Sweet Smiles and Sunshine...

Wheeeeeeee!

2011-03-03T15:09:00.001+08:00

Hmm..

2011-03-03T15:06:00.002+08:00

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

http://themonicabird.com/post/3273155431/date-a-girl-who-reads-date-a-girl-who-spends-her

Happy :))

2010-07-05T13:49:00.001+08:00

My Handsome Boyfriend.

Randomness has two names, You and Me.

2010-06-17T11:05:00.002+08:00

Wonderful Weiming. HAHA

Sneak peaks of US 2010!

2010-06-17T10:56:00.002+08:00

Waiting in line at Disneyland

Grand Canyon with Mandy

Settling down in Seattle with some home cooked food.

Gyoza! Gya-bo!!

EY team!

2010-06-17T10:53:00.000+08:00

Off we go to climb, climb!

Romance.

2010-06-17T10:47:00.004+08:00

"As ships on emerald waters pass,

This beautiful calm morning may not last.

With this picturesque morning in mind,

I shall greet this beautiful girl of mine."

Romance is by far, NOT DEAD.

ADORES. :))

China again

2009-12-20T22:38:00.004+08:00

In China from 27 Dec to 7 Feb.

Catch ya later folks!

Update.

2009-10-21T19:26:00.001+08:00

Lucky.

Meanwhile, I'll be in China from 16 Nov to 04 Dec.

KL with the family!

2009-09-24T23:58:00.002+08:00

Me and Mummy!

Jie and Mummy!

Do we look alike then?

YUM!

Langkawi!!

2009-09-24T23:56:00.001+08:00

My favourite picture of the trip. WOOHOO!

When we say best friends forever, we mean it.

Just to catch up on what's happening..

2009-09-24T23:39:00.002+08:00

Meeting up with the Mountaineers! Tea at Oriole's Cafe

Farewell Thor! Take care!

Jotting down some quick notes.

2009-08-31T20:50:00.003+08:00

I'm stuck at home, sick of some viral flu infection that I caught. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be back at work and moving around! Yay! It's quite boring to be stuck at home while sick. Fever saps wayyyyy too much energy... euck..

Meanwhile.. temping ends this week. Whilst I will be glad to have some time off before I start work officially, I will miss the funny funny people and the PAY. ha..

This Sunday is the 4.5km run! I hope that I will recover in time for the run or else I train so much but come to nought in the end. *cross my fingers*

Too much office work has caused me to contemplate taking up tennis. Seems like quite a fun sport. Maybe I will buy myself a tennis racquet once I've confirm taking it up. Mandy, are you game? haha

And.. I'm flushed anew. Time to go shoppingggggg! I have 3 weeks before work to lose weight and to buy more clothes. Office work and no control really causes me to put on weight. A lifestyle that is too sedentary is NO GOOD! Need to work out!!

Hmm..

2009-08-12T10:21:00.002+08:00

"I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. "

:Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged)

- Snitched it from Molie on fb

Also..

2009-07-18T19:03:00.004+08:00

MJ is dead.

The King of Pop has passed on and the world who knew him mourns for his passing.

The world that did not know him, grieves for the lack of knowing for another like him who has the talent for song writing, the skill of artful dance and the ability to touch your heart through his actions would not come so soon.

Artsy..

2009-07-18T17:29:00.006+08:00

There's one thing that is quite sad about not having enough money is that you can't go on holidays overseas...

And stuck in our sunny island of Singapore, what is there to do, besides the never-ending movies shown at the theatres, the GSS that we are supposed to be actively spending on in order to stimulate our economy?

*ponder*

Why not see what does the local arts scene have to offer?

In the past couple of weeks, I have been to Own Time Own Target (OTOT)as well as Ballet Under that Stars (BUTS).

In OTOT, what I have come to realise that the Singaporean brand of humour is unique to its homeland. This is of course assured by Singaporean's own tourism campaign whereby we are Uniquely Singapore. Why is this so?

The first show of OTOT, Full tank!, a story whereby a runaway tank captures an escaped terrorist reveals the depth of Singaporean humour. We laugh at others who are representative of ourselves (Am I paid to do your job for you?) and glimpse at the political criticism with regards to the dealing of escape of Mas Selamat. The 'sex scene' was crude and totally uncalled for. The political tirade unleashed on the reporter was not further developed on and the escape of the 'fainted' terrorist was not funny. Along with half the story being scripted in vulgarities, I wonder if Singaporean humour is just that much or did I miss a more subtle message encrypted in the story.

The second story of Botak Boys provided a look at the BMT days of freshly recruited boys. I felt that this story was more reflective of the Singaporean society. The inter-racial mix of an Indian, Malay and Chinese much better than the flamboyance of the Full Tank team. The three Chinese boys also carried the sterotypical Christian boy, the Ah-beng as well as the overseas educated Kantang (Potato). It made the show more relevant as we would have encountered such characters in our daily lives, Perhaps I am biased by my enjoyment of the songs in the second show but I felt that it was more interesting compared to the first where there was too much unknown and angst underlying the reason for the runaway tank. The freudian scene of the dreams by the gay BMT boy was a little overwhelming although the plot of friendship was sweetly poignant.

I have to say that I expected more musical than play and this probably contributed to the letdown of Full tank in my opinion. That being said, I felt that the Botak Boys made up for it and made the price of my ticket worthwhile.

Ballet under the stars (BUTS) was my first time at a concert in a park. The comfortable atmosphere of a picnic in a park, together with an appealing performance of ballet was awesome! It took away the cultural pompousness that one would expect for a ballet performance for those not educated in dance. The performance was graceful and beautiful although at times the classical ballet items seems too long and draggy. Contemporary ballet was more interesting and captivated the audience more. Company of other picnickers who brought wine, food or families also helped to make the overall atmosphere more friendly. However, I felt that the lucky draw was too much and too boring despite understanding the rationale behind it. The ballet dancers needed some rest and needed to change but the emcee could have prepared more for it. Lame jokes that failed to engage the audience made the audience restless and was incongruent with the whole graceful and classy performance of the dance theatre.

Overall, considering that we split the cost of one ticket of $21 between the three of us (Leong redeemed another two free), the performance was quite worth it. Particularly since the weather was good and thankful that there was no rain, the picnic was also a fun-filled experience.

As for paying full price for the tickets in the future, I wouldn't mind going with a bigger group of friends, a larger picnic basket and a more comfortable seating(Now I see the need for the group bringing lots of cushions and pillows, despite sniggering at their trouble prior to the performance).

Next up! SINGdollar~

Birthdays

2009-06-15T23:26:00.002+08:00

*Dragged down the hallway of 22 and tossed into the 23rd doorway, screaming and shrieking*

I lika lika!
Nice catchy sound to it.. ahaha

This year.. I'll be reluctantly 23.

Japan.

2009-06-06T18:49:00.010+08:00

今年の五月からの休みに日本へ行きました。友達と私は大阪と京都と奈良と東京へ行きました。大阪と京都はとてもきれいです。私たちは大阪城公園へ行きました、でも桜を見ませんでした。そして、私たちは京都の八坂神社へ行きました。夜の寺は静かですが、きれいです。東京はとてもにぎやかです。

日本の生活は楽しいです。日本の食べ物はおいしいですが、高いです。私は日本とてもが好きです。

来年の五月の休みに北海道へ行きませんか？:)

Bcos Adam Lambert is sooo smexy..

