Discovering new café that serves a decent cup of Java is the best way to spend my Saturday afternoon. A worthy mention is Kith Café on Rodyk Street. It was a bit difficult to find at first, but just head towards the canal, and you will the row of shops. It’s located on the ground level of the Watermark condo on Robertson Quay, and parking is free if you mention that you’re going to the cafe.

Designed by a Justin’s company Hjgher, I would have not expected anything less. Hipster enough for my liking, great coffees and free wifi seals the deal. It’s a small place, so expect to wait for a seat during peak hours on weekends.

Oh and for cyclists, check out Vanguard Bikes just a couple of doors down. They sell some very pretty refurbished bikes, and accessories.

Kith Café

Address: 7 Rodyk Street, Watermark @ Robertson Quay #01-33

Tel: 63419047

Opening hours: 7am – 7pm

No trip to Singapore is complete without Jono having his Geylang beef kway teow. Was Dave’s first time to Geylang, was in two minds about sending him to a pink neon lit house on the premise that it was a row of “cultural exhibits”. I guess they do exhibit bits.

Last year when Jono and Davo was in town, I took them to one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in town – Santouka Ramen.

Jonus the next few posts are for you, just to refresh your memory of the good times past and the ones ahead!

See you in a few weeks!

Long overdue posts about India. No not the trip in Dec 2010, but even earlier, July 2010! Life got in the way, but that doesn’t mean I should forget about it all together. These blog posts are a means to archive my journey and perhaps inspire you to travel to these places for yourself.

I’ll try keep it short and let the pictures tell the story. Life changing is an understatement, I owe the rest of my life to this trip to India.

First of, getting there.

Me and Elz needed to meet the rest in Delhi, and for those in Singapore, airlines flying to Delhi were:
- Singapore Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Air India
- Jet Airways
- Thai Airlines (Stopover in Bangkok)
- Kingfisher (Stopover in Mumbai)
- Emirates (Stopover in Dubai)

Jet Airways was the most affordable, and the timings were better for us working professionals. We could leave the office on Friday, get on the plane and reach Delhi at 2am in the morning, DIRECT.

I definitely recommend flying with them. Though it’s a young airline, it has done very well in positioning itself as a leading player in the industry. Don’t be frightened at the thought of it being an Indian Airline. It may not be as good as a Singapore Airline, but it’s still pretty good for the money you pay.

Here are some of my top flight travel tips

• Forget about looking good, wear something stretchy and comfortable. Because my mum said so. And like many things she says… she was right. Forget about jeans and skirts, go through stretchy track pants.
• Always carry a travel toothbrush and paste. You don’t want to be greeting your loves ones with foul breath
• Try to pre-book your seats if you can. I use seatguru sometimes. If you don’t go to the loo alot, then window seats are best because you can lay your head against the window to sleep.
• Why do I always look terrible when I look into the mirror in the plane loo? Face starts looking like a raisin! Moisturiser and spray mists can help keep your face hydrated.
• Coping mechanism: Peace of Mind® by Origins – This tip was given to me by a friend recently. Person sitting next to you with BO? Or toilet stinks? Or you’re just feeling a bit stressed or anxious? This tiny bottle is travel size and a great addition to your handbag. Just a small amount, rubber under nose, temples and the ingredients such as Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Basil starts working its magic!

*Update

Will be posting video by day or activity because there’s just way too much footage for a collage, and some videos deserve to stand on its own. Not saying this next one does.

So the HSBC Women’s Champions 2011 is just around the corner, in about a months time Singapore is going to be inundated with golf fans from around the region to watch the world’s best female golfers tee off at the Tanah Merah Country Club.

A few months ago, the good people at HSBC and Hill & Knowlton Singapore sent me to Shanghai to watch the HSBC Men’s Champions where I got to rub shoulders with top golfers of the world like Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer.

It was a fantastic experience learning more about golf, but also experiencing the other fun activities off the greens and around the interactive village.

So now it’s Singapore’s turn to host the laydaaayys!

I must say its pretty cute they came up with the augmented reality iPhone game for Singapore. You can win S$10,000, LG DVD Players, vouchers from TaylorMade-adidas golf, Fairmont hotel and M1.

Best part is… no golf skills is required to play this game! Just an iPhone

There are 8 golf holes at Ngee Ann City where you just need to “sink” the balls in with the least amount of “strokes”. Just need to press and hold, swing and let go.

So if you’re in town this weekend, go give it a shot! Contest is only open from 21-23 January, so you have a pretty good chance!

Was on the leaderboard this afternoon with 14 points, but to be honest, that’s easy to beat! Come on… boot me off!

Was invited to a blogger’s event this week by BBC.com for the launch of their new travel site in partnership with its sister company Lonely Planet.

