Another Mercury Retrograde Incident?

Ok, maybe I can't blame this on the mercury retrograding but I just lost all my pictures and videos on my digicam.

All because I pressed the wrong button by accident. Sad, sad, sad. I was trying to find out how much space I have left on my memory card when I hit the re-format button. So in a blink of an eye, all data is lost!

I don't know what I am more upset about, which pictures I am grieving over? Maybe this just shows how much I treasure my pictures. So all the pictures I took - the girls, family, F, roses, EL sale, scenery, spa, food, Hoobastank lookalike and tonight's pictures of Lee Kuan Yew.

Yes, I actually saw LKY and his family having dinner at chijmes. He and his wife look so frail now. A friend just said it is fate, they do not want any evidence at all.

The only bright spot is that I did manage to download today's pictures before I did the stupid thing. And I did have most of the pictures saved on CDs but still I like to have them on the camera so that I can see them when I am bored.

Sigh. Double sigh. Just sad now.

Stila Lipglaze Palette

Cafe Stila & Club Stila

New collection at Stila. I just love the color of the packaging and the names of the lipglaze in the palettes. Each palette housed 6 different lipglazes with a mirror and brush.

I just adore the color of the club stila lipglaze palette. In fact, I like this much better than the Just My Luck palette.

Names of the lipglaze in the fruity-cocktail themed palette:
champagne, sangria, cosmopolitan, noir, bellini and strawberry daiquiri.

Isn't that just so tantalizing? Mmmmm....champagne, sangria and strawberry daiquiri. Maybe it is a "good" thing that the colors are so sheer I can barely see them, so I didn't get it at all.

lip glaze palette: cafe stila smells just like coffee! I am not so attracted to the brown packaging, but the colors are so much more pigmented than club stila.

Names of the cafe stila shades:
cinnamon spice, cappuccino, mocha coffee, chocolate raspberry, vanilla hazelnut and latte.

Guess which one i like? Hehe. Mocha coffee!

My Desire

I found my fave shower gel from Victoria's Secret. It is My Desire - a really lovely scent which is not overly sweet or overpowering.

My Desire
A romantic affair or grapefruit, jasmine and mango, with a hint of vanilla musk.

I like it much better than the other scents, even Strawberries and Champagne. I think I will keep that more for imbibing rather than washing :p

6 Pairs of Shoes

I must be mad! Rather I am stressed at work today and decided to go shoes shopping as most of my current shoes need to be repaired or something. The rubber bits of the heels tend to come off after a few weeks of wear. So I went to VNC at HarbourFront and went crazy buying shoes.

I love the red pair, it is so sexy. At least I felt sexy while wearing that. The black/bronze pair (bottom left) is so pretty too. I rarely buy something with a buckle around my ankle, but that is comfortable and perfect for dance, especially sensual dance ;p

The lilac pair looks a bit "auntie-ish" but it matches my skirt or makeup, plus I love the cloth ribbon. It is comfortable. The turquoise pair goes very well with the clutch I bought previously. I love my shoes! :)

Creperie Ar-Men

I finally got to check out Creperie Ar-Men, a nice cosy homestyle eatery specializing in French food, more precisely, crepes Brittany style.

"Crepes have been the traditional meal in Brittany west coast region of France of Celtic culture for five centuries, being a wholly satisfying two or three-course meal that has now become a great culinary treat."

There are two levels, typical of shophouses in Singapore as the unit is usually long and narrow. Dark timber framed the windows and bannisters, with wooden furniture and soft dim lighting. Service was excellent too. The menu was in French with English translation underneath it, that took some getting used to.

I had the scallops crepe which was pretty good. Light and not too heavy on the cream. The buckwheat crepe was slightly denser than the usual fluffier crepe and had an interesting texture. M had the seafood crepe and we shared a crepe suzette. That was lovely to end the meal.

http://www.creperie-armen.com/

Location:
37, Duxton Road - Singapore
[opposite Duxton Hotel, within walking distance of 2 car parks]
Tel: 6227 3389
Close on Sunday

Mercury Retrograde

Remember my earlier post about Mercury retrograding (http://puremochalatte.blogspot.com/2006/07/astrology-and-camera.html), well it still continues to strike me.

Since last Sunday evening or Monday, I have not been able to access the internet. Apparently it cannot read the IP address, hence I have little or no connectivity at all. A friend came by to check it out and recommended I change my network cable in case that was the problem. I did that and it was still on the blink. Nada. I called up Starhub to check and the technician said it seemed to be working and suspected it could be the network cable. If that is not the problem, then it could either be the modem or my pc.

My brother said it shouldn't be the pc since I just changed the motherboard. Well, today I brought home the work laptop to test the network cable and it works fine (as evidenced by my post). I have not tested my pc yet. If it still didn't work, then I have to relook my pc. Sigh. I hate this technological problems.

I think I quite like having a laptop, it just feels so "adult" - working on documents while out and able and being mobile. Maybe because all of jobs, I do not have to do much presentation slides or work on laptops. To do presentations to potential clients. I am truly office-based.

But now with the laptop, I can bring it out with me when I am at my client's office to work on some stuff. It is in Suntec City and has a gorgeous view of the Bay area. And to surf or do work while at coffee places. Now at home, surfing in bed and typing this. Awesome. Yeah, I know...it is quite normal now...but I am "slow" ;p

The only drawback about the laptop is the keyboard. So hard to type. I guess I am still used to the regular keyboard and mouse.

Singapore Food Festival 2006

The Singapore Food Festival is here and I have yet to sample anything. In fact, I didn't even see any of the stalls set up for this month long event ( 1-31 July 2006). Not because I don't want to, but that I didn't have time.

Then again, I don't think I ever really tried the food dururg this period. I heard of it, I see the ads, but I didn't go to any of the participating outlets ever.

