Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Chocolate Chip & Almond Cookies
Hello
So today, Joyce and I baked cookies! ^_^ I found the recipe on this Singaporean blogger's site so I supposed: If it works for her in a tropical environment, it'll work for me too! =P
The only difference being hers are nicely rounded since they are shaped while Joyce and I went for the "drop cookie" look. ;) Oh. And then there's the fact that these are supposed to be chocolate chunk cookies but we adapted and made chocolate chip and almond sliver/flake cookies.^_^
The chocolate pokes out quite nicely because the recipe isn't very binding, as in the dough doesn't cling to the fillings that much. I can see how this would look even more appetising as a chocolate chunk cookie.
The unevenness also adds to its appeal as a home-baked cookie and allowed the little "peaks" to brown up nicely so you get a happy mix of golden brown and pale brown on your cookie!
I'm actually quite pleased with this recipe! ^_^ For once I didn't get weird/burnt/strange-tasting cookies.=D =D =D Yay for Joyce's presence! Now I feel a teensy bit more confident at trying out biscuit recipes [though I still haven't forgotten the horrendous failures.O.o].
Apart from the slight cakeyness the cookies had when fresh out of the oven, they eventually turned into okay-cookies though I thought they could be crisper/crunchier. Joyce said the almonds lent interest to the texture though.^_^
Randomly, I thought the sky looked nice the other day so I took a photo:
Pretty clouds! They are so.. peaceful looking. ^_^
Right. Now to go finish the Ogilvy autobiography.=D Hooray! And thanks for coming over everyone! =D Sorry I was out of it for a while.xP Thank goodness for Kim Sam Soon! ^_^ Yay. We must watch Confessions of Pain next!!! xD
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Utakata Kagrra, + Rain Gackt + Last Hallucination Schwarz Stein]
[mood : --]
[food : cookies?]
cch: Not MOS as in Ministry of Sound... -_-" MOS as in MOS BURGER! xP O gosh. -_-" And I would go clubbing if mom would allow me so would you like to put in a word on my behalf? =D Labels: Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies, edibles, misc
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Last Day + donna hay!
Hello
So today was my last day at work.^_^" At least I was busy most of the time and not slacking around. A nice end to this restaurant stint. =D
Everyone kept telling me to work weekends. But then my "mentor" [so to speak] told me that I should take whatever other opportunities I can get in life and look forward [so philosophical!]. She said that since I can go to university with my A Levels, I should go beyond the "F&B industry" [they love calling it that]. She also added that since she just had the equivalent of O Levels, she wasn't aiming that high but she also reminded me that working in the F&B industry, it's kind of hard to succeed in the same way you could with a degree. She sounded a little regretful of opportunities she could have had but at the same time, she sounded like she genuinely wished for us "young people" [she's not much older than us really..] to go beyond working as a server in the restaurant.
Hmm. Now and again, you get reminders about how lucky you are..^_^"
On yet another trip to Kino [I love Kino!!! xD xD xD], one of my last random trips I think since I'm starting the internship soon, I bought the donna hay magazine! =D I mean.. FINALLY issue 30 came. And gosh how ancient it is.. It's about CHRISTMAS.-_-" Nevertheless, there are great recipes inside so I'm looking forward to trying them out! ^_^ [Must practice cooking while my mom will still pay for ingredients.=P Haha. Too poor otherwise..]
The next issue:
Looks great! ^_^ They have a recipe for tomato sauce/ketchup.=D I'm looking forward to that. Maybe my mom will stop denouncing ketchup as fake tomato flavouring.=P Haha.
Ahem. I must begin studying for the final theory evaluation tomorrow.*dies* I was attempting to study today but I kept dozing off over the damn book.-_-"
In other news, I'm getting through the Ogilvy autobiography quite well. Yay me! ^_^ It was initially quite boring but now it's getting quite interesting.=D All his maxims and "must-follow-rules" however.. I mean. They WORK. But when in the world was this written?! -_-" Still, I must see if they are still applicable. Ladida. I shall attempt to finish it tomorrow. I HAVE TO.*sigh*
Now to boredom! [or the final theory book]
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Caramel Drops baroque + Oasis Gackt]
[mood : normal]
[food : MOS CHICKEN! And spring rolls. And BEEF.]
