REFLEXOLOGY...

This week I experienced Reflexology for the first time. Introduced to a small place called Health Step Foot Reflexology in Holland Village by my friend Libby, I wasn't convinced I would 100% enjoy as I'm not very good at letting people touch my feet usually. How wrong was I?! I found the whole experience totally relaxing and very fascinating being able to follow the chart that showed the various organs of the body that the pressure being applied to my feet related to. I will certainly be visiting again very soon!

"A natural healing art based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears and their referral areas within zone related areas, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on these reflexes without the use of tools, crèmes or lotions, the feet being the primary area of application, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body."

SINGAPORE RESTAURANT WEEK : NOVUS

Singapore Restaurant Week returns for the fourth time this week and last night myself, Jill and Victoria had our first taster. Novus Restaurant at the National Museum specialises in avant garde Contemporary European cuisine with a modern chic interior. I've never visited the museum before so the venue is pretty spectacular in itself as the museum building is very grand.  


"The dining experience at Novus is nothing short of sensational. The kitchen, helmed by Austrian Chef Stephan Zoisl who has worked with several Michelin Star restaurants, serves up creative and contemporary renditions of familiar recipes and innovative pairings. Menus are seasonally influenced, capturing only the freshest produce that befits discerning palates. Equal emphasis has been placed on the conceptualization of the restaurant interior which features Paul Smith and Cappellini contemporary European furnishings design by Cult furniture designer Jasper Morrison. At night, the mood livens up with music flowing from live performances at The Courtyard. The perfect venue for an evening soiree, to impress a date or to entertain business associates from out of town, Novus delivers - and  more - with its uncompromising food and service quality and the passionate professionals behind the establishment." *

Restaurants participating in restaurant week offer a a special 3-course set dinner for $35++ and the opportunity to sample some of the best cuisine in Singapore. From the menu below you can see my choices...

VEAL & TUNA

medium roast veal sirloin, tuna tatare, tomato marmalade, mirco coriander

OR

FOIE GRAS ANGLAISE

goose liver custard, duck confit, ginko beans, truffle salsa, parmesan foam

OR

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP

almond powder, artichoke chips, purple shiso

OR

HEIRLOOM TOMATO

seasonal salad of heirloom tomato, prawns, avocado, radish

--------------------------------------

FISH OF THE DAY

our daily fresh catch, prepared in chef’s way

OR

LOBSTER RISOTTO

carnarolli risotto, Canadian lobster, shellfish stock, oven baked cherry tomato, fennel

OR

BLACK ANGUS BEEF

black angus beef tenderloin (200 days grain fed, 120g)

sauce poivrade, grilled asparagus, triple cooked French fries

OR

MUSHROOM GNOCCHI

creamed seasonal mushroom, potato gnocchi, thyme, parmesan cheese

 --------------------------------------

VALRHONA CHOCOLATE TEST

33% aerated mousse, 55% soufflé, 66% sorbet,

72% warm custard, 85% dehydrated chocolate

OR 

CURD SOUFFLE

warm blueberry sauce, buttermilk ice cream

The girls chose other options including the Foie Gras Anglaise, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup and Lobster Risotto. Another fab restaurant to check off the list and one to recommend to friends. Check out the website here : http://www.novus.sg/

*Singapore Restaurant Week : http://www.restaurantweek.sg/

ELBOW...

Last night I spent a few hours down on Esplanade. A lovely dinner at Gluttons Bay followed by Elbow at the theatre. I wouldn't say I'm a massive fan by any means but I do enjoy their sound and found last night's concert spectacular. Performing favorite hits such as "One Day Like This" and "Grounds for Divorce" you would have said from shutting your eyes that you were listening to a CD. "Frontman Guy Garvey's voice is sweet yet, soulful and on stage, his lyrical wit and dark humor is refreshing and magnetic." I couldn't agree more. What an entertainer. 

“Their epic, orchestral rock is complex and ambitious but never smugly clever, personally expressive yet not morbidly self-obsessed, sweetly glum rather than oppressively gloomy.” — Uncut

ENGLAND 12 - 19 WALES...

Ever since I moved away from home in 2001 I have felt an immense sense of pride in my nationality. I have suffered years of abuse and banter from various university friends and work colleagues when Wales have been defeated in any game of rugby let alone those games where we have come face to face with England...and lost. You can only imagine how excited I was last weekend when Wales did in fact beat England....just their second win at Twickenham since 1988! I am lucky enough to know a great photographer, Marcus Dodridge, who I used to work with back at Vibrandt. Marcus is not only a fantastic wedding photographer, but, he loves his sport! And spends a lot of time photographing for Rugby World magazine. He was at the match on the 25th which saw Wales snatch a dramatic 19 -12 win over England to win the Triple Crown and keep their hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam alive. 

