First crack

Went for dinner at the Old Town White Coffee shop at the former Big Splash at East Coast Park. $1.60 for a cup of coffee. Sells Ipoh, Penang favourites such as assam laksa, Ipoh Horfun.

A pleasant frothy cup of coffee but the food was not that great. Maybe breakfast is better.

Note: this article was originally mobile blogged and edited thereafter. Also want to give a puff for a new blog on coffee, Coffee Concierge. According to what I understand, "white coffee" is actually coffee that is roasted until the beans are cracked for the first time. But further investigation indicates that in the case of the Ipoh white coffee, it is coffee which has been roasted without the addition of sugar, hence it is lighter than most of the beans used in our local kopi tiams which are roasted with sugar. The caramelised sugar is what makes the beans darker.

Micro-blogging

I found this interesting article today: Mobile devices stoke 'micro-blogging' fervor. Every time I think I am catching up with the latest in the blogging/social networking world, it seems that it moves ahead of me.

All I can say is that at least I did some on the spot photo-taking and posting when I got my new cameraphone last year.

Malay Street Penang

Where my grandmother's family used to live. Photo sent off whilst sitting at the coffee shop across the road.

p.s. For more on my Penang trip, please read my Katong blog (link on the left).

Mid-Autumn lanterns

The mid-Autumn festival was a time when I wandered around my grandparents' place, lantern in hand. The coloured cellophane paper may have been a fire hazard but I was a very careful little child and the worst that ever happened was that the candle blew out. But they were beautiful, these lanterns, with jewel-like shades of ruby, emerald, and sapphire glowing in the dark. My mother was probably not too happy with their collecting dust after that and of course they never remained intact till the next festival so she had to buy another, but of course these things never bothered me.

The traditional lanterns I used to carry are probably still sold somewhere. But I fear they have been mostly supplanted with these modern lanterns. I took this photo in a shop in Geylang. Probably sturdier and will be able to last longer, also no fire hazard because there is no candle (replaced by a small light bulb). But a little bit of the mystique and magic of the moon festival is gone as a result.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms come up quickly in the night. Spotted them outside the house on Sunday, on the way to mass. Certainly were not there the day before.

This photo was taken on my mobile phone and sent directly to this blog. But as it is not so easy to edit the post on the phone, I have had to add these additional lines on the computer.

My New Phone

Just got my replacement phone. Cost all of $0 and a 2 year contract.

It has mobile blogging! So this photo was taken on the phone and then sent off straight to the blog :-)