The Ice Cream MiniBAR, The F&N MAGNOLIA Experience

Tucked at the corner of Centrepoint on the front of the building, MiniBar is one place to stop for a good rest both for your tired legs and a deserving stomach.

From the famous Magnolia Milk Bar to the familiar jingle of an ice cream bell. F&N Magnolia ice cream has been for generations, the source of much delight and tasty indulgence. Each scoop holds the promise of a delicious and ice-cold treat F&N Magnolia has been a trusted provider of great value, fun and innovative ice cream products for everyday treats and special moments for 82 years since 1937.

Traditional Dessert Reimagine ( Mao San Wang Durian Sago )

This is another interesting combo. The Mao San Wang durian keeps you "durianholic" during this durian peak season. The cone keeps you from dripping your durian ice-cream onto the floor in our tropical climate. In fact, after finishing the Mao San Wang, you proceed to enjoy the crunchy cone which also has some ice-cream on it. Taste like Vanilla if I am not wrong ).

In the late 60s, Magnolia opened its first Magnolia Snack Bar at the old Capitol Building, serving ice creams, milkshakes, and cakes. The Magnolia Snack Bar was a hit with Singaporeans both young and old, for social gatherings and post-movie bites. The second magnolia snack bar opened its doors along Orchard Road where retail landmark, Centrepoint now stands.

Popiah Ice Cream Roll( Coconut Ice Cream With Gula Melaka )

We used to have bread or wafer as our ice-cream wrap, but with popiah is a taste better. You should try it one day. 

50 years on fans of Magnolia Ice Cream will be delighted to learn that they can now pick up their favorite Magnolia Ice Cream from the swanky new MiniBAR at Centrepoint. Customers who stop by the MiniBAR at Centrepoint will be spoilt for choices of elevated recipes inspired by the famous hawker sandwich ice cream to favorite local desserts and signature ice cream cocktails. The MAGNOLIA@The MiniBAR menu offers Instagram-worthy concoctions to customers who drop in at the Magnolia serving counter at the front of the MiniBAR and also to those who to enjoy of their favorite Magnolia Ice Cream, perched on a seat in the MiniBAR with a view of busy Orchard Road.

Eager customers 

One of the most notable changes in consumer behavior here and globally is in the way millennials use social media, particularly Instagram. With many Instagrammers now taking images of creatively presented food and displaying it on their Instagram profiles, food has become a huge part of social networking. The MiniBAR at Centrepoint presents manny Instagram-worthy moments from its ultra-modern decor to the MAGNOLIA@The MiniBAR menu it serves.

Wafer - Single Hawker Cut ( Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream )

This wafer thing is interesting. Just too tall for mouthful bite. So I took the first layer and followed by the second layer. Peppermint makes you fresh in your mouth. 

Would you believe that this is a milkshake? With a Chiffon Pandan cake as a topping, Nowhere it says it has a cake as a topping. LOL. This is a Yam Ice-Cream Milkshake. The milkshake is good and I enjoyed it with a lady friend. In another photo, Gerald Png said that we look like we are in a pub. Seems to be as we are along Orchard Road.


Menu

About MAGNOLIA Ice Creams
Magnolia ice cream has been for generations, the source of much delightful and tasty indulgence. Magnolia single serve ice-cream sticks or cups are always within reach whenever you crave a reward. Want to share the fun? Magnolia multipacks and family-sized tubs make it as simple as popping the lid. Magnolia is a trusted provider of great value, fun and innovative ice cream products for each and every special moment.

About F&N Creameries
F&N Creameries, an Ice Cream Division which is part of the Fraser & Neave group, offers a complementary portfolio of ice cream products to satisfy diverse consumer segments. The company aims to become a leading ice cream player in the growth markets of ASEAN and manages its own stable of established ice cream brands consisting of a portfolio of all-time favorites such as MAGNOLIA, KING's JWEL and MEADOW GOLD brands.

For more information on F&N Creameries, please visit www.fnncreameries.com

About Fraser and Neave, Limited
Established in 1883, Fraser and Neave, Limited ("F&N") is a leading Southeast Asia Consumer Group with expertise and prominent standing in the Food & Beverage and Publishing & Printing industries.

Leveraging its strengths in marketing and distribution; research and development brands and financial management as well as years of acquisition experience. F&N provides key resources and sets strategic directions for its subsidiary companies across both industries.

Listed on the Singapore stock exchange, F&N ranks as one of the most established and successful companies in the region with an impressive array of renowned brands that enjoy strong market leadership. F&N is present in 11 countries spanning Asia Pacific, Europe, and the USA and employs over 7,700 people worldwide.

