Friday, December 03, 2004

Holiday Updatez - Suvd & Jia Yan

Hi one & all,

Hope everything is fine & fun for the holidays. Last chatted with Wan Qi this afternoon. Heard that Suvd is in Korea and Jia Yan will be back from Xiamen, China on the 10 Dec.

Ciao,
Mr Thang

Did you Know - Social Studies?

ONCE UPON A TIME



Time has been kind to the row of homes at the junction of Bartley Road and Upper Paya Lebar Road, which have retained their character even after 33 years.

The vehicles in the driveways may have changed, but most units have retained even their tiled roofs, though these are a bit more weathered now. Look closely, and you will see another remnant from the pre air conditioning era: little ventilation holes just below the eaves.

However, the tree in front of the junction has grown over the years, reaching rooftop height. The kerbs have been raised, the street repaved, but it is still the same busy junction.

Taken from the Straits Times, 3 Dec 2004

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Did you Know? - Social Studies

Can you beat it? Kopi in a tin can!



COFFEE in a can? Big deal, just go to the nearest 7-Eleven, right?-
Not if you want the real thing.

Long before Nescafe and Pokka came along, anyone wanting takeaway coffee in a can went for a kopi kong — freshly brewed kopi served in a condensed milk can.

Once commonly used for takeaway kopi, the kopi kong is now a rare sight, found mainly in older kopi tiams.

The kopi kong goes so far back that stall­holders cannot even remember when the prac­tice of carrying kopi in a tin can with a raffia string originated. As far as they know, it had al­ways been around.

According to Mr Jeffrey Soh, 34, owner of the drinks stall at the Boon Hwa Food Centre in Jalan Besar. The kong, or tin, was simply "a con­venient container for takeaway kopi because of the tin's size and shape".

While Mr Soh admits that the kopi kong does have its "own taste", he still thinks that kopi tastes best in the traditional thick cup and sau­cer.

Kopi kong began to decrease in popularity with the arrival of the polystyrene foam cup, which offered the same convenience and was perceived as more hygienic.

However, Mr Soh is quick to point out that the cans are usually rinsed in hot water before being used for takeaways, so fans of kopi in a tin need not worry about hygiene. They can also as­sure themselves they are being more friendly to the environment.

Today, kopi kong still has its fans.
"There are a lot of office workers who buy kopi kong," says Mr Soh, who leamt to make kopi from his father and has been running his Stall for over 10 years. "Some customers like it so much that they in­sist on having the tin."

Taken from the Strait Times 26 Nov Friday 2004