Birds or Leaves?

I took this picture with flash, but it is not showing up clearly. Click on pic to see the bigger version. It is only 630pm or so. But see that black things on the branches of the trees, look like leaves, but they are actually birds. Many many birds, all roosting on the trees.

When I took the picture and the flash went off, it was scary! Cos all the birds started flying off, lucky not towards me :p

Note to self: Never take picture with flash outside cars if subject can be violent.

PS: This is taken just outside the ebay office in Burnaby - the 4th customer support center.

Nagano Japanese Restaurant - Port Moody

This is such an overdue post. OT took me to this Japanese restaurant in Port Moody, the Newport Village. We went about a month ago and share the following for lunch. A lunch bento plus additional 2 rolls. Sadly I don't remember the rolls we ordered now. But they were good!

The portion was just nice for the two of us. Not too gut-wenching fullness after this healthy meal :)

I like Newport Village in Port Moody, the area feels like Holland Village but smaller, lots of al-fresco dining too (though it gets so cold usually).

MAC Holiday Antiquitease 2007 Collection

I am so lemming for the Curiositease: 5 softsparkle eye pencils from the Holiday Antiquitease collection.

From Mac Website:
In the majestic fashion of our Holiday Antiquitease collection, this mini colour set comes in a textured cream paper cylinder embellished with a silver royal crown motif. Inside, five Softsparkle Eye Pencil shades: Nightsky, a true black with silver pearl; Peacocked, a rich turquoise green with silver pearl; Iris Accents, a violet with silver pearl; Reflecto, a mid-tone blue with silver pearl and Goldenair, a white gold with gold pearl.
CA$37.50

Hmmm....I already have Reflecto which I hardly use (but I am loving Jealous from Alexander McQueen Collection)

Video of Snow Falling

An actual video of the falling snow up on Burnaby Mountain.

It's Snowing!

Taken 40 minutes after the first snowfall

Yes! It is SNOWING in Vancouver, or rather up on top of Burnaby Mountain. The rest of Lower Mainland is not snowing (yet). Apparently it is like -0.5C up on the mountain where I am, where SFU is. The snow is soooooo pretty! In fact, it is still snowing while I am writing this. Perfect morning to have a hot cuppa of cocoa with marshmallows and gazing out of the window, admiring the view. Big, small flakes falling onto the ground.

I will take more pictures later, hopefully there will be more snow glistening on the trees and ground.

Christmas in Starbucks

Peppermint Mocha with sprinkles

Christmas mug and cover - red and green unite once again

The christmas menu on a "stocking"

It is true, I have not seen a city mug in this Starbucks outlet. I think Starbucks makes better flavored coffee like mocha than caramel machiato.

Prima Taste Again

We went to Prima Taste again last month after some event. So I got to try more items. Yay.

Mee Goreng

Chicken Rice

The mee goreng was not too bad, but I think it cannot compare to the Indian version we get in Singapore coffee shop. The sambal was really good though. The chicken was tender and slippery smooth, but I always feel that it is so hard to "butcher" chicken rice. What was really really good was the beef rendang with coconut rice. That was really heavenly.

Tim Hortons

Boston Creme donut and English Toffee Coffee

Tim Hortons, the place for coffee and donuts. It is a Canadian icon. Business wise, I believe it is now either owned by the Americans or back to Canada again. There have been so many changes to the business landscape in Canada.

It started off in Hamilton, Ontario in 1964, and in 1995, merged with Wendy's and thus started the expansion into America. In 2006, it completed an IPO and is now an independent company again.

But to Canadians, Tim Hortons is still a Canadian company and love by all for its great coffee and donuts. (Probably why the franchaisee for Krispy Kreme went bankrupt in Canada in just a few years - only left with 7 stores in Canada and run directly by the US HQ). Over the years, Tim Hortons offers more food choices and also serves sandwiches, bagels, soups, cakes, muffins, pies, etc.

Starting off in Oakville, Ontario, means that I got "brainwashed" into having Tim Hortons donuts/timbits and Second Cup coffee. These are more readily available in Ontario. Moving to BC means I hardly see Tim Hortons and Second Cup at all. Instead I saw more Starbucks in Vancouver than anything else.

But I remembered grabbing a maple cream donut at the Tim Hortons at Metrotown Save-On Food (a tiny outlet) almost every time I went grocery shopping. I didn't care much for the coffee. Even now I don't care much for it :p I discovered a new place for good coffee - Blenz - started in Vancouver :)

But now there are definitely more Tim Hortons than before in BC. Amazing. More Starbucks too. Vancouver is really a coffee drinking "capital". Another trivia - Starbucks owns Seattle Best Coffee too!