wendaye: Well SORRY I didn't watch the trailer. Haha.=P But yes. This movie is quite ancient right.O.o
cch: We are waiting for The Departed to come out on DVD. I mean omygoshLeoDicap!!! -_-" Urm. I'm not actually a fan. And I REALLY want to watch Infernal Affairs first since OBVIOUSLY it would be THAT much cooler in Cantonese!!! Ahaha.=P Anyway yay do you know how excited mom and dad are that you're coming back? But hooray! I get a chance to eat ALL the Singapore food and be all, "but I'm eating with my BROTHER" so I don't feel guilty!!! ^_^vLabels: donna hay, driving, misc, work
Monday, February 26, 2007
Notes on a Scandal
Hello
Today Brenda and I caught the movie, Notes on a Scandal, starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Thanks to my suggestion, we picked this over Seducing Mr Perfect, starring Daniel Henney. I mean, EYE CANDY!! But I don't think it'd be very worth watching.xP
Notes on a Scandal [M18]
The plot:
The story explores the relationship between 2 women, one an old, strict and unpopular teacher, Barbara Covett [played by Judi Dench], the other a new, beautiful and friendly teacher, Sheba Hart [played by Cate Blanchett]. They become friends in the school they both teach in and Barbara's longing for a "close relationship" results in her using Sheba's secret for herself. [Hence the movie's catchphrase: "One woman's mistake is another's opportunity".] However, as the viewer watches, Barbara becomes increasingly possessive, forcing Sheba to choose between her friend and her family. In the end however, Sheba's choice and Barbara's diary which contains all her thoughts, feelings and events lead to the movie's conclusion. The movie however, hints at a possible new friendship growing for Barbara with someone else.
The actors:
Oh fantastic acting!!! ^_^ I thought Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench were WONDERFUL in their roles. Very very nice.=D They really are the main focus of the movie but the supporting cast did a good job too. Cate Blanchett's naive and realistic feelings were very well displayed while Judi Dench did well in pushing the almost-psychotic behaviour of Barbara. On-screen chemistry between the 2 actresses was brilliant.=) The lesbian undertones were also well controlled since they were hinted at yet never truly displayed.
Setting/Characterisation/Script:
A tightly woven story, I don't think they eliminated anything from the novel [by Zoe Heller]. If they did, it wasn't at all obvious. The story is set in London and thankfully doesn't thrive on that fact by bringing your attention to all the well-known sights. Instead, they merely use the city as a backdrop to the unravelling life of Sheba and Barbara.
SPOILER ALERT!
The Scandal:
In actual fact, Sheba was having an illicit affair with one of her students. Obviously this is beyond normal and hence, Barbara is able to hold this secret as a weapon against Sheba. Sadly, Sheba believes that Barbara is just a nice friend who is willing to keep her secrets and doesn't realise that it was Barbara who had exposed Sheba. This leads to Sheba's sacking as a teacher where she holes up in Barbara's house after being thrown out of her own house and discovers the diary where Barbara had written down everything. She realises her mistake in trusting Barbara and eventually gets sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.
END OF SPOILERS.
Music:
Oh I LOVED the music in this show!!! =D Such sad and moving pieces.=D Not totally memorable, but it suited the movie very well.^_^
Overall impression:
I enjoyed this show! =) I didn't think it was too heavy nor was it too much of a lightweight. The acting was fabulous as well.=) Highly recommended if you are over 18!
Yay! Now I still want to watch Paris Je T'aime [Natalie Portman!], The Good German [more Cate Blanchett!], Letters from Iwo Jima [Ken Watanabe!], Babel [Brad Pitt!], Half Nelson [depressing shows once in a while are nice], The Red Cockatoo [the Max guy from NAPOLA!] and Volver also looks interesting! =D
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Itsuwari no Uzu RENTRER EN SOI + ASH Gackt + Honey Vanity KOZI]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : spring rolls!]
Wendaye: Eva Green has unconventional beauty but YES. I think the natural look suits her better. Haha.=X I have urm. LUNA SEA music? =P Haha. Yoshiki is permanently depressed.=SLabels: movie review, Notes on a Scandal
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Casino Royale + SUPER BAND YOSHIKI!
Hello
So today my parents and I went to watch Casino Royale.
It was really enjoyable! =D Except that you know. Daniel Craig isn't the best looking guy around.O.o And his body is urm.. Not brilliant either. They paired him with women who weren't conventional beauties, probably not to draw attention to his less-than-handsome exterior.=P
The story was very tight, and full of action scenes that my dad LOVED.-_-" Talk about males and their neverending fascination with guns, violence and women. *sigh* Still, it was quite enjoyable to see all these unrealistic yet heart-stopping action scenes.^_^" They had some pretty cool stunts but I was sad that the car chase was cut off so abruptly and it was filmed in the dark!!! (T_T) Couldn't even drool over the car in glorious sunshine.
