belgium. part two.
food-wise, i had an enriching time in belgium aka i hardly went hungry.. but i will only go through the more memorable dishes.
our first meal at "boat quay" was supposedly quintessentially belgian. we shared everything to make the most out of variety- mussels in white wine, accompanied by frites (fries); medium rare steak; scampis (prawns) in olive oil. i like the seafoody contrast with something saltish.. but don't forget, i love my ruffles potato chips with vanilla ice cream.. i know pairing mussels and fries is such a chalk and cheese combination but it strangely works! though aizhen thought the white wine was on the thin-side, i had no complains as this was my first time with belgian food so there wasn't any basis for comparision.
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another notable meal was at brugge where we had the canarda l'orange (breast of duck), fried scampi in garlic and flemish beef stew. i enjoyed the duck tremendously.. though the duck was thickly cut, skilled culinary skills retained its tender and juicy texture.. the fried scampis were delightful with a good crunch and the garlic olive oil dressing made for good frites dipping. the flemish beef stew was supposedly the restaurant's claim to fame and special because it was stewed with beer. however tasty, it was a little uninspiring and the taste beer did not pull through.. in fact, eating it made me miss homemade ox-tail stew.
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our best meal was a recommendation from yvonne's tutor- restaurant vincent along rue de dominicans. to be honest, there was a good deal of relief when i found myself staring into a french menu as this could only mean that they catered to locals and regulars.. but it wasn't difficult to decide as our waiter recommended a baked mussel dish and scampi croquettes. i didn't try the baked mussels which with a layer of melted cheese, looked terribly inviting but i enjoyed the scampi croquette which was creamy on the inside and thinly crisp on the ouside. i think there's a very fine line between tasty and incredibly good croquettes and this definitely qualified as 'incredibly good.'
dessert was involuntarily suggested by our waiter and we had their signature crepe vincent and vanilla ice cream with belgian chocolate on the side. the crepe was amazingly delicious- the texture was dead on and the pineapple rings & almond flakes gave a tropical twist but the beauty of it cremebrulee-like laquer surface which constrasted marvellously with the soft crepe beneath.
if you thought lunch was over, think again. having used up all my tummy space for the fresh baguettes and frites, i had to decline.. but aizhen and yvonne gamely shared a steak, flavoured by green peppercorn and by the looks of, was thoroughly enjoyed by the duo.
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i had belgian waffles at least twice in belgium.. mind you, there are two types of waffles found in belgium- 1. brussels waffel which is a symmetrically rectangular and slightly blander in taste, compared to 2. the liege waffle, which is roundish and sweeter. it is impossible to fault the belgian waffles as they taste sooo good and the luxurious aroma often hits you unsuspectedly, activating your saliva ducts and working your mind into a state of desire, even before you actually see one.
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belgium is undoubtedly the chocolate capital of the world and judging by the chocolatiers and chocolate houses that line their main street, i got the feeling that there was a religious zealor to preserving its existence. godiva, leonidas, neuhaus.. from nutella at breakfast to chocolate squares served with the bill, i nibbled on so much chocolate it honestly felt like being on an addiction. and andi, since you are reading this, i hope you enjoy the rest of the chocolates!
Tuesday, February 28
belgium. part one.
my trip to belgum would have been preferably less eventful, had i not lose my camera on the last day. yes, all pictures of our edible encounters, remarkable scenary and intersting shops we came across GONE. but more importantly, my sony camera was a birthday present from my parents and was quintessence of my being. and since i have not lost anything of such high material value before, i am feeling rather shitty about it.
i travelled with st nicks girls, aizhen and yvonne... and i must say, we packed qite a schedule for three days!
after arrival and two short rail/ bus rides, we checked into our hostel chab vincent van gogh, which was pretty impressive compared to my hostel in london. though only beds and blankets were provided, the three of us shared a small double-storey loft which i would like to think of as a mini budget villa. no strangers, no unnecessary noises, no awkward moments.. i could get used to this.
upon settling down, we visited La Grand-Place immediately. basically the place to see in brussels, La Grand-Place was a huge square surrounded by rich, ornate-looking buildings.. where cafes, pubs, chocolatiers, seafood restaurants and waffles shops lined her streets in glory of tourism.
we made a mistake of walking into this row of restaurants where proprietors shamelessly called out to you, stretching their asian vocabulary of ni hao and konichiwas.. basically, it was like singapore's boat quay. in fact, it was so glaringly inappropiate, i was actually frightened by one lady who kept gesturing to us despite the fact that we were already seated in her rival's restaurant! scary stuff.
after lunch, we wandered around town with navigation skills that would have put former geography teachers to shame. honestly, after visiting Le Sablon and the back alleys that ran through the more touristy areas, we were pretty much done with sight-seeing.
we had dinner at a casual eatery that didn't warrant much interest apart from the fact that we sat in there for a really long time, ordering main courses coffee and eventually supper.. because it was too darn cold out there. oddly enough, brussels felt colder, even by copenhagen standards.
day 2 saw us waking up at the crack of dawn to join a guided bus tour to gent and brugge. we spent only the morning at gent, visiting the Saint Bravo Cathedral and spent a better part of the day at brugge. with short architectureal infrastructure, bridges and stony roads, both towns were characteristically european, however, it felt a little unreal.. almost like i was walking on a universal studio movie set.
we only arrived back in brussels at around seven-ish and we immediately rushed over to Théâtre royal de la monnaie as aizhen and yvonne were eager to catch a contemporary dance performance Raga for the Rainy Season / A Love Supreme. we hadn't ourchased tickets yet and it was a good minutes before the show started where we eventually found our way to the crowded box office.
the extremely budget-conscience me was initially worried about ticket prices, this being the royal theatre and it seemed like a well-received performance.. to my surprise, our tickets only cost eight euros each.. pretty good deal huh? the amusing aspect was that our seats were foldable chairs lined up in front of the front row, making from front front row seats. well, better than being chucked at the back.
it was a performance, different to what i usually catch and frankly-speaking, a little too avant garde for my liking. perhaps this is very revealing of my character as i prefer the existence of formation and structure, instead of uncoordinated spontaniety.. an enlightening experiencen nonetheless.
day 3. if not for the ten am check out time and the untimely arrival of our housekeeper, i think we would have slept our weary butts through morning.. but we eventually packed up, left our baggages in a locker and made our way to the atomium and caught up with last minute chocolate shopping. day 3 wasn't exactly action packed because of the dip in temperature and i think we were all pretty much tempted to stay in a very very delightful restaurant called Vincent till departure.
my trip to belgum would have been preferably less eventful, had i not lose my camera on the last day. yes, all pictures of our edible encounters, remarkable scenary and intersting shops we came across GONE. but more importantly, my sony camera was a birthday present from my parents and was quintessence of my being. and since i have not lost anything of such high material value before, i am feeling rather shitty about it.
i travelled with st nicks girls, aizhen and yvonne... and i must say, we packed qite a schedule for three days!
after arrival and two short rail/ bus rides, we checked into our hostel chab vincent van gogh, which was pretty impressive compared to my hostel in london. though only beds and blankets were provided, the three of us shared a small double-storey loft which i would like to think of as a mini budget villa. no strangers, no unnecessary noises, no awkward moments.. i could get used to this.
upon settling down, we visited La Grand-Place immediately. basically the place to see in brussels, La Grand-Place was a huge square surrounded by rich, ornate-looking buildings.. where cafes, pubs, chocolatiers, seafood restaurants and waffles shops lined her streets in glory of tourism.
we made a mistake of walking into this row of restaurants where proprietors shamelessly called out to you, stretching their asian vocabulary of ni hao and konichiwas.. basically, it was like singapore's boat quay. in fact, it was so glaringly inappropiate, i was actually frightened by one lady who kept gesturing to us despite the fact that we were already seated in her rival's restaurant! scary stuff.
after lunch, we wandered around town with navigation skills that would have put former geography teachers to shame. honestly, after visiting Le Sablon and the back alleys that ran through the more touristy areas, we were pretty much done with sight-seeing.
we had dinner at a casual eatery that didn't warrant much interest apart from the fact that we sat in there for a really long time, ordering main courses coffee and eventually supper.. because it was too darn cold out there. oddly enough, brussels felt colder, even by copenhagen standards.
