<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d5900021\x26blogName\x3d.::.visions+of+clarity...do+as+infini...\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://witchstone.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://witchstone.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d5297024319810776606', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>
visions of clarity...do as infinity

Monday, April 30, 2007

Baking

It's actually already May 1st. But I switched the dates for convenience.

Today was the first day ever that I didn't have fun baking alone. I usually get happy as I bake and brighten up considerably when the final result makes it's appearance at the end of the whole process.

But I'm not at all happy today. And I am covered in chocolate. My white shirt and my new jeans are covered in chocolate.

I suppose that might be a good thing in a spa for example.

And so I ask myself, at the end of this not-very-fun-baking, Why am I doing this again?

~*witchstone

Labels: ,

Sunday, April 29, 2007

清明 + Flowers!

Let me attempt to type the Chinese poem and if there are wrong words... Um. Please forgive me.O.o

清明时节雨纷纷
路上行人一段魂
接问酒家何处有
牧童摇指新华村。

Wow that took some effort.O.o And I don't even think some of the words are correct.=X Oops.

So today we went to the temple for 清明节 to 扫墓.=) I now smell like joss sticks but o well. So with my brother's encouragement, I was merrily taking photos so that in future, if a sharing session is called for, I can whip out these pictures of "Singapore Culture" and share them with our clueless international counterparts.=D

So since I took all these pictures, I might as well post them for some um. Cultural sharing.^_^"


The temple! [Or rather, ONE of the temples in the giant complex.]


My mother calls this a "Qi Lin" [麒麟?] and my dad claims it is a "unicorn". O.o I don't see a horn that would associate this with a unicorn but then again, what do I know right? I am assuming it's some kind of... protection creature? =S


Scary amounts of offerings. [Although I know it's a religious/cultural thing, and that I can't change anything, I still feel very sad that we're polluting the environment.(T_T)]


The giant wax candles that you light your joss sticks from.


I have no idea what these floating candles are for but they are quite pretty. Haha.=X


The offerings + joss sticks + giant joss sticks + giant candles.^_^"

And um. I didn't take pictures of the furnace. It's too smoky anyway, so it isn't ideal for picture-taking.^_^"

So instead, at lunch and in our garden, I was merrily taking pictures of Tropical Flora! =D Yay. O decided to take advantage of the nice sunny weather.^_^


Pretty yellow flowers! I have no idea what they are called.^_^"


Hibiscus!!! My mom wanted me to wait for the new ones to open but I was afraid I wouldn't get more sunny days.xP


Ixora!


Bird of paradise! =D

My mother is pleased that someone is finally taking notice of her garden.=P

I wish we could grow tulips in our weather though. Tulips are so pretty! ^_^ And lilies! =D

Since my Neeon has OFFICIALLY passed away, I'm now thinking if I should succumb to the lure of pop culture and get an ipod. Hmm.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Missing Gackt]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : Char Siew Bor Lor Bao! xD]

Labels: , , ,

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Superstars: Asia is One + The Phantom of the Opera

Hello!

Today I went to see The Phantom of the Opera and then I went to the National Museum to see the Leslie Kee photography exhibition.=)

I LOVE The Phantom of the Opera's music!!! =D I think Andrew Lloyd Webber did a fabulous job in creating music that can transcend time. I must say that I definitely love The Phantom of the Opera for the musical score rather than the story. I find the story annoying but must grudgingly admit that it is rather engaging. The music though, is the main draw.=)

The set was rather extravagant and very well done. Theatre is pretty high-tech these days, long gone are the sparse sets of the Elizabethan era. Today, there were pyrotechnics, fire/sparks and elaborate sets. They had resplendent costumes as well that really added a level of grandeur to the whole production.^_^

The acting wasn't too bad as well and the live orchestra really added a punch to the musical.^_^ As for their singing, I must say that they weren't half-bad! ^_^ Although Christine had a rather warbly, operatic singing style [I much prefer Sarah Brightman's clear and strong voice], she delivered quite well, except for a few wobbly notes here and there. The Phantom and Raoul also gave strong performances though Michael Crawford as the Phantom will haunt me forever with his wonderfully hypnotic voice.=)

