I was talking to my colleague and I can't remember how we got onto the topic of clubbing but I mentioned that everytime I club, something happens to me. I can sum up how some typical characters in a club result in my clubbing adventures:
1. Jumpers
You know these folks. They're the ones who get so high that they start jumping to the music while pumping their fists up in the air. I can completely understand how they are feeding off the adrenaline rush, especially with rockin' live bands.
However, in a packed club, jumpers are damn irritating because they will bump into you/ crush your toes/ jab you with their fists or elbows. Happened to me one night at China One.
2. Drink-in-hand dancers
Cocktail being held in one hand, these 'dancers' just want to be in the gyrating crowd but can't really dance. So, they must look like they're doing something. Hence the drink. Seriously...PLEASE DO NOT HOLD A DRINK WHILE DANCING! Not only will you get showers of alcohol, sometimes, ice from the glass falls onto the dance floor which is a dangerous object that melts into a slippery puddle.
3. Back grinders
Men are normally the ones guilty of this. I've been a victim of this twice when these men just grab my waist from the back and start grinding on me. Ewwwww....
One of them was worse than the other because he refused to let go when I tried to pry his fingers off, followed by my girlfriends pulling me towards them. He only went away when my male friend tapped on back-grinder's shoulder. WTH. -_-
4. Ladies with large handbangs
Clubbing with normal sized bags is an absolute no-no. Please leave them bags in the lockers provided in all clubs. Firstly, it's way uncool to club with said handbag. What's even MORE uncool is slapping everyone around you with the bag. Makes me wanna rip your handbag off your shoulder and chuck it onto the floor where the puddle from drink-in-hand dancer is.
5. Bollywood dancers wannabe
Characterised by flailing arms, large circular movements and basically, taking up too much space on the dance floor - these Bollywood dancers wannabes are almost like the combination of the jumpers and ladies with large handbags. Their obliviousness to the other humans around them result in body harm because their arms will hit you in the face/ back of the head OR they can slam into you when they're trying to widen their dancing space. Again, not cool.
Nonetheless, I still enjoy going clubbing once in a while. I like just hanging loose and have a bit of workout from dancing. Below is a very interesting documentary on clubbing's impact in society. It's really fascinating and I highly recommend watching it if you can spare 1.5 hours!
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Movie Review - Mortal Instruments, City of Bones
I have read the book (only this particular one) and was extra excited because Godfrey Gao and Jonathan Rhys Meyer are in the movie!!
For those who do not know about the books, you can read the wikipedia version here. It may be a little confusing but at least you get a gist of the novels.
After watching the movie, I was rather disappointed. Sure, the visuals were stunning but a beautiful set and wonderful visual effects cannot beat a seamless script. The movie took too much liberty with the book and the end result was a choppy series of scenes that were disjointed. Siew Mai has never read the books and she said that the movie did nothing to convince her to start reading them. In fact, the opposite is true.
I do understand that it's necessary to shorten the book into a 2 hour film but there's where excellent scriptwriters show their prowess. The cheesy lines and the jarring insertion of lines from the books really didn't help. I was also a bit disappointed with Gao's portrayal of Magnus although Siew Mai thought that it was campy enough. To be fair, I felt that Gao couldn't portray a better Magnus because of his lines in the party scene and not that he's a lousy actor.
I'm glad that I didn't pay good money to watch it but I have a feeling that I will pay to watch the sequel. It's what fans of the books will do!
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Movie Review - Elysium
So, I walked into the theatre only knowing the gist of the plot, which is - Earth is so polluted that the wealthiest of the world built a habitat in outer space where everyone is healthy and everyone has a med bed which cures all diseases.
Naturally, this film touches on the socio-political issues between the haves and have-nots. Where the poor are forced to remain sick or are denied access to medical care, simply because they do not have the wealth to become a citizen of Elysium.
Enter Jodie Foster's character, Jessica Delacourt, who is the Minister of Defence and also known as Class A b**ch in the movie. She takes the hardline against illegal immigrants to Elysium and doesn't bat an eyelid to using forceful methods and illegal agents on Earth.
