To be young again

A friend sent me the picture he took of me when he was here way back in 2003. I have lost lots of pictures when my pc crashed like 3 times in 2003-2004. It sure brought back memories.

I wanna be young again. I looked so "green" there. Minimal makeup or maybe none in that pic. Haha.

We were at a teahouse somewhere near Chinatown. It was an awesome place as you get to select your tea and you brew it the traditional way yourself. It was a good experience for us both. It was also the first time I played tour guide, with itinerary and all for his visit :p

We explored many places, particularly those with war history as he is a war history buff. I took him to Changi Prison the Chapel and Musuem , Fort Siloso, Night Safari and not sure where else. Yes, we didn't go shopping except at Sim Lim Square where he shopped for gadgets.

Oh we also went to Army Market where we had a viva gathering for lunch. Sentosa for Images of Singapore, Merlion, Underwater World, Little India, Esplanade, Dim Sum at Yum Cha and the Heritage Centre...Gosh it has been so many years that I just don't remember much now.

Tomato Rice

I didn't take a picture of the tomato rice as it belongs in the "edible but unpresentable" category :p I was basically trying to clear the items in the fridge and had to improvise with what was available.

What can I make with these:
tomato pasta sauce with mushrooms
rice
chinese cabbage
onion
red pepper

I didn't particularly want to make pasta and I need to use up the cooked rice. I didn't really want fried rice or more porridge, so I thought to make the pasta sauce but over rice instead of pasta.

What I did:
Melt butter, fry sliced onions in pan. Then add red pepper and chinese cabbage. Sprinkle with basil garlic seasoning and freshly ground pepper.

Add rice to the pan and fry ala fried rice. Then add the tomato mushroom sauce and mix them all together. Cover so the steam can soften and cook the chinese cabbage and red pepper.

Serve with baked chicken strip.

It actually tasted not bad. Similar to those stuffed pepper or eggplant thing or risotto. Except it would be better if I actually have ground beef and not add the chinese cabbage. Wrong mix.

So next time :)

Staying busy

I am back to my busy schedule again, of meeting people and activities. This is similar to my lifestyle in Singapore where I tend to have my week filled with things. I quite dislike being inactive.

I need to get a 2008 diary, I like my current one from M&S. Good size to carry around. Hope there are some nice ones left when I get back.

My schedule for the next 2 weeks:
7 Dec - last minute shopping (likely SFU to get bumper sticker for Veron), not sure if i can get down to lougheed. then housewarming party at CLT's place, social night at another place.
8 Dec - likely lunch with S, coffee/walk with K, dinner with J
9 Dec - likely brunch/lunch with P, pack and move to CP's place
10 Dec - fly off
11 Dec - up in the air of no man's land
12 Dec - arrive SG, dinner with HZ
13 Dec - lunch with N and gym and hopefully a massage
14 Dec - again hopefully a massage and swim, dinner at IC's place
15 Dec - brunch at Pan Pac with IY
16 Dec - AN's baby 1st month celebration during lunch time
18 Dec - Facial
20 Dec - Meet SC

Jetlag? What's that?! :p Still need to schedule dates/meetings with SL, VL, R, S, and many more. Plus my routine of back to gym and massages. Oh yeah, I still have plenty of sessions left.

Krispy Kreme in North Seattle, WA

I finally had Krispy Kreme donuts. Surprisingly it is not so commonly found in Western part of North America. After a successful start in Canada when it first opened, with long lines of customers, the franchise (or company which brought it to Canada) went bankrupt after 2-3 years. No more Krispy Kreme stores in Canada, except for 6 locations. 6 stores in the entire Canada (2nd largest country in the world, how sad is that?) They can be found in Mississauga, ON, Delta, BC, Montreal, Laval, Quebec City in Quebec and Calgary, AB. These 6 stores are controlled directly from the US.

So it is not a wonder that I don't see so many stores, unlike other bakeries/fast food joints like Tom Hortons, Dairy Queen, etc.

So finally I got to try the donuts from Krispy Kreme again, fresh from the fryer in North Seattle :p Funnily I didn't really see it in downtown Seattle though a search online showed that there is actually a store just 1 block away from Pike Place.