I also really liked the beginning sequence where they incorporated the Poker theme into the graphics.=) Very nice! The poker games in the show were also quite interesting to watch but on an afterthought, Poker and games like Blackjack are only fun because you can bet. If you play without money, it kind of loses that excitement [or rather, risk-taking] factor.=P
As in all Bond movies, they chose very nice locations to film: Czech Republic, Italy, the Bahamas and England.=) They also had nice cars but very few cool gadgets in this particular film. Quite the shame. The microchip implanter was just ONE gadget which is quite disappointing since it's endlessly entertaining to see Q show Bond his new toys.=P
There was also a surprisingly sweet [though much overused and very cliched] scene where Bond and his girl sit under the shower in silence.=)
So despite my initial reluctance to watch Daniel Craig, it turns out that they compensate by giving you more action sequences so you don't have to see his face.;) Heh. An enjoyable movie on most counts except for the incredibly cheesy lines.
YOSHIKI posted a bit of news on the re-formation of X Japan and the new SUPER BAND [that's what everyone's calling it since it gathers well-known people in one band] on his myspace blog:
On the SUPER BAND:
"And…… some people have questions about "THE BAND".
Yes, Sugizo from Luna Sea came here to LA several times last year, and last month Gackt came to town, and we both went to dinner….. pretty much just the two of us……
Actually that was really funny….. Gackt came to my house and ate dinner…… that was good….. Then I said to him "why don't we go out to dinner?". and he said "we just ate…..???" then I said "I wanna eat different food….." well .... we ate Japanese food at my house, and then ended up going out to a Japanese restaurant in LA….. (We are very weird…. Ha, ha, ha, ha)…… but that was fun!
Yes, I'm so lucky to have them as friends, and also to be able to work with them professionally.
Sugizo and Gackt are such talented people, also having such an amazing vibe. Actually, they are all going to come here next month with one more person that I can't reveal yet."
Ooh. By leaving that juicy little piece of gossip, YOSHIKI is certainly starting a lot of rumors!
On X Japan:
"X Japan…..
I'm like…….Why now? ..... Why, why, why……
To be honest….. it took years to conquer the pain and sadness….. maybe not yet, I still cannot listen to…… or watch X Japan's videos….. without tears…..
"MY OWN GODDAMN BAND" ….. I can't listen to it without crying…… HOW CAN I BE IN IT AGAIN? …… IT HURTS SO MUCH…… TO EVEN TALK ABOUT ...... X JAPAN…..
Yes, I can play the drums. I think I can play them even harder than before…… of course my injured neck and wrists hurt….. but SO WHAT!!! ….. I don't give a fuck about that kind of pain…..
But mentally….. I don't know if I can take it….. I'm not saying if I'll do it or not….. I talked to Toshi (vocalist)……. He called me almost towards the end of last year….. for the first time since we went our separate ways………. Toshi and I..... we grew up together…........ I don't know ….. I don't know…. I don't .. know ..."
He sounds rather confused and hurt. Sigh. I wonder if X Japan will reform.=S
I start my internship on Thursday. I don't know what to wear!!! Haha.=X Rawr. It is most upsetting that I should be earning close to nothing [interns are generally overworked and underpaid haven't you heard?] since any offer I could make to pay for the Japan trip myself is nonexistent.(T_T) Sigh.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Mugen no Hana alice nine. + In Silence LUNA SEA + Without You (piano version) YOSHIKI]
[mood : --]
[food : --]
pixiezdust: Actually.. Their image attracted me in the first place! Then after I heard some of their music, I realised that they weren't half bad.=D Haha. Saga! *bounces away*Labels: Casino Royale, movie review, X Japan, Yoshiki
Saturday, February 24, 2007
HELLO,DEAR NUMBERS + 下弦の月 + Wacha
Hello
So today Jiamin and I had a watching TV spree! ^_^ Hooray!
First we watched the 2006 alice nine. tour: HELLO,DEAR NUMBERS. GOSH it's good.=D I was quite surprised that such a young indies band could come up with such an enjoyable performance but deliver they did! =D They had great energy throughout the entire concert and delivered pretty solid performances [except for the occasional mishap].
