Eating Tang Yuan on Winter Solstice Day 冬至

Yesterday is Winter Solstice day, which is also the day that we eat tang yuan or glutinous rice ball which represent reunion. The day before, my mum brought glutinous flour and prepared the glutinous rice ball. Yesterday is also the day, we prayed to our late ancestors. I had two version of tang yuan. The first one is tang yuan glutinous rice ball sweet soup and the other is tang yuan coated with chopped peanut. I prefer the soup version.

 The colourful glutinous rice ball (Tang yuan) is made by my mum while the bigger tang yuan is purchased from super market.

Christmas in Melbourne

Click my travel blog here to read more.

Melbourne Countryside

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Esplanade Theatre by the Bay

Whenever I'm free, I will go to the Esplanade Theatre by the Bay for a walk or just explore the arts. Last Thursday, after viewing Escher's arts, I walked from Marina Bay Sands to Esplanade theatre as I love Singapore city view and I could also exercise. 

I was happy to see a group of primary school students singing a melody of Christmas songs. They sang really well and I'm sure their parents must be very proud of them. After the performance, then I walked to Raffles City shopping mall for my dinner.

Sparkling Esplanade

 Esplanade Waterfront where residents and tourists can enjoy free performances on weekend.

 Outside the Esplanade leading to the waterfront.

 Inside the Esplanade

 Students from Concord Primary School choir. They sang very well! Applause! 

 December program at the Esplanade

Visual Art, BlissFullness at Esplanade Concourse

Escher"s World of Wonder at ArtScience Museum

This Thursday I went to Escher's World of Wonder art exhibition at ArtScience Museum. I paid $14 for this exhibition at a discount rate for Singaporean and local resident. 

I saw Escher's arts about 5 years ago in a local bookshop and was amazed by his ingenuity. I love his metamorphosis, tessellation and impossible drawing!

There are interactive activities like playing with tessellation, making your own music by punching the music sheet and making your own Kaleidocycle.

Click here to find out more at ArtScience Museum.

 Self portrait of Escher

 I like this drawing.

 Sketches by Escher

 Tessellation

 Day and Night Metamorphosis 

 Birds Tessellation

 Singapore Metamorphosis

 Interactive activity. Making and playing music by punching the note using the tools provided. Escher's was inspired by music.

 Playing your own music after punching out all the notes.

Making your own Kaleidocycle.

Da Paolo Gastronomia Again!

As mentioned, I wrote that I'll be visiting Da Paolo Gastronomia at Raffles City shopping mall to try their homemade egg pasta. So this Thursday, I went there for my dinner. 

This time I had homemade egg pasta tagliolini with pesto al basilico sauce. Take note you need to pay additional $3 for homemade egg pasta. I had banana toffee tart again as I love it. Hmm for egg pasta and pesto sauce, I find it palatable and not fabulously delicious. Maybe if you like pesto sauce, you love it. In my mind, I always think pasta should be al dente. But homemade egg pasta is rather soft like our Chinese noodles/mee kia. But then sometimes, our bak chor mee aka minced pork noodle is also quite al dente and springy. I just prefer springy and al dente noodle. So far, I'm quite disappointed with Da Paolo Gastronomia pasta. I wonder if its the chef skill or Italian pasta should be soft and not al dente. 

Anyway, I probably go back for banana toffee tart and maybe try their breakfast. Ya, their banana toffee tart is my favourite dessert. 

You can read my blog on my first Da Paolo Gastronomia here

Homemade egg pasta with pesto al bibasilico sauce.

 Choose your favourite sauce.

 They have a wide range of dessert.

I came back for banana toffee tart again.

Earning Money from Blogging

As you all know, blogging is one of my hobbies. I'm also trying to earn money from my hobbies. Alas, I don't make much from blogging unlike others who can earn thousands of dollars per month. For me, I only earn few dollars per month which is my kopi money. In the past, I earn much more when earning is based on USD dollars. But after they change to Sing dollars, I earn lesser which can be quite demoralizing. It makes me rethink if I should continue to blog sometimes.  

So how to earn money, you need to add adsense advertisement. How much you earn depends on the number of readers you have and advertisement clicks on the blog. Take note, you cannot cheat by clicking the advertisement on your own blog. You can be banned if you cheat.  The only thing I look forward to at the end of each day is monitoring where are my readers from. 

Marina Bay Sands

This Thursday, I went to view Escher's World of Wonder exhibition held at ArtScience Musuem. From ArtScience Museum, I decided to exercise by walking from the museum to The City Hall MRT which takes about 15 to 20 minutes walk. While walking, I can also enjoy the beautiful city skyline of Singapore. 

 Took this view of beautiful Marina Bay Sands, Helix Bridge and ArtScience Museum this Thursday when I went to Escher's World of Wonder exhibition.

 Men playing football at The Float@Marina Bay 

 I walked from Marina Bay Sands to the Esplanade. 

 I haven't been to Singapore Flyer for quite some time.

Beautiful Singapore city skyline. I took this picture at about 7.20pm.

My Next Travel Plan?

Alright after traveling to Melbourne this December, I'm going to Hong Kong in next year March! Wow Singapore Airlines ticket to Hong Kong is really cheap! I paid a total of $290.70 today! Of course I booked before the school holiday else it be expensive!

Don't know why. For the past few years, I feel the desire to travel. 
This will be my first trip to Hong Kong. Again, I be traveling solo to Hong Kong. I plan to go hiking, maybe I sign up in one of the hiking group and visit Disneyland.

Kylie on Stage at Arts Centre Melbourne

Recently I went to Melbourne and was lucky to see Kylie on Stage exhibition at Arts Centre Melbourne. To read more, click my travel blog here

Kylie on Stage