BYE BYE AUGUST '09

Wow, hard to believe that we've been in Singapore for 3.5 months already, time is flying by! Here's a look back at the month that was August:

• Both Michelle and I returned from our trip back to NORTH AMERICA. Michelle spent five weeks in Vancouver (with a small camping trip to Portland) while I spent two weeks in San Francisco (work) and Vancouver (play).

• After a few days of being home, I flew to TAIWAN for the Digital Entertainment Summit which was awesome! As was the Karaoke and Whiskey afterwards! Great people and a great city!

• We tried FISH HEAD CURRY!!! Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like... awesome!

• We also visited Singapore's World Famous ZOO which will definitely need a return visit as it's impossible to see everything in one visit, yes it's that big!

• Our first medical emergency overseas, Michelle cut her FINGER!

• Finally, a look at all the rest of our AUGUST PICS!

THE ZOO ZOO ZOO!

It's been a while since we've done anything "touristy" but we took care of that this weekend by visiting THE SINGAPORE ZOO! Opened in 1973, this 28-hectare open-concept Rainforest-themed Zoo is home to some crazy cool animals. We saw Orangutans, White Rhinos, Cheetahs, Giraffes, Lions, Otters, Pumas, Komodo Dragons, Kangaroos, Elephants, Pygmy Hippos, Warthogs, Snakes, Polar Bears, Crocodiles, Zebras and a whole host of other awesome creatures. We went during a bit of a rainstorm and that only added to the adventurous feel, I commented that it felt like "Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs" but then I saw the big Komodo Dragon and the even bigger Crocodile and then it did feel like Jurassic Park, those things were huge. It was an awesome day and I can't wait to go back, the open concept idea of seeing these beasts without them being in an iron cage made it an even better experience.

Here's some pics from our day at the ZOO!!!

OUR FIRST MEDICAL EMERGENCY

So Michelle decided to make me dinner, which is always awesome! She was trying out a new Salmon recipe she learned at a cooking class here in Singapore. Steamed Salmon with lemon served with Zucchini Pappardelle in a Butternut Squash Ragout. It looked and smelled awesome! While she was cutting up the Passionfruit for her Dessert Dish, the knife slipped and sliced deep into the knuckle of her index finger... blood and screaming ensued.

Okay, we've been here for three months and other than my medical exam for the job, we've never had to visit the doctor (we both went for exams while we were in Vancouver in July). It's 8pm, are there even clinics here? And if so, are they open? Michelle remembered seeing a medical clinic in the mall across the street from us, so as we headed there with her hand wrapped in a towwel, I called my buddy Aamir. He confirmed that yes, there are medical clinics but unlike Vancouver, they are opened and closed at all different times. Okay, if this one was closed, we'd head to the Hospital. 

Luckily the clinic closed at 8:30pm so we made it in and had a pretty decent doctor to boot, so much so, Michelle might make him her regular doctor, so she asked the receptionist is Dr. Houng accepting new patients.

"Excuse me?"

"Is Dr. Huong taking new regular patients"

"Umm, yes, you just come in and he sees you"

"Oh, okay, and what days is he in?"

"The hours are on the back of the card"

"Yes, I see that but which of these days and times is he in"

"Umm (looking at us like we are from Mars)... all of them"

I guess things run a little differently here. Anyway, it's good to know that we have a 7-day a week clinic right across the street with a capable doctor if it's ever needed again. Michelle won't require stitches but she won't be able to bend that finger for a couple weeks. We came home and enjoyed that kick ass dinner. Crisis averted and finger saved!

FISH HEAD CURRY

Last night we indulged in #9 of the Top 10 Dishes to eat in Singapore: FISH HEAD CURRY.

Now I know what you are thinking and yes, it's exactly like it sounds, a giant fish head with ridiculously bulbous eyes, swimming in an even bigger pot of Indian Curry. Guess what... it was awesome!

