Tuesday, January 05, 2010
joke
I am the biggest joke ever.
I came to work early today and didn't know how to turn on my Apple desktop.
Had to SOS Eunice at 8 in the morning. -_-"
Monday, January 04, 2010
future career?
First day of work was already killer.
I have five pages of snippets to write with deadlines varying from the 7th to the 18th of this month. It doesn't seem like much compared to the lengthy feature articles my colleagues are handling, but I can already see myself struggling with whatever I have been assigned. =(
Nevertheless, I hope I can do my work well and stick out the next six months. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
short post
Just a quick entry containing a few pictures my brother took in Hong Kong. =)
Spot the odd one out! That's me against a Cotton On ad.
My family in Lan Kwai Fong, which is kinda like our Holland Village on a hill. Lots of angmoh expats and HK's version of SPGs.
At Lin Heung, a famous dim sum restaurant. The place is crazy packed and you have to share tables with strangers.
Check out the crowd!
And what are all these people clamouring for? Spot my mom if you can!!
This is the high-in-demand lotus paste bun. It's soft, fluffy and moist all at the same time, generously stuffed with smooth lotus paste, and right in its heart snuggles a salted egg yolk. Such a treat...it should be one of the 7 Wonders of the World!
Camwhoring at this marketplace on a slope of steps!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
double celebration
Before it gets too belated, here's a picture-laden post on how I spent my NYE!
Coincidentally 31st December is Seb's birthday, so it became a two-in-one celebration. =D
We had a late lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, Bistro Petit Salut (BPS).
Here's a tip: Get there early at 11.30am when they open so you can snag a table indoors. Unless you like basking in sticky, humid warmth like ang mohs, then the al fresco area will suit you just fine. =)I love the food, the service and the ambience so much that I'm considering making a new New Year Resolution - visiting BPS for their set lunch at least once every two months!
We'll see about that, but anyway, pictures!!
Salmon tartare and salad in basil dressing. I don't love sashimi because of its texture, but this didn't give me that ugh-I'm-eating-raw-meat sensation. Quite enjoyed it actually.
And the unmistakable escargots - baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter. Om nom nom...
Seb's minute beef rump steak, served with shallots confit and fries. He said it's like stewed because it's so tender.
On a sidenote, if I ever order something on their menu that comes with fries, I'd request to change the fries to something else. They're not worth it.
I ordered the seafood cannelloni, which I've never had anywhere before. I'm no connoisseur of Italian food, but I thought this to be absolutely exquisite.
It's a small serving, but these rolls of pasta baked in tomato paste are perfect because you don't want to be left without any room for dessert.
Extra points for the generous seafood stuffing - every bite was accompanied by crunchy baby scallops, diced prawns or crabmeat. Super delish.
And of course, no meal is perfect without dessert.
My bread and butter pudding is very reminiscent of the crème brûlée I had the last time.
If you look closely, you can see the layers of custard pudding and stodgy bread under the top crust of caramelized sugar crystals. The tiny black dots are vanilla beans.
Seb's choux buns were really refreshing thanks to the vanilla ice cream that mollified the warmth I was feeling from sitting outdoors.
We lingered for a bit after lunch to take some photos...
And polaroids are LOVE!! Expensive love, though. I burnt $50 on film this week alone. =(
When evening fell, we adjourned to Nigel's for Seb's birthday celebration. Nigel really tortured the poor boy, making him go through an obstacle course, blindfolded.
Check out Seb's wimpy face below. AHAHAHAHAHA!!! =X
Across the monkey bars...
Around some stepping thingy...
Onto the foot reflexology path...
Hey, I didn't make him do it alone, ok?! Look at my pained smile! (And pardon the strange fringe, thankyouverymuch.)
And the final obstacle...walking on this tilted, moving "doughnut" wheel.
Congratulations, Seb. You survived.
Cheers to that!
And I'll add a pretty picture just for the sake of it. =)
Then the games continue, with Eugene and Seb battling it out for the title of 'Muscle Man 2009'. No prizes for correctly guessing who ended up champ.
