Partially Vaccinated

18 June 2021

So I've gotten my first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 Vaccine. In contrast to all the apprehension and nervousness I felt earlier, the actual event was kind of underwhelming!

I managed to get it before they opened the vaccination to people in my age group thanks to a corporate policy =)

The Grabcar trip to the vaccination centre was quite uneventful. I had chosen to go to Serangoon Community Centre for my jab as I did not want to visit a clinic and also because the locations nearer to me were out of slots. This was partly due to my procrastination during registration as there were slots available in Sengkang and Punggol when I checked at about 10pm once I received my sms. When I woke up the next day, all the slots had disappeared like magic (I actually registered after waking up the next day -____-) 

Anyway, the first thing you do once you arrive at the vaccination centre is to get a ticket to wait your turn for registration (after taking your temperature and checking-in as usual). I got number S684 and there were about 20 people before me when I first sat down in front of the screen. Before I could even sit down and get my bearings straight, it was my turn within 5 minutes!!! 

The next step was registration at the counter. All you need is your NRIC. After some general questions for identification, I was told to head to a partitioned area. I actually thought there would be some more waiting involved but nope, it was straight to the injection area @@! The nurse then provided some information (rattled off more like). I only managed to squeeze in one question before she told me to pull up my sleeve and it was done in just one wink, seriously like 2 seconds! I had just turned my head to look away and it was done. 

Right after the injection, I was ushered to the observation area to rest/sit around and wait for 30 minutes. It seriously looked like some kind of examination hall lol. I finally had time to get my head around the situation and look around me. The 30 minutes passed by really quickly, it seemed like I only had time to send a few whatsapp messages and settle down before my name was called.

Next up was the discharge counter where they checked if I was feeling unwell and I was then given a slip showing the date for my next dose, and then that was it! Super underwhelming!!!  

I was feeling A-Ok and hence went to do some grocery shopping after that (and kept forgetting not to use my left arm to carry stuff). In anticipation of some side effects, my plan was to go for the jab in the evening (I picked the 7pm timing) and go to bed early to sleep it off. 

Ended up buying supper (can't remember the last time I ate after 7pm) as I was somehow feeling ravenous @@ After a couple of days of observation, I think the only side effect I got was that hungry feeling after the jab and having a slightly longer afternoon nap than usual the next day (though that might be due to laziness.. no idea.. hahaha). I was slightly disappointed to be honest, since I thought that healthy people would experience stronger side effects. Seriously wondering if my immunity is not as good as I thought before? Although it seems that most people did not feel anything after their first dose of Pfizer. So I'll wait for the next dose and see if there is any difference.

So I had prepared 2 items that I usually never buy in case I would be out of action after my jab. Ended up having the porridge for breakfast and it was nicer than expected. Porridge to me = sick people food and I usually won't think of it; and unlike normal people, I actually don't keep a stash of painkillers at home XD

Important Note: 

The only question I managed to squeak out to the nurse before my jab was when I heard that we can only take normal Panadol after the vaccination and asked why. Do not take Panadol Actifast if you have any side effects after your vaccination as it is considered a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) due to its ingredients. So I guess my 20 caplets are going to get thrown out after they live in my fridge long enough to expire.

If you are planning to get any souvenirs from the vaccination centre, they give out pamphlets on the vaccine hahahaha. My colleague said that they provide free face masks and sanitizers too, but I didn't pick them up. There should be people who would need such freebies more than me I guess. 

Next dose is again on a Friday, on 30 July 2021. Let's see if it can be as smooth as my experience for the first dose. Looking forward to getting my vaccination certificate, then I can think about going home for the first time since March 2020!!!!!  

An Afternoon at Bearded Bella

7 March 2021

In this day and age, just a blink and you find that almost a month has mysteriously passed by.

As part of my exploration of new places in Singapore, I have got to put on record this awesome cafe that I wouldn't mind revisiting ~ BEARDED BELLA.