2009-06-06T18:22:00.004+08:00

Mad World lyrics
Songwriters: Orzabal, Roland;

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Goin' nowhere, goin' nowhere
Their tears are fillin' up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world

Children waitin' for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sits and listen, sits and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever hadI find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever hadI find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
A raunchy young world
Mad world

- compliments from elyrics.. THANKS!

Tokyo.

2009-06-04T20:55:00.003+08:00

Kyoto.

2009-06-04T20:14:00.004+08:00

Osaka.

2009-06-04T20:03:00.004+08:00

Post-exam activities!

2009-04-07T23:20:00.006+08:00

It's time for my termly ritual... post-exam activities planning!!! YOSH!

20 April last paper Ethics Mon (Meeting Babes for dinner)
21 April Settlers and KTV with 日本語クラスのともだち(D-san と F-san と K-san)
22 April Asoc Gala
23 April Travel team mates dinner
24 April midnight/25th April morning JAPAN to 7 May
9 May BOH Japanese dinner gathering
10 May Johor seafood dinner with the Babes
16/17 May Babes
30/31 May Siu
19 June to 25 June Taiwan (Pending employment commencement date)
11 July Commencement

Work starts 17 August.

Crazy about cakes! Obolo and Patisserie glace

2009-03-22T22:08:00.002+08:00

Prive at Keppel Bay!

2009-03-22T21:54:00.002+08:00

Take in the sights and scenes!

Rider's the Food!

2009-03-01T12:07:00.002+08:00

YUM!

Rider's the Place!

2009-03-01T12:02:00.000+08:00

HEART MELTS!

2009-02-16T22:28:00.001+08:00

My friend's friend's relative's daughter..

Wants & not needs

2009-02-16T16:37:00.002+08:00

Wants:

Scanner
Airpot.. cos the one at home was spoilted and now we boil water out of a pot.. not even a kettle.. "Hello.. ancient times.."
Codless phone for my room
Ipod touch
Make-up

The good thing is that I technically can afford all these but i refuse to buy them because I'm not used to spending so much money. Although, first up would be the bloody airpot because making coffee and boiling water is such a hassle at home. Isetan please have a private sale soon.. like NOW NOW NOW!

:))

Jason Mraz's Wordplay

2009-02-13T02:11:00.000+08:00

Ha La La La La

L-listen closer to the verse I lay

Ha La La La La

I'm all about the wordplay

Ha La La La love

The wonderful thing it does

Because, becauseI am the wizard of ooh's and ah's and fa-la-la's

Yeah The Mr. A to Z

They say I'm all about the wordplay

Graze @ Rochester and Laurent's Chocolatier

2009-02-10T16:20:00.000+08:00

Eliza, Qian, Jasmine and Jules

Brunch @ Graze

2009-02-10T16:19:00.004+08:00

Eggs Benedict

Cast Iron Pan

Cinammon French Toast

Banana Pancakes

hmmm

2009-02-02T20:45:00.003+08:00

A friend once said 'Trust is more important than monogamy.'

What if you don't have either?

Then I wish you all the best.

It's amazing how you think you know someone for years only to find out you don't know him or her at all.

Hmm..

2009-01-24T00:55:00.003+08:00

I'm going to JAPAN!!!! YESH!! Dream come true!

Meanwhile.. I got to know some nice nice people through Siu - Wei Liang and Kangwei. Kangwei is going to become my latest food kaki! haha.. YAY!

Konliza: Semper Fidelis

2009-01-15T23:47:00.002+08:00

Megumi doesn’t move. “Yokoyama san,” she says, shivering, “I’m not part of your routine.”

Yu shrugs. “Maybe on the day I die,” he tells her seriously, “I’ll look back on my life, and you’ll be that one thing worth remembering.” He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the way she looks, as if the sky was crying rain tears just for her, sitting all alone on a park bench and somehow still pretty and bright.

Sweet.. "to be the one thing worth remembering"

Kope from Junyi's blog

2009-01-09T02:12:00.000+08:00

Lunch at Satsuma..

2009-01-05T15:30:00.009+08:00

Today, I brought Alvin to Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar for his birthday treat!! (His birthday is on 9th Jan... Remember to wish him Happy Birthday on Friday!)

The beginning of the day was quite funny because my mum gave me a lift and she thought that I wanted to go to ANSON road whereas the actual location of Satsuma was at NANSON road. So after being lost for awhile and confused over the actual location, we whipped out the street directory that would guide us to the eventual location.

Satsuma is located at The Gallery Hotel. You can drop by Miramar hotel and walk a short distance over the bridge to where it's situated. Here, lunch is only served on level 2 of Satsuma whereas dinner is served on both.

Walking into the restaurant, you're greeted by polite staff and guided to your seats. The interior is done in a wood finish and with the yellow lights, the ambience at night would be most romantic. The menus were wrapped in fabric and laminated, a plus point for the contribution to the excellent service and ambience at Satsuma.

The Tatami room at the back

The decor that will look marvellous at night!

Now for the food...

We were offered the raw vegetable bowl but being here for the main courses, we declined their offer. (Plus I heard that the vegetable bowl is chargeable and the bowl is really big for 2 people.) Alvin ordered the pork shochu curry rice set while I ordered the osyter omelette with rice set (On recommendation from Jules!). I also ordered charcoal-grilled foie gras since I have never tried foie gras before! There were two other couples dining there so service was quite prompt. The waitress was quick to refill our teas and take our orders.

Pictures.. (All lunch sets come with miso soup and a fruit dessert)

Pork shochu curry rice set ($14):

I couldn't taste any alcohol so I'm not sure about why the name shochu was in the meal but since Alvin finished it off, I guess it should be fairly decent. I think they used lean meat or fatty meat sliced thinly so the meat was slightly tough for me. It's those chewy texture type.

Oyster omelette with rice set ($13):

Appearance-wise, it looked like a standard omu rice that you can eat at any Japanese restaurant. The rice was wrapped snugly in a runny omelette.

Prying it open...

You reveal juicy mushrooms and deliciously plump oysters within! Here at satsuma, this is a set that you won't want to miss. It puts your local hawker center or jian/or lua to shame!

Charcoal-grilled foie gras ($13)

My first experience with foie gras left me with only one conclusion. Foie gras is indeed an acquired taste.

The first bite of foie gras burst into the famous oily texture that people enjoy. The creamy and oily texture was an interesting combination, vaguely reminding me of uni, another creamy texture that I have previously tasted.

However, it drove me to the conclusion that whilst I do not distaste creamy foods, it will not be something that I would be ordering anytime soon...

Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar

1 Nanson Road

#01-10/02-10

The Gallery Hotel

Singapore 238909

Post exams reminders!

2009-01-02T23:59:00.001+08:00

I'll be flying off to Philippines on 8th Dec and will only be back on the 19th Dec so book me book me book me and we'll go out!!!

