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.

Economy Chinese dishes and rice

It's amazing how one fellow can cook so many dishes (20) and not just for one day but everyday. The guy is a Malaysian Chinese and he is a cook. There are many like him in Singapore. They are relatively young, perhaps around 35 years old but they are good cooks of Chinese and local dishes.

They are paid around S$2,500 or MYR 7,500 per month and that's quite a tidy sum for a Malaysian cook. In Malaysia they do not earn more than S$1,200, I was told.

Do you know why it is called "Economy Rice"? It is because the dishes are supposed to be sold cheap  or affordable to the heartlanders. The set meals like a plate of white rice with 1 meat and 1 vegetable cost $2, 2 veggies and 1 meat is $2.50, 2 meat and 1 veggie is $3.50 etc. However, one may also order a' la carte dishes which cost a bit more. The bottom picture was my a' la carte order. It is a plate of rice with sambal sting ray, some pieces of pork chop and a portion of towgay or beam sprouts. My order cost $6.50c. The sting ray itself was $3.50c.

Overall, the food is quite good considering the reasonable prices. Usually, there will be a long queue during the lunch and dinner periods.

Malay rice at Kaki Bukit

This morning I sent my vehicle for general servicing at a workshop around Kaki Bukit area. While waiting for the job to complete, I tried the Malay food at the canteen. Above was a plate of rice with a piece of mutton rendang, sambal goreng and sambal mussels and it cost $6 which is equivalent to MYR 18+ (Malaysian Ringgit exchange rate is S$1 = MYR 3.10). The food wasn't that good. The mutton was tough, the mussels had some sands in them but the sambal goreng was not too bad.
I won't recommend this stall to any of my readers.
The tea was $1 which is 10c less than in other coffee shops in SG.

Tosai for my dinner

Had this tosai or dosa, a Southern Indian pancake for dinner. Nothing spectacular about this dish except it is low in calories ($1.40)

Assam Laksa at Hougang Mall

This is one of the best Penang laksa in SG. It is being sold at Hougang Mall along Hougang Avenue 10, a stone's throw from the Hougang MRT Station. This is a take away joint and if you want to eat then bring the laksa up to the 4 level of the mall where there is a foodcourt.
The laksa cost $3.50c and the taste is delightfully spicy. Service may be a bit slow and the queue wasn't long but it's worthwhile waiting.
After the laksa, I had a piece of durain kueh and a kueh salat from the famous Bengawan Solo. These kueh made a sensible dessert after that spicy laksa.
Incidentally, I had a $10 haircut from a Malay barber. Nearby is a hairdresser shop where one could get a haircut for $3.80c. I do not like the $3.80 cheap haircut as the women hairdressers are not proficient in cutting men's hair.
                

SCOOT to fly to Hawaii by year-end

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Malay home cooked food

Today my wife decided to cook ikan assam pedas and sambal goreng which are the Malay dishes for lunch. She is really a superb cook that her 2 dishes are the best I've ever tasted in my entire life. Mind you I used to live a Malay kampong and know exactly how those Malay dishes are.
Sadly, these days we can't find a good stall or restaurant selling authentic and yummy Malay food. Perhaps, in Malaysia you may be able to eat good Malay food.

Top 10 Richest Politicians of Singapore

No drinking and eating in the train

Got this Whatsapp message regarding the restriction of drinking and eating in the train (MRT). Watch the video and you will be surprise how strict is the rule and a commuter was taken to task for eating a sweet.

Mee rebus set at Food Junction

For exactly set, Food Junction charges $5 whereas Toast Box $7.30. They are equally good but the price difference is wide. From now I will resist visiting Toast Box since it is seen as openly profiteering.

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang

We read  so much about Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang that we decided to pay it a visit. It is a Malay stall selling Malay/Indonesian food at the Geylang Serai hawker center.
When we arrived at about 11:30 am there was already a long queue. There were also many other stalls selling the same type of food but had shorter or no queue at all.
We agreed that the food was of a high standard. The black-ink cuttle fish, sambal goreng, assam fish cutlet, young Jack fruit in lemak gravy were delicious and spicy. However, we were disappointed the beef rendang was salty just like the one we had at Warong along Kandahar Street last Saturday.
It is difficult to find a place selling really good beef rendang. When I was a kid, the rendang even at the road side stall was of better quality. Well, we do not expect the cooks of present era are as good as their parents and grandparents.
The teh halia or ginger tea sold a few doors away was also a let-down.
The 2 plates of  meal cost $24 and teh halia was $1.20 a glass.

Indonesian Food and Cakes at Kandahar Street

There is so much talk about Warong Nasi Pariaman, a Sumatran cuisine that we decided to pay it a visit this afternoon. The place was not as packed as some others selling the same Indonesian/Malay food.
It's situated at the junction of North Bridge Road and Kandahar Street. We were a bit disappointed because the beef rendang was salty and the sambal goreng was not as tasty as some sold at the hawker center. The cuttle fish and fish in lemak or coconut sauce was quite good.
Overall, I'll give it a rating of 6 out of 10. Btw, the meal was reasonably priced at $10 each without drinks.

Rich and Good Cake Shop

We bought 2 Swiss rolls, one with kaya (green) and the other durian from the famous " Rich and Good Cake" shop along Kandahar Street. These rolls are spongy and soft. I particularly love the one stuffed with durian fillings. It was delicious, soft and spongy.
Our dinner was made up of the above Swiss rolls. We ate up the durian roll and kept half of the kaya roll for tomorrow.
We are thankful to God for giving us a great appetite and the affordability.

Instant Laksa by Prima

 We tried the Prima instant laksa for lunch. It wasn't as well flavoured as the one by Koka. Prima is more expensive than Koka. Prima is about $2.40 per pack whereas Koka is $1 (not sure).
Prima's noodles are bigger and larger in quantity. Koka's are more like Maggi's instant noodles.

Nice Horfun at Jl Kayu

This horfun is quite nice. We had it at a Jalan Kayu coffee shop. Each plate is $4.50. Sorry, if you don't like me posting the food I eat, you may skip this post or leave this blog totally.🍟🌭🍣

More Singaporeans being retrenched

More people are losing their jobs in Singapore. It looks like many companies are not doing well especially those in the oil and gas industries. The growth of 5 to 6% a year is something of the past. According to the prime minister this years growth will be about 2% to 3 % which is not "bad".
If you look around, a lot of eateries,restaurants, shopping malls are not as crowded as they used to be.
Those who are out of jobs do not have the means to spend while others are cautious not to spend too much.
The last recessions were back in 2009 and 2003 and Singapore was not spared. I lost my job during the 2003 SARS period and am not employed ever since.
This 54 year old lady lost her job recently and you may read about her story here.