I did actually wonder if Gackt could make it as the Phantom then hastily decided that his funny pronounciation wouldn't enhance the experience much.=P

Thus, it was all in all a dramatic and fun performance.=) I loved the music and since they didn't screw up much, it was pretty enjoyable.^_^

After parting with my watching-companions [we lunched at Space @ My Humble House which currently runs on a super pared-down menu, leaving you with little choice and merely acceptable food.], I headed for the National Museum. It is highly inaccessible from it's nearest bus stop.-_-"


I love the Colonial architecture that is represented in the facade of the building and I like the newly renovated interiors as well.=) The soaringly high ceilings leave the area with a great feeling of loads of space but sadly, because it's so empty, it can feel quite cold.


The entrance.


The newly renovated interior.


The beautiful stained glass roof.

And what I went to see!


^_^v

Leslie Kee is a Singaporean photographer based in Japan. This exhibition features works from his latest photobook called "Superstars" [or something like that] and has celebrity portraits inside.=)

I went there with the hope of seeing the Gackt image featured in the book and came away glad to have gone because I really like his works/style. ^_^ He not only manages to capture unique and beautiful moments/angles of the celebrities, but he also manages to bring out the "眼神" in each photograph.

That really mesmerized me and made me really stand there, looking at each picture.=) The photos featured different angles of each celebrity [not all them had multiple pictures though, most had just one picture featured] and really showed off his skill at capturing their present at that time. Many celebrities were featured, from Edison Chen [very cute] to Mika Nakashima, from Takeshi Kaneshiro to Faye Wong, from Zoe Tay to Anna Tsuchiya, there was a great mix of celebrities from all over Asia.

When I went, I was like 'sigh.. I should have brought someone with me' but resolutely went ahead to go alone anyway. On hindsight though, I'm glad I went alone because I could then really study each image on my own, in my own little bubble.^_^ It's like at art museums, it's nicer going around alone to admire each piece of art because that experience can be suggested to another person but can really only be experienced by yourself.

I was really happy to have gone.=)

Not least because... GACKT WAS FEATURED!!! *squeals madly* I was beaming to myself and tried to ignore this... bunch of teenage girls poking his picture.-_-" I decided to study the rest of the exhibition first to avoid being associated with erm. Them. Many people were attracted by Gackt's portrait actually because they were all wondering if the tattoos were real! Hahaha. Yes. I was totally eavesdropping.=P I really wanted to know if people even recognised him.

I stood in front of his portrait for the longest time, just staring at it. I could barely conceal my smile.=P My mother finally admitted that Gackt's eyes "很迷人" [are very mesmerising]. xD I couldn't agree more. He has this tender yet determined look in the photograph and you can feel the charisma that oozes from him. ^_^ I love that portrait. I was so sad that they didn't sell prints of these photographs.

Photography is not allowed at the exhibition but thanks to some sneaky camera skills, I managed to get a tons of photos of Gackt where I tried to position my camera sneakily but as steadily as possible.xD Beams.

I would love to post the pictures I took but it's not very legal so I'll just post a photo that I got online!:


The whole photo features his face, neck and part of his shoulder.=)

Actually, after leaving I began to think about what it is that keeps me interested in Gackt. Of course, his voice is a big draw here and the main reason I began liking him in the first place. But his charismatic [I can feel Jiamin snorting here] self and *coughs* fabulous good looks [his eyes!!! *_*!] serve to further give a face to match the voice thus making me like him more. And finally, his dramatic performances always keep me interested. His brains and dedication to his fans and learning more [his iPod is filled with language study tracks.O.o] though... Are really something that I admire.^_^

Perhaps if the museums would bring in interesting exhibitions like this one, I'd go more often.^_^

For dinner, we went to this seafood place near the Saddle Club. It's located in a very nice corner and churns out pretty good food.=)

