we won! on penalties!
what a night of soccer. before this asean football championship, i had imagined our national stadium to have already been torn down into rubble. anyway, it's a magical feeling to be part of the 55,000 fans there that night, the kallang waves and the roar. as for the match, it was rather disappointing that we didn't manage an earlier win, despite dominating the game and having many great chances. anyway, the match had end with penalty shootout and we snatched a 5-4 victory to face thailand in the finals! we managed to secure gallery tickets, and will be watching the first leg on wednesday evening - this is really the best time to be on course!
scribbled at 8:34 pm
.::.
what a night of soccer. before this asean football championship, i had imagined our national stadium to have already been torn down into rubble. anyway, it's a magical feeling to be part of the 55,000 fans there that night, the kallang waves and the roar. as for the match, it was rather disappointing that we didn't manage an earlier win, despite dominating the game and having many great chances. anyway, the match had end with penalty shootout and we snatched a 5-4 victory to face thailand in the finals! we managed to secure gallery tickets, and will be watching the first leg on wednesday evening - this is really the best time to be on course!
la mien & xiao long bao
some people may find the xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings filled with minced pork) overated. seriously, i think these can match that of crystal jade's, but only when they're eaten hot (i realised this because it takes a while for just two of us to finish all ten pieces) - the skin's so thin you wonder how it's able to hold the juices in, and these dumplings certainly go through strict quality control. guess why there's a single dumpling in the middle of the bamboo steamer? apparently, one out of ten dumplings was accidentally broken and this was meant as a replacement (so professional huh!), the couple seated next to us was also given the same treatment, and coincidentally (& also amazingly), a colleague of mine had the exact same encounter earlier on (at the same outlet)! it seriously got me thinking it may be just be a tactic by the company to portray to their customers a good corporate image which emphasises on high quality food. we became even more suspicious after being able to taste the soup in every single dumpling, hey, please point out to me the broken one! (come to think of it, we were like idiots trying to differentiate the odd one - more shrivelled?) please don't get me wrong, we aren't complaining... it's free after all, haa.
scribbled at 1:09 am
.::.
some people may find the xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings filled with minced pork) overated. seriously, i think these can match that of crystal jade's, but only when they're eaten hot (i realised this because it takes a while for just two of us to finish all ten pieces) - the skin's so thin you wonder how it's able to hold the juices in, and these dumplings certainly go through strict quality control. guess why there's a single dumpling in the middle of the bamboo steamer? apparently, one out of ten dumplings was accidentally broken and this was meant as a replacement (so professional huh!), the couple seated next to us was also given the same treatment, and coincidentally (& also amazingly), a colleague of mine had the exact same encounter earlier on (at the same outlet)! it seriously got me thinking it may be just be a tactic by the company to portray to their customers a good corporate image which emphasises on high quality food. we became even more suspicious after being able to taste the soup in every single dumpling, hey, please point out to me the broken one! (come to think of it, we were like idiots trying to differentiate the odd one - more shrivelled?) please don't get me wrong, we aren't complaining... it's free after all, haa.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
peanut butter cookies
recipe taken from bakingsheet. simply because there's too much butter in the freezer, a jar of peanut butter that doesn't seem to finish, and a little bored me. and no prizes for guessing who my guinea pig is going to be. :-)
scribbled at 10:45 pm
.::.
recipe taken from bakingsheet. simply because there's too much butter in the freezer, a jar of peanut butter that doesn't seem to finish, and a little bored me. and no prizes for guessing who my guinea pig is going to be. :-)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
going arty farty with pizzas
eh... i think this was meant to be a celebration dinner, promotion of two sets of daddies/mummies, at almost the same time. what coincidence! CONGRATULATIONS!
anyway, artz pizza was chosen partly because of the tv screening of EPL (liverpool vs chelsea is a must-watch for reds fans). no objectives from me, i totally welcomed the suggestion since i've never been (missed the previous gathering to celebrate mr N's birthday), and the bf was like raving about the highly-recommended artz pizza (yet never bring me!). okay, let's talk about the ambience - casual laid back setting which gives you the feeling that you're dining in a garden, but unfortunately, it was a rather humid evening, no sea breeze to talk about. it's not easy finding a good pizza these days - for me, the crust has to be thin and it has to be wood fired - not pizza hut pizzas, please. you can tell from the menu that this place specialises in its bread/pizza dough, they have a good variety of bruschettas and pizzas, and hardly any meat or pasta dishes. we started with plain bread sticks, and they made great appetizers when dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. we had a total of four pizzas - the signature artz pizza is the one in the picture covered with rocket leaves and looks scaringly vegetarian, ham and mushroom (simplest and my favourite), four cheese and another one with lots of black olives (olives, eeks) - the crust was crispy and very thin (can eat more!), the toppings were just about right, and i enjoyed the richness of the mozerella, definitely one of the better pizzas i've eaten. well, well, well... an authentic italian meal has to end with tiramisu, one for each couple!
