Lerk Thai @ Square 2

I have been going to Square 2, trying to make sense of the confusing cubes. It is really all in squares, making it hard to tell people where to meet or even to give directions. I hate it when malls try to be all fanciful and clever. It just aggravates shoppers by making them lost in the maze.

So I had dinner at Lerk Thai. My 2nd visit (1st was at Marina Square outlet) and I remembered it did a mean tom yam soup. I ordered that and the belachan fried rice and iced milk tea.

The seafood tomyam soup was fiery hot and sour - I like. It was pretty generous with slices of fish and prawns and squids and mushrooms. The belachan fried rice was not too bad and came with pieces of chicken. The iced milk tea could be better.

Exotic/Sensual Dance - Look No Further

I dance, more specifically I bellydance. Besides that I have also learnt other forms of dance like hip-hop, jazz and adult ballet. I have tried salsa and somehow my knees refused to co-operate, so I could fake it if I have a great dance partner, but I don't really know the actual salsa besides some basic steps. I think I have also tried waltz, rhumba and cha-cha before, but those are so long ago and so basic I could barely remember. So anyway, I have decided to stick to bellydance as it suits my pace/body better :p Bruises on knees when doing floor-work for hip-hop is not fun at all.

I took up a course on sensual dance (similar to exotic dance) as I was curious to see what it entails. As the instructor also bellydances, the core was similar to what I know. The other difference was the adding on of lap-dancing, dancing with chairs/benches, against the wall/mirror, writhing on the floor as well as doing a strip-tease dance. Very ooomph!

Certain songs are sensual by nature with beats which are perfect for figure-8s, body waves and just making your bodies look like jello, soft and pliable and flexible.

Had nothing better to do, and so I was looking at YouTube and watching the mtvs of songs.

Pussycat Dolls - Buttons


A perfect example of exotic dance with its chair/lap dancing and bits of crawling on the floor. Reminded me of the dance class :p

Addictive feat. Rakim - Truth Hurts


Another bellydance favorite song for performing.

Sting feat Cheb Mami - Desert Rose


Fantastic bellydance song too :)

Surabaya Lucky Plaza

Ayam penyet from Surabaya at Lucky Plaza

I am in love with ayam penyet. So I always ordered it in various Indonesian eateries. The ayam penyet at Surabaya is not too bad, very spicy chili sauce. But I still prefer the one at Ayam Penyet Ria. The chicken there is crispy and could literally melt in your mouth. Plus it comes with rice, and kang kong too. It looks plain for Surabaya, and you need to order a plate of rice.

51 Wanton Egg Noodles @ Kovan

I have mentioned this special noodles many times to my friends. I just simply adore it though I rarely had the chance to eat it. The stall at the hawker center (top level where macdonalds is) near Heartland Mall (Kovan MRT) is immensely popular.

My mom used to buy the shredded chicken mushrooms noodles for me when I was younger, still in school (I think). That was my first introduction to this dish. And I fell in love with it. It was extremely spicy, yet the sauce for the noodle is a bit on the sweet side. Sweet and spicy = delicious! Despite loving the dish, I never know which stall it is from until a few years back when I chanced upon it. All I know was that it is at the interchange, but every time I was at the interchange, I don't see it at all. I am not sure if the signboard then was in Mandarin. The current signboard is pretty spiffy, with pictures for all dishes and in both English and Mandarin.

So when I found the stall, I was tempted to try the special noodles - egg noodles (which has the QQ bite) with shredded chicken, char siew, wantons, veggies, mushrooms and shrimps. It has everything! I tried that and I love it. Now I always buy that dish instead of the humble wanton mee or shredded chicken mushroom noodles.

The wantons are tiny but the skin is extremely soft and the filling of minced pork and bits of shrimps is tasty. I ordered the wanton soup too and the broth is flavorful though I suspect MSG is added. It is a generous portion with about 10-12 wantons in there? I stopped counting after my 6th wantons :p And the soup is only $2.50. Good enough to be a meal on its own.

Oh and the stall is so popular there is always a queue and it will close after lunch time everyday. Maybe that was why I never see it previously cos it was always after 2pm when I get to the interchange then.

Location:
#01-51 - Hawker Center nearer the old Hougang South interchange
Macdonald's stretch
Close on Wednesday and Thursday

Chocolate Factory

It was a fairly lazy Saturday last week. Met Celest for the Conversation Party Private Sale which was held at Gallery Hotel. After spending a couple of hours (and dollars? ;p) in there, browsing through racks of clothes from the States or elsewhere. I bought 2 dresses and a top - 1 dress is a gorgeous confection of black lace over turquoise (matched my clutch from Quintessentials!) with asymetrical end. The other dress is a fuchsia number with criss-cross halter. The top is a white babydoll, perfect for my trip to Phuket.

There are lots of developments in the area. So many shops and eateries have sprung up in the quay area. We were ambling along the area, looking for a place for some light food as it was close to 3pm by then and none of us had any bites since breakfast.

Finally chanced upon The Chocolate Factory, think it it in the Robertson Quay area. And naturally we had to try it. The place served nothing but chocolate and some tea/coffee.

No sandwiches at all. Just chococlate cakes, pastries and souffles and the fine chocolates.


We shared 2 items - Chocolate Truffle cake and Desire (or it could be some other name).

Chocolate truffle has 4 layers of sponge cakes with chocolate filling, before being glazed with dark chocolate and sprinkled with white chocolate shavings and a raspberry. The drizzle of raspberry sauce on the place complemented the dark chocolate perfectly.

Desire is like rocher. Hazelnut praline with wafer and milk chocolate. Love the nutty combination with the sweet chocolate.

I had the blackforest chocolate drink which was not too bad. Somehow I prefer Spinelli's chocolate drink as the taste of cocoa is more obvious at Spinelli's.

I would have to go back to try the chocolates - hmmm, buy a box of dark chocolate. Yum!

Location:
The Pier on Robertson Quay
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-11
Singapore 239013
Telephone: 62359007
http://www.thechocolatefactoryonline.com

I've Been Tagged - Weirdometer

Ok I've been tagged by Celest on the Weirdometer thing that has probably been making its round in blogspot or maybe the entire blogosphere.

So since I have been tagged a few days ago, I have been racking my brains on my weirdness. Errr....I don't have any? Hahaha. It is just so hard....things I think is normal may not necessary be normal to others.

Anyway, here is my list of 6 "weirdness" though I still think they are normal ;p

1. Early Riser
I will always wake up even before my alarm goes off. My alarm is set for 7:45am now, but I will wake up once at around 645am, then 715am, 740am and then waiting for alarm to ring at 745am. I hit the button, but no, I still don't get out of bed. I will still laze in bed, trying to snooze more. It will be around 8am when I finally get up and shower, getting ready for work. Good thing I can be ready within 20-30mins usually. I can do my makeup in 5mins now :p (but no liner/mascara) And I also wake up early on weekends. I rarely sleep past 9am.