アリス九號. / HELLO, DEAR NUMBERS
1. ヴェルヴェット (Velvet)
2. Q.（クエスチョン） (Question)
3. RED CARPET GOING ON
4. H.A.N.A.B.I.
5. 檸檬 (Lemon)
6. 無限の花 (Mugen no Hana)
7. FANTASY
Drum Solo
8. ハイカラなる輪舞曲 (High Collar Naru Rondo)
9. DEAD SCHOOL SCREAMING
10. NUMBER SIX.
11. 平成十七年七月七日 (Heisei Juunananen Shichigatsu Nanoka)
ENCORE
12. 九龍-NINE HEADS RODEO SHOW- (Kowloon-NINE HEADS RODEO SHOW-)
13. ブループラネット (Blue Planet)
14. 春夏秋冬 (Shunkashuutou)
Particular favourites are italicized.
They had a great setlist where songs blended well into the next.^_^ The energetic and almost boppy songs were most enjoyable altogether and the beaming band members gave life to the concert too. The audience participation was wonderful with Shou [the lead vocalist] leading the audience along happily.
There wasn't much fanservice but instead quite strongly playing/mastery of the instruments. While they did the young-energetic-people thing by running around stage madly, I felt that their performances were impressive.=) Nao and Saga were SO CUTE and looked fantastic performing! It always helps when there is eye candy! =D
Looks like alice nine. is turning into quite a good band to follow.=D It's also 1 band that Jiamin and I both agree is good! I'm looking forward to the release of their next concert: "WHITE PERIOD -The colors becomes to be white-". [Ignore the terrible phrasing.*roll eyes*]
After that, we went for lunch at Greenwood Fish Market! =D Their fish & chips are really quite good.=D I've told my mom that we should try the lobster next!
Once we returned from lunch, we settled in to watch 下弦の月 - Last Quarter. [Kagen no Tsuki] It stars HYDE [as Adam, the random guitar playing dude], Chiaki Kuriyama [as Mizuki/Sayaka/Eve, the creepy lead female character] and Hiroki Narimiya [as Tomoki, the wail-ful boyfriend of creepy lead female character].
The story is a little complicated and has little focus on HYDE who is the random in the movie. [He actually has a rather pivotal role is kickstarting the whole chain of events but then disappears from the film altogether so Jiamin and I suspect that he's too expensive to hire.=P] It connects 2 individuals, Sayaka and Mizuki, and links them to Adam. It's very difficult to tell you the story without revealing the entire plot so let's just say that it's a complicated relationship.O.o
There were INCREDIBLY cheesy lines and some pretty bad acting here and there. There was also not enough HYDE. Now THAT was incredibly upsetting.-_-" Other than that though, I felt the story was OK on the whole though I have a feeling they cut out bits from the manga that would be relevant to the story to make it smoother. Some inexplicable bits like the necklace and ring worn by Mizuki and Tomoki were left hanging while random bits like Mizuki being all creepy were left in it.
I don't know if I can say this was a GOOD show but it wasn't too bad to watch.^_^"
For dinner, we went to Wacha, a tiny Japanese restaurant located at Ann Siang Hill. They sell Japanese lacquerware, sake, tea and a bit of food. They have a small selection of a la carte items for appetisers [they seem a little like bar snacks] and dessert. There're also 2 set dinners, one priced at $30, the other at $38.^_^
All images taken by my dad's K800i! [It's certainly useful when I forget to bring my camera! xD]
The restaurant has gorgeous displays of lacquerware from the brand that apparently supplies the Japanese Imperial Family. While some were really pretty and unique, others weren't too impressive.^_^"
They have very elegant settings that really remind me of what you'd expect from the expensive and delicate eateries in Japan.^_^
Kurenai ningyo [紅人魚], a sake cocktail of sake, cranberry and gingerale. This was yummy and sweet! My mother's Spring Snow [sake, gin, green tea liquer and lemon] was better though, more refreshing and interesting.=D
We also ordered sencha [or rather, this is what the proprietress gave us when my dad asked her to recommend the tea. Very honest! They gave us the cheapest one on the menu! =P] which were served in individual teapots, each with a different design.^_^ The tea was quite bitter but refreshing.=D
The appetiser basket with my dad's sake.^_^ There were 6 different appetisers.
The first layer! Clockwise from top left: Squid marinated in a wasabi sauce, potato salad, lotus root with carrots and other root vegetables. The wasabi sauce was pretty spicy but ohhh it was yummy! =D I actually liked the potato salad despite the use of mayonnaise but the winner here for me was the lotus root. It was crisp, refreshing and slightly savoury. Yum.