ChocolateTuxedo Cream Cheesecake

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

Finally, I got the picture we took of this amazing cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. Drool over it.

Garburator Friends

Everyone needs to have a few "garburator" friends - friends who will help to finish up your food or leftovers ;p

In Bronte, the guys would always polished off all the food we cooked, so there was no worries about food wastage or being spoiled from keeping for too long. We always kidded about some friends (guys) who ate mountains of rice, and they themselves loved to compete among each other to see who can eat the most at buffets. Boys!

In BC, I am thankful to have a few of such guy friends too. I can count on at least 3 guys who will finish my food (portions here are huge) or take my baked goods back. Having such friends also mean that they are sharing your calories :p

So last night JC came over with OT, and they helped to finish my bread and butter pudding and the rest of the cheesecakes. I am just not a cheesecake person. Lol. I only finished 1 slice and 2 x 1/2 slices on my own over a span of 6 days.

JC felt the bread and butter pudding was ok, not overly sweet. Hmmm....maybe my tastebuds need checking. I know I don't really like it too salty or sweet, but spicy is ok. He agreed with me that it did taste like banana cake :p

North Vancouver - Lonsdale Quay Market

I decided to go over to North Vancouver after chiropractic treatment yesterday. It had been so long since I last took the seabus that I was not sure how the system worked. Lol. Good thing I managed to get through alright. I love how it turned out to be a cloudy day with a bit of wind. See the flags (L-R: BCIT, Canada, British Columbia) flying in the sky.

The Seabus is celebrating its 30th anniversary. My age. Sniff sniff. I'm old :(

Rays of light peeking through the thick clouds. Gorgeous view.

Birds roosting on the roof of the Seabus terminal. I missed the shot of the birds flying in a straight line when they flew off. Pretty.

Vancouver skyline and the seabus. You can see Harbour Center and Canada Place plus the numerous condominiums. That's right, you see more residential highrises in Vancouver rather than commercial buildings.

Just random pictures of ships in the harbour area. Shipping is one of the major commerce for Vancouver.

My brunch. I was trying to decide what to have. Seafood? Oysters? Shrimp cakes? Croissants? Indian food? Greek? In the end, I decided on the roasted chicken. The portion was so big. This was a quarter chicken leg with 3 sides. I chose the garlic and pepper chicken with caesar salad, rice and mashed potatoes. There were so many sides to choose from. I was tempted by the pesto pasta too. See the trend? I love carbs :p All these for C$6.10. And I was not really hungry for dinner after that.

Homemade Bread and Butter Pudding

Finally something which tasted good! I was bored and so decided to bake. Trawling through the internet for recipes, I saw this - Bread and Butter Pudding.

I have made bread and butter pudding before but that was based on a verbal recipe and I tend to modify it. So this is made using a proper recipe which I got from http://www.allrecipes.com/

I modified it a little as I don't have a square pan here. Instead I used the loaf tin. I used 7 slices of bread, including the 2 ends for a crispy crusty top. I added 3 eggs instead of 4 and sprinkled with cocoa powder. There is no cinnamon powder here so I substituted with all spice but using 1/4 tsp instead of the full tsp as I don't care much for the spices.

Verdict? It was good :) But I felt it was a bit too sweet. Maybe I should have reduce the sugar to just 1/2 cup instead of the 3/4 cup.

Here is the recipe I used:

INGREDIENTS
6 slices day-old bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Jen's Nasi Lemak

Jen made nasi lemak with the leftover coconut rice. It was good with fried chicken wings and sambal okras. Nice!

Failed Chicken Curry

I tried to make the dry chicken curry but obviously it failed :( Boo hoo. It is chicken curry over coconut rice. The rice is good but the curry is not that great. Still edible but not nice.

Mainly because my recipe has a missing ingredient - chili powder! It was not stated in there. And I am not experienced in making curry to know instinctively what need to be in there. I know it looked wrong but I had no idea what.

Another mistake I made was using fresh chilies. It should be dried chilies, plus I used green chilies (no red chilies in supermarket, need to go to the Asian supermarket). So yeah. It flopped big time.

Statement from TASER International

Here is the statement from TASER International, which I got from CNN Business website. Read it and see how ridiculous it is.

I can understand why TASER released such a statement, business issues and falling stocks (not sure if the stock is falling) can be very valid concern and you would want to clear up any misconception of your company. BUT to say that the TASER device is not the cause of death seemed a bit lame.