Marcus has said that I can show a selection of his most recent shots here on the blog (thank you Marcus!) So enjoy these....I think they are great! And if you are looking for a wedding photographer at any point check out his website here ... http://www.marcusdodridge.com 

I know a couple of my friends struggle to understand why I am so passionate about my nationality and proud of where I come from. I think Welsh pride truly is real pride and I find my pride only grows stronger the longer I am away from home and the more people take the mick and joke about where I come from and how I sound. I am so proud to be Welsh and I will never forget my home, where I grew up and the family values that have made me the person that I am today. I will be even more proud when we (hopefully) win the Six Nations in a couple of weeks. Come on boys!!!!

I came across a great piece of design whilst researching for a project this week. From Patrick George...

http://www.debutart.com/illustration/patrickgeorge#/illustration

THE END OF AN ERA...

So, leaving behind Mr. Kipling when I left the UK was kind of like the end of an era after working on the brand for five years. However, the era has well and truly come to an end now with the redesign of the packaging. But credit where credit is due, JKR have done and a great job and I look forward to seeing all the packs on shelf when I get back to visit the UK in May.

Meanwhile here in Asia I am very lucky to be working in some completely different categories to cake! Lot's of alcohol and beauty brands. Hopefully I will be able to share some new launches soon. Watch this space! 

ME, MYSELF AND MY...

I was really pleased to hear this week that a piece of packaging that I had worked on whist at 1HQ had won a Bronze Packaging DBA Award. Great news! I was actually served a "Me, Myself and My" pack whilst on my way home from the UK in December on board and Emirates flight.


"En Route offers premium bakery products to the Travel Catering market. With the economic downturn impacting airline catering budgets, En Route wanted to create a product range for the industry that would offer an appealing ready-to-eat snack rather than the usual meal tray.

In response, 1HQ created the Me, Myself & My brand – a nod to the insight that, once settled on board their flight, passengers enter a self-contained bubble. 1HQ used a bold, confident logotype and strong, simple visuals and colours to reflect the brand’s distinctive personality, create impact and help with easy product identification. The packaging also featured games and puzzles to extend brand interaction and as a means of alleviating in-flight boredom.

The brand achieved over six times its already ambitious sales target. It can now be found on major airlines including long and short-haul British Airways, Ryanair, BMI and Emirates flights. Sales soared by 330% and En Route have built a reputation as the point of reference for premium bakery in the market" 

For more, please head to http://www.effectivedesign.org.uk/packaging/me_myself.php

AMANDA'S ADVENTURE...

It was so lovely to have Amanda visit at the end of January and for her to finally get to see where I live now. We had a jam filled fortnight and managed to do and see plenty of things. As it was Chinese New Year whilst she was here it was the perfect opportunity to experience Asia during the most important festival in the Chinese calendar...

The decorations in China Town this year revolved around the theme of the dragon as the coming year is the year of the "water dragon". Every evening I walk home along the outskirts of China Town and was wowed by the most striking decoration ... a huge red dragon that drifts along the main road. Probably viewed better from above I managed to get some great shots from some of the better vantage points lower down. Visiting during Chinese New Year the atmosphere was great, everyone in high spirits and brightly illuminated. Although part of the market was closed (we turned up a little late) we were still able to get some fantastic pictures painted, by a very talented local man for the special little ones Tommy and Jack. I hope that this will be a reminder to Tommy that his Aunty Karen lives in Asia. Even more special as it was hand painted on Chinese New Year 2012.

We also managed to get to Universal Studios. Despite already having gone last year, this year there were more rides open including "Transformers : The Ride". It was incredible! A hyper-realistic 3D ride which has you racing through the city and hanging on for dear life. I've never really been a massive Transformers fan but can honestly say that this blew my mind!

So, what else did we get up to? Singapore Slings at Raffles, Tapas at Chjimes, Brunch at The Swissotel, drunken drinks at Tanjong Beach Club, birthday pancakes at Steve's, bike riding on Pulau Ubin, local food tasting at Glutton's Bay, drinks at 1-Altitude, a fantastic evening watching Wicked followed by drinks at Ku De Ta, "Surf and Turf" at Hot Stones, the hottest Indian ever in Little India, an adventure wandering around Mustafa's and of course and a fab week in Bali! I hope Amanda enjoyed her stay!

WICKED...

Another incredible show at Marina Bay Sands recently, Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz. I had heard so many good reviews of Wicked and the show lived up to all of them! "Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good". http://wickedthemusical.com.sg

Wicked is a visual feast! With flying monkeys, a huge mechanical dragon, incredible costumes and floating bubbles, the set is award-winning. The music and lyrics by Stephan Schwartz are powerful and the show entertains from start to finish trying to determine the answer to the question posed as the show opens, "Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?". Towards the end of the first Act I actually found myself close to tears when Elphaba (The Wicked Witch) discovers her inner strength and sings "Defying Gravity" whilst floating in mid-air. Wicked is actually quite a thought-provoking musical. It also provides an insight into how the Scarecrow, TinMan and Lion all end up in the Wizard of Oz, and you will get to learn why Dorothy and Toto were sent to the Land of Oz. Wicked is an epic musical...I'm very tempted to book again!