Matt Damon plays Max De Costa, an orphan and an ex-con, who gets a lethal dosage of radiation during work one day. Given only 5 days to live, he decides to go to Elysium at no matter what cost/price.
I'm not going to reveal any more because, it would then read like Wikipedia or a blow-by-blow account of the movie. Overall, I felt that the movie was touching and rather entertaining. However, the starting was a little long drawn and the director obviously has a penchant for showing blown up body parts. Gross. There's not going to be any explanation on how these med beds were invented, how it is possible to create Elysium and science buffs will question how it is possible that Elysium has an atmosphere. But yes, suspend all logical theories and just enjoy the fight scenes between the 'good guys' (ie. illegal but poor folks) and the 'bad guys' (ie. the government of Elysium plus that psycho agent).
Sunday, 18 August 2013
The Day the Pigeon Decided To Be Part of Mass
If you look very carefully, there's a grey little pigeon on the altar, right where you can see the minister's trousers.
Not a very clear photo but it's the best that I could do with my phone camera from the pew that I was sitting at.
This happened during Holy Communion, just before we sat on our pews, waiting to queue up for Holy Communion. From the side of my eye, I saw something flashing towards the altar. At first, I thought someone was running to the altar but I later saw that it was a pigeon!
The pigeon was happily perching on the altar, walked a few steps and even walked ONTO the Bible. It stayed ON the Bible throughout the whole time that the congregation was queuing to receive Holy Communion. It didn't move from that corner, even when the minister went to keep the remaining communion wafers! It only flew off onto the rostrum when the priest went back to the altar.
Funnily enough, it seemed to be very happy at the rostrum and I could see its head bobbing along. The lector was very amused and was smiling to herself as she approached the rostrum to make the announcements. It was only then that the pigeon decided that enough was enough and flew off to one of the air-conditioners.
Goodness knows when this bird flew into the church as the doors were all closed. Hmm...religious bird?
Friday, 16 August 2013
New Headphones! LG Tone 750
Check out my new wireless headphones that I bought via Amazon.com! I decided to get them after talking to the CEO of TradeHero and he had a set. Funnily enough, we were supposed to have a business meeting but I saw these on the table and starting talking to him about that first. Totally distracted by his awesome reviews and both of us kinda ignored his Marketing Manager who was watching us with an amused expression.
Setting up was really easy. It was simply a matter of switching it on and pairing it with my iPhone. A friend said that the 2 bits in front look like koi fish. -_- Another said that it had too many wires or a wireless headset. Well, the wires from the ear buds are a little annoying but they're negligible.
Sound quality for this headset is good for a bluetooth headset! You can answer calls, change the base boost of the music and the ear buds go back into their little 'caves' via magnets. Compared to the standard iPhone earphones, the LG Tone headset's quality is much better but it still pales in comparison to my previous Skull Candy and Beats earphones. Skull Candy earphones are really a bargain at S$19.90 but of course, it does not come with all the same functions of the above.
For approx S$70, I think the LG tone is worth the dollar value. Not to mention, I can easily take this to the gym and I think it might be quite good when I'm running 10km runs. A reviewer wrote that it bounces when he runs though...I will test this out when I go for my GE Women's Run in Nov.
Thursday, 15 August 2013
History Lesson During Assumption Day
If you're Catholic, the term "Assumption Day" would not be any mystery to you. For my non-Catholic friends, Assumption Day is on 15 Aug and is the day we Catholics celebrate the assumption of Mother Mary into heaven. So...it's a big deal in the sense that when it falls on a weekday, we have to go for mass as it's a day of obligation.
So, me being busy me, I couldn't go to church for Assumption Day mass until after my major meeting which ended only at 7.30pm. I had googled the mass times earlier and found out that a nearby church had a Mandarin mass at 6pm, followed by another English session at 8pm. Perfect, right?
I was a little late so when I arrived at church, the introductory hymn was being sung. Initial reaction: "Am I hearing things right? They're singing in Mandarin!" But...this was the latest mass in the whole of Singapore!! I had no choice. I had to sit through an entire mass in Mandarin. Last time I did this was 8 years ago in Beijing.