maybe we should have our own homemade italian feast one day? *digs out old tiramisu recipe*
scribbled at 9:50 pm
.::.
eh... i think this was meant to be a celebration dinner, promotion of two sets of daddies/mummies, at almost the same time. what coincidence! CONGRATULATIONS!
anyway, artz pizza was chosen partly because of the tv screening of EPL (liverpool vs chelsea is a must-watch for reds fans). no objectives from me, i totally welcomed the suggestion since i've never been (missed the previous gathering to celebrate mr N's birthday), and the bf was like raving about the highly-recommended artz pizza (yet never bring me!). okay, let's talk about the ambience - casual laid back setting which gives you the feeling that you're dining in a garden, but unfortunately, it was a rather humid evening, no sea breeze to talk about. it's not easy finding a good pizza these days - for me, the crust has to be thin and it has to be wood fired - not pizza hut pizzas, please. you can tell from the menu that this place specialises in its bread/pizza dough, they have a good variety of bruschettas and pizzas, and hardly any meat or pasta dishes. we started with plain bread sticks, and they made great appetizers when dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. we had a total of four pizzas - the signature artz pizza is the one in the picture covered with rocket leaves and looks scaringly vegetarian, ham and mushroom (simplest and my favourite), four cheese and another one with lots of black olives (olives, eeks) - the crust was crispy and very thin (can eat more!), the toppings were just about right, and i enjoyed the richness of the mozerella, definitely one of the better pizzas i've eaten. well, well, well... an authentic italian meal has to end with tiramisu, one for each couple!
maybe we should have our own homemade italian feast one day? *digs out old tiramisu recipe*
Thursday, January 18, 2007
singapore 2 indonesia 2
scribbled at 8:54 pm
.::.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
taking away some of the work stress - quizzes taken from earthian and more!
wahahaha.
scribbled at 8:22 pm
.::.
You Are 32% Impulsive |
You're a pretty stable and serious person. You don't take things lightly. This doesn't mean you can't have fun - you just have fun responsibly. You definitely have a spontaneous side, but you only let loose when it's appropriate. |
Your Love Style is Eros |
For you, love is all about the passion! And chances are, you're currently in love. You have a strong physical response to love... And you are great at committing (As long as the person makes your toes curl!) |
You Are 56% Grown Up, 44% Kid |
You've grown up a good bit, but you still have a way to go before you're emotionally mature. You have the skills to control your emotions, you just have to use them. |
You Are Balanced - Realist - Empowered |
You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally. You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go. Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control. Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. You have a good deal of power, but you also know the pecking order. You realize that working the system does get you further. You know who to defer to and who to control. When it comes to the game of life, you play things flawlessly. |
You Are 80% Happy |
You are a very happy person. Generally, you feel content and that all is right with the world. Occasionally, you have a down day - but you have the ability to pick yourself right back up. |
You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie |
Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying! |
You Are 62% Vain |
You're a little vain, but you also work hard for your good looks. Just remember, everyone knows you are a total hottie. You don't have to remind them. |
wahahaha.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
forbidden chestnuts & bad prata
i'm quite embarrassed to say that it was my first time at the new national library, never had the chance (or thought) of stepping in there, and must say the drama centre, which we never knew existed, was rather impressive. the reason why chestnut is back for the tenth time this year is because of the use of creativity that's found in almost every segment of the production, and also the show programme (theme based on a particular brand of condom (see pic), even the fine prints can be hilarious). although the brokeback mountain scenes are far too sleazy and rather distasteful (is this the reason why there were several pairs of homosexuals?), we particularly enjoyed the matrix and ez-link deposit story, and remakes of musicals like notre dame, phantom of the opera, and forbidden city (jonathan lim as kit chan, and hence, the hello kitty fan). i guess the addition of judy ngo and rodney oliveiro, hence more characters in a scene, spiced things up a little, although oliveiro was still a little stiff with his dance steps. the show was overall very entertaining, and more importantly, the bf enjoyed himself thoroughly (the tickets were a surprise present). :-)
after the show, it was too late to ask anybody out for supper, hence, we went for a quick prata meal together at the famous cheese prata shop near NUS. is it just my fussy taste buds, or has the standard really dropped so drastically? anyway, first the drink order was wrong, then the curry, and kosong prata came served cold, the mushrooms in the mushroom prata was simply kosong prata sprinkled with a few slices of canned mushrooms, and then there's this hateful cat that kept going under my chair! argh!!! i want my prata warm and crispy, and curry with some oomph in it!