2. NHL
I love watching NHL. But I usually watch it and multi-task with reading my book too. So how do I do both? I keep one eye on the telly and listen, while I read. When there is excitement in the sportscaster's voice, I will pay more attention to the screen. Replays are wonderful. I get to see the goal/fight as I usually miss it the first round.

3. Cheese Waffles Sandwich
My friend taught me this. Toast the frozen waffles (I like cinnamon flavor) and when they are still warm, place a slice of cheddar cheese between them to make a cheese waffles sandwich. Somehow the savory cheese and sweet cinnamon waffles make a nice marriage. Simple and easy breakfast or snack to make.

4. Holiday
I discovered I like doing nothing on my vacation. I am going to Phuket and staying at the usual hotel I always stayed at. I will be just lazing by the pool during the day or going to the local Starbucks to people watch, read and have coffee, and then watch dvds in the room at night. Some may think it is weird to travel out to do nothing, but I think when one is so busy at work, it is nice to do nothing during vacation. To just chill and not think at all.

5. Finicky
I live in a controlled chaos environment. It is messy but it is controlled. I know where my things are. I do not like it when others try to tidy up my room cos then things are not back in its usual place. So I am a stickler for having a place for things, I believe everything should has its own place. I cannot bear to have used plates, pots and pans in the sink. Thus I always wash the dishes after I cooked, even before I eat the food.

6. In the Public Eyes
This is a real dichotomy. I like attention but I also dislike it. I hate it when all eyes are on me when I perform on stage, yet I also like knowing that I am performing for people to see. My very first "performance" was when I was in Primary one. Did a dance/song thing with 9 other classmates for the year end thing. Subsequently performances were for giving talks, speeches, MC-ing, singing, dancing, even acting! Those were for schools, church and the general public. I am no stranger to the limelight, but somehow I don't really thrive on it, to keep chasing it. I much prefer to work behind the scenes. Maybe that is why I am in what I am doing now? I put others in the limelight - pimping them :p

Ok, finally I did it! My 6 weirdness. I am tagging my oldest niece Charmaine.

Beyonce feat. Shakira - Beautiful Liar

Another video to share :)



Nice middle-eastern influenced music, and some belly-dance movements. Beautiful, indeed! Always nice to see well-executed movements with proper isolations done. Watch for it at the end. Hip thrusts, a bit of maya, tummy roll etc.

New blogspot

I have resisted changing to the new blogspot but recently I could no longer log into the old version. The new version is frustrating. I don't like the spacing of lines and the way it looks and uploading of pictures.

Either it is my ignorance of tech matters or it is blogspot or even photobucket. I tried to upload a slideshow of the food pictures but somehow the copy and paste method didn't work. The coding is not complete when I did that. But when I pasted into other windows, the entire code appears, just not on blogspot.

Frustrating!

Inagiku Revisited

D came to town and we met up for dinner. Decided on Inagiku as I remembered him being envious when I told him about the good Japanese food in Singapore and Inagiku was excellent on my previous visit.

I ordered the same set again - Sushi Set. And this time I took pictures. The food is about the same as before though they changed some of the items, mainly the seafood.

What we had:
Appetizer - some spinach thing
Sashimi - tuna and swordfish or something
Main - cod with miso paste (still the best!)
Steamed veggies - okra, mushroom, bamboo shoot, carrot, some sweet tofu and potato (?)
Sushi - tuna roll x 3, salmon sushi (huge), prawn, ikura, tuna and cuttlefish (I think) - not my fave
Dessert - fruits (boring)

So I ordered macha ice cream which came with red bean paste.


But what I had previously in early October was much better:


Sushi set:
appetizer of fried salmon and other stuff
sashimi of swordfish (I think) and tuna
cod in miso paste (this is very nice!)
seasonal steamed veggies (didn't like this)
some soup (quite bland after the richness of other food)
assorted sushi (a winner! so many pieces of sushi - salmon roe, ikura, huge prawn, tuna belly x 2, swordfish, salmon roll x 3) - very generous and thick slices and the salmon roe is so sweet, the ikura is very fresh, not chewy at all.
seasonal fruits (japanese pear)

Don't Write Me Off - Music and Lyrics

Another song from Music and Lyrics which I love. Who would have thought Hugh Grant can sing :p

I would melt into a puddle if a guy I like sing this to me. It is just so romantic and touching and funny.



Here is the lyrics for "Don't Write Me Off" by Hugh Grant

It’s never been easy for me to find the words to go along with the melody
But this time there’s actually something on my mind
so please forgive these few brave awkward lines
since I met you my whole life has changed
It’s not just my furniture you’ve rearranged
I was living in the past but somehow you’ve brought me back
and I haven’t felt like this since before Frankie said “Relax”

And Now I know based on my track record
I might not seem like the safest bet
All I’m asking you is don’t write me off just yet

For years I’ve been telling myself the same old story
that I’m happy to live off my so-called full of glories
But you’ve given me a reason to take another chance
now I need you despite the fact that you’ve killed all my plants

And Now I know I’ve already blown more chances than anyone should ever get
All I’m asking you is don’t write me off just yet
Don’t write me off just yet

Way Back Into Love - Music and Lyrics

Hugh Grant & Haley Bennett




I so love the song "Way Back Into Love", especially the version by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. The slicker version playing over the airwaves currently are by Hugh Grant and Haley Bennett.

Totally recommended Music and Lyrics for a light-hearted romantic comedy movie. Just a simple feel-good show, with many witty dialogues.

Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore (Demo Version)

Peramakan - 26 March 2007

It was a fun and slightly raucous dinner last night with the old "gang". Jason is leaving Singapore soon, so it was a "farewell" dinner as well as an opportunity to have a gathering for the "viva-gang". We don't meet for Chinese New Year, Christmas rarely. But everyone someone is here (usually Jason or Sharon :p), we will meet up and catch up. It has become almost a yearly affair or alternate year thing.

I suggested Peranakan food since it is something local and not widely available back in Canada.

After reading rave reviews about Peramakan at Joo Chiat, we decided to try it out.

Hmmm...the place is tiny, probably only able to seat between 25 and 40 people, with nondescript tables and chairs. The centerpiece to denote its peranakan roots is the display cabinet filled with traditional designs of crockery.

1st row: assam sotong, ayam buah keluak, beef rendang
2nd row: chap chye, fish maw soup, sambal kangkong
3rd row: garlic kailan, meatball soup, ngoh hiang
4th row: oxtail stew, sambal brinjals, satay ayam panggang

Food-wise, it is pretty good. We ordered quite a lot of dishes to share. Beef rendang, ayam buah keluak, assam sotong, sambal kangkong, satay ayam panggang, fish maw soup, meatball soup, oxtail stew, sambal brinjals, ngoh hiang garlic kailan and chap chye.

