Embellish My Hair

I did not buy the below items, they were both little gifts from my sister, Ling. Thank you very much. I love both of them very much!

The first one is is purchased from Helen, my sis saw it & knew I will definitely love it as I love dragonflies. Thus she did not even hesitate and bought it for me. Sweet...

My Diamante Dragonfly Clip. It's small so it's just nice for my fringe.

The second clip is from a France website call Franceluxe, she was order some items & decided to give this one to me as it could not hold all her hair. It may be a pass-down item but I love it because the design's extremely classic.

Acrylic Tortoise Shell Clip

The finishing of the clip is extremely fine. Well, it's made in France.

An idea of how it looks in my hair

I love presents, they make my days brighter just like how you feel happy when you see your love one smile. Once again, thank you Ling!

Oh Not Enough Time...

Homecoming For Mr Fury

I did not manage to write an entry last night as I reach home a little too late and was completely exhausted, but here's my entry for today!

I brought my Office Guardian home today. Let me introduce him to you, his name is Mr Fury. He's job is to safeguard me from all evil and misfortune and I must say he did a good job as long as I'm in the office.

However when I showed him to Jade Jade, she immediately developed a disliking for him. Maybe it's due to his "not-so-cute" appearance. She started to avoid coming in contact with him and even made detours in order not to come face to face with Mr Fury. Poor Mr Fury, he's actually a very kind soul. Well, maybe she just need more time to accept having him around.



Mr Fury said: "Gimme a hug! Don't worry, I will not scorch you..."



A Little Update

I am very busy for the past week preparing for my transition, I believe the coming week will be even busier but I 'm sure I'll be able to handle it smoothly. I never knew a simple transition like this can be quite draining. This explains the significant decrease in my blog entries. I was hoping to make an entry today but I was completely engaged with setting up my new Apple toy that was sitting untouched in it's box, for the pass 2 weeks (that's how busy I got). Anyway, I'm looking forward for my 2 week long hiatus after completing my transit. Yeah...

I hope my plan goes smoothly this time...

I believe you are very busy too, somehow I've got this gut feeling...

I maybe able to keep to my plan to make an entry later tonight, but now, I got to fly get ready for my dinner appointment. It's going to be so yummy-licious!

Johor Bahru Lok Lok Supper!

It's has been sooooo long that I crossed over to Johor Bahru for supper thus I got quite enthusiastic (don't laugh) over supper. I was dreaming of all the stalls that I used to love and what will I order. Yum yum yum...

To add on to my anticipation, I had a real busy day and was trying to keep my starving tummy under wraps with much difficulty by the time my friend fetched me from my place. I was informed that everything was plan including what I was going to eat. Alright...

There's a slight jam on the Causeway, but it was nothing to fret about

Entering the Customs, no photography inside

First stop: Pamper the car with a Snow Wash

After the car was washed squeaky clean, we head down to Taman Sentosa and drove towards the familiar Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau. This is one of the hot spot Singaporeans head for late night supper.

"Are we going to have Abalone Noodle at Ah Piao?" I asked.

Nope, we parked right next to the noodle place and had to cross the road. Right in front of the Wisma Tiong Hua building, there was this little van parked there. It's a Lok Lok Kiosk! I've been craving for Lok Lok (乐乐串 which loosely translates to Happy Skewer) for the longest time.

I see Lok Lok!

Please don't finish all the food before I cross the road okie...

Phew... still have alot of food left

Can you see the sticks, they are skewered with enormous variety of ingredients. The man standing at the end of the kiosk (far left of photo) is "Boss", the important man in charge of cooking your meal.

I was slightly hyperventilating when I reached the kiosk. Oh what a spread! There's so many choices that my vision got blurry ( not that I was going to faint) because there's too many points my eyes will like to focus at the same time. They have everything on skewers there, you've got ingredients that started of as animals on fours, animals with wings, swimmers in the sea, something that had a shell (be it an egg or a shellfish), fruit/pod/leaf/root/stem/flower of a plant, the list goes on and on.

After I calmed down and explored the rows and rows of food, I not able to explain why, I started to check if they have any kind of skewered insect and was relieve to find none. Not that Malaysia is one of the "insect-feasting" communities around the world, but I just want to be sure. I my be quite a good eater, but I still have my limits plus watching Fear Factor did me no good in this sense...

