8 Reasons why Singaporeans love driving into JB (Johor Bahru)

Well, following my entry on Johor Bahru, Malaysia, I often heard friends or colleagues wanting to drive into Johor during weekends or public holidays.

The causeways are always jammed - both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints linking us to Malaysia's borders, and many cars on the road have Singapore license plates. Be it rain or shine, be it late hours or weekends, let there be political unrest and widespread diseases- nothing deters Singaporeans from crossing the borders. Why?

Photosource: http://sgblogs.com/pages/2315459-exodus-causes-massive-jam-johor

                             
1. A Short Getaway
Having been confined in the tiny little red dot we call Singapore (and our home) for most of the times, a weekend or public holiday is the perfect time for a very short getaway and flee the hustle of city life. Where else could be more convenient than our very own neighbor - accessible by just a couple of hours' drive? It's no wonder that Singaporeans are flocking over for leisure once they are sick of our own malls and restaurants. Some people even plan a short hotel stay for a night or two.

2. Food
Like, really? Singaporeans are foodies, sure, hence the notion of food-hunting across the causeway does not fail to appeal.

Whether one chooses to eat the famous "Lok-lok" - skewers of food one may order from street-side carts and then dip into a pot of gravy (shared by everyone) to eat, or prefer the "more authentic" Bak Kut Teh, wanton noodles, Zi Char (stir-fried seafood or meat dishes at coffeeshops) or durians, it is a food paradise.

I had a casual dinner at their Causeway Bay Hong Kong Restaurant @ City Square Mall the other day - BBQ wanton noodles with Iced Horlicks, and Szechuan Beef Hor Fun soup with Iced Plum Juice, for just RM30++ for two (converted to SGD, its $15.00!). So, besides offering a wide array of traditional food dishes, the food across the border is very affordable too. No wonder Singaporeans are flocking over here to satiate their food cravings.


3. Shopping
There are many shopping malls here, such as KSL, City Square, Holiday Plaza, Pelangi Mall, The Store and Jusco, inviting us to shop till we drop.

Besides offering local brand names and items that cannot be found in Singapore's malls, the merchandise and groceries in Johor Bahru are cheaper too.  Hence, it is really not surprising to hear people coming in here to replenish their household items, contact lens solutions, cigarettes etc.


4. Petrol
Does the title of this paragraph sound familiar? Ha! Yes, getting your petrol here is definitely cheaper (by nearly half the price!), hence some Singaporeans come in here just to fill up their petrol tanks, get a car wash and then drive out afterwards.  There are some who even rock / shake their cars a little so that more petrol may flow in - and I feel that is a very ugly behavior.


5. Recreational Activities
Others come in here for manicure, pedicure, hair services, massages, golf, movies and Karaoke (KTV) because it is a lot less expensive after currency exchange.

I have tried most of the above activities, and yes, if the facilities are good, up to date and cheaper indeed, why not? It would be more fun especially if there is a group of people (family or friends) heading in to enjoy together.


6. Looking for Things that cannot be found in Singapore
Don't laugh, this is not funny at all. There are indeed a number of items that cannot be found in Singapore at all or anymore, hence one could gladly cross the border in hunt for them. If found, of course Johor Bahru would be the next venue for topping up on these items unfound in Singapore.

For me, I managed to buy the Mykuali's Penang White Curry instant noodles that was all the rage in Singapore for a period of time.  It was sold out, but I managed to get it in Johor Bahru. Similarly for the coffee cream sandwich cookies that I used to eat many years ago, and loved. It is very aromatic and tasty, but ever since stock stopped coming in, I have not been able to locate it in Singapore all these years. A drive-in to Johor reaped these cookies again!

Of course, some people may buy chewing gums or pirated DVDs there, who knows?


7. Consulting TCM
I know of a couple of very popular Chinese Physicians based in Johor Bahru, hence some Singaporeans drive in to consult , visit and replenish their Chinese medical supplies. No, the fees these physicians charge are not low, but apparently their formulae work, so that's what matters.