If you compare guns, knives (or any sharp objects), batons etc to the taser, they are in the same league. Devices which can kill. They may not kill immediately, but with guns and knives, the wounds will cause a person to bleed and if not attend to immediately, they will die of blood loss. So those makers of guns and knives can also issue statement to the media to say their products didn't cause the death? They died due to loss of blood?

In most news report, they will of course say "died of gunshot", "died of stabbing", so naturally since the device is the taser, they will put in reports as "xxx of tasering". No doubt there could be other contributing factors too, but to me it just seemed quite silly to send the press release out.

At times like this, I hate being in the PR industry. It is like doing PR for tobacco companies. You know tobacco can cause health problems, yet you still try to put positive spin on your companies. Sad. Then again, that is also why PR people in tobacco companies are actually paid quite a lot. It is a difficult industry to spin good stories.

**********************************************
TASER Issues Statement Regarding Vancouver Airport Video
Continuing Struggle Shows TASER Device Not the Cause of Death

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov 16, 2007 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices, released the following statement regarding the mid-October confrontation between Mr. Robert Dziekanski and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Vancouver airport. An amateur video of the incident that was released earlier this week has received sensational coverage from the media with many reports drawing an unsubstantiated and uninformed conclusion as to the cause of Mr. Dziekanski's death.

"This tragic incident appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically, medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the TASER(r). Specifically in Canada, while previous incidents were widely reported in the media as 'TASER deaths,' the role of the TASER device has been cleared in every case to date -- including the widely publicized Bagnell in-custody death in Vancouver where the TASER device was cleared by an inquest jury."

"Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current is immediate. The video of the incident at the Vancouver airport indicates that the subject was continuing to fight well after the TASER application. This continuing struggle could not be possible if the subject died as a result of the TASER device electrical current causing cardiac arrest. His continuing struggle is proof that the TASER device was not the cause of his death. Further, the video clearly shows symptoms of excited delirium, a potentially fatal condition marked by symptoms of exhaustion and mania such as heavy breathing, profuse sweating, confusion, disorientation and violence toward inanimate objects."

"We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the TASER device and / or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation. These sensationalistic media reports completely ignore the earmark symptoms of excited delirium shown in the video. TASER International is transmitting over 60 legal demand letters requiring correction of these false and misleading headlines and will take other actions as appropriate. These unsubstantiated, false headlines mislead the public and could adversely influence public policy in ways which could place the lives of both law enforcement and the public at greater risk," concluded Tom Smith, Founder and Chairman of the Board of TASER International, Inc.
About TASER International, Inc.

TASER International's products protect life. TASER provides advanced Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) for use in the law enforcement, medical, military, corrections, professional security, and personal protection markets. TASER devices use proprietary technology to incapacitate dangerous, combative, or high-risk subjects who pose a risk to law enforcement officers, innocent citizens, or themselves in a manner that is generally recognized as a safer alternative to other uses of force. For more information please call TASER International at (800) 978-2737 or visit our website at www.TASER.com.
The TASER International logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2931

Note to Investors
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), including statements, without limitation, regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. We intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking information is based upon current information and expectations regarding TASER International. These estimates and statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.

TASER International assumes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release. These statements are qualified by important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: (1) market acceptance of our products; (2) our ability to establish and expand direct and indirect distribution channels; (3) our ability to attract and retain the endorsement of key opinion-leaders in the law enforcement community; (4) the level of product technology and price competition for our products; (5) the degree and rate of growth of the markets in which we compete and the accompanying demand for our products; (6) risks associated with rapid technological change and new product introductions; (7) competition; (8) litigation including lawsuits resulting from alleged product related injuries and death; (9) media publicity concerning allegations of deaths and injuries occurring after use of the TASER device and the negative effect this publicity could have on our sales; (10) TASER device tests and reports; (11) product quality; (12) implementation of manufacturing automation; (13) potential fluctuations in our quarterly operating results; (14) financial and budgetary constraints of prospects and customers; (15) order delays; (16) dependence upon sole and limited source suppliers; (17) negative reports concerning the TASER device; (18) fluctuations in component pricing; (19) government regulations and inquiries; (20) dependence upon key employees and our ability to retain employees; (21) execution and implementation risks of new technology; (22) ramping manufacturing production to meet demand; (23) medical and safety studies; (24) field test results; and (25) other factors detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, those factors detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Form 10-Qs.

The statements made herein are independent statements of TASER International. The inclusion of any third parties does not represent an endorsement of any TASER International products or services by any such third parties.

