Bryan Wong

Woke up at 0800hrs…

went thru the usual routines and suddenly it dawned on me that today’s the day !

As always, the throat clamped up and jitters raced thru me spine..euewwwwww… i recognized that feeling..when many years ago when i have to sit for my examinations…

The difference is that there are no facts and figures to memorise..no history to be reiterated..no sums to be added…no literature to examin…

all the work that needs to be done..well,has already been done and ..its just the night where u get your year’s results.

i shall put on my Prada and face the day with gusto::)

Its been a really long time since the last time i posted something..kind of a lost in a world where time stood still..but only for me..while the rest of the world is moving on ..all but me…in a daze..lost in a world devoid of thoughts,mechanically living each day..

logging into farmville just to plant crops..harvesting..not even bothering to cash in on all the freebies offered by my fellow farmers..in fact,come to think of it,my farm has been barren for quite a while…maybe because i have reached the max level..so there isn’t much to work towards..and so i wonder, does that apply to our lives..that after we have peaked, life comes to a standstill and the only way is..down?

its really difficult to pen my thoughts..at this point i am stuck..it feels as though my heart is going to burst but yet..restraint by unspoken rules that some thoughts are not meant to shared..that happens to a whole lot of us..that we simply have to bottle it up till the day it holds no more..then comes a major avalanche and all hell breaks loose…..

where am i ?

i am where..i am.

Here it comes again..the annual affair that got interested parties in a frenzy and my colleagues,including myself, to be kind of a thrown off balance as it almost seemed that we are getting our results for the year’s work.

Actually, i didn’t even want to touch on this subject because…

it’s nerve racking

it’s almost like soliciting..

However, i guess i have to brave up and do this entry as many of you have been really kind with all your well wishes that i just have to do this post to thank each and every one of you ..

today , as i was browsing thru my fan page on fb, which is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryan-wong-wang-lu-jiang/370002612768, i found this lovely poster like artwork by lee yan seah which really touched my heart because its really nice of her to do this and i think it took up some of her precious time..

And just as i am writing this post, my manager sms me and told me that i am in the top ten position of the polls till date:) I have to say that now i am grinning ear to ear and…really happy:)

Thank you my dear friends for your votes..

thank you…

a very much humbled…bryan

Since many of you have been asking me about upcoming tours that i will be doing, this june, i will be leading a tour to Okinawa by Airelated Travel

When i was filming {Destination Most Wanted} ,one of the featured isle is Taketomi    ..i remembered the beautiful sunset and the warmth of the people there.

This time round, we are going to experience the charm of Okinawa and how they got the title of {Longevity Island}..

frolicking in the waters and enjoying the beautiful coastline..

be a part of the ocean when we go onboard a submarine to cruise the ocean floor..

be a part of the forest when we walk on typical japanese stone paths and rest in a tree house

be a part of the shopoholics when we empty our wallets and come back with our triumphs to woo our friends!

me thinks me gonna have lots of fun this time round..again!

Come Join me if you can:)

Airelated Travel:65325686

Or visit this website for more info:

http://www.airelatedtravel.com.sg/website/OutPackage.asp?OutId=983

Once again i am about to take to the skies! This time , i am leading a tour with UOB travels to this 3 wonderful places! with a group size of nearly a hundred and to be in an environment that is less than 10 degrees, we are in for a freezing good time:) Will see if i could do a day by day update..Cheers for now..

Btw,i have finally started my own fan page in Facebook and it goes by the name of Bryan Wong 王禄江..remember, its the one with angmoh and chinese name:)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryan-wong-wang-lu-jiang/370002612768

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Date 15th march Time :paris 2317 Singapore 0617

Finally got round to do my first update..Its been a wonderful trip by far..Visiting Paris once again brought back many fond memories..memories long forgotten.slowing coming back to life..bit by bit..

Upon arrival, we were whisked to the icon of Paris..the eiffel Tower ..

Years ago, when i first visited Paris, i admired the tower from a distance,marvelling at this structure, spellbounded by its history..this time , i got to ascend to the 2nd level..and the view from there was fantabulous!

you get a bird’s eye view of this romantic city..almost like a gigantic maze..