Muscle Man, 1st runnerup (left) and his grossed-out assistant.
The winning team, with Seb aka Muscle Man 2009 proudly brandishing his 
Awww...group hug! No, actually they're bursting Eugene's "muscles" against his body as a forfeit.
And in other news, Seb and Nigel get drawn on for our next game.
Nigel gets a Ferrari on his sexy back...
While Seb gets a, um, whale. Yes, this is supposed to be a whale. I drew it. 
Tired out after the fun and games, but we're never too tired for a little camwhoring.
With that done, we make a final stop at the pool parlour in Beauty World to round up the last of 2009.
Have a great year ahead!!! =D
Friday, January 01, 2010
2010!
I don't really have any huge resolutions, but some goals that I will set for myself this year are:
- Put all my makeup to (good) use!
- Clear all debts and don't spend money that I don't have
- Work hard and excel in my internship
- Truly seek God
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
the milestone called "21 years old"
26th December was a no-frills celebration of my 21st birthday. I didn't want a party cos I heard from friends that it's way too tedious tending to all your various groups of friends simultaneously.
The first half of my day was spent with the family. Was supposed to go out with my parents at noon to get a birthday present for me, but I overslept and took too long to get ready. Heh, typical me.
Ended up leaving the house only in the late afternoon for Peranakan high tea buffet at Goodwood Park Hotel. On a sidenote, the laksa there is scrumptious!
Met Seb and Nigel afterwards and we spent a good 2 hours simply chilling at Gloria Jean's in Suntec.
We were so fascinated with Nigel's vest that we came up with three ways to wear this versatile piece of clothing. Let me share with you some really hilarious pictures, albeit a tad unglam, if you haven't already seen them on my Facebook. =P
1. The Fisherman's Vest
2. The Bulletproof Vest
3. The Lifejacket Vest
And the night ended with the company of Jing Xiong and Eugene, who joined us for dinner and the usual "birthday cake surprise".
LOL at Jing Xiong, who got up after dinner and said, "I go and pay the bill first." He promptly took the bill to the cashier, but not his wallet. -_-" (Anyway, who the heck would offer to pay for dinner by himself?!)
But I do appreciate the effort still! I guess when your birthday is at the end of the year, you've seen enough birthday surprises to know what's going to happen on your own.
Ok, enough talking, more pictures instead!
The awesome dudes who always crack me up. =)
And as a parting shot, here's Eugene pretending it's his birthday. ROFL.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
i'm praying for a white christmas
This year's Christmas was spent very peacefully and in a relaxing manner. No fancy parties, no elaborate dinners.
Just simple fun with some of my favourite friends. =)
We had the usual Christmas service at church, where us girls took part in our favourite pastime - camwhoring.
And of course, we had to pull the boys in too.
Check Aaron's face out!
I couldn't resist putting in this one of Andrew and Titus. =X
Group shot! =D
When we were finally done putting the camera to good use, we adjourned to Central for some dinner and dessert.
Dinner at Waraku wasn't spectacular, but I have to introduce you (if you don't already know about it) to this amazing chocolate cafe Celly brought us to!
Here we are, at the Laurent Bernard Chocolatier! It's located at Robertson Quay.
This is their Chocolate Tart. It doesn't look that good in the photo cos it's dark, but if you Google for more pictures, it's tastebud-tantalising!
I love this perfect marriage of dense, dark chocolate cream with a hazelnut base. It goes super well with the tangy raspberry sauce.
This is my favourite - Valrhona warm chocolate cake! The surface of the brown mound is ever so slightly crisp, while deliciously thick, molten chocolate spills out from within. Absolutely divine with vanilla ice cream and creme chantilly.
Titus, who was seated at the end of the table, had to jump out of his seat to grab some of the cake before it was all gobbled up by the rest of us.
The chocolate souffle is another highlight there. It's gorgeously moist, yet fluffy, and the chocolate sauce is soooo rich. Paired with the zesty raspberry sorbet, it's almost orgasmic.
