Housepours...Part 1

The consequences of a drinking binge, which i prefer to call it the booze binge, is that i even did some research on this common yet misunderstood term, housepours.

i found an interesting article on that.

Housepours, Anyone?

By Mozes Yap, NUS School of Computing

Retrieved from http://www.funkygrad.com/lifestyle/displayarticle.php?artID=139&subcat=party

Have you even been to a disco or a pub and suddenly find yourself wondering what you should drink with your drink coupons? Well this is the perfect guide for you! We will review on the different types of house pours found in pubs and discos here.

Bourbon Coke

This is the most common drink served in most of the nightspots in Singapore. It is a mixture of coke and the house whisky, usually bourbon. The sweetness of coke is used to mask the bitterness and strength of bourbon, coke's caffeine also helps to keep the drinker clear- headed. You'll look at coke in a different way.

Whisky 7-Up

The name said it all, it is whisky + 7 up, usually for those who want to drink something different from the normal bourbon coke. 7-up will not mask up the taste of whisky. There is also no caffeine boost. For those who like 7-up more than coke this is the drink for you. You probably won't get sick even after drinking one whole jug of it in one night.

Whisky On The Rocks

There are a lot of different types of whisky. For house pours, most pubs and discos serve bourbon whisky, primarily using Jim Beam. Some others serve Scotch whisky, usually Johnny Walker Black Label, as the housepour which of course does not taste as smooth as those better grade whiskies like Jack Daniels (bourbon) or Chiva Regal (scotch).

And of course there are even better whiskies like Jack Daniel's Monogram which pubs do not serve as house pours.

Drinking it on the rocks is slower and less hard than drinking it neat. But it has no less kick. Instead consuming large quantities of whisky will ensure definite 'highness' for the rest of the night.

Whisky Neat

This drink is definitely only for those who have a lot of experience and strength. For anyone 'weak', the liquor will burn your throat. People who enjoy kicks will definitely enjoy whisky neat . Immediately after drinking it, you will feel your body heating up. The room will start swirling after a few more rounds. Only for the brave! And don't drink too much of it.

Vodka Ribena

Seems that they can turn any sweet syrup into an alcoholic drink. This is definitely not the sweet blackcurrant drink you are so used to. Vodka by itself is strong and smells a bit like medicine. But the Ribena transforms the overall mixture to something special: Something both sweet and bitter. A lot of girls like it though.

Vodka Lime/Lemon

This is my personal favorite. The sour taste of lime is used to mask the bitterness and 'burn' of vodka. You can drink this fast to warm yourself up for the dance floor or drink it slow to savvy the taste. A nice drink!

Vodka Neat

I don't believe the movies where the Russians always drink vodka neat from the bottle. This drink is just a bit too strong to be taken neat.

Bacardi Coke/7-Up

It is more for those people who do not really like the liquor taste, but wants some alcohol in their blood. But don't let the lack of alcoholic feel fool you. Drink too much of it and you will see the aftermath a little later.

Bacardi On The Rocks

The cool crystal look of rum gives it a class of its own. It looks like a glass of clear iced water. But with one sip, you will discover that it's distinctive taste. It's less strong than whisky. And there is slight sweet aftertaste after drinking it. Usually served with a slice of lemon. (Bacardi Carta Blanca is the usual housepour rum, therefore it has always been known as Bacardi on the Rocks)

Tequila Pop

Wonder what happened to this once very POPular drink, now I seldom see people drinking it. Containing a mixture of 7-up and tequila, there is a special method of drinking it. First a coaster is placed on top of the glass. By banging the glass on the table, a lot of gas is created. Just gulp down the contents of the glass rapidly. You will feel alcohol and gas rush down your throat. It is very fun to drink.

Tequila Neat

Placed in a shot glass, with the rim covered with salt and a lemon slotted. First you take out the lemon. Then you lick the salt off the rim, down the tequila in one gulp. Then suck the lemon to suppress the alcohol.