Anyway, it was an interesting experience. Not so much because it was in Mandarin (although that was a little surreal to me) but rather because of the homily which turned out to be a history lesson crouched in a thick layer of bias and sounded like it was a rant mixed with scolding and teaching. In other words - naggy but backed up with historical facts. What comes next is a translated version:
"All of you (points and wags finger)! All of you! All you believers! Listen to what I have to say and believe me. It is not written anywhere in the Bible that Mary rose up to heaven body and soul! But yet, we Catholics can't bear the thought that Mary's body is being buried in some tomb rotting and being eaten away by worms so we believe that she rose up to heaven. But there's no written proof! However, people have believed this for 1950 years! It was only in 1950 that Pope Pius presented the dogma stating that Mary rose to heaven body and soul! Know what a dogma is? It means that if you disagree, you'll be excommunicated!"
I was starting to feel rather uneasy and I was wondering what this priest was trying to incite at this moment.
"So why was the dogma written? You must remember that in 1950, it was 5 years after 2 world wars. (cue long ramble about World War 2 and a strangely biased reason as to why it ended) So...this dogma came about to rouse people's spirit and to remind everyone, every believer that your life is precious. It came from God and one day, it will return to God. It is also at this same time where abortion was declared to be immoral by the Church.
Remember the first reading which talked about the woman cloaked with the sun and the moon at her feet? That's not Mary! That's not referring to Mother Mary! It's stated in the reading that the woman fled to the wilderness. The woman is the Church! The Church is now in the wilderness and in constant battle between what's right and wrong!"
When I mentioned this whole homily to my mum, she said that Mary mentioned to the children in Medujorie (pardon the misspelling) that she indeed had risen to heaven, body and soul. However, I cannot verify this.
There were a lot of other words that he used which I felt was rather prejudiced but nonetheless, I reckon that this priest's main message was rather clear. I just felt that instead of confusing the church goers, perhaps he should've toned down on his prejudices and just state his main topic, which was: we need to live our lives fruitfully, morally and justly - no matter what society says. This is because one day, we will return to God and when we live righteously, honouring God in our lives, God will also honour us. Amen.
So, me being busy me, I couldn't go to church for Assumption Day mass until after my major meeting which ended only at 7.30pm. I had googled the mass times earlier and found out that a nearby church had a Mandarin mass at 6pm, followed by another English session at 8pm. Perfect, right?
I was a little late so when I arrived at church, the introductory hymn was being sung. Initial reaction: "Am I hearing things right? They're singing in Mandarin!" But...this was the latest mass in the whole of Singapore!! I had no choice. I had to sit through an entire mass in Mandarin. Last time I did this was 8 years ago in Beijing.
Anyway, it was an interesting experience. Not so much because it was in Mandarin (although that was a little surreal to me) but rather because of the homily which turned out to be a history lesson crouched in a thick layer of bias and sounded like it was a rant mixed with scolding and teaching. In other words - naggy but backed up with historical facts. What comes next is a translated version:
"All of you (points and wags finger)! All of you! All you believers! Listen to what I have to say and believe me. It is not written anywhere in the Bible that Mary rose up to heaven body and soul! But yet, we Catholics can't bear the thought that Mary's body is being buried in some tomb rotting and being eaten away by worms so we believe that she rose up to heaven. But there's no written proof! However, people have believed this for 1950 years! It was only in 1950 that Pope Pius presented the dogma stating that Mary rose to heaven body and soul! Know what a dogma is? It means that if you disagree, you'll be excommunicated!"
I was starting to feel rather uneasy and I was wondering what this priest was trying to incite at this moment.
"So why was the dogma written? You must remember that in 1950, it was 5 years after 2 world wars. (cue long ramble about World War 2 and a strangely biased reason as to why it ended) So...this dogma came about to rouse people's spirit and to remind everyone, every believer that your life is precious. It came from God and one day, it will return to God. It is also at this same time where abortion was declared to be immoral by the Church.
Remember the first reading which talked about the woman cloaked with the sun and the moon at her feet? That's not Mary! That's not referring to Mother Mary! It's stated in the reading that the woman fled to the wilderness. The woman is the Church! The Church is now in the wilderness and in constant battle between what's right and wrong!"