1-25 Dec ALL CLEAR!
26 Dec Shopping with Sis
27 Dec Lunch with Merv
28 Dec Meeting Gloria, Neo and Jo and THH's party
29 Dec Pedi
30 Dec Meeting the Babes who matter
31 Dec Family gathering in the evening then see Amanda off at airport at midnight!!
2 Jan Ppines reunion
3 Jan Friend's wedding
5 Jan Lunch with Alvin
8 Jan Dinner with Siow Chien!
19 Jan Lunch with Jules

1 month is too short!!!

Japanese restaurants... Part (3)

2009-01-02T20:15:00.007+08:00

21)Edogawa Teppanyaki @ Central
- Lunch sets
There's a lot of food in the lunch set which will delight people with large appetites. The teppanyaki on the other hand, can be quite ambiguous. The teppanyaki beef can be inconsistent, varying in the degree of how well done the beef is. Same goes for the teppanyaki salmon. However, this could be due to the fact that there was a sudden influx of close to 20 orders at the same time (JCC outing) so we can discount a slight inconsistency in the standards.

22)Sho-U @ Central
- Desserts
Excellent desserts! After all, you are paying a premium price to enjoy the desserts. The place is nice and quiet on a weekday afternoon and the staff are friendly enough to explain to you the various types of desserts. It has a good view by the Singapore river so it's nice to chill in the afternoon if you can spare the time.

23)Kura no Naka @ River Valley Road (next to MOS)
- Lunch sets
Good value for money as the sets are very big. For a set of about $20, you may get a starter salad and/or dashi maki tamago, tempura, the standard bento box of food, dessert and tea! It's often visited by a lot of Japanese as well, probably due to the location as it's near Liang Court. Service is very good too. Warning! They only open at lunch and dinner timings so if you arrive late, you might be irked when they ask for the bill in the middle of your meal. Of course, this is explained apologetically by the staff as they say that they will need to close the cashier.

24)Ichiban boshi @ Wisma, Esplanade, Suntec
- Ala carte
They have a great variety of sushi such that it can be quite odd like cheese and something sushi. Bento sets are not bad and often value for money. Sashimi freshness can be variable. Hotate sashimi at the esplanade outlet was terrible as it tooked too long to come and it had a fishy taste. In such cases, order what you know the whole world is ordering as the turnover rate is higher. Warning! Service can be variable from outlet to outlet. This is a resturant that is under the same group as Ichiban sushi.

25)Ken noodle's house @ Orchard Plaza
- Ala carte
Forget about the side orders and just stick with the ramen. After all, that's what they are famous for. Been there twice, food has performed up to expectations and is value for money. Go read the blog entry about it.

26)Kushinbo @ Suntec
- Buffet

I just don't like the concept of having to walk around and queue for my food, particularly when the sashimi is exposed for long periods of time. Good variety of food selection and I heard that everyone aims for the crab legs which are not bad but a hassle to eat.

27)Kyomomoyama @ Central
-Set lunch

Previously they offered $6+ or $12+ set lunches which are pretty decent. They also have varying discounts for particular days of the week like Wednesdays could be a discount for ladies or for sashimi and sushi orders. For the new year 2009, no discounts as of yet as the daily discounts expired at the end of 2008.

28) Japanese Gourmet Town @ Vivocity

- Ala carte

Japanese Gourmet Town is a collaboration between Botejyu okonomiyaki, Sapporo curry and Ajisen. At this place, you can find food from all three different restaurants and it satisfies cravings for most people at once.

The differences is that Sapporo curry specialises in soup curry, unlike the normal thick and sweet curry of Curry Favor or of most places. The okonomiyaki on the other hand, by Botejyu is a sight to behold! Place upon a hot plate, this japanese pancake filled with pork and vegetables is savory, topped with a sweet sauce. The sweet sauce gets too cloying after awhile so remember to tell the waiter to reduce the amount of sauce or eat slowly lest you get sick of it. Note that the Ajisen's ramen is the standard fare that you can find at the other outlets so no surprises here.

The key attraction would be the convenience and variety factor that Japanese Gourmet Town is striving for. Beyond the limited okonomiyaki menu of Botejyu where certain dishes are contantly unavailable and the long wait for the okonomiyaki, the only things that keep customers coming back would be indecisive diners who need variety and a long time to decide on their food. Ramen comes first so order that and wait your okonomiyaki out!

*First entry: 27/02/2007
Updated: 21/04/2008
Updated: 02/01/2009

Meanwhile, I'll continue saving money and search for people who are interested in joining me on a quest for good Japanese food!

Click here to view more pictures of Japanese food!

Japanese restaurants... Part (2)

2009-01-02T20:14:00.004+08:00

11)Sun restaurant @ Chijmes
- Set lunch
Yummy. It's quite affordable and the set lunches are quite big. TRY the tofu cheesecake. Warning! Heard that dinner can be pricey. Haven't had the chance to try.

Komachi Bento

Tofu cheesecake

12)Sun with Moon restaurant @ Wheelock
- Set lunch
Yummy. Good service. Nice ambience. Always reliable to do well and if you fill in a feedback form, they may send you discount vouchers and monthly updates every month!

13)Ajisen
- Ramen
The new sets are quite big. Not bad for the price. Not so sure about how good the ramen is as I'm not much of a noodle fan but it seems decent to me. Refer to Ken Noodle House for better ramen.

14)Azabu Sabo @ Marina Square
- Ala carte and dessert
It's ok. I prefer ajitei more though. Warning! They do not serve soft serve green tea ice cream inhouse, only the scooped type.

15)Kaddoman restaurant @ Grand Plaza Park Royal
- Ala carte
Great tasting food but comes with a relatively higher price. Lady boss there is a bit pushy but if you ignore that and concentrate on the food, YUM! Unagi don may be slightly pricey at $25 but the sheer size of it will ensure that your palate is satiated.
Warning! Take note that green tea is not free there. It's about $4 a pot which is just a tea bag and hot water. The place has closed down! Not sure where it has gone!

16) Hokkaido restaurant @ Turf City
- Buffet
Last time I went, there was a 20% off lunch buffet which made the buffet about $24 net. Decent price. Food was ok, offerings seems similar to hanabi but at a lower price due to the discount. The sashimi served on the first round did not appear to be very fresh but the second round was excellent. Soft shell crab here is really good and the butter beef teppanyaki is excellent as well.

17)Pasta de waraku @ Central, Marina Square
- Ala carte
Food's not too bad as a friend adores the squid ink pasta. If you are feeling rich and willing to spend about $20+, get the combo meal as it's more filling. Other dishes are much smaller and can be quite stunning in their petite portions. The pizza crust is thin like papadum so if you like your pizza crust thick and crunchy, consider yourself warned.

18)En Dining Bar @ Bukit Timah
- Ala carte
Food's not bad although it's slightly on the pricey side. I was slightly disappointed as I was hoping for an 'oomph' factor but I guess expectations caused the quality of the food to fall. Fresh sashimi and their chirashi don is excellent. It seems like a small portion but it's really quite big for one person. Pork belly is a cube of wobbly fat that melts in your mouth combined with tender pork meat. I avoid such pork belly dishes normally but it quivered so enticingly in the bowl that I could not resist. Excellent service and you feel assured when you call for a reservation and the speaker answers the phone in Japanese. If you like the tatami room which can be expanded to fit more than 10 people, call ahead and request for it. Warning! They only open for dinner everyday and lunch on weekends.