So this happened to be the cafe that I mentioned in a previous post that had a constant queue outside so it was kind of funny that I already had an impression of this place without knowing so, quite a pleasant surprise XD

The amazing thing was that we did not manage to make a reservation and yet were lucky enough to score a perfect table after a short wait! The table was outdoors but in a nook near the entrance to go indoors, so we didn't get splashed on even though it started raining heavily halfway through our meal.

Why such a positive impression to make me want to write a post you ask? 

1. Doggies!

2. I love me a creative menu

3. The food was interesting and tasty too =)

4. Good service 

(we kind of overstayed as it was raining to heavily to leave and the staff only politely prompted us to after close to 3 hours even though there was still a constant stream of customers coming in despite the thunderstorm @@)

The first thing that catches your eye once you enter are these 2 lovely chow chows owned by the cafe. They were so obedient, just minding their own business and letting random strangers pet them from time to time. We were glad that we didn't take the seat next to them though, as they started trying to hide under the table when it started to rain and almost tipped the furniture over, causing quite a commotion when a water pitcher fell over.

Awww... just awww...

Next up was the awesome food:

Bearded Bella has quite a diverse menu to satisfy every palate. I seriously had no idea what to try when I first saw the menu as everything seemed so interesting from the descriptions. Every item we ordered just looked amazing and I couldn't wait to tuck in!

BIG BREKKIE OUR WAY

Herb & garlic crusted tomato, homemade luncheon meat with pistachio, scrambled eggs, pickled enoki, bok choy, hasselback baby potato with smoked sour cream, sourdough toast, bacon bits

3 people out of 4 at our table ordered this due to the quirky description which is quite far from your usual big breakfast. Bok Choy and Enoki instead of baked beans, hee~ I tried the homemade luncheon meat and it was GoooooD!

NO BS BREKKIE

Australian grass-fed ribeye, kombu, scrambled eggs, arugula, parmesan, potato crisps, served on English muffin buns

I was the only odd one out as I wanted to try something else in the menu for diversity XD Don't be fooled by the appearance, this was amazing too! The potato crisps were made fresh, not poured from a packet <3 <3 <3

PANCAKE. BACON. FLIGHT. MAGIC.

Maple infused pancakes, barbeque butter, onion jam, bacon three-ways (maple glazed, paprika spiced, bacon back)

Cute presentation! Got greedy to try more and ended up not being able to finish this. The pancakes were quite solid and take up quite a lot of stomach space but the jam and butter were mind-blowing, flavourful and not something you see everyday definitely~

We also ordered a Chia Pudding with fruits and yoghurt, great for health freaks. Something new for me too, I immediately googled how to make it (seems quite simple, might try it someday)

We ordered a second round of beverages as we were there for so long. A shoutout to my first drink, the lychee lemonade, genius! My second drink was the Dominican Republic 72% Hot Chocolate which was smooth, creamy, hearty, everything you would expect from a hot chocolate. I'm not a fan of bitter drinks but there's an 80% Ugandan version for people who are into that.

Link to full menu: https://www.beardedbella.com/menu

Little lemon tree~

We ordered quite a lot, with 2 beverages per pax, and total damage was about $50 per pax including taxes. Considering that we were there for several hours and the food was quite extraordinary, I would say it was worth it. Perhaps no extra orders next time though since we weren't able to finish the pancakes. 

 

New Weekend Activity

3 January 2021

My legs are hurting today for the first time since I started my new weekend routine. Actually I have no idea why since it's the 4th week that I've gone for a morning walk from Punggol Settlement, round Coney Island and back via the Lorong Halus red bridge. It might be because we pounded more pavement today and walked a few thousand steps more after taking a detour just to avoid a muddy shortcut.

The funny thing about nature is that everything sort of looks or feels different each time you pass by. It could be the different direction of the breeze or the changes in position of the plants; but it was just so easy for me to enjoy each walk. This week, we decided to go ahead even though it was raining heavily enough to require an umbrella @@ It was more of an adventure this week due to the many fallen trees and some flooded areas due to the 2.5 days of continuous rain we had since New Year's Day. Some parts of Coney Island were eerily quiet as well due to the much smaller crowd compared to normal.

These were taken the first time I went for the walk. 