When I mentioned this whole homily to my mum, she said that Mary mentioned to the children in Medujorie (pardon the misspelling) that she indeed had risen to heaven, body and soul. However, I cannot verify this.
There were a lot of other words that he used which I felt was rather prejudiced but nonetheless, I reckon that this priest's main message was rather clear. I just felt that instead of confusing the church goers, perhaps he should've toned down on his prejudices and just state his main topic, which was: we need to live our lives fruitfully, morally and justly - no matter what society says. This is because one day, we will return to God and when we live righteously, honouring God in our lives, God will also honour us. Amen.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Nails for the week - 12 Aug (Arizona bottle-ish?)
I'm getting lazier with my nail designs. I need inspiration!! Anyway, I quite like this combi as it reminds me of the Arizona tea bottle as well as the sakura. It's bling enough without making me seem like some sort of 'ah lian'.
I spent a little more effort in painting the base colour so I'm proud to say that this is one of my neater brush ons! :) Will be more conscientious next week!
Tea Time at TWG
Siew Mai and I were hungry and thirsty after our bout of shopping, and TWG (Ion Orchard) was the nearest place for a cup of tea. The queues are normally quite long so since an opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it.
We ordered their Prime Tea Set (S$26++) which comes with a pot of tea, 2 savoury brioches, 2 scones or 1 pastry from their cake selection, cream and their signature tea jelly. We also topped up with a separate pot of French Earl Grey (S$11++) since the set only comes with 1.
Both Siew Mai and myself were very impressed with their extensive list of teas, which bordered on being rather intimidating because...what does one choose?! I ended up choosing a chilled honey tea because it seemed rather soothing and interesting.
There aren't any tea leaves in the pot so you can forget about asking them to top up with hot water. I guess that's how they earn more money.
Why then is it called a honey tea? The aroma and slight taste of honey was very distinct when you sip it without the syrup. Add in the syrup and it intensifies the honey aroma! Very delicious! I guess the honey is probably from honeysuckle instead of honey honey.
Our sandwiches and scones came in a very English fashion. I need to get one of these soon.
For the savoury sandwiches, I went for the roast chicken while Siew Mai ordered the grilled vegetables. Both of us ended up having the 'same' sandwich because the taste of the cream cheese simply overpowered everything. To make things worse, it was just soft. There was no other texture then just a lump of soft mass. Even my roast chicken 'brioche' was soft. From the description, I thought that the cucumber and salad were in the sandwiches but I was mistaken.
On to the scones. I love scones. I think if you've been following my blog, you would've known how I was scoffing my face with scones in the UK in 2009, much to the chagrin of my bro. What was impressive about the scones in TWG were not the scones themselves (they were good...don't get me wrong) but the TEA JELLY! OMG. This delightful jam was light, floral, slightly fruity and super addictive. I could have eaten the whole tub. I think the next time I ever eat at TWG, I'll just ask for a pot of their tea jelly and all the scones that I can eat. After which, I'll have to walk home from Orchard just to burn off half of the calories. LOL.
The general verdict of TWG is this - slightly pretentious. The teas and anything made of the teas are quality but everything else just passes the taste test. With the prices on the menu, I might just ignore the quality tea and head to Marmalade Pantry on the 3rd floor where I know that I'm getting 10x the flavour for the same prices. Btw, if you haven't already known, the 1837 in their logo isn't the year of their establishment (which is 1995, if I'm not wrong). According to the founders, they added 1837 into their logo in respect of when tea importation etc was established. Ok...no comments on that.
Would I buy their teas? Some of the basic ones are going at S$32 for 20 bags. That's $1.50 each. I just bought 20 sachets of tea from Marks & Spencer for $4.50. Hmm...do I like their honey tea that much? I do have green tea and manuka honey...but I guess if you are a tea connoisseur, TWG is more worthy of one's palate. Me? I'll stick to Marks & Spencer/ Lipton/ Whitthard's/ Twinings.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
My day of freebies
Today was freebie galore for me. :)
Firstly, I had signed up for SKII's party so we had a door gift of the oil cleanser, UV sunscreen and a tube of Facial Treatment Vit C. I was expecting a full-on party with a talk and/or food, I was sorely disappointed as the section was crowded and the staff looked visibly harassed. Siew Mai and I walked on after receiving our door gifts, which took some time in the first place because our names didn't appear on the guest list despite me receiving a confirmation text message.
