Yahoo! Singapore Answers blog

*Update 18 Nov, 10am*

Sorry guys for the last minute notice, but the scheduled maintenance will be from 4.30pm – 8pm approximately today!

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Hi folks,

Our engineers will be performing regular maintenance on Yahoo! Answers on Wednesday (12 Nov) and Thursday (13 Nov), at 4.30pm.

We expect the work to last about 3.5 hours and Yahoo! Answers will be totally inaccessible during this time, except for the blog of course.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused! We’ll keep you posted if there are any changes to the schedule.

If you are looking for something else to do during this time, why not check out some of our sites such as:

• Flickr (now with video)
• Groups – Connect with people who share the same passion
• Avatars – Play around with your avatars and give him/her a new outfit

…. or maybe you can check out what is showing in the cinemas near you!

It has been many, many moons since I was a food critic under the Wine & Dine magazine, but looks like it’s time for my inner foodie to emerge and comment! We organised a special by-invitation-only flickr food tasting event last evening at the Yan Ting restaurant at St. Regis hotel. As next Sunday is the Chinese Mooncake Festival, what better than to have a few slices of mooncake and sip fragrant tea?

Well, I’ll tell you what’s better:

1. 6 different and innovative types of snow skin mooncakes! Exquisite and oh-so unique.
2. Pairing that with multiple cups of fragrant and delicate floral and traditional teas.
3. A super knowledgeable host explaining the different tones of tea, whys and hows of the various mooncakes paired with the recommended teas.
4. An elegant setting at Yan Ting.
5. A small intimate group of flickr food bloggers who are really passionate about food!

It was the first time that we’ve thought of bringing flickr food bloggers together: food, photography and community; what can be a better combination? Hence our first partnership with St. Regis, specially inviting a select few flickr users, who also blog, to come for a food-tasting session: mooncakes! It was held last evening, at a private and cosy corner in Yan Ting chinese restaurant.

We were all given a very warm welcome by Wye Leng, the Director of Marketing Communications at St. Regis, who told us a very interesting fact that the St. Regis hotels worldwide have their own versions of the Bloody Mary, which is their signature drink. Can you guess what the Singapore version is? It’s made with chili padi instead of tabasco sauce! How interesting! So with such creativity at hand, aren’t you curious as to what kind of mooncakes they can conjure up? Well I shall just highlight 3 out of the 6 different types they had which left a deep impression on me.

1) Almond Snow Skin with Premium Bird’s Nest and Custard Paste

The Almond snow skin with premium bird’s nest and custard paste was also their most expensive mooncake. Perhaps due to the edible gold on top of the mooncake? Yes! Gold! I should have secretly scrapped it off for sale. The combination of fluffy custard, creamy snow skin infused with almond milk and strands of Bird’s Nest brings to mind the light and airy clouds in the sky. A light chrysenthmum and wolfberry tea complimented the whole package perfectly.

2) Almond Snow Skin with Advocaat Egg Liqueur Truffle and Black Sesame Paste

If you look at this mooncake carefully, doesn’t it remind you of a bright full moon in the darkest of nights? What you are seeing is actually rich, black sesame paste with a special egg concoction in the middle. I say concoction because this is no ordinary salted duck egg yolk! It’s mashed salted duck egg yolk, mixed with liqueur and wrapped in a chocolate truffle shell. Hence your senses will be assaulted with sweetness and saltiness all at the same time. The black sesame paste can be a little overpowering, but it goes really well with the St. Regis’ Dammann Freres’ Paul & Virginie blend of tea which hints lightly of caramel and vanilla.

3) Bloody Mary Snow Skin with Custard Paste

Yes, you read it right, it’s really Bloody Mary, the drink! I had reservations upon hearing the name of the mooncake. Keeping in mind that I’m a traditional sort of girl, I’m queasy enough with snow skin mooncakes, but bloody mary snow skin? However, I have to admit that this has to be the most interesting mooncake I’ve ever tasted. Interesting because it doesn’t even feel like I’m eating a mooncake, instead, I feel like I’m eating a complete meal with each bite. Perhaps it’s the eggy-goodness in the custard, perhaps it’s the slight savoury taste of the skin (with a spicy tinge as an after taste), I really don’t know. But this is one mooncake you just have to try for yourself.