BALLET REVOLUCION....

I've been lucky enough to see some incredible artists here and some fantastic shows at the theatre and the latest one, Ballet Revolucion, certainly did not disappoint. Thanks to Victoria for booking us some tickets last minute on Saturday I spent two hours with my jaw and eyes wide open memorised by the perfomrance! "Straight from the heart of Cuba, the undisputed home of dance, Ballet Revolucion is an energetic fusion of ballet, contemporary dance and modern hip hop. It is a raw fresh and dynamic Cuban cocktail of unbridled passion, pure energy and athletic skill. Together with the accompaniment of a live All Star Cuban Band that plays hits from Shakira, Santana, Enrique Iglesias, Chris Brown, Beyonce and Usher to tantalise your senses." Check out the website here : http://www.balletrevolucion.com.au/australia/home

I would really recommend getting your hands on tickets to this show! Unfortunately it has come to a close in Singapore but I have just seen on the website that they are traveling to London. If you can't make it to the show here is a short trailer to give you a little taster of what it was like... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3U2oVjpizA&feature=related This however doesn't come close to the sensation of being in the audience and watching these incredible athletes perform right in front of your eyes.

SCISSOR SISTERS...

This Monday we were lucky enough to get hold of some free Scissor Sisters tickets for their gig at Fort Canning Park. I've always enjoyed their music, more the early stuff compared to the more recent. Although the gig started at 8pm we had to wait until 9.40pm before they came on stage ... the reason for being late revealed as "Bali Belly" from their previous concert. But, this didn't really show as they gave the concert their all and performed a collection of and new and old songs. 

Lead singers Jake Shears and Ana Matronic along with Babydaddy, Del Marquis and Randy Real were absolutely brilliant. Hits included "Laura", "Take Your Mama", "Filthy/Gorgeous" and of course my ultimate favourite "I Don't Feel Like Dancin". A great gig to gig start the year. Just a shame I wasn't able to take my own pictures.

ALL ABOARD THE HOLMES & MARCHANT PIRATE PARTY BOAT...

This year's Holmes & Marchant Christmas party was held on a boat sailing around the south islands of Singapore. The theme ... pirates! Not a bad effort for last minute organisation. What more did we need...a boat, canoes, alcohol, a BBQ and 23 pirates! Our Holmes & Marchant parties/holidays are seem to be going down in history. I'm very much looking forward to the next one!

EMIGRATION...

A very good friend of my Dad's Vince writes poetry and I've taken this one from his new collection "A Medley of Rhyme" :

Some folk leave home for far away,

They're youngsters living for today.

And thinking of their future time,

Decisions made while in their prime.

The world outside's a great big place,

The other side of the earth's face.

Is where our youngsters want to go,

They've never been, and do not know.

Their eagerness is evident,

The sun and sea is heaven sent.

If they can work and earn their keep,

A nurse, a doctor, herding sheep,

And many other jobs as well,

Their 'Shangri La', or living hell.

But, time will tell how they get on,

Some will return, some are 'long gone'.

The grass seems greener far away,

And some will go, and some will stay.

Very apt for me Vince! Look forward to reading more of your work in the future. You are now world wide published. 

IT'S CHRISTMAS...

Scenario A recently bought Christmas to Singapore with a fantastic gig at the Prince of Wales on Boat Quay. A great gig complete with snow machine that got everyone in the mood and kick started the festive season perfectly. 

CONGRATULATIONS JENNIE AND STUART...

ELEPHANT PARADE SINGAPORE...

Craig recently invited along to join him at the launch of Elephant Parade Singapore on the 11th November. TANGS on Orchard Road launched its highly-anticipated yearly Christmas campaign with a spectacular light up of the building’s façade and decorations, while at the same time unveiling the most precious elephant of Elephant Parade Singapore 2011, “Pretty & Pink” by jewellery designer Sabine Roemer (below centre). I missed the Elephant Parade London so I'm really excited to be able to see it here in Singapore.

Image courtesy of http://elephantparade.com

The evening began outside the main entrance of TANGS Orchard, where 10 life-sized painted baby elephants were installed the night before as part of the launch of the Elephant Parade Singapore 2011. In amongst these elephants are two designed by Cat Deeley and Leona Lewis. To officiate light up the guests-of-honour each placed a crystal vase of tulips, symbolic of TANGS’ enchanted forest Christmas theme, on individual light boxes to initiate the store’s Christmas light up sequence to Johnny Mathis’ “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” The 300-strong crowd of invited guests from TANGS and Elephant Parade, including business partners, artists and media, were then ushered up to The Christmas Shoppe at TANGS Orchard Level 4 for the next part of the evening – the unveiling of the most precious elephant of Elephant Parade Singapore 2011, “Pretty & Pink” by Ms Sabine Roemer, featuring a 3.3 carat diamond in a one-of-a-kind brooch worn by the elephant. I'll write more about the elephants early on next year as I have made it my mission to photograph all 162. So, I'm sure there will be rather large blog entry coming for that! Watch this space!