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중국이나 다른 여느 화교 국가처럼, 싱가포르의 추석(춘절, Mooncake Festival)도 월병(mooncake)을 나누는 것으로 지낸다.

우리의 송편과 비슷하지만… 초콜릿등이 들어간 서양식 디저트 같은 것도 있으면서…

짠 달걀이 들어있는 등 좀 이상하고 황당한 조합도 있긴하다…

12 Mooncakes You Don’t Want to Miss in 2009(http://sparklette.net/food/mooncakes-2009/)

1. Tung Lok

these gorgeous mooncakes belong to the new royale series from tung lok. when it is made by the tung lok group, you know it’s got to be good!

the pastry is first baked, before being chilled, a process that gives the skin a crunchy texture. sounds intriguing? this marks the debut of the first baked-and-chilled mooncakes in singapore!

they come in three flavors:
- green tea with chestnut lotus ( $42.80 for 8 )
- hokkaido milk with mocha ( $42.80 for 8 )
- custard ( $44.94 for 8 )

i must also highlight the adorable bite-size mooncakes that are even smaller than your usual mini mooncakes. they come in eight flavors such as pomelo white lotus, strawberry, purple potato and longan red date. ($47.08 for 16; two of each flavor)

besides the convenience, i think that these dainty pastries may actually help reduce overeating! well, unless people start popping them like popcorn, of course.

Tung Lok
Mooncake hotline: (65) 9088 8008
www.tunglok.com

2. Peony Jade
fruits have made a foray into our favorite pastry this time of the year. durian, the king of fruits, is undoubtedly the most commonly used fruit. almost every merchant has a d24 durian mooncake on its menu.

now, it looks like the “lesser” fruits are putting up a good fight, too! check out the range of fruity mooncakes by peony jade restaurant.

The alcoholic lychee-tini and ganache flavor really takes the cake! this is a limited edition offering that features a liquorice truffle at its core, filled with the taste of what happens to be my favorite cocktail, the lychee martini! ($45 for 9)

Peony Jade
- 3A Clarke Quay #02-02
- Keppel Club, Bukit Chermin Road, Singapore 109918
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6375 5562 / 6276 8327
Mooncake website: www.peonyjade.com

3. InterContinental Singapore
man fu yuan chinese restaurant at the intercontinental singapore has a range of beautiful and meticulously-created mooncakes. back by popular demand is their mini snowskin mooncake filled with japanese sweet potato paste and champagne chocolate. ( $42.80 for 8 )

what’s new this year?

snowskin mooncakes filled with cempedak, or avocado and mango mousse. another fruit-inspired creation! the fresh fruits are blended and made into a paste, with mini cubes and pulp of the fruits thrown in for good measure.

the whole pastry is entirely made of fruity goodness with no extra additives. oh, except for the fact that chocolate pearls are included, too. good stuff! ($42.80 for 8; four of each flavor)

InterContinental Singapore
Man Fu Yuan
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6825 8519 / 8520
Mooncake website: www.singapore.intercontinental.com

4. The Fullerton
from the ultra posh fullerton hotel, we would expect nothing less. aside from their bestselling chocolate baileys snowskin mooncake ($52 for 4), they also have the 15 treasures premium gift set.

this lavish set contains 14 blocks of assorted baked mooncakes, all with varying fillings. what’s the 15th treasure, you ask? well, it’s the centerpiece of a 6-inch-wide mooncake with 8 yolks. 8 yolks! now, THAT is a full moon. ($168)

then, they also have these milky-colored snowskin mooncakes.

do not mistake them for bars of soap. available in cranberry, blueberry and green apple flavors, these mooncakes are the hotel’s new offerings for 2009. the shape looks really exquisite, too, especially with that depression in the middle. ($52 for 4)

The Fullerton
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6877 8188
Mooncake website: www.fullertonhotel.com

5. Kia Hiang Restaurant
not to be outdone by the east-meets-west creations of the big players, the more than 30 year old kia hiang restaurant has whipped up several creative new flavors. bak kwa mooncake, anyone? yep, yep, they have it.

more tantalising flavors include durian, chocolate with rum and raisin, green tea, and the creamy blueberry and cheese. for more, check out my full review of kia hiang mooncakes with pictures, ratings and prices.

Kia Hiang Restaurant
201 Kim Tian Road #01-400
Singapore 160201
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6273 7352 / 6272 0087
Mooncake website: www.kiahiang.com.sg

6. Carlton Hotel
carlton hotel has introduced three new snowskin mooncakes: lavender, wheatgrass & melon seed, and hazelnut & nata de coco ($47.08 for 8). of these, lavender has got to stir the most curiosity!