The box of a dozen donuts
What we got: original glazed, chocolate iced kreme filled, chocolate iced with sprinkles, glazed raspberry filled, glazed lemon filled, chocolate iced cake, maple iced glazed

Rows of donuts
Half-eaten original glazed. Look at the amount of sugar in there! Simply too sweet to finish

Chocolate iced kreme filled with peppermint latte. The coffee is surprisingly pretty good.

Krispy Kreme Van
The baking station

The interior
Holly decorating the shop

Jack in the Box fries at KK

Here is my verdict on KK donuts. It is simply too sweet for my liking. Granted it is quite soft but just not that fantastic. I still very much prefer Donut Factory in Singapore. Tim Horton's donuts are sweet too but not as sweet as Krispy Kreme.

We almost dumped the entire box of donuts away. Lol. I took it back and gave to my friends back in Vancouver, so nothing was wasted. Or not that I know of. I only tried 3 donuts.

Comfort Food - Baby Porridge

I am getting so much better at making baby porridge. I still remembered the very first time I made it in Oakville back in 1994. I burnt so many pots of porridge. There was no rice cooker then (poor student), so we cooked rice using the pot.

The pot was not non-stick, so the rice will stick to the bottom of the pot and get burnt if the heat is not right. Well, you just learn by trial and error.

I used to get the mushy effect (HK style) by using the masher. I will mash the carrots and rice together. The usual way is through cooking it for a long time on low fire, simmering on the stove. That is when you will get the watery, gruel like effect. Smooth and can slide down your throat.

Today, I was feeling a bit peckish and didn't feel like having anything heavy or too processed. So the baby porridge it is. I was quite surprised it took only an hour or so to get the soft mushy effect without any use of masher. I think if you used lots of water, it would get mushy on its own.

Minced pork and peas porridge
Ingredients:

minced pork, seasoned with ground pepper and soy sauce

peas (frozen is fine)

spring onions

1 egg

salt

seasame oil

Method:
Place rice grains in pot with water and bring to a boil. Once it hit boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 45mins or so.

Prepare the meat and veggies

When the congee is at the desired consistency, add meat, peas and spring onions

Continue to stir to cook the meat

Add salt to taste

Add egg into the congee and stir

Add seasame oil

When stirring, the rice will break up further, giving a smoother consistency. When it reached the desired state, remove from heat and serve.

I like to sprinkle fried shallots on it, and have it with marmite or spicy preserved beancurd.

White Spot - 18 November 2007

We went to White Spot for lunch a few weeks back. White Spot is well known for its Triple-O sauce in its burger, and there is also a counter at SFU campus. I used to buy the burgers and shake. Mmmm...the strawberry milkshake is the absolute heaven. Really yummy with real strawberry bits and super big too. Enough to be a meal on its own.

I like the monty mushrooms burger and veggie burgers at White Spot. Zoo sticks were good too, but need to share as it can get jelak quite fast. Deep-fried does that to me.

We were not that hungry, so I had the chicken caesar wrap. The fries are refillable. How cool is that? Even then I had to doggy back the other part of the wrap. Too big.

Chicken Caesar Wrap - A classic! Chicken, fresh romaine, bacon & Parmesan freshly tossed in our signature Caesar dressing. 8.99

Jason and Ria shared the Fajita Salad. See how huge it is!

Fajita Salad - Tender strips of Angus sirloin sautéed with our special blend of spices, garlic butter and seasonal vegetables. Served over Romaine lettuce tossed with our Southwest Parmesan dressing in a crisp tortilla shell. Jack and Cheddar cheese, sour cream cilantro sauce & salsa. 12.49

For more info:
White Spot

MDA Senior Management Rap (on YouTube)

A friend in Canada sent me this.

I am so embarassed by this clip if it is really official. It is definitely entertaining and funny but sooooooo embarassing (to be a Singaporean).

Why must the government try to act hip and all that?

***************************************************
This is even worse! It actually made the papers (The Vancouver Sun) in Canada and Reuters.

