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Last Saturday, we attended the Singapore Blog Awards Ceremony 2013 that was organised at Shanghai Dolly by OMY and it was a good time of catching up with our friends from the blogosphere. This annual event is a rather big event for bloggers and it always gets bigger and better every year.
The theme for this year’s Singapore Blog Awards is the 1960’s and we found it really meaningful. It was through the theme that we learnt how the people in the 1960’s live and what their culture were like. To be honest, Jacqueline and I didn’t thought of participating in this year’s Singapore Blog Awards 2013 as we didn’t felt like we had the chance of even winning anything. However, a really good Blogger friend of ours, Mag, felt that we had the potential and nominated us for the Best Lifestyle Blog Category.

Seriously, there are a lot of Lifestyle Bloggers in Singapore and even then, the title of a “Lifestyle Blogger” can be rather generic and vague. As a matter of fact, lifestyle can cover anything and everything from topics like fashion and entertainment to topics like food and events. Hence, we were extremely surprised when the results were out and we ended up as the Top 10 Finalists for the Best Lifestyle Blog! Looking back, I guess we have come a long way now and it definitely wasn’t easy as the Best Lifestyle Blog Category was a hotly-contested one.

Although we didn’t clinch the title of “Best Lifestyle Blogger”, it didn’t matter to us because we know that all this wouldn’t even have happened if not for our Blogger friend, Mag, whom believed in us and nominated us. Hence, a very much of our success for this year’s Singapore Blog Awards 2013 is attributed to her. Also, the other group of people whom we would like to thank would be our family members and friends whom constantly and religiously voted for us every single day. Like we mentioned from the very first day, we don’t enjoy canvassing for votes because it is such a tedious and long process. If only the voting campaign was shorter and straightforward, I believe it would have levelled the playing field as Bloggers whom have more followers would definitely have a major advantage over those who don’t.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves at the Singapore Blog Award Ceremony 2013 as both Jacqueline and I wore quirky retro outfit that kinda attracted a little too much attention. It was a blast and it was really nice meeting new people and making new friends.

Here are just some of our photos that were taken during the Singapore Blog Awards Ceremony 2013.

A photo of both Jacqueline and I
[Credits to Alvinology.com for the Photograph]

A photo of Jacqueline in her retro 1960’s outfit.

A photo of myself in my retro 1960’s outfit.

Here’s a short interview of the bloggers at the Singapore Blog Awards Ceremony 2013

Since we don’t usually have the time for some me-posts [a.k.a personal posts], here are just some heads-up information about our coming blog posts [arranged in order of sequence] that you might want to look out for:

  • [5 Pairs of Golden Village Movie Tickets Giveaway]-Sponsored by ciNE65
  • A Preview of the Kia Forte K3
  • Announcement of the Winners for the $20 NTUC Vouchers Sponsored by SingTel
  • [2 Packets of Cafedirect Ground Full Roast Coffee Giveaway]- Sponsored by Cafedirect
  • Announcement of the Winners for the Golden Village Movie Tickets Sponsored by ciNE65
  • A Preview of the New Nokia 925 Smartphone
  • Annoucement of the Winners for the Cafedirect Ground Full Roast Coffee Sponsored by Cafedirect
  • [2 Bottles of Jaillance Semillon Sparkling Wine Giveaway]- Sponsored by Jaillance
  • Our 2013 Trip to Taiwan [Xinshe Castle in Taichung & Mushroom Farm]
  • Announcement of the Winners for the Jaillance Semillon Sparkling Wine Sponsored by Jaillance
  • [2 Tins of Cafedirect Sao Tome Hot Chocolate Giveaway]- Sponsored by Cafedirect
  • Our 2013 Trip to Taiwan [Carton King & Banana New Paradise]
  • Announcement of the Winners for Cafedirect Sao Tome Hot Chocolate Sponsored by Cafedirect

Do note that the upcoming blog posts may be subjected to changes as we might be attending some other product launches and events that may fall in between the scheduled blog posts. Nevertheless, we look forward to all of your wonderful participation as we work with our partners and sponsors to bring you great content and products! 🙂

Stay tuned!

This post is specially written and dedicated to my dad for Father’s Day and also for the Singapore Blog Awards 2013 themed challenge where we are to write about someone or something from the 60’s that inspires us.
As I thought about that one person from the 60’s whom inspires me, one person that comes straight to my mind would be my dad.