anyway, spot our new little addition - dumbo, the flying elephant! hehe!
below is a way-overdue picture of our homemade dinner last weekend. there were some ingredients left in the fridge, and not wanting to waste them (as his mum hardly cooks), we decided to prepare our own dinner. rather healthy dishes - steamed tofu with minced pork and diced carrots (too much meat, hence the whole big chunk), and mixed vegetables with garlic and oyster sauce (baby kailan, carrots, and my favourite straw mushrooms). must give credit to the bf who makes the perfect rice - fluffy with tender and separate grains.
scribbled at 6:55 pm
.::.
i'm quite embarrassed to say that it was my first time at the new national library, never had the chance (or thought) of stepping in there, and must say the drama centre, which we never knew existed, was rather impressive. the reason why chestnut is back for the tenth time this year is because of the use of creativity that's found in almost every segment of the production, and also the show programme (theme based on a particular brand of condom (see pic), even the fine prints can be hilarious). although the brokeback mountain scenes are far too sleazy and rather distasteful (is this the reason why there were several pairs of homosexuals?), we particularly enjoyed the matrix and ez-link deposit story, and remakes of musicals like notre dame, phantom of the opera, and forbidden city (jonathan lim as kit chan, and hence, the hello kitty fan). i guess the addition of judy ngo and rodney oliveiro, hence more characters in a scene, spiced things up a little, although oliveiro was still a little stiff with his dance steps. the show was overall very entertaining, and more importantly, the bf enjoyed himself thoroughly (the tickets were a surprise present). :-)
after the show, it was too late to ask anybody out for supper, hence, we went for a quick prata meal together at the famous cheese prata shop near NUS. is it just my fussy taste buds, or has the standard really dropped so drastically? anyway, first the drink order was wrong, then the curry, and kosong prata came served cold, the mushrooms in the mushroom prata was simply kosong prata sprinkled with a few slices of canned mushrooms, and then there's this hateful cat that kept going under my chair! argh!!! i want my prata warm and crispy, and curry with some oomph in it!
anyway, spot our new little addition - dumbo, the flying elephant! hehe!
below is a way-overdue picture of our homemade dinner last weekend. there were some ingredients left in the fridge, and not wanting to waste them (as his mum hardly cooks), we decided to prepare our own dinner. rather healthy dishes - steamed tofu with minced pork and diced carrots (too much meat, hence the whole big chunk), and mixed vegetables with garlic and oyster sauce (baby kailan, carrots, and my favourite straw mushrooms). must give credit to the bf who makes the perfect rice - fluffy with tender and separate grains.
Friday, January 12, 2007
a date with chestnuts - 13 jan 2007, 8pm, drama centre theatre
SYNOPSIS:
Chestnuts is back - raunchier, wackier, more power-packed than ever before!! It's our TENTH year of spoof magic and we're going all the way - we're tightening security, closing major roads and of course, slapping on as many smiles as we can!
On the itinerary this year:
#Delicious digs at local offerings like Little Shop of Horrors, Jack & the Beansprout, Army Daze, The Magic Fundoshi, Thunderstorm and others!
*Take a peek inside the Forbidden Kitty as The Re-Producers tackle their toughest show yet!
*Get up-close & personal with the granny-enticing star of Cabaret!
*And who’s the sexiest dentist in Singapore (with the biggest drill)?
# Crazy mix & match movie parodies - from Deathnote and Poseidon to Snakes on the Plane and Happy Feet!
*See too-hot-for-Ang-Lee deleted scenes from Brokeback Mountain
*Discover how hard it is for kung-fu stars to become geishas!
#Putting a twisted Chestnuts spin on imported goods like Notre Dame de Paris, the upcoming Phantom of the Opera, Grease, My Fair Lady and more!