The second layer! Clockwise from top left: Slices of root vegetables, mushroom mix, tamagoyaki [sweet Japanese omelette]. The root vegetables were refreshing, the tamagoyaki wasn't too bad but the winner in this layer was the mushroom mix! =D It had loads of flavour and a nice variety of mushrooms in the mix.
Stewed tako [octopus], konnyaku and radish. The tako was okay.. I'm not such a fan of it. The konnyaku had a nice bouncy texture and absorbed the flavours of the stock well. But I adored the radish which had soaked in all the braising liquid and wasn't at all smelly. [Some radish have this horrible smell to it.xP]
Macaroni and Chicken gratin! This was yummy with the bechamel [the cream sauce] blending nicely with the macaroni in this dish. I usually dislike mac & cheese [a perennial favourite of everyone else] but this was quite delicious. And with such a petite portion, you don't get sick of the cheesiness of it.
My mother's fried burdock root, which you dip in this spicy salt. It was delicious! ^_^ And interesting as well since one doesn't usually eat burdock.
Green tea fried rice and clear soup [I can't remember what it's called but it's made from kelp and Japanese ikan bilis or anchovies] with seaweed and this tofu thing. The green tea fried rice was yummy with bits of yellow pickles, ikan bilis, green tea and garlic.^_^ The soup was wonderfully light yet full of flavour.
Just that was enough [I was quite full really.O.o] but we were greedy and decided to try the Chef's Pick: A sampler platter of 3 desserts.
There was homemade black sesame ice cream, green tea cheesecake and torayaki [Japanese pancakes]. The black sesame ice cream was very rich with the flavour of black sesame.=) Yum!
Matcha cheesecake with red beans. This was yummy and went very well with the sencha.=D I felt that the cheesecake would be even better if it were lighter though.
Torayaki! =D These are Japanese pancakes, soaked in honey and then red bean paste [anpan I think it's called?] and a strawberry slice are sandwiched in between. Yummy! This was my favourite dessert!!! =D It's so cute and happy looking too!
^_^ It was a great dinner [that wasn't very cheap] in a place with a great atmosphere. Except for this group of people drinking behind, the place has a quiet and relaxed atmosphere with everything served prettily and in dainty portions. Definitely not for those who need pots of food to be full. If, however, you like eating good food in tasting portions in a beautiful environment, this is the place for you.=)
I apologise for the less than perfect pictures. Not that my usual pictures are that brilliant anyway. But I must remember to bring my camera in future!
Time to count my hongbao.=P I know. I am so delayed. Haha. I wish I could finance my own trip to Japan with Jiamin and her sister. *sigh* Maybe I could finance expenditure there [you know. With MUCH saving now on my part.xP]. But definitely not the plane ticket. *DEEP sigh*
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Velvet alice nine. + Starless Night OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) + Gackt Training Days 2006 Drug Party Set list]
[mood : =S ^_^]
[food : Japanese! I still want beef. O.o]
PS: The Business Times today has a write-up on Canele's chef Pang Kok Keong and an interview-cum-write-up on the Picasso of Pastry [as dubbed by Vogue]: Pierre Herme.^_^ It's interesting to note that Pierre Herme opened his first store in Japan in 1998 and his Paris store only in 2001. He doesn't plan on world domination so here's our excuse for a holiday to Tokyo or Paris! =PLabels: alice nine, edibles, Hyde, movie review, Wacha
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Dinner at The Padang
Wee!
Just returned from dinner [it was surprisingly short thanks to fast service].=)
The Padang at Cricket Club has been renovated, enlarged and now boasts a very nice and modern-looking dining room.=) It was rather crowded for a Thursday night so I guess word must be getting round that the food is much improved and the place a lot prettier than before.
The menu has some standard dishes and other more experimental ones, namely fusion stuff. Asian ingredients are incorporated to pair with favourites [like beef or duck] and so forth.
All photos were taken with my dad's K800i by Sony Ericsson. It has this strange whitish sheen.O.o
For my appetiser, I had escargot! xD
It was this or the scallops and since I didn't quite feel like scallops [and I have little faith in ones available locally], escargot it was. Garlic escargot with Portobello and Pistachio [I think] puree, topped with Parmesan shavings.
The dishes came really fast so I guess they have extremely efficient kitchen staff.
My mom's main course:
Swordfish which she really liked.