The highlights for me were:
*Beef rendang - spicy and tender meat
*Ayam buah keluak - it is black, so black it looks scary. It is very different from the usual style of cooking which has more tangy gravy in the yellow/orange color. The chicken is very tender and could just melt in your mouth. The black gravy is actually thick with the buah keluak paste. The dish comes with 2 nuts, additional nuts at $1.50 each. Heaven for those who loves the nutty taste of the buah keluak
*Assam Sotong - nice tangy assam gravy with squids which are not rubbery
*Satay Ayam Panggang - grilled chicken with satay peanut sauce. Tender soft chicken with a rich peanuty sauce

The rest of the dishes were quite normal. The oxtail stew was not too bad. All the meat were done nicely, very tender and not too hard and chewy at all.

Location:
Peramakan 92 Joo Chiat Road (near Joo Chiat Complex)

Harry's Burger

There is a Harry's near my office. In fact, I see it almost everyday as it is just opposite my office building. Yet, I never went there for drinks or meals until last Tuesday.

Jane texted me about drinks, and I couldn't think of a better place to go. Town was out of the question as I was tired of crowds. Suggested Harry's and so it was on.

Ordered the burger and a strawberry margarita. Burger was huge! Thick buns. Unfortunately the patty was a bit tough and chewy. I had requested for medium well, but it seemed like well-done plus the patty didn't seem to be those grounded beef where it would be crumbly and you could see the juices and color. Instead it felt like a slab of meat with no real texture and seemed rubbery. The bacon was much better, at least it was a bit crispy at the edge. The fries were not too bad either. Could not finish the burger at all - too much meat and bread.

Barbie Loves MAC - The Pictures

Here it is...the collage of pictures of the Barbie Loves MAC Spring Launch 2007 Campaign. Feast your eyes on the real-life "Barbie" dolls at the Doll House. Barbie is being politcally correct by including women of all sizes and colors. One of the "dolls" looked like Alicia Silverstone. The "Ken" dolls were a bit of a disappointment though. They looked like kids! Young school boys (to me) :p

The Barbie vanity table with the mirror is so sweet - I wonder what they did with it after the event is over. Dispose it? Give it to staff? Sell it off? I'm sure there will be people who would want to buy. Unfortunately I seriously doubt it can be sold - marketing budget, mess with their accounting system. No SKU for it.

It is actually custom-made. Just buy some basic vanity dresser table with mirror. Paint the entire thing black, then add pink squiggles as design. Easy peasy. Needs a steady hand though. Same for the cushioned stool.

Amazingly, I only bought 3 items from this collection - Fab blush (looked dark brown in pan, but a lovely rosy hue on me - can be a bit too red if heavy-handed), Springtime Skipper (light green color which is very spring-like and fresh - brightens up the eyes immediately) and Moth Brown (greyish brown, great for a smokey look or to define the eye)

Barbie Moth Brown is different from the Moth Brown released earlier with Madame B 2005 Spring collection. That was greyish-plumy, hence I didn't get it then cos I have too many purple shades. Instead I bought 2 other green shades and 1 purple. I realized I always buy green shades from MAC collection launch - green shades again from Lure (or whatever collection that was - bait, hook and lure?)

I wanted the Don't Be Shy blusher but it was not sold in Singapore (only at DFS airport or town as it was carried by Nuance-Watson). But someone just helped me buy 2 x DBS blushers from Bangkok. So yay! It was absolutely fantastic! I was beyond impressed and speechless as it seemed like DBS was OOS in so many places and the person managed to find it. Last piece from 2 different shops in Bangkok. Talk about perserverance!

Corduroy Cafe @ VivoCity

Interior of Corduroy Cafe

I quite like Corduroy Cafe at VivoCity. Cosy place with a very European feel to it. The chandelier, pillar of pictures, wall of clocks and mural, plus plush chairs made it a nice place to chill. For a natter with girlfriends, whiling the afternoon away, watching the world pass by.

Beef pie, beef stew, chocolate rum tart and panna cotta with berries

Celest and I had a late dinner on Saturday. I was not that hungry so I just had the beef stroganaff pie while Celest had the beef stew. I also had a caramel latte to go with dessert of chocolate rum tart and panna cotta with berries.

The beef pie was excellent. Not too salty. The crust was crispy and the filling was wet but not too much liquid to make it soggy. It was filled with chunky tender beef cubes which could melt in your mouth.

I tried the beef stew and it was good, but the beef was slightly tougher than in the pie.

The desserts - 3 words - to die for. The chocolate rum tart looked deceptively small but it sure packed a punch. I thought the 3 ovals on the tart were some chocolate covered fruits though I didn't recall it being in the description. Turned out they were rum filled chocolate ganache. The entire tart was rum chocolate. I could feel the heat of the alcohol though Celest said she couldn't really taste it except in the center of the tart. Maybe I got the alcohol end :p I would recommend to share it as it might be too much/rich for 1 person.

The panna cotta was a darling. I was never a big fan of vanilla custard type of dessert but the panna cotta was just very smooth. It can slide down the throat easily. Creamy silky sweet with the tart berries as a perfect foil to balance the taste. I like it!

Designer-clad Barbie Dolls!

Barbie has arrived in town, and it was launched in a big way. Barbie Loves MAC - a brilliant marketing collaboration between MAC cosmetics house and Mattel. It has been a long time since there was such a huge fanfare for a spring launch by a cosmetics brand. I would be guessing the advertising/marketing budget is close to $100K or more. The ads taken out on radio (Power98), newspapers, magazines and direct mailers, plus tie-ups with Citibank/Tangs cards and CLEO magazine.

Besides a Barbie Doll House at the Atrium of VivoCity, there is a small gallery of limited edition Barbie Dolls, wearing designer clothes.

Barbie Dolls - almost every girl has owned a doll before. Dressing her up and down, wearing the gorgeous outfits and shoes, accessories, etc. Fodder to fuel a child's imagination. I remembered making simple dresses for my barbie dolls (I had two - and they were my precious then), making pillows for them to sleep on. I even had a bedroom suite which could be changed into an office space for my career barbie doll, in her pink suit. Now that I think about it, it looked like Legally Blonde. Lol.

Well, I was down on Saturday (17 March 2007) to catch the real-life barbie dolls and I took some pictures of the actual dolls.

Top (L-R): Burberry Barbie, Juicy Couture Barbie
Bottom (L-R): Givenchy Barbie, don't remember who the designer is, MAC Barbie

I love the Juicy Couture Barbie Doll. I think I love the color combi more than anything. Lime green with hot pink. Yummy!

