the art of dumbspeak

Dinner at the Airfield - Abendessen in der Flugplatz

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:00 +0000

On Saturday, we traversed a long way to Seletar, past the airbase to this private air field in the middle of nowhere....

in search of this place called Sunset Grill

and the 10 Levels of Spicy Buffalo Wings

At level 5, Daniel did not feel the kick till after his 2nd wing,

he's feeling the heat....

and he's crying a bit now.

afterwards we all went and goofed around near the hangars

and pretended it was OUR private jet...

kinda...

Daniel ist sehr mude, wie immer, um 11 Uhr!

Home Made Mojito

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Our new ixora plant...

Unsere neue Ixora Pflanze..

and some new friends for our fan palm:

Und ein paar neue Freunde unserer Palme:

(1) Lime

(2) Chilli padi (for Daniel),

and ( 3) Mint.....

...for the Mojitos!

Our New Garden - Unser Neuer Garten

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:31:00 +0000

Saturday the workmen came to build...

...our new planter

As usual, Daniel not doing much.

Voila! Price $400

Spanish food in Manila

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Wednesday night Boss and I went to Terry's for dinner with Tony & Charmi somewhere in the upper-class parts of Manila....Terry's serves Spanish cuisine fused with some Filipino like this hunk of roasted pork which we had to pre-order.

The skin is crispy like the Chinese-style roasted pig, but the meat is so soft it almost melts in your mouth. Plus a thin layer of fat and you've got a truly Yummy mouthful of roasted piggy.

wurst being grilled (uncanny resemblance to you know who's.....)

mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with parma ham

We also had squid ink paella, not photographed.

The wig fits

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:55:00 +0000

Im Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Hallo von Ho Chi Minh City

Das Büro

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Daniels 30 Geburstag

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Bei BASALICO, The Regent Hotel

The buffet

Mit Sepp, Ariane und Joseph Fuhrmann

In Honour Of Our House Guests

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:55:00 +0000

Tobi, Heike, Martin, Conny, Ariane & Sebastian

August, September, October 2009

Carthage and les Berges du Lac

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Antonin Baths, Carthage

Acropolium, Carthage

St. Louis Cathedral

Mediterranean Sea

Lac from hotel room

Hello From Tunisie

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:03:00 +0000

I had a spin with the driver around Tunis on Sunday, he took me to Carthage to see the ruins and then we went to Sidi Bou Said, the famously picturesque town of blue & white by the Mediterranean.

Sidi Bou Said, au bord de la mer Mediterranean

Our driver, Lotfi

Inundated

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:00 +0000

We like waterfalls

Learn English The Smart (Tobi) Way

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:23:00 +0000

1) Partying....

2) Drinking....

3) Travelling....

4) and eating...

Tobi in Singapore, August-October 2009

Flashback

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:53:00 +0000

Sitting still
The years surreal
I do not need a remembering pill
Seconds slide
The one to elide
Conscience weighs how much to abide
Insousciant charm
Went to disarm
Conquer in a euphoric warm
You won't forget
But may regret
Disremembering all you reject

Langkawi

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:18:00 +0000

If only every day could be like this.

Change

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:41:00 +0000

It's strange how things change around here. One minute it's just the two of us - Daniel and I and the water-deficient plants, late nights, eating out, the next minute I am getting used to Tobi being home when I get back, cooking dinner, making us a Mojito or gin tonic. Oh yes, did I mention that the laundry is miraculously done and the floors mopped during the week? And now, Tobi's leaving us on Saturday, no more bratkartoffeln or BBQs down by the pool, no more half naked brother nagging that I don't wash the dishes properly or that my part-time helper deserves to be fired for not cleaning the German way. Oh yeah, and no more spaghetti bolognaise, best I've ever had, and I do not like spaghetti bolognaise.

Streets of Melaka

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Going to Melaka (or Malacca as it was named by the Dutch/British) is a breeze if you take the highway northwards. Remember to get your arrival card at the checkpoint or better yet, fill it out before the trip cos it takes ages to fill out.

Now you will need the Touch N Go card when you go through Malaysian immigration.