Photo credit: sgdessert

when i think of lavender, aromatherapy and air fresheners come to mind. having this floral scent in a mooncake is definitely unusual! in this case, the aroma is subtle, infused perfectly with the white lotus paste. any stronger, i’m not sure if it could remain as appetising.

Carlton Hotel
76 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189558
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6349 1292
Mooncake website: www.carltonhotel.sg

7. Fairmont Singapore
year after year, szechuan court at fairmont singapore never fails to wow its fans. this year, the restaurant continues its tradition of bringing impressive flavors to the table with the new pretty in pink feuilletine-hazelnut mooncake with wafer crunch nuts.

in place of the usual lotus paste, you get a velvety smooth hazelnut filling. at its center is a white chocolate ball filled with swiss chocolate and bits of wafer and hazelnut nuts. looks like this little beauty is all good on the inside, too! ( $45 for 8 )

like raffles hotel, szechuan court has a champagne truffle and ganache mooncake ($48 for 8). peony jade also has it this year. does anyone know who first came up with this bestselling flavor?

other flavors featuring liquor to bring a little high are rum and raisin chocolate truffle and baileys chocolate. what takes my breath away is the latter. that truffle simply screams of seduction! ( $46 for 8 )

Fairmont Singapore
Szechuan Court
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189560
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6338 8785
Mooncake website: www.fsfestiveorders.com

8. Concorde Hotel
for muslim friends, check out the mooncakes of concorde hotel (formerly le meridien). they are all halal certified!

like kia hiang, the hotel has specially baked low sugar mooncakes that come with white lotus filling and yolk. great for the health-conscious ($39/40 for 4)

if you’re not too concerned about the calories, go for the sumptuous chocolate omochi. with the soft and chewy mochi and all the rich chocolaty deliciousness, it’s hard to resist this one! ($38 for 4)

Concorde Hotel
Spices Cafe
100 Orchard Road
Singapore 238840
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6739 8370
Mooncake website: www.concordehotel.com.sg

Mooncakes are halal certified.

9. Polar Puffs & Cakes
bet you didn’t expect to see this one here. the bakery chain of polar puffs & cakes continues its unique offering of cakes made in the shapes of cartoon characters.

say hello to hello kitty!

ahhh! aren’t these the sweetest things? perfect for families with little girls. even older girls. okay, girls. hello kitty comes in four flavors: white lotus, pumpkin taro, yam and white chocolate cheese. everybody say yum yum! ($30.80 for 6)

just when you thought that things can’t get any cuter, they even give you a free hello kitty lantern with every purchase of a box of kitty mooncakes! i think snowy would like that. meow!

oh yes, a reader highlighted that the bakery chain is also halal certified

Polar Puffs & Cakes
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.polarpuffs-cakes.com

10. Goodwood Park Hotel
obviously, when we’re on the topic of the best mooncakes, the good name of goodwood park hotel always comes up. the hotel is famed for its tropical fruit mooncakes like mango with pomelo, durian, and cempedak.

this year, goodwood park fans can welcome another new fruity flavor — soursop! we’re talking silky smooth puree and juicy pulp made from the freshest soursops. the tangy taste may not be everyone’s cup of tea, though, especially in a pastry that is traditionally sweet. but i know some adventurous people would take a liking to it.

all four flavors are available at $22 for two pieces and $40 for four pieces, except for durian that costs $26 for two pieces and $48 for four pieces.

Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6730 1867 / 1868
Mooncake website: www.goodwoodparkhotel.com

11. Bakerzin
have you ever seen a black mooncake? homegrown café chain bakerzin has created the fascinating midnight-colored mooncake, the sesame truffle.

this quirky mooncake gets its skin color from bamboo charcoal powder. the filling is a combination of lotus paste and black sesame paste. in the midst of the dark filling is a ball of white chocolate ganache. what does that resemble? (hint: look out the window!) ( $36 for 8 )

if black isn’t your color, go for lighter pastels. they have brandied cherry truffle, rum and raisin, pink champagne truffle, and malt whiskey truffle. ( $36 for 8 )

as you indulge in these exotic mooncakes, you may feel good about the fact that you are doing charity at the same time. for every box of mooncakes sold, bakerzin will donate $1 to the singapore make-a-wish foundation.

Bakerzin
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.bakerzin.com

12. Raffles Hotel
having raved about raffles hotel’s legendary snowskin mooncake with champagne truffle and ganache again and again, you know it will make it to this list somehow.

