Tuesday, January 23, 2007

RAINstorm-ed!


Korean singing, dancing and acting superstar RAIN (Bi) in the flesh?? Having enjoyed his performance in "Full House", his husky voice, catchy songs and unique dance moves, I definitely had to be part of 2007's most talked about concert (most expensive tickets valued at $888)! Thanks to Cheryl for the photos!



After working up the 7000 strong crowd with his more furious dance numbers, RAIN teasingly removed his sunglasses to reveal his famously small eyes and boyish smile. No doubt endearing himself further to his adoring fans :D



The impressive stage set-up for his "RAIN's Coming" world tour was a test to see if he could widen his appeal to an international audience, starting with Asia and the US. Apparently, RAIN's production team worked with the likes of Madonna, etc.!



My favourite part of his concert ;D A powerful moment during the song "I", where RAIN bared his killer abs and pecs under a real downpour... needless to say, the crowd lapped it all up and went wild!


After 2 hours and 20+ songs where RAIN danced non-stop, interacted with the audience and delivered his "dream concert", the show ended with a heartfelt message to his fans and a promise to "work even harder while staying healthy". Sigh...!


Oops... just had to get a piece of him :D

stormiii at 1:27 pm

0cups of tea

Thursday, January 04, 2007

A spot of country life


Would you believe that this lovely colonial mansion is only an hour's drive away? Rider's Lodge (at The Legends Golf & Country Resort, Kulai, Malaysia) is the perfect weekend getaway, especially if you enjoy horse riding or are craving for a little of that country feel ;D



The mansion and stables are managed by a family and the lady boss, Agnes lost no time in making us feel at home seconds after arrival. Over the next 3 days, we also experienced the excellent hospitality given by the Filipino staff as well as the tasty treats coming out from the kitchen! Here's the Devonshire tea that greeted us at the alfresco dining area. The scones were freshly baked and tasted so much better than the day old ones served here :)



Agnes Cafe at the Lodge specialises in western/fusion cuisine and I must say that they do a rather decent job of serving proper western cuisine. All meals except breakfast are a 3 course affair, and we were seriously spoilt for choice! Here's the chunky leg of lamb served on a bed of root vegetables... yum!


We also had a pretty early Christmas dinner - my first turkey of the season served with potatoes and the requisite brown/cranberry sauce.



The stables at Rider's Lodge feature about 20 to 30 horses and are used for their riding school or just maintained there for horse enthusiasts. I took an early morning stroll and marveled at the beautiful forms of horses amidst the scents of rich earth... bliss :)



A far cry from Singapore, hey?

stormiii at 12:02 am

1cups of tea

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Birthday Blitz 3: Miyabi Japanese

A Happy New Year to all :D The next few posts are way behind time, but I trust that the photos will do them justice!

For the last of my birthday blitzes, I finally got to dine at the Japanese restaurant, Miyabi at Raffles Town Club with the family. Armed with several food vouchers, we were led into the smoky (probably from the teppanyaki tables!) and slightly dark recesses of the restaurant. As with most above average Japanese places, the menu featured an impressive variety of sashimi, sushi and set meals. We decided to go for some yakimono (grilled salmon and codfish) apart from:



 The Genkan Sashimi ($60); the highlights of which were the fresh scallop, ama ebi (sweet prawns) and thick cuts of sashimi :D


Lobster set for two (which we shared between 4 people!) - now this was a clear winner! It was the first time that I tried lobster sashimi and the white, translucent flesh had a sweet and firm texture when chewed. It was a case of "waste not, want not" as the waiters took the head and tail away for the tasty lobster soup and then grilled part of the head with some miso paste!



Mom also tried the freshly baked Christmas cookies, coffee cake and fruit cake from the club's bakery. Delicious!

stormiii at 1:59 am

0cups of tea