#PLUS lots of rapid-fire unforgettable parodies of TV ads, national campaigns, media controversies and other sordid current affairs!
*Join host Samuel Ching-Chong in the fight against terrorism and terrible videos!
*Hear the women of Tom Cruise’s life tell us all why he was a girl’s best friend!
*Get the latest (& queerest) news updates from Pondan New Asia
#Also featuring a new flashback segment – the Chestnuts Ten Year Series – where we revive some of your favorite songs and sketches from the past 9 CHESTNUTS! A treat worthy of any World Bank!
*Will The Matrix’s Neo ever get his 5 dollar EZ-Link deposit back?
Comedian Hossan Leong and Chestnuts creator Jonathan Lim get down and dirty with new comedy partners – wacky-wet-wild Judy Ngo and silly-sexy-spunky Rodney Oliveiro!! Also featuring the musical genius of Bang Wenfu!! Come one, come all to this orgy of merciless parody sketches, crazy spoof songs, interactive madness and moments of simply orgasmic comedy!
scribbled at 7:47 pm
.::.
SYNOPSIS:
Chestnuts is back - raunchier, wackier, more power-packed than ever before!! It's our TENTH year of spoof magic and we're going all the way - we're tightening security, closing major roads and of course, slapping on as many smiles as we can!
On the itinerary this year:
#Delicious digs at local offerings like Little Shop of Horrors, Jack & the Beansprout, Army Daze, The Magic Fundoshi, Thunderstorm and others!
*Take a peek inside the Forbidden Kitty as The Re-Producers tackle their toughest show yet!
*Get up-close & personal with the granny-enticing star of Cabaret!
*And who’s the sexiest dentist in Singapore (with the biggest drill)?
# Crazy mix & match movie parodies - from Deathnote and Poseidon to Snakes on the Plane and Happy Feet!
*See too-hot-for-Ang-Lee deleted scenes from Brokeback Mountain
*Discover how hard it is for kung-fu stars to become geishas!
#Putting a twisted Chestnuts spin on imported goods like Notre Dame de Paris, the upcoming Phantom of the Opera, Grease, My Fair Lady and more!
#PLUS lots of rapid-fire unforgettable parodies of TV ads, national campaigns, media controversies and other sordid current affairs!
*Join host Samuel Ching-Chong in the fight against terrorism and terrible videos!
*Hear the women of Tom Cruise’s life tell us all why he was a girl’s best friend!
*Get the latest (& queerest) news updates from Pondan New Asia
#Also featuring a new flashback segment – the Chestnuts Ten Year Series – where we revive some of your favorite songs and sketches from the past 9 CHESTNUTS! A treat worthy of any World Bank!
*Will The Matrix’s Neo ever get his 5 dollar EZ-Link deposit back?
Comedian Hossan Leong and Chestnuts creator Jonathan Lim get down and dirty with new comedy partners – wacky-wet-wild Judy Ngo and silly-sexy-spunky Rodney Oliveiro!! Also featuring the musical genius of Bang Wenfu!! Come one, come all to this orgy of merciless parody sketches, crazy spoof songs, interactive madness and moments of simply orgasmic comedy!
Monday, January 08, 2007
an unexpected monday evening date
it's a great start to the 5-day work week, although it'll take a while to adjust back after all the long weekends, and clearing of leave last month. thank goodness my monday went well... i was rather pleased i managed to draft the minutes of meeting fast, hence, no overtime! instead of crunching on dry hard biscuits alone in office, we (okay, it was me who needed air-con) went for pasta and pizza at 211 roof terrace cafe at holland village. yes, i needed the air-con because of the long-sleeved shirt i was wearing, hence, we didn't go for al fresco who looked rather cosy and romantic (but however, it now faces the carpark). the food wasn't that fantastic, in fact, looking at the basil chicken pizza that arrived, i thought that i would probably be able to make a better-looking (if not better-tasting) pizza. thankfully, the linguine marinara was passable. maybe we should stick to chef's recommendations next time? no camera allowed in office, hence no food pictures... but like what the bf said, no loss anyway. we didn't managed to re-visit essential brew today, okay, mental note to leave some space for dessert next time!