Photo credit: mehmeh

when friends seek my opinion for the best mooncakes to buy, this is the first that i would recommend. ’nuff said.

and oh, here’s my review on raffles’ delectable mooncakes.

Raffles Hotel
(North Bridge Road Entrance)
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6412 1122
Mooncake website: www.raffleshotelmooncakes.com

Bonus: Godiva
look! godiva chocolatier has launched a mid-autumn collection, too!

these belgian chocolates are packaged like mooncakes, with 4 large pieces to a box. they are filled with classic praline and crispy bits of roasted hazelnut. i can live with that

Godiva
(65) 6273 1611
Mooncake website: www.godiva.com.sg

——————————————————————————–
what a kaleidoscope of colors and flavors! these are, of course, my personal picks. i’m sure i have missed out many other excellent choices! add your own picks in the comments and we can all share!

so, have you bought your mooncakes yet?

Want more mooncakes?
bet you thought this was the end, didn’t you? nope, not quite

there is now a “remix” of this list! yes, after doing more mooncake scouting, i uncovered more mid-autumn gems! i have compiled a list of 12 more mooncakes you don’t want to miss.

check them out!

Tags: 싱가포르먹거리 by admin
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SINGAPORE: Private residential properties in Singapore saw a sharp fall in rentals and a slight price decline in the first quarter of 2009.

Real estate consultancy firm DTZ in its report on Tuesday said monthly rentals of luxurious homes slid 18.8 per cent to S$5.20 per square foot, a level not seen since the third quarter of 2006.

Rent of units in prime districts also saw a drop, down 16.2 per cent to S$3.65 per square foot per month.

The decline was largely due to corporate downsizing and increased supply from newly completed projects.

DTZ’s findings showed that some 10,122 private residential units were completed in 2008, about 17 per cent more than the annual average of 8,671 units recorded in the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, prices of private homes fell at a slower pace in the first quarter of 2009.

DTZ said prices of freehold private apartments in the prime districts of nine, 10 and 11 dipped by 3.7 per cent to S$1,120 per square feet, compared with the 14 per cent drop in the previous quarter.

Luxurious home prices declined 3.6 per cent after a 22 per cent plunge in the fourth quarter of 2008.

But despite the gloomy economic conditions and job losses, DTZ said response to the two new launches in February created a stir in the property market.

Overwhelming take up rate for Caspian and Alexis also prompted other developers to bring forward new launches and relaunched projects at lower prices. Units in the mid-tier and mass market segments went for under S$1,000 per square foot or about S$1 million per unit.

In all, some 1,323 private homes were sold in February, the highest since August 2007 when 1,731 units changed hands.

- CNA/yb (원문링크)

Tags: 부동산 by admin
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한동안 전기세가 너무 많이 나와 매달 나가는 세를 줄이려고 절약을 해보았다.

에어컨 온도도 낮추고, 쓸데없는 전기 사용을 줄여보았다.

그래도 세금이 나오는게 잘 안내려서… 다른 방 사람들을 의심(;)하고…

진지하게 다시 모여서 논의하기도 해 보았다.

그래도 줄지 않았다…;;;

어느달은 내가 2-3주 출장을 다녀왔는데도,
세금이 거의 비슷하게 나온 것이다 ㅡ.ㅡ;;;

같이 사는 사람들이 정말 너무하다는 생각이 들었다…

그런데…

그런데…

어느날 알고 보니… 이 싱가포르 정부녀석들이…
전기세 등을 실제 미터를 보고 매달 체크하는 것이 아니라…

지네 맘대로 매달 estimate을 한다는 것이다!!!

도대체 우리들이 이번에 쓸 전기/수도량을 무슨 수로 안다는 것인가…

지난달과 지지난달을 기준으로 한다면 말이 되지만…

매년이나 6개월 마다 실제 체크를 해서 기준점을 변경한다면 몰라도…

전체 싱가포르 전기/수도 사용량 등을 가지고…
우리들의 사용량 변동을 고려하지 않은채…
매달 과금을 하고 있었던 것이다.

외국인들 경우 거의 이것을 모르는 경우가 많은 것 같다.
현지인들도 잘 모르니…

싱가포르 정부 참 재밌는 점이 많다 @@

게다가… 지네들은… 자기들이 체크해서…

http://www.spservices.com.sg/
웹사이트에서 입력을 하면 제가격으로 부과되는 것이다!!!

얼마전 이 사실을 알게 되어… 이곳에 실제 사용량을 입력하니…

보통은 매달 100-200불씩 절약이 되고… 출장을 가거나 그러면

3-400불 이상이 절약이 되는 것이다.

