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.

(You Want To) Make A Memory - Bon Jovi

Another song which I like :)

(You Want To) Make A Memory - Bon Jovi

Hello again, it's you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killing time
Trying to solve life's mysteries

How's your life, it's been a while
God it's good to see you smile
I see you reaching for your keys
Looking for a reason not to leave

If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be

You wanna make a memory?

I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had.
It's bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringing I don't wanna ask

If you go now, I'll understand
If you stay, hey, I've got a plan
We're gonna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines

You wanna make a memory?

If you don't know if you should stay
And you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be
We Should be

You wanna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines

You wanna make a memory?
You wanna make a memory?

Over You - Daughtry

Another fine song to share. I love love love this song. There is another similar one, but I have not managed to catch the song title or singer. The problem when you listen to the radio and don't really pay attention.

Over You - Daughtry

Now that it's all said and done,
I can't believe you were the one
To build me up and tear me down,
Like an old abandoned house.
What you said when you left
Just left me cold and out of breath.
I fell too far, was in way too deep.
Guess I let you get the best of me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

You took a hammer to these walls,
Dragged the memories down the hall,
Packed your bags and walked away.
There was nothing I could say.
And when you slammed the front door shut,
A lot of others opened up,
So did my eyes so I could see
That you never were the best for me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
Well I'm putting my heart back together,
'Cause I got over you.
Well I got over you.
I got over you.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

OPI Hollywood Collection 2007

The Glamour Reds from the Hollywood 2007 Collection

From Left to Right:
No Autographs, Please - A brilliant red shimmer the crowds will adore
Call My M-Agent-A - A fabulous pink-red that’s all the buzzA fabulous pink-red that’s all the buzz
I‘ve "Red” The Script - And this ruby red is perfect for the part!
Season's Screenings! - A festive warm garnet red
Pretty At The Premiere - A rich burgundy, perfect for opening night!
Wine Me & Dine Me - Be the “it” girl in this luscious wine shade.

I went on a spree again. Mini stuff just weakened my resolve. So I was at London Drugs, looking for gift to get for Peter's baby girl (the 1st month dinner is on 14 Nov), and in the end, I bought OPI nail polishes.

I know the polishes cost more than what I usually paid for when I ordered online, but the colors I wanted are out of stock online now. And I am a sucker for the mini polishes too.

Dazzling Darks and Neutrals

From Left to Right:

I‘d Like To Thank... - An award-winning copper shimmer
My Big Break - A beautiful, breakthrough rose
Hollywood Blonde - Turn heads with this glitter of pale gold
Who Are You Wearing? - A deep, dark violet that catches all eyes
Have You Seen My Limo? - Dark aubergine that’s pure elegance
Stars In My Eyes - Glittering spotlight silver

Colors include: I‘d Like To Thank..., My Big Break, Hollywood Blonde and Have You Seen My Limo?

I bought the OPI Tiny Tinsel (4 mini polishes) and 2 regular size polishes. I was also tempted by the Hollywood Sweetheart which has 2 mini polishes and 2 eye shadows and 2 lip colors. How cute is that?

See how cute it is. I was good, I didn't get it :p I only bought the Tiny Tinsel Towners and "No Autographs, Please" and "Catherine The Grape" from the Russian Collection.

This is frustrating me - linking of pictures etc. Kept doing it, not going to bother the sequence now.

Betty Crocker Tuna Helper

I used to be a big fan of Betty Crocker Tuna Helper and Hamburger Helper when I was living on my own in Canada and had to cook. Now I try to eat more healthily, meaning less junk food and processed or instant food.

I was at Wal-Mart the other day and saw BC Tuna Helper and somehow I just want to re-live the student days and so bought one - the Au Gratin. I can't find the version online but you could use the Cheesy Pasta too.

It was so cheesy that I thought this could be an easy way to make the "orgasmic" chili cheesy pasta. Just add chili tuna instead of regular tuna. You don't need to add more cheese too. So you will just need the package mix, water, milk, butter and chili tuna. I also added peas and chopped onions as I like that. You could add your own vegetables into the pot so that you can get a balance meal. Alternatively, serve it together with a salad.

Voila, dinner is served :)

Picture Personality

This is similar to Imagini test which I took before. Someone came up with it on Facebook. Here is my result:

Temperament
Idealist
You are the quintessential dreamer - spending more time thinking about the possibilities that the world holds for you, rather than your reality. You don't settle for anything less than what you truly desire and you work very hard. You tend to live in every place except the present - you are prone to daydreaming about the future and re-thinking the choices you made in the past. Sometimes you get overly caught up in your thoughts.

Interests
Simple
You are continually pursuing a simpler and less complicated life - you don't allow yourself to fall victim to all of the "should do's" that society continually bombards you with. You are thoughtful about your life choices and think in terms of yourself, others and the world in which we live. You have a great sense that we are part of something much bigger and we must be good to others, if we want others and the world to be good to us.