Vienna Again

I went to Vienna with Agnes and Davis on Friday. Yes, barely 1 week after my first visit, the girls were keen to try the food there. Again, I didn't take much pictures. Only pathetic 2. The size of the oysters this time were quite small, pathetic when compared to the previous visit. I guessed it depends on the catch that day.

Oyster au gratin, crabmeat with tang hoon stuffed in a tiny crabshell, seasons octopus, spicy conches, bbq eel and the tang hoon.

Shark fin soup with crabmeat

I ate more this time or at least I tried more stuff on the dessert front. I was pleasantly surprised to find the cakes were changed. So I got to try an awesome chocolate mousse cake. There was a pretty bland cream cake. The yam paste was a bit lumpy. Also tried the black seasame ice cream and milk tea.

Home-made Tiramisu!

The girls day/night in finally happened last weekend. Sherie baked tiramisu for all of us. It was so amazingly good! Once you have tasted home-made tiramisu, you know most of the restaurants out there stinted on the good stuff.

You can taste the creamy mascapone (which is usually undetectable in other places) and the thick dusting of cocoa powder and entire ladies fingers soaked in baileys. While some places may have alcohol drenched sponges, the mascapone is usually miniscule.

Feast your eyes on the tiramisu and drool.

Thank you, Sherie :)

Vienna International Seafood Buffet - United Square

I just tried Vienna International Seafood and Teppanyaki Buffet at United Square. It is surprisingly good

It has a decent variety of sashimi and lots of seafood. I think they have more seafood than meat The oysters were super big size - wanted to take picture to show the size but didn't in the end. There were crayfish, tiger prawns, mussels, crabs, yabbies for the cold sides. All were very fresh too. The sushi were not that great, rice a bit dry and hard.

Cooked seafood - crab tang hoon, chili crabs, black pepper crabs, cereal prawns, scallops on shell, baked oysters au gratin, bbq eel, tempura prawns, teppanyaki prawns

Didn't try all the food, but I just don't recall being at a buffet where there were so much seafood before. Even more than at The Line or Melt or elsewhere.

They replenished the food very frequently too. For teppanyaki, the steak and lamb chops were nicely done. Lots of different types of soups too. Dessert is not that fantastic but not too bad. Average. Only 3 types of cakes - chocolate, blueberry cheesecake and durian mousse cake. There is a chocolate fountain and some local kuehs.

Value for money place if you are into seafood. Go somewhere else if you prefer a better dessert spread and salad bar or western food.

**What I tried -
oysters: amazingly huge and very fresh, none of the "fishy" smell or taste
yabbie and crayfish: tenderly sweet
half of crab: a bit tough to dig out the meat, but it was sweet too
sashimi - salmon, maguro, and 2 other types of white fish: fresh, I can just eat salmon sashimi whole day
2 pieces of sushi: dry and tough
BBQ eel: can't go wrong with it
peking duck wrapped in crepe: not bad
crab tang hoon: just took the tang hoon, very nice
cereal prawns: nice! like the cereal
egg tofu: can't go wrong too
beef steak/lamb chop: well done but still very tender soft
tempura prawn: nicely done, not soggy
some soup filled with chicken, wolfberries, mushroom, abalone?, and others - very good
dragonfruit dipped in chocolates, chocolate cake, blueberry cheesecake, vienna cheesecake, durian mousse, fried durian pastry

**Disclaimer: I didn't finish the whole thing, but I had bites from the list :P

Decleor Institut, Raffles Hotel

I just went for my Radiance facial treatment at Decleor Institut at Raffles Hotel today. Apparently it really works! My gfs commented my face was really radiant. Personally I couldn't tell at all. It looked the same to me. With the instant radiance boost, the skin is supposed to remain radiant for 3 weeks. So we shall see how long it lasts.

I love the ambience at Decleor Institut. The staff is really professional. Drink will be served when you enter. After filling in all the necessary forms, you will be led into a room. The room is spacious with piped in music and dimmer. The therapist will explain the procedure to you and ask you to change and then lie on the bed while waiting.

Decleor signature facial treatment includes a upper back massage, hand massage and acupressure, drainage and facial massage, plus masking and exfoliation.

My treatment for that day was a promotion - radiance facial and vitalizing eye treatment. It didn't include the facial or hand massage. I topped up the amount and got the full works.

I like that the bed is heated, so you are warm lying face down, while waiting for the upper back massage. The only gripe I have is the attach-able face cushion for the head to rest on. There is a bowl of water with fake flowers floating on it to relax your vision and take you away from the worries of the world. I also like that the therapist will place a hot water bottle on your back while massaging. The hot water bottle will also be placed on your tummy during the facial.

For the facial treatment, the face cushion will be detached and head will be rested on the bed itself. The bed is those flexible type where the end will be raised so that your legs are rested at an angle. The head/upper body will be slightly raised too, almost creating a wide "V-shaped" of the bed.

Besides the usual cleansing, the exfoliation of skin was gentle rubbing of the "leave-on" mask. Enzymes infused exfoliator left on face for a while before the rubbing off. There was lots of massages on the face and eye area (the eye treatment includes back massage, drainage and massaging of eye area). The facial ended off with 2 masks. They do not use the usual steamer or extraction. (I requested for no extraction). The therapist will use hot towels to clean the face and hold it above the face to lightly "steam" it too. Similar to the Peter Thomas Roth style.

The therapist then applied the instant radiance serum/lotion on the face. That is supposed to last for 3 weeks. Decleor is well known for its essential oil, and the massaging was done using the aromessence and balm.

I am not so sure about the products as I am perfectly happy with what I am using now. But to get radiant skin....hmmm....can consider going there once in a while, especially for the eye treatment.

See's Candies

See's Candies seemed to be be synonymous with the Bay Area. Everytime I see See's Candies, I know someone has just visited or came back from SF.

I returned to the office after CNY hols and found a chocolate lolly from See's Candies.

This is really hard candy. I tried biting it (too hard), licking it (too slow), sucking it (too big). So in the end, I decide to use it as a stirrer for the coffee, thus making mocha! Marvelous idea, no? Lol.

The coffee/mocha turned out too sweet after the lolly melted. At least it is dark chocolate.

Birthday Pics - February 14

I finally have some free time. It has been a real busy week at work.

As promised, here are some pictures taken on my birthday. Thanks for the pictures, Regina :)


The birthday cake - oreo cheesecake from errr....I don't remember now. The cake is really good. I love the candles they bought!

Carolyn and 5 men! (Not Mrs Palm and her 5 daughters :p)

Close-up view of the candles. See the actual "bulges" *wink*

Lovely pressies from my lovely girlfriends - thank you for the perfume, candle, chocolate coated strawberry and heart-shaped balloon.

