Thursday, September 14, 2006
UWA Expo 2006
splish splosh at
12:58 AM
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Fried Squid
I was leafing through some newspapers today at Gloria Jeans, oxford Street when i chanced upon this recipe. Its much like those fried squidy tentacle things you get at HK dim sum cafes, or old Chang Kee Singapore, and something i enjoy tremendously. So Crisp and yummy.
I can't wait to try this out!!
splish splosh at
3:51 PM
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Merleen Comes to Perth
So yes, Merleen has arrived!!!
And i am one excited little bee, buzzing around thinking of where to go, what to do, and trying to make her stay as comfy as my little hive can allow.
splish splosh at
2:03 PM
Monday, September 11, 2006
Belmont Flea Market
In between sending Loy's mother off to the airport and welcoming Merleen to Perth (within a span of 2 hrs), Loy and i hung out at the nearby Belmont shopping centre. Although sunday meant rest day for all shopping centres in the suburbs, Belmont was bustling with a different sort of activity altogether. Yes, the ang moh version of our pasar malams came in the form of the Belmont flea markets. I had loved the mini one in Broadway shopping centre near UWA but this one was HUGE. You haven't seen flea markets till you've seen this one. There were really all sorts of things scattered around the place, and people scuttling from stall to stall for a look-see.
splish splosh at
2:06 PM
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Recently, As part of club olympics, UWA guilds had some of the whackiest activities/competitions known to mankind. Namely, that of a milk drinking contest and the Mario Kart Races.
The race carts took place as follows:
with lots of guilds dressed up in their "traditional" costumes ...
splish splosh at
1:52 PM
Monday, September 04, 2006
Death of a Salesman
Take a look at this picture ...
So Yes. What a cute cub...
And if you haven't already heard this by now. Steve Irwin is dead.
Now, don't get me wrong, i'm no fan of the man but i can't say i dislike him either.
All the same, the suddenness of his death did get me thinking about a few issues.
Now, i have to establish how things as as i'm writing this piece...
I'm in Australia, and hence, this piece of news, which i would otherwise have shrugged off in Singapore, is actually big news. The news came as i was watching Oprah (Trust me, not a fan, she's just always on during lunchtime). In the midst of Oprah's interviewing a man who abuses his wife (duh!), the show was interrupted by typical bouts of advertisments and my eating the cheese, mayo and roast chicken, turkish bread sandwich intermittently (yum). In that newsflash, i was just about to take a bite off my hot sammich when ole sexy voice herself came on screen and announced that Steve Irwin was dead after being stung by a stingray.
True to it being a newsflash, I couldn't really believe what i heard, i mean, there might be other "steve irwins" around. And so, i took one look at my roomie, whose attention had been on his sammich too, until he heard the flash. So yes, being the IT savvy people that we are (hurhur), we googled it just to make sure. Well, lo and behold, there's been two news bulletins on him.
Apparently, as "The Age" would have us believe, he died because he was making a documentary and somehow, got himself stung across the chest by a stingray. The film crew called in the medics but Irwin died before the team arrived.
Well, if we learn nothing from this, then at least be warned that a stingray tailash across the chest can be lethal.
But for me, my reaction to his death is almost the same as the time i heard of Princess Di's death, via the radio, on board the free shuttle from IMM to Jurong East MRT station. Only this time, I'm just a little older and more interested in his-story rather than how he died. So boo to objective news bulletins and hello fictional Steve Irwin.
Hence, a series of questions popped into my mind.
Firstly, why did he put his life on the line?
Well, that's easy enough to answer isn't it? For the fame and money? I mean he's not really good looking and he might do better hitting the big screens Crocodile Dundee style.
That was the cynical, old, jaded side of me talking. But the young, idealistic me wanted to believe otherwise. Hence, i reconstructed an answer i'd like to think he might make, through his quotable quotes.
So he says ...
Crikey, mate. You're far safer dealing with crocodiles and western diamondback rattlesnakes than the executives and the producers and all those sharks in the big MGM building.
Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent.
But I put my life on the line to save animals.
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it.
From those, one might understand his passion for our lil furry counterparts are the driving force within him.
Secondly, what is to happen to his family?
Since I was a boy, from this house, I was out rescuing crocodiles and snakes. My mum and dad were very passionate about that and, I was lucky enough to go along.
See, I've always seen Jacques Cousteau as a hero, mate. He's a legend - like my dad, just a legend. And so what he did for conservation in the '60s through the '70s was just phenomenal.
So i would think that his children would remember him as a father whose death has made him a "legend" in his own right.
Thirdly, what does his death signify to the audiences all over the world?
My belief is that what comes across on the television is a capture of my enthusiasm and my passion for wildlife.
When I talk to the camera, mate, it's not like I'm talking to the camera, I'm talking to you because I want to whip you around and plunk you right there with me.
Similarly, his work is forever immortalized on television.
To sum things up, personally, I'd like to see Steve as someone who worked hard for his passion, he might not be the greatest crocodile hunter or documentary maker, but he wasn't afraid to pursue his dreams. A cliche yes, but a noble cause nonetheless. And lastly, that like all passionate artists, you're only really famous when you die.I'm not a fan but i'm one person who's definitely reading more about his work because of the news of his death. And i foresee the numerous television programs in honour of him that will sprout out and continue to give voice to work he begun.So yes. Take a look at this picture again...
Sure the cub is cute... but what the photographer was really trying to center (literally and figuratively) on, was Steve's passion for all things weird and wonderful, all creatures big and small.
splish splosh at
1:57 PM
