Children Little Museum

It was a lovely day spent, totally unplanned and unexpected.

mr zeRi suddenly had this urge of visiting the Children Little Museum, after watching it on a local tv show. It’s a little museum (yah, just like the name) showcases the retro toys and antiques, i would say, in the 60s-80s era. This museum is located along the shophouses and has 2 floors. 1st floor is a shop that sells many trinkets and retro stuff and 2nd floor is the museum. The museum costs SGD2/pax which I say is not expensive at all.

mr zeRi and I were very lucky as there was nobody on the 2nd floor and we could have whole floor to ourselves, having fun posing as students/drink stall owner and even having a “hair perm” in the retro hair salon.

Walking along Bussorah St

facade of the Children Little Museum

"little guardian robot". His head does move, very slowly, though!

little corner selling retro toys

Retro clock. It looks way BIGGER in the shop than here

very tempted to buy this retro mic. Think it costs abt close to SGD200

stairway to the museum

Retro hair salon

museum

retro toys. really brought back some childhood memories

retro toys

School in the museum?

very studious indeed

retro cameras

old "cinema". Paid and you can watch through those little boxes

Toys again!

I would really recommend you to spend some time there, not just the museum, but around the area as well. The Arab St is an enclave to the Malay heritage that gives a very laid back and comfortable feel. Besides the famous Sultan mosques, there are many lovely restaurants selling different cuisines, like malay, turkish,swedish and many more!

Taking a break at one of the cafes at the back alleys

Food recharge. Yummy!

Lovely evening to end our little adventure

Random Ranting

Writer, what a sexy word. If someone says he’s a writer, I’ll always have this surge of envy feeling coming onto me. To me, writers are a bunch of melancholy people, yet who are also very passionate about the world and things they believe it. They put their talents into use and wield their talents like swords  and make the world hear their voices.

I blame Sex and the City for making me so envious. Carrie has romanticised the job as a writer. Those scenes with her in her nighties, popping a smoke or drinking whiskey while typing furiously and righteously onto her Mac talking about men and love, just make me wanna be like her. You mean I can afford all those Blahnik and Jimmy Choo shoes just by doing that?!

And she can sit by her Mac anytime she wants while during the daytime, she can wine, dine and shop. And us, the salary(wo)men have to drag our feet into the draggy workplace and slog there for at least eight hours. That’s just not fair!

Sigh..sorry for the ranting but that’s what make us humans right

Date with Old Spice

“I’m on a horse” – the ultimate argument winner.

Social media scene has been buzzing on the recent popularity of the Old Spice commercials, featuring Isaiah Mustafa, a former football player, wrapped in a towel, bare-chested and delivering witty lines while performing some, i should say, interesting stunts that are so irrelevant yet so fun. This is one fun series of commercials that is not just successful on its own but one which combines social media to bring it to another level.

And personally I think they have chosen the right man for this. Isaiah (hmm..so yummy-looking) who can be a buddy to any man yet at the same time, makes most women go ga-ga over him, I mean, he’s so good-looking and with his killer body and sense of humour, it’s an ultimate combo. Like what he said:” he’s just one ridiculously handsome man.” I’m sure no one can argue with that.

It’s so successful that it has its own youtube channel – Old Spice Channel. Check out his ads and also some of his responses to comments (eg: from Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres) posted on the internet

“Hello Ladies, Look at your man, Now back to me, Now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me. But if he stopped using ladies scented and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Looked Down..Back up. Where are you? You’re on a boat with the man, your man could smell like. What’s in your hand? Back at me. I have an oyster with two tickets with that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice. I’m on a horse“

Food for thought in Saigon

A pictorial on the food of Saigon

Cat Fish - found in Mekong River

Pho - National dish

Fried Noodles - not very nice ;p

At Pho 2000 (Bill Clinton was there too). I order a lemon soda and this was what I got.

at Pho 2000 - Beef stew, very yummy!

at Pho 2000 - Fried chicken with rice

Some popcorn-ish snack, sweet and savoury at the same time. Fried with small shrimps, sugar and butter

Some random wrap we bought at their convenience store. It's so hard to find supper (like roti prata) over there

Vietnamese coffee - yummy yummy

Sandwich

Sandwich again

KFC!

called Com Tam - Vietnamese rice with dishes. Very very yummy and cheap too, 67,000 dong (abt S$5 for 2)

@ Black Cat - well known for its jumbo burger. Only 250,000 dong (abt S$19). Very tasty. The patty is 500gm and very juicy despite the size of it. We ordered only one, of cos

Fanny - ice-cream palour. We love the ice-cream there esp the chocolate chilli one! It leaves a slight spicy aftertaste and the chocolate is very rich

Our Fav! Chocolate Chilli ice-cream

Pho again

Roadside stall - ordered Pho again

We forgot to take photos on the well-known french baguette. It’s pretty tasty, just that it’s not advisable to have it often due to the high calories pate they used on the bread ;p

All in all, both of us don’t really find Vietnamese food very palatable. It can be quite mild in taste, unlike Thai food that scintillates your tastebuds and more flavourful. Well, to each his own tongue.

Mekong River – Saigon

mr zeRi and I wanted something different from the usual touristy activities, so we signed up with this tour agency (can’t rem its name ;p) that situated opposite of the popular “Sinh Cafe“. Its tagline is ” Same Same But Different”. Try it if you have a chance

Cruising down the famous Mekong River. A wonderful way to experience the lovely Mekong River and seeing how people depend their lives on this river.

Getting ready

with other tourists

Life on Mekong River

Life on Mekong

Our very enthusiastic tour guide - An

All kinds of creatures made into wine

mr zeRi and i tasted this "fowl-tasting" wine

showing us how rice paper is been made

Cycling - another way to experience the life in the town

cycling to the harbour

cruising on the little boat by the "lady rowers"

Our "rower" for the day - very hard work on a very hot and sunny day

A wet market - part of the tour - they sell anything!

vegetables

Saigon in pictures

Pictures say more than a thousand words.

street scene in Saigon

Close-up of their living area

Near the backpackers area

Residence area

Bus Stop

Tien Hau Temple

The facade of Binh Tay market

Chinatown

Chinatown Market

The legendary *very very small* Cu Chi tunnel

It's amazing how resilient and ingenious the Viet Cong were at that time. I salute them!

Facade of Cao Dai Temple - very grand and vast surroundings

Inside of the Cao Dai Temple - rojak of beliefs - Confucism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity

Eye - symbol of Cao Dai religion

The place is packed with tourists. had a hard time getting out