My main course:
Crab ravioli with steamed lobster and boiled savoy cabbage as well as a sauce that went with everything.^_^" This was really quite yummy! I was most pleased with the lobster which was done perfectly.=D The lobster went with the sauce very well too! The savoy cabbage matched the sauce well also because the sauce was a teensy bit salty but when paired with the blander foods, it was fine.=) The crab ravioli was like crab wanton to me.=P
It was yummy but how I lament the tiny portions I got. I wasn't full at all so dessert is up next! =D [My parents felt their portions were big while I thought mine weren't particularly substantial.]
Dessert!
My dad's dessert:
Mango Tarte Tartine with a citrus sauce. This was quite yummy though the base was a bit disappointing; it was made up of crepe I think?
Mine!
Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Hazelnut ice-cream and Nougat Chips. It wasn't actually nougat but almond slices in caramel. The almond caramel was yummy but the hazelnut ice-cream was MOST disappointing. I credit them for making it in-house but the overpowering taste of packeted milk was terrible. The fondant [I know I know. SO boring. But I wanted something substantial!] was quite good with a strong chocolate flavour.=D They didn't cheat on the melted insides either. There was something missing though, something that would make me go OMG THAT WAS DAMN GOOD! Hmm. I wonder what it is.
It was a good dinner overall.=D The Padang is much improved! ^_^ [I find it very funny that my dad pays for his own birthday meal though. Haha.=P]Now we're waiting for my brother's return to go to Les Amis again. Drools. I still think of my dad's onion tart.xD YUM.Anyway, hopefully this weekend will bring Japanese food! BEAMS.cheers*[-witchstone-]*[music : Dramatic Yuki (Honey & Clover OST) + Sakasama no Chou SNoW (Jigoku Shoujo OST)][mood : ^_^][food : lobster! MORE LOBSTER! And beef! xD]
wendaye: I ADORE the Ogilvy namecards too!!! SO PRETTY! xD Haha. When I first got one I was all, WAH SO PRETTY. Ahem. I would like to Canele/Chocolate Factory too but HELLO DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET THERE.(T_T) And Joyce starts work on Monday! Who would go with me! I need a travelling companion. Ahaha.=P Saga.. O my. Now that you mention it. They do bear some similarity don't they? xD xD xD But Saga is pretty, Koichi is hot! *beams* I can send you the Tommyfebruary6 song if you urm. Go on MSN. Or I can YSI it to you or something.^_^"
Labels: birthday, edibles, The Padang
Gackt in Calligraphy + Happy Birthday!
Hello
Someone on the LJ Dears community wrote Gackt's kanji name (神威楽斗: Kamui Gakuto) in gorgeous Japanese calligraphy:
.jpg)
Isn't it lovely? The 楽 is different because it's written in a different style, Sousho, that "is considered very refined and elegant and focuses on the movements made more than the actual kanji". It's almost inspiring enough to want to go learn calligraphy. Except I'm almost 100% certain I'll be bad at it.^_^" I can barely write Chinese words in 减体 nicely so let's not discuss calligraphy.=P
You can see the full image at DeviantArt, where it's posted: Camui Gackt (Kamui Gakuto) (link).
And as you can see from this picture [peer hard! It's right below the "Happy Valentine from Gackt".], Gackt writes his name in kanji in the same way:
He might have hideous English words, but his handwriting in Japanese is certainly quite nice.=P
Hmm.. I think the photoshoots in Female are getting nicer.^_^ [Sorry. Very random.] They are certainly less run-of-the-mill, but at the same time I'm wondering if they are copying the style of more avant garde magazines.=S Otherwise, it's a nice change from the usual boring styles that have plagued Singapore fashion magazines for a while.=) [Or maybe I just haven't been paying attention.=P]
Also,
Happy Birthday Dad!!!
I know you read this blog you sneaky parent you. So anyway. Happy Birthday! =)cheers*[-witchstone-]*[music : Kono daremo inai heya de Gackt + Ship of Fools Tsubasa OST][mood : normal][food : Japanese! Beef!]cch: I'm supposed to start next Thursday. Goodbye freedom! (T_T)Labels: Gackt, misc
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Split Shift Happenings
Hello
Gosh I'm tired. xP But there were quite a few random happenings at work today! Haha.
Random Happening No. 1:
Some guy who ate a lot of stuff [salad, cheesy garlic bread AND prime rib] asked me where Geylang was. And when I pointed randomly in one direction he went, "So... I guess it's better if I take a taxi?" All I could do was go, "Yea that's a good idea!" -_-"
Random Happening No. 2:
2 old men came to the restaurant and asked for 1 steak each. Then they decided they had to SHARE so... They asked me to put half a steak on each plate. The chef was most amused and went to chat with them.=P
Random Happening No. 3:
I had several lovely customers today who were unfailingly polite and very nice.^_^ Why do they usually happen to be elderly Caucasian couples who find you charming when you beam at them?