Whew. What a wordy post.O.o I duely apologise but I was really happy after seeing Gackt.^_^
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Shima Uta Gackt + FANTASY alice nine. + All I Ask of You + Music of the Night The Phantom of the Opera OST]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : prawns.=)]

Wendaye: What is Taiyou no Uta? [reminds me of Tsuki no uta.xD The Gackt song if you need a jolt. Haha.] O.o And I don't actually have the disc for this movie. I saw it on TV.^_^" Gomen.=X

Labels: , , , , ,

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Shopping, Canele, Train Man and other random things

Hello.=)

My mom and I went shopping today.^_^ Or rather, we went to pick up essentials. Like soap! It was so heavy to carry. We should have waited for my brother to come back to help us carry it all. Dangit!

And we visited the Canele branch at Paragon.=) I tried a new cake of theirs: Chloe.

[I apologise for the SERIOUSLY bad photos because um. I used my 1.3 megapixel camera in my phone, which produces fuzzy pictures, bad colours and has no macro function.]


Chloe! It's basically a cheescake with a "madelaine cake" [the base I believe] and bits of peach inside. My mom and I both agreed that I *AHEM* make better cheesecake so this was RATHER unimpressive. And it was quite dense too, something I don't quite appreciate.


I also got my favourite Strawberry Shortcake! =D I must say though, that after eating it so many times... I've finally realised that I'd prefer if the cream were lighter. I like the sponge though.. I must try to get that texture and moistness!


The store itself. It's pretty small, but considering Paragon's rent, I guess that's inevitable. The tea was also too weak and the service wasn't fantastic. They spent too much time sticking themselves behind the counter.-_-"

I recommend the Robertson Quay Canele flagship store anyday. The cakes at Robertson Quay are also... better somehow since the kitchen is actually there.

Anyway, in the "reflect" column today, Tan Hsueh Yun wrote a really nice string of sentences.=) Her column today was about the British Council asking Singaporeans to vote for their favourite English words.

"So I began to think about what a favourite word would mean to me, in the greater scheme of things. It would have to be quite profound, seeing as how I work with words, devour them in books and almost prefer them to pictures.

The search continued, until I found it during a conversation with a friend about how his life changed after moving to Singapore.

True, the word is not a fancy one and doesn't sound particularly funny, but it's positive and full of hope.

It's the sort of word that can provide a much-needed jolt when you find yourself living life like a robot and just going though the motions.

It can fire the imagination. It can unblock writer's block. I know because it worked for this column.

It is optimistic but not definite, so you don't get too complacent.

That word is Possibility.

And since I am greedy, I'll take the plural form, Possibilities.

They are, as you know, endless."

^_^ I love how she crafted it. No wonder I'm a reader, not a writer.xD


I also watched Train Man/Densha Otoko/電車男 today.^_^

It's a really sweet story until the ending, which was like all those other Japanese movies that just don't allow you to have a happy, smooth, bump-free ending. *sigh* But it does pull you back into reality. It's also based on a manga and was also produced as a TV series.=)


It's about an otaku called "Densha" [literally, "train"] who helps to rescue a girl later nicknamed "Hermes" [because she gave Densha a set of Hermes teacups as a present to say thank you] on a train from a lunatic drunk. He falls in love at first sight and turns to online forums [no duh. He is an otaku after all.=P] to ask how to pursue this girl. So you, as one of the forum-watchers, watch as he goes after this girl with the well-meaning advice of other forum dwellers. Densha helps to transform these forum-contributors too with his naive courage to go after the girl he loves.


I think it really reflects how people are beginning to become reliant on computers and how you can "make friends" [so to speak] with people online despite not actually knowing who they are. You can also receive support from people you don't know and who don't know you.=) The fact that you only know these people by their nicknames, even the lead characters, further puts you at a distance because no matter what, you still don't know who they actually are.

It's quite sweet and does inspire some hope in otakus but the ending. Oh the ending! Weeps. It was a happy ending in some respects, but it was otherwise quite sad? Hmm. My dad and I liked it but my mom thought it was stupid. She was insulting it throughut the whole ending.-_-"

Anyway.