This news release was distributed by PrimeNewswire, www.primenewswire.com

SOURCE: TASER International, Inc. TASER International, Inc.
Steve Tuttle, Vice President of Communications
Media ONLY Hotline: (480) 444-4000

*****************************************************

A Senseless Death

This is probably my first serious post on this blog. I so rarely touched on world events on this blog as I wanted it to be a fun, frivolous blog dedicated to everything nice. BUT the media over here has been indundating me with news and video clip of the "taser" incident which resulted in the death of a Polish immigrant at the Vancouver Airport on 14 October 2007.

I remembered watching the news after the guy died. It was sad, but only now the "real" story came out of what actually happened. The video clip has apparently made the news worldwide with CNN, BBC and other various major news agencies broadcasting the clip and story.

Background:
Apparently the guy (Robert Dziekanski) and his mother had arranged to meet at the baggage carousel without realizing that the baggage carousel is within the secured area and can't really be seen by people waiting outside. So RD, a new immigrant from Poland, could not speak English, waited inside the secured area for about 10 hours before venturing out and realized his mother was not there. The mother left after waiting for about 6 hours or something. And in the initial news report, she mentioned that she had asked the airport people for assistance, but no one has helped.

This was RD's first flight and it was a long flight from Germany into Canada. So imagine you are new to a country, exhausted, you don't see your mother. You have no idea where she is, you can't speak English, no one seemed to help you. You are probably hungry too if you are stuck inside for 10 hours and there is no food kiosk at the baggage area. I would probably feel panicky and frustrated.

No doubt RD did throw things on the floor, against the glass doors (based on the video clip). No idea what the motive was but he did put his hands up when he saw the 4 RCMPs arrived. According to news reports, RD looked exhausted and was sweating and breathing heavily and looked scared, and was maybe glad the police came as he probably thought they could help him. Instead he got tasered at least twice. The police hardly spoke to him at all. Within 30 seconds of arrival, he got tasered. I believe each shot delivered about 50,000 volts of electricity.

Although tests had been done, it was in controlled environment where the subjects were calm and "normal". In most cases when the tasers were used, the subjects were usually highly stressed. And the jolt delivered could be potentially fatal as it can cause erratic heartbeats. And if the subjects have alcohol or drugs in its body, or pacemakers or other kind of illnesses, definitely the electric delivered could cause adverse effects.

The government here is still investigating the matter and the coroner is also finding out the actual cause of death. But seriously, even if the taser is not the one which killed RD. The fact that he was shot at least twice with it must be a contributing factor to either cause cardiac arrest or something. I think this is akin to execution in an electric chair. The fact that one of the RCMP officers seemed to put his weight down on RD's neck probably contribute to his death too. I really wonder how the 4 officers can sleep at night, knowing that they actually killed an innocent person who did no harm, except throwing things on the floor.

The video clip is chilling and heart-breaking. To witness the screams of a man dying. And this is not a movie, it is real.

Another black mark against the RCMP was the wrong information given in the beginning when the death of RD made the news. The spokesperson said RD was struggling/combative even after being tasered, and there were only 3 officers on the scene. The video clip showed clearly that there were 4 officers and the taser was used within 30 seconds of arrival and they didn't even ask RD what was wrong etc. And RD was shown screaming in agony and falling down on the ground, curling up in pain. Yet he was still being tasered and had the officers falling on him. It was just too much.

The questions on everyone's minds are likely:
1. why was there no interpreter
2. why was no help rendered to RD when he was in the baggage area for 10 hours
3. how could someone be in the area for so long without anyone noticing something was amiss
4. why did the rcmp use the taser so quickly
5. what is the proper procedure for using the taser
6. why didn't the airport people help RD's mom with her query

I know the police in Vancouver has been getting a bad rep. I hear complaints about them all the time from friends, how they think they are above the law and are inept and just not much help. My friend's car was broken into twice. Today the news reported on a prisoner who escaped from prison.

Vancouver is indeed getting more dangerous. Every week there is news on shooting and someone dying. Too many gangland wars too. The police is also in the news every week. Whether it is on how they are trigger-happy with tasering or how one of them died in the line of duty.

But this RD incident is just senseless. No one tried to diffuse the situation at all. I wonder how they will handle major crisis situation. And Vancouver is going to host the Winter Olympics in 2010. Can the airport officials cope with a huge influx of visitors who will likely not understand English at all? Can the police officers be law-abiding too and not think they are above the law?