Amusement
Adventurous
It's a good thing that you are filled with energy and ambitions (that others sometimes find exhausting) because you're continually looking for a new adventure and exciting experience. You struggle with a continual feeling of restlessness which constantly pushes you to the next level of excitement. Once you have accomplished one thing, you are eager to accomplish something more exciting, riskier and distinguishable.

Passion
Physical
You are a cuddle bug - from a warm hug shared with your best friend to steamy sex with your partner, you enjoy every bit of human contact that you can get. You demonstrate your love for others most fluidly through physical one-on-one contact and you feel the most loved when you are being touched. You feel disconnected when you are physically isolated from others. You're a people person and a lover of all things human.

Working with leftovers

I made this for lunch using the leftovers from Thanksgiving meal a couple of weeks back. It was just a simple dish of steak using ground beef topped with caramelized onions, grilled tomatoes and the leftover mashed potatoes, yam and cranberry sauce.

Doesn't look very appetizing, right? Lol.

Darn! What a pity!

I just missed an opportunity for an interview for a PR position in Toronto. Why? Because I cannot speak or write fluent French I only know basic French. Sigh. Such is the reality for my type of position.

Public relations, marketing communications or communications position is usually sited in the HQ of corporations as the people need to be in touch with the CEOs or upper management. Most corporations' HQs are in Toronto, and Toronto needs or prefers people who can speak, write, read the official languages (English and French) fluently. I have no issues with that. It does make sense as you are communicating to people, you need that skill.

Plus, one thing that struck me when I was in Toronto was that almost everything was in both French and English. All the signages in the buildings, brochures, information-related stuff. So a person working there will need to know both languages in order to vet the materials before they are printed.

So I have decided. When/If I get a job in Vancouver, I will go pick up French again and be fluent in it. Then I will try for positions in Toronto since the HQs are mostly there.

On a positive note, at least the interviewer/recruiter thought much of my experience/resume to call me to find out if I realize the position is in Toronto and if I am fluent in French (even though my resume stated I only know basic French). That is something to be thankful about.

About ME

Again, I did this in 2005. Hahaha. I must have been very bored then :p

Understand ME
*I am* a complex person
*I think* about what I can do and what I want to do
*I know* the Lord is always there for me
*I want* to have it all
*I have* very strong will and determination to be a better person
*I believe* in miracles
*I wish* there is no suffering in the world
*I do not* have everything that I want
*I hate* it when someone is late or doesn't do what they say they will
*I miss* having someone close to me
*I fear* falling down the stairs
*I hear* music?
*I wonder* what would it be if I had been more stubborn and rebellious
*I regret* speaking without thinking through
*I love* dark chocolates!
*I ache* when I think of what could have been
*I care* about people close to me
*I always* try to do the right thing
*I am not* who you think I am
*I dance* wildly
*I sing* rarely now
*I cry* when I am sad
*I do not always* have happy thoughts
*I fight* against boredom all the time
*I write* very infrequently now
*I win* when there is no competition
*I lose* all the time
*I confuse* apples with oranges
*I listen* to music
*I can usually be found* online
*I need* space to myself
*I am happy about* my friends
*I should* do more volunteer work

Nothing better to do

I found this from where I did previously in 2005. I will keep the old answers, and new answers in ( ) ;p

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Carolyn
2. Caro
3. San

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. silvercloud
2. carolyn
3. dreamfairy

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. understanding
2. smart
3. can dance

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. lazy
2. procrastinate
3. short-sighted

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. chinese
2. chinese
3. chinese?

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. cockroaches
2. weight gain
3. blood

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. wallet
2. cell phone
3. keys

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. glasses
2. bracelet (broke it, so it's anklet)
3. necklace

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS (or artists at the moment):
1. bsb
2. sarah connor
3. dido (Jem)

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. you are my desire - sarah connor (All Good Things Come To An End - Nelly Furtado)
2. climbing the walls - bsb (Falling For You - Jem)
3. hero - enrique iglesias (Last Night - P. Diddy)

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. jewelry-making (snowboard)
2. cooking a full meal (write a short story)
3. join a club (soft-rebonding my hair?)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):
1. communication
2. respect (honesty)
3. security (financial and emotional)

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:
1. i miss canada (i want a job in Canada)
2. i love eric lindros (i want a condo in Coal Harbour)
3. i miss nhl (I am a FaceBook addict)

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX (or same) THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. beautiful eyes
2. height
3. broad shoulders (or strong arms ;p)

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. finance stuff...no numbers for me
2. raise an eyebrow
3. sweep the floor

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. read
2. dance
3. shop

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. go out and have fun (get a job I like to do)
2. go for a drive
3. have a massage

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. tai tai
2. therapist
3. receptionist

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. maldives
2. greece
3. italy

THREE KID'S NAMES:
1. shane
2. renee
3. jewel

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. tell everyone i love them
2. write my will
3. pray

Hahahaha. I just have to laugh at some of my answers which I wrote back then :p

Cristos Greek Taverna

Appetizer of artichoke and pita bread

Main course of souvlaki

JH and CP took me to Cristos a few weeks back. I quite like the place - very homely and cosy. It is not a modern sleek place, instead it has lots of family touches to it with its pictures of Greece and woodsy furnishings. This is not a fancy place at all, I like it.

