Wagyu beef for lunch

We bought the 2 pieces of Wagyu beef from a Japanese supermarket and cook them for our lunch. The meat is tender and juicy. Wagyu beef originated from Japan. Wagyu cattle is specially bred for its
meat and could fetch a high price. The meat simply melts in the mouth. There are very expensive in Singapore ($20 per piece of 200 grams) but in Japan it is about half the price.

He felt humiliated at the cabin crew interview

Dear Forum Editor,

Good day to you.

I'm a Singaporean who's very proud of my flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) and it's a brand I hold in high esteem.
I'm sharing my experiences in this letter because I'm concerned Singapore Airlines is losing it's competitive edge.

I was a candidate at the most recent SIA cabin crew walk-in interview.
It was a negative experience for me because I met a difficult interviewer at the one-to-one interview.
I answered the interviewer's questions accordingly and when I tried to elaborate relevant points, he made this retort a few times-"did I ask you?".  I was courteous and genuinely smiling during the interview and the interviewer told me to stop smiling.  The warm smiles of the Singapore Airlines cabin crew is one of their signature traits.  Shouldn't a cheerful disposition be a desirable trait in a cabin crew candidate?  When I told the interviewer I want to work for my own flag carrier instead of other airlines and I'm willing to learn to improve myself, he replied sarcastically, "did you go for a course to prepare for this interview".  I was rejected after the interview.
I'm not disgruntled because I didn't get the job, I can accept if I'm unsuitable.  However, the interviewer's attitude made me feel demoralized and put down.

In July this year, I had a different experience during the Emirates Cabin Crew recruitment campaign organized by Sass Atlantic.
I credit and appreciate Emirates and Sass Atlantic for making it a positive experience, even though I was unsuccessful.
The Recruitment Officers from Emirates were professional, encouraging and kind throughout the selection process.
Sass Atlantic staffers provided invaluable assistance and guidance to all candidates.

In sharing my experiences, I wish to highlight that any job interview should be the candidate's platform to promote himself and his qualities that make him suitable for the job and the interview decorum should be in accordance with the company's image.  If the job interview isn't properly conducted, how will the company suss-out the best candidate for the job.  Some candidates for airline jobs may become the target market or potential passengers of the airline they interviewed with.  The interview experience will affect how the candidate perceives the airline in future. If SIA doesn't address these issues, I'm concerned they'll loose out to competitors.

Thank you for your attention.

BT: Song sung and lyrics written by yours truly.

My huge lunch @ Hougang Interchange/MRT Station

Yesterday, I ate only 1 meal (lunch) and was very hungry by 1pm. I adjourned to Hougang Interchange/MRT Station and had lunch at one of the coffee shops. First, it was the ba-chor-mee ($3.50) followed by the Hainanese chicken rice ($4 with rice, breast meat, gizzards and liver). Both dishes were delicious and priced reasonably. In fact, this was my first time eating at this place. I chose the food according the queue of people. Long queue of people usually mean that the food is good and cheap.

Yong Tau Foo, Prata and Durain

The yong tau foo from Lim's is good and cheap. I had it for my lunch. 6 pieces plus a choice of noodles, beehoon or rice is at $4. You can either have it "dry" or with soup. I opted for "dry" so I can add the chili and red sweet sauce freely.
Last night, besides porridge I also had the roti prata (in Malaysia it is known as roti canai). 2 pieces (kosong) without egg is $2.
After dinner, I bought durian at $10 for 4 packets. The texture and quality is average but then one can't expect it to be excellent for $10. A reasonably good durian may cost about $18 for 3 boxes.

Whisk & Paddle

The cafe is situated in Punggol, next to a river with lots of greenery. The ambience is nice and one may choose al fresco dinning or indoor airconditioning dinning. The place is usually quiet during the weekdays but crowded during the weekends.
The food is quite good but can be improved. Rather expensive. The above (for 2), as you can see cost almost $80. Like some places, this one should not include the 10% service (my suggestion).

A traditional Chinese dish at a hawker stall

Last night, I took a detour as I was driving along the CTE, to AMK Ave 3 to have my favourite fried Hokkien mee. However, I was disappointed to discover the stall was shut. As I was walking around the hawker center, I spotted a stall selling claypot rice. Although there was a short queue, I saw many unwashed empty claypot, rice bowls etc piling up on a table. Many people were also having the claypot rice. I approached the stall and studied its menu (at least 10 varities). There were many dishes eg: sting ray in curry sauce, chicken curry, ginger chicken in soya sauce etc. Finally, I settled for the black soya sauce pork trotters in vinegar with ginger. I ordered a bowl of rice too.
After a 10 minute wait, my order came. It was piping hot and I waited patiently for it to cool. The first sip of the black sauce or gravy took me by surprise. It was excellent. It reminds me of my childhood days when my mother gave birth to my little brother and sisters. It was during those time, my grandmother would cook pork trotters in vinegar with lots of ginger for my mother. It was a Chinese tradition and the dish was to keep the mothers-to-be or after giving birth, the warmth they needed. Whatever my mother could not finished, I would gladly help myself to it.
After finishing my dinner, I went up to the hawkers and complimented them for cooking such a great, tasty dish. It was worth the money I've paid for ($6).
Watch this video on how to prepare and cook the above.