Great company - all gorgeous ladies - great fun time as always

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. *smile*

Ankle Still Swollen

I thought the ankle is getting better but I guess not. All the relatives descended upon the house last night (Ren Re - 7th Day) as we hosted dinner for both sides (maternal and paternal). It was a noisy, rambunctious and fun affair, with about 60 or more of us. But I guess it is typical that there will be two camps since they rarely see each other. Just an annual thing (outside of the usual weddings/funerals), unless you are closer and so see each other slightly more often.

The younger kids (10 and below) were all playing with each other, chasing one another in, out, up, down and all around the house/compound. Good thing our place is big enough to accommodate that. The older ones (aunts/uncles - 50 and above) chatted quietly among themselves and helped themselves to the wine which made most of them red in the face and more "relaxed" *hehe*. (Surprisingly only that group drank alcohol - I forgot to open my store of hard liqour :p - maybe the younger ones will drink then ) Those from late teens to the 30s/40s were in another group. Those with babies/toddlers were in another corner, and the domestic helpers socialized among themselves too.

So yeah, when my cousins/aunts and nieces/nephews saw me and my ankle, they said it was still swollen and purple. Maybe I was used to seeing the BIG bump and deep purple ankle a couple of days after I twisted it, I thought the swelling has gone down considerably and color has faded. But no, it was still swollen and (light) purple.

I was duly told to rub it with any deep heat or medicated oil which is against what the doc told me. I was also told to ice it and elevate the foot all the time, which I tried to elevate already as much as possible. But icing - I only did it once cos I thought that was enough. Lol, guess I am just not that experienced in treating sprained ankle.

But I noticed there is an ache in the calf, maybe cos I strained the muscles which were trying to compensate for the ankle weight? Who knows?

My niece was really sweet to help massage and rub my ankle and calf, which helped a great deal. Especially the calf. My cousin said the ankle was not as swollen after that but I still couldn't really see. Thanks Charm :)

Went back to work on Friday as the doc only gave 2 days MC, and that was quite torturous. Not the work, of course. But the strain on my leg/ankle and back. Maybe I was so used to being bed-ridden for the last few days that it ached to sit for long hours. I had a stool at work to elevate my leg but it didn't help much.

Really hope it will be much better very soon as it is annoying not being able to walk fast or run or exercise. And I wanna go dancing too!

So far, people have told me it will take from 2 days to a few weeks for the ankle to heal. That it really depends on how much I rest my foot. Plus I certainly do not want to end up with an arthritic foot when I am in my 40s, 50s or 60s.

This is Me!

Found this quiz which I did previously, and I think it reflects me pretty well.

This is Me - take it or leave it!

Your view on yourself:
You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:
You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education:
Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:
You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

The Real You
Here is the analysis:

You've got great self-confidence and you're full of charm. Most guys who get to know you will be attracted to you. You are far from sweet and proper; your intriguing personality fascinates them. Most guys find it easy to fall for a girl like you.

You really care about other people's feelings and are quite serious about the issues that affect your life. You are sincere, and your concern for the well-being of others makes many people want to be your friend.

You are a bright, cheerful and bubbly person. You are thoughtful and considerate, and like to have fun. Everybody feels comfortable around you because of your pleasant nature. When you walk into a room, people's eyes are likely to be drawn to you because of your charm.

Guys see you as being a thinker and a careful person. They will be really attracted to this quality in you, but you need to learn to speak your mind, otherwise people will find you too shy and quiet. Learn to relax and lighten up--it's okay to have fun sometimes. When you learn to develop your fun-loving side, guys are going to flock to your side.

Your boyfriend believes that you are a strong and independent person. Your confidence and cheerfulness make you an attractive person to be around, but sometimes you need to pay more attention to what other people, including your boyfriend, are thinking.

http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

What's your personality love style?
Here is the analysis:

You desire a love that will last forever. You are quite serious about finding this type of love, and that's why you think carefully about the men that you meet before deciding whether you could really love them. You don't just develop a crush on someone overnight: you look at a person's personality and other aspects of their life before deciding to form an attachment. If a guy doesn't meet your expectations, you would rather be alone. Your love has to be perfect. Be careful though, you could be missing out on some worthy relationships because your standards are so high.

Make My Day - Sarah Connor

I love this song and sure hope for the day I will get to meet a guy who will do that - make my day :)

Make My Day lyrics

Verse 1
Found a note layin' on the bedroom floor
Read it and felt my emotions start to soar
It said, „Follow all the signs that lead ya down the hall
Be ready for a sweet surprise“
Excitement was risin' up with every stride
Couldn't help smilin', I felt joy inside
You always find a way to take my spirits high
Could not believe my eyes

Cause I saw - you
In the doorway
Breakfast - burnt
What could I say
It was - like
In the Movies

Chorus
Boy
You make my day
(With every little thing you do)
Make my day
(With every loving word from you)
Make my day
(You always seem to find a way)
Make my day
(Every moments like a holiday)
Make my day
(Every time that you walk in the room)
Make my day
(Every night I'm lyin' next to you)
Make my day
(Every morning when you're by my side)
Boy you make my day

Verse 2
One of those days nothing goin' right
Workin' my butt until late at night
Bout to tell my boss he can take a hike
When I got a call from you
Short time later all my work is done
Packed my things up and I was on the run
Straight to you like a shot from a gun
I unlocked the door and

I saw - you
With red roses
Iced Champagne
Candelabras
Bubble Bath
I'm T.K.O.

Boy you make my day

So listen girls
If U got some one who will treat you right
Won't run around all night
You need to hold on tight don't let him go
Better yet girls let him know, he is worth gold
Boys don't come like that on every corner

Chorus

Present from Golden Pig - Sprained Ankle

The Golden Pig has gifted me with a swollen ankle. I spent the 2nd day of the Chinese New Year limping. I have a fear of falling, especially after I fell down half a flight of stairs at home on the 2nd or 3rd day of 2003 (yes, in January on either 2nd or 3rd - I was going for an interview then with Alexandra Hospital - how ironic, and they didn't re-schedule the interview when I called them to say I fell and sprained my ankle).

That was a bad experience. I could not walk at all then. I could barely get up. I called my ex then and he came over from work to look after me. His workplace was near my place. I was fretting over my ankle, if it was broken or just sprained or fractured or what. After a few days of icing the ankle and there was no improvement (I still could not walk or even limp) - I had to be on crutches, I had to look at alternatives.

Ling told me of a Chinese doctor in the East Coast who cured her sprained ankle, so I called him. The receptionist said I had to wait for a week before there was a slot for an appointment. Who could wait that long. Luckily she recommended me to see his disciple, another doctor who practices in Tampines. I got my sister to drive me there. I got there on crutches, and the doc said I didn't sprain my ankle at all. Apparently I landed on my hip when I fell, so it was my hip which was affected. He re-aligned my body, like a chiropractor, and applied some foul smelling paste/medicine on the ankle and told me to keep it on for a couple of days.

