the procrastinator's dish.

i cooked i FINALLY cooked today! as in 'heat the pan, pour the oil' cook and not 'take off wrapper, put in microwave cook'..

we had so much rice leftover from last night, i decided to get my act together and make fried rice for lunch.. i went to allrecipes.com for a sure-fire fried rice recipe and made up my mind to grocery-shop but due to procrastinator's syndrome, i went to town instead and had a hotdog.. haha.. i'm really bad, right?

but ANYWAY i did eventually make my way down to the supermarket and got myself corn, onion and soya sauce.. i chopped and diced my way through the ingredients -rather therapeutic session with the onions-, and fried the miscellenous together and this is my favourite part- mixing in the beaten eggs.. at first i was like crap two eggs is too much! what a soggy mess i have made.. but turns out it was fine and the end result was pretty marve-licious..

of course, it probably tastes better because i did it ,myself! the haha.. the egg was sinewy, loosely-wrapped around each grain of rice.. with all my favourite ingredients like corn and ham, dish was aromatic and replete of self-satisfaction.. good thing i made a sizable portion.. so its fried rice for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch.. hoho..

communal dining.

more pictures here

our kitchen decided to make dinner for everyone last night.. it was a warm affair supported by simple dishes and the rare opportunity to sit down with everyone for a common meal.

we had meatballs with tomato sauce, mashed potato, rice?! and salad..

i had so much rice.. with all things the tomato sauce.. i probably forgotten how much i missed rice and it didn't even cross my mind till i had my first bite.. then the was the problem of stopping. haha.

the meatballs were tasty but supermarket-bought which meant extra fat and chemical.. but it was good if you overlooked the negative factors.. the salad and feta cheese mix was well salad.. haha.. made to make all of us feel 'healthy' and the mashed potato stephanie created was definitely a whipped-mashed delight which held up nicely on his own with the need for any gravy or sauce...

i sure hope this continues every sunday!

during one of our introduction seminars, the speaker didn't fail to mention how copenhagen has one of the highest suicide rates in the entire world.

don't worry, i am feeling sucidal at any rate! haha.. just trying to prove a point that this town is dead on sundays. heh.

it took me a while to decide what to do today since 99% of the malls and stores were closed.. i had my books to read but really, an entire day in a 10x15 room would make anybody apply for a weekly visit at the mental institute. so i decided to walk to downtown. yes, the stroget region.

why did i do it?
1. i could get to know town better
2. i had to walk off those pineapples tarts binges
3. well, I HAD NOTHING ESLE TO DO

so i took out my map, played with the directions and walked and walked and walked to inner copenhagen. i took about 45 mins per trip and am proud to say, i would save myself 23kr. on future trips. well, i still wouldn't be able to afford frozen chicken fillets but what the heck.

funny place this is. WHY WHY WHY do shops close on sundays!? why are the people here so entitled to their rest days that they fail to see how it drives others to the point of semi-insanity.. ??? the only places open for business in europe's largest pedastrian shopping district were the macdonalds, burger kings and a handful of cafes.

i better get used to this.

thank god, school starts tomorrow. can't hardly wait.

happy chinese new year!

please have all the pineapple tarts and cornflake cookies on my behalf. sigh. i am really such a wuss.. i just got off the phone with my parents who had just returned from their reunion dinner with the exptended family.. and i am ashamed to say this because i would only end up looking like 'chicken-baby-cry of the century,' but how do people handle this?! how did my two sisters stand being apart from the family for so long throughout festive holidays or birthdays!?

i would give anything to spend chinese new year with my family right now.

strogeting.

the last day of intrduction week took us to the steeets of inner copenhagen itself, namely the much- celebrated shopping district stroget.

the day kicked off with a 'treasure hunt' where we visited sites such as the frederiskberg church, round tower and amalienborg palace where the present queen currently resides. ya-dah ya-dah, you can tell the so-called must-visits didn't exactly leave much of an impression but i do think that it would be more pectacular during spring and summer. i even caught the marching of palace guards! no clue marching to where though..

along the way, we had to fill up a simple questionaire and frankly, i have no idea what the ultimate 'treasure' is but lunch was an affair to have and hold.

the exchange crew took us to cafe riz raz for a buffet! apologies but here in copenhagen, any chance to have a complementary hot meal deserves epic mention.

i fulfilled my italian fantasy of lasange and pizza and made space for the yummy potato nuggets.. here's the funny bit- it is supposed to be a vegetarian buffet but by lor-, the food was so incredibly good, it would convince any carnivore to make an exception- just this once.

after the tummy was appeased, the mind needed some simulation and i ventured along europe's largest pedastrian shopping street- stroget for some good loving window shopping. unlike orchard road where we have sky-scrapping malls, the streets here are lined with boutiques and little shops that provide for an extremely quanit shopping experience. here you can find all the brands and what i like is how unpretentious everything is- where esle can you find h&m baby beside chanel?