Beef Carparccio - half portion

19)Sakuraya Fish Mart @ Parkway
- Ala carte
For newbies, how you order your sashimi is by selecting the chunk of salmon, yellowtail, tako, maguro or whichever sashimi you prefer from the display refrigerator (kind of like those in supermarkets where they sell ham), and tell the lady that you are dining. Upon choose your fish, they will then slice it for you. Sashimi is relatively fresh as it's a fish mart after all but don't expect it to be like tsukuji fish market where the sashimi is sliced from freshly caught fish. Other food wise, they have chirashi don, salmon don and the like at affordable prices, a select few types of sushi and some other condiment dishes. As the focus is on mini mart, there is only a small place to dine. Sakuraya has a proper restaurant called Sashimi House at Anchorpoint. Another bigger outlet for the westies would be The Village near Pasir Panjang.

20)Curry Favor
- Ala carte
Curry's decent although some people may prefer it spicer and there is an option to choose for a spicer curry. Vegetarians can take in the mushroom curry. Curry is served in a little Aladdin like saucer so it is quite cute.

Click here for more pictures of the food of the Japanese restaurants!

Japanese restaurants.. Part (1)

2009-01-02T18:36:00.007+08:00

People who know me know that I love Japanese food and I frequent Japanese restaurants as much as I can.. or rather, as much as budget permits.

There is one thing that I am always willing to spend on..
Good quality Japanese food.

Yum. of cos, within affordable price range la.. $40 per person is the max limit I can afford now.. and it better be damn nice! hahaha

So far the restaurants that I have visited are..

1)Waraku @ Cuppage
- Saba Set
Menu looks quite good. I look forward to visiting there again to find out how is the rest of the food.
- Waraku @ Marina Square, Central
Food was decent. I ordered a chirashi and udon set. Price range affordable.

2)Hanabi @ King's arcade
- Buffet
Sashimi was ok.. I like tonjiro soup. Food was ok.
Warning! the price on the buffet is hefty as it's about $28++ or so for lunch buffet and $32++ for dinner buffet. Call ahead to reserve if you're going down for dinners or risk waiting for up to 20 to 30 mins.

3)Himawari @ Mount Faber Safra
- Buffet and ala carte
Shabu shabu was huge for 3 girls to eat. Great selection of food available. Sushi are well made, those that you can pop whole into the mouth, just the way it should be. I like this >>>>> than Hanabi.
Warning! The place may have moved since the last time I visited in 07 but there's a new one at Neil Road.

4)Honjin @ Tanjong Pagar
- Buffet
As far as I recall, this was quite nice. hahaha.. but it was a long time back in 2005. Maybe I'll go again if I can spare the cash.

5)Ajitei
- Ala carte
Food's ok.. Not that authentic but dessert is nice. I like their dessert more than Azabu Sabo but I'm a slightly bias source. I like the tonpeiyaki and okonomiyaki.

6)Tonkichi @ Suntec, Shaw & Ngee Ann City
- Set lunches
Yummy Yummy Yummy! Love the hire katsu, fried prawns and oysters. Must go for anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant. I dunnoe much about their sushi though. Curry's good. Extra refill of rice and salad free so this is a good place for people with large appetites. Tend to crave the fried prawn for comfort food.

Curry rice with katsu

Seafood set -katsu and fried prawn

7)Sakae sushi
- Buffet
Like that loh. It's a bit commercialised liaoz.. okonomiyaki is nice tho. The grade of sashimi you get varies. I like to visit them when they have 1-for-1 red plate deals.

8)Sushi Tei @ Vivocity, Raffles City, Paragon, Holland Village
- Ala carte
Went for my birthday last year and tried the snow crab pot. Oh-lala.. but you're paying for quality of cos. Pricier than sakae for good reason though.
Their seasonal specials are not bad and the sashimi is fresh. Sushi's not bad but watch out for what colour plates you are taking off the conveyor belt!
Warning! Go early on weekends or risk waiting up to 45 mins for your seats and they are counter seats too. They do not take reservations on weekends.

9)Genki sushi
- Sushi
Like sakae lohz.. but they seem to have less variety in their sushi.
2008: I think they have been bought over by a new company called Yotei.

10)Ichiban sushi
-Ala carte
Twice I've been here. But I don't like it. AT ALL. Somehow Ichiban boshi (sister shop) is better.. hmm..

Click here for more pictures of the food!

Le Grenier a Pain

2008-12-29T00:03:00.003+08:00

Le Grenier a Pain

Beautiful pastries and cakes for you to enjoy!

Sembawang Shopping Centre #01-01

Singapore

Don't miss it!

Of sunsets and pretty things..

2008-12-26T20:19:00.000+08:00

Sunsets in Philippines...

Romeo, romeo, wherefore art thou?

2008-12-26T13:17:00.000+08:00

Chocolate hills in Bohol

Jasmine!

2008-12-05T11:08:00.003+08:00

A christmas gift from 4 years ago!

Can you spot my name?

lolcats

2008-11-25T22:27:00.000+08:00

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

huggles kitty!

So cute!!!!

Meat

2008-11-24T23:39:00.004+08:00

I'm craving meat...
Food I can't wait to eat once exams are over...

Fried fish and chips (i can do without the chips).. chippy's or fish and co style..
Cafe cartel's ribs
Sashimi from Sakuraya Fishmart
Awesome melt-in-my-mouth unagi and rice.. (time to make a trip to kaddoman!)
Chicken rice with spicy chilli mixed with ginger... yuummmm.. near Selegie Road..
Fried hokkien mee... (UNCLE IN JURONG EAST! where have u gone!!?)
ADAM ROAD SELERA NASI LEMAK
Popiah from Clementi
Tonkichi fried prawn dipped in mayo
Potato wedges with tangy dip from The Pizza Place
Sugar cane juice
Calamari from Marche

I don't eat very well during exam times.. bad digestive system whereby if i eat too much, i can't study..

Rats.. now i'm even more miserable.. i will check all the food off one by one soon! wah shit.. i super miss sajc nasi lemak with the fried fish and the western store black pepper fish.. RAWR. AND scgs malay store french fries with hotdogs.. and scps roti prata in a plastic bag..

SMU.... got nothing much to miss.. ha.. the food is just liddat lohz..

woahh.. Global bank job cuts..

2008-11-11T23:46:00.001+08:00

LOLcat...

2008-11-01T13:23:00.001+08:00

Love commandment 10! HAHA... Put back before they know.. I do that to my sister all the time.. Shhhh..

Youtubing..

2008-10-31T21:59:00.004+08:00

I have just discovered the world of YOUTUBE! A bit slow la.. but they are very useful for listening to songs that I don't have.. or looking at kitties which I don't have either!

A prayer..

2008-10-31T17:02:00.005+08:00

"God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

the courage to change the things I can;

and the wisdom to know the difference."

I'm not christian but I saw this on a friend's msn message and I thought it was quite touching.

Which country has the soundest banking system..

2008-10-26T15:05:00.001+08:00

HIGHEST SCORES
1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Luxembourg
4. Australia
5. Denmark
6. Netherlands
7. Belgium
8. New Zealand
9. Ireland
10. Malta
11. Hong Kong
12. Finland
13. Singapore
14. Norway
15. South Africa
16. Switzerland
17. Namibia
18. Chile
19. France
20. Spain

39. Germany
40. United States
44. United Kingdom

Singapore is lucky number 13!! Woohoo! I must say that it's been a reversal of fortunes where the developing countries are coming up tops above the developed countries..