It was an intimate dinner with just 5 bloggers, Dunbar Jones and the BBC folks at South bridge Jazz@7ATENINE. A great sharing session on technology, website user experience and behaviour, travel stories and us locals throwing a slew of recommendations to David on things to do in Singapore.

BBC.com today launched its new travel site in partnership with its sister company Lonely Planet.

BBC.com/travel is led by Editorial Director, David G. Allan, formerly NYTimes.com Travel & Styles Editor. BBC.com, already attracting blue chip advertisers and 16m unique users, has secured Emirates as the key sponsor of the travel section.

At launch, the site has a range of stories from top destinations including Italy, the Caribbean and New York City. Coming soon are a series of specially commissioned stories from BBC contributors and Lonely Planet authors such as the Edinburgh Festival, Japan’s twist on Fall foliage and life above the Arctic Circle.

David G. Allan says: “Our audience already loves the smart, sophisticated and well researched stories from the BBC. BBC Travel builds on our news and documentary heritage with outstanding travel journalism, and key insights from Lonely Planet’s authors, to inspire you to leave your desk and have an adventure whatever the destination.”

BBC Travel is going to be huge! I had no idea they owned a big stake in Lonely Planet. I’d recommend bookmarking this site and watch it grow and evolve into the monster its going to become. If you have any recommendations or feedback about the site, let me know and I’ll be sure to pass on the note to them.

Website: www.bbc.com/travel
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bbc_travel
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BBCTravel

Once in awhile, I get contacted to give personal reviews on products. This time, it was for Neutrogena’s new line of Hydro Boost skincare products. These products are great for those who suffer damaging effects of air-conditioning, late nights and harsh sun exposure, all resulting to dry damaged skin. Yes, yes and yes! That’s me!

So what’s my beauty regime? Almost non-existent one. I would wash my face with facial foam or scrub in the shower, and maybe if I bothered to in the morning, I’d slap on a bit of moisturiser. That’s it!

If my mum read this, she’d be shaking her head disapprovingly. You see, my mum has managed to “preserve” herself really well by taking care of her skin. And she would preach her ways during countless dinner table conversations, but I’m just too lazy to do it!

She says the most important is sunblock, especially when I’m out in the sun cycling.

Was given some beauty products to try recently from Neutrogena. So since I had it there in front of me, why not just give it a shot. Here’s how I felt about each product.

Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser Facial Foam – Love the dispenser. When you dispense the wash, the soap comes out all foamy and light. Not so great with make-up removal. It washes the face, but somehow my face doesn’t feel clean. It leaves a layer of something… oils? which I presume helps to keep the skin hydrated.

Hydro Boost Clear Lotion – I guess it’s a bit like a toner. But not like those alcohol astringent.

Hydro Boost Water Gel (Recommended) – This is probably my favourite out of all the products. Moisturiser applies easily and doesn’t feel thick or cloggy. It’s absorbed into the skin quickly and leaves a silk like texture on face. I’ve been using this before my make-up and it blends well without separating or reacting with the other products.

Hydro Boost Essence – Popularity of “essence” really came from SKII essense. It says that it restores three times the skin’s moisture level within one hour. This is great for your night time regime.

Hydro Boost Mask – Clinically proven to boost skin moisture level 14 times! Great for those nights when you just want to pamper yourself, wear your mask and watch some tele.

Price is very competitive. Recommended retail prices of these products range from S$13.50 to S$31.50. And the best part, it’s available at all major personal stores and pharmacies.

So if you’re a no-fuss girl like me, and hasn’t really done much skincare research, this is probably a good start.

We’ve all been go-karting before, but have you ever thought of joining a team? With the F1 fever hot on our tails, lots of kids and adults are getting into the action. One local team which have been doing really well in the racing circuit is Drakar Racing Team. It was really nice of them to invite me to give it a go recently at their home track at Kartright Speedway in Jurong.

I’m one who loves the adrenalin rush from sports, and this was an opportunity I could not pass.

Jon, who is part of the Drakar racing team gave me a quick run down on what a normal weekend meet up would be like and the race circuit they take part in. I had no idea a community existed nor did I know there was a racing circuit locally and with neighbouring countries. If you were ever going to be a serious race driver, you’d always start with karting.

About the Drakar Racing Team
Founded by entrepreneurs Jonathan Tay, Raymond Low and Edwin Seah, Drakar Racing Team was set up with the purpose of allowing Singaporeans a chance to race in go-karts and grooming potential local talents. Started by Singaporeans for Singaporeans, Drakar Racing was set up last year and has 12 drivers on the team now – the youngest being nine-year-old Jordan Tay and the oldest driver being Rick Chiam who is in his 50s. Serving as a platform for drivers to race, they will be managed properly, including sourcing of sponsorships and data analysis to improve racing techniques.

This thrill ain’t cheap, but I guess everyone has their passion. Mountain bikers can easily spend 3k on a bike, and $90+ a month on service and parts.