Some may think also why RD didn't have any documents or piece of paper showing his mother's name and address or something? Who knows? If you have never traveled before or always lived in a small town, chances are you may not realize the procedures. Plus every country/city has its own why of handling things.

The news on this is everywhere. Just do a google on taser vancouver and you can read more about it. Just sad.

My Sephora Loot in Action

Yes, I can't wait to try my loot out. So this is the FOTD for 14 November 2007 for my baby Aeris's 1st month celebration.

I quite like the glowing effect from Laura Geller's powders. I used all three!

Face
Laura Geller primer
Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten
MAC Mystery powder in Medium

Eyes
Urban Decay Scratch as highlighter
Stila Noire Palette lightest color as highlighter
Urban Decay Ransom on outer lid
Urban Decay Graffiti on inner lid
Urban Decay Covet eyeliner
Laura Geller mascara
Stila Major Lash mascara

Cheeks
Laura Geller Ethereal Rose baked powder
Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten in Roseberry
Paul & Joe loose powder to tone down the Roseberry

Lips
Nivea lipbalm in strawberry

I love all the items. Only disappointment is Laura Geller mascara. It smudges too easily and doesn't really emphasize the lashes at all.

Baby Aeris - 1st Month Celebration

This is baby Aeris. Her name is from the character in a video game thing (Final Fantasy or something) and it means Earth. It has special meaning to her parents :) Aeris is a tiny baby and weighed only 5.5 lbs when she first arrived in this world about a month ago. I like this shot of her, especially the contrast of her hand and her mom's. It just showed how fragile she is, and how reliant she is on her parents to provide for her.

I was invited to a friend's baby 1st month celebration. The way it is done in Canada is so different from Singapore. It is almost like a Chinese wedding dinner format. The dinner was held at a restaurant and they served 13 courses! Yes, 13! It is so stressful to do that. Just 1 month, and baby is brought out of the house and the mom has to be dressed up and up and about too.

I think Singapore's style of having it at home with catered food or sending the cakes are better. Baby gets to rest in familiar setting and the mom can also rest in-between visitors, especially if you do it buffet style and open it for maybe 2-4 hours. Then visitors can stream in and out.

The food is pretty good. The 13 courses include:
1. Appetizer plate of roasted pork, jellyfish, smoked salmon, sliced beef, beancurd roll with mushrooms.
2. prawns, squids, mushrooms and sweet peas
3. deep fried crab claw
4. shark fin soup
5. lobster and crab
6. bok choy with chinese mushrooms and abalone
7. crispy chicken
8. steamed fish
9. Fried rice with sauce minced meat gravy on top (I didn't try this)
10. Ee-fu noodles
11. taro jelly covered with coconut flakes
12. some dessert soup with red dates, longans, black seasame rice ball, etc
13. steamed buns or something with coconut custard

Appetizer plate: i like the smoked salmon

Very generous servings because only 6 of us are eating at this table. 2 are vegetarians.

The lobster and crab. I'm so surprised to see this. It is really nice.

My favorite dish of the night as the lobster meat is surprisingly tender

Dessert soup - love the black seasame rice ball

Not a big fan of this dessert

This is pretty good. The purple is pretty :p

The proud parents and baby Aeris and me

Location:
Kirin Seafood Restaurant
2nd Floor, Three West Centre
7900 Westminster Highway (& No. 3 Road)
Richmond, B.C.
Canada V6X 1A5
Reservation: +1. 604.303.8833

My Shopping Haul

So I didn't buy much except for the shower gels and cosmetics. Sephora is really heaven ;p There are just so many things in there. It is a pity that different Sephora carries different brands. But the usual suspects I have seen in all 4 Sephoras are Stila, Bare Escentuals, Too Faced, Benefit, Shiseido, Dior, Cargo, NARS, Urban Decay, Smashbox, Bliss, Decleor, Philosophy, Pop Beauty, Bourjois, Clarins, Fresh, L'Occitane, LORAC, Make Up Forever, Sugar and Vincent Longo. There are more brands than this in each Sephora, but these are what I can recall seeing in all 4 shops. I am excluding the fragrance brands as there are even more available :p

My loot (with flash) in Seattle: Stila Noire Palette, Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box with mini primer lotion, Laura Geller Baked to Perfection Set, Laura Geller duo eyeshadow in Sweet Pea, MAC LE eye kohl in Jealous from Alexander McQueen Collection and OPI Lincoln Park At Night

The Laura Geller set is really a good buy with 3 full sized MSF-like powders (Balance-n-Brighten, Ethereal Rose Baked Powder (pink pearl), Blush-n-Brighten in Roseberry (golden pink berry), 1 full sized baked marble eyeshadow duo (Water Lily/Wood Forest -sheer metallic lilac/deep brown gold shimmer), 1 full sized mascara and 1oz. of primer. ). All that for only US$60. The Ethereal Rose is already US$28 on its own.