The amazing thing was that I could limp out of his room after that. From being on crutches to being able to limp out. That was a miracle, and there after, I called him my miracle doctor.

So yeah, today. Of all things to happen, my ankle had to turn in/out when I was walking along the bridge from Asian Civilisations Museum to the Fullerton Hotel. And I was not even wearing heels at all. I was wearing my birkies. My flat birkies. I did not know how, but somehow I just twisted the ankle.

Lucky I didn't crumple and fall. But the pain was excruciating. I could limp, so I told Chris I was fine, we could still walk to our destination, which was the esplanade. It was not swollen then. But now, after several hours of inactivity, my ankle has swelled and my leg is aching.

I hate the pain. I hope it will go away soon and that Doctor Lee is opened tomorrow, that he didn't go back to China. Else I would have to go to the hospital for an x-ray. My godma told me to get it x-rayed. It could be torn ligaments. Sounds horrible.

Why me? Why now? What a way to start the CNY.

Happy CNY!

Happy Chinese New Year! The "zhen yue" is here, we shall see what happens in the east side of Singapore ;p

Pictures to follow later - lots of dinners scheduled for this year, besides the reunion dinner.

1st day - oldest aunt's son's place
2nd day - possibly at godma's sister's place
3rd day - hosted by 3rd uncle
5th day - lunch by sister's colleague (can't make it)
7th day - dinner at our place
15th day - possibly dinner at cousin's place

A 2-week feasting activity.

1st Birthday Dinner of 2007 - 10 Feb 07

It was Japanese food for the first birthday dinner of the year with Sheryn. I think she is always the one to ask me way in advance what I want. I told her a man. Haha. She has not fulfilled that yet but she got me a purple nightie instead :p

I really had no idea what I wanted to try this year, so based on the few choices she gave me, I selected Sun with Moon Dining at Wheelock Place. Last year, we went to Brazil Churrascaria. The year before, it was at Coffee Club outside California Fitness Orchard. In 2004, it was afternoon tea at Scotts Lounge. We met in 2003.

Anyway, we were famished as I only had brunch of "brek of day" from Coffee Bean that day, and I didn't even finish the entire plate. Only had the toast and some scrambled eggs and sausages.
We ordered lots for the two of us. I didn't take picture of everything as I was tired. Lol. So we started with sushi. We had the rolls - avocado or mango wrapped sushi with some crab meat or tuna inside. Also tried the rice paper rolls of avocado and eel.

There were also the beef wrapped around scallops and mushrooms with asparagus. I like that. The gratin thing of chicken with cheese and curry on a hot pot was a bit too salty, quite disappointed. The softshelled crab was salty too. The rice pot thing of eel is good. Very flavorful rice.

So we had all that between the two of us. Hehe. Good thing the portions came in European style of just a few pieces - not huge quantity.

Dinner at Simply Peranakan

Here is the picture collage of the food we had at Simply Peranakan.

Still waiting for the pictures of the cakes and group pictures.

Meaning of Carolyn

Someone posted this about my name. I like it, so I am re-posting it here. Not sure where it is taken from though.

Meaning of Carolyn

Strong and womanly

Honest, dependable and practical you tend to have a fairly conservative but determined approach to life. Your intelligence and wisdom means that you are sought out for guidance and advice. Gifted in communication you are philosophical and intuitive and are usually a traveller both mentally and physically. People respect you for your patience, discretion and integrity.

It seemed quite true? No? ;p

Thank You

Just want to thank all my friends who sent me birthday greetings throughout the day via smses, msn, phone calls and also via emails :)

I guess in this electronic age, we don't really get cards now. The only cards I got were from my insurance agents. Lol.

Thank you also for the presents. I love them all.

Thank you for remembering *smile*

Happy Valentine's Day and Turning 30

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

I always dread turning 30 when I was in my teens or early 20s. Somehow the big 3-0 seemed so OLD. But now that I have officially joined the 30s club, I find there is no difference at all. Age is really just a number. And with the plastic surgery and botox and fillers widely available, you can still look young when you are in your 40s and 50s. The only difference is probably internal - if your heart is still pumping efficiently, and liver, kidneys working well, plus the lucid mind, of course.

I love my girlfriends! I never thought the girls I met in 2004 from CC will turn out to be very good friends now. They are my pillar of support when I am down in the dumps or when I need help (especially from Regina's School of Charm ;p) or advice or just when I am happy - to share the good news, joy and of course, best bargains - sale sale sale, anyone? Hehe.

Usually on my birthday, I will go to the spa to pamper myself with treatments, and possibly meals with girlfriends or family. Recently, I have taken to celebrating my birthday with my girlfriends - those who are willing to forsake their other halves on vday or at least meet them later for supper or something - an excuse for the singles to still come out and have fun too ;p

So this year, I ran some errands in the morning. Met my cousin for a quick lunch near her work place in Shenton Way (central business district) before going to the spa for a massage and facial. My cousin was just trying to feed me lots, I think she still sees me as a baby, needing to be fed that I won't go hungry. Asking me if I wanted some tapioca kuehs after a filling lunch of beef noodles soup, and if I wanted some fresh fruits and even walking me to the train station! I really felt like a little girl of 7, not 30 at all :p Then again, she looked after me when I was a baby, guess some things just never changed (she is 19 years my senior).

The massage was good as usual at the spa. Lilian was able to work the kinks out of my body. I think I need to have regular massage again. Twice a month. I felt so stiff. I had the Lifespa facial which was more of a facial massage. No extraction as I didn't want that. Somehow I fell asleep somewhere between the facial massage and masking period. Very rare for me to do that. Eva was the therapist for that. Pretty good, she is. I would want to try the eye mask treatment in the future, didn't do that as I thought I would be late meeting Davis. Bare-skinned, my eyes looked horrible - faint dark eye circles. I need to sleep more now. Already DL found a strand of grey hair on Saturday. Sign of ageism.

Was at Paul & Joe counter to do my brows and stock up on my basics stuff. Ruby took some time to touch up my make-up as she wanted to "pretty" me up on my special day. Hehe. In the end, I was at the counter for about 90mins. Then it was on to dinner with the girls.

Davis and I were late as there was a jam in Orchard. Agnes and Livia got there the earliest and waited for us. (Sorry :( ) The rest of the girls were also late due to bad traffic. I decided on Perankan food at the Esplanade as it was near CityLink Mall for Celest to get to her pedi place and I wanted a non-VDAY special menu restaurant.

VDAY is so commercialized in Singapore, with most restaurants trying to cash in on the set menus. I felt those were like being in a cattle drive, no uniqueness at all. I tried it once and never again.