I'm kind of looking forward to the end of work. It's not that I don't like what I'm doing. I don't think it's terrible, nor is it too boring [there are the occasional busy days after all]. It's just that.. I do want a period of time to become completely BORED with myself , be DYING to get out and do something and to just fall into a pit of whining "I AM SO BORED!". Something like how I used to get towards the end of each school holiday. Now I can't even really rot properly because I don't have serious downtime. Endlessly stretching days that blend into the next... The occasional outing to brighten an otherwise meaningless existnce..Now, every weekend is filled and everyday I have to go the office.

It seems like a reflection of the years to come and... I don't think growing up is such a great thing after all. Sigh.

And university. O my goodness. I no longer have the illusion that it's a time when you can "find yourself" and decide what you want to do with your life. I know. It's sad that one has to decide right now what you want to do with your life. Something that is.. Quite impossible to say for sure because really. How do you know for CERTAIN that you'll like what you THINK you want to do? I've always been open to the possibility of changing courses but deciding what to do after university is kind of blank. Or rather, I don't know for certain what I want to do.

Maybe I'll know in 4 years when I'm done with university. Maybe that's why I need 4 years before I have to decide on a career. I probably don't have enough credits to graduate in 3 anyway. Haha.

Speaking of credits.. WHY HASN'T THE INEFFICIENT POSTAL SERVICE GOTTEN ME MY MICHIGAN HOUSING AND VISA INFORMATION YET?! -_-" At this rate, I'll never get a Visa and I'll have to camp out in my brother's room.-_-" O Brilliant.


And a little insight to Gackt [stolen from pixiezdust's blog.xD]:

小嘎的iPod裡,不是音樂喔,
而都是滿滿的,中文、韓文…語言學習的東西,
…小嘎真的好認真,除了感動還是感動!!!!

小嘎 = Gackt

xD So hardworking! O my goodness. So inspiring! Beams.

Sadly, I can't even buy his new single in Japan because it's released on the 20th of June and I think we leave before then. (T_T) Sigh.

And my brother is coming back this week. Hooray!

Hachimitsu to Clover!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 絵夢~for my dear~ Gackt + a little pain OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)]
[mood : --]
[food : chips!]

I think I need a diet plan. But how can I stick to one when there's hardly anything healthy around my office and salads are so expensive?! (T_T)

Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Shopping! =D

Hello!

=D =D =D Jiamin and I went shopping today and WOW. I haven't bought SO MANY pieces of clothing in SUCH a long time!!! xD Actually if I had bought really cheap clothes [like, $20 for a piece which was available 10 years ago or something and probably won't reappear in my size/style/quality ever again.] with the amount of money I spent today, I could have filled up my cupboard a lot more but must remember: Quality over quantity! Beams.


And I finally found Levi's jeans that are nice!!! SO EXCITING. I have new faith in Levi's.xD Except that they discriminate against tall and fat people. Their longest inseam is 32!!! Which is JUST NICE/too short for me.-_-" But it's perfect when I wear flats since the jeans don't drag on the floor.

And my Calvin Klein Jeans pants!!! xD SO GORGEOUS. I love the buttons. And the colour. xD Yay! And despite the price tag [O FAINTS.], I was still compelled to buy them. Yay!!!

Beams. I love shopping. Next up! I have to go look for tops.=D And dresses if I can find any. O.o Oh. And shoes. It was so upsetting that I have such gigantic feet because cheap, nice and comfortable shoes are never available in my size. SIGH.

Anyway.

This morning I went for the Driving Simulation Lesson. -_-" I was looking at the dubious looking machine which is extremely ancient with great trepidation. And everytime I got into an "accident", it was never my fault [because the cars that hit me were usually in my blind spot which you cannot see in the simulator] but I still couldn't avoid them! That was REALLY annoying.