For more information on F&N, please visit www.fraserandneave.com

Sony Donates 9,000 Books to South African Children

Into its 8th year, the South Africa Mobile Library Project in Singapore continues to see strong engagement from the local community

  

(SINGAPORE, 28 January 2016) – The 2015 South Africa Mobile Library Book Donation Project organised by the Sony Group of Companies in Singapore has successfully donated 9,000 books to South African children. With generous contributions from schools, members of the public as well as Sony employees in Singapore, the three-month project concluded in December 2015. The books are now on their way to South Africa, with support from K-Line.

Here in Singapore, Sony has been engaging the local community in this meaningful project by inviting them to donate books. 2015 is the 8^th year in which the project has been running and it saw the participation of the following 7 schools:

•      Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

•      Bishan Park Secondary School

•      Chua Chu Kang Primary School

•      Commonwealth Secondary School

•      Global Indian International School (East Coast )

•      River Valley Primary School

•      Nanyang Primary School

Besides collecting books, the participating schools were also involved in sorting, tagging and packing the books. This provided students the opportunity for project management and teamwork. Some schools extended the book collection to homes in their neighborhood, while others encouraged their students to go the extra mile to write short book reviews and inspirational messages, which were inserted into the books for the South African children. This helps to create communication between students in both countries and lends a personal touch to the whole project.

 Clockwise, from top left: Students from River Valley Primary School, Chua Chu Kang Primary School, Commonwealth Secondary School, Nanyang Primary School, Bishan Park Secondary School, Global Indian International School (East Coast), and Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) contributing to the South Africa Mobile Library Project.

Besides the schools and students, members of the public were also invited to donate books at the Sony Store @ 313 Somerset. Books were once again contributed by the National Library Board as part of their continuous support towards the cause of the project.

Since the project’s inception in 2008, more than 170,000 books have been collected through joint initiatives by 13 Sony Group companies in 10 countries across the globe. The mobile library services have also been expanded to cover all nine provinces in South Africa, with 50 mobile libraries in operation, reaching out to over 900 schools. For more information on Sony’s support for this project, please visit: www.sony.net/library

About the South Africa Mobile Library Project

Tad Hasunuma, former Managing Director of Sony South Africa, established SAPESI (South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative), a NGO based in South Africa, to conduct the mobile library project in partnership with the South Africa Department of Basic Education, with the aim of improving the literacy levels of the children in South Africa. The project acquires used mobile libraries from Japan to South Africa, where provincial departments of education operate them to provide the loan of books to children and teachers at local schools that do not possess these materials. The mobile libraries visit the schools and the librarians onboard advise teachers at the schools how to select the appropriate books and use them in their lessons. As a result, not only do the children gain an opportunity to interact with a diverse range of books, but teachers are also able to learn how to utilize the materials, and maximize their potential. For information on SAPESI, please visit: www.sapesi.org.za/

Introducing PRIV, BlackBerry's First Powered By Android, Secure Smartphone in Singapore

I have never touch a BlackBerry smartphone before. My impression of the BlackBerry is targeted at corporate and business users. With it's trademark sliding keyboard, it looked impressive and security is greatest strength in any BlackBerry smartphone.

BlackBerry introduces PRIV. The first BlackBerry smartphone powered by android. But with Android, the question is whether it is still as secure as her BlackBerry 10 operating system. The answer is yes. PRIV also has a hidden sliding keyboard. You would not notice it as the phone is so slim. I wonder how they incorporate the sliding keyboard. A piece of cool design, functionality and a class by itself. 

PRIV was designed with security at its core, building on BlackBerry's legacy of security and keeping private its customer' data. Security highlights include :

Advanced Privacy Controls : The exclusive DTEK by BlackBerry app for Android monitors and reports on application access to the microphone, camera, location and personal information, enabling users to be confident that their personal data is being kept private. Users are able to know at a glance when their privacy could be at risk so that they can take action to improve it.

 Secure Hardware : Blackberry's hardware has a unique manufacturing process by injecting cryptographic keys into the device hardware, providing a secure foundation for the entire platform.

Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain : Keys have been embedded to verify every layer of the device from hardware to OS to applications in order to make sure they have not been tampered with. In addition, thousands of modifications were make to harden the Linux Kernel with numerous patches and configuration changes to improve security.

Fully supported on BlackBerry's EMM Solutions : PRIV can be integrated with the leading EMM solution, BES 12, which offers cross-platform management of PRIV and other devices; providing a full end to end security solution and secure collaboration applications for business users like Secusuite for secure voice and WatchDox for secure file sharing.

