end of 2010, anticipating a new 2011

It feels like a blink of an eye. Everything went superfast in 2010. It's like life on a fast-forward button. 2010 is also a year of changes.

There were separation, down-sizing, and relocation. It's been the longest time, but I should move on. I know. All talk and no action. Didn't say changing is easy for me.

2010, is a year where alot of $$$ were spent. On studies, on leisure, on investment, and on unnecessary stuffs. Managing my finances is something that I need to work on in coming years.

Healthwise, this is also the year that I've started jogging. Something that I might never have done if not for the prompting from a few friends. Thanks buddies!

This year, I've also picked up a few vices. Mahjong and drinking sessions. Life now seems more fun! Hahaa!

Slowly bit by bit, the world seems to be expanding...

Grateful and thankful for the closing of 2010. And yes, the world is now crankier as well. Nothing is quite impossible anymore.

Here's wishing everyone, a joyous new year. Cheers to 2011!

oh oh...

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

it felt like christmas

Time spent with friends, is the best Christmas gift ever. But of course, there are the material stuffs too =P

Thank you, dear friends!

merry christmas~

Today is Christmas Day. Time to feel thankful, and to enjoy our blessings with our family and friends. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone.

Cheers!

冬至 (Winter Solstice Festival)

Today is the day we must eat 汤圆 (tang yuan or glutinous rice balls)! Some say, this day is even bigger than Lunar New Year! Click here for more info about the festival.

Long known as a tradition where families gather together and make/eat the tang yuan. Eating tang yuan, usually signifies additional longetivity (or so some hoped!).

tang yuan

sesame flavor

bought from Mr Bean~

At home, we usually make the tang yuan from scratch. But nowadays, it is soooo convenient. Just go NTUC to buy from the frozen food section and bring home to cook. Ready to eat in a few minutes. But for me, I bought them from Mr Bean outlet. It's a 3-in-1 thingy where I can get tau huey (beancurd), soya milk and tang yuan together in a bowl! And, it is on offer @$1.80 for today only. Haha!

wedding

I've been to countless of weddings and it's always a joy to be able to participate in the special occassion. Yesterday's venue was at Arts House @ Old Parliament. Imagine walking down the isle where Singapore's ministers once walked. Apparently, it is a popular venue as we'd seen 3 weddings held there yesterday. Cool eh?

window view

inside the Chamber

First Cabinet Ministers

wedding decor

duh

eating out in Kajang

Here are two of my favorite dishes to eat in Kajang. Porridge and chicken wings!

nice warm bowl of porridge

mixed pork porridge

congealed pig's blood

bbq'ed chicken wings!

yums!

we ate here

it looked like this

of old things

I think I like sepia more than black and white.

Sepia seems to evoke some nostalgic feeling from the pictures...

Raindrops Cafe @ *Scape

Here's how the place looked like at night.

Scape at night

was drizzling

Here are the stuffs that we ordered:

soft shell crab with wasabi mayo dip

chunky mushroom soup with truffle oil

marinara pizza

kurobuta pork rack

creme brulee

mascarpone mousse

Consistent food, and we found out that the calamaris and chicken wings were sold out for the night.. at 830pm!

macaron

assorted colourful macarons

This is one of the things that I just don't get it. Sure, it looked colourful and vibrant but it just taste like, well, sugar. Hmmm.. but come to think of it, candy floss also taste like sugar but at least it was fun for it to melt on your tongue when eaten.

It was to be a contrasting texture of delicate egg-shell like crust sandwiching moist and airy cream on the inside. In theory, this clash of texture plus vibrant colours are supposed to excite our senses but somehow, this effect is lost on me when it comes to macarons.

Believed to originate from Italy, this confectionary item is popular with the French. Way way back in the past (like in the 1830s), it was served two-by-two with jams, liquers and spices. Hmmm.. does it mean like the shell and fillings were served separately? The macarons as we see and know it today (double decker macarons), was said to be the creation of Pierre Desfontaines of the French pâtisserie Ladurée. This is a luxury cakes and pastry brand in Paris, France and it boasts of 15,000 macarons sold, daily! Wah.... that's a whole load of sweetness!!

colour me purple

So how about you? What is your take on macarons?

in search of that wild (aka ulu) places...

Saw it in the newspapers. A feature of the wild (ulu) places in Singapore. And I was at Suntec on Sunday with no where to go after 3pm. So decided to go and find Changi Coastal Walk (since that's the only place that I remembered out of that article haha!).

Pretty simple. Take bus #2 from Tanah Merah and alight at Changi Village. Fine. Got to the bus and did that.The bus ride took about 20-30 minutes, and it'll pass by Simpang Bedok (Spize!). Arrived at Changi Village and walked towards the ferry jetty, and was greeted by this sign.

ooh.. it started here

just follow the pathway

signage to show the way

expect nothing less than planes flying overhead when at Changi..

jetty view

to the sea

perfunctory beach sea view

Changi beach looked like any other beach in Singapore. So nothing to see.

a lady reading peacefully

it's getting late...

single coconut, fallen and alone

going home

berthed, and that's it for the day

And that concludes, the journey to the East...