fashion aside -be good darling~- copenhagen has amazing interior designer stores and i found this amazing treasure trove of all sorts of trinkets that i wanted to covet.

such as these chinky-chong thermoflasks. they sell all sorts of seriously-unnecessary-but-got-to-have items and to add on to its appeal, you suddenly find crates of koka instant noodles.. like NO LINK?! but that's part of the appeal.. i am not really to sure of its exact address.. but believe me, i will be BACK. haha..


as you all know, winter cuts the day short and this is copenhagen at four.. days like these make copenhagen worth hanging on for.

urgh, my throat is killing me.

a day in copenhagen

noa noa.

cruising along stroget, i discovered a new brand called 'noa noa'- it was so pretty and feminine.. think classic pastels woven into modern adaptions of those before them.. the good people at noa noa probably had enough of the jeans revolution and decided to undo the damage by weaving collections that mimic the cry of those who unabashedly indulge in feminity.



noa noa now please!

last night, i caught up with kevin, remember the exchange student who visited SMU last year? we met at the school cafe, which converts to a bar/ club on thursday nights.. and you should know by now that in copenhagen, a bar/ club in school does include nicotine, alcohol and oud thumping music and the doo- dahs. He introduced me to his friends, usual formalities were exchanged and we sat in the smoke- ridden room, chatting around before leaving for supper at zugar baby's.

zugar baby was a modest dimly- lit restaurant that exuded family- run- business cosiness. kevin's friends had every intention of savouring the Mexican burger, which i may add looked so scrumptious, almost made me wish i could summon a broomstick and speedfly back to my dorm to grab my camera. crap, too bad dinner was a done- deal back in dorm otherwise, i would have loved to try the mexi-calories-can burger.. sigh, consequences would have been near- fatal though

i decided to settle for a hot drink.. they recommended the irish coffee and i was really really hesitant since it was listed under the alcohol section. however the drink would have looked rather yummy.. it resembles an affrogato (coffee with icecream), only that it is actually coffee with whisky and sugar, topped with loads of whipped cream. i say order it if whisky is your thang.

both his friends have the word 'comical' written all over their forehards.. one even pulled out an extremely outdated map to show me where we were and where i stayed.. oh both had just returned from exchange programs as well- from canada and bangkok and we were just trading stories about our travels.. it's not everyday you met well- travelled danes, if i may add.. kevin even semi- promised to celebrate chinese new year.. speaking of which, i am feeling incredibly homesick RIGHT NOW.

also, this is the night I realized how expensive cabs in copenhagen were. nothing's cheap here.. except maybe corn kernels.. but the meter starts at 19kr (6 sing dollars) and within 5-7 minutes, it jumped to 60kr (20 sing dollars).. i felt awful especially since kevin was kind enough to ferry me to and fro the restaurant back to my place.

if you are interested: http://www.zugarbaby.dk/

today's a pretty good day.

the orientation group visited the school's language center where they have a library that houses english fiction and non- fiction books. although, i didn't have my library card just yet, my exchange crew leader was kind enough to loan me hers and i borrowed alexander mccall smith's the full cupboard of life and monica ali's brick lane.. you have no idea how pricey the books are here so to loan them for free... ooo what great feeling!

see this? a SMU campaign to stop smoking. to most danes, this would have been a cultural shock.. add on to the list of idiosyncracies of unisex toilets and school cafes serving alcohol, smoking is a common activity- yes even in school.

i know i have been here a week but i do gradually get the feeling that we are too uptight back at home. sometimes i feel we are so sheltered, our dependency on the governemnt and our parents serves as a two-edged sword that would eventually slit us if we are not careful.

here in copenhagen, they trust 18 year olds to make decisions about issues like whether they want to blacken their lungs or drown their liver in alcohol, amongst other things. like in singapore, you got to be 21 before you can try out MOST adult activities and many only move out of their homes when they get married..

to me, doesn't it seem like a poor testimony of your education system if you cannot even trust 18 year olds to make wise decisions. what have you been feeding them for the past 18 years then?

snow snow snow. walter and i were supposed to head down to school for a talk and it was snowing so hard.. the bus that we could have taken was discontinued for the day for some reason. the thing about snow is not that the freezing temperatures that it creates but rather, the difficulty of walking or trugging through it and the grey grim that lingers on? - dirty stuff.

but i am rather used to the cold. i can actually walk through town with my overcoat unzipped! haha.. with three layers on though..

arh, got to confess i bought two shirt dresses today. but but it was ON SALE!.. yeah, like that's perfectly excusable. anyway i simply love shirt dresses since you can hardly find them in singapore. they look spring-ish but i will manage.. haha..