Then I had to drive on this coastal road which was really fun! Haha. But then I was supposed to demonstrate to myself and my other 2 classmates that "We Must Always Slow Down When Going Round A Bend" and that "Our Car Is Affected By Centrifugal Forces When Going Round A Bend". -_-" That was extremely retarded. I was like, OKAY. It's not like we haven't been told this at least 3 MILLION times.-_-"

I also learnt the S-Course, Crank-Course [spelling?] and Directional Change modules today. Yay! I must say that I am not bad at the S-Course. Haha. But the crank-course! O my goodness. I kept hitting the kerb at first which REALLY irritated my instructor.=X Because he told me about 10 times how to do it. Finally though, when he stopped reminding me, I could do it. Haha. How ironic! He got annoyed at my lousy reversing skills too because apparently I always let the car drift at too high a speed. =X Oops.

It's not my fault auto cars drift so easily. =X

So yay! Circuit training is SO fun. I mean, waiting CONSTANTLY [I think about 1/4 of the lesson was spent waiting] to be able to turn onto the "main" part of the circuit is a great test of your patience. I MUCH prefer driving on the main road. Which is more to the point in what you'll actually do as a driver in the future.


Ahh. Back to watching Honey and Clover! xD [Called Hachimitsu to Clover in Japanese if I'm not wrong] I love it. It really speaks of teenage concerns and is extremely realistic in the situational matter. [Okay, some bits are quite ... anime-ish/unrealistic but the storyline itself and characterisation is pretty good.] And it is SO heart-wrenching and bittersweet. I love it for how it really reflects how some teenagers feel lost in their pursuit for what they want, how love can be unrequited or bittersweet, the trials and tribulations of teenage life and the struggle to do what you like while trying to make it in the world.


And NANA! Omygosh. I'm super upset at Hachi. How DARE she treat Nana in that manner. How DARE she let Takumi tell Nana everything. What kind of friend is she! I would never let something so important be told to my friend by ANOTHER PERSON. Even if she can't face them. RAWR.

But omygod. Episode 37, the latest one released, is SO SAD. I literally welled up in tears. I think it helped that I watched the last recap episode to remind myself of what happened. WAILS. (T_T) SO HEARTBREAKING. I can see why NANA is so loved by girls in Japan.xD

Sadly, the new starting song by Anna Tsuchiya is TERRIBLE. Completely killed the mood of the very sad starting. (T_T)

Oh anime. I love you so!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Waltz Sunehair (Honey & Clover)]
[mood : ^_^v]
[food : Mos chicken! xD]

Labels: , , , ,

Friday, April 20, 2007

Another Long Day..

In my previous post, where I wrote that I might update again, I was planning to update and tell you all about the Takuya movie, Love & Honour.

Sadly, because I was WORKING...-_-" I didn't get to watch it though I've been assured by my darling friends that it was bittersweet. Sigh.

The worse thing is that my friend kept apologising to me for making me stay back to help so I can't be grouchy at that. And I've also mentally prepared myself for rubbish things like this to happen. After all... If you want to get a taste of what the real world is like, I guess this is a good start?

Thankfully, we had a nice dinner! ^_^ I don't know about my friends but.. xD I had Saba Misoni! My favourite braised fish.=D =D =D In miso/soy sauce!!! Yay. I LOVE IT. xD xD xD I could eat bowlfuls of it for one meal.=D =D =D And it HAS to be eaten with rice. But wahhh. I love it. I need to learn to make a better version than the one I made previously.xD Namely, one that tastes more like the yumminess you get in the restaurants..xD

I wonder why I associate most anime ending songs with a sense of sadness/finality. Hmm. They might be cheerful and boppy sounding but I still associate them with a heavy feeling of "sigh, it's over". Maybe it's to do with how's it is the ending song.

O well. I am so tired. And I still have to wake up early to go driving!!! xP Maybe I should do like what the other intern is doing and go in the morning before work then go into work late. But that's rather irresponsible. And completely taking advantage of the flexible working environment! xP

Hachimitsu to Clover! xD
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Waltz Suneohair (Honey & Clover OST) + a little pain OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)]
[mood : --]
[food : saba misoni! xD]

Yay! New NANA and Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori episodes up to watch!!! xD xD xD FINALLY!

cch: And pray tell, why would YOU want to see Gackt? O.o Unless.. You are starting to like him and his music!!! *_*! Yes! =D =D =D Ooh. Dimsum. Hmm. I think you should try the CP Shrimp Wonton! It's like. REALLY good for frozen wonton [why is wonton when we pronounce it wanton? O.o]. =D =D =D I want to eat har gao!!!