For those who are keen to find out more, you can visit the official website.
http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com/index.htm

But from there, I managed to find some nice recipes of fave local food. Who knows, one day I might be inspired to try them out :)

Recipe - Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients 1 (2-pound) chicken 1 scallion, cut into 1 inch pieces 4 slices fresh, peeled ginger 6 tbsp vegetable oil or chicken oil rendered from chicken fat 6 to 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 cups long-grain uncooked rice, washed and drained 1 tsp fine salt Mix together for Chilli Sauce 2 to 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, 5 tbsp finely chopped fresh red chilies, 5 cloves garlic, chopped, 3 tbsp finely chopped ginger, 1 tsp fine salt, 1/2 cup boiling hot chicken soup

Method
Boil a large pot of water. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with scallion and ginger. Add chicken to boiling water, breast side-down. Lower the heat to a simmer just under boiling point and cook, covered until just cooked through, about 40 minutes. Bathe the chicken in an ice water bath till chicken is cold to create a tender, springy texture. Heat oil in a rice cooker, add garlic, stir fry till fragrant. Add uncooked rice, stir fry for two minutes, add salt and enough chicken soup to cover 1/2 inch above the top of the rice. Boil on high heat, lower heat when steam holes form, cover and steam for 30 minutes till rice is cooked. Chop chicken and serve with steaming hot rice and chilli sauce. Dark soya sauce is the ideal accompaniment.

By VIOLET OON

A candidate for ‘national dish’, it can be found in every street corner coffeeshop and coffee houses of hotels in Singapore. Brought to Singapore by immigrants from Hainan, China, it has evolved to become the delicious Singaporean dish it is today.

Taken from http://www.visitsingapore.com

Recipe - Char Kway Teow

Ingredients 1 kg (32 oz) kway teow (fresh flat rice noodles) 4 tbsp chopped garlic 18 oz bean sprouts 6 oz Chinese mustard greens (chye sim) 2 Chinese sausages, thinly sliced 12 medium sized prawns, cooked and peeled 5 eggs, beaten 4 tbsp fish sauce 5 - 6 tbsp sweet dark soya sauce 3 tbsp sambal chilli paste (or Sambal Oelek) 180 ml (6 oz) seafood stock 300 g cooked squid sliced into 1/2 cm rings 8 oz cup vegetable oil or lard

Method
Heat a large wok until very hot. Add 3/4 of the oil or lard, lower the heat slightly and fry garlic until fragrant and golden brown. Add kway teow, bean sprouts and chye sim and fry, stirring constantly for about two minutes. Push the ingredients to the side of the wok, forming a well in the centre. Add the rest of the oil or lard and heat it. Add the beaten egg and fry it together with the noodles. Add the sambal chilli and stir the noodles until the eggs and sambal chilli are mixed into the noodles. Add the fish sauce and sweet dark soya sauce and fry all ingredients together for another one to two minutes before adding the Chinese sausages, cooked prawns, cooked squid, and seafood stock. Toss to combine. Serve hot.

By LOW THYE HONG

This dish began as a poor man’s meal. Over time, many more ingredients were added, making it one of the most loved Singaporean dishes.


Taken from http://www.visitsingapore.com/

Recipe - Fish Head Curry

Ingredients 1 whole fish head, cut into 2 or 600g fish steaks 1 tbl mixed curry seeds for fish curry (optional) 10g ginger, thinly shredded 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 onions thinly sliced 5 tbl fish curry powder made into a paste with 1 /4 to 1 /2 cup water 300g lady’s fingers 3 tomatoes, quartered 6 red chilli, slit into half lengthwise 6 green chilli, slit into half lengthwise 2 to 3 sprigs curry leaves 1 /2 to 1 tsp salt 1 tbl sugar 1 tbl tamarind mixed with 1 /2 cup water 1 cup coconut milk from a packet 5 tbl sunflower oil

Fish Curry Powder
250g coriander powder
60g cumin powder
150g chilli powder
30g turmeric powder
20g black pepper powder
10g funegreek powder

Method
Wash the fish head or fish steaks and pat dry. Steam the salmon fish head till just cooked. Keep aside. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan, add the curry seeds and ginger and stir fry over high heat for two to three minutes till the seeds pop. Add garlic and stir fry till fragrant. Add the fish curry paste and stir fry till fragrant and cooked. Add the onions and stir fry briefly for about one minute. Put in half of the coconut milk and bring to the boil before adding the remaining coconut milk and tamarind juice. Add the lady’s fingers, tomatoes, red chilli, green chilli, curry leaves, salt and sugar. When you are ready to serve, add the steamed salmon fish head and simmer gently for about five to eight minutes till the fish is hot and well cooked. You may add more liquid if there is not enough gravy. Serve.

Taken from
http://www.visitsingapore.com

Recipe - Bak Kut Teh

Ingredients Spices tied in a cloth square: I cinnamon stick 4-5 cloves 1 tsp white peppercorns 1 tbs kei chee (dried hawthorn berries) 2 whole star anises 500g (1 lb) meaty pork ribs 2 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled 1 tbs black soya sauce 6-7 cups of water 1 tbs salt 1-2 heads iceberg lettuce, washed and separated

Method
Place ribs, spice packet and the garlic in a pot. Add water to cover and bring to the boil. Skim off the meat scum as it rises. Add soya sauce and salt. Reduce heat to simmering and cook till ribs are tender. Place a few lettuce leaves in the bowl before dishing out the ribs and soup. Serve with white rice and sliced red chilli in dark soya sauce on the side.

Taken from cookbook titled “Singapore Heritage Food” by Sylvia Tan

The spice packet can be used to flavour not only this hearty Hokkien soup, but also any dish that calls for a mix of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and fennel. There is also a Teochew version of bak kut teh that is clear and simple, cooked with just garlic, pepper and light soya sauce.


Taken from http://www.visitsingapore.com

Ghirardelli Chocolates

This is so cool. I just discovered Picasa from Google and am trying it out. Still not too sure of all the functions but there is this bit, that allows me to blog the picture. I sure didn't realize it will take me to blogspot.

And so here it is, Ghirardelli Chocolates. Sinful and rich and luxury. Simply very good chocolates!

A client brought a tin of the chocolate squares for us (Dark chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Raspberry filling and Dark chocolate with Mint filling). I had the pure dark chocolate with 60% cocoa which is utter heaven.

http://www.ghirardelli.com/

I remembered my ex director from a previous company who gave me a stack of the chocolate bars enclosed in a velvet pouch as a present when she came over to Singapore from the Silicon Valley. Then I didn't really know of this brand and so it sat on my dresser for a couple of months before I finally tried a piece. That was so delicious!

The Cheesecake Factory

When Carolyn is stressed or upset, she looks at food and drools over them. If it is really extreme stress, she will reach for the chocolates (she already had 2 truffles - white and dark).

The next best thing - Cheesecake!