day 2 saw us waking up at the crack of dawn to join a guided bus tour to gent and brugge. we spent only the morning at gent, visiting the Saint Bravo Cathedral and spent a better part of the day at brugge. with short architectureal infrastructure, bridges and stony roads, both towns were characteristically european, however, it felt a little unreal.. almost like i was walking on a universal studio movie set.
we only arrived back in brussels at around seven-ish and we immediately rushed over to Théâtre royal de la monnaie as aizhen and yvonne were eager to catch a contemporary dance performance Raga for the Rainy Season / A Love Supreme. we hadn't ourchased tickets yet and it was a good minutes before the show started where we eventually found our way to the crowded box office.
the extremely budget-conscience me was initially worried about ticket prices, this being the royal theatre and it seemed like a well-received performance.. to my surprise, our tickets only cost eight euros each.. pretty good deal huh? the amusing aspect was that our seats were foldable chairs lined up in front of the front row, making from front front row seats. well, better than being chucked at the back.
it was a performance, different to what i usually catch and frankly-speaking, a little too avant garde for my liking. perhaps this is very revealing of my character as i prefer the existence of formation and structure, instead of uncoordinated spontaniety.. an enlightening experiencen nonetheless.
day 3. if not for the ten am check out time and the untimely arrival of our housekeeper, i think we would have slept our weary butts through morning.. but we eventually packed up, left our baggages in a locker and made our way to the atomium and caught up with last minute chocolate shopping. day 3 wasn't exactly action packed because of the dip in temperature and i think we were all pretty much tempted to stay in a very very delightful restaurant called Vincent till departure.
Thursday, February 23
Durham, UK
durham.
it was a three hour rail ride to durham from london.. fatigue basically sent me sprawling on the carriage desks and we arrived in durham at around 1.30am..
breakfast was made up of leftover cornish pastry and digestive biscuits.. and i had to wait for yang's tutorial to end so that she could take me around town.. well, not that that took a long time.. durham downtown is extremely small, even by copenhagen standards.. in fact, i was done with touring in an hour.. haha..
but the town was picturesque and you somehow got the feeling you werewalking through a movie set.. the catheral and castle were basically THE BIGGEST tourist attraction and apparently some harry potter scenes were filmed there..
i tried a caramel treat from gregg's that yang was raving about.. it was basically caramel sanwiched between chocolate and all-butter shortbread. i think its funny how i have a sweet tooth but it takes some very precise ingredients to send me into a frenzy. i'm thinking ben's cookies here.. the caramel shortbread was good but a tad lacking in uniqueness.. but try it if you have the chance, it could just be your thang..
i have been to uk so many times but never had their fish and chips and i kept this experience exclusive to durham as yang had told me about a place that was supposedly pretty well-known for their fish and chips.
centrally located, bimbi's was the place to be and when we arrived there, it was pretty crowded with people either tucking into massive plates of fish and chips or sitting in silence before empty plates, very likely in semi-trance.
to sum up lunch in one word: 'Fantastic' with a capital 'F'. the haddock was about a foot long, undoubtly fresh and tender to the ickle fishbones.. but their secret lies in the batter which was brittly light and produced a neat crisp sound when disturbed.. now if only i had a tape recorder.. the fish was accompanied by baby-finger-sized fries that were slightly soft and sinewy-looking. with plenty of ketchup and vinegar on the fries, lunch was demolished in half the time it took to serve. pleasure.
we had dinner at the great hall in the university as it was a good way to meet yang's friends..having heard numerous horror cafeteria stories, i found dinner surprisingly edible.. i had the rosemary dumpling and lamb stew, while yang had the vegetarian marcoroni.. but what really saved the meal was the bakewell tart with custard. a yummy crumbly dessert drenched in luscious custard.. like what could possibly go wrong right?
after dinner, yang and i returned to her room where we relaxed by watching disney's beauty and the beast. growing up, disney cartoons were very much a way of life.. in fact, we watched it so much, my parents had to lock up all our video tapes (yeap, it was video TAPES back then) during the exam period so that we would not get distracted.. haha.. the cartoon was beautiful and even now, i find myself mesmerized the littlest details that accentuate the movie. be our guest.. be our guest.. in fact, right now, i am trying to download the little mermaid.. it's a pity what they have done with current animations.. don't you think that in the process of reinventing themselves, disney has lost its appeal?
on this trip, i fed swans and ducks at hyde park and watched disney cartoons.. i am so not convinced i'm actually turning 21 this year..
we proceeded to the 'unddy' which was a rather spacious pub on the school compound where students hang out since there was pretty much nothing esle to do.. basically it was just people-watching and there were groups of bar-crawlers, decked out in vintage golf attire, providing entertainment for the rest of us with their drunk antics. even in a bar could i find something to munch on- 'mars bars and white chocolate toastie'.. you got that right baby.. a toasted sandwich filled with oodles of melted chocolate- terrbibly ingenious creation.
the 8-hour night coach ride from durham to stanstead bordered on almost-hellish as i wasn't aware they would make so many stops in-between... it was tough to sleep on the bus as everytime there were new passengers, lights would be flicked on so that the bus conductor could check their tickets. but it was a small price to pay for so much fun!
at stanstead airport, i had a disappointing egg mayo sandwhich from boots and needed something sweet.. as usual.. attracted by the sight of millie's cookies with its chunks of cloying toppings that crowned each muffin. i knew i had to get one- my excuse: travel sickness.. millie's bestsellers include the blueberry muffin and the banana toffee muffin (which i opted for).. even without tasting it, i could just savour whiffs of the strong toffee aroma and though it somewhat overwhelmed the banana flavour, i didn't mind that one bit.. i like my muffin on the dense side and was pleased to note the further contrast between the hardy caramel top and soft spongey moist insides.. eating it warm+off the palm of my hands = more than delightful.. stud muffin...
so that pretty much wrapps up my gastro-adventures in london/durham.
my bed looks terribly inviting and i actually feel missed by the folks here.. =) my bathroom mate got a haircut from a hair school that he could not wait ti re-visit in april.. haha..
alrights.. stay tuned for belgium =)
MORE london&durham pictures
it was a three hour rail ride to durham from london.. fatigue basically sent me sprawling on the carriage desks and we arrived in durham at around 1.30am..breakfast was made up of leftover cornish pastry and digestive biscuits.. and i had to wait for yang's tutorial to end so that she could take me around town.. well, not that that took a long time.. durham downtown is extremely small, even by copenhagen standards.. in fact, i was done with touring in an hour.. haha..
but the town was picturesque and you somehow got the feeling you werewalking through a movie set.. the catheral and castle were basically THE BIGGEST tourist attraction and apparently some harry potter scenes were filmed there..
i tried a caramel treat from gregg's that yang was raving about.. it was basically caramel sanwiched between chocolate and all-butter shortbread. i think its funny how i have a sweet tooth but it takes some very precise ingredients to send me into a frenzy. i'm thinking ben's cookies here.. the caramel shortbread was good but a tad lacking in uniqueness.. but try it if you have the chance, it could just be your thang.. i have been to uk so many times but never had their fish and chips and i kept this experience exclusive to durham as yang had told me about a place that was supposedly pretty well-known for their fish and chips.centrally located, bimbi's was the place to be and when we arrived there, it was pretty crowded with people either tucking into massive plates of fish and chips or sitting in silence before empty plates, very likely in semi-trance.
to sum up lunch in one word: 'Fantastic' with a capital 'F'. the haddock was about a foot long, undoubtly fresh and tender to the ickle fishbones.. but their secret lies in the batter which was brittly light and produced a neat crisp sound when disturbed.. now if only i had a tape recorder.. the fish was accompanied by baby-finger-sized fries that were slightly soft and sinewy-looking. with plenty of ketchup and vinegar on the fries, lunch was demolished in half the time it took to serve. pleasure.