So, not wanting to experience the mad shoppers at the SKII counter, Siew Mai and I walked on and spotted Aveda where they were giving out free hand massages. In we went and received a very decent hand scrub and massage. We were introduced to their roller ball massage tube too. I also tried their curling conditioner as well as their hair tonic. I was sold and we ended up spending enough to get me a complimentary Tangs member card and therefore, a free tube of Tom Ford lipstick!
After making payment at Aveda, we walked past Khiel's and decided to do their consultation and get samples! Horrible me managed to score more freebie samples but I was assured that I'll get a follow-up call in 2 weeks. Please forget about calling me. I do use Khiel's products but I'd rather buy them from the US because it's much less expensive. Anyway, the branch at CK Tangs has a photobooth and of course, we just HAD to take photos.
Goes to show that you can shop for free at times but in my case, I did buy quite a bit...but I think I got just as much freebies as my actual purchases. Score!
Movie Review - Red 2
Unbeknownst to me, 'Red 2' is the sequel to 'Red' which is from a comic of the same name. In this movie, it shows Frank (Willis) trying to live a normal life with his girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) but ends up being boring and safe as he refuses to leave the house for dates etc. In the meanwhile, his best friend Marvin (Malkovich) tries to warn Frank that a top secret document has been released onto the internet stating that both Frank and Marvin were involved in an operation called 'Nightshade' during the Cold War.
What ensues is a hilarious action comedy where Frank, Marvin and Sarah try to find out what Operation Nightshade is about while being pursued by CIA, KGB, MI6 and Han (Lee) who was contracted to assassinate Frank.
You can definitely watch 'Red 2' without watching the previous installment and still laugh out loud at all the antics. Anthony Hopkins really shined because his acting was perfect. He still has it! Helen Mirren was super cool as contract killer Victoria Winslow and I loved how she and Lee Byung Hun had their own theme song while chasing the baddies/losing their tail in a cool blue Porsche. Malkovich channeled his usual kooky self and was the perfect foil to Willis.
'Red 2' is super entertaining and deserves 5 stars for that laugh out loud factor. Just don't go in trying to make things logical. Some parts definitely don't.
Friday, 9 August 2013
First Time at Eighteen Chefs
Although I've noticed Eighteen Chefs ever since they started at Tiong Bahru Plaza ages ago, I've never stepped into their restaurant until last Sunday when I met up with Siew Mai and we decided to have a dinner...of sorts.
Started by Chef Benny, Eighteen Chefs is a bit like Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, where troubled youth or youth with convictions are given a chance at a proper career and to reintegrate into society. The food is mainly western fare with a bit of a local flavour.
Siew Mai had a craving for fries and ice cream so we ordered the Double Cheesy Bolognaise Fries (S$6.80). It's fries topped with mozzarella cheese, bolognaise sauce and finally drizzled with nacho cheese. You definitely need to share this as one is just waaay too much for a person to finish. This reminded me of BFF's Wow Wow West or Carl's Jr Chilli Fries minus the chilli. Chilli Con with fries, perhaps? Me lurve cheeseeeeee....
For the dessert portion, it was a BANANA EXPLOSION (S$6.80)! That jar was full with 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream (I'm guessing either Walls or Magnolia), 1 banana (sliced), drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with chopped almonds. Would have been more decadent if the bananas were cooked in caramel sauce. Mmmm....yum.
Overall, I think Eighteen Chefs is ok and they do have wallet-friendly prices, which probably explains why it was super crowded with teens and there was a long queue at 7pm. The hot honey lemon tea (S$3.80) was 'solid' but I wished that the cup used was a little larger. Taste-wise, this place doesn't provide a party in your mouth but you can't really complain. Why I will support them would not be for the food per se but because of what they stand for and the platform it provides to troubled youth.