PRIV also bring a new standard for Slider Form Factor. With the cross-platform strategy, it provide a greater choice of secure solutions to customers. A seamless merging of key BlackBerry 10 productivity features such as the BlackBerry Hub and Calendar into PRIV. Other key features include.

1. Full Android App and Ecosystem Experience

2. Best of Both Keyboards

3. Tough and Beautiful Screen

4. Full-day Battery Life

5. State-of-the-Art Camera

6. Powerful Performance and Expandable Storage

7. BlackBerry Natural Sound

8. Android for Work.

For more information on PRIV, click here

My Opinion

If security and privacy are important considerations for your smartphone selection, BlackBerry PRIV should be the best smartphone for you, whether it is going to be for business or for personal use. 

Availability and Pricing

PRIV will be available from mid-December at an RRP of SGD 1,098 inclusive of GST. Interested customers will be able to purchase PRIV from M1, Singtel, StarHub and through other BlackBerry authorised partners.

If you require an event photographer, wedding photographer or any other professional photography services, do email me ( Derrick See ) at see323@yahoo.com.sg . You can also message me at my  FACEBOOK account. To view my photos, click My Flicker Photos 

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has landed in Singapore at Vivo

The popular US apparel brand opened at  VivoCity Basement 1 on the 19 June 2015. The casual wears are for both men and women. Refreshing style and yet affordable. Start your shopping today. 

Check them out at VivoCity, #B1-06/07. The opening hours from 10.30am – 9.30pm daily. 

If you require an event photographer, wedding photographer or any other professional photography services, do email me at see323@yahoo.com.sg . You can also message me at my  FACEBOOK account. To view my photos, click My Flicker Photos

Fuji Xerox PC Show 2015 offer

If you require an event photographer, wedding photographer or any other professional photography services, do email me at see323@yahoo.com.sg . You can also message me at my  FACEBOOK account. To view my photos, click My Flicker Photos

Celebrating Vesak Day 2015

Singapore has a multi-racial, multi-religion country. Today, 1^st June 2015, Singapore celebrates Vesak Day.

Vesak Day is the most significant day of the year in the Buddhist calendar and is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and is a day of immense joy, peace and reflection.

The Vesak Day celebration happened in most of the temple around Singapore. I remember in 2012, I visited one of the biggest temple, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. The photographs were taken in 2012 in the temple.

Different country celebrates Vesak Day on different day. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Singapore have it on the 1 June 2015. Countries such as China have it on the 25 May 2015 while Malaysia was on 3 May 2015. The source of this information comes from Wikipedia

If you require an event photographer, wedding photographer or any other professional photography services, do email me at see323@yahoo.com.sg . You can also message me at my  FACEBOOK account. To view my photos, click My Flicker Photos

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

I remember many years back when I was still working as an IT professional, I get to attend many IT seminars. It was one of these seminars (probably organised by Oracle) that provide me a rare opportunity to see Mr. Lee Kuan Yew in flesh and blood. We were at Shangri-La hotel. I remember we were waiting for the seminar to start and just along the passageway leading to another seminar room, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew walking pass me. There were two bodyguards walking in front and two more behind him. He looked discipline and has a sense of seriousness on his face. That was the first time I saw Mr. Lee.

Even though, many people may disagree with some of his policies governing Singapore, the end result is to ensure the survival of Singapore. Discipline becomes an important factor for nation building. Discipline and determination started with the leader of the country. Campaigns to promote certain habits also help toward the growth of the economy.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew became the number one salesman from Singapore. He talked to various world leaders and business communities persuading them to set up their businesses in Singapore. That helps to resolve the problem of unemployment in the country and grew the economy. The strong focus on education, training and productivity became part of our life in Singapore.

Singapore was his lifelong work. Even after he stepped down as the Prime Minister, he still works towards the good of Singapore. He became a world statesman, giving sound advice to world leaders. The reputation he created for Singapore helps to further advance Singapore into the first world country.

I went to pay respect to Mr. Lee at the Parliament House on Thursday, 26 Mar 2015. The total waiting time was around 4.5 hours but it was worth the wait. Singaporean came out in full force to queue and wait patiently. The longest waiting time I heard was about 13 hours. 

No words can describe Mr. Lee lifelong contributions and devotion to Singapore. His achievements were reflected all around us in Singapore. He passed away peacefully on the 23 March 2015. Even when I was writing this blog, I was still feeling sad.

Thank you Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.