we had dinner at the great hall in the university as it was a good way to meet yang's friends..having heard numerous horror cafeteria stories, i found dinner surprisingly edible.. i had the rosemary dumpling and lamb stew, while yang had the vegetarian marcoroni.. but what really saved the meal was the bakewell tart with custard. a yummy crumbly dessert drenched in luscious custard.. like what could possibly go wrong right?after dinner, yang and i returned to her room where we relaxed by watching disney's beauty and the beast. growing up, disney cartoons were very much a way of life.. in fact, we watched it so much, my parents had to lock up all our video tapes (yeap, it was video TAPES back then) during the exam period so that we would not get distracted.. haha.. the cartoon was beautiful and even now, i find myself mesmerized the littlest details that accentuate the movie. be our guest.. be our guest.. in fact, right now, i am trying to download the little mermaid.. it's a pity what they have done with current animations.. don't you think that in the process of reinventing themselves, disney has lost its appeal?
on this trip, i fed swans and ducks at hyde park and watched disney cartoons.. i am so not convinced i'm actually turning 21 this year..
we proceeded to the 'unddy' which was a rather spacious pub on the school compound where students hang out since there was pretty much nothing esle to do.. basically it was just people-watching and there were groups of bar-crawlers, decked out in vintage golf attire, providing entertainment for the rest of us with their drunk antics. even in a bar could i find something to munch on- 'mars bars and white chocolate toastie'.. you got that right baby.. a toasted sandwich filled with oodles of melted chocolate- terrbibly ingenious creation.
the 8-hour night coach ride from durham to stanstead bordered on almost-hellish as i wasn't aware they would make so many stops in-between... it was tough to sleep on the bus as everytime there were new passengers, lights would be flicked on so that the bus conductor could check their tickets. but it was a small price to pay for so much fun!at stanstead airport, i had a disappointing egg mayo sandwhich from boots and needed something sweet.. as usual.. attracted by the sight of millie's cookies with its chunks of cloying toppings that crowned each muffin. i knew i had to get one- my excuse: travel sickness.. millie's bestsellers include the blueberry muffin and the banana toffee muffin (which i opted for).. even without tasting it, i could just savour whiffs of the strong toffee aroma and though it somewhat overwhelmed the banana flavour, i didn't mind that one bit.. i like my muffin on the dense side and was pleased to note the further contrast between the hardy caramel top and soft spongey moist insides.. eating it warm+off the palm of my hands = more than delightful.. stud muffin...
so that pretty much wrapps up my gastro-adventures in london/durham.my bed looks terribly inviting and i actually feel missed by the folks here.. =) my bathroom mate got a haircut from a hair school that he could not wait ti re-visit in april.. haha..
alrights.. stay tuned for belgium =)
MORE london&durham pictures
Wednesday, February 22
London Day 3
i lurbe london. day three.
are you stuffed to the brim just yet? ready to handle more?
arancini
on a pleasing sunday morning, yang and i headed over to hyde park to feed the swans.. well that was the plan but the ducks, seagulls, pigeons and crows decided to join in the party as well.. and i must say, swans are really thick creatures. delayed reaction was a trait found in most and whenever i flinged them a piece of bread, they would move their necks aimlessly around looking for the treat when HELLO!? it has already been snapped up by the seagulls.. then they stare at you, wondering where the bread has magically disappeared to..
sad but true.
tired of nature and disillusioned by beautiful but dummb swans, we flea-ed (excuse the weak pun) to portobello market at nottinghill gate.. i never really understood the appeal of this popular flea market.. most of the items either look like they were dug out from someone's attic CORNER or like they never touched detergent in donkey years.. well, i guess that's what beguiles most vintage-nistas but really.
great soup at young cheng's
on our way off, we chanced upon a small cafe, tight with customers and being typical singaporeans, we could not resist checking the hype. turns out they sold this italian treat called 'arracini' which actually is whatever-filling-they-have, wrapped in risotto and deep fried. it didn't take long for us to decide that we wanted to try one and we had the spinach+ricotta cheese filling..,. i like the filling as i don't normally take spinach nor ricotta cheese but it was an agreeable comnination.. the aracini was surprisingly ungreasy too..
lunch took place at young cheng where we reveled in the luxury of their complimentary pork and vegetable soup. ooooo... with the aroma of last night's beef rice radiating in our minds, we decided to order it again but instead of rice, we replaced it with thick rice noodles aka hor fun.
though the dish was without a doubt stunning, i felt the brunt of the noodle's oiliness and would indeed remember to order the rice version the next time round..
our loot from the chinese supermarket.
after lunch, yang and i lost ourselves in the chinese supermarket where we oooahed and aahhed over the most trivial items such as pandan cake and tang yuan.. i think i was almost dewy-eyed with nostalgia when i saw tins or milo and sambal olek.. sighh
though the remains of lunch were still churning in my tummy, we popped into this chinese bakery where they sold ham chin peng with fillings such as kaya and coconut.. haha.. it was really funny because i think only singaporeans refer to it this way and as we were getting all excited over it, we must have sounded like country bumpkins from the fishing village of singapore "ham chin peng ham chin peng" i had a bo luo pao which frankly disappeared into the realms of my digestive track sooner than i could have snapped a picture.
at king's cross station, on our way to durham, we shared a cornish pastry with had the pork and apple filling. essentially, the pastry was like a curry puff, only baked and not deep fried.. they had many many fillings ranging from lamb and mint to brocolli and cheese to spicy chicken.. well, it was tasty but rather ordinary too.. which doesn't explain the queues i had seen forming back at covent garden.
are you stuffed to the brim just yet? ready to handle more?
arancini on a pleasing sunday morning, yang and i headed over to hyde park to feed the swans.. well that was the plan but the ducks, seagulls, pigeons and crows decided to join in the party as well.. and i must say, swans are really thick creatures. delayed reaction was a trait found in most and whenever i flinged them a piece of bread, they would move their necks aimlessly around looking for the treat when HELLO!? it has already been snapped up by the seagulls.. then they stare at you, wondering where the bread has magically disappeared to..
sad but true.
tired of nature and disillusioned by beautiful but dummb swans, we flea-ed (excuse the weak pun) to portobello market at nottinghill gate.. i never really understood the appeal of this popular flea market.. most of the items either look like they were dug out from someone's attic CORNER or like they never touched detergent in donkey years.. well, i guess that's what beguiles most vintage-nistas but really.
great soup at young cheng's on our way off, we chanced upon a small cafe, tight with customers and being typical singaporeans, we could not resist checking the hype. turns out they sold this italian treat called 'arracini' which actually is whatever-filling-they-have, wrapped in risotto and deep fried. it didn't take long for us to decide that we wanted to try one and we had the spinach+ricotta cheese filling..,. i like the filling as i don't normally take spinach nor ricotta cheese but it was an agreeable comnination.. the aracini was surprisingly ungreasy too..
lunch took place at young cheng where we reveled in the luxury of their complimentary pork and vegetable soup. ooooo... with the aroma of last night's beef rice radiating in our minds, we decided to order it again but instead of rice, we replaced it with thick rice noodles aka hor fun.though the dish was without a doubt stunning, i felt the brunt of the noodle's oiliness and would indeed remember to order the rice version the next time round..
our loot from the chinese supermarket.after lunch, yang and i lost ourselves in the chinese supermarket where we oooahed and aahhed over the most trivial items such as pandan cake and tang yuan.. i think i was almost dewy-eyed with nostalgia when i saw tins or milo and sambal olek.. sighh
though the remains of lunch were still churning in my tummy, we popped into this chinese bakery where they sold ham chin peng with fillings such as kaya and coconut.. haha.. it was really funny because i think only singaporeans refer to it this way and as we were getting all excited over it, we must have sounded like country bumpkins from the fishing village of singapore "ham chin peng ham chin peng" i had a bo luo pao which frankly disappeared into the realms of my digestive track sooner than i could have snapped a picture.
at king's cross station, on our way to durham, we shared a cornish pastry with had the pork and apple filling. essentially, the pastry was like a curry puff, only baked and not deep fried.. they had many many fillings ranging from lamb and mint to brocolli and cheese to spicy chicken.. well, it was tasty but rather ordinary too.. which doesn't explain the queues i had seen forming back at covent garden.