8. Visiting Families or Friends
Many Singaporeans have Malaysian relatives and friends, some whom reside in Johor Bahru - so near! Hence it is uncommon to see locals driving or taking public transport in, just to visit their friends and relatives for some good old catching up or attending weddings / celebrations etc.

Why not? Many Malaysians in Johor Bahru are warm, hospitable people and stay in huge landed houses. Hence they welcome guests and visitors very readily - a trip or two there would warrant good home-cooked food and very friendly reception. One could also get some cultural infusion done through such a visit.

That sums up my investigations / findings of why Singaporeans enjoy driving across the Causeway into the wombs of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Are you one of them too? :)

Lunch at Artisan Boulangerie Co.

I heard the raves about Artisan Boulangerie's croissants a while back, but have not had the chance to taste it till now - an appointment with a long-time business associate / friend brought me to Great World City and I thought I could finally put the compliments to the test.

Artisan Boulangerie Co has several outlets in Singapore. I visited the one at 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01-23 Great World City, Singapore 237994 (the number for this branch is 6887 4062). The bakery cafe offers a friendly setting with contemporary design, and hospitable service.

It is a neighborhood bakery led by award-winning French chef / baker Eran Mayer, offering scores of decadent fresh bakes from pastries to morning goodies to breads. They use the finest ingredients and artisanal techniques to ensure that the delectable pastries are fresh and taste good daily. Look at the array of tarts, crumbles and other pastries on display - they look mouthwatering, don't they?

The assortment of colorful eclairs were tempting too. Artisan Boulangerie Co offers generous samples, hence I helped myself to a piece of Cassis Eclair (SGD$4.50) - sweet and taut with a little hint of sour overture - I had been contemplating ordering it but found it a tad too sweet for my liking (odd that I used to have very sweet tooth!)

The tantalizing range of quiches and sandwiches beckon warmly as well, making it harder for me to come to a final decision, as everyone looked sumptuous.

And this variety of of danishes, croissants and other baked goods just simply make me swoon - I have never been faced with this tough a choice trying to decide between ordering their breakfast sets or a couple of different pastries to try.

In the end, I settled for their French Breakfast Set (SGD$12.90) and I added Smoked Salmon (SGD$6.00) to make it more complete. The French Breakfast Set comprises of a pastry of choice (I chose croissant, duh), a hot beverage and an orange juice. I felt a little cheated because the croissant costs only SGD$2.90 on its own, so did that mean I paid SGD$10.00 for my drinks?

Anyway, petty grudges aside, I did enjoy my crispy sandwich that succumbed easily to the touch of the knife - it was flaky, very tasty with a sweet aroma and simply divine.

The Smoked Salmon was smooth and had a very springy fresh kind of texture, so it was good to the mouth, teeth and tongue albeit being slightly too salty. I had been enjoying it until I still finding many tiny pieces of white fish bones within the smoked salmon itself, negating my overall salmon-eating experience. It was rather gross to be finding tiny bits of fish bones within the fish meat, really.

Nonetheless, I managed to complete my meal in a rather enjoyable fashion (just try to ignore the bone bits) and washing it down with lovely English Breakfast tea and supposedly fresh orange juice. The meal cost me SGD$18.50. I would like to come back to try their other pastries on display.

Review: The Body Shop loose powder

Over the years, I have tried and tested several brands of  loose powder from Shisedo, Face Shop, MAC, Christian Dio etc. But ever since discovering The Body Shop's loose powder in Shade 01 in 2008, I have never looked back.

It comes in a 14g, round tub with good-size sieve cover and no sponge or brush. This costs SGD$29.90 only, which is why I was surprised that it provided the effects I had been searching for, amongst so many other brands.

The Body Shop's loose powder contains Marula oil, Vitamin E  and light reflecting particles.

The powder is lightweight and long-lasting. My skin is combination, hence many other loose powders look flaky or pixelated when I brush them on. The Body Shop's loose powder glided on smoothly and gives a luxuriously-matte finish. The powder is fine and soft, and gives a little more coverage on top of the foundation (no one believes me when I said this, but it is true!).