My dad is a very conservative and strict man and I likened him to the typical Regimental Sergeant Major in the Army. A man of few words, my dad always puts up a tough front but inwardly, he is actually a very caring and loving father. On most weekends, he would be at home listening to songs from the 60’s and when he dines out, he is usually on the hunt for some good local Asian food.

Found a really old Black Record with Classic Songs from The Beatles.

Posing with the rare treasure!

Like father like son, I gradually come to love the songs that he listens to and The Beatles is still one of my all-time favourite rock bands. One song by The Beatles that strikes a chord with me would be “Let It Be” and it is one of the songs that is found in the 12th and final studio album that was released shortly after The Beatles announced their break-up. I’m pretty sure most people would know this song but if you don’t, check out the song cover that I recently did:

Let It Be Song Cover

Very much like my dad, the hunt for good food is a natural instinct for me and when Jacqueline shared with me about a café that serves tasty local food, we drove right away to Old School Delights.

Old School Delights is located at 215M Upper Thomson Road [Singapore 574349], and they serve local food like Mee Siam, Mee Rebus, Laksa, Nasi Briyani, and many more. With a classic old-school kind of setting, the inspiration behind Old School Delights lies in the owners’ desire to serve home styled food which is prepared in a traditional manner with no MSG and artificial food enhancers used in the food preparation process.

Inside the cosy Old School Delights

When we were there, it was packed with diners and we highly recommend you to make a reservation if you’re planning to dine in big groups.

There are both indoor and outdoor dining areas and if you prefer to have a more spacious space for dining, we suggest that you opt for the outdoor dining area.

The props in the store were really old-school items that could hardly be found in modern Singapore and they even have old-school merchandise for sale.

Old School Props in the Store

Old School Merchandise for Sale

Interesting stuffs that we used to play with when we were still young.

While waiting for the food that we ordered, we were given a toy box which contained some classic games that we could play with to pass time. Some of the classic games include snakes and ladders, country eraser war, five stones, and happy family.

Wanna challenge me to a game of five stones?

Jumbo Otak [Side Dish]- $2.50

Best eaten hot, this large and sumptuous otak wrapped in banana leaf and made with fresh fish meat marinated with coconut milk and ground chilli is truly a local delight.

Choco-Teh-Cino [Beverage]- $4.90

A first for us, the Choco-Teh-Cino is a really unique beverage which tickles the taste buds and in case you’re wondering, the Choco-Teh-Cino tastes very much like hot chocolate and milk tea combined. However, we have to add that for the price of $4.90, it is quite overpriced.

Nasi Briyani [Main Course]- $10.80

The Nasi Briyani is only available during the weekends and I highly recommend it if you’re there on the weekends. Though it is somewhat expensive, the Nasi Briyani is probably one of Old School Delights’ signature dishes. The fried chicken is tender and crisp and accompanied with the fragrant basmati rice, the Nasi Briyani is a sure winner!

Mee Siam [Main Course]- $5.80

A 30-year old recipe comprising a secret blend of 11 fresh grounded spices, Old School Delights’ Mee Siam is a must-try for all Mee Siam aficionados. Personally, Jacqueline feels that the gravy is exceptionally tasty and flavourful.

Chendol [Dessert]- $4.50

We really like the Chendol because it completes our meal pretty well. No artificial sweeteners but pure 100% Gula Melaka and home-made, preservative-free Chendol worms are used to make the Chendol.

If you’re planning to visit Old School Delights, do note that their opening hours are 11:30am to 10:30pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 11:00am to 10:30pm, Saturday to Sunday. Old School Delights is closed on Mondays and if you want to make a reservation, you can ring them up at 64584518.

To walk down memory lane where nostalgia and comfort food are entwined, Old School Delights is definitely the place to consider and we guarantee that the experience will evoke some pleasant memories of your childhood.

Since we’re on the topic of the old times, Jacqueline and I made a trip to Haw Par Villa last weekend for some rediscovery of our childhood days and in fact, Haw Par Villa was an extremely popular theme park in the 1960s.

When we were there at Haw Par Villa, it really brought back many wonderful memories for the both of us and though many people would consider Haw Par Villa as one of the weirdest theme park in Asia, we guess everyone [more or less] would agree that it is a part of our childhood.

The park, originally called “Tiger Balm Gardens”, was built in 1937 by the Burmese brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, the developers of Tiger Balm, as a venue for teaching traditional Chinese values. The “Haw Par” in the park’s name is based on the Aw brothers’ personal names – “Haw” and “Par”, which literally mean “tiger” and “leopard”.