sometimes i wonder if i am getting my piorities right though. i refused to spend 34kr on 2 bus rides to my buddie's place for dinner and i didn't pay another 350kr for the introduction week's evening activities- both simply because i didn't think i would derive as much enjoyment as i would have with my other trivial pursuits.

i know it sounds awful to be missing out on activities that were especially organised to brighten up my arrival here in copenhagen.. but really, i think it all boils down to piorities. seeing how i don't have limitless spending budget here, i really got to choose what best enhances my stay in copenhagen. i can't eat well, travel well and shop well ALL at the same right?

i am telling you that having to calculate your every meal or any other purchase really sucks. sigh. for example today, we were supposed to walk over to the other school building for lunch and i was so tempted to make a flee for 7-eleven's 10kr hotdogs.. but it was quite a walk and i didn't want to drag walter along.. so i spent a good 10 minutes circulating the very very concised cafeteria wondering what i should have for lunch.

a. chocolate croissant for 9.75kr
b. hot meal of curry goushlash and rice for 25kr
c. a bowl of salad for 14.75kr
d. sandwich with filling of your choice for 26.50kr

in the end, i settle for the salad with a bread roll that costs me 19.50kr in all. and when i think of how i could settle lunch for just 10kr, it made my heart bleed.

walter had the bacon and egg sandwich.. he's from holland and one heck of a funny guy. i spend a lot of time with him because we share the same kitchen back in our residence hall and we are in the same orientation group.

what's for dinner? honestly, apart from today's omelette for breakfast, i haven't really COOKed for myself since the 'mackeral and cheese pasta' success. last night, dinner consisted of a huge can of corn kernels, 5 pineapple tarts and a couple of slices of bread and i was done.

easy- peasy.

honestly? before and during the first few days of arrival, i always had the impression that i would be surrounded by 'poor starving living on yesterday's lunch' students.. but looking back, no one seems to be that bothered. they do talk about how expensive it is compared to home.. the groceries, the transportation WHILE stirring their chicken tandoori.. which isn't the most apporpiate when you are talking to people who have to literally consider pasta their staple because it is more economical.

hmmm... what's for dinner....

orientation started today and all the exchange students met up in the evening for a short briefing before heading down towards the 'grock' for a get-to-know-you ice-breaker session.

nothing out of the blue, no? well, except the 'grock' was a little outlet which serves all the alcohol you could afford and plays loud hip- hop thumping music that you could perhaps use for ice breakers.

yes, the school brought us to a club on the first night of orientation! clubbing, drunkards, dirty dancing -gasp- can you see this happening in singapore? haha.. yet another cultural difference..

i had fun, i think. didn't drink at all and wearing three layers in a club made things hot in a very unsexy manner.. but now my clothes reek of smoke and i am waiting for my hair to dry...

i hate the aftermath of clubbing.

brussels, come 24th feb!

it's sunday and the entire copenhagen is on hibernation mode.

but the sun is out today! i got dressed and walked down streets of closed shops for about an hour before retreating to my very very humble abode.

i guess the best thing to do right now would be to catch up on all the hollywood goss.. yes, nothing takes your mind of boredom better than some eashy-queshy tabloid sensation.. here's a picture of rachel weisz for the new Burberry London fragrance ads. she's beautiful huh? she and liv tyler tie for number one in my opinion of the most beautiful actresses around.

made some new friends from the residence hall kitchen.. steve and stephanie from the states, clemont from france, steffi and timo from germany.. had fun sitting around the table getting to know the rest..

success on the second try.

pretty pretty proud of myself today for i whipped up a 10-minute that actually tasted g.r.e.a.t!

this was my second attempt at cooking for myself, with the first- spagetti with canned, not bottled, tomato sauce with brocoli and ham, tasting worse than prison food.. not that i have tried prison food... anyway tonight, i did pasta -again- but this time round, i had with me a can of mackeral in tomato sauce, which i presumed tasted like sardines, and a packet sliced krafts-style cheese.

so i boiled the pasta, de-canned the mackeral and popped them into the microwave for like tem minutes though they were done in two!.. lay the sliced cheese in the mackeral and microwaved the duo, before mixing in the pasta. ok fine, not much technique needed huh.. i didn't take nay pictures of it since it would make you lose your appetite but i was surprised by the difference the cheese made. a lathering of rich, creamy texture, i was extremely satisfied by the outcome though i know three more bites would have made it gelat.. so i am recommending it to carbonara- lovers- its a much healthier alternative.

i heart microwave.

for everything esle, there's mastercard.

well if yesterday was a C- day, today is definitely an A day!

under strict orders to get boots (haha, i like to think of it that way mum), i went down to the mall to observe prices and check out what everyone was wearing too. but i had to be carefyl since i only had a uob credit and posb debit card since my dankes bank card was not available yet.