Yo! Singapore censor rap hits YouTube

Reuters
Friday, November 23, 2007
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's Media Development Authority, which regulates and censors media and the arts, has scored an unexpected hit on YouTube with a rap video about the city-state's media ambitions.

The YouTube posting has received more than 11,000 hits -- and a string of snide postings on the video site (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLw28UVWEU&feature=related). The government body aims to promote the growth of the media industry, to promote "core values" and safeguard consumer interests, its Web site says. It hopes the rap video will showcase its potential to be "a vibrant media city."

But critics say this ambition does not rhyme with Singapore's regular censorship of films and theatre and the many defamation lawsuits its government have launched against foreign media.
In the video, middle-aged executives are seen moving and shaking to a rap tune, mouthing lines from a corporate brochure.

"William Hung is more entertaining," said one of the YouTube postings, referring to the goofy singer made famous in American Idol.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq)

Report from The Vancouver Sun

Blue Roses

I do adore flowers though I am not one to keep flowers in the house. Living at JH's place, she has flowers all the time, especially since her bf works at a flower auction company and he will give her flowers which are meant to be dumped (as in not sold and thus left to the bin). How useful :p

But it does give flowers a new life, to be appreciated by people who love flowers, instead of being left to languish and die a slow death.

One day he surprised her with blue flowers. So pretty. I have always love blue roses. I am not sure if it is a natural phenomenon or they have been dyed. What amazed me was the way it dried naturally.

I know in Singapore, if I want to keep my roses, I have to hang them upside down. They will just die if left in a vase. But over here, it just dried in the vase. So cool.

I still prefer to admire flowers in its natural environment i.e. park or garden, especially tulip fields. But for cut flowers, I do like roses and gerberas and daisies. I think they can keep well in vases and they are pretty too :)

Are You A Hopeless Romantic?

Not too bad...I thought I would be cynical or something :p

Balanced Romantic

You are the ideal balance of romance and sensibility. Well you enjoy most things romantic, you tend to keep yourself firmly grounded so that the romantic doesn't overcloud your sensibility. You aim to make decisions by following the heart, but you also let your mind take the lead in most situations. You understand the importance of a balance between your emotions and your thoughts. When you approach a new situation, you try to look at it from all possible angles and only proceed when you are confident that the situation is right for you. The same can be said for your love life. When you meet somebody that you are attracted to, you want to know some of their basic details before allowing yourself to fall head over heels in love. But once you fall in love, you are confident about your decision and you are usually right in the decisions that you make.

Kerr and S.E. Marine

Walk down Kerr towards SE Marine

Find the metal leaf printed or etched onto the sidewalk

Can you see the other leaf?

When I was staying with another friend at Kerr and SE Marine, near the Fraser River, I liked to walk up Kerr to Champlain Heights Strip Mall. That is mother nature's stairsmaster.


It was so steep, at more than 45 degrees angle, I think. I tend to feel the burn on the walk up towards Everett Crowley Park. There was just no end in sight and you wonder when it will flatten out.

It was no wonder that I never noticed that on the sidewalk, there were metal prints of leaves, different types of leaves. That was so cool as they just blended in with the real leaves.

The walk down was very easy and you would be greeted by the view of the river. Pretty!

Sephora History

Call me anal, but I do like to get my facts right or as correct as possible. It is just a process of learning.

When people mentioned Sephora, USA comes to mind. It is not surprising as Sephora is currently the leading retailer of perfumes and cosmetics in the United States and the second largest in Europe. If you go to Sephora.com, you can find over 250 brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, makeup, bath & body, and haircare, in addition to Sephora's own private label.

However Sephora is not an American brand, instead it started from France way back in 1969 and was bought over by the LVMH group in 1997.

The first Sephora store opened in New York in 1998 and the very first Sephora store in Canada opened in Toronto in 2004.

So that is why I have never seen Sephora when I used to live in Canada. It was before my time. Right now there are over 91 stores in America and around 515 stores in 14 countries worldwide, and they are still expanding rapidly.