Captain Planet!!

2008-10-02T22:38:00.001+08:00

"EARTH!"
"FIRE!"
"WIND!"
"WATER!"
"HEART!"

"Go Planet!"

"By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"

Captain Planet, he's our hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero

He's our powers magnified
And he's fighting on the planet's side

Captain Planet, he's our hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero

Gonna help him put asunder
Bad guys who like to loot and plunder

"You'll pay for this Captain Planet!"

We're the Planeteers
You can be one too'
Cause saving our planet is the thing to do!

Looting and polluting is not the way
Hear what Captain Planet has to say!

"The Power is Yours!"

FLUFFY KITTY!!

2008-09-30T20:35:00.000+08:00

Famous!

2008-09-29T22:43:00.003+08:00

Singapore is known for....
the inaugural F1 night race!

Singapore is known for...
the upcoming youth olympics in 2010...

Singapore is known for...
the integrated resorts...

Singapore is known for...
Losing Mas Selamat..

How quickly we forget...

Anger

2008-09-04T20:49:00.002+08:00

"Anyone can become angry — that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not easy." – Aristotle

Yuppppp...

Unforgiven - D/G

2008-09-03T01:52:00.002+08:00

"You asked for truth, Ginevra, from your husband, and from the rest of us – well, this is the truth of it: nothing is ever as it seems. Reality shifts with every perspective, and truth comes in a thousand different shades and variations..."

She repeated again, "Do I?"

He tilted his head. "Perhaps you do. But the question is, are you willing to pay the price of making that move?"

She blinked, beginning to understand something of what he was saying. "There is a price?"

He smiled bitterly. "There is always a price. The only question is whether or not the potential gain outweighs it. Take what you want," he said finally, "and pay for it."

Donna Mantis

2008-08-08T21:29:00.003+08:00

Donna mantis chocolate tarts are DA YUM!

Smooth creamy chocolate in a crumbly tart that melts in your mouth.

Hahaha.. Mervyn owes me chocolate tarts!

One day,
I'll try the banana and apple pies!

:))

Katong Shopping Center B1

Big Baby!

2008-08-04T20:27:00.002+08:00

Fixed in the morning sun

2008-08-04T20:11:00.002+08:00

Fixed in the morning sun

“Malfoy,” Bill murmured, finally, tilting his face up a little, so Draco had to meet his eyes. “You’re ours now, you know.”

“Means everyone likes me for no reason,” Draco said, tiredly. “I know.”

HAHAHAHAA....

Random notes of the day:

One more day to eating vegetarian! countdown! I realise that I'm too much of a meat and egg lover to do without..
Ktv-ing was interesting.. I'm a terribly lousy singer.. Andy and Siu are awesome! haha.. And Ktv with mark was really entertaining.. He knows EVERYTHING! Haahaha
Wanna go shopping! But feeling broke when I'm not.. I dunnoe why.. Maybe saving money for grad trip that's why..

Signing out! Ja~

Izakaya Nijumaru

2008-07-24T14:20:00.003+08:00

Sashimi Moriawase

Nijumaru Bento

Sashimi Set

Unajyu Set

Izakaya Nijumaru

2008-07-22T20:59:00.005+08:00

Alvin organised a little Itadakimasu session last Saturday!

So the nine of us (Alvin, Christopher Pang, Dave, Jacob, Chin Ser, Boh, Nicholas Chui, Mark and I) made our way down to Izakaya Nijumaru at Cuppage Plaza.

For the uninitiated, Cuppage Plaza is between Centrepoint and OG. A dinky little shopping center that looks a bit run-down from the exterior and spooky from the inside as the shopping centre seemed rather deserted. There were a few ktv outlets, food reflexology outlets but the highlight of this shopping centre was the food. Japanese restaurants littered the shopping center. On Level Two where Izakaya Nijumaru was, there were 2 other japanese resturants that looked fabulous! Complete with dim lighting, tatami mats and low tables (in one restuarant), it looked like an ideal place for a romantic date. Of course, assuming that these places were more pricey, we went straight to our location: Izakya Nijumaru.

Alvin had previously called up to make a reservation for the 9 of us so we were quite happy that all 9 of us could sit together without being seperated. We were seated in the main restuarant although I believe that there was a seperate outlet for more resturant space in another outlet some distance away. The place looked quite nice. Japanese paintings, calenders and a fairly impressive sake and beer collection lined the wall and the refrigerators. (But then, I'm a non drinker. Won't really know how varied their selection is) The bad thing about the restuarant was that there were at least 3 air-conditioners which made the place cold cold cold! But I gather that the reason behind it was because they had a open kitchen for grilled food items so the air-conditioners helped improve the ventilation. Still, too much cold air means the food gets cold easily! :(

Now, let's talk about the food. It was a Saturday night so it was good that the resturant still offered bento dinners at affordable prices. Prices for the bento sets range from $14 to $20.

Majority of our party of 9 ordered the Izakaya bento ($18) in order to sample the variety of food available. In this bento set, there was a piece of grilled saba, tempura, fatty 3-layered pork (buta bara), sashimi, rice and miso soup. Pretty good selection for a bento and rather value for money as most Japanese resturants do not offer bento sets at such reasonable prices for dinner, particularly on a Saturday night.

Mark got the sashimi set ($14) which consisted of salmon, maguro and kanpachi/hamachi ( I can't tell the difference), miso soup and rice. There was also a little bowl of stewed daikon and pork. He enjoyed his set well enough although I would have preferred more salmon sashimi as I was a salmon fan.

For me, I ordered the unajyu set ($20) which had unagi lying atop a bed of rice, the same little bowl of daikon and pork, some appetizers of daikon and miso soup with rice. For this price, I was offered a choice of either sashimi or tempura so being the sashimi fan that I was, I picked the sashimi. The food in general was value for money although the unagi was a bit disappointing. I've been too spoilt by succulent thick unagi from Japan at Kaddoman (Grand Plaza Park Royal $25) that I end up comparing every other unagi bento I eat to Kaddoman. What I didn't like about the unagi was the fact that biting into into the unagi, I could feel the little bones of the unagi under my teeth. The unagi skin also could not be seperated easily with my pair of chopsticks. In the end, I gave up and just bit into the unagi directly.

In addition, we ordered a seperate platter of sashimi (Sashimi moriawase $38) being the greedy people that we were. It came with 5 different types of sashimi- Salmon, maguro, ika, kanpachi and hamachi. One of the sashimi was even decorated into a little flower! Top marks for presentation here!

All in all, Izakaya Nijumaru is a restaurant that offers food that is value for money. With the exception of the unajyu, the rest of the diners enjoyed themselves immensely. Some even ordered for extra bowls of rice to complement their Nijumaru bento! If you would like to get some Japanese food at an affordable price, particularly for dinner on a Saturday night, drop by Izakaya and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Warning!
Their menu only has Japanese characters. The alternative is the romanji characters that tell diners what the food is in English letters but still Japanese romanji. If you can't understand Japanese menus, stick to the word bento.