at aldo, i was thrilled to finally find good-looking un- 'rejects'- looking boots for 400kr (about S$106+) as on my way, it seemed like the norm was to pay 699kr (for those on sale) or 1000kr for the new arrivals. i flashed my uob card at the saleslady and asked if i could use it. she asked if i knew the PIN code and i was almost dumbfounded like wha-? and she was likee, "you need a PUN code.. otherwise you have to show us your passport.. everyone knows that" ..... good friends of mine, you can only imagine my facial expression at this point in time..

fine ALDO, i will take my business eslewhere. i went to SKO and asked if i could use my card without a passport and the lasy was like, "sure".. *sticks tongue out at ALDO* and went on the find a pair of good-looking un- 'rejects'- looking boots for 350kr. yeayeayea! at the cashier's, i was all ready to sign my way out of misery when the lady asked me to type my PIN code and i was like the is a credit card?! how come i need a PIN code? and in any event, didn't the perks of credit card include allowing you to sign for all your recreational activities? the pen is always mightier then the sword.

it wasn't embarressing or anything but i really needed the boots and in a glimmer of hope, i took out my posb debit card.. but like what were the chances of it working if my other card didn't work right? glad to be proven wrong (again), it worked! almost miraculously, my humble very-unglam orangey-yellowish posb debit card gave me access to the wonderful world of retail therapy. i even broke into a grin when the saleslady at SKO said, "saved by your mastercard.." yea mastercard? i'm lovin it.

then it struck me that i could go on a crazy rampage since the most of the stores were offering discount on SUMMER clothes.... what a champagne cork-popping moment! it really helps that since it is wired to my account, i settle the bill instead of my dad, thus erasing scenarios of, "why did you spend so much at h&m?! ALL MY HARD-EARNED MONEY....!!!" of course i am exaggerating since my dad has been more than generous.. well look, i am IN COPENHAGEN! haha...

the point i am trying to make is, having your OWN money to spend is so addictive since you don't have to answer to anyone.. like how could women be financially- dependant on their husbands or boyfriends if they had a choice?!

so anyway, i walked around re-looking at the once-so-desirable beautiful wrap dresses and feminine outfits that would have looked marvellous against the backdrop of copenhagen's summer. but typical me- once i have the means to afford something, i usually lose interest in it. so i went over to the IT shop and bought myself and internet cable.. and the supermarket for mackeral in tomato sauce and cheese.

it was three by the time i left the mall and i headed towards 7-11 for i had previously seen signs of an offer on their frankfurter hotdogs.. one for 10kr (usually a normal takeway would have cost 20kr or more).. delicious!

i just got off the phone with my parents and when my mum heard that i had a hotdog for lunch, she was all, "you better lcook proper meals..." sigh, shopping for the ingredients is so much easier.. haha

so now i have a stable internet connection and the satisfaction of knowing that i could just afford non- essential items like a new sudoku puzzle book and home interior ornaments was enough to warm a -2 degcel today.

eww day.

today is so gross, it really deserves a medal for "like hell day," only that it was freezing to the devil's bone..

i had to get to the international office to pick up my timetable and programme for the introduction week. using the "resident's handbook" that they provided me with, i realized the international office was at another building (not the one called 'solberg plads' that was nearer to my residence hall) but at 'dalgas have' which was where the international party was held nights before. though a map was provided for, i was hoping to use my not-too-well-regarded navigation skills and familiar markers such as the thai takeaway to guide me there.

i started my journey at 1:30pm and walked and walked in grimy grayish puddles/ snow till i got desperate, wondering where the heck the place was. i finally found a bus map and realized i had been heading in the opposite direction for about twenty minutes. grr, thus I had to make my way back in the blistering cold, seeking directions to 'dalgas have' from too kind strangers who could make little out of my accent. it was a long and treacherous road, made worse by the fact that i only had normal sneakers on since it wasn't long before I realized the bottoms of my jeans were soaked and my sneakers barely holding up.

trekking along, i finally found credible familiar sights- a semi-circle curved beautiful residential apartment that led up to the school. i hurriedly made my way to the second floor and observed the total time taken.. great, I had used an hour fifteen minutes for what could have been a twenty minutes journey. but at least I was in shelter, away from the insidious snowfall outside.

"sorry, i think they have moved only a couple of weeks ago" i was this close to taking off my soaked sneaker and throwing it at somebody! But really, the only person i could throw at was myself for they did inform us (through email) that they were changing offices during new year's period but how was i supposed to know the residential handbook wasn't updated, when after all, how much would printing costs have cost!? *^$@%$%^&( by then it was two forty- five and i had shown signs of cracking. then again, i have already made it this far and i might as well moved on.

bearing in mind previous instances of stupidity, i decided to make a call to find out what time they closed and the lady on the other line said, "in about ten minutes…" i told her i was at dalgas have and asked if i could make it in ten minutes and she said sure. i then made a mad dash, well not really dash since i was incredibly worn-out by then, for the building that lay about two big streets away.