Aamir & Denise took us to "Little India" for the classic Fish Head Curry at one of Singapore's best known Fish Head Curry establishements, The Banana Leaf. There's you are given a giant Banana Leaf as a plate and utensils although most people eat "old school" by using their right hand as the untensil. You order your meal (we had Fish Head Curry, Vegetable Korma, Spicy Lamb and Palek Paneer), then servers come around with giant tins of Rice, Veggies & Cabbage and fill your leaf. Then the food comes and you pile that onto your leaf as well and dig in.

Now Michelle and I were both skeptical of our enjoymanet of said Fish Head Curry, I mean c'mon, it's an actual fish head and while we both enjoy seafood, we've never indulged in the delicacy of the entire head... Halibut cheeks is as far as I've gone. So when this massive bowl is placed in front of you wish a giant head looking at you, well, let's just say that the skeptisism was running high.

Denise, is a master of cutting up the head (with only a spoon) and scooping out the meat for everyone which was awesome since I've would have been lost trying to dissect that beast but once we all had our share and started to eat, I was amazed at how tasty the actual fish was. Sure you could say "anything tastes good when it's cooked in curry" but trust me, this fish was top notch, juicy, tender and so full of flavor. Michelle and I both loved it and she even ate "old school" which gave her much props from our waiter (who looked like the little pissed off guy from The 40-Year Old Virgin).

We will definitely be going back for FISH HEAD CURRY especially when my dad comes to visit next year as I am sure he will appreciate the tasty adventure. One last dish to go on the Top 10 List and once we hit that, I will share them all with you!

Fish Head Curry = Awesome!!!

WE'RE BACK!

Corsiworld is finally reunited in Singapore, it's been weeks but we are back to full strength ready to continue our adventures in Southeast Asia!

Michelle's five week adventure back in VANCOUVER is complete. A whirlwind of family, friends, parties and puppies all must come to an end at some time but it truly was a lovely time. While home Michelle did the following: Camping in Oregon, the Coldplay concert, Sean & Lea's wedding festivities, Gay Pride, Book Club, attended the Police & Firefighters World Games, Kayaking, got rid of our car, multiple birthday parties and puppy training with Carmine (cause he still needs it)! That's a packed trip and you can find all the good times pictured HERE from both of our excursions home!

As for me, I went to Taiwan for three days for the DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT which was an absolute blast. I delivered a keynote address and then talked on two panels ("Building a better Business" & "Fostering Talent"), met some amazing people (both local and from abroard) and saw too little of the city (The 101 Tower & the Karaoke Bar). All is all, it was a cool experience and I really want to go back to explore the city properly as well as see some of my new friends again. Some pics of the trip are HERE!

Next stop?????????

THE BALLAD OF G.I.JOE

As a JOE fan and a FUNNY OR DIE fan, this is quite possibly the best thing ever...



Can you name all the stars in there?

IT'S OUT...

The first game I worked on in Singapore is out and it's doing well! It's the classic THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND: SPECIAL EDITION and it's all redone and available on the iPhone! Take a look at some of the iPhone reviews:

• “Secret of Monkey Island is not just a great game, it is far and away my absolute favorite game for the iPhone.” [IPHONE GAMES NETWORK]
  

• “The game looks better than ever, but remains the grin-inducing, head-mangling adventure we know and love.” [ELECTRIC PIG]
  

• You're about to discover a true classic”. [POCKET GAMER]
  

• The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition is a triumph, which successfully proves that point-and-click adventures really are the perfect fit for the iPhone. [DIGITAL SPY]

• “The entire game is an amazing package… The Secret of Monkey Island has stood the test of time, and the newly released Special Edition somehow manages to make this classic even better. Refreshingly, it appears that the iPhone version isn't a second class citizen to the Xbox and PC versions of the game.” [TOUCH ARCADE]
  

You can check out SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND on iPHONE, XBOX Downloadable or STEAM for PC. Enjoy!!!