London Day 2
i lurbe london. day 2.
i know how i said part of the reason for coming to london was to celebrate my sister's birthday with her.. well, the other less-known reason for doing so was to further my gastro-adventures.. YAYYYYY for you readers! haha
day two kicked off with breakfast at a small coffee shop along bayswater road. though we were unsure of its reputation and quality of its dishes, the sight of husband-wife patrons and road/ construction workers was enough to convince us that if this were a place where blue-collared workers mealed, it was probably authentic enough. i wanted to try a traditional english breakfast and since yang and i couldn't make up our minds, we chose the beans, toast, eggs and sausages set.
i was rather bemused by the sight of breakfast and yang the kan-chiong bunny immediately whipped out the toasts from the beans and scambled eggs (after i had snapped a picture) as she wasn't crazy over soggy toast. i can't say it was a mindblwing experience or anything bacause everything tasted like what it should be. how baked beans, scrambled eggs, buttered toast and sausages isn't exactly bermuda-triangle-mystery but i did take delight at the fun experience.
we then cut across kensington gardens to high street kensington (see how much i love that place?).. urban outfitters, zara, monsoon, kew, jigsaw, river island, faith.. etc etc.. "that's cute ooo ahhh sweeettt" sometimes, i really like how alive when i am shopping.. i doubt i really feel as much for anything esle.. all that window shopping! time for a snack and what esle to have but BEN'S COOKIES!
slurped a cookie before? ben's cookies are special and i say that with an extra tinge of affection. they give an entirely new meaning to the phrase 'soft and chewy' and are indeed irreplaceable. as experienced patrons, we wanted those that were sitting by the oven (not over the counter), knowing very well that they would be softer than usual.
here's my way of eating the cookies: first, split the cookie down in the middle. start from the middle (aka the dollap of white chocolate) and literally slurp up the melted-can't-hang-on-any-longer chocolate, before working your way around the chewier edges. i likey my benny.
staying on the sweet note, yang and i nipped our way towards harrods at knightsbridge where i had my virgin donut. yes, i'm nearing 21 and i haven't done too much and eating a donut is one of them. well to cut the long story short, i hated western fast food as a kid and when my parents brought my sisters and i on those long usa trips, i often suffered from motion sickness and let's just say the numerous dunkin donuts road stops that we came across didn't help.. PLUS DONUTS SMELLLL, really.
anyway it was about time to grow out of a childhood phobia and i begrudgingly took a bite out of the krispy kreme.. ok, it was too darn sweet, sickeningly soft, unpleasantly greasy.. what was that all about?!? maybe i'm just biased and paranoid but i don't really know what to make out of this donut.. one bite of it is enough to make me hereby declare this billion-dollar-making all-time-favourite-treat-of-millions E.V.I.L.
after all that saccharine maddness, i needed something tangy. we sliced our way through the crowds of oxford street eventually reaching selfridges. think food, think selfridges=salt beef. now here's another unfond childhood memory but one that eventually won me over with its undisguised appeal- cow's tongue sandwich. arh, your turn to cringe.. the notable sandwich is actually modest, if not plain-looking. just two thick slices of seeded bread, mustard-spreaded, encasing the incredibly tender tongue that borders on springy .. yes, it still sounds gross but it sure tastes g.o.o.d..
reaching the end of this posts, i actually realise how sentimental i am.. AWWW.. no, really. seeing how i spent today retracing steps that i would have normally taken with my parents, reviving good ol' memories...like i mentioned before i detested western food as a kid and would inevitably ask to make return trips to chinatown for meals. young cheng was one chinese reastaurant that we pledged loyalty to. one prevailing factor, apart from the delicious food, is that throughout the years, every lunch hour, they would serve a complimentary bowl of pork bone and vegetable soup upon customer's arrival, no questions asked.
today we had dinner there, so no free soup. haha.. menus aside, we ordered the niu nan fan (braised bee with rice) bearing the confidence of regular patrons who, unlike most caucasians, were not about to be fleeced anytime. and we were not disappointed.
the wanton soup, commenest of soups, was tasty and most appropiate for the chilly night. our niu nan fan, dad are you reading this? , was a salivacious affair that instilled immediate allegience within myself thereafter. the sizable chunk of braised beef tears apart effortlessly in my mouth and coupled with a spoonful of fragrant white rice, the neutrons in my mind literally went beepbeepbeep! fantasia alert! class act.
day two was highly efficient, if i might say so myself. practically checked more than half of the items i had on my to-eat list..
i know how i said part of the reason for coming to london was to celebrate my sister's birthday with her.. well, the other less-known reason for doing so was to further my gastro-adventures.. YAYYYYY for you readers! haha
day two kicked off with breakfast at a small coffee shop along bayswater road. though we were unsure of its reputation and quality of its dishes, the sight of husband-wife patrons and road/ construction workers was enough to convince us that if this were a place where blue-collared workers mealed, it was probably authentic enough. i wanted to try a traditional english breakfast and since yang and i couldn't make up our minds, we chose the beans, toast, eggs and sausages set.i was rather bemused by the sight of breakfast and yang the kan-chiong bunny immediately whipped out the toasts from the beans and scambled eggs (after i had snapped a picture) as she wasn't crazy over soggy toast. i can't say it was a mindblwing experience or anything bacause everything tasted like what it should be. how baked beans, scrambled eggs, buttered toast and sausages isn't exactly bermuda-triangle-mystery but i did take delight at the fun experience.
we then cut across kensington gardens to high street kensington (see how much i love that place?).. urban outfitters, zara, monsoon, kew, jigsaw, river island, faith.. etc etc.. "that's cute ooo ahhh sweeettt" sometimes, i really like how alive when i am shopping.. i doubt i really feel as much for anything esle.. all that window shopping! time for a snack and what esle to have but BEN'S COOKIES!
slurped a cookie before? ben's cookies are special and i say that with an extra tinge of affection. they give an entirely new meaning to the phrase 'soft and chewy' and are indeed irreplaceable. as experienced patrons, we wanted those that were sitting by the oven (not over the counter), knowing very well that they would be softer than usual.here's my way of eating the cookies: first, split the cookie down in the middle. start from the middle (aka the dollap of white chocolate) and literally slurp up the melted-can't-hang-on-any-longer chocolate, before working your way around the chewier edges. i likey my benny.
staying on the sweet note, yang and i nipped our way towards harrods at knightsbridge where i had my virgin donut. yes, i'm nearing 21 and i haven't done too much and eating a donut is one of them. well to cut the long story short, i hated western fast food as a kid and when my parents brought my sisters and i on those long usa trips, i often suffered from motion sickness and let's just say the numerous dunkin donuts road stops that we came across didn't help.. PLUS DONUTS SMELLLL, really.
anyway it was about time to grow out of a childhood phobia and i begrudgingly took a bite out of the krispy kreme.. ok, it was too darn sweet, sickeningly soft, unpleasantly greasy.. what was that all about?!? maybe i'm just biased and paranoid but i don't really know what to make out of this donut.. one bite of it is enough to make me hereby declare this billion-dollar-making all-time-favourite-treat-of-millions E.V.I.L.after all that saccharine maddness, i needed something tangy. we sliced our way through the crowds of oxford street eventually reaching selfridges. think food, think selfridges=salt beef. now here's another unfond childhood memory but one that eventually won me over with its undisguised appeal- cow's tongue sandwich. arh, your turn to cringe.. the notable sandwich is actually modest, if not plain-looking. just two thick slices of seeded bread, mustard-spreaded, encasing the incredibly tender tongue that borders on springy .. yes, it still sounds gross but it sure tastes g.o.o.d..reaching the end of this posts, i actually realise how sentimental i am.. AWWW.. no, really. seeing how i spent today retracing steps that i would have normally taken with my parents, reviving good ol' memories...like i mentioned before i detested western food as a kid and would inevitably ask to make return trips to chinatown for meals. young cheng was one chinese reastaurant that we pledged loyalty to. one prevailing factor, apart from the delicious food, is that throughout the years, every lunch hour, they would serve a complimentary bowl of pork bone and vegetable soup upon customer's arrival, no questions asked.
today we had dinner there, so no free soup. haha.. menus aside, we ordered the niu nan fan (braised bee with rice) bearing the confidence of regular patrons who, unlike most caucasians, were not about to be fleeced anytime. and we were not disappointed.the wanton soup, commenest of soups, was tasty and most appropiate for the chilly night. our niu nan fan, dad are you reading this? , was a salivacious affair that instilled immediate allegience within myself thereafter. the sizable chunk of braised beef tears apart effortlessly in my mouth and coupled with a spoonful of fragrant white rice, the neutrons in my mind literally went beepbeepbeep! fantasia alert! class act.
day two was highly efficient, if i might say so myself. practically checked more than half of the items i had on my to-eat list..