FINALLY! hallelujah, mother of- (I better stop here), i found the office inconveniently hiding into a small corner, asked with a numb jaw to clear my pigeon hole and picked up my things. the ending is rather anti- climax but with grim-covered sneakers and ice-laced jeans on, i didn't think i could continue with the mindless walking and eventual disappointment.

oh well, time to get groceries and I am glad I derive the same peaceful comfort I get when I am in the supermarkets back at home.

just another day in Copenhagen.

snow! every morning, some guy has to clear the pathways otherwise the students would be trapped within the buildings.. looks beautiful huh? better to enjoy the snow from indoors with a camera. hahah...

united colours of filled tums.

i attended an international party in school tonight.. the invitation was supposedly extended to those who took the Danish crash course and the idea was to create a traditional dish from your hometown and share it with the rest of your schoolmates..

during preparations the night before, it was really funny to see one american girl getting worried over the authenticity of whatever she had in mind..whenever someone suggested a dish, she would be like, 'didn’t we steal that from someone?' and the irish peeps had the whole 'potato' thing going on.. which by the way, did the irish food is supposedly synonymous with potatoes? like there is a joke that there was potato famine in ireland and 7 out of their 8 million population migrated to america..

tonight, i was in the kitchen trying to retrieve wireless network when two dutches came into prepare their dinner as they weren't attending the party and we were just getting to know each other when two germans and a French came into prepare their contribution for the party.

the germans, janosch and nils were trying to create a noodle salad, as they didn't want to have anything to do with the german stereotype of sausages and pretzels. so they had to boil the pasta, slice the ham and pickles and mix the entire fiasco in mayo.. pierre the french -how cliche!-, on the other hand, made crepes FROM SCRATCH.. why i am putting an emphasis on so is because earlier that day I saw ready-to-eat crepes just off the supermarket shelf.. so you can imagine my surprise when he had the flour, butter, eggs and even managed to get the whisk to work. impressive, no?

party pics

anyway i went down to the party on their invitation and since i only made plans to hibernate that night, I thought, 'why not?' until of course, i saw the ongoing snowfall.. but I decided to test my new winter jacket from h&m and really, it was time to GO OUT and SOCIALISE. haha.. so i attended the party with a box of pineapple tarts.. (noone has to know my aunt made them).. and enjoyed a nice warm meal..

why true enough, there were german sausages and pretzels.. the canadians brought along stir-fry and french toast and some bruchetta treats.. though didn’t exactly fit my description of authentic Canadian, i am getting fed for free- who am i to complain? The amercians brought along peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, chocolate chip cookies and some guy even brought along fries from macdonalds.. now who's to say the Americans are devoid of their own culture? the french showcased gratins, quiches and crepes and i even managed to snuck a big piece of pierre’s crepe which had cocoa and bananas within, before it ran out… i also tried spanish potato omelette which was delight to be introduced to.

thankfully, my stomach was filled up with warm food as the walk back home was almost treacherous.. walking back in the snow was lovely until the winds acted up.. and when you are walking really quickly, the snowflakes feel more like tiny tiny ice daggers that pricked your skin.. but then again, the party was all worth it!

p.s. guys, it is difficult to take pictures since it is always to cold to stay outdoors to admire the scenary.. BE PATIENT.. - hugs

copenhagen.

i am alive!
ok, not in the emancipated or out-of-prison way.. but rather in a 'not-turned-into-a-popsicle' manner..

hmm first entry in copenhagen.. let's see.

good ol' heathrow left my luggage in london so i was 20kg lighter for the first two days in denmark.. sigh it sure sounds better when i type it out. anyway with the emergency kroners that my dad got for me.. i had to get some emergency items to tide me over for at least the first night

and conclusion? learning to live cheap is not torturous but it sure sucks big time.

i went to the grocery store and bought the cheapest loaf of dark bread I could find. why 'dark'? simply because i have been told it is unique to this region.. peanut butter, jam, marmalade, nutella were no-touch, since they were royal indulgence.. hmm, the dark bread was erm sourish.. but luckily i only purchased a small loaf.. so ten more slices to go! haha.. sour bread every morning.. YUM-MEHH

i had to get shampoo and at least one other long sleeve top to sleep in.. waling down the supermarket aisle, i stared blankly at the range, knowing well that with the little cash that i had i could not afford the strawberry scented shampoo and had to settle for the most basics of the entire range. facial cleanser and soap? -skip.

i had to get gloves too and was looking around comparing prices till i landed in h&m KIDS DEPARTMENT... hurray for fat spongey but short fingers as i could fit into the 'buy three for 29.75kr' value pack, and not have to spend the same amount on one pair of adult gloves.