Eastpoint Mall
3 Simei Street 6
Eastpoint Mall #01-36
Singapore 528833 (Located beside POSB)
Telephone:6782 1298
Operation Hours: Sun - Thu 11.30am - 10pm
Fusionopolis Way
No. 1 Fusionopolis Way
Connexis #B1-12/13
Singapore 138632 (Located at the end of Food Court)
Telephone: 6467 1296
Operation Hours:
11.30am to 9pm (Daily)
*Last order 8.30pm
Tiong Bahru Plaza
302 Tiong Bahru Road
Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-K1/K6
Singapore 168732
Telephone: 6272 0961
Orchard Cineleisure
4th Floor...If I'm not wrong
Started by Chef Benny, Eighteen Chefs is a bit like Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, where troubled youth or youth with convictions are given a chance at a proper career and to reintegrate into society. The food is mainly western fare with a bit of a local flavour.
Siew Mai had a craving for fries and ice cream so we ordered the Double Cheesy Bolognaise Fries (S$6.80). It's fries topped with mozzarella cheese, bolognaise sauce and finally drizzled with nacho cheese. You definitely need to share this as one is just waaay too much for a person to finish. This reminded me of BFF's Wow Wow West or Carl's Jr Chilli Fries minus the chilli. Chilli Con with fries, perhaps? Me lurve cheeseeeeee....
For the dessert portion, it was a BANANA EXPLOSION (S$6.80)! That jar was full with 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream (I'm guessing either Walls or Magnolia), 1 banana (sliced), drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with chopped almonds. Would have been more decadent if the bananas were cooked in caramel sauce. Mmmm....yum.
Overall, I think Eighteen Chefs is ok and they do have wallet-friendly prices, which probably explains why it was super crowded with teens and there was a long queue at 7pm. The hot honey lemon tea (S$3.80) was 'solid' but I wished that the cup used was a little larger. Taste-wise, this place doesn't provide a party in your mouth but you can't really complain. Why I will support them would not be for the food per se but because of what they stand for and the platform it provides to troubled youth.
Eastpoint Mall
3 Simei Street 6
Eastpoint Mall #01-36
Singapore 528833 (Located beside POSB)
Telephone:6782 1298
Operation Hours: Sun - Thu 11.30am - 10pm
Fusionopolis Way
No. 1 Fusionopolis Way
Connexis #B1-12/13
Singapore 138632 (Located at the end of Food Court)
Telephone: 6467 1296
Operation Hours:
11.30am to 9pm (Daily)
*Last order 8.30pm
Tiong Bahru Plaza
302 Tiong Bahru Road
Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-K1/K6
Singapore 168732
Telephone: 6272 0961
Orchard Cineleisure
4th Floor...If I'm not wrong
Thursday, 8 August 2013
More on Tiong Bahru Bakery
Please note that I did not eat both pastries in the same day. Despite my self-love on my rolls, I am trying to reduce them...so these 2 were eaten on separate days but I decided to post them in 1 posting since it is about Tiong Bahru Bakery.
I have eaten an uber expensive sandwich from Tiong Bahru Bakery last year and you can read about it here. This time round, I'm going to focus on 2 desserts that I had.
First up is their Millefeuille Marron Casis (S$7).
Layers of flaky pastry filled with chestnut cream and what looks like blueberry jam. Sounds and looks good, doesn't it? I love chestnut cream so I was a tad disappointed that the jam overpowered the chestnut, although I think the jam was to add in some acid to take away the creaminess of the chestnut. Thus, I can't really fault the filling. What was the disappointing factor in this dessert is the pastry. I don't know whether it's this batch but it tasted almost over baked. Bordered between crispy goodness and burnt. Needless to say, I didn't eat half of the pastry.
Another colleague has turned into an ex-colleague and as a farewell gift, she bought us pastry from Tiong Bahru Bakery. My request was for their Almond Croissant (S$3.80).
Now...THIS was excellent! It's a croissant that has met melon-pan/roti-boy but is in all its almond glory. Sweet but not cloying, the croissant is filled with an almond paste that for once, I did not dislike. I must say that the croissant itself is slightly different from the traditional ones that you get from Delifrance (for example) but this is really quite yummy. Oh no...beware fat rolls! Stay away!!