Gin Tonic

There is not much to the taste. It is not sweet, it is not exceptionally strong. It tastes like alcohol diluted with water, rather soothing in a way. It shines under UV light! Cool, isn't it? Maybe thay's why girls seem to like it a lot.

Stay tune!!! i'll be back...

Apologies...

my apologies guys...have been wanting to update my blog on my Taiwan trip, our Genting trip and my bdae party @ dbl o...but i have been really busy coping with work n sickness...n other things...

the order will all be screwed up, cuz i will first write on the sat nite party @ dbl o (n sending the pics to u guys), followed by our Genting trip n lastly, my Taiwan trip...gotta write on some of my feelings n thoughts which were not related to any of these events...but some realizations which i just discovered...

anyway, i have just uploaded some pics @ dbl o in my friendster page...take a look when u r free ok...i have tons of pics more...just feel free to grab them first...

pls be understanding n patient with me ya...luv u guys...

Bdae Celebration 07 #1 220607- Romance

Round 1

The 1st celebration of the year was with Dear Dear on 22.06.07, a Friday nite. We went to Blue Mist at Amara Shopping Centre (Tanjong Pagar) for dinner. I had grilled salmon steak and he had seafood spaghetti. The food there was great and yet cheap. The place, though small, was cosy and had quite a nice ambience with dimmed lights.

One waitress, who looked like a Filipino, had his seafood spaghetti served with chilli when he specifically mentioned "no chilli" earlier on. Well, he din want chilli cuz had a fiery sore throat, and he isn't a HOT person (*chuckles*)...

The supervisor, Joelle, was really thoughtful enough to get a new plate for DD, though he had waited for a new plate for some time. What good service Joelle offered when she went around asking each table of guests, "U ok? Everything's alrite?" U dun find this even in posh restaurants. i was bewildered though i really admire her enthusiasm towards her job.

DD went over to look for Joelle. When he came back to the table, after my 'questioning', he replied that he just wanted to thank Joelle for the superb service. i was skeptical. If u were me, i think u would. Would u just leave the table with ur partner still seated to express your gratitude to a waitress for good service even when u have not finished dnr?

ok, so u might not have guessed it. But when i was glancing at the counter where dishes were ready to serve, they were lighting up a candle on something. i knew it...(",)

Ah, it was a small chocolate cake ordered by DD as a surprise!

Round 2

After all the bdae song whispered by DD, the wishes made n the small cake savoured by us, we proceeded straight to Alphabet at Amara Hotel. It's the hotel lounge. Romantic place, with romantic candlelights, live band...but too bad (or was it a good thing?) that it wasn't crowded...by 11plus, the lounge was only less-than-half-filled.

We dedicated few songs n the live band chose Because of You, Hero and Better Man. The female lead singer was mixed-Malay-and-Eurasian. I like her. She looked mature (i think her job requires that), but she's only 23! One yr younger than me! Jessica looks abit like Angelina Jolie especially the way she tied her hair into a high ponytail, n her sexy low, n husky voice (the way she sang)! She gave us her contact no. cuz we were interested in her girl band's performance (maybe at Thumper, Goodwood Park Hotel soon)...well, i am looking forward to that, for i have been to pubs n clubs with live bands performing, but nvr once with a girl band. Are u guys interested? if so, do let me know. we'll contact her n inform u her performance details..

Cheers!

Itch Itch Go Away...

I have been getting frustrated lately. First, my persistent cough lasted for a month, and I had to go back to the doctor again. He advised that should my cough not recover one or two weeks later, I would have to go for a chest x-ray (!!!)

I was obedient, as I took my medicine (cough syrup and the capsules for phlegm) and finished the whole course of antibiotics dutifully.

What makes it unexpectedly shocking is that my body, for once, could not endure the stronger side effects of the antibiotics. I developed ‘unexpected rashes’ and went to see another doctor for medication. And what could have been worse is that once in a while, my cough acts up again.

Second, I suppose Mr Mosquito love me too much. He gave me too many love bites on my legs – calf and ankle areas. Now they have become unsightly and “tai kor” due to my itch intolerance. To think that I am already a little unsatisfied with my chunky legs.