I am not really a big fan of cheesecake actually, the reason why I didn't get the chance to try the cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory in the States. But that kinda defeated the purpose as one goes there for the cheesecake. Oh well, maybe some other day when I go back to North America again.

So introducing...The Cheesecake Factory (http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/)

CHOCOLATE TUXEDO CREAMTM CHEESECAKE
Layers of our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate

KAHLUA COCOA COFFEE CHEESECAKE
Layers of Rich Brownie, Kahlua Cheesecake, Creamy Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Ganache

Those looked so good. Ok, enough drooling. What do I remembered of The Cheesecake Factory?

It serves typical American food with huge portions. I shared an appetitzer with my cousin and had a pasta main. I was so full after that there was no room for dessert. Bummer :(

The pasta was excellent, I probably had something chicken fettucine with bell peppers in cream sauce.

Anyway, that was quite some time back, so the menu could have changed. Here are what caught my eyes in the new menu:

SHEILA'S NEW ORLEANS PASTA
Fresh Pasta, Tender Chicken, Mushrooms, Red and Yellow Peppers, Garlic and Green Onion Sauteed with a little Tasso and Tossed in a Spicy, Creamy Tomato Sauce. Garnished with Two Large Cajun Shrimp

CAJUN JAMBALAYA PASTA
Our most popular seafood dish! Shrimp and Chicken Sauteed with Onions, Tomato and Peppers in a Very Spicy Cajun Sauce. All on top of Fresh Linguini. Also Available over Rice

AVOCADO EGGROLLS
Chunks of Fresh Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomato, Red Onionand Cilantro Deep Fried in a Crisp Chinese Wrapper.Served with a Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce

Somehow pasta still attracts me more than the usual steak, fish and chicken (meat dishes). Maybe I am a carb person after all.

VS Cami

I am slow. My lemming for this VS cami has been stirred again but I think I am too late. I can't find it anymore on the VS website *sob*

I tried Davis' cami and it fits perfectly. I love the color. The reason why I didn't really get it last year was the price. After converting to SGD and including shipping, it came to about S$50 for that. I don't think I have ever spent $50 just for a cami.

Oh well, we will see if it will pop up on VS website again. It has been there for around a year after all.

Blurred Image

My camera is finally repaired. I had to fork out another $115 for the replacement of LCD screen and the service charge. Just thought it is interesting to post the picture which I took when I couldn't see a thing on the screen.

Homecooked Food

A guy invited me to his place for dinner and he made this.


Chicken thigh with garlic and lemon baked in the oven. That was really tender and zesty. I like it. The baby potatoes with herbs were good too, not too soft. The veggies were interesting. Slightly sweet due to the raisins, the spinach was a bit bitter but the raisins and pine nuts contrasted nicely and the croutons were a nice touch.

I think this is the first time a guy cooked dinner for me (not counting those dinner parties thrown by my other friends are those were group dinners). Quite dazzled by that. I'm easy to be bowled over, no?

Toasted Almond & Caramel Mocha

Another recipe from a book - Cooking for Mr. Right by Susan Volland

This looks so sinfully rich and nice!

Toasted Almond and Caramel Mocha (Mars Latte)

1-2 tablespoons toasted almond or toffee syrup
1 tablespoon good quality caramel sauce
2 tablespoons good quality chocolate sauce
2 shots espresso
8 ounces mik, steamed

Whipped cream
Toasted chopped almonds
Chocolate and caramel syrup for drizzling

Mix the syrup and chocolate and caramel sauces in the bottom of a mug. Steam the milk and set aside while brewing espresso. Mix together the hot espresso and flavorings, then pour on the steamed milk. Stir gently and top with whipped cream and garnishes.

Yield: 1 huge, calorie-packed beverage

Enjoy!

Pictures of Lamingtons

Somehow I can't upload the pictures in the other post, so here they are.

Lamingtons

See the fluffy sponge cake. Yum!

Lamingtons!

I chanced upon this pie store which sells LAMINGTONS! I love lamingtons ever since I had my first taste in Australia. The one that got me hopelessly in love with lamington was the one I bought at the farmer's market at the Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia. It was home-made and oh so delicious.

What is lamington? (Turned to my trusty google for more actual fact)

"Lamingtons are small squares of plain cake, dipped in melted chocolate and sugar and coated in desiccated coconut. Said to have been named after Baron Lamington (see below), a popular governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901."

It is really fantastic! The one made in Singapore, can be found at Piper's Pies which sell authentic Aussies pies (can't verify as I only bought the lamingtons) at Raffles City Market Place in the basement. It opened yesterday though there is another outlet at Bukit Timah. The lamington is done very well, soft spongey yellow cake soaked with the chocolate (giving you the sugar rush) and coated with the desicated coconut (giving a crunch to the treat).

Goodbye diet :p

From the same website http://www.aussie-info.com/identity/food/lamington.php, it also features the recipe. Maybe I should try making it someday.

SPONGE CAKE
3 eggs
1/2 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour
15g (1/2oz) butter
3 tablespoons hot water

Beat eggs until thick and creamy.
Gradually add sugar.
Continue beating until sugar completely dissolved.
Fold in sifted SR flour and cornflour, then combined water and butter.
Pour mixture into prepared lamington tins 18cm x 28cm (7in x 11in).
Bake in moderate oven approximately 30 mins.
Let cake stand in pan for 5 min before turning out onto wire rack.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3 cups desiccated coconut
500g (1lb) icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
15g (1/2oz) butter
1/2 cup milk

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof bowl.
Stir in butter and milk.
Stir over a pan of hot water until icing is smooth and glossy.
Trim brown top and sides from cake.
Cut into 16 even pieces.
Holding each piece on a fork, dip each cake into icing.
Hold over bowl a few minutes to drain off excess chocolate.
Toss in coconut or sprinkle to coat.
Place on oven tray to set.
(Cake is easier to handle if made the day before. Sponge cake or butter cake may be used. May be filled with jam and cream.)

BARON LAMINGTON
Rt Hon Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane Baillie, Baron Lamington, GCMG, Governor of Queensland from 9 April 1896 to 19 December 1901.

Whilst the origin of the name for the lamington cake cannot be accurately established, there are several theories. One of these theories is that it was originally the slang term for the homburg hat, worn by Baron Lamington, and these cakes were named for him.

Another theory is that they were named after Lady Lamington, the wife of the Governor.