A Photo with the Tiger Statue

A Photo with the Leopard Statue

Now, most of its compounds are either sealed off or not operational.

Wonder if anyone remembers what this place was used for in the past.

The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism.

One of Aw Boon Haw’s famous Tiger Cars which still exists.

When I was young, I remember playing with the moustache of this statue.

This used to be the amphitheatre where people could catch performances.

The best known attraction in Haw Par Villa is the Ten Courts of Hell which features gruesome depictions of Hell in Chinese mythology and Buddhism. This attraction used to be set inside a 60-metre long trail of a Chinese dragon but the dragon has been demolished and it is now covered by grey stone walls.

To be honest, when we were inside the Ten Courts of Hell attraction, it still sends chills down my spine and that’s the reason why we didn’t take any photographs inside. However, if you’re wondering how the inside of the Ten Courts of Hell looks like, I managed to find a video on Youtube about it.

Our main mission when we were there was to locate the statues that Jacqueline took photos with when she was in her preschool years and boy, was it tough!

Laughing Buddha [Past], spot any difference?

Laughing Buddha [Present]

Wall Mural [Past]

Wall Mural [Present]

Journey to the West, Tripitaka’s White Horse [Past]

Journey to the West, Tripitaka’s White Horse [Present]

Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie [Past]

Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie [Present]

As you can see from the photos, some of the statues from the past are still around but much of the park has either been cordoned off or demolished. In fact, when I was searching for the Log Flume Ride that was a rather popular attraction in the past, it no longer exists and when I tried finding some other attractions that used to be rather popular in the past, it was no longer there and I kinda feel a tinge of sadness in my heart. Well, even though not much of Haw Par Villa remains, I believe that it will always have a special place in the hearts of those whom have had fond memories there.

If you’re interested to revisit your childhood days or just to check out Haw Par Villa, the most convenient form of transport to get there would be to take the train. The nearest MRT Station is Haw Par Villa MRT Station and the park is open everyday from 9am to 7pm. Admission is free but if you are driving into the compound, you will have to pay $5 per entry and there are carpark lots available for you to park your car.

With this, we hope that you enjoyed reading about the who and what [from the 1960’s’ that inspires us. Also, if you can, do cast your votes for us for the “Best Lifestle Blog” in the Singapore Blog Awards 2013.

To vote for us, simply register yourself as a voter via the following link: http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2013/register/

Every voter can vote at least once a day till the 23rd of June 2013 and to reward you for voting, you might stand a chance to be one of the 5 lucky winners to walk away with either the JBL Charge Stereo Speaker worth $249 or the JBL Flip Stereo Speaker worth $195, all of which are kindly sponsored by JBL.

The competition is really stiff and every vote counts. We at A Winsome Life are counting on you to help us realise our dream of becoming Singapore’s Best Lifestyle Blog! Help us make it happen!

Cheers!

It was my virgin trip to PasarBella and it was Jacqueline’s second time.
Having saw the awesome photographs that were taken by Jacqueline during her first trip to PasarBella, I told her that I must check it out for myself and try some of the food over there!

So, when we were there, my first mission was to conquer Oceans of Seafood and guess what I had over there?

Yes, you probably got it right! Oysters!

Oceans of Seafood was selling two types of oysters; the Canadian Fanny Bay Oysters and the Australian Coffin Bay Oysters. Both types of oysters were selling at $16 for half a dozen and $32 for a dozen. So, to get the best of both worlds, I requested for half a dozen of oysters where I had 3 Canadian Fanny Bay Oysters and 3 Australian Coffin Bay Oysters.

Canadian Fanny Bay Oysters

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Australian Coffin Bay Oysters

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

The oysters were really fresh and I found the Australian Coffin Bay Oysters to be rather creamy. But that doesn’t mean the Canadian Fanny Bay Oysters weren’t good. In fact, I kinda like both of them so much that I wanted to order half a dozen more but was stopped by Jacqueline.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Since Jacqueline ain’t a fan of oysters, she opted for a more safer option by going for the prawns which were served with baby carrots, sweet corn, and smoke salmon with mayonnaise sauce.

Can you see that the prawns formed a nice heart shape?

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Have a prawn on me!