Third, recently the weather has been getting too hot and by the time I reach office after a horrified 10-15 mins walk from the City Hall station, I’m perspiring already. Boo…

Hunger isn’t the only reason that makes up an angry man. Sometimes, I’m quite vexed about the hot weather too…

U know, the hot weather used to give me rashes…I have abit of rash history when I was younger. I shan’t dwell into that. But those things – the antibiotics, the mosquito bites and the hot weather are all contributory factors to “rashes” on my body.

Hopefully, things will turn better…hopefully, my health and body will become better, even though they aren’t that bad now.

P/S: Ok, i know this sounds crude and insincere, but if u r interested in my Taiwan trip, u may wanna browse through my sis' blog: typicalgalnextdoor.blogspot.com (ok, advertising for her again *smiles*). She has written the first part of our trip. (Sometimes, i think we should just combine blogs..haha..) Ok, i will definitely write about our trip when i come back from Genting okies..i will be going with my poly sisters and boyfriends tonite...till then, take care guys!

Taiwan Trip 26.5.007 - Day #1

Finally, here's my review on Taiwan trip!!!

Seriously i'm not sure if this plane is SQ872, the one we boarded to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, or SQ871, the one we boarded back home. Just make do la huh? hee...


It was an early flight man...woke up at around 4plus in the wee hours..in fact i didn't sleep much at all, u know, cuz i was rushing to pack my luggage the previous nite when i got home from work at 11pm. i think i slept at 2plus, over 2 hrs of power nap. haha.

Surprisingly, I wasn't tired on the plane...watched After This Our Exile (Fu4 Zi3), a Hong Kong movie filmed in Malaysia, starring Aaron Kwok, Ng King-To (Aaron's 10-year-old son) and Charlie Young (Yang Cai Ni, Aaron's wife). A very touching movie! Though I did not managed to catch the ending...hai...maybe i should rent the dvd soon and watched again, from the beginning till the end. U know, even though it was a 4 hrs flight, the earphones were only distributed after the plane was high up in the sky, and i had to spend some time meddling with the remote control and navigating the menu...by the time i decided to watch that movie, i think half the flight time had passed by..that is why, i did not managed to finish the whole show. =)

Day 1 was mainly on our own (free & easy). We of course, hit Xi1 Meng2 Ding1 (too bad that i do not have the Chinese software to write Chinese words here, so u gotta got used to some Hanyu Pinyin here, pai seh...heh heh..all returned to your Lao3 Shi1 liao rite? dun deny...) as it was near our hotel.

Ah1 Zong1 Mian4 Xian4 was the first stop when we reached our hotel near Xi Men Ding to load our luggages. This stall has been very popular here as there were crowds surrounding the stall. The "specialty" is that we got to stand while we savoured the bowl of mian xian which cost about S$2, with pieces of pigs' intestines (ok, some of u might feel disgusted now). There were no tables and chairs. I guess this could be a good way to do business cuz that way, the owner could attract more customers! What's more, there was limited space in the stall.

How popular can this stall be? Look at this picture. Wang2 Shao4 Wei3 from 5566 and 183 Club was filming a variety show with a few more handsome chaps who were part of a new boy group i guess. Well, it was a Saturday afternoon and all the teenage gals were whistling and ogling at these celebrities...

Did shopping, tried their snacks (Xiao Yang, the name we called our tour guide, mentioned that there are 3,000 over Taiwanese snacks! wowowowowow...) such as Ru3 Rou4 Fan4 (btw, the numbers behind represent the 4 sounds, or yin, of the chinese word), XXL chicken cutlet, French fries (but it's sprinkled with a special powder that tasted salty and abit spicy but nice!), fried sweet potato strips, Honey Lime Juice (if i remembered correctly)...

The Ru3 Rou4 Fan4 (or braised pork rice) comes in boxes. It's actually braised minced pork with abit of skin on top of white rice. Our dinner from Xi Meng Ding in the hotel...