Additional stuff:
The service staff is quite friendly. The matronly waitress spoke to us in Chinese and was patient even though we took some time to decide what to order and she even thanked us when we passed the bowls of rice and miso soup to those sitting inside for our party of 9. When one of our group ordered sake but didn't know how many people were going to share, she gave us 5 cups to share among ourselves even though only two or three people ended up drinking the sake. ***** for the service!

Latest updates! Reminders to self..

2008-07-22T20:38:00.004+08:00

I'm sick with gastroenteritis - inflammation of the stomach and the intestines cos of the blardy oyster omelette. (DIE! Bukit Timah food centre hawker. DIE!)
I'm recovering after going to see Dr Quek this morning.
After a whole day of not eating much, I haven't lost any weight. :(
Ruizhi is on a graduate programme at the Bank of Australia! WOOHOOOOO!
My internship has ended!
Nua-ing at home now - well, recovering helps to waste time a bit.
Trying to save $$
Eating vegetarian for the next 2 weeks (Hoping that this will help save money too!)
Meeting Siyu on 29th July and getting my loccitane from him! YAY YAY!
Meeting Siu and Mark for KTV on 2th Aug
Celebrating Amanda's birthday on 6th Aug
Mark going on boys-day-out kelong-ing on 9th to 10th Aug
Going for pedi with Siu on 9th Aug, followed by a Belly dancing class taught by Siu the pro then watching NDP!
Going to Sun and Moon with Lim San on 12 Aug
Sch starts on 18 Aug
Getting my new track shoes tmw! so that I can exercise and lose some weight! ha..
Waiting to schedule mahjong session with Siow Chien, Kaijun and Alicia!

Anyone esle wanna book me in the coming weeks? Saturdays are usually bf days tho.. ohhh! And there's no Sunday lib duty during Vacation period! YAYYYYYYY! ha

The Champion!

2008-07-12T00:46:00.001+08:00

Amanda rox..

Like totally!

hmm...

2008-07-08T22:39:00.003+08:00

Do you think more trees die when we chop down forests for paper?

Should we then convert to electronic means?

Emails?
Soft-copy documents?

Will it help save the earth?

Or..

Will the impact of using computers to check emails and prepare documents use more electricity instead? Resulting in more fossil fuel burnt and more carbon dioxide emitted. This in turns worsens global warming and make ice caps melt and...

But at the same time... electricity can also be obtained from renewable sources..

So.. moral of the story..

Save the trees!

Think tank!

2008-06-25T18:55:00.001+08:00

What does GIRO mean?

Answer:
General Interbank Recurring Order

Meanwhile.. I'm eating cup noodles for dinner in Tuas.
Ha.

My new favourite song! 为你写诗

2008-06-23T18:27:00.002+08:00

吴克群 - 为你写诗
作词:吴克群
作曲:吴克群

爱情是一种怪事
我开始全身不受控制
爱情是一种本事
我开始连自己都不是
为你我做了太多的傻事
第一件就是为你写诗

为你写诗为你静止
为你做不可能的事
为你我学会弹琴写词
为你失去理智

为你写诗为你静止
为你做不可能的事
为你弹奏所有情歌的句子
我忘了说最美的是你的名字

爱情是一种怪事
你的笑容是唯一宗旨
爱情是一种本事
我在你心里什么位置
为你我做了太多的傻事
第一件就是为你写诗

为你写诗为你静止
为你做不可能的事
为你我学会弹琴写词
为你失去理智

为你写诗为你静止
为你做不可能的事
为你弹奏所有情歌的句子
我忘了说最美的是你的名字

为你写诗为你静止
为你做不可能的事
为你我学会弹琴写词
为你失去理智为你写诗

为你静止为你做不可能的事
为你弹奏所有情歌的句子
我忘了说最美的是你的名字

我什么都能忘记
但唯一不忘的是你的名字
我什么都能忘记
但唯一不忘的是你的样子
我什么都能忘记
但唯一不忘的是你的名字
我什么都能忘记
但唯一不忘的是你的样子

Hmmm

2008-06-23T12:53:00.002+08:00

Lunching now in Tuas! YAYYYYYY.. cheap food... happiness! hahha... means more money for me over the weekend to spend..

But apparently i'll be working late this week so yikes! like late as in 11pm late.. hopefully that will not be the case.. just have to take it as it is. Life as an auditor is going to be tough.. Yikes! hah.. I miss human contact the most when I'm stuck in ulu areas like woodlands and Tuas.. ha

Will be going to Bintan this weekend!! Can't wait!!!

Update when I'm back from Bintan!!

Food that make me happy..

2008-05-25T20:23:00.003+08:00

Selera nasi lemak from Adam Road
Egg tarts
Fresh salmon sashimi
Pineapple tarts - the type that have the filling on top
Fish and chips (I like the fish.. the chips are just extra) - the fish and co type or the chippy's type.. not the flat flat breaded type
Apple pie with Very Berry ice cream from Island Creamery
Red rock deli potato chips

I seem to have slightly outgrown chocolate.. hahaha.. altho I still don't mind it..

Heh.. :))

ok...

2008-05-25T18:51:00.000+08:00

Work isn't that bad afterall..

HEH..

Bento

2008-05-09T15:46:00.002+08:00

Heart shaped eggy!

Star shaped egg that looks more like a flower cos my egg is not big enough..

I now have a bento fetish...

Heh..

Mountaineers @ En Dining Bar!

2008-05-09T12:05:00.002+08:00

From left: Jules, Qian, Eliza & me!

En Dining Bar

2008-05-09T11:56:00.002+08:00

We got the nice nice tatami room but I think we were a bit loud in our chattering so the staff were like staring at us.. OPPPsssss.. hahaha..

FluFFFFFFy... xxxholic

2008-05-07T02:01:00.001+08:00

“Was it true that you’re already in love with someone?”

“…Yeah.”

“Kunogi?”

“…No.”

Doumeki’s eyebrows rose and he peered at Watanuki’s face, who was being exceptionally calm and controlled as he answered. “Then who is it?”

“…Someone who I see everyday, who is evilly annoying, who has never complimented me in my life, and who is protective to the point of obsession.” Doumeki’s eyes widened, but Watanuki wasn’t finished. He lifted his head haughtily and stared straight ahead despite the faint blush on his cheeks. “I’m still waiting for a love letter from them, the stupid and dense slowpoke!”

He didn’t say anything for a minute and just watched as Watanuki squirmed, not looking at him. A slow smirk formed on the archer’s face and he shrugged. “I’ll write you one tomorrow, then.”

“Jerk! I never said it was you!”

Bintan...

2008-05-03T01:00:00.002+08:00

I can't sleep cos I'm bored and I can't wait for tomorrow to come.

Sooooo.. I'm surfing the web and finding places to go for when i book Bintan..

If I'm not going to do water sports.. as all that is very unlike me, I can go visit the tourist village.. Oleh Oleh which offers some food and look see shops.. Alternatively, I think there's also a mini bird park somewhere too... Hopefully the weather will be good and all will be well!

I'm being whimsical and I look forward to travelling again.

Hopefully Mandy can scourge up some dough and at of this year, we're going to Vietnam with Yao again! YAY!

In the meantime, reminder to self! Don't spend excessively!

Hmm...