Steps to get to your Lok Lok feast:

1. Approach the Kiosk and grab an empty but clean tray
2. Start selecting an assortment of ingredients on skewers, that's the most fun part (for me) because many a times, I was caught wondering "what is 'that' on the skewer I just took"
3. Hand over your filled tray to the "Boss"
4. Tell him/ her how you want your food to be done, you can choose either to fried or poached
5. Find a seat, settle down and wait impatiently for your meal

Waiting always seem to be forever, I'm always so hungry waiting waiting waiting... and finally my feast was served! Apologies if some of the below photos appear a little 'shaky' as the it was a cold night across the causeway and there was a great breeze going on.

The whole tray is mine! All mine. We had chili dip to go along, I must confess it's really "good stuff" (top left corner)

I was so busy snapping pictures that I did not realise the guy who served us was still standing there looking at me in awe. What? Do I look like an animal in captivity? So I took his photo as well

My favorite drink to go with fried food: Calamansi Lime Juice with Sour Plum. Extremely refreshing!

Makan makan! (meaning 'eat' in Malay)

Above: Shelled Quail Eggs, Below: Sliced Piggy Kidney (my friend's favorite, so I gave it a try )

Crispy Bacon

This is the star of the meal: Oyster Mushroom. Beware, it's so good that you may get hooked...

More Oyster Mushrooms

The mushroom were so addictive that I went on order 3 more skewers of it. As for the seasoning, they are around the same for most fried skewers. Once they were fished out of the fryer, they were left to drained for awhile. Thereafter they will be evenly "sprayed" (yes, they used a spray bottle like those used for spraying fine water mist on house plants) with their secret concoction, mostly made with light soy sauce and sesame oil. Lastly, pepper is sprinkled generously and they were ready to be served. It's a marvel to discover a simple combination like that can make oyster mushroom taste so addictive.

Thou shalt not be ambitious, I ended ordering too many skewers of oyster mushrooms and suffer from a Mushroom-Overdose I'll never forget that night. I told my friend that I'll most probably keep away from mushrooms in general, for a least 3 months. Do not underestimate how filling "a few" skewers can be. However I managed to get home ridiculously bloated but glowing with gratification.

I have blogged before that my friends call my "Goldfish" for my remarkably short memory span. Well, they have a legitimate reason... Less than a month after the above supper adventure, I forgetten about the incident and was ecstatical when my friend asked me to go along for another Lok Lok supper. This stall is slightly different from the first, you can also choose to grill your selection. No reward for guessing the first skewer I grabbed.



2 skewers of fried Oyster Mushrooms



Above: White Beech Mushrooms wrapped in Bacon, Below: Piggy Intestine (Another of my friend's favorite so I gave it a try as well)



A close-up for Grilled White Beech Mushrooms wrapped in Bacon





Mouth-watering Grilled Prawns, they were really delish! I wish you were there...





Super fresh Grilled Scallops, oh-so-juicy!

The second supper was wondrous as I've learnt to gauge how much I can consume to not suffer after. We order everything in moderation and truly enjoyed ourselves. It may be not the best place to eat in terms of hygiene level as it is a roadside-stall concept. However, I believe this is the way to go to experience different food cultures at times. Simple and rustic, no frills no pretence. I love it! Happy Feasting!

A Little Snack I Ate

How's your day? Mine's great, really great. It's busy as per normal in the office, however my attitude is completely serene. Even when I'm handle the worst case, I'm able to still remain extremely calm and comfortably eluding Zen-like aura.

I just hoping to post an entry before I meditate and sleep for the night, so it's going to be a short one!

During my rest days, if I'm done with my chores at home and don't feel too tired, I'll head out with a good book. I like to find a random cosy corner, may it be in a park or a little cafe or a hotel room or a library, settle down and take my time reading. This is a luxury for me as it's something I enjoy yet seldom have time to do. Thus I was very lucky to spend some time doing just this recently in New York New York.

The serviette

I order the Juicy Breaded Mushrooms...

and a New York Peach Cooler

The drink's mainly some kind of fizzy soda with peach syrup at the bottom, topped with a couple of peach slices.

I think I may be something more that made up my drink as it also has this slight citrusy taste, but it's so nice. I fell in love with it, will definitely order this when I visit again.

My mushroom snack! Other than prawns, I love mushrooms too.

I tell you, these full size White Button Mushrooms are really firm yet juicy. So yummy...

 I sat there for about an hour slowly munching on my tasty afternoon snack, sipping my refreshing drink and reading leisurely. I was completely at ease and enjoyed the session so much that I did not realise I've finished everything without knowing. Oh how time flies, I paid for the bill and left to fetch Jade Jade from her nursery.