싱가포르에 사는 모든 분들… 특히 세사시는 분들은… 주인과 이야기를 해서…

제대로 된 가격만을 지불하시기 바랍니다 ^^

집을 사신분들은 절대 매달 체크해서… 신고하는 날 신고하시고…

연 수천불을 절약하시기 바랍니다!!!

싱가포르의 한국인들 화이팅!!!

Tags: 이민 by admin
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싱가포르 정부가 이르면 오는 3월 정치 선전용 영화 상영 금지 규정을 완화할 계획이다. 싱가포르 리분양 공보문화부장관은 지난 10일 영화법을 고쳐 사실 위주의 다큐멘터리나 실제 사건이나 전기의 녹화 영상을 담은 영화의 상영을 허용할 방침이라고 밝혔다.

이는 각 정당에 선거기간 포드캐스팅, 블로그 등 인터넷을 통한 선거 광고를 허용한 법 개정에 따른 후속 조치다. 그러나 리 장관은 국민에게 해로운 정치 영화는 여전히 금지 할 것이라며 유해성 여부는 존경받는 인사들이 참여한 독립적인 위원회에서 판단할 것이라고 덧붙였다.

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지난 2005년 축구단에 입단하고자 싱가포르를 찾은 아프리카 출신 20대 청년이 마약 밀거래자로 전락하면서 사형 선고를 받았다.

싱가포르 고등법원은 대마초 2.6kg을 밀거래한 혐의로 가나 출신 치지오케 스티븐 오비오하(29)에 대해 지난해 30일 사형을 선고했다.

싱가포르 법에 따르면 헤로인 15g 이상, 코카인 30g 이상, 대마초 500g 이상을 밀거래할 경우 사형에 처하도록 규정하고 있다.

오비오하는 싱가포르 축구클럽 입단 시험을 치르기 위해 지난 2005년 11월 입국했으나 선발되지 못했으며, 이후 가전제품 판매로 생계를 꾸리다 마약에 손을 댔다.

싱가포르는 지난 2004년 12월 존 하워드 당시 호주 총리를 비롯해 각계의 호소를 뿌리치고 25살의 호주 국적 청년에 대한 사형을 집행하는 등 마약거래에 단호한 태도를 보이고 있다.

또 인권 단체 등의 강력한 사형 폐지 요구에 대해서도 범죄 감소와 범죄조직 억제에 도움이 된다는 이유로 거부해오고 있다.

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A good education is arguably a necessary condition for good employability and even a good salary, so:

Good Education ≈ Good Salary.

… which is why parents are so uptight about getting their children into the best primary schools. They know best.

Going by this, I looked at the Primary One registration numbers from MOE and derived the Salary.sg list of the Best Primary Schools in Singapore.

Specifically, I calculated for each school the percentage of its total vacancies that are still available for the coveted Phase 2B, and ranked the schools by that.

What’s so special about Phase 2B? It’s when the fate of some children happens to be determined by a dice roll, or otherwise known as a ballot. See Straits Times article: Phase 2B balloting likely at 28 schools.

That’s right. Some children may still end up in a less preferred school (neighborhood school?) even after their parents spent precious time volunteering at their choice schools, or even moving house to a place 1km or 2km away from the school.

Here’s the Best 20 Primary Schools:

1. Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) – 7.5% of vacancies available for Phase 2B
2. Nan Hua Primary – 11.3%
3. CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ – 11.9%
4. Henry Park Primary – 12.1%
5. Ai Tong – 12.4%
6. Nanyang Primary – 13.3%
7. St Hilda’s Primary – 13.6%
8. Bukit Panjang Primary – 13.7%
9. Rivervale Primary – 13.8%
10. Maha Bodhi – 14.5%
11. Holy Innocents’ Primary – 15.3%
12. Chongzheng Primary – 15.7%
13. Rosyth – 16.1%
14. Tao Nan – 16.9%
15. Red Swastika – 17.0%
16. Catholic High – 17.6%
17. Temasek Primary – 18.0%
18. Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) – 18.1%
19. Fairfield Methodist Primary – 18.1%
20. White Sands Primary – 18.6%

references:
http://www.salary.sg/2008/best-primary-schools-2008/

Tags: 유학 by admin
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싱가포르 정부의 한 고위직 인사가 가족과 함께 장기간 프랑스로 여행을 가서 값비싼 요리 강습회를 수강한 뒤 그 감상문을 현지 신문에 기고했다가 경제 침체기에 국민의 어려움을 외면한 처사라며 여론의 뭇매를 맞고 있다. 싱가포르 환경부 소속 고위 간부인 탄 용 순은 프랑스로 여행을 떠나 부인, 아들과 함께 파리에 있는 유명한 요리학교인 ‘르 꼬르동 블루’에서 3명의 수강료로 모두 4만6천싱가포르달러(3만930달러)를 내고 5주간 요리 강습을 받았다.