2008-05-02T23:19:00.002+08:00

IEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIE!

ROX!

$$

2008-04-30T22:34:00.003+08:00

Somehow it's just aint enough...

Where the major part of my money will be going this month:

Liang Court with Alvin
Lunch with Kaijun
Lunch with Molie
Mother's Day dinner (split cost with my sister)
Bintan booking
Birthday presents
Dinner with Qian, Jules and Eliza
Tailoring of shirts

YIKES! Thank goodness for growth dividends!

Fics fics fics!

2008-04-29T16:51:00.001+08:00

"I am the intimidator. I am the cheeky little bastard."

HAHAHAAHHAHA... :)

The line above is from my favourite Lord Vampire series.

1) Cake
2) Cinnamon
3) Caramel
4) Clove
5) Candy

Sushi!

2008-04-28T22:46:00.004+08:00

How to eat sushi properly:

Pour soy sauce on the small individual plate.
Hold one piece of sushi (including the ball of rice on the bottom) and dip the fish side into the sauce. Avoid dipping the rice into the sauce.
Place the whole piece of sushi in your mouth.
Refresh your mouth with a slice of ginger.
Eat sashimi sushi (individual slices of raw fish) by dipping the fish slices into soy sauce. If desired, order a side dish of rice and take a few bites after each slice of fish.

About Wasabi:

Some people mix a little wasabi into the soy sauce; however, even though the wasabi is there on your plate, it's really considered bad manners to do this, because the sushi chef has already placed some wasabi on the rice roll. If you add more wasabi, you are essentially telling the chef that he or she did not do a good job.

Above tips from Ehow

Having problems?

Hold the sushi firmly with your chopsticks such that the filling will not fall off into the soy sauce and be too salty, you may tilt your chopsticks slightly to hold the sushi properly
If the sushi is too big to fit in the mouth, it's a sign that the sushi is poorly made. However, living in Singapore means that small pieces of sushi will usually come from high class restuarants where people will rarely complain about cost as they understand how to eat sushi. As such, you may bite your sushi into more than one mouth, take care not to drop your sushi!

Types of sushi:

Nigiri sushi: Sushi with the filling on top (nigiri refers to the rice being shaped by hand)
Gunkan sushi: sushi with the filling on top, wrapped with a layer of seaweed around the rice (gunkan meaning 'steamship' that refers to the shape of the sushi)
Temaki: Hand roll (Te literally means 'hand')
Maki: Sushi roll (standard sushi roll that is shaped with the bamboo mat. Futo maki is --> Fat maki which is a really big maki)
Inari sushi: Sushi that is enclosed in the sweet beancurd skin

Hope this makes your sushi-eating experience more worthwhile!

Ficcies!

2008-04-22T21:24:00.007+08:00

“So was I right, or was I right?” Saitou asked, rubbing a hand up and down her arm.
“You were right,” she murmured contentedly, nuzzling his neck.
“Damn straight I was,” he said.
“Granted, there was tampering on your part to ensure that you stayed right,” she began.
“Technicalities,” he said nonchalantly.

I TOTALLY HEART SAITOU/TOKIO FICS.

This is from 'Captain Miserable Finds The Greener Grass.' :)

Saitou Hajime

Graduation!

2008-04-12T22:23:00.003+08:00

Ruizhi's graduated!

My other bestfriend in the other part of the world! Australia!

She so totally rocks!

Girl logic than men cannot understand...

2008-04-12T19:16:00.004+08:00

HAHAHAHAAHA... Click to see the larger version

Comic from Questionable Content..

Hmm..

2008-04-10T14:07:00.003+08:00

I think I shall pick up writing after the exams.

The key to good writing is to continue writing.. and writing and improve your writing..

And to search out all the japanese food blog entries as there is apparently a tagging feature blog entries..

Music

2008-04-08T20:59:00.002+08:00

I have found that the music I listen to is often reflective of the mood that I'm in.. Here are some of the latest songs that I've been into..

All good things (come to an end)
Accidentally in love
Suddenly I see
Seven day fool
Way back into love
Again and again
You belong to me
Just my imagination
The magic position

Of course, me being me will not fail to see the irony of the songs so... with a little rearranging.. the order becomes..

Accidentally in love
The magic position
You belong to me
Just my imagination
Suddenly I see
Seven day fool
Again and again
All good things (come to an end)
Way back into love

Amusing, no?

Things to do post-exams..

2008-04-08T17:21:00.002+08:00

Enjoy sashimi slowly, leisurely...
Catch up on my fics... all of them..
Go cycling
Watch movies
Watch anime
Play games
Sit by somewhere nice and cozy with a good view, nice drink and slack the afternoon away

That's all I have for now~

Musings of a library student helper...

2008-04-01T20:53:00.004+08:00

Ever wondered why there are restrictions on bringing food and eating them into the library?

There are some reasons why:

Itsy bitsy spider..climbing up the spout... OH wait.. I mean cockroach climbing up your leg..
Reach for book... pull it out and "Hey.. what's that looking at me?" *shriek! toss book in air and the perpetuator of the crime, Mr Lizard escapes*
Marching... Marching.. the ants are marching.. in a straight line across... *freak!* my laptop!
Found a book for my project!! YES! Flip, flip.. Flip, flip.. Ewwww.... potato chip stains and cookie crumbs in the book... *Turns book upside down & shake rapidly*
"Err... yes. I booked this room" Have YOU ever walked into a room where students that have just vacated the premises eating pungent stuff like hokkien mee?

And the TOP reason of all...

Get a life. Take a break.

Don't mix your studying with your meals.

Take 15 or 30 mins off to ease the strain on the eyes, refresh the exhausted spirit and top up your energy tank.

The great library workout..

2008-03-23T18:23:00.004+08:00

Need to tone your problematic areas?

Let your friendly library assistant teach you how!

1) Want toned arms without being overly bulky?

Carry a HEAVY pile of books from level 2 of the library to level 4 of the library without pausing to put them anywhere. Hold the books with one hand as you use the other to shelf books. Switch every other shelf. Repeat every hour.
*For a greater challenge, while holding the books with one hand, use the books as weights and lift them up and down continuously without dropping them.

Helpful tip:

Ignore friendly guys who offer to carry the entire stack of books for you.

2) Want toned legs?

Pile the library trolley full of heavy books, pushing the trolley around level 4, stretching your legs and thighs fully.
If there aren't enough books for the trolley to be used, climb the stairs from level two of the library to level four ALL the time. Repeat every time whenever shelving or book searching is required
For books on higher shelves, do not use a step stool. Tip-toe and place the books on the high shelves. This works your calves.
During shelf reading for the higher shelves, do side-way leg lifts to tone the inner thighs while holding onto the shelves. This helps you keep your balance and kills the boredom of being stuck doing shelf reading for one hour straight.
* For a greater challenge, climb the stairs while carrying the books from level two to level four.

Helpful tip:

Ignore irritated glances when you push the noisy trolley every where and strange looks when people see you doing leg lifts. Odds are, they will forget you. Or esle, you have the upper hand of labelling them a mugger if you see them all the time. "What's their legitimate excuse for being in the library on a Sunday?"

3) Want a firm butt?