Monday, February 20
London Day 1
i lurbe london. day one.
leaving copenhagen on friday morning was easy simply because it had started to snow on that very morning and i was eager to leave the cold and grim behind. i arrived at the airport a good hour early and was pleased to have considerable time for breakfast. unlike scenarios at changi airport, i was hardly spoilt for choice but settled for a pecan tart.. the tart's crisp flaky caramelized finishing resulted in a pastry that was surprisingly good, despite the fact that it had probably been sitting around. the plane was delayed for around fifteen minutes because of the bad weather which resulted in a traffic hold-up as they had to de-frost the plane.. haha..
upon arrival at stanstead, i was greeted by warm sunshine which i felt was a good start to my journey.. my bus ride to victoria, though long, only had me reeling in excitement and anticipation. in order to treavel cheaply, i had made a reservation at the astor quest hotel at bayswater.. my first experience with the hostel and luckily i wasn't too shocked or put off by anything. the room sure was modest- four double-decker beds with an ensuite bathroom. though stripped at a hotel's little luxuries no bedside chocolates? , it was just a place to spend the nights so no complains there..
i spent a good part of the first day alone as yang's train was only due for arrival at ninish-ten.. so with loads of time to spare, i rekindled my love for high street kensington. though most of the major brands -zara, mango, topshop, anyone?- could be found in singapore and copenhagen, i loved how put-together the street was. with stores such as office and faith,
shoe-shopping in london would have been sensational if only i could carry the shoes out of the shops in a shopping bag instead of just lusting behind the window display..
restraint was the order of the day- takes some fun out of life but keeps me on parental support.
determined to make the most out of my day trip rail ticket, i made an inpromptu trip to harrods.. by then, day was slowly giving way to night and harrods, drapped in fairy lights was stunning and pompously-so..
pretty huh?
when yang finally arrived, we made a beeline for four seasons for their much coveted duck rice. no not some pishy-poshy five-star hotel duck rice but a terribly un-eye-catching chinese restaurant that blended right into its surroundings, just opposite bayswater station. note: which is why no other hostel location would have been good enough.
here's where the fun begins, we ordered the mixed meat rice which consisted of roast pork, roasted char siew and roast duck piled up harmoniusly on top of rice that had been drizzled in dark sauce.
it was a classic case of when harry met sally, except tonight, it was when poor deprived student mets plate of roasted fatty meats .. the plate of duck rice was met with whimpers of desire and almost-tears of gratification.. not forgetting how it was polished off with ease that would have put the japanese hotdog-eating champion to weener-shame.
we then took a short walk to tesco which was closing and eventually back to the hostel where clean, hard mattresses called out to our satisfied tummies and achning bodies. sigh..
leaving copenhagen on friday morning was easy simply because it had started to snow on that very morning and i was eager to leave the cold and grim behind. i arrived at the airport a good hour early and was pleased to have considerable time for breakfast. unlike scenarios at changi airport, i was hardly spoilt for choice but settled for a pecan tart.. the tart's crisp flaky caramelized finishing resulted in a pastry that was surprisingly good, despite the fact that it had probably been sitting around. the plane was delayed for around fifteen minutes because of the bad weather which resulted in a traffic hold-up as they had to de-frost the plane.. haha..upon arrival at stanstead, i was greeted by warm sunshine which i felt was a good start to my journey.. my bus ride to victoria, though long, only had me reeling in excitement and anticipation. in order to treavel cheaply, i had made a reservation at the astor quest hotel at bayswater.. my first experience with the hostel and luckily i wasn't too shocked or put off by anything. the room sure was modest- four double-decker beds with an ensuite bathroom. though stripped at a hotel's little luxuries no bedside chocolates? , it was just a place to spend the nights so no complains there..
i spent a good part of the first day alone as yang's train was only due for arrival at ninish-ten.. so with loads of time to spare, i rekindled my love for high street kensington. though most of the major brands -zara, mango, topshop, anyone?- could be found in singapore and copenhagen, i loved how put-together the street was. with stores such as office and faith,
shoe-shopping in london would have been sensational if only i could carry the shoes out of the shops in a shopping bag instead of just lusting behind the window display..
restraint was the order of the day- takes some fun out of life but keeps me on parental support.determined to make the most out of my day trip rail ticket, i made an inpromptu trip to harrods.. by then, day was slowly giving way to night and harrods, drapped in fairy lights was stunning and pompously-so..
pretty huh?when yang finally arrived, we made a beeline for four seasons for their much coveted duck rice. no not some pishy-poshy five-star hotel duck rice but a terribly un-eye-catching chinese restaurant that blended right into its surroundings, just opposite bayswater station. note: which is why no other hostel location would have been good enough.
here's where the fun begins, we ordered the mixed meat rice which consisted of roast pork, roasted char siew and roast duck piled up harmoniusly on top of rice that had been drizzled in dark sauce.
it was a classic case of when harry met sally, except tonight, it was when poor deprived student mets plate of roasted fatty meats .. the plate of duck rice was met with whimpers of desire and almost-tears of gratification.. not forgetting how it was polished off with ease that would have put the japanese hotdog-eating champion to weener-shame.
we then took a short walk to tesco which was closing and eventually back to the hostel where clean, hard mattresses called out to our satisfied tummies and achning bodies. sigh..
Wednesday, February 15
copenhagen is littered with these quaint confectionaries and you can spot them from a mile away from the 'bagel' fixture that hangs prominently along the streets.
though there are sleek classy bakeries such as illum's, these confectionaries retain the rustic vintagey feeling with window displays that showcase fineries of exhorbitant calories.
i sometimes wonder what it's like to work in a place where children or adults unfaiinngly stop in their tracks to gawk at the pastries- the earnest look of desire or gluttony unabashedly moulded into their faces.
i have grand plans that one fine day, i will spend an afternoon in one such confectionary and taste the finest of copenhagen of a plate. care to join me?
though there are sleek classy bakeries such as illum's, these confectionaries retain the rustic vintagey feeling with window displays that showcase fineries of exhorbitant calories.
i sometimes wonder what it's like to work in a place where children or adults unfaiinngly stop in their tracks to gawk at the pastries- the earnest look of desire or gluttony unabashedly moulded into their faces.
i have grand plans that one fine day, i will spend an afternoon in one such confectionary and taste the finest of copenhagen of a plate. care to join me?
i'm feeling hardly cynical about this commercial-o-drama special day. what a change. =)
the day kicked off with a hardly memorable lecture but it was good to see friends and the familar faces.. so i'm not complaining.. but on my way home, i met a chinese girl just outside my residence hall.. i had seen her a couple of times around but apart from the fact that her name was 'kiku' and she cooked in the kitchen that directly faced mine, i knew walnuts about her..
but she stopped me in my tracks by asking if i could speak mandarin.. and OF COURSE i HAD to SHOW OFF my linguistic skills.. she seemed so relief at the sound of her mother tongue and i didn't have the heart to tell her my chinese vocabulary literally stopped expanding at the age of twelve.. but to be honest, i myself was relieved at the existence of another two-legged creature that could speak mandarin..
turns out kiku's real name is yongjun (related to the fact that she was born in autumn) and i really like the way her name sounds. she's from taiwan.. and she speaks fluent english of course.. the two of us bonded like kindred souls and were again, relieved to find out how much we have in common, i left the conversation with an elated feeling in my being, knowing that things could only get better.
i cooked dinner with andy and heiko.. where i made fried rice.. with just garlic, onions and eggs since my ham had grown mould with neglect.. we paired the rice with pan-fried chicken, which was marinated with lime and no-idea-what.. but it tasted good and this is the first time i have had a proper chicken fillet here.. serious. oh mum, you would be proud of me! the two were incredibly generous with compliments, caring to tell whoever that walked into the kitchen that i 'had prepared a great meal'.. really now!
it's blurry in here.
there's apparently a party at svanevej- another residence hall but for me, it's probably time to return to my readings..
happy valentine's day folks. love isn't just a bouquet of exhorbitantly priced roses or fancy candy wrapped with paper that contributes to deforestation.. it's the little things that count. you'll know what i mean.