Close up of Stila Noire Palette and Urban Decay Deluxe Eye Shadow Box

The UD Eye Shadow Box is really a good buy is US$36 as you get to try 9 colors (and we all know it is so darn hard to finish 1 eye shadow) and the full size deluxe eye shadow is already US$17 each. Plus it comes with a small vial of its very popular "must-buy" eye primer. Now I'm so glad I never buy the full sized es when I was at Singapore Budget Terminal last year (no more UD in Singapore now).

I am still contemplating if I should buy the UD 24/7 eyeliner travel set with 5 colors - Lucky, Zero, Covet, Electric, and Lust. I already have Covet which I love! UD 24/7 el is really good as it just glides on so easily. But at US$29 for 5 travel size, I am not so sure I want to splurge as I am not sure I will use all the colors. Maybe I will go try them on my eyes next time. It costs US$15 each for full sized.

Starbucks Mug featuring its very first store at Pike Place

I collect Starbucks City mugs, those super big size but lately I stop buying unless the design is really pretty and I like it. So far my favourite is the one I bought in Houston. Plus at home, my dad and sister kept using my Vegas mug. Surprisingly I hardly see many City mugs now. Maybe they have discontinued it.

My bath products loot from Gap, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works

I'm crazy, yes I know. Now I wonder how I am going to lug all these back since they are so heavy! And my suitcase allowance is only 23kg each. Empty suitcase already weighs 4-5kgs, these are around 4 kgs in total. But seriously, shower gels are sooooo my weakness. I think I am all shopped out from shower gels now. These can last me for a year or at least 8 months. Shower gel ban again. My only excuse is that these are not available in Singapore :p

Bath & Body Works shower gels

Gap Scents: Body Scrub, Shower Gel and EDT

I still love Gap Dream. That was my signature scent when in school over here. It is just so light with a hint of freesia and orange.

I have to say it again - I LOVE Sephora! Lol. I still have not plonked down money for Fresh fragrance. I like the Sugar Lychee and Mangosteen scent but at US$65-US$75, I need to re-think many many times. Also I am tempted by Philosophy Falling in Love fragrance and the shower gels sets. There is still Cargo blusher which I have yet to buy. I want to try Catalina (highly raved), Tonga, The Big Easy, Polynesia, etc. US$24 each is not cheap. I think I am over NARS though the eyeshadows are tempting too. Cargo eye shadows also look very pretty. And Make Up Forever and Smashbox and Vincent Longo. Lol. Basically so many brands!

My verdict on Too Faced: Very pretty packaging, but the color pay-off is minimal. Not very pigmented but great for people who prefer a lighter look. So I am not so attracted by Too Faced anymore. Good for wallet :p

Cheesecake Factory Again

I blogged about Cheesecake Factory last year and now I finally had the chance to try it again over the weekend. The Cheesecake Factory is still popular for its cheesecakes and big portions. Good thing they served lunch specials till 5pm, meaning the portions are smaller than usual. But it is still huge.

Spicy Chicken Chipotle - Honey Glazed Chicken, Asparagus, Red and Yellow Peppers, Peas, Garlic and Onions in a Spicy Chipotle Parmesan Cream Sauce

We shared a dessert of 1 cheesecake - Chocolate Tuxedo Cream: Layers of our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate. That was so good. The cheesecakes are not too cheesy and actually retain the taste of the flavors. So you won't feel it is too creamy or jelat after a few. Then again, maybe because 6 of us shared 1, we didn't really eat that much. Always share the calories ;p

My most expensive purchase! US$44.03 for only 6 slices of cheesecakes! I really should have ordered just 1 whole cake which will give me more slices at the same price. Then again, I will not get to try other flavors. Anyway, it is kinda like a gift also. So it is ok.

