I finished off August with my first attempt at cooking a five-course meal. Inspired during long bouts of insomnia wherein I toyed with food combination, this meal proved to be my greatest test of creativity and stamina yet.

Menu:

chilled white wine--Jacob's Creek Semillon Chardonnay

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red wine--Paul Jaboulet Aigne Cote du Rhone

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It's nice to start off a month with a blast... we did so by taking Sierra-Sierra for a spin. Thanks to Mr. Stephen Seow (owner of the boat and the company who makes them, Dynaglass Reinforced Plastics Pte Ltd) for allowing us the use of the boat!

At a cruising (and I mean hold that speed till the fuel tanks go dry 20 hours later) speed of 30kts and 34kts tops, the boat tears through water as easily as air blasts past your ears!

After roaring to Pulau Hantu for a splash 'n tan, we went up the West Johor Straits for a scrummy meal!

Bernie (above left) says:

" tired and sleepy in front of my thinkpad this morning....but my soul is still soaring out there with sierra-sierra....

maybe its the excitement of speed with wind caressing my being, 

maybe is the wonderment of  open space or maybe its the drowsy sleepy  feeling when we were just drifting  at sea,

maybe its a decadent fantasy realised...

maybe its everything put together that made it such a great Sunday afternoon."

Sunset came way too quickly...

And suddenly, it was time to go...

"Hey, wait! Slow down", cried El as she pounced on assorted food packages rescuing them from being blown off the decks as I accelerated before everything was tidied up.

More comments from El: "I was really drooling yesterday!  Holy Cow!  Sierra-Sierra was like fantastic motorbiking - sun and wind in your face but this was even better...no traffic to grapple with, wide open spaces, the humming boat motor and the occasional saltwater spray in your face!  It's a heady combination.  AND the speed and power of the boat was orgasmic!  Nothing like the other speed-boats or cabin-cruisers that I've gone on.

The swim was important to the whole sea experience for me, being able to float around and laze around in the water instead of just sitting on the boat.