Full Equipped Kart (new) – S$10,000 – S$15,000
Race Wear & Helmet – S$1500
New Tyres (per set of 4) – S$300
Basic Engine Rebuild – S$300
Kart Storage (per month) – S$150
Transport (per outing) – S$120 (with petrol and kart preparation)
Track Fee – S$60

BUT, having said that, items above can be bought in the marketplace 2nd hand. So if you’re really keen on the hobby, don’t be discouraged. Perhaps try fun karting first and speak to the Drakar Team.

I got introduced to Nasir aka Opai, who is one of, if not THE top kart driver in Singapore. For safety reasons, was required to wear a racing suit, so he kindly lent me his.

Lovin the race suit look.

Nasir gave me the lo-down on track rules and safety and before you know it I was on my way.

With every loop, I got a bit more confident and a bit more daring. But there was one hairpin turn which I was cautioned about and slowed down substantially for.

After the first 5 rounds around the circuit, you start to realise why F1 drivers have to be extremely physically fit. My arms were really getting a work out from all the steering and by the end of 15mins or driving, I was dripping with sweat! Didn’t help that I was driving in mid afternoon heat.

I’ve always enjoyed go-karting. Got my advance card in Perth while I was there, it just meant you were allowed to drive the faster karts. But Jon’s go-kart was crazy fast! Small tap on the throttle and you lunge forward. fun! Here’s a short video compilation of that afternoon.

Here’s a Drakar Racing Team video I found on YouTube on a recent Endurance race in Singapore.

Karting in Singapore

To find out more about the Drakar Racing Team, racer profiles, racing circuit and how to join them, visit their website at: www.drakarracing.com/

I was given a pair of vouchers for my birthday last year to attend a morning gourmet session at-Sunrice Academy Fort Canning, and hadn’t redeemed until recently. There were different cuisines to choose from on different dates.

But the only cuisine which I was interested in was Thai food. Mumsy and Jie jie couldn’t make it, and Danli was busy that weekend. The next best person I thought of was a friend who was part thai and likes to cook! (My sister nicknamed him “PartPad-thai” hur hur hur)

We rocked up to the 10mins late, and the class was already mid-way through the first demonstration. We quickly wore our aprons and sat ourselves down.

The first two dishes were just Chef demonstrations:
- Deep-friend Fishcake Served with Sweet & Sour Cucumber Sauce (Thod Man Plaa)
- Thai Shrimp Paste Dip (Naam Prik Kapi)

The next 3 dishes were hands on demonstrations. First dish we prepared was the Steamed Banana Pudding (Khanom Kluay). We had to start on dessert first because it will be placed in the steamer while we ate our mains.

The second hands-on dish was a Stir-fried Chicken with Holy Basil (Phad Ka-prow Gai). Those who have worked me with me at ICON and Convertium would know I absolutely love the Basil Chicken at Senat Thai store at Maxwell Food Centre. Without doubt, the best Holy Basil chicken in Singapore!

I remembered Dougie saying his mum picked him some Holy Basil to take home to Singapore, so this dish was came at a good time for him too!

I was quite surprised at how simple it was to cook this dish. I reckon we did pretty well in terms of plating and presentation. Chef did say it was a bit salty (what we didn’t mention was the mix up in quantities of the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Ooops!)

Last dish that morning was the Savoury Chicken Soup in Coconut Milk (Tom Khaa Gai). This was also fairly easy to prepare and extremely tasty. We got props for this dish from Chef, with praise that the heat and sourness is just the way he would have prepared it. It tasted rather like a green curry, but less heavy.

At the end of all that cooking, we took our dishes to the veranda outside where we ate our food for lunch with Chef and the other students.

Minus the rain, the morning gourmet sessions was really enjoyable. I love trying out new recipes, and if I had the opportunity to do cooking sessions again, without a doubt, YES! And these recipes I just learnt? I’m definitely cooking this up for my next house dinner party with friends. Who’s in!

If you’d like to spend a morning learning a new cuisine, check out their website at www.at-sunrice.com for more details.

*I didn’t post the ingredients and instructions on the blog because it was just far too lengthy. But if you’d like a copy, email me at contactATangelaleowgrayDOTcom and I’ll send you a copy by email.

Spent one weekend in June with Jules at the pool.

Played in the baby pool with him until he mastered the skill of filling a watering can and emptying it through the nozzle. It’s the simple pleasures in life, watching this little fella learn, absorb and grow.

Found it fascinating that baby board shorts come with a little “catchment layer” in case of “accidents”!! O_o

My favourite picture of the day top left. That little curl in his lip is distinctively my sister’s genes. Doesn’t Jie Jie look beautiful in these photos?

Not very PC, but check out the photo bottom left. He looks like a mini KKK from the back! Or maybe an Ewok from Star Wars?