And how we not gasp at the sheer beauty of the Arch De triumph..

And all the historical buildings that made Paris…

Walking thru the halls of the Versailles Palace,completely in awe by its decadence..

and lusting after the lives of the royalty…

Indulging in some french cuisines..

and fall in love with eiffle when night falls..when she is dressed in her finest, shimmering..glowing..and steadfast..

And its getting late..morning call at six..i should go to sleep..

last night in Paris..

One more Parisian dream.

(interestingly, this trip to Paris, somehow found that the french are getting friendlier..and speaking english too..its a wonderful change:)

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Date:16 March Brussels:2245 Singapore 0546am

This morning we departed for Brussels.Before arriving there, we made a short stop in bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage site..its tranquility and grace took my breath away..

Some even called it the Venice of the west..

The gable styled buildings are right out of a fairy tale..

Chocolate shops lined the streets..and a quaint little one caught my eye..

the Notre Dame church houses this magnificent work of Michaelangelo..

The plaza of this Unesco site is flanked by Gothic buildings..

I don particularly like to drink..however, when you are in Belgium, you just simply have to try their beer and that i did! For once, i LOVED it!

For desert, i had the belgian waffle chantilly with real flavourful cream!!!

and the moules’ cooked in broth with Garlic is simply divine!

On the way to Brussels, we stopped to have a pic with the futuristic Atomium

Brussels welcomed us with her mascott, the famous statue of Manneken pis:)

and i am very much taken by the Grand Place, the most memorable landmark in Brussels..Surrounded by guildhalls, i found my favourite building in Europe, once the King’s house, now the Museum of Brussels

This work of wonder is done in the style of both Gothic and renaisance..its intricate carving and beautiful symetry left me in awe and very much in love with it:)

What a wonderful day it has been and i am truly happy..

Belgium is such a wonderful surprise and i so wished that i have had more time to explore this beautiful place..perhaps one day i shall return..just to fall in love all over again:)

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Saturday 21th March Amsterdam 0030hrs  Sin 0721am

And so the trip went on…the next day, after Brussels,we visited Ghent, which is Belgium’s second largest municipality by the number of inhabitants,which ranks it as the fourth most populous in Belgium.. and here, we took our One and Only Group picture:)

Much of the city’s medieval architecture remains intact and is rather well preserved and restored..

It’s centre is the largest car-free area in Belgium..

And….Hello Amsterdam!

And the windmills simply blown our minds!

We went to this Dutch village place where the iconic windmills were there to thrill us..besides that, we were treated to the making of the traditional Clog shoes as well as the cheese making of the Dutch Gouda and other dutch cheeses.. you could buy all these stuffs and true to the country, all of us went on Dutch:)

How could i miss out the tulips????Over at Keukenhof, the flowers awaited us..Due to the long winter, not all bulbs have blossomed but, there were enough for us to snap away..

More to come:) much more to be shared! the city centre is coming up next ..akan datang:)

Till the next update…..

bryan.amsterdam

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23rd March 2010 Country:Singapore Location: Room

I am home..Finally. Left amsterdam yesterday at 1800hrs  euro time, flew to Paris..took the 2330hrs flight back to singapore and all in all, after 17hrs i am all showered and now ready to do my final installment of this trip:)

And for the finale of this trip, i show u now, bits of amsterdam that i will always cherish:)

For those who loves flowers, the flower market at the heart of the central is not to be missed

A large variety of potted and fresh cuts could be found here ..the scent of flowers mingled with freshly baked breads filled the air..

There are lots of well preserved houses within the city..at every turn there is always a surprise installed for you..

One of the most unforgetable moments of this trip is when we visited the house of Anne Frank, where we get to see the actual area where her family hide themselves from the gestapos during the second world war.This happened in the year 1944,not so long ago..but so much has changed.

Behind this modern facade lies a true story..a story of a young girl who lost her life in world war two..where her diary lives on and tell us her story..for the brief moments she spent in this world..

while taking a cruise along the canal, one of my favourite act would be to check out the housesboats moored to the bank.They come in all forms..some are still a boat in structure while some are on cemented stilts.either way, they function just like the houses along the bank..