Tiong Bahru Bakery
56 Eng Hoon St
#01-70
Singapore 160056
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-11/12 Raffles City
Singapore 179103
Website: http://www.tiongbahrubakery.com/
I have eaten an uber expensive sandwich from Tiong Bahru Bakery last year and you can read about it here. This time round, I'm going to focus on 2 desserts that I had.
First up is their Millefeuille Marron Casis (S$7).
Layers of flaky pastry filled with chestnut cream and what looks like blueberry jam. Sounds and looks good, doesn't it? I love chestnut cream so I was a tad disappointed that the jam overpowered the chestnut, although I think the jam was to add in some acid to take away the creaminess of the chestnut. Thus, I can't really fault the filling. What was the disappointing factor in this dessert is the pastry. I don't know whether it's this batch but it tasted almost over baked. Bordered between crispy goodness and burnt. Needless to say, I didn't eat half of the pastry.
Another colleague has turned into an ex-colleague and as a farewell gift, she bought us pastry from Tiong Bahru Bakery. My request was for their Almond Croissant (S$3.80).
Now...THIS was excellent! It's a croissant that has met melon-pan/roti-boy but is in all its almond glory. Sweet but not cloying, the croissant is filled with an almond paste that for once, I did not dislike. I must say that the croissant itself is slightly different from the traditional ones that you get from Delifrance (for example) but this is really quite yummy. Oh no...beware fat rolls! Stay away!!
Tiong Bahru Bakery
56 Eng Hoon St
#01-70
Singapore 160056
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-11/12 Raffles City
Singapore 179103
Website: http://www.tiongbahrubakery.com/
'Now You See Me' is an AWESOME film
This movie is not as widely publicised or marketed as other films, which is a shame considering that the cast is rather star studded and the acting was superb.
We have Mark Ruffalo acting as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes, Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley who exposes magicians for a living, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney, Jesse Eisenberg (of 'The Social Network' fame, having played Mark Kuckerberg) as Daniel Atlas, and Dave Franco (James' younger brother) as Jack Wilder. Not to mention the brilliant cameo (of sorts) by Michael Caine.
So, the plot begins with the 'Four Horsemen' that is made up of Daniel (Eisenberg), Henley (Fisher), Merritt (Harrelson) and Jack (Franco) and they got onto the FBI's radar when it seems like they robbed a Parisian bank during one of their magic shows in Las Vegas. This turns into a cat and mouse game between the FBI agents, with the aid of a French interpol agent, and the horsemen. Thrown into this mix is Thaddeus, who tries to expose the Four Horsemen's tricks for his DVD but also tries to seemingly help the FBI although it seems more like Thaddeus is more interested in the 'grand finale' that the Four Horsemen are about to pull off. It is the ultimate battle of wits and game of deception under the guise of...wait for it...magic.
I love how this movie gave you enough so that you know the general storyline but still leaves enough room for you to guess and wow you in the end. Love the twists and turns, which in turn gives you that same feeling when you were 8 years old and watching magic shows - a sense of wonder and mystery.
Excellent film and GO WATCH IT before it closes!!
Monday, 5 August 2013
Nails of the week - 4 Aug (Hearts Ablaze)
I don't know why the hearts turned out looking orange in the photo above but they're really red in real life. Decided to do something really HOT red because I seldom do so. What do you think? This nail art is very easy to mimic and all I can say is that remember to put several coats of top coat and place the hearts when the nail polish is still very wet! I didn't do either and by the end of the day, all the hearts on my left index finger dropped while some on the right hand have dropped and flipped upwards. Top coat is your friend! Remember to press down hard on the plastic hearts too!!
Otherwise, I'm generally pleased with this design. :) No OPI nail polishes used this time round. Just cheap off-the-shelves $3.90 ones. Use red, black, gold or bronze glitter, gold or orange crystal and heart plastic hearts.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
1000th Post and counting!!
Yes, it's my 1,000th post! I've been blogging since I was 20 and it has been 10 years so for this special post, it isn't going to be about food or nails or fashion or even about my dog. I was reading my early posts and it is amazing how the tone and topics that I blogged about are the same as what I read online by 17-20 year-olds nowadays!