Beach Holiday

I want a break. Just somewhere nearby and cheap. So I am trawling the various budget airlines and hotels checking out the prices. I tried the dates for the National Day and Deepavali/Puasa long weekends and they were mostly full now. People sure acted so fast!

My next bet is sometime in September then. Ideally, it should be around 4-5 days since JetStar leaves in the evening for Phuket. Yeah, I'm looking at Phuket again. Somehow I miss the swimming pool at Burasari. I think I am quite unadventurous in that sense, I always go back to Burasari.

It is a small boutique hotel, just minutes from the beach (not that I go to the beach that much). I love the hospitality there and it is pretty quiet and the staff remember you. I first went there in May last year and I fell in love with the swimming pool and room. It is unlike the usual chain hotel where you are one of so many. Over there, the staff take the time to chat with you and make it comfortable for you. So I went back there again on my subsequent trip in end July last year.

I have been meaning to go back again, but just did not get the opportunity to do so. Hopefully I can do so soon. I am debating if I should just book direct from the hotel or through the latestay website. Also this time I am thinking if I should try other hotels or go back to Burasari again.

I am also looking at Katathani Phuket Beach Resort and Deevana Patong Resort and Spa. Based on the airline, I can either go for 4 days or 6 days. And if I want to leave on 21 Sept, then I will need to finalize all bookings by 20 July.

I shall be going alone unless I managed to find a traveling companion for this trip. I do not intend to do much, just laze by the pool, read, have a massage, snorkel and just enjoy the surroundings. No shopping or bar-hopping for me. Just not really my scene over there :p

Anyone interested? ;)

Katathani is really gorgeous but it is so darn expensive too! I hope to either stay there for 1 or 2 nights and spend the rest of the nights at Burasari/Deevana. Well, we shall see.

Astrology and Camera

I found out my digital camera, my precious camera, is not working today when I tried to use it. The display screen was not showing anything at all though all lights were on. I took it to a shop to ask what was wrong and the guy said it seemed like it was dropped and there was a crack internally.

But I definitely did not drop it. The only explanation I can think of is that the camera was probably crushed (even though it was in its case) in my bag when something else was put on my bag yesterday at the event. I had my bag under the registration table and everyone else just dropped their stuff off too. But that still seemed far fetched.

Took it to the Canon Service Shop and was told the LCD screen was cracked and it is not covered under the warranty. WTH! What good is the warranty if it doesn't cover anything useful at all. The guy said the only way for it to crack is if there is a huge impact and that I had knocked it etc. Impossible! To the naked eye, there was no sign of damage at all. Not being dropped or any piercing. But I still need to pay for the servicing and repair. Anyone know if this is a common occurence? Still feel it is unfair. If I did damage it, I don't mind paying. But I don't even know what is the cause. He said he will get the people the check for the cause but still need to pay *bleah*.

Mine is a Canon Ixus 50. If anyone knows it is normal for that range, then maybe I can write a letter to the company asking for a thorough investigation. Hehe.

So back to my musing. Should I believe what Susan Miller wrote in her website www.astrologyzone.com. Apparently Mercury is in retrograde and all things electronics will fail. So far I have my pc dead and had to change the motherboard and power supply. And my phone died for a day before it was fixed, so I may still need to get a new phone. Now my camera. I hope my mini ipod is not next. This is discounting the numerous times my pc at work will just hang, then died and keep dying despite restarting. But now we just got new laptops. But my mouse died afer a few minutes. The right click didn't work.

Anyway, here is an extract from astrologyzone for Aquarius in July 2006:

"Mercury will be retrograde throughout this month, from July 4 to 29, making for an increase in miscommunications, misunderstandings, false starts, and outright wrong thinking. Mercury rules perception, thinking, communicating, negotiating, and the drawing up of agreements, and important contracts / documents of all kinds. Mercury also rules transportation and shipping, as well as buying and selling. Things will go haywire, and it will be hard to get hold of the people whose decisions you need, let alone set up meetings and get decisions from them.

If you are thinking you had better hurry up and get things done in the first three days of July before Mercury goes retrograde on July 4, the sad truth is, it's already too late. Did you notice how appliances and computers began acting up in your house and office in June? That was a sign that you were already in Mercury's undertow. Don't plan to initiate any vital plan now. Wait until August 5 or so."

XtRim Hair Exclusive

I finally managed to get an appointment with my regular hairstylist (Vince) and he did a texture perm for me. It is designed to give more volume and bounce to the hair. He trimmed the hair and gave me a longish "fringe" so now the front part almost brushes against my chin. This is a bit annoying actually as it keeps getting onto my face and I can't really tuck it behind my ears.

The back of the head was layered more so that there will be more waves and bounce. Overall I quite like the effect. It is not a harsh perm, but it complements the natural hair movement. My hair always has a mind of its own and is slightly wavy, so the texture perm just enhanced that. It gives me a nice, natural tousled look. The messy look which is perfect for me as I just do not have the time and patience to really do my hair. I prefer something simple and nice. Wash and go is me.

I have been going to Xtrim for years, since 2000 or 2001. I started with shoulder length or chin length bob or with layers. But I decided to perm my hair in October 2002 after growing it long. Since then, I have never looked back. And because it is permed, I only go back to Vince like twice a year. Every 6 months. Once to perm, another to color. I don't want to overprocess my hair.

And throughout the years, I have seen Xtrim moved so many times. From MacDonald House in Orchard to Boat Quay to Circular Road and now back to Boat Quay. It has certainly arrived. Vince has done very well for himself now, cultivating a regular clientele. The new place is very cosy and inviting. Exclusive is certainly the word.

He moved back to Boat Quay last month. The salon overlooks the Singapore River and faces the Parliament House or Asian Civilisations Musuem. It has a balcony which has a mini bar counter with 2 stools. A great place to relax and chill. There are also 2 "basket case" swings, really nice. There is a snazzy coffee maker to make drinks of your choice. Latte, cappuccino, mocha, etc. He even serves vodka ribena, red wine, juice, tea and water of course.

There are only 5-6 stations, with its own privacy through the use of threading to separate the areas. A full length mirror faces the chair, with a mobile glass side table to hold your bag and magazines. What sets Xtrim apart is that the place is completely Wi-Fi enable. You can bring your laptop and surf the web or work. There is also a laptop at the sofa area for customers to surf too. This is such a neat idea. I really regret not having a laptop with me when I was there. I spent about 4 hours just doing my hair. I read through 4 magazines and part of my book while there.