Unfortunately, The Body Shop decided to discontinue shade 01 in Singapore completely, so now we are left with shades 02 and 03.  Shade 03 is too dark - tried and tested, so I thought I could give shade 02 a shot.

Shade 02 is, oddly, of a pinkish tone instead of the fairer tone that shade 01 was of. As such, the pink tone looks totally unsuitable for my skin. The powder is of a different texture too, hence does not provide the same kind of velvety finish shade 01 is made of. When I took it back to The Body Shop to clarify, they informed me that shade 02 is finer than 01, and of a pinkish tone indeed.

It is so ridiculous, and having relied on the same product for 6 years, I was at a loss. The thought of having to shop for, and try out a new brand of loose powder again, is daunting. The Body Shop is losing customers by doing so - they could have taken in less stock for shade 01 instead of stopping it totally.

I have since bought Clinique (SGD$53.00) and Muji (SGD$26.00) loose face powder to try, based on recommendations.  I hope they turn out well so I can stick to just either one of them in the long run (till it runs out again in future).

Dinner at Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant @ Vivocity

It was time for catching up yet again, and this time we headed to Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant located at 1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-98 / 99, Vivocity, Singapore 098585. The number for reservations is 6376 0105.

This is a lovely place with a very Mediterranean furnishing, lots of comforting blues amongst ivory whites, and ancient artifacts adorning the restaurant. The ambience is very relaxing, and sultry Spanish music invites one to simply unwind and chill out.

One could choose to dine in cool comfort indoors, or choose to be caressed by the (sea) breezes while dining alfresco, listening to the live band at the same time. The outdoors is just as enchanting as the indoors.

Even their menu is an adorable tease at inviting diners to take a peek inside, at the list of authentic Spanish food dishes and tantalizing drinks.

Four of us started the meal with a tapas of  Salteado de Setas - sauteed mixed mushrooms with garlic and extra virgin olive oil (SGD$12.80) while waiting, since the main courses we ordered to share would take 30 minutes' preparation time. The mushrooms were very tender and basking in the sapid flavors of garlic and olive oil. It was a very tasty dish that became rather salty towards the end.

I washed it all down with a delicious, refreshing and extremely pretty, multi-toned drink named Guantanamera (SGD$16.00) - Vodka, Malibu, Peach Schnapps, Juices and Syrups - picked out from a very extensive list of equally-tempting drinks. It was sweet and I loved it.

Our 1/4 Portion of Serenity's Spanish Suckling Pig - Babi Culing Spanyol - (SGD$138.00), meant for 1-2 persons, finally arrived. It was a platter together with sauteed radish and two types of sausages - pork and chicken. The sausages were pretty average in their bouncy texture and saltish taste, but it was the Suckling Pig that left us swooning.  It was so tender that a plate could cut it up; it was succulent and juicy, yet the skin was not compromised on its crispy factor at all. Now we finally knew what the fuss was about Spanish suckling pigs - every bite was divine.

Finally, our giant platter of Arroz Negro Paella - Spanish rice with squid ink, squid, tiger prawns, mussels, capsicums and rice (SGD$106.00) - came to be shared by 3-4 persons. The rice was chewy and very tasty having been cooked in good broth. The seafood items were all fresh and succulent - especially the sweet and springy tiger prawns. The slightly charred taste added to the flavor of this dish.

Overall, we spent a total of SGD$358.50 (inclusive of one drink each) for a sumptuous and fun meal over fabulous catching up.

Chillout at Urban Fairways Cafe Bar

Located at CBD area with its prominent, neon-lit name so bold and striking against the stately office buildings, I have been curious about Urban Fairways for a while.

When I learned that it was an indoor golf range as well as a cafe / pub, it piqued my interest enough to drop by for a simple chillout. Urban Fairways is located at 168 Robinson Road, #01-07 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 and its contact number is 6327 8045.