Another group shot, with all of us feeling very satisfied indeed.
And oh, we spotted this super cute Utt-lookalike hottie! Andrew very stalkerishly snapped a shot of him from the back.
Finally, more camwhoring by the riverside before heading to Cel's place for more games!
Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas too! =D
Friday, December 25, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!!!!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
sink, sank, sunk
Disappointment isn't even close to what I'm feeling now. I don't know how else I should be feeling. It's the first time I thought I could do well and yet I didn't pull through.
Should I be angry with myself for not putting in enough effort?
No, I think I did work hard enough throughout the semester.
So what went wrong?
I don't know. Two words, I guess - SHIT HAPPENS.
The modules that I expected to do clinch As for, I received a whole grade lower.
Tsk. What the heck happened..
I can't declare Honours even if I want to. =/
This sucks big time.
My only consolation is my SPH internship. God knows I better do well in it so I can pull up my CAP next semester and pave the way for my career.
Monday, December 21, 2009
how time flies
I happened to come across a blog entry I posted back in July 2005. It's really strange to read my old blog entries back and compare them with the ones I write now.
I used to write them in a narrative style, you know, like going through my day and stuff. LOL I can't believe I actually did that before. I always think it's so childish when I see young teens blogging about things like that. Like who the heck is interested in reading where you went with whom and at what time, right? (Unless you're a big shot with a stalker.)
Okay, maybe my blog isn't that much more interesting now, but heh, whatever.
I have a 6-month internship briefing at school later in the morning, so I better get to bed now, now, now!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
more and more and more!
Wheeeee!!!
Lots of blushes! I took Wild Vines and Sprung together to compare cos they look very similar in the jars. But Wild Vines is just a bit more reddish than Sprung.
Memphis Rose, the free limited edition blush I got with purchase. It's a really gorgeous, sparkly dark rose colour.
This shot of Corner Office isn't exactly accurate, it's looks a little more red in person.
And this one of Opening Day doesn't do it justice. I had a sample of it before and loved it. It gives such a pretty flush on the cheeks!
It was more hard to capture the browns, I don't know why. But I played around with the colour and all to get the closest representation I could.
Here's Winter Bronzer.. it looks like it'll give a really good, natural warmth.
Favorite Hoodie is a shade that was discontinued, so I grabbed a full size when it was reissued for a few days. It looks more chocolate brown than this in real life, but with the same gold shimmer. Think it'll double up as a great eye shadow.
Sparkle Bronzer is also a discontinued and reissued shade. It's a rustic brown almost like in the picture, though with more brown and less red.
It was so hard to adjust the colour of this picture, and it's still not quite accurate. Summer Stroll is much more peachy in person, and more vivid too.
These are eyeshadows.
I like the look of Ruby Sand, which is a bright, sparkly red, but I'm not sure how it'll turn out on the eyes. I don't think bruised eyes is a good look for anybody, but I'll see how it goes.Shopping Spree is not as pretty as I hoped it'd be. It's a brownish shade with a very slight hint of purple in it, and the shimmer is very subtle.
The other two I already have, so I'll be selling them off. Freckles is a particularly interesting shade of dark, khaki green.
Til' next time, that's all folks!
I'll post some pictures from my Hong Kong trip if I can get them from my brother. =D
Monday, December 14, 2009
and we have a winner!!!
My first round of prizes from the Everyday Minerals Fan Club has arrived! =D
What's in the bag???
Look at my douche of a fringe.
Adorable tiny box...
Opens up to reveal a handmade milagro! Apparently a milagro is a folk charm that offers protection and good luck. The form of a milagro symbolises the area of luck bestowed upon its carrier. For example, this heart-shaped milagro could represent good luck in romance.
I don't believe in luck due to my religion, but this milagro is super cute nonetheless.
A handmade wooden-beaded bracelet was in the little pouch as well.