i was so unprepared for the one deg cel day and nights, i was so tempted to hop back onto a plane.. it snows too, though luckily at night so i don't have to brave snowfalls to get anywhere. in singapore, i would run into shopping malls to escape the heat but here, i do just the same but to escape from the winds. haha.. old habits die hard i suppose.

the people? really friendly too.. and my buddy is half-philipino half danish.. and for LAWRD'S SAKE PEOPLE, i am not here to get married so please do not ask me if he's cute or if i have made any moves... and i share a bathroom with a german guy and before i met him, i always thot it was a girl since the toilet seat is always down.

that's about for now.

the internet connection is really precious.. no idea who i am spooning off at the moment.. but it gets cut off easily.. till the next post, enjoy the sun guys!

p.s. wai, didn't you get my email?

till we meet again.
off to copenhangen!

home and away.

my 'small' aunt is the sweetest- she always bakes us relatives chinese new year goodies, which 1. saves us the trouble of buying mass-produced treats and 2. are delectably yumyumyum and filled with homemade goodness. and since i am leaving tomorrow, she baked me 2 types of pineapple tarts and my absolute favourite butter cookies (thanks for reminding your mum, feng) so that i could enjoy my share of festive goodies. seriously, i couldn't be more thankful. bliss.

mum put her culinary expertise to good use and whipped up a thai dinner tonight!

and now yang and i are doing crazy packing and i don't even dare check how heavy my luggage really is.. and to be honest, we don't even own a decent workable weighing scale here at home. i am trying to cut down of the volumes of toiletries that i am bringing over.. bringing travel size ones instead of the usual volume.. oh 23kg! is that possible?

Magic of Chongqing Hotpot

kenny's 21st.

growing up with 3 other cousins your age could have been detrimental to one's childhood. the constant comparing of each other's achievements. the non- stop phone calling whenever major exam results were released.. the PSLE, o levels, a levels.. and every chinese new year, the four of us were made to pose for a photo, thereby tracking our photographic paths to being somebodies in the future.

life's a bitch, right? well, not exactly because i really love my cousins.. whilst the adults threw themselves into the unvaried lifestyle of matching their children's successes against others, us kids somehow successfully managed to rid ourselves of any rivalry and play aside for, let's see, 21 years and counting. aqnd good thing too as back then, i would have probably just crumbled as our birthday boy today was the epitome of 'mr do-right'. haha.. head prefect in primary school, athelete, excellent student and growing at such an abominable rate that i only reached his shoulders when we were twelve.. haha..

but i still love my cousin and tonight, his TWENTYFIRSTALREADY!? birthday dinner took place at the magic of chongqing hotpot. 13 of us cosied up around two steaming pots of yin-yang (chicken soup and mah la soup) and indulged in a reverie of watching raw food redden or float upon reaching edible stages.. since it was buffet, i totally lost track of how the number of shrimp dumplings, beef balls and luncheon meats i ate.. all in the name of great fun, no?









utterly fearsome huh?



apart from the steamboat, there were dian xins available too.. xiao long tang bao, fried mantou, water chestnut cake, pan-fried glutinous cakes and spring rolls which were received with instant gratification after the 'healthy boil- only' dinner.

loon's cake was from panaderie.. layers of chocolate sponge sandwiched between chocolate mousse encased within fudgey chocolate... it was sheer chocolate indulgence that bruce 'brucey' bogtrotter would have killed for.

after dinner, my MUCH YOUNGER cousins introduced me to the world of teenager entertainment at cineleisure. i'm not talking about the arcade ALTHOUGH you mean para-para is still in?! or cutesy chicky chicky places where fishball-eyes animations serve as mascots.. we went up all the way to level 9 for ESquare something.. where you could indulged in video games either on the pc and or play with your friends on plasma screens..

the cousins decided to book a room which housed 5 pcs for the guys and getaloadofthis- a plasma screen where we could rent a dvd to watch. please do not catch nicole kidman's bewitched. believe me, i felt pretty much overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of teenage vibes but it was good fun despite the when-is-it-ever-going-to-end unbewitching movie....

thanks for the get together, guys!

Mirchi

charl's 21st.

the first party of the year, for me, is always thrown by charl. being a january baby has left our missus with little to top.. except for last year's birthday and this year was no exception. dinner was held at a rather swanky 'mirchi north indian restaurant' at the esplanade.

in the midst of heart-thumping live music and cosy but elegant settings, we sent our digestive tracts on a real ride with lamb curries, chicken tandooris, butter chickens and an extremely pleasing basket of garlic, butter and fruit naans.

i am really getting old. i got charl voodoo doll keychains as they reminded me of her fascination with tim burton's oyster boy stories and a vintage looking necklace that i thought only she could pull off. well, let just say amongst her other gifts, there was a pink rubbery thing that resembled a bunny that didn't serve any purpose until batteries were inserted.arh, for the 21st birthday.. almost customary as hiring a stripper for your hen party. after dinner the rest headed over to Ministry Of Sound but my stamina was just not up to it and i still had packing to do..

i think people make too much a big thing out of the 21st birthday.. hotel parties .. club societal events.. magic shows they aren't really my cuppa camomile tea.

in the first place, why are 21st birthdays so significant? why not 22? or 20?

