Ideal vs Reality: Toy Hunt and "ba chang" Day

Is the stars that glow softly less beautiful than fireworks that lightup the night sky?
When a relationship progresses with time, I belive the passion is no longer as strong as before and it has less passion but more stability as it moves into enjoying one another's companionship at simple places like catching DVDs at comfort of your home and home cooked meals. It no longers revolves around weekly visits to the cinemas and restaurants and giving the excitment and heart tingling feeling of the first time you held one another's hands or shared your first kiss. The love has evolved into more care, concern and warmth. But does this means it no the stars that glow softly less beautiful than fireworks that lightup the night sky? Like my good friend mentioned before, stability and routine may be the death of love. Sighs..

Well a night of mahjong and soccer watching without sleep has not kept me away from a date with my friends for a toy hunt session. A cold shower in the morning plus 2 of my favourite "ba chang" rejuvanted me in the quest into the heart of Singapore, Orchard, once filled with fruit bearing trees now gave way to malls and buildings. Well "ba chang" is Chinese hanyu pingyin for "Meat Dumpling" which basically comprises of meat (of course), mushroom, some other incredients and rice. It marks the day on 5th of May ofthe lunar calendar, as Duan Wu Jie, simply Dumpling Festival or Dragonboat Festival. It is suppose to commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic minister and poet from Chu Kingdom during Warring States, who cant bear to see the fall of his kingdom that he jumped into the river to commit suicide. The people then made rice dumplings and threw into the river in hope that fishes will eat them instead of his body and rowed boats hoping to find his body and hitting drums to scare fishes and spirits away, bringing about the Dragonboat race. Despite disagreeing with his blind patriotism like Yue Fei, if not for him I would not have a chance to taste this delicious dumpling i have in my mouth now.

Well i headed to Takashimaya, as they held were having the Takashimaya Toy Universe 2009. A disappointment this year, as the only things they had were Barbie, Bakugan, remote control cars, plushies, Gundam and Transformers. The fair was held at the atrium and from the looks of it, they are holding in conjunction for the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and the Great Singapore Sale. A section with 2 preview toys from TF2 Bumble Bee and Soundwave and more of the toys for TF2 to come which will only be officially launched on 30th May. All stuff were going for 20% + 10% for Taka card holders. I picked up 3 Transformers Voyager class toys, Blades, Tread Bolt and Dropshot. Quite a good buy at $24.90 with additional 10% making it $22.40 each.

Tread Bolt

Blades

Dropshot

Share another incident which I had at last year's Taka fair, which I was there with my friends early waiting for the stuff to be loaded out. A old Uncle in his forties which we called him Old Man, short, plump with lotsa white hair somehow managed to sneak into the storage area, without the staff knowledge and helped himself to quite a few rare Star Wars 3.75" figures which were very nice and limited in quantity. They were the last wave of the Saga Legend series and consist of Black Stormtrooper, Commander Neyo, Covert Ops Clone Troopers and Utapau Shadow Trooper which came with black or gold coins and Taka for some reason was the only local retail to bring this last and best wave in. His action pissed those who were waiting there for the items. If beaten in the queue nothing to bitch or complain about but backdoor simply turns me. Part 2 of the story when he came with his basket of items and snatched the figures when the staff was loading the figures. It turned into a pretty chaotic situation as before the staff could load the figures up onto the racks, the Old Man went ahead to open up the cartons and helped himself to the figures starting a frenzy game of "Faster hands First" with everyone fighting for the figures and leaving the poor staff rooted motionless shocked by what happened. One of my polite and gentle friend, had a figure in his hand but the Old Man snatched it away from him, leaving him with nothing but disappointment. Should it be me in his place, I would exchanged a treat of my fist in exhange of the figure unlike my courteous friend. This was not the first time, he was always at sales and choosing what he wants and throwing those he do not want aside like junk without proper care. Such disgusting and selfish action.

Wrapped up the day with another purchase of a beautiful Marvel Select Dr Doom. A rare piece with a very nice and beautiful backdrop of a throne.

Marvel Select Dr Doom

check out the throne..

Here are some pictures of the Barbie collection and a Barbie car which was up for a draw for guessing the number of Barbies in the car. Wonder if any guy would drive this car? Well back to savouring my "ba chang" alone, without the one who once always shared this favourite delicacy with me..

The Barbie Car..Can u guess the number of Barbie dolls it has?