Apparently this is Pasir Gudang in Johor, a tiny glimpse of home turf

This was from last week when we spotted a handsome monkey. This week we saw a tortoise, a squirrel and some stray dogs. No wild boar or crocodile sighting as yet though..

The first 2 weeks, we started out with 2 of us on the left, and we never once thought of taking a photo together. Luckily, with the addition of a professional photographer from last week onwards, we at least have some photographic proof of our weekend meet-ups.

I seriously look like I'm glowing in this one XD

Usually we would have reached around 8,500 steps by the time we arrive at the bridge for some stretching and a drink of water. Due to the detour we took, my fitbit had recorded 12,000 steps by the time we got to the bridge XD 

With the Coney Island signboard that I think I only saw once or twice out of 4 outings. Seriously, even though we keep to a policy of always taking the left fork, we always end up walking a different route. I wonder if someone can explain to me why @@

I might need to go alone next week. Not sure if I am motivated enough to go it alone though, might end up lazing in bed if the weather forecasts shows clouds/rain next weekend XD

Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express

20 December 2020 

Finally did something interesting again during the weekend. Had a late late lunch (at 4.30pm to be exact) at Canton Paradise at Marina Bay Sands before heading to West Lawn next to Bayfront Plaza for the 'Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express' Exhibition at Gardens By The Bay. Speaking of West Lawn, the directions to the exhibition were basically non-existent and none of the people we asked could point us the right way. I would have written in to complain if I wasn't so lazy, ha! Anyway, we thought we would have plenty of time having after meeting for lunch at 4.30pm to catch our reserved timeslot for the exhibition at 6pm but ended up having to brisk walk/slight jog to get there right before 6pm @@.

Joined the queue to climb aboard the train - the last step was really high!

(which is actually made up of 2 carriages from the original Orient Express back from the 1930s and shipped here from France)

The reason for having to book timeslots is because it's quite narrow in the carriages and you kind of have to queue through the entire first part of the exhibit. Each lounge seat had a reenactment of possible scenes and placards with information on the likely passengers on the Orient Express (both fictional or real):

~A gorgeous Remington typewrite and wine with a 1933 vintage~

I spotted the newspaper dated 1906 once inside the train and upon asking, the lady on duty informed us that the items on display were mostly originals. She then asked us to look out for an even older newspaper from 1883 (see both below): 

So apparently James Bond was also on the Orient Express as a fictional passenger

Another famous fictional passenger whom I know from the 2017 movie even though I've never read the book by Agatha Christie

A significant part of the exhibition was dedicated to 'The Murder on the Orient Express'

After walking through both carriages, we came to Part 2 of the exhibition, which had displays of the suite rooms, dining car, etc. Some exterior shots of the carriages:

The second part of the exhibition was more 'museum-like' with more information to read through. The most interesting thing to me was that Palmolive soap existed back in the 1930s, I never knew!

Me and the said Palmolive Soap

Another interesting thing was the vintage Louis Vuitton luggage on display. They really got me wondering how much they cost now

In case you don't trust me when I say these are from LV!

Advertisements for the Orient Express from yore

There were also travel brochures for places where the Orient Express stopped by such as Egypt and Turkey. It was amazing to see photographs of people climbing up the sides of The Great Pyramid and a clear view of the Sphinx - a reminder that such historical places should be visited as soon as possible so that you can see a less eroded version @@

Tickets for the exhibition are S$25. Was it worth it? For me, kind of, as I like museums and culture and it is sort of my little contribution to the preservation of history. The meals available at the carriage restaurant though are another matter. I dropped by to kaypoh about the dinner menu and the 2 options were priced at S$298++ and S$398++ respectively with things like black truffle and king crab and also something called a celeriac extract lol.. I think I rather use the money to have 10 nice meals or 100 canteen meals XD

After that we dropped by Tong Shui (yes that same Tong Shui) to have glutinous rice balls since 20th was the day before winter solstice. Any excuse for some sweet stuff XD (and I really needed a break after that, after 2 consecutive days of walking close to 18k steps - more on 19th December when I have the chance~)