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Personally, I really like Oceans of Seafood for their fresh seafood and when I need to have my cravings for oysters fixed, you probably will know where to find me.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Following which, we went to check out Merchants at PasarBella and we had the pleasure of meeting Ainslie, whom is the General Manager.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Merchants offers an exciting and diverse range of award winning wines produced by small, boutique winemakers whom are mainly from Australia.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

To top it off, the interesting collection of wines from Merchants are usually not found in other wine stores and they are shipped directly from the vineyards to Singapore. Since there’s no middlemen involved, you can be rest assured that you’re getting premium quality wines at rock bottom prices.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Searching for a particular bottle of wine at Merchants is really a breeze because the wines have all been neatly organised by their grape types. This certainly reminded me of the time I’ve spent at Shatec Institutes where we learnt about wine and had to take on the role of a wine sommelier.

Bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

I even had the opportunity to taste a glass of wine and I really enjoyed the fruitiness and smoothness of the wine.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Sharing a light-hearted moment with Ainslie.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

If you’re at PasarBella and you just want a nice place to sip a glass of wine and chill-out, Merchants even has got a small little cosy corner prepared just for you.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

To find out more about Merchants and their latest wine-tasting workshops, do check out Merchants’ Facebook Page and join their Wine Club as well! In fact, some of Merchants’ winemakers will fly halfway around the world to host regular ‘pop-up’ cellar doors at PasarBella!

For some light desserts, we headed to Bonheur Patisserie to get some macarons and we bought the salted caramel macaron and the strawberry macaron.

Salted Caramel Macaron

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Strawberry Macaron

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Personally, I really like the macarons from Bonheur Patisserie because they are not overly sweet as what some stores are selling and the portion/serving size is just right for taking small savoury bites.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

While hunting around for some unique and awesome stuffs at PasarBella, we chanced upon Dottinghill and we were so in loved with their temporary tattoos! They had all sorts of interesting designs and the quality is really superb. For myself, I gotten a fierce-looking wolf tattoo for only $6 and it looks extremely real! I even saw a Father and Son getting the wolf tattoo and it’s really so cool!

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

If you’re into body art and you prefer not to permanently ink yourself, the temporary tattoos from Dottinghill is something that you must check out! To see more designs that Dottinghill has, you can visit Dottinghill’s Website or Dottinghill’s Facebook Page!

Our last stop at PasarBella was Le Patio and it’s rustic simplicity and homely fare is a guaranteed sensory explosion of taste, sight and smell.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Want to make a guess what is underneath the aluminium foil?

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Ta-dah! It’s Le Patio’s very own Seafood Paella

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

It wasn’t our first time having Paella and it was first introduced to us by our Church friend, Jacqueline [yes, another Jacqueline whom shares the same name as Jacqueline, my Fiancée]. As our first experience with Paella was a pleasant one, we just had to give Le Patio’s Seafood Paella a try.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

Truly, Le Patio’s Seafood Paella is really tasty and we highly recommend it if you’re dropping by PasarBella. In case you’re wondering, a portion/box of Seafood Paella like this cost $11.90 and it’s really worth it! And if you don’t know what Paella is, it is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

We also had the French crepes from Le Patio and it was equally yummy as we had it spread with Nutella.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

A closer look at Le Patio’s menu.

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

For more information and updates about Le Patio, do check out and like Le Patio’s Facebook Page!

Well, it was overall an enjoyable time at PasarBella and we will definitely make it a point to drop by more often as there are many things that we have yet to uncover and try.

Till then, here’s us signing off but before we end, we have an announcement to make!

Our Lifestyle Blog- A Winsome Life, is currently one of the top 10 finalists for Best Lifestyle Blog in the Singapore Blog Awards 2013. As we don’t really like to canvass for votes due to the really tiresome process, may we make a small little request that you vote for us so that we can stand a chance to grab the Best Lifestyle Blog Award?

Every voter can vote at least once a day till the 23rd of June 2013 and to reward you for voting, you might stand a chance to be one of the 5 lucky winners to walk away with either the JBL Charge Stereo Speaker worth $249 or the JBL Flip Stereo Speaker worth $195, all of which are kindly sponsored by JBL.

The competition is really stiff and every vote counts. We at A Winsome Life are counting on you to help us realise our dream of becoming Singapore’s Best Lifestyle Blog! Help us make it happen! 😀

To vote for us, simply register yourself as a voter via the following link: http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2013/register/

After which, click on Categories followed by Nanyang Optical Best Lifestyle Blog and then vote for us!

From PasarBella 2013- Part 2

It’s really simple and when you have voted for us, please drop us a note on our Facebook Page or comment on this blog post so that we can get in touch with you and personally thank you for supporting us! Cheers!