Xtrim is exclusive also because they do not take walk-in customers. Appointments are needed. There are only 3 stylists there, and Vince himself will only take in 12 customers per day. How is that for having "arrived"? Plus the salon is only opened for 4 days (Wednesday to Saturday) from 12noon till 11pm. He understands that his customers have to work and are mostly working in the Shenton Way area now, after his years spent in the area.

I think when he first started out, he has lots of students and NSmen as his customers and they probably have stayed on with him once they started working. I got to know of him through a friend who went to him during his NS days. I trust and like Vince that he will only give you a cut or style which is suitable for you. He does not force his opinions on you and it is an open consultation. He probably finds me a boring customer as I don't like changes that much :p

He has always wanted me to rebond my hair since I first went to him but I refused. Now he thinks waves and curls really do suit me better. He also knows that I prefer colors which are muted and not screaming loud. Though he did give me a brownish blonde look which my cousin said made me looked like an Asian J-Lo. The honey brown hair. That was the only time I really dislike that color and he muted it when I went back and told him so. I like that the service is really personalized and customized. He will always re-do or make changes if you think it is not what you want. Color not obvious enough, curls not that strong, etc.

Prices wise, it is not say very cheap nor is it that expensive like Passion or other salons in town. But the prices have certainly increased from when I first went to him. It used to be $38 or something in 2001 for a haircut, then it went up to $43 at Boat Quay (though he gave me the old rate as I was an old customer). Now it is $53 for a haircut. I think it is quite ok considering the place and the personal attention given, and the drinks provided and beautiful view and internet access.

Location:
XtRim
41B Boat Quay
Tel: 6339 5025
http://xtrimhair.com/

LifeSpa @ Pacific Plaza

I went there today for a facial. It was a regular facial but it is interesting. Very different way of doing it. The products used are from Italy and are herbal stuff.

She started off with cleansing my face, followed by the scrub. Instead of using a steaming the face to allow for easier extractions, she used a black mask to extract the blackheads and whiteheads. For stubborn blackheads or whiteheads, she will do manual extractions.

What was interesting about the facial was that she actually used massage oil with essential oil to massage the face. This is the first time I ever had massage oil on my face instead of my body. The lavender essential oil was very soothing and relaxing. Unfortunately she is not that skilled with the shoulders massage though she is fine with the face.

After the massage, she applied two masks on my face - a deep cleansing mask and a soft mask which is icy cold. After about 10-15mins, the masks were removed and moisturizer massaged into the face.

The room is pretty small and the bed was tiny. Not a very comfortable place. The spa is opened to men and women though. They are closed on Sunday which is a pity. I will be trying the massage another day.

I doubt I will want to sign up for the facial package. I much perfer True Spa for that.

Location:
LifeSpa
Level 5, Pacific Plaza
www.lifespa.com.sg

Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld

The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld in Florida is the very first time I recalled ever staying in a luxury hotel on my own. I remembered feeling awed by the grandeur of the place, though I think I will see it with different eyes now if I go there again. But then again, I was so used to staying at Motel 6 and Super 8 that anything beyond that is pure heaven.

The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld was part of the Florida accommodation package I had. Of all the junk mails I received then, one said I was chosen to get special rates...blah...blah..blah. Hey, I was young and naive enough to believe these stuff then. But it turned out to be genuine.

It was quite a good deal too. 3 nights (or was it 4) accommodation in Orlando, 2 nights accommodation in Daytona Beach and 2 nights cruise to Bahamas for only US$299 or something (just accommodation - I had to get my own air tickets). I didn't get to go to New Orleans then due to flight problems. So I spent about 18 days or more in Florida and Bahamas. My most expensive vacation ever.

We were supposed to stay at Omni Marco Polo (though I can't find info on it online now) in Orlando, but it was overbooked so we were upgraded to the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld. The room was huge, with 2 queen size beds. That was the first time I knew about the turn-down service in the evening. To be greeted by the chocolate pralines at night was such a sweet experience. Can't recall if they also placed a sprig of flower (I seemed to remember orchids or hibiscus) on the pillow too.

It was just too bad that I didn't really know how to appreciate or utilize the hotel's facilities then, so I can't write on that. But that was also my first encounter with Bath and Body Works. The hotel provided BBW products in the bathroom. I still remember it being the Sunripen Raspberry range :p

http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/mcosr?WT_Ref=mi_left

Staying in Hotels

Next to going to spas for relaxation, I have always like staying in hotels too, provided they are luxury hotels of course. It might seem silly to just spend a weekend in a hotel, right here in Singapore when you are not even traveling at all. But somehow it can be quite rejuvenating, making it seem like you are away, in a foreign land.

When I was younger, I recall spending weekends at Mandarin Hotel or at the hotels at the Marina area. It was just fun, going there, staying over, using the pools. Actually I only remember using the pools more than anything else.

When I was in Canada, traveling was a budget affair. We will look for the cheapest accommodation and usually that will be motels (Motel 6, Super 8, etc). The AAA guidebook was my best friend. The hours I spent poring over it and calling the motels to make the booking for when I travel down the West Coast and when in Florida. Yahoo was my next best friend too. These were the days before Google made its appearance and the internet was still fairly new then.

But growing up, I think it is definitely getting harder to rough it out now. One gets used to living in luxury (as in no more sleeping on the floor - I get backache just by lying on the floor, and using dingy washrooms). Now I prefer to have a proper bed and a very nice spacious bathroom. Actually I look at hotels now based on their bathrooms.

In Singapore, the Ritz-Carlton has the most fantastic bathroom ever! I love the wide space there. The bathtub is fairly huge and overlooks the window (I still think no one can peek in, even if they use a telescope). A great place to just relax and eases the sore muscles (if any) in the warm bath. The shower is away from the bathtub, with a separate toilet. Really nice. Watch out for the cold marble floor though. It gets really cold at night, this is one time where you need to wear the slippers provided.

The Grand Hyatt in Singapore is also pretty nifty after its renovation. I have only seen the Grand Deluxe room and Junior Suite though. I like that the mirror next to the bathtub made the bathroom seemed bigger. Also there is a separate shower and toilet area. What is a thoughtful touch is the supply of a brand new loofah wrapped in plastic.

