was Mika Hakkinen. He was a true world champion, never whinging or complaining how the FIA has wronged him. His was a championship won on skill of the driver and the team; true meaning of Formula One.

The recent news reports of Alonso's compliants about MS is getting bad to worse. I suggest he stop before he gets the same label as Villeneuve, the champ who has had his head hit too many time he's lost his mind. Of course the naysayers do not stop there... There's Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg and Jackie Stewart have chimed in there displeasure of MS success, but it is typical of them since each of them represent one or more of the drivers or teams on the current grid.

I think FA should shut up and win the championship on the track rather than trying to lose it and the respect that a F1 champ deserves in the press!

M