I must say that overall this was a successful event. The flickr users had a really good time taking lots of photos of the mooncakes and rows of tea cups. We had great fun trying them and learning so much about the different Dammann Freres tea and the various mooncakes. Many thanks to St. Regis, and happy mooncake festival!

The chefs and our host, Danny Chan.

Not me, though yes I’ll be getting older soon (no! I’m not telling when and how old!). But our nation will be celebrating 43 years of independence this Saturday! How many of you will be there at the floating platform and soaking in the atmosphere?

Well, you definitely won’t find me there, I’ll be home, sitting in front of the tv instead. Not that I’m not patriotic, but the idea of squeezing with so many people just puts me off. Imagine big, burly, sweaty men pushing past you and harried women with monster prams bulldozing their way forward. Not a pretty sight.

Anyway, how much do you know of the old Singapore? Did you know that the Fullerton Hotel used to be known as the General Post Office Building in 1928? Did you know that Orchard Road used to be lined with nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards, and at the later part of 1840s, with graveyards? I certainly didn’t.

(Photo thanks to Suzz.com)

Who still remembers the old National Library at Stamford Road before they tore it down?

As the country gets older, more modern and new buildings will emerge every year, but I think we should not forget our past and heritage. In fact the National Library (at Bras Brasah) participated in the National Heritage roadshow last Saturday, showcasing 43 specially picked photos representing Singapore. They have also set up a community on flickr called SNAP (Singapore National Album of Pictures) where members of the public can upload heritage photos taken before 1980s and share it with one another.

So if you have any old photos (or if your grandparents, or parents have any old photos), do scan them in and upload onto SNAP. Let’s share the old memories.

Latest Update, 19 June, 9.30am:

Maintenance will be performed today instead at 2pm! It’s just one hour. Promise.

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Update, 18 June, 10.30am:

Hiya, looks like the scheduled maintenance would not be performed… as scheduled! Will let you all know again if there are any further changes Thanks a lot!

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Hi folks,

Our engineers will be performing regular maintenance on Yahoo! Answers on Wednesday, 18 June, at 2pm.

We expect the work to last about 1 hour and Yahoo! Answers will be totally inaccessible during this time, except for the blog of course.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused! We’ll keep you posted if there are any changes to the schedule.

If you are looking for something else to do during this time, why not check out some of our sites such as:

• Flickr (now with video)
• Groups – Connect with people who share the same passion
• Avatars – Play around with your avatars and give him/her a new outfit

…. or maybe you can check out what is showing in the cinemas near you!

Yup, the metal thingy that covers the “entrance” to the sewer! Though who wants to go in there (besides those who absolutely need to for work) beats me. *Shrug* It’s just a metal cover that I tread upon day after day, thus why the fuss?

Well we may not pay much attention to it, but do you know that some countries spice up their manholes with special designs? Bet ya didn’t know that! When I was backpacking in Hokkaido with my friend in 2002, we saw the cutest manhole with 3 smiley squids on them (Photo thanks to Mr Wabu). Don’t they look absolutely happy? And while backpacking in the island of Rhodes, Greece, my friend and I spotted manholes with delicate steel etchings of the famous deer. These manholes are an art on its own!

Speaking of art and manholes, there’s an ongoing contest by the Singapore Arts Festival hosted on Flickr Groups called ArtsFest Photo Shootout. Believe it or not, even the manholes in over 15 locations in Singapore are involved in the Arts Fest! So try and spot the Arts Fest sticker-covered manholes and snap away with your cameras or trusty phones. The most creative photos (and their ‘owners’) get to win prizes such as Arts Festival tickets, Kenneth Cole watches and even a 3D/2N stay at Bangkok! Wow!

You have up to Sunday, 15th June 2008 to compete for the tickets and watches, and up to Monday, 30th June 2008 for the trip (all submitted entries are eligible for the trip). So what are you waiting for?

(Psst, if you are out of ideas, maybe you can get a group of friends and get them to wriggle their fingers around the manhole sticker. *Giggle*)