The bathroom at the Raffles the Plaza is dependent on the room you get. I have checked out a few of the Grand Premier room over there and they are all different. Some looked really cramp and tiny. Others are pretty alright. And not all will have the "rainshower" shower. Just what is a rainshower? It is basically a huge round showerhead attached on the ceiling of the shower area. It is to mimic a rainshower effect say when you are caught in a rainstorm. It is quite common to see that in many places now, including the spas.

The Marriott, Hilton, Swissotel and Traders (other hotels I been to/stayed in) are not that fantastic at all.

So far my favorite is still Ritz-Carlton, followed by Hyatt. I love the separate living room and bedroom area over there, and the sliding door which keeps them separate.

Description of the Grand Deluxe Room
Similar to a junior suite, the new Grand Deluxe Room boasts a separate living room and bedroom area with a large en suite bathroom, offering maximum comfort and every modern convenience:
• Hi-tech work station with broadband internet access and cordless dual-line phone
• Spacious bathroom with separate bath and shower
• 25" and 21" Bang & Olufsen flat screen televisions in living area and bedroom
• Top-open drawer safe with universal power outlet for storing and recharging your laptop
• Deluxe duvet and pillows of goose-down and feathers

Raffles the Plaza is quite ok, if you get the nice room with a long hallway before you reached the main living area itself. Otherwise, it is nothing fancy. Highlight is that it has a CD player so you can play your own music, which is piped-in in the bathroom.

Other hotels which I would love to try will be Conrad Centennial (for the rubber duckie and teddy bear :p), Four Seasons, Regent and Fullerton. Somehow the Raffles Hotel doesn't appeal that much to me.

New phones?

Recently I find myself contemplating buying a new cell phone. Everyone who knows me will definitely think it's high time I get on with the times and get something more trendy or up to date. Even my ex-colleague got on my case (and he is a guy!) and said the phone I am using now does not match my image. Haha. Errr...what image is that, I wonder ;p

I really do love my current phone, antique as it is. It has not really given me any trouble and because it is so basic with none of the bells and whistles, it does not hang on me at all. However, it gave me a scare few days back when the audio went dead. No one could hear me talking but I can hear them perfectly well. Turned out a screw was loose. Now it is tightened so it is working again, but who knows when it will die on me again. So far I have dropped the phone twice a few months back, and the entire casing fell apart. That could be the reason. Otherwise my phone is fine, except for the expected battle scars (read = scratches).

One reason why I have been hesitant to change my phone is that it is only 81g light. It is so hard to find a phone that light, what with all the software and functions in new phones. But I find myself leaning towards getting a Motorola phone now. I like the rounded cuteness of the Moto PEBL. It comes in bright vibrant colors of pink, blue, green and orange besides the usual black. The drawback is the weight. It weighs a whopping 115g!

The other option is Motorola Razr V3i in maroon. The Razr has also caught my eye since it was launched last year. I like the slimness of it. It is slightly heavy too at 97g.

Oh well, I am still considering if I want to move away from Nokia now.

Elements Spa

I had a badly needed remedial massage today at Elements Spa. It is getting harder to have an appointment there, what with the GSS happening now and the countless promotions going on. My shoulders and neck were very tense and ached too much.

It didn't help that I had to stand the entire time in the two days I was at CommunicAsia earlier the week. Plus I had to carry my heavy bag with me while standing and walking. It was pure torture on the shoulders.

I started off with the Shiatsu-like remedial massage and ended with the therapist stepping on me. I have no idea what that is called, but there is a bar attached to the ceiling for this purpose. She used her feet to step and massage by back. It was not too painful when she was standing on the back of my thighs. But it hurt lots on the back of the calves and on the upper arms. She also used her toes to nudge the spine area, "cracking" the back, re-aligning the spine, I suppose. It was a relief to get the tension out.

The neck felt more supple and relaxed after that and I dozed off when she was massaging my neck and head. It was that good. Hopefully I can keep this calm and relaxed stage for a much longer time now.

Time for a change!

Recently it seemed like all my electronic stuff is dying around me. My pc died and would not start on Friday night when I got home. A friend came over to have a look then and said it could be the power supply which burnt out.

Another friend popped over on Saturday to take a look and tried to change the power supply from the other pc. This is the first time I ever know there is a power supply in a pc, yes, I am that computer illiterate. Kinda ironic since I am supposed to know lots about technology stuff seeing that my clients are in the technology field.

Anyway, that didn't work, so he tried to take out my hard disk and put it into the other pc (which turned out to be spoilt - brother only told me that on Sunday), which of course didn't work too. Anyway, he got mad cos I didn't trust him to fix that (i.e. swapping of hard disk). Reason why I didn't really want him to do that cos it didn't seem like a simple operation and he wasn't really sure either. Plus after having my hard disk or pc crashed previously, I am more wary. And I do like my current hard disk now after another friend (who actually owns a PC shop or something) fixed my pc when it was hit by virus. He has installed several stuff for me to clean my pc with on a regular basis and cleaned it up. And I have kept it simple by not downloading anything from unknown sources.

Well, unfortunately I couldn't get hold of that friend so he couldn't take a look at my pc. Plus I didn't really want to impose on him too as he is busy enough as it is. Brother finally came to my rescue on Sunday, he didn't reply to my msg on Saturday. He didn't really know what was wrong, but he offered to take the pc to Sim Lim Square to let someone else have a look.

The diagnosis was that the motherboard has died. He also recommended to change the power supply as the old one wasn't able to handle that many things running. So I had to change all that on Sunday to get my pc up and running again.

The 2 days without access to a computer made me realize how dependent I am on the internet. I can live without CC (which has been down for a few days or weeks now), but I just can't live without the internet or even MSN. Not that I chat every often now, but at least most of my friends are on it. And I always get my information online. E.g the latest NHL score, research on laptops (yes, I am considering getting one if my pc dies again), MAC, Stila, reading friends' blogs, etc. So much information online, just waiting to be read.

Then today, my phone kinda died. Yeah, yeah, I am carrying an antique now. But I happen to love my Nokia 8250. It is the lightest phone I ever owned. Only 81g. Again, a light phone is important to me since I have too many things in my bag. What happened to my phone today? Somehow no one can hear me talk while I can hear them perfectly well. I can sms, and call out and receive call. Just not the talking part.