it's probably the circle line construction, or probably because it's monday night... holland village's rather quiet and many of the shops were closed after our dinner. we headed down to west coast mcdonald's for a drink before heading back... played with the cannot-make-it wireless network using his new (cool) wi-fi phone, it was so darn slow we gave up ultimately. ended up surfing at home for monopoly sets on auctions and reading up smurf facts - do you know they were created in belgium? smurfette was actually a joint product of gargamel and papa smurf, and was initially a brunette? and there are actually two other female smurfs: nanny smurf, and sassette, a smurfling with red hair and pink overalls! strange only the memory of papa smurf, handy smurf (and the pencil in his ear!) and brainy smurf stays with me, haa!
good night, folks! have a great week.
scribbled at 11:37 pm
.::.
it's a great start to the 5-day work week, although it'll take a while to adjust back after all the long weekends, and clearing of leave last month. thank goodness my monday went well... i was rather pleased i managed to draft the minutes of meeting fast, hence, no overtime! instead of crunching on dry hard biscuits alone in office, we (okay, it was me who needed air-con) went for pasta and pizza at 211 roof terrace cafe at holland village. yes, i needed the air-con because of the long-sleeved shirt i was wearing, hence, we didn't go for al fresco who looked rather cosy and romantic (but however, it now faces the carpark). the food wasn't that fantastic, in fact, looking at the basil chicken pizza that arrived, i thought that i would probably be able to make a better-looking (if not better-tasting) pizza. thankfully, the linguine marinara was passable. maybe we should stick to chef's recommendations next time? no camera allowed in office, hence no food pictures... but like what the bf said, no loss anyway. we didn't managed to re-visit essential brew today, okay, mental note to leave some space for dessert next time!
it's probably the circle line construction, or probably because it's monday night... holland village's rather quiet and many of the shops were closed after our dinner. we headed down to west coast mcdonald's for a drink before heading back... played with the cannot-make-it wireless network using his new (cool) wi-fi phone, it was so darn slow we gave up ultimately. ended up surfing at home for monopoly sets on auctions and reading up smurf facts - do you know they were created in belgium? smurfette was actually a joint product of gargamel and papa smurf, and was initially a brunette? and there are actually two other female smurfs: nanny smurf, and sassette, a smurfling with red hair and pink overalls! strange only the memory of papa smurf, handy smurf (and the pencil in his ear!) and brainy smurf stays with me, haa!
good night, folks! have a great week.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
another hectic (new year) weekend
we spent the first day of 2007 playing poker cards till 2am! check out the chips i've won. :P as you can see that we kept ourselves entertained with the little stuffed toys... and my favourite's definitely mumble, the happy feet penguin who can tap dance but can't sing, hehe. and that's the peanut butter sandwiches we had for supper (made by the dearest).
some exercise to start the new year! well, jack and lion, as expected, were not able to wake up for the tree top walk the next morning. we went as planned, since i've been wanting to do it the whole of 2006 (okay, we finally did it the second day of 2007, an early achievement this year). the bf had no choice but to obliged, although i think he would rather be catching up on beauty sleep. :P in total, we covered approximately 10.3 km in 3 hours plus by taking the trail starting from macritchie park. along the way, we discovered another way via rifle range road, which is probably a shorter way in... probably try that the next time. that's me munching our peanut butter sandwich brunch at the ranger station after about 5km, we (okay, it was me) were so kiasu we also brought along biscuits and granola bars. and that's the monkey eating the twisties some brainless chap left behind - people like them just don't understand what it means by no feeding.
scribbled at 10:43 pm
.::.
we spent the first day of 2007 playing poker cards till 2am! check out the chips i've won. :P as you can see that we kept ourselves entertained with the little stuffed toys... and my favourite's definitely mumble, the happy feet penguin who can tap dance but can't sing, hehe. and that's the peanut butter sandwiches we had for supper (made by the dearest).
some exercise to start the new year! well, jack and lion, as expected, were not able to wake up for the tree top walk the next morning. we went as planned, since i've been wanting to do it the whole of 2006 (okay, we finally did it the second day of 2007, an early achievement this year). the bf had no choice but to obliged, although i think he would rather be catching up on beauty sleep. :P in total, we covered approximately 10.3 km in 3 hours plus by taking the trail starting from macritchie park. along the way, we discovered another way via rifle range road, which is probably a shorter way in... probably try that the next time. that's me munching our peanut butter sandwich brunch at the ranger station after about 5km, we (okay, it was me) were so kiasu we also brought along biscuits and granola bars. and that's the monkey eating the twisties some brainless chap left behind - people like them just don't understand what it means by no feeding.
Monday, January 01, 2007
our last homemade spaghetti for the year of 2006