Beef kway teow

When Food Scholar took over the foodcourt from Kopitiam at Greenwich Seletar Hills' end of last year, they advertised among other stalls, will be one selling beef kway teow.
About half a year later the beef kway teow arrived. It began operation yesterday and here I was this morning waiting anxiously for it to open.
Yes, at 10:15 am it opened and I was the first customer. I ordered the most expensive one which has mixed beef (tendon, lean meat etc) and kway teow ($9). They also provided chili sauce and chin-cha-lok or fermented shrimps to go with the meal.
The first thing I did was to taste the soup. It was......a big disappointment. It was way below my expectation. The beef was not as tender and beefy as I expected. The tendon was so so....no kick at all compared to the one at Shaw House foodcourt or at City Square Mall (all same price at $9).
I don't think the stall will last more than 1 year of operation. Why? Because it's expensive and not authentic.

Tosai masala and fruits

The tosai masala (with potato fillings) is relatively cheap at $2. Without the filling it is $1.40, still cheap and affordable for the heartlanders and retirees like myself. It is also tasty and low in calories.
The oranges I bought from NTUC's FairPrice is ridiculously expensive. One orange cost $1.55. It is not just the price I am talking about but the quality and taste of the fruit. It is dry and not so sweet.
You would've to buy 3 (in a package) in order to qualify for $4.65. But if you just want to buy 1, it cost you $.180.
The bananas cost $1.60 for 4 which is quite affordable. The fruits are expensive because they are imported.
I try eatings more fruits because they contain lots of fibre. 

Bangladeshi given 17 years' jail and 24 strokes of caning for raping woman at MacRitchie

The Bangladeshi construction worker who raped a woman at MacRitchie Reservoir was sentenced to 17 years’ jail and given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane at the High Court on Friday (19 May).

In sentencing Pramanik Liton, 24, who committed the offence on 8 February 2015, Justice Choo Han Teck highlighted the inconsistency of Liton’s testimony and the weight of evidence against him.

Continue reading here

Other unsolved rape and murder cases in Singapore

Source: Singapore Press Holdings

Winnifred Teo Suan Lie, then a 18-year-old Catholic Junior College student was the victim of a rape and murder case. On May 22 1985, she left her house for a jog, but never returned home. Her mother made a police report, and unfortunately, Winnifred's naked body was later found lying in undergrowth off Old Holland Road.

She suffered multiple stab wounds on her neck. Her body showed signs of a fierce but futile protest, probably made when she was trying to fight off her killer(s). An autopsy showed that she had been sexually assaulted, and died of massive bleeding from the stab wounds. The murderer(s) were never discovered.

Possible Theories:

1. Business Rivalry

The CID considered several theories, and business rivalry was one of them. They did not rule out that the murder could have been related to "jealous business rivals" of Winnifred's father, who was a managing director with Kuok Brothers and overseas at the time of the murder. Investigators said that they "might have wanted to get back at his family members while he was out on overseas business". 

2. Victim of sexual assault

Residents and joggers in the area said they frequently saw a slim man, who had exposed himself before to passing female joggers. The police arrested the man for questioning, but released him after they failed to make any connection. 

The scene of the attack was situated at a rural area between Ulu Pandan and Bukit Timah. A large number of men from nearby construction sites usually gather around the area, so it's possible that a few of them might have been the culprits. 

Sadly, even after so many years of investigation, the police has came up with nothing. The killer(s) remain at large. 

 

8. Bukit Batok Rape Case (2000)

 

Bukit Batok is the site of large parks and other nature spots, but it is also famous for being the site of a few shady and bloodcurdling crimes, the most famous being the rape and murder case which happened back in 2000.

27-year-old Linda Chua, an oil company executive, was jogging at the Bukit Batok Nature Park around 10AM when she was attacked. A passer-by heard her cries for help and called an ambulance. Linda Chua was found lying in a 10-metre ravine naked, with a bloodied nose and mouth, and her clothes next to her. Unfortunately she did not manage to survive, and passed away a week after the assault. 

Possible Theories:

1. Victim of sexual assault

Like the Winnifred Teo case, Linda Chua was most probably the victim of sexual assault. The Bukit Batok Park is known for being quiet and secluded, full of concrete paths with thick vegetation on either side, making Bukit Batok susceptible for crimes to happen easily. 

What makes the case more chilling is that the assault happened in broad daylight. We tried very hard to uncover more information regarding this case, but met with many dead ends. Even newspaper reports were scarce, which made it hard for us to find any related pictures.

This is one of the rare cases with minimal information available, which adds a thick air of mystery to the unsolved case. We could not even find a relevant picture for it. Hopefully in the future, someone will come forward with information, or police will be able to find more clues to help solve this case. 

Ba-Chor-Mee or minced meat noodles

I prefer kway teow and noodle for my BCM. Usually people would ask for mee kia or mee pok. Well there is no hard and fast rule. This BCM is one of the best in SG. It is cheap and good ($3.50) and being sold at a coffee shop along Jalan Kayu. I had it for breakfast.