Lastly, I was so busy recently that I was not aware Chinese Lunar New Year's approaching until I saw the above decor in the mall

I'm so tired today, that's all my Humbie. Goodnight and Sweet Slumber...

Let's Sleep To My Favourite Song

Shopping at Helen & Sasa!

I did a small Retail Therapy haul recently to brighten up my day (so happy)! Here's what I bought!

Aubergine Purple Bow Clip for my growing fringe

P/s: But I lost it, sob...

Black Acrylic Clip with Diamante Design, also for my fringe

Classic Butterfly Bow Banana Clip with Rhinestones for my ponytail

This worked nicely for my wavy hair nowadays, it did not work for my straight hair that I used to have

Crystal Star Earring (SGD 23.90), so pretty

I so glad that all the crystals are set & not "hot-glued" to the earring post, but that's what I expect for the price I paid.

The above are all purchased from Helen, one of my favourite "treasure cove" where I dig for pretty pieces. The rest are from SaSa.

Two more items I grabbed

Instruction of how to use the Electric Eyelash Curler

Before it's "ON", the 3 silicone indicators are red in color

As the applicator heated to the right temperature, all the indicators will turn white. It's ready for use! Please curl before applying your mascara...

This liquid eyebrow tint is applied with a fine-tipped brush in the form of a pen. It comes in only 2 shades (01 & 02), I happen to have both.

K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyebrow Swatches, 01 is on top & 02 is below

I used to fill in my brows with eyebrow powder but it will not last as long as I need it to due to the hot humid weather here. I was quite skeptical to try this product in fear that I do not have the skill to apply it the right way & end up looking like Crayon Shin-chan.

I overcame that & I bought myself one, hid in my room & tried using it for the first time almost a year ago. It was a breeze. Using light feathery strokes , I can easily fill in my brown & shape them with much more control. Just a little tip that I use if I got overzealous in application, I'll brush through my brows with a synthetic-bristle brown comb before it completely dries.

It does last until I get home from work which is a great plus! I'm totally convinced by this product that I purchased the other shade as well, definite a must have for me! Do give it a try if you are a victim of the Disappearing-Brows Syndrome, it may just solve your "little problem".

Private Christmas Dinner!

Sincere apologies, here's another blog that is late for a reason. I don't like to idea of revealing my friends/ love ones or my own travel plans in cyberspace before the event itself for safety reasons. Thank you for understanding.

Mr Funshine and Mr Benzu were leaving town for a year end trip last year, so I treated them a meal before they get too busy prepping for their holiday. We were loitering around Bishan Juction 8 and craving for Chinese cuisine, thus we happily settled with Crystal Jade!

The entrance

The serviette, I just like the color+ finish of the wrapper

Our order slips, the dish will be strike off once it's served

One of the all-time dish I'll always order, 3-Eggs Spinach. They have normal egg, Salted egg and Century egg cooked with "oh-so-tender" spinach in light but flavorful broth

Deep Fried Prawn Wanton with Salad dip

This is the kind of wanton wrap I love, it's super light & crispy

I munched on the succulent prawn, yum yum... Did you know, I super love prawns?

Tasty Deep Fried Prawns in Salt Egg Batter, see... I love prawns

Aww... how I wish you were there too

This is "Main Attraction" dish for the meal.

The restaurant is renown for their Meat Platter (normally run out of it if you drop in too late). In the above picture (from left to right) is Poached Chicken (油鸡), Roast Duck and Roast Pork.

The dip is a mix of finely diced spring onion, ginger in oil

Roasted pork which I ate with chili

Roast Duck which & ate with the dip provided, so well-marinated and tender

Fried Rice served in a stone bowl

I can taste Chinese fermented black beans (黑豆豆豉) in this rice dish, I did not know they go together so well. Simply delicious!

We washed our wonderful meal down with a few glasses of Chinese Tea

After the meal, as per our routine, we decided to chill over a drink before heading home. There's a nice little Olio Dome nestled in the nearby community centre where we do visit once in awhile. At that point of time, the place was "all dressed up" for Christmas. In my personal point of view, this quite a romantic place... it's make me feel as if I'm no longer in Singapore. Pity that the photos I took does not show how cosy the place is.

Beby making her guest appearance next to my Ice Lychee Earl Grey Tea

Something happened that day and I pondered, and this is what I derived at:

Don't fight over trivial matters, but I understand that transparency's between a couple is a double bladed sword. It can either make a relationship stronger or completely destroy one. However, I do envy people who can make the best out of their love for each other through all difficulties, I just never came across one who is strong enough to treasure me this way.