Anyway, dinner was a fun affair. We ordered lots - ayam buah keluak (chicken), babi something (pork), itek something (duck), ladies fingers, kang kong, tofu and ngoh hiang. I realized we are not really veggies people. We finished the meat but there were some leftovers on the vegs. Lol.

The restaurant gave us complimentary fish agar agar - to signify abundance for the year. And the girls got a mini oreo cheesecake with 3 chubbies men candles. Hehe. That was so cute. Agnes got us heart-shaped balloons - she is always so sweet. I still remembered her getting us gerberas when we first met. Celest got us chocolate coated strawberries. Nice! I couldn't find any of the chocolate "kisses" to give to the girls.

And pressies - they got me Anna Sui Secret Wish. Yay! Now one of my birthday wish is fulfilled....wonder if I will get to fulfill the others *wink* I also got candle - gingered currant - smells good. My Tocca candle is almost gone, so that is just in time to replace that :)

I love my girlfriends! Really a pity Tanny and Ashley could not make it. Next time :) But big hugs to Agnes, Davis, Celest, Regina, Livia and Sherie for turning up and making it a fun-filled joyous occasion.

Pictures to follow soon. Ran out of battery while taking pics.

Imperial Herbal Restaurant @ Vivocity

This is a super early Chinese New Year dinner at Imperial Herbal Restaurant in Vivocity. It used to be at the Metropole Hotel but has since moved to Vivo.

Menu of the 9 course dinner

The food was pretty good, not really fantastic. Or at least not really my cup of tea. I didn't take pictures of all the food, but the important ones are there.

The first Yu-Sheng of the year. Fresh vegetables, crunchy. It was fun to watch them toss the veggies and mix the sauces and fish slices. The mixed platter - I have no idea what was the crispy thing but it tasted good. Lol. The spring roll was not the usual turnips, I think they stuffed it with yam or something. The prawn was huge but a bit overcooked.

The fish was a bit tough too. The surprise was the duck. It was crispy and nicely done. I like it, and I am a non-duck lover. The other dessert - Candied Yam/Sweet potatoes - was fun. The pieces were warm and sticky with molasses. So you had to "pluck" the pieces out immediately and dunked them in iced water, else all of them will stick together. See the clear strands of sugar in the picture. That was nice.

Not into the veggie dish and soup noodles. The other stuff were quite ok.

De Toast @ Bugis Junction

I have not been to Bugis Junction in a while, so it was a pleasant surprise to see this mini cafe selling toast with all sorts of topping.

I only wanted to get an iced milk tea, but while waiting, I read the reviews. Easily persuaded by reviews, I decided to try the "must-order" toast.


Thick toast topped with chocolate rice, grated cheese and drizzled with condensed milk.

Strange combination of the savory and the sweet. But surprisingly it works. The warm crispy buttery toast with the chocolate and cheese and milk. the milk was just enough, not very sweet at all.

The rest of the flavors reminded me of "Heads or Tails". The pandan kaya and floss topping.

I like the table - shape of a slice of bread. Cute.

Birthday Wish List - 2007

I think I am a bit late for my wishlist. Going to be 30. So getting more forgetful now :p

Wishlist...
~better health
~interesting job scope
~to be a tai-tai *wink*
~whole day spa treatment (to try the lomi lomi massage)
~Anna Sui Secret Wish fragrance
~Prada Tessuto Gauffre in Orange - large sized
~trip to Maldives (still have not materialize)
~elope to Hawaii (to see the sunrise at Haleakala Crater)
~Marc Jacobs / Guess watch
~a Rat baby (but only if some of the others are fulfilled, lol ;p)

Hmm...I think that is about it. Maybe I should start by trying to bake the cupcakes ala Sherie's first. Lol.

Barbie Loves MAC (Again)

I just saw the entire collection and accessories on MAC website. It is creating temptations all around again.

Barbie Loves MAC (Click to see the pics)

This is horrible. I think I want to the the pink versions of the blush (Don't Be Shy) and beauty powder (Pearl Blossom) and possibly Moth Brown eye shadow and maybe Springtime Skipper.

I am also contemplating the lipstick(Real Doll and Rocking Chick) and lipgloss (Malibu Barbie) though I hardly use lip products. My lips are peeling again.

I am going to be dead broke again come end March. Damn!

Old Songs

Maybe I have been listening to old songs or songs of my time - the 80s and early 90s. Power98 has been playing them now, with an hour of "retro" music at night and then on and off during the morning and day.

Anyhow, some songs started playing in my head. Diana Ross, Bette Midler, Johnny Hates Jazz, etc. OMG! I am old now. Haha. Perfect 10 98.7 is too noisy for me. I specifically requested my colleagues not to play that station as it is too noisy for me to concentrate on work as the radio is next to me :p So now it is on Class 95. Still not my fave station but at least it is tolerable.

A few of my fave "old" songs:
Gift of Love - Bette Midler
When You Tell Me You Love Me - Diana Ross
If We Hold On - Diana Ross
Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson
Africa - Toto
Kokomo - Beach Boys
Two Steps Behind - Def Leppard
Creep - Radiohead
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
All This Time - Tiffany
Babe - Take That
Shout - Tears for Fears
Total Eclipse of the Heart - Westlife/Bonnie Tyler
Valentine - Martina McBride
Hard to say I am sorry - Chicago
Manic Monday - Bangles
All This Time - Tiffany
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Fading Like A Flower - Roxette
Fallen - Lauren Woods
Orinoco Flow - Enya
Angelia - Richard Marx
Superwoman - Karyn White
You're The Inspiration - Chicago

There are lots more but I can't recall them now. Of course I love all songs by NKOTB, Tommy Page, Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue...the teeny boppers time. Ahhhh....memories of real pop music. Diet of UK music, espeically by SAW productions. Lol. Who can forget Big Fun, Sonia, Bros, JD, KM, Rick Astley, etc. The lip synching incident of Milli Vanilli. Vanilla Ice (hey, I actually went to his concert on my own :p), Paul Lekakis (he's so cute!), Kon Kan, Fine Young Cannibals, Madonna, Samantha Fox, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Belinda Carlisle, Bananarama...

Nostalgia indeed.

Sherie's Cupcakes

I am utterly amazed by the cupcakes made by Sherie. They looked so pretty, with the frosting. The cupcakes were so soft and delectable, the chocolate is absolutely yummilicious! Made of the finest chocolate - varlhona. Sherie doesn't stint on the ingredients and it showed in the end products. Good cooks do not stint on ingredients and would insist on the freshest available.

The buttercream icing was just right, not too sweet or buttery/creamy which usually made me feel very "jelak" after a while. In contrast to some of my girlfriends who adored the frosting and could happily lick all the icing, I much prefer the chocolate cake. I love the texture of the cake and tasting the bittersweetness of the chocolate. I was so enthralled by the cupcakes that I had 3 yesterday!!! Greedy me :p (but I ate one after every hour, I think - not in one sitting ;p)

I am so inspired to try to make cupcakes too. But I think I would be real bad with the piping. It has been so long since I did any piping.