One of my greatest joy on this trip would be my visit to the two museums in Amsterdam…where i got to see the many magnificent works of Van Gogh and Rembrant‘s famous “Night watch”

Took this picture while the city was still sleeping..i woke up early and decided to brave the cold and go for a morning walk along the canal..The sun was just making ots appearance and i so loved the still reflection of the buildings in the canal…

In contrast, when the city awakes,the streets are bustling with ppl and traffic on the water equals that on land..

The trams, though ultra modern, goes really well with the old city though..ferrying people on fixed route and the sound it makes seems to gel pretty well with the scenery

Most of the time it rains in amsterdam..but on good days..it is simply divine:)

and i will always remember these…

And so it all ends here..

would like to thank all for coming along on this trip with me..either being there or just reading from here..had a wonderful time with all the fun loving friends on this trip and thank you all for being so wonderful and never a handfull!

Till we meet again…

Muack Muack

Hugz Hugz

Au Revoir!

Seems like quite a fair bit of you guys tuned in to that episode and seemed quite keen to try out that claypot thingy that i made

Due to all these requests that i have had, i shall now share the receipe with you…

The Delectable three treasure claypot

What you need:

A Claypot.(standard size)

Water toufu (水豆腐) about 4 will be fine:)

Five flower pork (五花肉)

Taupok

Salted fish (Preferably salted fish head..if not, just a slice of it and its got to be those that are slightly moist and pungent:)

Lemon grass about 5 stalks

old ginger..eh..about 5  slices..depends on how old u are:)

dried chilli..about 6 is good:)

garlic ..i love lots of it..like a handful..mince it.

pork lard..a handful

soya sauce.oyster sauce.pepper.sugar.dark soya sauce.sesame oil

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Preparation:

These are the things that u need to do before putting it all in the claypot to simmer.

1) You have to fry the salted fish till golden brown and slightly dry.set it aside.

2)fry the toufu till golden brown as well.take care not to break it:) and set it aside.

3)heat up the wok…Throw in a handful of pork lard and let it brown and the oil to ooze out.Fry the lemongrass and after ten strokes throw in the minced garlic….stir fry for about 10 strokes:) add about 3 spoons of oyster sauce..stir for 5 strokes..add in one table spoon of soya sauce..stir another 5 strokes…add in the five flower pork and stir fry for about 15 strokes:) add some sugar, pepper and sesame oil..carry on stroking another 10 times more..add in the dry chilli..stir for another 10 strokes…and off the gas and smile:)

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Let’s do it:)

And now u r ready to party!

Follow these steps and u might not go thaaaaaat wrong:)

1) Line the bottom of the claypot with the lemongrass that you have just cooked.This will prevent the main dish from scotching and burn..

2)Place the 4 fried water toufu in the middle of the claypot on top of the lemon grass.

3)tear of the salted fish that u have fried and place them evenly in the clapot.

4)scoop up the rest of the meat that you have done in preparation 3 and place them above the toufu

5)add about two cupfuls of stock (could be chicken stock) into the claypot

6) close the lid and let it simmer with a slow fire..

7) heat up wok,add oil and fry the old ginger..after about 10 strokes add in dark soya sauce..about 3 spoonfuls..and after stir frying for another 5 strokes add a wee bit of water and then, open the lid of the clapot and pour the whole stuff into the claypot..right on top of the meat. remember to close the lid of the claypot now!

after 15mins,Open the lid and add the taupok into the claypot..Dip a spoon into the boiling mixture and taste..add watever u need to boost the taste and then quickly close the lid!

To me, whenever i cook, alot of it is based on the feel of the moment..Don’t believe in the regulations of using how many teaspoons of this and that because, it all depends on the fire of the day and the different textures of the meat that y r using on the actual day of cooking..so, you will have to agar agar:)

When the delicious smell of the lemon grass and old ginger and salted fish fills the air, and the pork looks springy and succulent and the sauce looks nice and thick, your dish..my dear…is DONE:)

enjoy your attempt and let me know how it turns out:)