그는 귀국한 뒤 감상문을 이달 초 현지 신문인 ‘더 스트레이츠 타임스’에 기고하면서 “5주간의 휴가는 생각하는 것처럼 어려운 일은 아니다. 만약 여러분이 좋은 팀을 이끌고 있는 좋은 지도자라면 가능하다”고 썼다.

이 감상문에 온라인 논객들이 발끈했다.

아시아 부국 중 하나인 싱가포르는 작년에 처음 마이너스 성장을 기록했으며 올해는 경기 침체로 인해 실업률이 급증할 것으로 우려되고 있기 때문이다.

컬럼니스트인 앤드류 로는 ‘더 온라인 시티즌’이라는 웹사이트에 “살아남기 위해 애쓰는 보통사람들의 곤궁한 처지에 공감한다면 사치스런 휴가 얘기를 신문에까지 자랑하지 않았을 것”이라고 비꼬았다.

또 다른 컬럼니스트인 유진 여는 “우리 가운데 몇 명이나 해고당하지 않고 유급휴가를 5주간이나 다녀올 수 있을까”라고 반문했다.

Ricksw9437이란 ID의 한 누리꾼은 “자기 돈으로 자기 시간을 쓰는 것이 무슨 상관이냐는 말에 동의한다고 해도 이를 자랑하는 모습이 역겹고 화가 난다”고 말했다.

sungok@yna.co.kr

(방콕=연합뉴스) 전성옥 특파원

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싱가포르가 경쟁도시인 중국의 경제중심 상하이(上海)를 제치고 컨테이너 처리량 세계 1위를 고수했다고 블룸버그통신이 8일 보도했다. 레이몬먼 림 싱가포르 교통장관은 작년에 상하이의 컨테이너 처리량은 전년도보다 7%가 증가해 20피트짜리 기준으로 2천800만개에 달했으나 싱가포르는 7.1%가 증가하면서 3천만개의 컨테이너를 처리해 세계 1위 자리를 지켰다고 밝혔다.

국제화물운송의 허브 자리를 노리는 상하이는 미국과 유럽이 주택 경기 침체와 실업률 증가에 대한 우려 때문에 중국산 가구와 의류, 장난감 수입을 줄여 컨테이너 처리 면에서 싱가포르가 차지하고 있는 세계 1위 자리를 빼앗지 못한 것으로 분석됐다.

싱가포르 역시 세계경제 침체의 영향으로 작년 11월의 경우 최근 7년 사이 처음으로 컨테이너 처리량이 전년도 같은 기간에 비해 줄어든 것으로 나타났다.

‘세닌 앤 왕궈’ 증권사의 애널리스트인 주 안핑은 “싱가포르는 수출입 물동량이 균형을 이루지만 상하이는 수출에만 의존해 경제 침체의 영향을 더 많이 받는다”면서 “컨테이너 처리면에서 상하이는 작년에 이어 올해도 1위 자리를 빼앗지 못할 것으로 전망된다”고 말했다.

(방콕=연합뉴스) 전성옥 특파원

Tags: 싱가포르정보 by admin
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판매가 없긴 없네요. 08년…

바닥만 찍어두면… 2009년도 부동산하기 재밌는 한해가 될듯 =)

12월부터 fire sale도 주루룩 나오고…

Tags: 부동산 by admin
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은행들은 기존의 모기지 대출자들에게 집값(공시지가)이 낮아졌어도 현재의 비율로 모기지를 잘 갚아나가고 있다면, 추가로 공시지가가 낮아진 만큼의 부분을 미리 갚지 않아도 되게 하기로 하였다. 

Get the low-down on home loan top-ups

Banks told BT that as long as borrowers are current in their monthly loan installments, they will not ask for fresh valuations which could then lead to a top-up. ‘By the same token, when the loan is disbursed, as long as the customer can meet the monthly repayment amounts, the bank will not usually take any other course of action against the customer, even if valuations of these properties are now lower than that at the time of purchase.’, said a DBS spkesperson. MAS said non-performing housing loans are currently low and expects no significant increase. The UOB spokeswoman says the bank periodically reviews its mortgage portfolio, including the update of property values.

- The Business Times, P1

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