Bakerzin

crash and burn.

in the midst of all that catching up with friends, i met up with saz and muhd and we headed over to bakerzin's at raffles city

i couldn't resist the pastries and ordered an almond croissant for starters. it arrived cold and when i asked the waitress if they heated it up, she looked at me and said, "did you wanted it heated up?" O-K soooo-rrayyy?! but you should have asked if i wanted it to be heated up in the first place... i am so tempted to type out her name.. very bitchy huh? haha.. perhaps i have been spoilt by the folks at coffee bean..

and if you look closely, you will realise that the croissant is actually slightly burnt. H-M-M-M: go figure.

muhd had the smoked salmon pasta in cream sauce.. on first look, it looked like something out of a can.. chopped salmon and chopped tomatoes soaked in drabby cream sauce.. but he liked the taste of it and i admit, maybe all this nitpicking is a result of sheer boredom (waiting for dinner to start in an hour. bloody hell).

saz cheesed-in on the seafood crepe, which he remarked as 'very good'.. and since i didn't try it.. i'll take his word for it.

i tried hard to like bakerzin but my dish stood out like a sore thumb amist the chic interior decor, dazzling array of desserts.. the distasteful mango stick-to-your-gums chutney was ho-hey yucksville.. and my grilled vegetable sandwich (for $11.50) was dull, unimaginative and uninspiring. though the vegetables were grilled in coats of olive oil, the bread was undressed and unbuttered and stale- like.

maybe i am just too fussy.

Chiang Mai Part 4

chiang mai- chronicles of the missing collarbones. [part4]

thus leads to the climax of the chronicles.

the highlight, or rather purpose of our trip was to attend the chiang mai thai cookery school and master the art of thai cooking. of course by the end of fice days, we were far from becoming master chefs but i reckon someday, my ability to whip up a delicious plate of phad thai will come in handy.. oh well, the trip worked wonders for my self- esteem as now my limbs don't go weak in front of the stove..

the dishes we cooked were surprisingly easy to handle. we would foirst watch a demonstration in an air-con classroom, then return to our individual stoves to regurgitate what we have just witnessed.

ta-dah- the more notable dishes cooked by your truly!



everyday you would prepare about six dishes and you have them for lunch and tea.. can you spell stuffed? in fact, i don't ever remember feeling hungry in chiang mai... everyday you would see and hear people rubbing their well- filled tums, saying "too much eat.. i am stuffed" but some of us don't seem to learn from our mistakes.. haha...



"collarbone, collarbone...... where have you gone, my oollarbone??"



the other amazing aspect of this school was the people you met. my mum sister and i were probably the only asian faces in class (apart from the staff) and people travelled from all over the world, say london scotland denmark fiji brisbane vancouver, just to learn what thai cooking is all about.

you hear tales of how people have been on the road for weeks, travelling from myanmmar, to thailand and are on their way to malaysia and very possible singapore. i even met americans from san francisco who were making their way down to singapore to visit a relative who lived on thomson road! haha.. and this other lady from london called camilia, who sold her car to travel and was about to head home to a 40,000 pounds debt.. there are men who travel without a female counterpart and they attend these cookery lessons on their own accord. now how many singaporean guys have actually entertained such a thought?



listening to them, you cannot help but marvel at their tenacity to drop everything and live THEIR life.



i just had to take a picture of this pizza sign.. when i first saw it i was like, "huh? so who's the best" then i thought about and went, "hey there's a pretty good idea.. because noone can fault you for not being the best... since their is always another pizzeria that is one-up above you.. " haha... this is john from vancouver. he's in the picture as we walked to his guesthouse together as he wanted to pass me one of his already-read book. though he's just done with university, he's perfecting his mandarin at a chengdu university before doing his masters in canada and he plans to visit singapore and malaysia in july! plain 'WOW' huh.



you should definitely chiang mai thai cookery school.. its a great way to learn how to churn out fast sumptious meals and an even more fantastic way to meet people who different lifestyles.

happy 400th post, by the way!