This picture is condemned by my mum and some of my friends. Their first expression was, "Why did u shoot ppl's ass?" ok, i still think my photography skills is good..haha..the highlight is the colours they matched with! their shoes! u noticed that? Have u seen in Orchard a lady wearing black skirt and stockings and yellow pumps? Grey 3/4 pants with red stilettos seems more acceptable though.

Taiwanese teenagers are so much more fashionable and trendy and daring! Their hairstyles are never the same with the other's. Even the guys bother to make their hairstyles look different! Seems like locks and curls are the "in" thing for gals, and do u know, with long hair, u can style up your hair differently everday, instead of letting your hair down? From the way the mei-meis do their hair, it definitely is true. Stockings and tights are the "in" thing too, as almost every gal is wearing that.

Reminds me that I could not go to the gym for at least a week= (









Our first hotel in Taiwan, we were given a family suite, with a king-size bed, two single beds, and 2 bathrooms...so 'luxurious', but it's only for a night. We got to change hotels everyday.

Do u know, to date, there are 11 million over motorcycles and scooters, compared to 7 million over cars in Taiwan?!!

We went back to the hotel for dinner (the Taiwanese snacks and xiao3 chi1) and rest. I was watching Taiwanese shows throughout the night. I love them! Sorry to say this, though i'm quite 'patriotic' towards Singapore and everything in my hometown, but it's a fact that Singapore shows seem to be nothing compared to Taiwan shows.

Watched Chao1 Ji2 Xin1 Guang1 Da4 Dao4, a variety show hosted by Tao2 Zi3, which is Singapore's Superstar, and i loved it. Yang2 Zong1 Wei3, if u have dutifully or out of your own interest followed Taiwan's entertainment news, opted out of the singing competition because he was said to have falsely reported his age. But he was a hot and popular contestant, well-liked because of his fantastic singing skills and his sincerity. Bei4 Pan4 (Betrayal), sang by Chao Ge, became even more well-known because he sang that song in one round of the competition. His opponent, lost to him during that episode (the latter won him the previous round) and was feeling disappointed. When at the finale, they sang Bei Pan again, both broke down...so touching...there's a Chinese saying, "Shi4 Yin1 Xiong2 Zhong4 Yin1 Xiong2"...wow, if Singapore broadcast this variety show, it would be so nice! But i doubt it. There are already too many locally produced big-scale singing competitions in Singapore.

In Taiwan, it is allowed for Hokkien to be spoken in shows and commercials...cool..haha..

Watched Re4 Qing2 Zhong4 Xia. Loved Taiwanese idol dramas!!

Cast:Joe Cheng as Ou Yang Lei 歐陽累 Cai Yi Zhen as Xia Ya 夏芽 Zhang Yu Chen as Ou Yang Yu Yan 歐陽語嫣 Ruan Jing Tian as Zhou Qiao Sha 周喬杉 Huang Hong Sheng as Chen Lang Zhu 陳朗竹 Tang Yu Zhe as Tian Guang Zhen 田光楨 Shin as Sean / Shang Tian Han Li Li Ren as Gui Long Shi 桂龍士 Zhang Rong Rong (張榕容) as Tina / Di Nuo 蒂娜 Scott as Ka Li 凱力 Storyline:Because of one dollar, Xia Ya (Cai Yi Zhen) befallen many unfortunate events. When she feels like all hope has lost, an angel comes and gives her one dollar which saves her life. She falls in love with that angel, who is a model dressed in an angel outfit. But he is no angel - he is the devil in disguise, Ouyang Lei (Joe Cheng), the younger brother of her best friend, Ouyang Yu Yan. Being the youngest of the family as well as a famous model, Lei is very spoiled and everyone let him have his way, until Xia Ya came along. Xia Ya did what nobody else would do, and Lei starts to develop an interest in her, but he seems very devilish in his ways. What will become of them?