That was a disaster as today was the start of CommunicAsia and I had to communicate with the media for the meetings/interviews I had set up. Also need that to contact my colleagues on site. We have 2 clients participating there and I was running between the 2 booths. So it didn't help that I got to test out the latest chocolate phone from LG as well as the Motorola V3i D&G phone and the maroon phone. Very snazzy! Set me thinking if I should switch over to that.

Well, I will have to reconsider that again as I just found out the Moto phone weighs 100g! Then my brother managed to fix my phone. Said a screw was loose, but it may not be fully fixed. So I still need to think of what phone to get next. Welcome all suggestions which is hopefully 85g or below.

Hmmmm...what else is dying. Yes, my work pc is driving me nuts too! It will hang and shut down after 6pm, especially around 7pm, making it impossible to do my work. Many times my work disappeared cos it has not been saved. Even when I restart the pc, it will just shut down automatically. Sometimes it is lucky we save documents in a shared drive, so I can at least retrieve it and work on another pc, but at other times, it is just impossible to do anything!

Another thing I foresee giving up on me is my pda as it is pretty old now. Palm Vx. Already the screen is not very sensitive and it is hard to scribble information. But I still like it as it is slim. However I am thinking if I should try the blackberry instead.

Thankfully my mini ipod and digital camera are pretty new, so they should still be functioning for a while. My webcam and mic had already died and I doubt I will be replacing them. Can't find a small webcam to attach to my monitor, plus I am so used to not using them now.

Omu Rice - Takashimaya Basement

I have always walked past Omu Rice at Takashimaya basement but have never tried it until a couple of months back. I ordered the chicken cutlet with the rice. Tomato based rice nestled inside a thin omelette and smothered with Japanese curry. There was a promotion which included some fried calamari.

I liked the curry and rice. The blend of spices went well. The chicken cutlet was crispy and hot. Nice.

Latest Buys

Bought these on Saturday when out shopping with the girls. *Happy*

Cool Feature - M1

I am not sure when it happened, but I noticed this cool thing on my phone yesterday. It actually showed the location I am at! I usually only have this function when my phone is on roaming in another country - Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. It will usually tell me where I am at.

Even now I am home, it tells me the street I am at. Today, earlier in the office, I notice it flashed Armenian, NTUC Income, Peninsula, Adelphi, etc. I wonder if this is something new from M1. To have this feature in Singapore too.

And yes, I know I am carrying a way too old phone. But I love this phone and it has served me well since I have it, err...since 2001? I can't remember but I am currently on my 3rd battery, and it typically lasted 2 years, so you can do the math.

I do want to change my phone, but I have yet to find a Nokia phone which is as light as this. This is only 81g. I need a light phone as I carry too many things in my bag - PDA, camera, mini ipod, wallet, cardholder, etc, but no proper makeup pouch for touch-up :p

So until Nokia comes up with that, I am still stuck with this.

Ryan 1st Birthday - 11 June 2006

Ryan playing peekaboo

Ice-Cream Cake

I rarely post personal stuff as I am actually quite paranoid about maintaining my privacy, but this is just too cute not to share.

My nephew, Ryan, turned one and we had a family lunch to celebrate his birthday. Yes, he is pretty tall for his age. But I have no idea what his height or weight is. I don't keep track of such stuff. His favorite game is still peekaboo, and that usually gets him laughing.

Here is Ryan, playing peekaboo. He loves car, takes after his dad who is into cars and planes. So I believe when he is older, he will also wants toy planes as well as cars. Hmmm...seemed like I should have gotten him the toy cars after all, instead of the educational toy I bought for him. Next time.

Ryan is actually a joy to have. He is a smiley child and is rarely very cranky. Maybe he takes after his aunt in that? ;p He can't really speak yet but he understands and is testing his boundaries daily. He knows his animals and his face (nose, eye, mouth, tongue, etc).

When he saw the car, he made the "vrooming" sounds. My sister has taught him that. Hahaha. And he was also taught lots of stuff by my sister, things which I sometimes find is a bit silly, but with him it was fun.

MAC Lure Collection 2006 Loot

MAC Lure Collection Loot

I was lured by the colors to check the new collection. The shades are of the sea, reminiscent of the iridescent blue-green of the ocean, where mermaids dwelled.

I bought 3 eyeshadows - Waternymph, Aquavert and Mancatcher - plus 2 fluidlines - Haunting and Delphic. This is the first time I ever tried the fluidlines and I am impressed. They are so soft and apply easily. What is great is that you can use it as a base too. Yay! I really can't wait to try all sorts of combinations. I love the aqua-pearl casing, which has shimmers to it. Really pretty.

What struck me was that I bought similar shades during the Madame B collection launch. 2 greens and 1 purple - Meadowland, Metamorph and Plum.

With flash

No flash

After reading the reviews on MUA, I am seriously contemplating if I should buy backups of Delphic and Haunting as I have heard that fluidlines dry very fast after opening. Hmmm.

MAC Teals

Initially I thought Waternymph looked so much like Meadowland, but it isn't. It is closer to Shimmermoss. Some said it is a cross between Aquadisiac and Shimmermoss, or is like Parrot with less blue, or even teal pigment.

MAC Purples

The purples which I thought looked similar but were not (though Mancatcher is supposed to be a dead ringer to Lovely Lily pigment - lucky I do not have that)

My major cosmetics haul after a 2 months hiatus. Let the spending begin again. Next haul will be the SweetieCake collection in July. Simply gorgeous. So sweet. I am also thinking of getting full-sized pigments for a few colors - maybe I should buy Softwash Grey instead of waiting. I think I will use that as the color is so me, doubt my sample size can last me that long.

MAC is launching the new collections every other weeks. Bait and Hooked will be out in June too. I am also waiting for the pigments from the She Shines collection. Thank God there is nothing else from Stila which catches my eye.

Cupcake - Spinelli

Strawberry Cupcake

I have been going to Spinelli's pretty often as there are 2 outlets near my workplace. But now I am getting a bit tired of it, of the salads and the sandwiches.

The desserts always look good and it is so hard not to order. But when I saw the strawberry cupcake, I just have to try it. I was (still am?) in a cupcake craze :p I love the swirls of icing around the cupcake. It has a very strong strawberry taste to it, and a light tartness to contrast the sweetness.