Things that I wish I could tell my 20 year-old self plus things that I've learnt in my almost-30 years on earth are:
1. Be Humble
Don't think that just because you're an adult, you know it all. Life is an on-going journey and those who have lived on earth longer than you know more by default. Learn from their experiences, their mistakes and most importantly, from their wisdom. Nobody likes an arrogant arse. Yourself included. I've seen so many fresh grads who land jobs in 'branded' companies and therefore think that they own the whole world. You may never know when life will give you a wake up call and then you have to start from scratch.
2. Find a mentor
We all need teachers in our lives. These can be our friends, colleagues and even relatives. We can't do things alone and that's where mentors can help mould you and motivate you when things are looking dark and dreary.
3. Persevere
I've been called stubborn and sometimes, I think of it as a virtue because I may not know everything but there are times when I've pushed through ordeals simply because I am too stubborn to accept that I will fail. I've seen so many interns and those whom I like to work with are those who do not give up easily when given even menial tasks and are humble.
4. Find your passion and do not care so much about the money
When I graduated, I joined the Finance industry purely out of materialism. I wanted to get rich and fast. In a year, I was burnt out and was jaded by the greed of the industry. I let myself become easily irritated at others and lacked natural curiosity. It was only after I was retrenched and went into another industry that I realised what I really liked about the world of Finance/other potential jobs. I like being creative in a fast paced environment. I am not saying that money isn't important (we all want to own a flat one day), but it should not be the main reason why you're not taking up a job that has been offered to you. That said, don't do things for the sake of doing it.
As I turn the big THREE ZERO, I am surprisingly ok with it. Sure, the number is a irritating because it does mark another huge chapter in my life but then, I don't feel any different from when I was 25. Maybe a little more tired and part of my body is breaking down on me.
Also, I really do take to heart what MBella, whom I consider a good friend/ role model/ mentor, told me - You can be better than you are today, but you're already so good! I must have faith in myself, in God and that everything happens for a reason. No point stressing about tomorrow but live today!
Things that I wish I could tell my 20 year-old self plus things that I've learnt in my almost-30 years on earth are:
1. Be Humble
Don't think that just because you're an adult, you know it all. Life is an on-going journey and those who have lived on earth longer than you know more by default. Learn from their experiences, their mistakes and most importantly, from their wisdom. Nobody likes an arrogant arse. Yourself included. I've seen so many fresh grads who land jobs in 'branded' companies and therefore think that they own the whole world. You may never know when life will give you a wake up call and then you have to start from scratch.
2. Find a mentor
We all need teachers in our lives. These can be our friends, colleagues and even relatives. We can't do things alone and that's where mentors can help mould you and motivate you when things are looking dark and dreary.
3. Persevere
I've been called stubborn and sometimes, I think of it as a virtue because I may not know everything but there are times when I've pushed through ordeals simply because I am too stubborn to accept that I will fail. I've seen so many interns and those whom I like to work with are those who do not give up easily when given even menial tasks and are humble.
4. Find your passion and do not care so much about the money
When I graduated, I joined the Finance industry purely out of materialism. I wanted to get rich and fast. In a year, I was burnt out and was jaded by the greed of the industry. I let myself become easily irritated at others and lacked natural curiosity. It was only after I was retrenched and went into another industry that I realised what I really liked about the world of Finance/other potential jobs. I like being creative in a fast paced environment. I am not saying that money isn't important (we all want to own a flat one day), but it should not be the main reason why you're not taking up a job that has been offered to you. That said, don't do things for the sake of doing it.
As I turn the big THREE ZERO, I am surprisingly ok with it. Sure, the number is a irritating because it does mark another huge chapter in my life but then, I don't feel any different from when I was 25. Maybe a little more tired and part of my body is breaking down on me.
Also, I really do take to heart what MBella, whom I consider a good friend/ role model/ mentor, told me - You can be better than you are today, but you're already so good! I must have faith in myself, in God and that everything happens for a reason. No point stressing about tomorrow but live today!