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20) I’ve touched the earth for one month
Traditionally, for a one-month “young” new born, the baby’s family will host a celebration to welcome the sweet event. It’s a time to celebrate the baby’s birth and marks the end of the mother’s confinement.
Some have a buffet spread for guests while others had the celebration in restaurants to accommodate more guests. Other than this, food boxes with cakes, red dyed eggs or glutinous rice will also be given to friends and relatives. These days, food boxes come in more varieties like cupcakes, mini tarts or puffs.
Eggs are chosen as they represent fertility and new passage in life. The red dye represents luck and blessings and their round shapes symbolize harmony.
Glutinous rice with toppings like slice stewed pork, fried dry prawn, mushrooms and sprinkled with onions and garlic shallots will also be given out with the food boxes.
A pair of “Ang Ku Kuey” (“red tortoise cake”) signifies the new born will be blessed with luck and have a life as long as the tortoise.
Last but not least, a milk bottle that feed you with all the sweetness and happiness with that new bundle of joy!
15) A bottle of Coke in you and me!
This traditional local branded bakery shop, is more than enough for you to explore their recipe for your entire life, not only the secret method to produce, but the persistency and the spirits of hardship.
Today, I passed by this bakery. With a glance, I guess I have missed the lunch crowd and the Moon Cake festival. Just like others, I like the moon cakes of this bakery. This bakery may not be a favor with people who likes fanciful moon cakes, but to the local, we know he is someone standing on his own ground firmly, with pride and vision. The good taste never changed!
The shop was established in 1938. Since then, the hands of this traditional bakery shop never stop its hand movement! With original recipe and without preservations, the art passed down from one era to another. Bake instantly with fresh ingredients, this is the slogan for every single cake lovers of our nation.
During the Moon Cake Festive seasons, shoppers queue in rain and shine with paper carrier printed with the Chinese name on it. If you have the cheek to ask them why not go for the fanciful cakes made of durians, birdnests, chocolate or even ice-cream! I believe the answers are the same for sure! “I love the traditional moon cakes”!
In fact, by looking at the long queue, it’s not hard to know they are not an ordinary celebrity, with fans from all ages and from every corner of our country.
Though Moon Cake Festival is over and a snowing Christmas with Santa is arriving soon, but I still think this is just like a bottle of Coke in you and me, with sweet memories and sense of belonging, deep down in our homeland.
8) Dice your Life
Lately, I read an article on newly wed Chinese couple born after the 80s. They have innovated a special dice. The shape does not defer much from the traditional rounded cube, rather of showing number 1-6 on the six-face dice, this one has daily activities like ‘laundry’, ‘cooking’, ‘wash dishes’, ‘buy groceries’, ‘run errand’, ‘staring blank’ etc. on the six-face dice.
The couple has to toss the die to decide their choice of house chore to be done for the day. That’s a fair deal but it could be the starting of a nightmare for the husband.
It is a popular and trendy practice among the young couple. Isn’t it an innovation, and creative idea used in an amazing way!
10) Breakfast at our Tiffany
Bread and Butter
My daily breakfast consists of bread and peanut butter, If I look for changes, it’ll be peanut butter and bread, or oak with banana, else will be banana with oak!
Bread and butter are also one of the basic nutritional meal for kids growing up.
Toast Bread with Half Boiled Eggs
It is common to get them in our local coffee shop. It’s grassroots breakfast indeed. A piece or two toasted bread come with one or two half boiled eggs.
The eggs taste superb with soy sauce and pepper, it’s provide you with the energy charge you need for the day! And of course, you have to monitor your own cholesterol level.
Roti Prata
A traditional Indian meal, an ideal breakfast. It is a pan-fried pancake made from flour dough and it is commonly served with curry gravy or sugar. This is famously one of the most reasonable priced meals among the local.
Porridge with ‘You Tiao’
A typical Chinese authentic meal, a popular meal well-liked here. ‘You Tiao’ (known as ‘Oil Stick’) is a long, golden-brown, deep fried strip of dough that taste slightly salty. Dipping ‘You Tiao’ in a bowl of hot porridge is one of the original way to enjoy the meal!
Nasi Lemak
Commonly a Malay breakfast dish, though it is possible for the dish to be eaten all day as it is sold in most eateries here. Nasi Lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and ‘pandan’ leaf, comes with small fried anchovies, fried peanuts, scrambled or hard boiled egg, cucumber slices, wrapped with banana leaf. Last but not least, is the remarkable hot spicy sauce (sambal) with a sweet under taste that spice up the whole dish and make you wanting to go back for more!
Macdonald’s Breakfast
And finally, this world famous meal may end up in front of me, once in a ‘purple’ moon.
I would love to share so much more Breakfast at Tiffany with you….Hey, what about you? Shall I see you at Tiffany?
2) Local delights / 本地美食
Discover a Seafood BBQ stall at East Coast Park Food Center. Surprised by both by the delicious and reasonable priced food.
It is an added point having a nice meal while enjoying the sea view next to it. It is to me, a simple luxury.
The stall has been there since 1996 when the old lagoon was there.
A medium serving of fried Kai Lan (S$6/-) comes with fried shrimpfish toppings. The price does not come with how much the chef pays an effort to this little detail. The combination ► is just too perfect to my taste bud.
◄The spicy plate of mussels cooked similarly like Chili Crab cost S$10/-. It is definitely worth the sweat I have paid for.
This Stall No. 43 has so many varieties on their menu that are so yummy and with reasonable price. I am definitely going to reserve all those on the menu for my next trip !▼
1) Local Delights / 本地美食
Had a dinner at this coffee shop in Kambangan.
It comes with a plate of Hokien mee, a BBQ chicken and fried vegetable.
The Hokien mee has a smooth texture with fresh ingredients and chilly is a perfect match.
BBQ chicken is so juicy and tender, the size of meat is just right.
The fragrantly fried veg is smooth and not so oily.
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