Random Happening No. 4:
I always get nervous laughter from Caucasians when I introduce them to the huge amount of choice [just 4 really..] they get when they order a steak. Strangely enough, the Singaporeans are NEVER amused and glare at you before they answer brusquely. (T_T) Am I not friendly enough?!
Random Happening No. 5:
This guy finished an entire bottle of red wine on his own. He's supposed to be a regular I think.. And when he gets drunk he continuously flirts with his waitress. Which happens to be... Me. -_-" He kept asking for my number and I kept telling him that my number was hidden in the receipt in CODE. -_-" My retardedness never fails to amuse me. [On the otherhand, he actually believed me. Like. WHAT?!]
Random Happening No. 6:
A guy who ordered 3 glasses of red wine put ice cubes in his wine. I almost fainted when I realised what he was doing. O.o
Random Happening No. 7:
I finally finished one stack of order sheets after recycling like mad to save paper! =D [Lucky I didn't get confused from all the scribbles.O.o]
In other news..
I finished Tsubasa Book 16!!! OMYGOD HEARTBREAKING!!! (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) Why o why is CLAMP allowing Tsubasa to develop in such a manner!!! The LAST PAGE saved it all but still! (T_T) FAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please o please let good things happen in book 17!!!
Where is the angst and depressive storyline I was promised in Angel Sanctuary? And will the author QUIT coming up with such long and confusing and hard-to-read names?! -_-"
I hung around in Starbucks today... It's really really really noisy but the outlet next to Borders has good Raspberry Tea Frappucino! =D It was well blended and had enough flavour.=D I know I know.. By hanging out in Starbucks and Coffee Bean, I'm completely blowing a portion of my almost-non-existent-salary on this hanging-out-in-town-to-kill-time-between-shifts thing. But still, apart from the noise, it's a nice place to hang out/study/kill time/read manga when you're alone. ^_^
I also visited my favourite place along Orchard Road: Kinokuniya! =D Omygosh. The Arena 37C Special Vol 30 had GORGEOUS full page pictures of Gackt's concert!!! COMPLETELY TEMPTING. But the poster was not enough to move me into wanting it badly enough.=P
Now, regarding my anime:
- Next up! Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Season 2 =D =D =D
- I read that NANA the anime is going to follow the manga all the way to the end. Yippee!
- Code Geass has EXCITING developments!!! =D Lelouch finally discovers Suzaku's after-school activities!!! [Now.. That is more innocent than it sounds.-_-"] Kyaa! I can't wait to see how it affects their friendship...
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : A little pain OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) + Shinwa RENTRER EN SOI + 絵夢~for my dear~ Gackt]
[mood : tired]
[food : BEEF!!! (T_T)]
Hmm.. All I need to do to renew my Gackt fandom [or rather.. strengthen it..-_-"] is to listen to 絵夢~for my dear~. It's such a beautiful song that's sung gorgeously well. *runs off to watch the live*
pixiezdust: Definitely! Saturday morning! No crowds, you're sure to get the magazine and you can browse all you want! =D
cch: I'm a Singaporean. I don't think I give BAD service. Haha. And no. It was a Singaporean who thanked me. I was in shock BECAUSE it was a Singaporean. The Caucasians usually thank you nicely. Unless they are grumpy men or hoity-toity women.xPLabels: Angel Sanctuary, Code Geass, Gackt, misc, NANA, Tsubasa, work
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
^_^
Hello
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Today, someone at the restaurant thanked me for good service.=D They didn't leave a tip, but it did leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
We ate at Taste Paradise for lunch today.=) The food was okay I guess but oh goodness was it slow.-_-"
Ah well.
Let us beam at Saga's good looks instead! ^_^ [No new Gackt pictures to post sadly.]