the day kicked off with a hardly memorable lecture but it was good to see friends and the familar faces.. so i'm not complaining.. but on my way home, i met a chinese girl just outside my residence hall.. i had seen her a couple of times around but apart from the fact that her name was 'kiku' and she cooked in the kitchen that directly faced mine, i knew walnuts about her..
but she stopped me in my tracks by asking if i could speak mandarin.. and OF COURSE i HAD to SHOW OFF my linguistic skills.. she seemed so relief at the sound of her mother tongue and i didn't have the heart to tell her my chinese vocabulary literally stopped expanding at the age of twelve.. but to be honest, i myself was relieved at the existence of another two-legged creature that could speak mandarin..
turns out kiku's real name is yongjun (related to the fact that she was born in autumn) and i really like the way her name sounds. she's from taiwan.. and she speaks fluent english of course.. the two of us bonded like kindred souls and were again, relieved to find out how much we have in common, i left the conversation with an elated feeling in my being, knowing that things could only get better.
i cooked dinner with andy and heiko.. where i made fried rice.. with just garlic, onions and eggs since my ham had grown mould with neglect.. we paired the rice with pan-fried chicken, which was marinated with lime and no-idea-what.. but it tasted good and this is the first time i have had a proper chicken fillet here.. serious. oh mum, you would be proud of me! the two were incredibly generous with compliments, caring to tell whoever that walked into the kitchen that i 'had prepared a great meal'.. really now!
it's blurry in here.
there's apparently a party at svanevej- another residence hall but for me, it's probably time to return to my readings..
happy valentine's day folks. love isn't just a bouquet of exhorbitantly priced roses or fancy candy wrapped with paper that contributes to deforestation.. it's the little things that count. you'll know what i mean.
Monday, February 13
in appreciation of the fantastic sunday weather, heiko, andy and i visited the coastlines of copenhagen. an introduction: andy "my bathroom mate" (real name: andreauss) and i share the same bathroom and with the recent influx of horror-neighbour-stories, i could not ask for a more polite or considerate neighbour. heiko, also from germany, leaves about ten meters away and is a real down-to-earth guy, fantastic cook, takes his alcohol very very seriously.. plus he has two beautiful horses back at home.
anyway, back to the beaches, it was a really lovely day- not too cold, not even that windy and plenty of sunlight =) we spent a couple of hours just strolling about.. we even made a pact to picnic in spring..
i had two dinners as clemont and pierre planned a french dinner where they prepared quiche lorraine and a french dessert called 'ile flottante' which means floating island.
the quiche was a mouth-watering entree, made up of bacon and countless eggs wheras 'ile flottante' was essentially vanilla custard sauce drapped over meringue, topped with caramelized sugar.
the effort put in by these two guys was simply amazing.. they made both dishes from scratch, despite the fact that you could buy ready made items from supermarkets. and the dessert! the merticulous separating of about a dozen egg whites from their yolks and the time-comsuming relentless whisking of stiff peaks.. i say, you should take a spoonful and savour it in your mouth for a good two minutes before letting it disappear into the dark abyss of your digestive track.
second dinner materialised in the form of a modified rosti- potatoes, onion, tomatoes and cheese simmer-sizzling in a pan.. simple yet immensely enjoyable. there's the picture of me in front of a stove to prove that i had had a hand in creating the dish but really, heiko and andy did the work i.e. boiling and peeling of potatoes while i, the master culinary pretender, simply sliced the potatoes and mucked around the pan for a while..
in fact, if not for these guys or our sunday dinners, i doubt i would ever have proper homecooked food. and no, pasta does not qualify as 'cooked food'... everybody keeps asking me when they can try singaporean food and last night, i threw them a random date, "april 25th" and one asked, "is that when your mum will be here?"
very funny. so april 25th: bring your can-opener, guys!
anyway, back to the beaches, it was a really lovely day- not too cold, not even that windy and plenty of sunlight =) we spent a couple of hours just strolling about.. we even made a pact to picnic in spring..
i had two dinners as clemont and pierre planned a french dinner where they prepared quiche lorraine and a french dessert called 'ile flottante' which means floating island.
the quiche was a mouth-watering entree, made up of bacon and countless eggs wheras 'ile flottante' was essentially vanilla custard sauce drapped over meringue, topped with caramelized sugar.
the effort put in by these two guys was simply amazing.. they made both dishes from scratch, despite the fact that you could buy ready made items from supermarkets. and the dessert! the merticulous separating of about a dozen egg whites from their yolks and the time-comsuming relentless whisking of stiff peaks.. i say, you should take a spoonful and savour it in your mouth for a good two minutes before letting it disappear into the dark abyss of your digestive track.
second dinner materialised in the form of a modified rosti- potatoes, onion, tomatoes and cheese simmer-sizzling in a pan.. simple yet immensely enjoyable. there's the picture of me in front of a stove to prove that i had had a hand in creating the dish but really, heiko and andy did the work i.e. boiling and peeling of potatoes while i, the master culinary pretender, simply sliced the potatoes and mucked around the pan for a while..
in fact, if not for these guys or our sunday dinners, i doubt i would ever have proper homecooked food. and no, pasta does not qualify as 'cooked food'... everybody keeps asking me when they can try singaporean food and last night, i threw them a random date, "april 25th" and one asked, "is that when your mum will be here?"
very funny. so april 25th: bring your can-opener, guys!
Saturday, February 11
sodding goodness.
around this time next week, i will hopefully be reunited with my younger sis in fair (and grey) plains of london. yes, i just booked tickets! talk about impromptu.. =)
four seasons duck rice. harrods. covent garden. ben's cookie. high street kensington. portobello market. hyde park. cow's tongue sandwich from selfridges. nottinghill. oxford street. harvey nicholas.
part of the trip's objective is to celebrate my sis's birthday.. i have no idea why i am so frigginliciously excited about going to somewhere i have been to so many times.. the excitement of unpredictability? lack of parental guidiance? perhaps.. haha.. relax mum..
the harrods sale has been extended to 19th feb! <-- is that A SIGN or what?! i was just planning my itinery there, trying to make the most out of my three days and i have decided not to do any of that touristy business like mdm tussauds or buckingham palace.. instead i have made plans only to visit places that i actually miss like high street and covent garden and return trips to portobello market and selfridges to refresh memories..
i even have a short list of places to get good grub.. and funny enough, despite having previously visited london, i have NEVER tried their traditional fish and chips.. so i am going to make it a point to do so..
alrights, gotta go practise my curtsey tah for now..
around this time next week, i will hopefully be reunited with my younger sis in fair (and grey) plains of london. yes, i just booked tickets! talk about impromptu.. =) four seasons duck rice. harrods. covent garden. ben's cookie. high street kensington. portobello market. hyde park. cow's tongue sandwich from selfridges. nottinghill. oxford street. harvey nicholas.
part of the trip's objective is to celebrate my sis's birthday.. i have no idea why i am so frigginliciously excited about going to somewhere i have been to so many times.. the excitement of unpredictability? lack of parental guidiance? perhaps.. haha.. relax mum..
the harrods sale has been extended to 19th feb! <-- is that A SIGN or what?! i was just planning my itinery there, trying to make the most out of my three days and i have decided not to do any of that touristy business like mdm tussauds or buckingham palace.. instead i have made plans only to visit places that i actually miss like high street and covent garden and return trips to portobello market and selfridges to refresh memories..
i even have a short list of places to get good grub.. and funny enough, despite having previously visited london, i have NEVER tried their traditional fish and chips.. so i am going to make it a point to do so..
alrights, gotta go practise my curtsey tah for now..
illum baker.
here's an interesting link
dove's campaign for real beauty
in those ever-heartwarming emails and short messages that i have received so far, too many people have asked or requested for features on danish gastronomical finds and sigh, as a student on budget, it has not been easy to go around sampling the many delights that have so cruelly crossed my path.
but today, i have reward your tenacity with a small feature on a bakery at one of copenagen's most visited mega-departmental store- ILLUM.
illum's bakery is extremely well-stocked with goodies that your dentist will definitely approve of (as such, he will be laughing his way to the bank). and like most places, their danish pastries are often marked and differentiated with a smudge of icing, wheras their tarts bear fruits that sit pompously and glisten with such gloss, one would find hard to resist.
their bread collection is second to none and if you need a savoury treat like a mini pizza foccacia, illum is there to cater to your needs.