Rather than bending down or kneeling down to place books on lower shelves, maintain a half squat or a full squatting position. Remain there until you have completed shelving that section.
While shelf-reading, maintain half squat position while checking the lower shelves.

Helpful tip:

See above for toned legs.

That's all I have for now. This is your friendly library assistant, Jasmine, speaking.

Over and out!

Hmm...

2008-03-18T20:21:00.003+08:00

To shop list:

Make up:
A blush brush
Eyeliner?

Clothes:
Two working shirts - one white long sleeve and one patterned
Another pants of pants?

(Hmm.. need to pack my wardrobe... HAPPY that I bought a blouse and a skirt for work liaoz! YAY)

But I need to exercise to fit better into them.. damn..

Erm.. wanna go exercise? I have about a month to lose 2kg.. haha..

DIAM BUSY

2008-03-10T23:27:00.001+08:00

Yikes.

Hmm..

2008-03-04T23:32:00.003+08:00

Singapore has been doing quite well as a host country!

IMF, World Effie Awards held outside of NY for the first time, Youth Olympics!

You go, Girl!

Now...

If we can only catch Mas Selamat..

Meanwhile..

2008-03-03T13:16:00.004+08:00

I've found a cosy new spot to hang out with the bf on Tuesdays..

Next up!

2008-03-02T22:58:00.003+08:00

Looking for people to eat expensive Japanese food with! Ok.. I already said it's expensive! Hahah.. Average about $40 per person.. So I'm rationing the restaurants out! My budget can't afford it! Yikes! So once a month in a good Japanese restaurant!

En Dining Bar Dinner at Crown Centre

Satsuma Lunch at Gallery Hotel

Nogawa Lunch at Meridien Hotel

That's all I have for now.. Will add more when I hear of them... Meanwhile.. as a side trip since it may not be so expensive. erm..

Sho U at Central anyone? Would like to try their food in a nice nice room~ heh..

Aiyayah.. wanna try too many things..

Heh...

2008-03-02T19:50:00.001+08:00

Lalalalalalalal

*twirls around*

:))

Shokudo food bazaar.. The good and the bad..

2008-02-18T15:39:00.011+08:00

Vday lunch at Shokudo food bazaar!

Unagi fried rice

Ramen

Pork belly and scallop yakitori

Gyoza

Finally... the reviews..

When I first heard abou Shokudo food bazaar, I was really excited. A Japanese marche-style restaurant? A place where I can try many types of japanese food? I was so looking forward to trying it out~

Mark and I went about 12pm in the afternoon just before the lunch crowd started so we got our choice of seats and we didn't even have to queue. We put our stuff down and wandered about, in awe of the different seating areas as well as the decor of the place. There were many types of food that you could try! Pasta, burgers, omu rice, tempura, dons, yakitori, teppanyaki, dessert, nabes, ramen, rosti, sashimi and sushi, etc... There was even a neoprint machine in the place! (It was out of order the day we went though.. ) Even when we bought our food, this lady (We think she was one of the few bosses or management) offered us serviettes as we had forgotten to get any for ourselves.

Now for the food...

Unagi fried rice: $5.80 for a small bowl of rice... granted the rice was quite garlicky and fragant.. the amount of unagi (about 2 small strips) for definitely not value for money..
Ramen: $8.80 for a huge bowl of ramen.. Fatty soft char siew, not bad.. BUT.. according to Mark, their ramen was like instant noodles, the type that is one piece waxy type.. The broth was also not flavourful enough.
Yakitori: Pork belly and scallop. You order the sticks you want then return to collect it later but there's one problem with this. When the sticks are done cooking, they are removed from heat so the meat will not be charred but if you return too late? Your freshly grilled yakitori sticks are now cool and they no longer taste as good. Even the aircon of the place cools your yakitori sticks quite fast so order this only if you're going to eat them immediately.
Gyoza: $5.00 was so-so.. They kind of look like the frozen type you can buy from the supermarkets.

Sushi and sashimi counters were packed with people.. Didn't bother with those..

I was still excited even tho the food was not that fantastic. Probably thought that it was difficult to get good Japanese food all together in one place so I looked forward to going again, hoping that the food that wasn't too good would just be a one-off occurence. So I went with Molie and Lily again on Saturday.

This time,

Molie - Salmon fried rice and a prawn and bacon yakitori

Lily - Katsu with egg don

Me - Sausage Omu rice

Apparently, the salmon fried rice wasn't as good as the unagi fried rice I had a few days ago. The garlicky taste was strong but it wasn't fragant enough. Yakitori was ok. The katsu was expected to be fried fresh on the spot but according to Lily who stood in front waiting for it, the katsu was already pre-fried and all the person had to do was to add an egg and drizzle the sauce above the rice. The omu rice was the stunner. It was basically scrambled egg over rice with ketchup, chopped lettuce on the side with a grilled sausage. The presentation was terrible! The egg was like so messy over the rice and if it was going to be so ugly, the least he could do was to drizzle some ketchup or draw a pattern on the egg to disguise it. The tomato fried rice was a bit too mushy too. YIKES! That was the last straw for me.

According to Molie, I'm too fussy about Japanese food. But key is, Japanese food is based on freshness and presentation is also very important. Least to say, Shokudo has disappointed me dreadfully. I wouldn't want to visit the place again unless they have improved their standards. The concept and decor is cool. The food... You're better off paying a few dollars more at Sushi Tei at Raffles city or Waraku at Marina Square.

Hmm...

2008-02-17T07:40:00.002+08:00

Sigma smiled in fond amusement. "Just when I think I finally have you figured out, I am reminded that I know nothing at all."

Tau blinked and looked up at him in surprise, then he smirked. "That just means I'm never boring."

Lalalalalaal

2008-02-12T14:24:00.001+08:00

Baby Densel!

So cute! Cuddles sweetie too~

Huggles!

HAHAHA

2008-02-04T01:33:00.001+08:00

www.gocomics.com/stonesoup

Haha

Interesting..

2008-01-29T21:42:00.000+08:00

"The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it."

Way back into love

2008-01-21T21:59:00.000+08:00

Music and lyrics~

[Verse 1]
(Drew Barrymore)
I've been living with a shadow overhead,
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed,
I've been lonely for so long,
Trapped in the past,
I just can't seem to move on!

(Hugh Grant)
I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away,
Just in case I ever need them again someday,
I've been setting aside time,
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind!

(Both)
All I want to do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it true without a way back into love.
Oooooh.

(Drew Barrymore)
I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine,
I've been searching but i just don't see the signs,
I know that it's out there,
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere!

(Hugh Grant)
I've been looking for someone to shed some light,
Not somebody just to get me through the night,
I could use some direction,
And I'm open to your suggestions.

(Both)
All I want to do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it through without a way back into love.
And if I open my heart again,
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end!
Oooooooh, Ooooooh, Ooooooh

(Drew Barrymore)
There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

(Both)
All I want to do is find a way back into love,
I can't make it through without a way back into love,
And if I open my heart to you,
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do,
And if you help me to start again,
You know that I'll be there for you in the end!
Oooooooh. Oooooooh. Ooooooooh. Oooooooh. Ooooooh Ooooooooh. Ooooooooh.

Hmm..

2008-01-21T21:20:00.001+08:00

Independence and diligence is also keywords this term.

Quality versus Quantity.