Once you're past customs, get ready for 3 toll-collection stations before you get on the East-West highway proper. Head north to Kuala Lumpur and whatever you do, do not flash your third finger when a Malaysian comes bearing down on your tailgate at 140km/hr on the right lane.

Get off here....the road to the pusat bandar (city center) takes 15 to 20 minutes cos traffic is really slow.

Park here, but watch out, you need to buy the coupons for parking (same system as Singapore's) or you get the summons from the Matar Matar.

You will pass here and the Peranakan Museum of Melaka.

Turn left here

....and walk down this street

check out the architecture

as you get to the main street, often closed to traffic for the Pasar Malam (night market).

Traditional candy in a block, he is hammering pieces of it out with a chisel.

Must Eat: Melaka Chendol

we think he used to be an air steward, either that or he stole one of the life-size Malaysia Airlines cut-outs and stashed it in the back of his shop.

the secret is the Gula Melaka sugar

we love it.

More street stands

Dried barbequed cuttle fish in spices ... yummy

Old Melaka

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Malacca of old...the forlorn vestiges of its colonial history stand atop a city that builds its dreams on the future. A tourist city that appears disjointed at once and yet recognizable as the Melaka of the British, Dutch, Portuguese and Straits Chinese...you don't have to look too far for it, but you wonder how much longer it would remain.

Wet in the Wetlands

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:21:00 +0000

Sunday: if it's raining cats and dogs, go to the Sungei Buloh wetland nature park.

Daniel: no wonder Mas Selamat got to Malaysia in no time.

Despite the constant drizzle, we were off to a promising start....

we were off to look for crocodiles.

No crocs yet....

this was as close to a reptilian experience as we got.

Jackfruit, another smelly but yummy local harvest.

A migratory bird (we didn't know which species).

We hid behind the Lookout taking pictures,

then Tobi scared the birds to make them fly for better photographic effect.

These aren't as wild as we thought they were.

That was much better than the mall.

Hungry Ghosts & Hungry People

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Tobi, Daniel and I went to Little India to buy garlic, onions and lemons (don't ask me why).

It is the (7th lunar) month of the Hungry Ghosts. During this month, the Festival of the Ghosts includes giving offerings and praying with the giant incense sticks....

..and Chinese Opera to entertain the Ghosts when they are on their One Month Roam Earth Free Pass.

He is rehearsing.

On with shopping...

No basil leaves, but free parsley. Tobi: yuck.

On to lunch.

Oops, I forgot to take pictures before we ate up the food.

This is Nepalese food.

Tobi didn't like the parsley in the chicken.

Order the mixed vegetables cooked Gurkha style.

I am not a Nepalese cuisine expert but the restaurant was cosy (and simple), food authentic and made me feel like eating it on some high mountain top.

51 Chander Road

Friday Night

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:40:00 +0000

The Boys

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Tobi cooked

Bratkartoffeln

Who's cleaning the kitchen?

Not the boys, evidently.

Ouch

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:30:00 +0000

My first ankle sprain of the year.

In fact, the first in a few years; after the Rollerblading Sprain of 2000 and the Dark Cinema Sprain of 1997, I have been uber careful to a fault in avoiding ANY and ALL forms of sporting activity that involve travelling at high speeds without ground contact (with the exception of wakeboarding, which is another potential body-injuring activity).

This time, it was Numb Legs After Lunch Sprain, 2009. Health advice: cap the heels at 1.5 inches.

Bier Mit Jetlag

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:36:00 +0000

After dinner, at Blooie's

Kirstin's hungry

Quesidillas

Housewarming July 2009

noreply@blogger.com (VIV) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:28:00 +0000

The first party at Lorong G

Weisswurst! (Daniel und mich); Peranakan Curry (Carrie); Salad (Cecille);

Fresh Sashimi (Daniel, mich, Kenny)

Karen and Cecille: Yummy

Foie gras und kase mit brot/crackers (Francois & Lara);

Lara

die Madchens

Francois und Daniel

Wahrscheinlich Politik...

The first Coke bottle that resisted all efforts to be opened

Francois's idea: have a go at it with a pair of scissors...

Daniel: If scissors don't work, chisel it with a hammer

Saying goodbye to Nadine and Eddie

1am