Sherie: Thank you for the wonderful spread of food and gorgeous cupcakes and the company :)

VS - Kisses

I saw this! In pink! So cute - I want. Just so I can keep and admire. Haha. It is a lip blam from Victoria's Secrets. Someone has it and showed me, so I search VS website and found it. Pretty reasonable. US$12, I think. Anyway, it is selling at S$19. Someone bought it in the States and her friend didn't want it and was letting it go.

I think the pink is sweeter than the red. Muack!

Spree, anyone? ;)

The Sweetest Thing

Present from interns on their last day

This is the sweetest thing and so totally unexpected. They are great interns and really helped us out so much, when we were quite short-handed previously. They livened up the office with their voices and jokes and antics.

Don't you think they got me down pat? Haha. The pink, butterflies and tiara. Well the face and lips could be nicer, but hey, I could live with that. Beauty is, after all, only skin-deep. And the adorable pinkish Anna Sui lipgloss. Nice!

Thank you, girls :)

Coeur Noir - Bakerzin

We had a birthday celebration in the office today to celebrate the birthday of one colleague whose birthday is today. Coincidentally today is also the birthday of 2 other pesons I know. Popular day to be born I guess :p

It was also a combined birthday celebration for those born in February, besides January baby. So I'm included too, plus another colleague whose birthday is on this Friday. 3 of us - 3 candles. Also representing my age (by chance!).

Coeur Noir

The cake was from Bakerzin. Absolutely gorgeous! Layers of dark chocolate mousse and sacher sponge, with brandy cherries and hazelnut dacquoise at the base. Surprisingly I can't taste the brandy at all though some colleagues could taste it. Maybe the slice I had didn't have much brandied cherries in it.

Lazy Sunday Brunch @ Marmalade Pantry

It was a spur of the moment thing to have brunch at Marmalade Pantry. Saw Livia online and asked her if she would like to go to Marmalade. She had nothing much to do and me neither. Also asked Regina, Celest and Tanny but they couldn't make it.

So it was just the two of us, having a lazy Sunday brunch, feeling tai-tai-ish. Haha.

After much indecison of vacillating between ordering the crab linguine or the banana pancakes or the eggs, I finally decided on Eggs Benedict, with a side of sausages. Now this may sound shocking, but that was the first time I had Eggs Benedict. It never really appealed to me much. Poached eggs. The impression I had of Eggs Benedict was poached eggs on tomatoes.

I didn't expect it to be served on nicely toasted English muffin, with a slice of ham, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The sauce was wickedly good (and sinful)! It really added flavor to the dish. The ham was not too salty either and was of a good size, not too thin. The side of sausages was good, not too gamey tasting. Of course, adding ketchup added to the taste factor :p

Livia had the ultimate beef burger. It looked so huge and juicy, though she said it was not as juicy as the foie gras burger. The thick fries looked good too.

And of course I had to have my cupcake. The chocolate deluxe cupcake, which is the ultimate chocolate cupcake. They overheated it, so it was a bit too tough. Nevertheless, it was still so wonderfully fulfilling. Livia had the chocolate tartlet which was quite a disappointment - very bitter chocolate and had a "taste" to it. The cappuccino rounded off the meal nicely.

Barbie Loves MAC

MAC has collaborated with Barbie to come up with a collection for Spring 2007. I love the silhouette of the face on the collection and the pink stuff. So cute! The Barbie MAC doll is so pretty too!

Can't wait for the collection to hit Singapore's shores. I am so tempted by the beauty powder and blusher and glimmershimmer. No prizes for which colors I'm eyeing. Hehe. The eye shadows are nothing remarkable, and I don't use MAC lip products so I'm saved there :p

Feast your eyes on the collection!

Delhi Restaurant

I love North Indian food, with its naan and pureed vegatables and butter chicken. Ooh...the butter chicken. That has to be my fave North Indian dish ever! North Indian food is mostly yoghurt based, and is not as spicy as its southern counterpart. The tandoor oven is probably the best known feature for North Indian fare.

Arranged to meet a few friends (previously colleagues) for dinner. It has been over half a year since we last met up. I suggested going to Delhi Restaurant as the food is good and it is affordable too.

After a "trying" beginning, as I lost my bearings and could not find the restaurant, the evening got off to a roaring good fun. Catching up with each other and gossips.

top row: vegetable pakoras, pappadom, pakoras and mint sauce, sizzling mix grill
middle row: flaming mix grill, briyani rice and butter chicken
bottom row: aloo gobu, mix grill, naan, pakoras

We ordered a feast! Vegetable pakoras to start us off. Mango lassis to quench our thirst. For mains, we had a mixed grill sizzler (tandoori meat and prawns doused with wine in a hot plate), butter chicken, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes), palak panir (cottage cheese cubes in pureed spinach), garlic naans and briyani rice.

What a spread. There were also pappadums with mint sauce as snack. Sad to say, I think I only had 1 piece of that. Think I was too busy listening to the gossips to really snack, plus then the food came too.

The vegetable pakoras were good, though a bit on the dry side. It was made right again with dollop of the mint sauce, giving it a much needed lift. The highlight was the mix grill sizzler. It came sizzling on the hotplate. Then the server came back with a shot of wine, poured it over and lit it. Boom! It sizzled and splattered, nice to watch, but oh the smoke. It is choking. The prawns seemed a bit overcooked, maybe cos we left them on the hotplate for too long. The tandoori chicken was fabulous. Tender and soft, not hard and dry at all.

The butter chicken was gorgeous as usual. The aloo gobi was pretty ok, cauliflower was not my fave vegetables but it was not too bad. The spinach and cottage cheese was good. Nice to mop up the sauce with the garlic naan.

Overall, a winner in Delhi Restaurant. I should go there more often instead of once a year. It is just the location. I don't really go to Little India at all.

Location:
60 Race Course Road Tel: 6296 4585

More Layers, More Curls

I went to xTrim Hair Exclusive last night to do my hair. It was getting out of shape. Again I spent 4 hours there. Why does it take so long to do the hair?

Vince thought I wanted to color it as I just did the texture perm in July 2006. But if he cut my hair, the curls will be gone, so no point in coloring. So he did a medium curl perm for the entire head so that it will last longer for my future coloring (probably).

So after 4 hours, here is the result.


Don't they look like ringlets you find on dolls? And obviously I won't get this effect by myself as I just can't be fuss about it. I am still a "wash and go" girl. Not into spending hours on my hair and styling it. One reason why I like it with curls. I don't have to comb my hair. I can get away with messy hair. And it looks great touseled - the out of bed look. Haha.

Tired face after 4 hours. See the eye bags. Urrrghhh.