Chiang Mai Part 3

chiang mai- chronicles of the missing collarbones. [part3]

now who am i kidding? this is THE REASON you guys visit my blog.

presenting le gourmet section- aka the story of how i lost my collarbones. sniff.



on our first night, we savoured quentessential thai food, namely (clockwise l-r) tab tim grob, tom yam goong, pork in curry, fried rice in seafood and pad thai which is not featured. personally not a fan of tom yam goong, but the fried rice was amazing! eggy, fragrant with an ever- slight tinge of sweetness, it was bliss in simplicity. the tab tim grob was dessert you would it difficult to dislike and the curry was so-so (as lip-smacking curry was to come my way later in the course of my trip). one thing about pad thai- if you can't fry it, you are not considered a thai. it is like your culinary passport to prove you are a local. haha...



street hawkers such as the above and below litter the streets of chiang mai and they offer takeways meals for the locals. there's essentially stewed pork, curry, mixed vegetables on the menu and they are really easy on the pocket too. great for those who can't delve deep into their pockets for change!



do you see the sign? 'pancake blah blah' well it ain't really pancakes but roti prata! wheeee- this is what singapore lacks! a movable roti prata hawker that offers savoury AND sweet delights to satisfy the tastbuds.



is brown the colour of evil? here's bevy of fried treats, which really makes you wqonder how the thais stay in shape. sausages, fried fish, crackers.. if you ever need to use up your fat content for the week in a day.. do make it a point to sample every snack on offer.. haha



lucious mango topped on sticky rice, with coconut cream... or sticky black rice pudding anyone? stores such as these usually sell many different types of traditional thai dessert.. yet another efficient way to answer the call of peckish aftermeal desires.



yang particularly loved these circular snacks, that are not commonly found in singapore. within the thin half-crisp, slightly soft shell contains coconut cream and bits of corn. no idea what they are called but do it a point to try them out when you see them~



pink soup. i so do not have a thing for unnaturally dyed dishes but this noodle dish is clearly popular amongst the locals. these fishball, fried wanton, fishcakes, bloodcakes in there and the soup is sweet like normal soup with yong tau foo sweet sauce.. hmmm really an acquired taste.. haha..



i could eat this everyday. its just simple fishball noodle soup but guess what the thais add in chili flakes and -gasp- sugar.. i hink you can tell by now, the thais 'like it sweet' huh? haha.. no skill is required to master this noodle dish but it is simply delectable!



another crazily ordinary dish that took our breathes away. omelette with chives and coriander with rice. you know its really funny how i could very well prepare this at home but in chiang mai, it just tastes slightly more authentic... gimme more!



cousins! remember this mk restaurant?! haha.. the mk restaurant is really big in thailand and if you watch their tv advertisments.. you might actually freak out. the assembly of people clad in uniforms belting out undying loyalty to service and devotion to the mk chain resembles communism nationalistic aseembly. all in the name of good fun. i love steamboat!

Chiang Mai Part 2

chiang mai- chronicles of the missing collarbones. [part2]
breakfast: each day commenced with a spread of american breakfast at the hotel. there's the usual bacon, ham and eggs which i didn't touch during the entire stay (call it americanobreko-phobia.. i hate the stench), pancakes, waffles and french toasts, a MAGnificent (for me the bread person) array of fruit or multi grain bread, brioches, muffins and a thai (or asian?) section which included khao toms (aka boiled rice aka porriage) and asian side dishes.

so breakfast? -filling. erm no complains though no pictures too due to its pedastrian nature.

wat say you?

our second day consisted of a half-day city tour, where we visited the more significant temples in Chiang Mai, namely Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Suan Dok and Wat Jet Yot. i got to be honest AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE DISrespectFUL- but after five 'wats', i wasn't too big on visiting more despite the fact that there were hundreds more within the main city itself. (believe me, i will have the same problem in europe with all the cathedrals and castles) heh heh..

the night bazaar is probably the biggest thing in chiang mai. they sell everything from munchies to pashmina scarfs to buddha sculptures and manicure services. on the first night, we were like 'ooo, look fake birkenstocks for 500 baht!' then you realise you could get it as low as 250 baht (which is about 6 sing dollars). yup bargain is the order of the 'night' but i realise i suck at bargaining. after the price is offered, i try my luck at one-third of the price but the vendor offers twenty percent off plus a pseudo- sincere look and i melt.

trick is to not give in to the first vendor as there are multiple stores selling more or less the same stuff. hohoho. oh if you can, hold out for the sunday market, things are similar but prices are considerably lower.



i was stuck at this store for a good ten minutes enamoured, gawking at the beautiful HAIR PINS! these hair pins are made from all sorts of snacks and spices like chewing gum, pasta, m&ms, popcorn and later waxed to prevent decay. lovely!



we basically tuk-tuked around town as it was the quickest way to gt around.. oh yea, haggling skills do come in handy too! the driver usually charges by per person and riding on the tuk tuk reminded me of those crash bumper car theme park rides. the thrill that is..



there was muay thai going on within the night bazaar arena too but i don't think its that authentic.. try like the stadiums if you are interested.