I also ordered the iced chocolate. I was quite surprised by the preparation as I would think it will be hot chocolate with ice. But no, it was actually milk with a thick chocolate sauce to stir and melt. The effect looked pretty. The ribbons of chocolate sauce drizzling down the milk, making a marbled effect.

Iced Chocolate and other stuff

Caramel Latte

I like the way the staff drew the flower using the caramel sauce for the caramel latte. Pretty!

Amethyst Ring

I love this ring! It is simply gorgeous, and in my birthstone too. I am always partial to amethyst. 61/2 carat of amethyst is huge though ;p

From www.ice.com
Dazzling, vibrant, and richly hued, the amethyst has been a symbol of royalty for centuries. In this stunning ring, a large oval vivid purple amethyst sparkles gorgeously between green amethyst accents in a delicate white gold setting.

Product Details
Metal Information: 14Kt White Gold
Item: Ring
Finish: Polished
Weight: 3.6 gram
Width: 1/2 Inch Wide (top) 3mm shank

Stone Information:

Amethyst
Cut: Oval
Color: Purple
Weight: 4.37 Carat TGW
Length: 14 mm
Width: 10 mm

Green Amethyst
Cut: Trillian
Color: Green
Weight: 1.05 Carat TGW
Length: 6 mm
Quantity: 2

Price: US$175 (only :p)

Foodtasting at Meritus Mandarin Hotel

We went for a food tasting at Meritus Mandarin Hotel last week as my brother will be holding his traditional wedding dinner in early July. The food was excellent except for the fish which was rubbery and tough. Then they forgot our duck dish. In the end, we waited 40mins for it.

Other than that, everything was good. Very yummy as what it should be during the food tasting session.

Feast your eyes on the dishes. 9 courses. We changed the dessert to "or nee" aka yam paste.

Will continue with uploading pictures another day. As usual, some problem with blogspot.

10June06: Pictures uploaded (click on pictures to enlarge)

Heads or Tails Pics

Pictures of Heads or Tails


Rows of colorful kaya

Continuation to Cafe Cartel Saga

Well, I was at Junction 8 and decided to try the Cafe Cartel there. Oh what a difference it was in service. I was impressed with the service level at Bishan, drastically different from the one at Plaza Singapura.

Well, I found out the wait staff will come over to take your order even though there is an order chit pad on the table. Each and everyone of the staff pays attention to the diners and will always ask if they need anything. This is really service, well worth the 10% service charge.

I requested for butter for my blueberries pancakes, and the waitress asked if I will also like to have maple syrup too. Kudos to her for her initiative. Later I was searching for black pepper and tabasco sauce and was going to get up to take them from the bread counter when another waitress came by and asked me what I required. She brought them to me with no complaints. Water was topped up without asking.

Staff was knowledgeable and made good recommendations. I was served by 4-5 different wait staff and all of them did so cheerfully. Even for payment of bill, they will bring the bill to you. Thumbs up for the outlet at Junction 8.

I still wouldn't go to the one at Plaza Singapura.

Heads or Tails

No, this is not a coin toss. Instead, Heads or Tails is a new foodstall at Tangs Market Place. It took over the Vietnamese stall which I have never tried at all.

Heads or Tails is a franchaise from Thailand and it serves simple fare. Toasted bread with the spread of your choice, and it is swiftly sliced into cubes, complete with toothpick to pick up a tasty morsel.

I read about this place in CC (a fount of information) and couldn't resist trying the bread. Yes, so I broke my diet again by having sweets. I tried the Iced Thai milk tea (my fave drink), together with the "chicken floss with sweet chili paste" and "ovaltine on condensed milk" on toast.

The spreads are so simple. Stuff which you have probably put into your sandwich or toast before at home. The specialty is the kaya toast, but I didn't want to try that as I thought it would be similar to the usual kaya toast from Killiney or Ya Kun. They do have many flavors - pandan kaya, vanilla kaya and yam kaya. There are also peanut butter spread, fruit jam, etc.

The floss with sweet chili sauce is interesting. I quite like the contrast of the salty floss with the sweet spicy chili. The ovaltine with condensed milk will definitely give you a sugar high. I think I used to do that with milo powder instead at home. Same with the floss, except it was over margarine/butter, not sweet chili paste.

If this incites a craze, soon we shall see "copycats" sprouting all over the islands or being offered on the menus of Ya Kun, Killiney and other kaya toast coffee outlets.

I still don't understand Blogspot way of posting pictures. Can't seem to upload the rest of the pics :(

Cupcakes Party?

I just read from Celest's blog of this new online bakery which sells cupcakes. What a coincidence. Especially after I posted about the lack of places which sells nice drool-worthy cupcakes, and now I found out about C-Cups.

Owned by 2 guys (one was in advertising, which probably explained the snazzy looking website and the other is the baker, a Canuck, whoo-hoo!), they make the most delectable and gorgeous looking cupcakes I have seen so far.

I will so want to try the cupcakes to see if they are as yummilicious as they look. The drawback is that there is no actual store so the online order has to be of at least $30, with probably a dozen cupcakes. And each flavor needs to have 4 cupcakes, so you can't really try all the flavors unless you have a party.

So anyone up for a cupcake party? We can have tea or coffee with the goodies.

Check the website for the various tempting flavors.
http://www.c-cup.biz/

Swatch Bunny Watch

I saw this watch-clock face fixed proudly on the facade of Swatch store at Raffles City Shopping Center and I am astounded.

I am intrigued that this is actually displayed in such a prominent area, given the "straitlaced" image of Singapore.

Ok, I know I didn't take a very clear picture of the watch-clock, but I am sure one can see what the bunnies are doing *wink*

Philosophy Melon Daiquiri

I finally opened the bottle of shower gel from Philosophy - Melon Daiquiri. I love it! The scent of melon though it smells so strongly of rock melon or honeydew that you just feel like you can taste the sweetness of it. I can see myself loving the Philosophy brand now.

I also realized the recipe of the melon daiquiri is actually printed on the bottle.

Here it is:
Melon Daiquiri
1.5 oz light rum
1 tbsp triple sec
1.5 oz lime juice
1 tsp sugar
watermelon
1 cherry
1 c. melon
1 c. crushed ice

Combine all ingredients (except for the cherry) in an electric blender and blend at a low speed for 5 seconds, then blend at a high speed until firm. Pour contents into a cocktail glass, top with a cherry and serve.

Easy peasy. I have not tried it though.