St James Power Station

To Shu Hui, hey, apologies for not mtg u last Friday...it ended up that I did not have to work OT, but it was too late for me to inform u. About that tarot card test thingie, erm, i think mine's not 100% accurate too...i put it up for fun and interest only...heehee..anytime i come across accurate ones (psychological tests or analysis on horoscopes), I will send them to u...(",)

Dear Dear and I went to Vivocity for a simple dinner at a foodcourt and Mono after that. We were supposed to meet my jie jie - Carey, at Dragonfly. After dinner, we went to the pub wanting to chop seats first at 8plus and u may ask why. Free entrance! 50% off housepours, spirits and beers till 9pm!

It was my first time at St James Power Station and we got "thrown out"...u see, we were more than delighted to see that most of the seats were empty, after we got our free stamps on our wrists at the entrance. Maybe it was only 8plus then. Shockingly, it turned out that THEY WERE ALL RESERVED. My hopes were somehow dashed. I have been looking forward to visit Dragonfly few months back.

We switched to another pub - Berllini Room, and it wasn't any better. We had only two seats near the entrance. We had two glasses of Heiniken and they cost no more than $5.50 each during happy hours! That was, i guess, only the plus point. The band (which would only perform after 9pm, and we left before that) plays jazz, even though i quite like some of the jazz songs, i only wanted to listen to Chinese songs then i guess. Otherwise, it could be a good change for a while.

My goodness, everyone loves St James! Everyone loves pubbing/clubbing on Fridays! Everyone loves making reservations! Who says there isn't exciting night life in Singapore? Try going to pubs and discos in the weekends (for better results, go to the more prominent ones).
* I was feeling sour.*

Poor Dear Dear had to endure my sulking face. Poor Carey had to answer my calls and listen to my short complaints. We eventually got two seats at the wine counter at Mono - 2nd floor above Dragonfly, where it was a KTV pub. Dear Dear had to stand before he managed to get a seat for himself and another for Johnny who came in two hours later. I had one glass of Vodka Ribena and 4-5 glasses of Chivas Regal with Green Tea and Sprite, dedicated and sang two songs, played 5-10 and we were all getting high. We left at around 2plus leaving more than 3 songs unsung (waited so long for them).

By the way, i haven't found an answer for this - why were the same songs dedicated by the drinkers sung over and over again? possible ans =>1. pure coincidence? 2. they wanna compete with each other? 3. the system went haywire? (3) i think is out because the waiters/waitresses were able to identify customers and gave them the two mikes. So it's concluded that the system couldn't have gone f**ked up. Quite fed up as to why the karaoke jockey would prefer to arrange the same songs to be played over and over again without inserting ours - totally different and more interesting songs. Ok, maybe my expectations were too high, but still, issit it boring to listen to the same monotonous songs repeatedly for a couple of hours?

Anyway, we still enjoyed ourselves! And of course, i'm still looking forward to visting Dragonfly agn, this time with good seats in front of the stage man!! Frens, u got the hint? heehee...

Dun bottle up your feelings if u got something, be it good or bad, to comment about Dragonfly, Mono or St James yar..I am interested...(",)

P/S: aiyo, kinda busy and lazy and procrastinating my posts on Taiwan...pls be patient ok? hee...

Which Tarot Card Am I?

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.
The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

Check out this website

http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot/

Spiritual Purification - Part 2

The 3Step 1Bow event was postponed to Saturday, 5th May. By the time I started to walk 3 steps and bow once, it was already 6.30pm. It's official time was 5.30pm.

With a good weather this time that isn't too sunny, as the sun knocks off for the day, everything went smoothly.

Eric and I took our time. We did it slowly and steadily throughout the whole evening. Some participants in front of us finished way early before us. Well, i guess we were just being consistent.

At times, it was really hard to kneel down and bow with my head knocking onto the hard and rough cement because of friction, especially when there were downward slopes. Kneeling and bowing on upward slopes were easier.

As we finished our last bow, i was going soft on my knees, as they became numb, not to mention my elbows. The whole process lasted for 2hrs 30mins, beyond expectation. A rather strenuous exercise i must say...*grins* But u know, everything was worth it! (",)