I am waiting for the day Sephora.com will accept international credit card so that people living in other countries where there is no Sephora can purchase the products. Plus the website definitely carries more items than in the actual stores.

For more information, check out: Sephora - About Us.

Another personality test

You are a Healer!
(Submissive Extroverted Concrete Feeler)

You are a HEALER (SECF)— caring, good with people, and patient. You are completely selfless and full of love. As a concrete feeler, you do well with your emotions, which are very strong. You understand and appreciate *why* you feel the way you do, and for the most part you're at peace with yourself.

Suffering in the world really pisses you off.

In relationships, it's easy for you to get hurt. Avoid all kinds of dominant (D***) people, *especially* in dating or marriage. You are a motherly figure, even if you're a guy. If you're a girl, make sure you're a mom some day. The world's children need people like you.

On the rare occasions when you try to assert yourself, you're cute and awkward, but highly effective.

The Personality Test.

Sunrise at Lake Okanagan

Sunrise at Lake Okanagan, 29 Nov 2007, 8:20am

Ray of light peeping through the clouds at 9:06am

This is the sight which greeted me after a whole night of snowing at Westbank which is across from Kelowna. Sunrise. I always love sunsets, watching the sky turning into shades of pink, orange, purple before becoming inky darkness.

Maybe the reason why I am never into sunrises is because I never wake up early enough to catch it. But looking at the amazing sight with the ray of light peeping through the clouds and falling onto the sparkling water, it makes me feel so small and in awe of God's creation.

Being in Lake Okanagan, it allows you to fully appreciate and marvel at God and what he has created on this Earth. The snow-capped mountains. The deep valleys. The clear lake. The trees. The snow. The cloud. The sky. Everything is just simply breathtaking. I just want to stay out there and just take in as much as I can of this vista.

**Click on pictures to get a bigger view**

Estee Lauder Holiday Blockbuster 2007

I am probably crazy but I actually bought the Estee Lauder Holiday Blockbuster when I was down in Portland. I first saw it on Sherie's post in her blog. It was a very good deal with the brush set. So now I have a problem. How to transport that back. Lol.

The set includes:

4-piece brush set

1 eyeshadow compact

1 blusher compact

3 lipsticks

3 lip glosses

1 lip pencil

1 eye pencil

1 mascara

1 traincase

1 cosmetic case

All these for US$48.50. In Singapore, it is going at S$98 and in Canada it is going at C$60. The CAD is still kinda on par with USD or slightly higher so the US$48.50 does look very attractive, especially since there is no sales tax in Portland *grin*

In Canada/USA, you just need to buy a fragrance to get the set at US$48.50 which is worth US$250. So there I was, thinking of which fragrance to buy. It has been so long since I last bought anything from Estee Lauder. Funny how I started out with Estee Lauder and Lancome for makeup and fragrances when I was younger.

Then I saw Tuscany Per Donna. I was stunned, I thought it has been discontinued since I never saw it in the Singapore counters or anywhere else. Turned out EL never discontinued any of its fragrances, maybe in Singapore they just do not carry the entire range.

Fragrances seemed expensive in USA. US$45 for a bottle! And it is only 50ml for Tuscany Per Donna. Alas, the scent was not what I remembered it to be. I used to love this scent back in the 90s.

Product Details: As sensuous and luminous as the Italian countryside.

This fragrance perfectly captures the warm light and relaxed sensuality of a romantic hillside villa. Even the name Tuscany Per Donna, which means "Tuscany for Women," reflects the lush blend of blooming flowers and Mediterranean herbs, softened with rich sandalwood and sweet vanilla.

Fragrance Type: Floral/Oriental

Top Notes: Rose, Muguet, Citrus, Mediterranean Herbs

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Carnation, Honeysuckle, Peony

Base Notes: Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla

By now, I really feel like getting the set as I want to replace my existing blusher brush (also from EL in 1999) as it is pretty old now and is starting to shed a little but still in pretty good condition. It is so hard to find a good brush which gives you control on the application. Also, I quite like the SA who was very patient in helping me convert the oz to ml and find out the fragrance notes.