but today, i have reward your tenacity with a small feature on a bakery at one of copenagen's most visited mega-departmental store- ILLUM.
illum's bakery is extremely well-stocked with goodies that your dentist will definitely approve of (as such, he will be laughing his way to the bank). and like most places, their danish pastries are often marked and differentiated with a smudge of icing, wheras their tarts bear fruits that sit pompously and glisten with such gloss, one would find hard to resist.
their bread collection is second to none and if you need a savoury treat like a mini pizza foccacia, illum is there to cater to your needs.
here's an interesting link
dove's campaign for real beauty
today was a tee-lala (i like how happy that sounds) day. the sun was OUT and when approaching noon, the day was uncharacteristically warm. apparently the temperature went all the way uppp to 9degcel =) yeah, after yesterday's kid-sized downpour and snowfall.. the erratic-ness of the weather reminds of singapore. miss once-and-probably-still-a-heliophobe me decided to head out after lunch- i needed to be out basking in the sunlight that was threatening to give way to the fog. thus i walked to inner copenhagen where i met up with johanna from finlnd and katy from iceland (both from my residence hall) for coffee and cake (photos added soon). we then window-shopped at major departmental store illum where we lusted and carressed the fabrics of spring fashion- i could tell we were all making unspoken promises to whoever who we put our religious faith in, in exchange for the sooner-than-later arrival of spring.
dinner was a wholesome affair as hector's girlfriend had come to visit from milan and they created a simple meat-stuffed pasta dish with cheese and creme fraiche. everyone's other half seems to be visiting these days. sweet! haha..
my eyewitness guide for provence has arrived! my first purchase from amazon and i'm pretty pleased with how quick it took to arrive =).. grrr, i am so stuck on visiting provence, i don't even mind travelling solo if i can't find company.. wouldn't that be a feat?
Thursday, February 9
skype greenhorn here.
username: yixiaoaixiy
email: dropyourcashhere@hotmail.com
username: yixiaoaixiy
email: dropyourcashhere@hotmail.com
ello wai!
and i'm talking to my next-door bathroom neighbour and it's so weird because if i go to the loo he will know why i am not replying. haha.. but it's funnn..
it's snowing real hard right now. can you see how foggy it is out there? snow rain snow rain. 'british weather' we are getting here.
i got to admit i have a real unhealthy obsession with chips here. as in those simply salted bundle of crisp do-no-good-for-you yummies.. i wasn't hungry so i just grabbed a couple of apples for dinner but i opened a bag of chips and finished the bloody entire lot! like i kept walking back to my locker for re-fills.. urgh, but they were good =)
i also spent like a good three hours in the kitchen and you will be amazed by the number of people you get to meet. like people trinkle in in groups of twos and threes and each time there's a fresh about of topics to talk about.. i must have met about ten new people today from canada, the states and LUND-den. the first british that i have come across.. you know what, i have been to london so many times but only now do i really appreciate british english. it sounds so proper and uppittily- refreshing.. haha..
and i realised europeans drink A LOT OF ALCOHOL.. like they take a beer before dinner, another during and wine or liquor after dinner AND conversations thereafter.. really now.
london next week? go or no go?
what am i rambling about? see what a bag of chips does to you!
Wednesday, February 8
i've finally caught memoirs of the geisha.. well it wasn't THAT bad.. candy- coated in true hollywood style.. a little draggy (i skipped the entire world war 2 part) and we all know 'the book's always better'.. perhaps bernardo bertolucci (director of the last emperor) ought to give it a shot..
last night, by chance, i visited another kitchen and met NEW people- mainly from germany and france and one heck of a funny italian.. it was nice meeting new people.. and theres something comforting about sharing a good laugh over nonsensical musings such as cleaning agents and dust mites.. and like how none of the girls should acknowledge hector (the italian) this weekend as his girlfriend was visitng and we asked she were the jealous sort, he replied, "she's italian.."
i then visited the australian bar with the germans, andreaus, bridget, hicheal and steffie where we, apart from hicheal, played pool with the ease of an embaressed beginner.. before retreating back home where we wined and suppered over potato chips and salsa. good thing i had a major craving for good ol' salted chips you can't find RUFFLESSS ORGINAL here! .. great chips, great fun.
today i attneded a lecture called societies in transition which basically talks about the the move from a command economy (think communism) to the market economy (capitalism anyone?) and we would be focusing a lot of the east european economies.. which includes states from the former USSR.. and the baltic states. what exactly are the baltic states? slovenia, latvia, lithuania, estonia etc etc
i actually find this course rather interesting.. i like learning about countries that the singapore education would have have a reason to touch on.. and getting to know countries that i would normally assciate with the miss universe awards would hopefully prove to be enlightening.. haha.. but the readings are absolutely d-r-y DRY! urgh.. but we formed mini groups for our project work and i got together with four other french (1 from paris and 3 from lyon).. can't hardly wait to get started. =)
last night, by chance, i visited another kitchen and met NEW people- mainly from germany and france and one heck of a funny italian.. it was nice meeting new people.. and theres something comforting about sharing a good laugh over nonsensical musings such as cleaning agents and dust mites.. and like how none of the girls should acknowledge hector (the italian) this weekend as his girlfriend was visitng and we asked she were the jealous sort, he replied, "she's italian.."
i then visited the australian bar with the germans, andreaus, bridget, hicheal and steffie where we, apart from hicheal, played pool with the ease of an embaressed beginner.. before retreating back home where we wined and suppered over potato chips and salsa. good thing i had a major craving for good ol' salted chips you can't find RUFFLESSS ORGINAL here! .. great chips, great fun.
today i attneded a lecture called societies in transition which basically talks about the the move from a command economy (think communism) to the market economy (capitalism anyone?) and we would be focusing a lot of the east european economies.. which includes states from the former USSR.. and the baltic states. what exactly are the baltic states? slovenia, latvia, lithuania, estonia etc etc
i actually find this course rather interesting.. i like learning about countries that the singapore education would have have a reason to touch on.. and getting to know countries that i would normally assciate with the miss universe awards would hopefully prove to be enlightening.. haha.. but the readings are absolutely d-r-y DRY! urgh.. but we formed mini groups for our project work and i got together with four other french (1 from paris and 3 from lyon).. can't hardly wait to get started. =)
Monday, February 6
yesterday's flicker of coffetish snow probably served as a warning of the intense shower that we were about to receive today.
it looks as if someone accidentally hit the 'eject' button on the vacuum cleaner and released this alarming display of snowfall.
i had an 8am class (yes, on a monday morning!) and it was still dark when i walked out of my residence hall.. the lecture was snooze-button worthy but guess what, i am just glad school starts this week. FINALLY! something to look forward to and i plan my lessons from monday to thursday which is a real hoot since i always preferred 3-day weeks back in singapore. nerdnerdnerd.. yes, that's what it says on my danish ID CARD under occupation.. haha..
i realised i haven't been keeping up with the news as in current affairs and visited TODAYonline.. wow, all the controversy the danish cartoons have caused! who would have thought the danes were capable of getting the world excited over anything apart from their royal family.. hmm.. but you know what the news never changes.. there's always someone out there just dying to blow himself up.. there will always a couple of politicians who quibble like children over the role of train master in a game of choo-choo train.. the 9-11 conspirators are STILL in the midst of trial (like how long does it take to decide the fate of someone who lent a hand in orchestrating monstrosity?!)
so i flipped over to 8-days because at least entertainment news updates itself regularly.. oh how i miss 8-days! but eww jeanette aw.. haha.. this brings me to a comversation i had with a good friend, diana i think about how today's mini-newmakers and she mentioned something about jeanette aww and her insatiable need to breathe in after every sentence, hence making it look as if she can't get the words out.. heh heh
oh yes, last night we had sunday dinner- italian theme! pizza, lasagne, salad.. apparently the french are going to be cooking next sunday... french food zeeee yummm..
i visited the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek musuem and it didn't take me longer than an hour to visit the entire musuem as most is closed for renovations- for spring, i am guessing. they had a feature of eygption art from the amarna period and a gallery which housed paintings from monet, van gogh and sulptures mainly from edgar degas.