The 6 slices - Original, Godiva Chocolate, Kahlua Cocoa Coffee, Oreo, Lemon Raspberry Cream and Chocolate Raspberry Truffle

Original (The one that started it all! Our Famous Creamy Cheesecake with a Graham Cracker Crust and Sour Cream Topping) and Godiva Chocolate (Layers of Flourless Godiva Chocolate Cake, Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse)

Oreo - Lots of Oreos Baked into Our Creamy Cheesecake

Kahlua Cocoa Coffee - Layers of Rich Brownie, Kahlua Cheesecake, Creamy Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle (Layers of Chocolate Cake, Chocolate-Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Ganache) and Lemon Raspberry Cream (Raspberry Vanilla Cake, Creamy Lemon Cheesecake, Raspberry Lady Fingers and Lemon Mousse)

Shopping in Seattle

Setting off to Seattle after crossing the border

I went to Seattle during the long weekend here (Remembrance Day) though I only spent 1.5 days there (Sunday to Monday). The last time I was in Seattle was back in 1998, and surprisingly I still remembered some places :)

I also got to explore new places and it was truly a shopping trip. I have not shopped so much in so long now :p

I went with OT and her friends (mostly Indonesians) and we set off in 3 cars. Immigration officers are always not very friendly, so my way of dealing with them is always to be as pleasant and polite as possible. Don't give them a reason to get nasty with you - you may not get to cross the border otherwise. That always worked and I have never (or so rarely) encountered a blatantly rude officer before. Put yourself in their shoes too. Out in the cold (crossing border via driving means no nice cosy warm building) for hours, and having to deal with all kinds of people (friendly, belligerent, polite, rude, dumb, blur, smart-ass, etc) - not a fun job at all.

Off-topic: I really dislike it when people keep putting others down. It is one thing to be patriotic and loving your country, but another to keep dissing other place/people. When traveling with such people, sometimes I worry they will piss off the immigration officers unintentionally. Be smart about it. Anyway, I feel people should be open-minded and accept other cultures or be understanding about it. Celebrate the differences!

The chicken spinach with peanut sauce dish at Chaiyo Thai Restaurant

Night skyline of Space Needle and Downtown

First Starbucks Store in the entire world

My caramel machiato

Oyster Bar

Three Girls Bakery - I should have ordered the chocolate croissant instead
Doesn't this remind you of Little India? Instead of jasmine garlands, it is chili peppers garlands

View of Post Alley across from Pike Place Market

Pike Place Chowder

Another view of Pike Place Chowder

So where did I go on this trip?

First stop after clearing immigration (and yes, we encountered a grumpy officer who was not happy about the way we gave her our passports - she was screaming at her colleagues complaining about people who did not organize the passports and thus she has to spend 5 mins for each car, and so let the other cars wait - it took us about 1hr plus to reach the officer - and 1 person in our car needed the Immigration Form, so in we trooped into the building to process the immigration - another 30mins wasted) is to the mall - Northgate Mall.

We only spent about an hour in there as it was closed at 7pm. Yes, malls still close early in North America, particularly on Sunday and Monday to Wednesday for smaller or low traffic malls. Then we went to this Thai restaurant called Chaiyo Thai Cuisine which does served pretty decent Thai food. I liked the pad thai, fried kway teow and fried rice and the fried fish and spinach and chicken with peanut sauce. Lol. Basically I liked everything that we ordered. It was surprisingly cheap. 10 dishes shared by 12 of us came up to about US$11 each.

Chaiyo Thai Cuisine

11749 15th Avenue

NE Seattle, WA 98125

Tel: +1 (206) 361-8888

After dinner, we drove to Queen Anne area - the highest named hill in Seattle - to take a look at the downtown skyline. It was pretty, overlooking Elliot Bay and seeing the Space Needle and other highrises. After that, we checked into the hotel - Renaissance Seattle Hotel - which is in downtown Seattle. This hotel is a bit of a disappointment as I had such a wonderful experience at the Renaissance in Orlando, FL. That was a 5 stars hotel - huge and luxurious, with Bath & Body Works toiletries. The Renaissance in Seattle looks so old, construction on the outside caused us to make so many turns as we kept missing the parking garage entrance. The room is tiny, furnishings look very drab and old, the bathroom was not what you would expect from a good hotel chain. Overall, it is very average and looks like a budget hotel to me. (A google turned up reviews whose opinions were the same as mine, plus it is located right next to a busy highway/intersection so can be noisy too).

We decided to explore more of Seattle, so one of the guys met up with his cousin who is studying in Seattle. She brought us to Joeys at Seattle Lake Union area. Lol. I did a google and found out it is the same Joeys in Canada - Joeys Tomato where I had my graduation dinner years ago. Yay, finally a restaurant chain originating from Canada and in Lower Mainland here. I only had a drink - mojito (double shot - very strong!) where the others had desserts. The popular one was the "normal" lava chocolate cake. It has a very nice view of the harbour - many yachts and boats were on sale too.