Then I saw Beautiful Sheer. I tried it and it was nice. I quite like it. Something different from my usual citrusy/fresh/fruity fragrance choice. It was pricey too at US$45 for only 30ml. Since I rarely buy fragrances from EL, I didn't know what is the usual price in Singapore.

Anyway, I decided to get it and the set too :)

Product Details: A sheer blush of flowers.

Beautiful Sheer is lighthearted, radiant, romantic. Deliciously blending bright floral notes and a sheer woody accord, this inspired scent feels light, airy and modern.

Key Fragrance Notes:

Michelia Fogii--a petaly floral note, full of movement

Nashi Pear--wet and sensuous, to thrill the senses

Linden Blossom, Mimosa Flower, Ginger Lily--radiant, rich, iridescent

Padouk Wood, Boxwood--a sheer, woody blend that lends delicate balance

Snow, Snow, Everywhere

It has been snowing lots, from the Okanagan Valley since 28 November till now in the Lower Mainland (Greater Vancouver), and is set to snow even more according to the news report.

So I have been stuck at the apartment as I am up on the mountain and the roads were not cleared fast enough. Vancouver is definitely getting better at dealing with snow, but it is still not as efficient as other cities which have snow (lots of snow) all the time.

It seemed like I will be stuck in the apartment again. Not a good idea to drive down the mountain if the roads are still icy or covered with snow.

*********************
Snow storms set down across Canada

CanWest News Service
Sunday, December 02, 2007

It may not yet be winter according to the calendar, but that didn't seem to stop violent snow storms from pummeling much of eastern and western Canada this weekend.

Weather warnings were still in place Sunday morning for much of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, with snow fall and severe weather expected across the board.

Vancouver was sacked with snowfall overnight and Environment Canada forecast a 30-centimetre blanket there by Sunday night. The western province can also expect freezing rain and showers to add even more danger to the roads later on.

By Saturday evening, ferries and flights were experiencing delays of up to 45 minutes. Road conditions on highways were also bad, reported the Vancouver Sun.

In Ontario, Environment Canada was issuing serious warnings to residents to watch the weather.

"This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions... Listen for updated statements,"_said the organization's website.

Some parts of Ontario could expect to see a 35-centimetre fall of the white stuff Sunday. The same storm was affecting parts of the United States below the border, so anyone headed to Wisconsin, for instance, should take warning.

Also under storm watch are Newfoundland and Labrador, which might suffer from 100-kilometre/hour winds, and southern Quebec, which might see 30 centimetres of snow by Sunday night, said Environment Canada.

© CanWest News Service 2007

Bags - LeSportsac and Kathy Van Zeeland

I so "heart" my new bags. It took me pretty long to buy them. I deliberated for a long time before deciding to just get these two - LeSportsac Classic Hobo Gelato and Kathy Van Zeeland Medium Satchel from Crown Princess Collection in Army.

These are handy as I had to throw away my beloved U2 bag, and likely the Gap mini hobo as there is a hole in it.

Birds or Leaves?

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

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

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

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

Nagano Japanese Restaurant - Port Moody

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

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

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

MAC Holiday Antiquitease 2007 Collection

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

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

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

Video of Snow Falling

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

It's Snowing!

Taken 40 minutes after the first snowfall

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

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

Christmas in Starbucks

Peppermint Mocha with sprinkles

Christmas mug and cover - red and green unite once again

The christmas menu on a "stocking"

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

Prima Taste Again

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

Mee Goreng

Chicken Rice

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

Tim Hortons

Boston Creme donut and English Toffee Coffee

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

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

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

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

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

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

ChocolateTuxedo Cream Cheesecake

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

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

Garburator Friends

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

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

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

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

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

North Vancouver - Lonsdale Quay Market

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homemade Bread and Butter Pudding

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

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

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

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

Here is the recipe I used:

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

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

Jen's Nasi Lemak

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

Failed Chicken Curry

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

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

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

Statement from TASER International

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A Senseless Death

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Sephora Loot in Action

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

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

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

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

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

Lips
Nivea lipbalm in strawberry

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