hmm well it is kind of hard to be impressed or enamoured by the artefacts, especially if you have been to the sistine chapel or even to beijing.. and since photography wasn't allowed in the galleries.. please make do with the exterior shot of the building and the main interior lobby.
i'm going back to my readings.. no not the notes but current 'apple-author of my eye' sue townsend's number ten.. ta!
it looks as if someone accidentally hit the 'eject' button on the vacuum cleaner and released this alarming display of snowfall.
i had an 8am class (yes, on a monday morning!) and it was still dark when i walked out of my residence hall.. the lecture was snooze-button worthy but guess what, i am just glad school starts this week. FINALLY! something to look forward to and i plan my lessons from monday to thursday which is a real hoot since i always preferred 3-day weeks back in singapore. nerdnerdnerd.. yes, that's what it says on my danish ID CARD under occupation.. haha..
i realised i haven't been keeping up with the news as in current affairs and visited TODAYonline.. wow, all the controversy the danish cartoons have caused! who would have thought the danes were capable of getting the world excited over anything apart from their royal family.. hmm.. but you know what the news never changes.. there's always someone out there just dying to blow himself up.. there will always a couple of politicians who quibble like children over the role of train master in a game of choo-choo train.. the 9-11 conspirators are STILL in the midst of trial (like how long does it take to decide the fate of someone who lent a hand in orchestrating monstrosity?!)so i flipped over to 8-days because at least entertainment news updates itself regularly.. oh how i miss 8-days! but eww jeanette aw.. haha.. this brings me to a comversation i had with a good friend, diana i think about how today's mini-newmakers and she mentioned something about jeanette aww and her insatiable need to breathe in after every sentence, hence making it look as if she can't get the words out.. heh heh
oh yes, last night we had sunday dinner- italian theme! pizza, lasagne, salad.. apparently the french are going to be cooking next sunday... french food zeeee yummm..
i visited the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek musuem and it didn't take me longer than an hour to visit the entire musuem as most is closed for renovations- for spring, i am guessing. they had a feature of eygption art from the amarna period and a gallery which housed paintings from monet, van gogh and sulptures mainly from edgar degas.
hmm well it is kind of hard to be impressed or enamoured by the artefacts, especially if you have been to the sistine chapel or even to beijing.. and since photography wasn't allowed in the galleries.. please make do with the exterior shot of the building and the main interior lobby.
i'm going back to my readings.. no not the notes but current 'apple-author of my eye' sue townsend's number ten.. ta!
Sunday, February 5
my parents called today and boy, did they sound worried. ack, i feel bad, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! i'm just sharpening life skils and sorting out personal development issues.. haha.. which unfortunately includes learning how to use a washing machine.
today over lunch, danny not so kindly exclaimed, "you mean you don't know how to work a washing machine? ... you can't cook and you don't wash.. WHAT have you been doing in singapore?!... SLEEPPINGG?!!! " that guy's got issues.
it was great talking to you, wai. "forever f-w-e-n-s!" *v-sign* haha..
my life in a nutshell, so far.
sitting around with people in the kitchen, indulging in coffee and brownies cookies is taking a toil on my system. big smile.
tomorrow, danny, walter, clemont and i are hopefully heading off to the national musuem. big smile.
italian dinner tomorrow. another big smile.
booked tickets to madrid and barcelona with yang. YOU CAN'T WIPE THAT GRIN OFF.
=)
today over lunch, danny not so kindly exclaimed, "you mean you don't know how to work a washing machine? ... you can't cook and you don't wash.. WHAT have you been doing in singapore?!... SLEEPPINGG?!!! " that guy's got issues.
it was great talking to you, wai. "forever f-w-e-n-s!" *v-sign* haha..
my life in a nutshell, so far.
sitting around with people in the kitchen, indulging in coffee and brownies cookies is taking a toil on my system. big smile.
tomorrow, danny, walter, clemont and i are hopefully heading off to the national musuem. big smile.
italian dinner tomorrow. another big smile.
booked tickets to madrid and barcelona with yang. YOU CAN'T WIPE THAT GRIN OFF.
=)
Friday, February 3
i need a girlfriend.
no! not in the lesbian way, but rather girlfriend as in the female chum, the femme confidante..
the guys here are great- as fair weather friends.
but i need someone who can connect with me on a much deeper level.
someone who would get excited over huge "UDSALG" signs. someone who agrees that though bread, all carbs, spells trouble for the waistline tastes great even when untoasted. someone with whom i can share my meals with, because cooking for one is not worth the hassle. someone who nudges me halfway during lecture to alert me of potential eye candies. someone who understands why i would walk an hour and half to and fro downtown to save 23kr and WOULD walk with me. someone who would roll her eyes at the immaturity of boys who still get a kick out of swearing every five seconds. someone who doesn't feel the need to club every night and drunk herself silly till the wee hours of the morning.
someone.
no! not in the lesbian way, but rather girlfriend as in the female chum, the femme confidante..
the guys here are great- as fair weather friends.
but i need someone who can connect with me on a much deeper level.
someone who would get excited over huge "UDSALG" signs. someone who agrees that though bread, all carbs, spells trouble for the waistline tastes great even when untoasted. someone with whom i can share my meals with, because cooking for one is not worth the hassle. someone who nudges me halfway during lecture to alert me of potential eye candies. someone who understands why i would walk an hour and half to and fro downtown to save 23kr and WOULD walk with me. someone who would roll her eyes at the immaturity of boys who still get a kick out of swearing every five seconds. someone who doesn't feel the need to club every night and drunk herself silly till the wee hours of the morning.
someone.
Thursday, February 2
i am coughing so much, my stomach really feels like its getting a good workout.
whenever i take a deep breath to prevent the onslaught of a cough, my neck and back muscles hurt and i can feel the pain way up to my right ear.
bad weather!
i don't want to sound like one of those who write to magazines for help.
but some days. really.
my heart went 'pwang' at the school bookshop where i bought a compendium for my innovation course. a compendium is a thick stack of legally photocopied & binded readings which you will probably be using for the entire semester and which costme dad a staggering 234.50kr, which means i paid S$62.50 for a stack of notes and this is be far the MOST that i have ever put down for a textbook or course-related study material... PWANG!
wait till you hear how a dorm mate had to pay over 1000kr for 2 textbooks for his graduate course..
on a brighter note, sue townsend's the queen and i is such a hoot. the story opens with how the queen was forced to abdicate and her entire family sent to live on social security after the republican government was elected. think dinghy living conditions in a neighbourhood called 'Hell Close' and drearily-low costs of living. throw in the initial infant-like helplessness and first steps taken towards independancy. the constant worrying of when things were going to look up or if you had enough for your next meal- that is, after cutting out transportation fees.
arh, talk about the right book at the right time.
this book has secured a special place in my heart.
whenever i take a deep breath to prevent the onslaught of a cough, my neck and back muscles hurt and i can feel the pain way up to my right ear.
bad weather!
i don't want to sound like one of those who write to magazines for help.
but some days. really.
my heart went 'pwang' at the school bookshop where i bought a compendium for my innovation course. a compendium is a thick stack of legally photocopied & binded readings which you will probably be using for the entire semester and which cost
wait till you hear how a dorm mate had to pay over 1000kr for 2 textbooks for his graduate course..
on a brighter note, sue townsend's the queen and i is such a hoot. the story opens with how the queen was forced to abdicate and her entire family sent to live on social security after the republican government was elected. think dinghy living conditions in a neighbourhood called 'Hell Close' and drearily-low costs of living. throw in the initial infant-like helplessness and first steps taken towards independancy. the constant worrying of when things were going to look up or if you had enough for your next meal- that is, after cutting out transportation fees.
arh, talk about the right book at the right time.
this book has secured a special place in my heart.
Wednesday, February 1
i just got off wai's blog. isn't chinese new year just useful? it provides you with the second chance to evaluate your life for the past lunar year and allows you to make NEW new year resolutions.. like if those dec31st ones don't seem to be realistic enough, you could always scratch out, erase or "blank-co" them how random.
the picture on the left is a poster i bought from my excursion to ikea. it's a tiny japanese girl behind a terribly oversized umbrella. when i saw it, i GOT TO HAVE IT snd due to the BUD-ouch-GET, i decided not to get the door rug and paper shelves.
i'm going to read up for tomorrow's Outsourcing lecture.. toodles
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