The pita bread is different, very fresh and fragrant and served warm. The appetizer of artichoke is ok, I am not a big fan of it. The main of souvlaki of mixed meat (lamb, chicken and beef) was really good. I think I like the rice and pita more than anything :p

Location

4624 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Tel: (604) 299-0008

Papaya Hut - NOT Thai Food

Pad Thai (not authentic)
Tom Yum Goong

I rarely blog about "bad" food but sometimes it is needed to warn others. I know taste is subjective and this is just to inform others if they want to go for Thai food.

We wanted to go to Orchid Delight, which has moved over to Broadway/Burrard from Willingdon, as I wanted to see if the food is still as good as before. Orchid Delight was one of the better Singapore/Malaysian food when I was living here years ago. We used to go there for its Hainanese Chicken Rice, Mee Goreng and Char Kway Teow. I think my favorite dish there was the Mee Goreng which was spicy and full of seafood and came in a huge portion. Hence it was also the place we always "ta bao" from when we held club's activties up at SFU.

Other friends raved about the Ice Kachang, describing the smooth shaved ice as being so authentic. I was not a fan of it even in Singapore so it never bothered me if that was real or not. Apparently the owners (can't remember if they are Singaporeans or Malaysians) imported the ice shaver machine from Singapore to get the correct feel. It was just a normal family run restaurant, nothing fancy at all.

Anyway, Orchid Delight was closed on the Sunday afternoon (only opened for dinner on Sunday and closed on Monday but opened other days), so we hopped over to Papaya Hut which seemed not too bad. Plus it was crowded and lots of traffic for take-out, with a couple of newspapers clippings on its window.

Bad mistake. I guess I was expecting Thai Express standard of Thai food (and Thai Express is not that authentic Thai either in Singapore). I ordered Pad Thai and shared the Tom Yum Goong. The pad thai looked so wrong. It tasted like fried kway teow in ketchup - sweet instead of spicy. And I wanted Thai Express version of crushed peanuts, wedge of lime and chili flakes. JH said it is HK version of Thai Food, apparently the Thai Food in HK is like that too. The Tom Yum Goong was not too bad, at least it was not made of the tom yum instant noodles paste thing. Still it was bad for Thai food.

If you want authentic Thai Food, Papaya Hut is one place to avoid. It is run by Chinese from either China or HK. I am still searching for good Thai Food in Vancouver.

Location of Papaya Hut

2435 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-739-2033

Vancouver Iron Chef - Rob Feenie

Okay, despite my love for food, I am not those who revere chefs or own cook books by renowned chefs e.g. Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger, etc. So this is quite another frivolous post cos I just wanna show that I took a picture with Rob Feenie - aka Iron Chef Vancouver because he has "won a battle against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" (from wiki) - at the Women's Expo held in Canada Place, Vancouver 2 weeks ago ;p

I still don't really know who/what he is besides the fact that he owns or is the executive chef at two restaurants in Vancouver which are highly acclaimed - Lumiere and Feenie's.

Feenie's seemed to be a contemporary restaurant which kinda reminded me of Marmalade Pantry in Singapore. I have not been there yet, so I am basing it on the website and menus.

Lumiere is an upscale restaurant serving French cuisine and has won numerous awards. It is similar to Les Amis Au Jardin with its degustation menu.

Location of Feenie's

ADDRESS 2563 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9

TELEPHONE +1. 604.739.7115

Location of Lumière Restaurant
Relais Gourmand

2551 West Broadway

Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9
Phone : +1. 604.739.8185

Food Presentation

Sometimes it helps to have an artistic eye. It sure makes something which is so simple becomes elegant or pleasing to the eye. JH is blessed with the artistic eye. She is amazing in turning "cheap, plain, chipped" things into something nice. My bedroom in Singapore is partially designed by her. She left before it was completed. So I just stamped my personality of being a pack rat in my bedroom now :p But yeah, the purple wall, the white furniture is all her doing. I just added accents which I like, based on her advice.

Just like her apartment over here in Canada. It is not very big but she managed to turn it into something you would see on a magazine. When Jason was here, he also mentioned how it seemed like a hotel room. The nice type - bathroom is stocked with all things one need, and the room is cosily presented with contemporary influence.

And now, the reason for this post. An evening snack for us. A simple snack of portuguese egg tart and flower tea. But look at how it was presented. It just made it more appealing, don't you think?

Moxie's Classic Grill

Drool over the burger at Moxie's Classic Grill. Click on it to get the full effect of the juicy double beef patties with the cheese melted all over and crispy bacons and sauteed mushrooms.

I ordered the x-treme burger which is basically a double patties with all the works and served with fries. It was a toss up between the pasta and the burger for me. In the end, I decided on the burger as with a name like Moxie's Classic Grill, I would think meat is its speciality :p

The burger was good. Huge but good. Good thing I was hungry as I didn't have anything before that. A pity one of the patty was a bit burnt though.