Brotzeit/Canele

After several changes to catch up for a meal, Laura and I finally met up on 20 April 2011. We headed to Brotzeit at City hall for lunch that day.

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant was one of the few places that came to mind. It was their set lunch that caught our attention. There’s currently three Brotzeit restaurant at Raffles City, 313 @ Somerset and Vivocity.

With a price of less than $20 and below, the set lunch offers an appetizer and a main course. This is avaliable from monday - Friday till 3pm.

Appetizers -Broccoli Soup & Stuffed Ham baguette



The soup was delicous. Thick yet one is able to taste the broccolli - I wouldn't mind a second bowl.

Lovely presentation

The stuffed ham baguette comprised of egg, potato and mayonnaise. With the crispy bread, this dish is definitely worth ordering

Pat & Laura having lunch

It is always a delight catching up with good friends. Laura and I have known each other since secondary school days - a good friend of mine. We lost touch for the past 2 years and only connected back recently. We used to explore different food places when we were younger. It's great to be able to catch up for meals and when 2 put 2 foodies together, more food places to explore.

Pat & her dory Fillet

I am always into fish and salad. Hence I ordered the grilled dory fillet. Laura was teasing me for being healthy.

Our 2 main courses for Lunch

Schnjizel - Chicken @ $19

Priced at $17, the dory was soft and it came with parsely potatoes and sauteed vegetables

We headed for Canele for tea at city hall. Located at #B1-46/47, this place was very pretty. So were the cakes.

Macha & Strawberry Shortcake

The 2 good friends having tea

Pat with her green tea cake & Peppermint tea

Laura with her Ultimate hot chocolate & Strawberry Shortcake

Tea with cake - Delightful afternoon

A delightful afternoon where Laura & I took time to catch up. After tea, I headed to the library to return my books, before I went for evening mass at St Peter & Paul church. Then it was Daff time in the evening on moral theology at CANA.

Cambodia (12-16 Dec 2009)

Cambodia, a country I never expected to travel too. To my suprise I actually visited Camobodia from Dec 12 -16 2009. This country knocked on my door 3 times that year. I was suppose to go Gold Coast/Sunshine coast in December. But my trip ws cancelled, hence my Sern Yin my ex-colleague asked me whether I was keen to visit Cambodia, we went down to check out the package at travel fair. Before I knew it, we had signed on for 5 Days Cambodia Experience.

It was a country where the magnificent Angkor Wat captured my attention. A place where one can really take awesome pictures- rustic yet simple. We visited Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh was really sad - especially the killing fields where the people were brutually tortured.

Let me relieve the cambodia expereince through the next few blogs.

Cambodia - Phnom Penh - 15-16 December 2009

The 4th day of the trip, we were in Phnom Penh. Our first stop of the day was the National Museum which showcases the Angkor period, ranging from the 4th century to 15th century.

I think I was more fascinated with the natural settings. So tranquil and lovely. The photographer was just busy snapping photos.

So lovely and so peaceful. A beauty in itself in the Cambodian settings.

We had a buffet lunch at this restaurant where at least the food had variety. One of the nicer places of food that we had. I must say that the food we had on the trip was certainly not appetizing. Maybe it's chinese food or one would say it's package tour. If you travel free and easy, one may have the opportunity to travel different types of authentic food in cambodia.

Taksin

We saw Taksin, who came to the restaurant for lunch. No wonder there were so many police and bodyguards all of a sudden.

Vanessa & Pat

Baby on tombstone

After lunch, we headed to Toul Sieng Museum which provided a grim reminder of the genocidal horrors from 1975 to 1979

Some of the pictures of the victimes. I didn't take pictures much inside, unlike some of the people in our tour who was busy taking every corner of the place. I just felt sick looking at the injustice and the cruelty. Instead I was out taking pictures of the kids.

One of my fav shot - the look on her face

Where the prisoners were housed

Taking a walk along the notorious "Killing Fields"of Choeng Ek. Such a pungent smell. It seems like the smell of the dead. That feeling of cries of those who were tortured and killed when one stepped into the killing fields.

Breakfast on 16 Dec 2009 - the final day

Consisting of egg, spring roll, noddles, ham - one just eat to have breakfast

Lady in red with her breakfast

With our Cambodian Tour Guide

Vanessa, Cehao, Pat & Sern Yin

It was an enjoyable trip. Cambodia made me realise how thankful to live in Singapore. In cambodia we see kids coming up to us begging us for money. The way the people lived their lives in hardship, yet they go on each day with a smile. This trip taught me how fortunate we are - the gift of life.

Cambodia- Phnon Penh - 14 December 2009

From Siem Reap, our coach headed off to Phnom Penh. One of the break stops where we saw this view.

Fruits sold at the market

Delicacies - Fried insects

Squid baked in the sun

Cambodia is known for the fried insects. Suppose to be delicacies. Cehao, one of our travel participant tried it and he loved the food. We girls decided to give it a miss.

Royal Palace, a 18th century French Villa presented to Cambodia by Empress Eugenia after the opening of Suez Canal. I was awed by the beauty of the place. So used to see the beautiful architecture in Europe, I was very suprised Cambodia had such nice places too.

Pat & Sern Yin

Pat immerse in the Palace beauty

A postcard picture

Check out the architecture

Looks like a playhouse - recall the times when kids had their doll houses

Silver Pagod floored with over 5000 silver tiles

3 monks deep in thoughts

Independence Moument - lotus shaped stupa form which is a combination of Khmer art and sculptures from the Angkor period ranging from the 4th century to 15th century.

Bears in shop at Naga World Casino

A pictures of us with the bears

Toufu

Chicken for dinner

Cambodia - Siam Reap - 13 December 2009

Breakfast - not least impressed with Cambodia food

Pat & Sern Yin

Food aside, this day has to be the highlight of our Cambodia trip. Very beautiful views, something which caught me by surpirse. Had a fantastic photo session throughout the day.

Standing the spot where Angelina Jolie filmedTomb Raider- Feel the Vibes

Our first stop was Ta Prohm Temple, also known as Tomb Raider Temple the place where Angelina Jolie did the filming.

Observe the silence

Ta Prohm Temple

Unlike most of the temples of Angkor, this temple has been largely left to the clutches of the living jungle. We saw enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure.

Angkor Wat

What a splendor beauty finally seeing Angkor Wat in person. This was what drew me to Cambodia and interestingly this place knocked at my door 3 times and on the 3rd attempt did I take up the offer to visit Cambodia. This is magnificent Angkor Wat, one of the 7 wonders of the New World. One can actually spend 3 days here just viewing the place.

View carvings on the walls which reveal the beliefs, practices and the way of life then. Stroll around the site of this massive monument to explore many of its galleries with columns, libraries, pavillions, courtyards and ponds.

Southern Gate of Angkor Thom

Buddha

Different faces of Bayon

There were a series of colossal human faces carved in stones along its narrow corridors and steep flight of stairs.

Finally Pat gets to see Angkor Wat

Take a break, have the Coconut juice

Our last stop was Bakheng Hill. What an experience. Usually we climb up the stair with our feet at 90 degree, in this case, the steps were so steep that one had to climb up the stairs with our feet at 45 degree, ie at side way. We had to use the railings to support us. It was more scary climbing downwards. Yet seeing the sunset was awesome. At dusk, we ascended Bakheng Hill to view the spectacular sunset over Angkor Wat. Breadth-taking was the word. It will be an experience I will remember for life.

Sunset over Angkor Wat

Dinner Time

Singapore Tim Sum tastes nice - Cambodia Tim Sum

Desserts