Kawaii, ne? =D
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Siren Song Tsubasa OST + Blind Dance VIOLET UK + Starless Night OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)]
[mood : tired]
[food : --]
Labels: alice nine, misc, work
Monday, February 19, 2007
Chinese New Year
Hello
Usual CNY stuff has been happening... Visiting, getting hongbaos [red packets with money inside], giving the same answers to the same questions, socialising [so to speak] and lots and lots of eating. And so since there isn't much to say, I'll just post pictures of the reunion dinner.^_^
Yu sheng [鱼生]! =D We bought it at 龙凤 again this year. It was yummy! There was the right amount of spices and the right kind of sauces that were provided.=) Plus the chef's portioning of the vegetables was just right. [Sometimes you get people who can't portion properly and it spoils the yu sheng.] We added extra fish [西刀鱼] and jellyfish to the yu sheng.=D Yum! I love sai dou yu with yu sheng.. It's really good. Salmon and yu sheng JUST don't go together.. xP
Lap mei [腊味]or waxed meat. There's lap cheong, the liver sausage, waxed duck and.. other meats.^_^" It gets steamed with the rice in the rice cooker and is yummy!!! I love lap cheong. =D
Braised duck stuffed with bamboo shoots, mushrooms and loads of other good stuff.=) My uncle made this, he made the filling in China and prepared the duck here. It was good though having to tear the duck meat off the bone was quite a tiring process.O.o
Abalone with braised mushrooms. I didn't eat this because I'm not a fan of abalone.=S If you're worried that 年年有余 doesn't apply because I didn't eat abalone, there was some in the soup [not pictured].=S
Dong gu fatt choy [冬菇发财 I think it's called] or braised mushrooms with brocolli and black moss. Black moss is REALLY hard to get these days because harvesting them causes environmental problems. This was left over from before so my aunt used it.^_^
My favourite!!! Braised long cabbage with straw mushrooms and dried scallops [conpoy or 干贝]. MMM. I LOVE this stuff.=D =D =D I MUST get my aunt to teach me how to make it! *beams and bounces away*
With dinner, we had champagne [to start], red wine [2 kinds, the first was okay, the second was minty (very shocking)] and sake [below].
This sake is drunk by the Emperor in Japan and is called: 小鼓 純米大吟醸 路上有花. It's a junmai daiginjo and comes in a fabulously pretty bottle! ^_^ It's also really yummy.=D After trying this, I was like.. WAHH Sake is NICE! Haha.=X It's really fragrant and smooth as it goes down. Sadly, it's not available for sale at shops and you can only get it from wholesalers.
I'm thinking of converting my LJ account into a sort-of food blog. ^_^" We'll see how THAT goes..
We had friends over and tried out the Mariage Freres tea ["Marco Polo" blend] we bought in Washington DC. Mmm. It was really nice! =D Very fragrant and mellow, the flavour was fruity [more than flowery; the box stated that it was a "fruity and flowery tea"]. After drinking it without sugar, I added some sugar to my last cup and it balanced out the flavours really well. ^_^ I'm now bugging my dad to get more from Paris. [They have a trillion varieties at their Paris flagship compared to about 5 at Dean & Deluca in Washington DC.]
The boxes of tea from Mariage Freres.^_^ Aren't the tins pretty? I stole the picture from Chocolate & Zucchini.
After sampling more Mariage Freres, we should try Palais des Thes next! ^_^ [O no! More expensive habits! *dies*]
Oh! And I finished House. Have I mentioned it already? If not.. I've finished House! ^_^ 2 seasons worth and waiting for Season 3! =D
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : RENTRER EN SOI! + Without You (Classical Version) Yoshiki]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : yu sheng! Yes.. I actually LIKE it.]
wendaye: I heard mixed reviews about Sage. Chubby Hubby appears to adore the place but I've also heard that it's quite average.=S Better try it and see for ourselves? Haha. And I am NOT going to Iggy's unless my dad is paying. HELLO TOO POOR. Unless you treat me!!! Beams. Haha. And Wild Rocket as well as PS Cafe are like.. Completely inaccessible without a car/money for cabfare.xP Quite sad ne?
Jiamin: Nono. X Japan is REFORMING. Which could possibly mean a future performance. I think. Haha. Yay for Yesasia!!! =D I'm still sad that the X Japan Ballad Collection is out of print.(T_T) That's like the one cd by X Japan I would buy without hesitation. SIGH. *ignores comments about long entries*
pixiezdust: Here's a tip. Most Japanese magazines arrive on Friday, either in the afternoon [air shipment] or in the evening [sea shipment]. The JRock mags usually arrive in the evening and most of the time, they are available on the shelf after 6pm. [Why do I know this!!! Haha.] There's a board up in Kino that tells you when [date and time] their Japanese magazines arrive [they provide the magazine name and issue number] so you can check that to see when the magazines arrive! Otherwise, you can be thickskinned like me and go ask the Kino staff.=D Hope you get it!!! Gackt looks HELL GOOD on the cover. Ahaha.xD Labels: Chinese New Year, edibles, Mariage Freres, misc
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