Joeys

901 Fairview Avenue

North Seattle, WA. 98108-4457

Phone: +1-206-749-JOEY

It was pretty late by the time we went back and slept. Monday was another whirlwind of shopping. We checked out (oh, Renaissance provided complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and tea and left a tray outside our room after giving us a wake-up call) and drove to Pike Place Market. I always love Pike Place. We went to the First Starbucks Shop which is located opposite Pike Place itself. I had a caramel machiato (not watered down like in Vancouver and is only US$2.90 for a tall). The shop is warm and friendly and the cold weather made it perfect to have a nice warm cuppa!

Seattle the Emerald City is famous for at least 3 companies which have impacted the entire world - Microsoft, Boeing (HQ moved to Chicago in 2001) and Starbucks. Other well known companies founded in Seattle are Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer and Amazon.com. Grunge music also originated from Seattle and produced bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

It is at Pike Place Market that I realized I miss the charms of the city. I love the old cobbled stones sidewalks and the old architecture of the buildings. It is also very steep as it is hilly, so one needs to be careful when walking down the street in the rain. I tried this pastry called Crab Rangoon which is like a big wanton filled with crabmeat (imitation crabs) and cream cheese. Delicious! Lol. I didn't realize it is a common appetizer in American Chinese restaurant. Don't you just love Wiki?

It was basically snacking our way at Pike Place :p I also tried the Almond Croissant at one of the bakery store but that was just so-so. I didn't get to the bakery store which I went previously. Now, that has very very good freshly baked goods. Also tried an oyster (US$5.99 for 6 pieces) - very fresh!. And finally the famous clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder which won many awards. We shared the original clam chowder which came served with sourdough buns and oyster crackers. The crackers went very well as it balanced the saltiness of the chowder. The sourdough buns were a bit too sour. I think San Francisco has better sourdough bread.

Pike Place Chowder (Post Alley in Pike Place Market)

1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA

Phone: +1.206.267.2537

Pike Place is well known for it fresh produce and seafood and other kitschy shops. Many people know Pike Place for the fishmongers who throw the fish to each other every time someone buys one. I just like Pike Place for its charm and I always like going to farmers' market too.

After that, we set off to Nordstrom/Pacific Place at 6th Ave and Pine which is right in downtown. And we parked at the most exorbitant parking lot. US$22 for just 2-3 hours! I spoke to the attendant and found out it was because we parked at the bank (Bank of America)! It was a lesson learnt. Never park at a bank. Only 1 car parked at another place - Pacific Place. Only US$9 or US$11 for 2-3 hours. It can be a challenge if you are new to driving in Seattle as there are many 1 way street. Good thing everything is in grid.

I like how some of the names of the streets are marked on the pavements. My camera died so I didn't get to take many pictures when in Seattle. Surprisingly I didn't really shop in downtown. I only went to Sephora and Coach. Still not a Coach or bag person, so Sephora captured my attention more :p

Lunch was at Cheesecake Factory. It was a long wait as there were 12 of us. In the end we told the server to spilt us into 2 groups of 6. Still, we waited for close to an hour for our tables. To save time, we bought our cheesecakes to go first. I bought 6 slices of different flavors to share with JH and CP back in Vancouver. I still like the place. Nice decor and food and of course the cheesecakes!

Then it was off to Alderwood Mall which is north of Seattle. It is a sprawling huge mall (though still less than 200 stores) with anchor stores of Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears and JC Penney. There is even a theatre nearby. After 2 hours in the mall, I was basically all shopped out. Too tired to want to go to the Seattle Premium Outlets. Lol. So basically I didn't get to go to the factory outlet at all. After a pit stop at a bubble tea place (Vancouver people seemed to love bubble tea!), we set off for the border. We reached the border around 1115pm, and it was about midnight by the time we cleared immigration. Good thing I am a visitor, so there is no limit on my purchase. For residents of Canada, you are only allowed C$50 worth of good when you are away for 24 hours. C$400 worth for 48hours and C$750 for 7 days or longer. Anything above the limit, you will be subjected to taxes. Our car was cleared, but another car they had to pay taxes. Probably because they bought LV and Coach stuff.

For this trip, I basically only shopped at Sephora, Gap, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret and MAC. No bags, no shoes and no clothes.

I just hope that whatever I bought will not be on sale when I go down again in 2 weeks time for Black Friday where things will be on sale. Even cheaper than Boxing Day Sale. It will start from midnight till 7am.