I'll post again when I receive my other prizes!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
as if calories were nothing
We really treated ourselves to fantastic food for breakfast, lunch and dinner in KL everyday! But at least my brother and I did a ton of walking back and forth between Sungei Wang and Pavilion Mall (our hotel is right in between) so hopefully that helped to keep the calories down. Heh.
Maggi goreng at one of the rest stops on the road to KL. I think the ones fried at local prata shops are better.
Bo lo bao from Toast Box (we ate this like everyday) which sucked. Their toast is way better!
Yummy durian egg tarts which only cost about SGD1 each. The durian taste is not overwhelming, but there's enough to taste the durian in the egg custard.
Tried the mango ice kachang too because my mummy wanted some cold desserts. It's crazy sweet and I couldn't even force myself to slurp down half of it before passing it to my bro to finish.
Day 2's breakfast was the most awesome. My brother took us to this alley opposite Sungei Wang where there are a few stalls selling hawker fare like carrot cake and wanton noodles. Really great stuff.
I really love the noodles they use in KL. Whether it's yellow noodles, kway teow or whathaveyou, the noodles are always springy and chewy and have simply great bite. Quite different from Singapore, where the noodles are "flat" half the time.
Very delicious prawn noodles...love the soup in which the prawn stock is so flavourful, yet isn't overpowering.
Wanton mee soup. Only takes one bite to fall in love with the springy noodles.
My absolute favourite char kway teow!! This is sooooo good! Perfectly fried oodles of noodles kissed with "wok's breath". This version features less sweet sauce, but it's still very tasty with lots of beansprouts and little shrimps tossed in the mix.
We stopped by this old school kopitiam sort of eatery on the way back from KL for my mum to have her favourite French toast. It's a really dingy place, but the feel of it is very nostalgic. I'll try to post some pictures if I can get them from my brother.
This is their pork chop, a unique dish served in a huge puddle of savoury brown gravy.
And here's their legendary French toast. It's served with a dollop of fragrant homemade kaya, which adds a sweet punch to the fried bread which is otherwise tasteless on its own.
I doubt you'll get anything like this anywhere else. I don't know how they fry it like that.
See, the egg doesn't soak into the bread...it wraps around the bread like a crisp omelette instead.
More pictures from my brother's pro camera if I can get them from him!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
dad's birthday!
This is quite a belated post, cos my family celebrated my dad's birthday almost a month ago!
We headed out for dinner at VivoCity, and ended up at White Dog Cafe!
Mushroom soup, super thick and chunky! I think it's supposed to be a mix of three kinds of mushrooms or something.
Very yummy soft shell crabs! Deep-fried to a perfect crisp while leaving the white flesh soft and juicy inside. =)
A rather un-spectacular Caesar salad. The dressing tasted like mere mayonnaise and the croutons were over-fried and too hard. Tsk.
Some salmon dish my mom ordered, which I found to be overall average and a tad too dry inside. I did like the mashed potato on the side, though.
The first pork knuckle dish I'm trying! We ordered this to share and although I seldom eat pork because I'm really not into red meat, I did have more than two bites of this and I must say I quite liked it! The meat's a bit dry, but very tasty with the accompanying sauces.
I've been eating quite a bit of squid ink pasta since my maiden experience with it at Ma Maison, but this version at White Dog was an extreme let-down. It didn't even look black, more like a weird, dark green. I couldn't taste any squid ink and the fettucine was too wet for my liking. The only redeeming factor was the generous portion of fresh, succulent prawns and crunchy stalks of asparagus.
Sausages and mash is one dish that you can't go wrong with, and thankfully this didn't. I don't know what kind of meat they used actually, but I couldn't find any fault with any of the sausages. I really love the satisfying crackle as one bites into the sausage.
Titus ordered the duck confit, which I didn't try, but he commented that it's not as juicy as the ones he's had at other restaurants.
Overall, White Dog Cafe is quite a decent restaurant that serves average food at really affordable prices. It's not bad, but I don't know if it warrants a return visit.
Friday, December 11, 2009
GOD IS GOOD
Just a quick one before I head out...
I just received confirmation of an internship position at SPH Magazines!!! =D
Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of God.