Went to try turtle soup for the first time today at Jalan Berseh food centre today. For those of you who have not tried it before, it tastes very much like chicken meat. The soup itself is slightly thicker than most herbal soup that you can get at food courts. Overall, it was pretty decent. From the looks of turtles, it is easy to imagine that the meat will have a “smell” to it, so i was pleasantly surprised by the non existence of any “smell” =)
(The claypots are the turtle soup and meat)
Apparently, many chinese believe in the benefits of (soft-shell) turtle meat, especially in the rear soft-shell of the carapace which is a dense collection of collagen. It’s often regarded as a tonic and the meat is suppose to be very rich in protein. It can also boost energy and improve overall well being. H1N1 precautions perhaps? *ponder..
Folks, as we all know, H1N1 is still very much a threat. So as Mr Brown says, when you wash your body, was your hands too. Watch this video, it’s hilarious! =)
Note: This song was taken from the hit by the Wonder Girls, which has been making waves on Youtube. If you have not seen the original version, you can search for Nobody by Wonder Girls on Youtube.
Still keeping with the fact that i haven’t posted for a while here, I’ve decided to compile a summary of the major happenings over the past weeks (or at least things i think are major).
1. The major news of late has got to be the passing of Michael Jackson. Rumours are still in overdrive with regards to the reason behind his death. One thing is for sure, the King of Pop has left behind a legacy, and it remains to be seen if anyone else will step in to fill the shoes. For those of you who haven’t really heard or seen his performances, simply step into any DVD or record store and you’ll find them playing his songs or showing his concerts.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid has long been in the writing, and it has finally been concluded. With a world record transfer fee of £80million, I seriously wonder how Madrid can still afford Kaka and Karim Benzema. Like most Manchester United fans, i guess it’s only right to thank Ronaldo for his service and wish him all the best.
3. After pocketing £80million from the sale of Ronaldo, getting Michael Owen on a free transfer is like an anti climax. Despite what the media say about Owen being a lost cause, i think many people out there are still hoping (or fearing) that he may regain his form under Ferguson. Looking at historical data though, Owen has always moved without winning anything. When he went to Madrid, they didn’t win anything for years. When he went to Newcastle, they got relegated. Most amazingly, ever since he left Liverpool, they’ve been consistently performing well in England and Europe. Whatever it is, let’s hope that Ferguson consulted some Fengshui master before making the signing.
4. Roger Federer is now the most decorated player in tennis history (in terms of Grand Slams). His victory over Andy Roddick in Wimbledon brings his number of Grand Slams to 15, one more than Pete Sampras, who incidentally happens to be his good friend. Looking at Federer’s age, don’t bet on him stopping at just 15. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of qualifying for 20 consecutive Grand Slam semi finals, another record that may never be broken.
5. Formula One is finally starting to get that little bit exciting. Other than the fact that Ferrari is still behaving like rubbish (yeah.. i support teams in bright red. Man Utd, Ferrari, you get the idea), at least Red Bull is starting to put some pressure on Brawn GP. And let’s hope they sort out the internal conflict and move on to more sensible rules and running of the sport soon.
6. Okie, some of you are probably starting to wonder why everything seems to be sports related (other than MJ). That’s because i always read the sports section first. Besides, it’s my blog! Not CNN news =P
Anyway, slightly more serious stuff in the news:
- Singapore government raises GDP forecast to 6% after reporting a growth of 20.4% in the second quarter.
- MOE closes Brookes Business School for peddling fake degrees and it’s owner has since gone missing. Students are now being assisted to look for transfers to other schools. For Singaporeans who are not insured, slim chance they’ll get their money back.
- Suicide bombers have attacked J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton in Jakarta. Last count was 8 casualties and 50 injured. Manchester United has since cancelled a match against an Indonesian all star side scheduled for Monday. The team members were also due to stay at Ritz Carlton during their visit.
Though i’m still kinda posting regularly on my Communication Blog, it’s been a while since I posted something on this one.. To my legion of fans (okie well, many handful), I’m back! =P
Was kinda out of action because of the home tuition solutions business that i was into. During the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen all kinds of people when doing tuition coordination. Here are the more amazing types:
1. The parents who say money is not an issue as long as we find them an experienced school teacher who knows the syllabus. And after we find them such a tutor, they regret and spin the most interesting and absurd excuses you can imagine. Here is one example, “Oh, i’m afraid we have to cancel the tuition because our family will be travelling for 2 months, we won’t be able to start the tuition”.
Joel’s Thoughts: Isn’t it amazing how you can suddenly decide to go for a two months holiday during the school term? And whoa.. didn’t you remember about the holiday when you decided to look for a tutor and claim that money is not an issue? Hm.. *ponder*
2. The parent who looks for a tutor, then claim that he don’t know us when it’s time to collect the coordination fees. So in the end, we had to issue an official invoice and offer them multiple payment options like cheque and bank transfer. Joel’s Thoughts: Whoever said that collecting money is the toughest part of a business is spot on, or at least very close.
3. Tutors who conveniently decide at the last min (which is like an hour before the first tuition session) that they’re not very comfortable teaching the subject. So they pull out. Talk about job responsibility. Joel’s Thoughts: The most apt phrase to respond to such a situation is our familiar singlish whine, “Wah, you win liao lor!”. Tutors, in case you don’t realise, what defines a good teacher isn’t just your mastery of the subject. The way you conduct yourself is equally, if not more important.
Of course, despite all these slightly unpleasant people, there have also been nice ones. Perhaps i could write a book on the 101 types of people you meet in tuition coordination in the future. To end off, here’s some advertising for ourselves. If you’re looking for a tutor or interested to be one, simply visit www.az.com.sg to register. The website has been revamped with a more professional look, and we’re on the first page of major search engines with our keywords =)
Spent the morning giving out flyers for Home Tuition Solutions around Sengkang. You’ll find this hard to believe, but giving out flyers door to door is not as relaxing as it seems.. For a start, the flyers need to be folded in a manner whereby it is easy to slot between the grills, and yet not be blown away by the wind.
Also, going down the 15 levels of stairs for every block slowly takes its toll, not to mention the occasional dogs and unwelcoming home owners. So there you go folks, if you’re considering distributing flyers for some income.. think again because it can potentially be quite tough work for 10 odd dollars every thousand pieces you distribute.
