25 and 26 April 2009: Traditional Secrets to Well-Being

Last week, my friend and I ventured to Fort Canning Park for a guided walk through its Spice Gardens, and it was fascinating! They have such a wide variety of herbs and plants at the Spice Garden, with informative labels which explains more about the uses of the plant.

This coming weekend, there's another related workshop that's well worth going to, I think. A workshop where they will demonstrate some of the concoctions traditionally used by Malays to attain better health.

Traditional Secrets to Well-Being

Date & Time:
Saturday 25 Apr 09 (12.45pm) OR
Sunday 26 Apr 09 (1.30pm)

Venue:
Blackbox Theatre & Spice Garden, Fort Canning Park

Fee: Adults $5; Senior citizens and Students $2

For registration and more information,
email surinam_sumsudin@nparks.gov.sg
or call 63321200/ 63321302

*Participants are advised to be dressed comfortably and to note that there will be a fair amount of walking

More details at:
http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=30649

A couple of interesting FREE NParks Events on 18 April 2009

D.I.Y Vertical Garden
Date: Saturday 18 Apr 09
Time: 3 pm – 4pm
Venue: HortPark, Fruit Room

For more information and registration:
http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=28417


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Jemput! Rediscovering Plants in Malay Cuisine & Culture.

Date: Saturday 18 Apr 09
Time: 4pm (lasts approximately 1.5 hours)
Venue: Fort Canning Park

For more information and registration:
http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=28557

New Singapore Stamp Issue: Cinema Theatres of Yesteryear, March 20, 2009

Coming up on March 20, a glimpse of Singapore's cinema history from SingPost, through a set of stamps featuring some of the old "grand dames" of Singapore theatres:

- Cathay
- The Majestic
- Capitol Building
- Queens
- Rex

I'm definitely going to buy a set (or two). These days, I always love receiving anything with more unusual stamps - it happens so rarely now, with franking being in such wide use. So I like to do the same with any letters I mail out - add some of the more special stamps issued by the post office.

Pictures and more info at the SingPost site: Cinema Theatres of Yesteryear Info

Cafe Cartel After-9-pm half price cakes

I don't think I've mentioned this before but a few friends and I meet at Plaza Singapura quite often. And what do we do after dinner? Adjourn to Cafe Cartel, where they have a 50% discount on cakes after 9 pm. That works out to around $3 (inclusive of taxes, etc.) per slice. A comfy place to chat, at a price less than what you'd pay at a bakery. A good deal, really.

FREE EVENT: Fuku No Ne Ensemble, 29 March 2009

Another free event organised by the The Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation. I've been to a couple of previous events organised by them, and they certainly brought in top-notch musicians. Judging by that, this one should be worth going -- if you enjoy traditional music.

Concert: "Fuku No Ne Ensemble - Japanese Music Tradition and Innovation"
Date: 29 March, 2009 (Sun)
Time: 7:00pm
Admission: Free (Registration is required)
Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

Listen to a music sample and register for event at:
http://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/events_FUKUNONE1_29-3-09.html

Eating Out: Wonton Mee Recommendation

Foong Kee Coffee Shop
6 Keong Saik Road

Foong Kee is one of those places that I would unequivocally recommend for wonton noodles.

When I visited the stall, what I particularly liked about their noodles was that it was not sweet. For those who don’t know, they tend to put in sweet sauce into dry-tossed noodles here in Singapore. (Hmmm… come to think of it, maybe that’s why I’ve avoided wanton mee cooked outside for many years. I still have northern Malaysian food sensibilities which dictates that dry-tossed noodles must be salty).

And, even though I’m not the greatest fan of roasted pork or char siew, the stall’s specialities, I enjoyed eating the meats they served there. The skin of the roasted pork was really crispy. And the char siew was quite juicy (my friend bought some for me to take back for my mum to try, and she gave it the seal of approval - so it MUST be good). I have to say though that the meat I enjoyed the most was the roast duck, but only because I LOVE roast duck in the first place.

The friend who brought me there said that one of the secrets to their great-tasting roasted meat is that they are always fresh from the oven. And tasting the meats, I can believe that.

Check out this food review blog, which has all the details, and pictures as well: http://ieatishootipost.sg/2007/03/foong-kee-wanton-mee-wanton-mee.html


This post is adapted from an earlier post of mine here.

Indian Borage (Plectranthus ambroinicus) - Amazing Cough Remedy

This plant was first brought to our attention by a friend, as being great for persistent cough. Almost instant relief if you're suffering from cough and throat irritation. Just pluck a few leaves and chew them. The best part is that it's so easy to grow from a cutting.

Check out this excellent article if you want to know more: Indian Borage - a must-have in a herb garden. I learnt quite a bit from the article, like what the Indian Borage is used for, (other than for coughs). More importantly, I found out why the leaves of my plant are starting to curl and yellow (seems it's getting too much sun!). The article also gives useful tips on how to propagate the plant.

I've also collated information I found from sites and books in this article: Indian Borage


Useful references:

• Wee Yeow Chin, A Guide to Herbs and Spices (available in Singapore libraries).
• Wendy Hutton and Alberto Cassio, Handy Pocket Guide to Asian Herbs & Spices (Handy Pocket Guides)