One is immediately drawn to the 8-meter fully-stocked bar when they enter this cafe bar. You can get any drink imaginable, from alcoholic beverages to coffee / teas and fruit juices.

This is the other side of the cafe bar, where one can indulge in drinks and 18 holes on one of their 50 world-class golf courses. Check out this high tech way of playing golf, in the comfort of cool temperature and good music.

I gave it a small shot (being completely undressed for the occasion, yes). This was an entirely different feel of playing in drive range or golf courses - no winds in the hair but the pretty golf courses still manage to stretch for miles beyond one's imagination. Oh, by the way the service of the crew is great too - warm and friendly.

The 19th Hole is probably the name of their cafe. Anyway, for nighttime the menu is limited to finger foods. We were a little disappointed because reviews all raved about the best Steak Sandwich, which was not to be found.  I had myself a Mojito (SGD$19.00) - drug of choice nowadays, to start the evening off. Not bad, rather refreshing and one could taste the generous serving of rum in their good-sized Mojito.

We gave their 19th Hole Nachos (SGD$14.00) with salsa, guacamole, mozarella and sour cream - a shot. The minced beef was rather tasty and heavy on flavor, and the sour cream was light the way I like it. The chips were lovely grain chips but too bad the bottom lot was made soggy by the mozarella cheese.

The Quesadilla de Fairways (SGD$14.00) consisting of homemade salsa, mozarella and cheddar cheese, was nothing to be impressed about. The layer of floury skin was somewhat crunchy and chewy; the fillings were somewhat watery, though one could roughly taste the flavors of cheese and salsa sauce.

Having completed our light munchies and drinks, it was time to head upstairs to check it out (yes, they have two levels).

There was a small round table, dart board and lots of golf clubs up here.

And another indoor golf range here for more golf-players. Urban Fairways makes for a great chillout venue because of its location and hospitable reception, as well as the interesting concept of a golf cafe bar. I believe that for functions, this place is perfect too, with the right activities to keep the patrons suitably entertained.

Eyeliner Review - Cailyn mineral gel eyeliner

I have tried many brands of eyeliners before - from Bobbi Brown's gel liner to Maybelline's long lasting gel pen-liner, to Christian Dior and Chanel eyeliners, the latter of which promised to be waterproof and water-resistant but disappeared once I hit the pools.

Then I visited the Beauty Asia 2014 exhibition at Suntec City in February and was approached by this pretty Caucasian lady who introduced Cailyn's mineral gel liner to me, claiming it to be smudge-proof, long lasting and smooth to glide on. Cailyn is a mineral based cosmetics company based at Los Angeles.

I am told that they develop cutitng-edge formula for their products and use high quality ingredients, have innovative products and they all come in attractive packaging - good for personal use and gifts. She tested the fine-tipped eye-liner on my hand, and I liked it, so I thought of giving it a try. It cost SGD$35.00, which is a lot cheaper than the Chanel and Christian Dior liners, priced at SGD$52.00.

The LineFix Gel Eyeliner comes in several shades, and I chose the black. It comes in an interesting bell shape containing the pot of gel liner, and brush. All one needs to do is to twist the bottom and here is the pot of black gel liner, smooth and moist, waiting to be used.

The brush is very fine-tipped, and the wand is short so it is easy to hold and maneuver during application. It is rather compact as well, and one could safely bring this out without fear of it leaking. The liner glides on very smoothly, so it is very easy to use.

For a very fine line, just use the pointed end of the brush to paint on a delicate, lasting line on the lashline or lower lash area.

For a thicker, broader line, use the flat side of the brush for a more dramatic finish.

Cailyn's LineFix gel eyeliner is easy to use, silky when it glides on, long-lasting and waterproof. At home, it is easy to remove with milk or oil based eye makeup remover too. This is definitely a keeper.

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find any distributors for its products here yet, so to order or check out Cailyn's range of mineral-based cosmetics, please visit:
http://www.cailyncosmetics.com/product_p/gel01.htm#.U3iokfmSxls