Labels: , , , , , ,

Leslie Kee Superstars in National Museum! + Gackt on MTV Chinese


YAY!

The book which is like, 600+ pages long and has a photo of Gackt, will have it's pictures featured in the National Museum from 28 April to 4 May!!! =D =D =D And best of all, admission is FREE! ^_^

Oh I love how they want to support local talent! =D Even if said local talent is based overseas.=D

Yay. PLEASE LET THEM SHOW GACKT. I will drool over it! Oh rather, in front of it. xD Hehe.

Sadly, tonight on Chinese MTV, they'll FINALLY show a Gackt PV. A moment I've been waiting for ALL THIS WHILE! And I won't be home to see it. (T_T) Extremely upsetting!!! Sigh. I hope someone uploads it. REALLY! xD

Anyway, yesterday clocked my longest day in the office EVER. I left at 9+. Oh the horror! And we were doing rubbish work called Packing Desks. -_-" Sigh. Obviously, my desk has little to pack. But we had to help other people.^_^" O well.

I am also hooked AGAIN on Honey & Clover. I love it! xD

Alright. Quick random post. I might update later.=)

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Dramatic Yuki (Honey & Clover OST)]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : HUNGRY!!! for Mos Chicken!]

Jiamin: That is actually my aunt. Hahaha.=P And it is kind of related! xD

Labels: , , , ,

Monday, April 16, 2007

Love, What Is Love - Robert Louis Stevenson


Love, What Is Love

LOVE - what is love? A great and aching heart;
Wrung hands; and silence; and a long despair.
Life - what is life? Upon a moorland bare
To see love coming and see love depart.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Love and Life. Sigh.

ALL MEN NEED GODS. - Homer, ca 800BC

VS

A CERTAIN PORTION OF MANKIND DO NOT BELIEVE AT ALL IN THE EXISTENCE OF THE GODS. - Plato, ca 400BC


So begins an article in Newsweek [April 9 2007 Asian edition] which contains a REALLY interesting debate on religion between Rick Warren, a Christian pastor who wrote "The Purpose-Driven Life", and Sam Harris, an atheist who wrote "The End of Faith".


They both have their points that make sense to each of them and that they can follow in their own lives. However, these opinions oppose each other and it is interesting to see how an atheist and a firm follower of Christ respond to each other [a teensy bitchfight! xD In a more grown-up and rational way of course].


I must say that in my own opinion, I believe that the idea of a higher being exists but to simply say that only one exists when there are many beliefs that say otherwise is kind of hard. O.o So yes. I don't believe in any one religion but it's not like I completely diss the idea of religion in the first place.

Just please don't try to evangelise me/tell me I need to have a religion. It's annoying and doesn't help anyone.

The debate doesn't have a true conclusion since it's... well. Difficult to have a conclusion. I mean, how can you say it's wrong to have atheism? Maybe some Gods up there decided that opposition among humans is the way to go to affirm your faith. And how can you say it's wrong to have religion? The Gods would most certainly be morose and lonely if no one cared about them.


In the newspaper today was also an article on the debate:

POLYTECHNICS vs JUNIOR COLLEGES

I found it ABSOLUTELY annoying that in the article, only ONE opinion veered toward supporting a JC education. I'm annoyed that it was SUCH a biased stance. All the rest strongly supported a poly education.

One guy said, "You get the best of both worlds" by going to poly then to university. Which leads me to think, there is no one straight path to university. The proportion of poly students going to university is less than that of JC. And the JC route isn't straight to university either. It just prepares you better for higher order thinking [SO GP! xD] which you need.


Without working hard of your own accord, either way will fail you. Many say that they are turned off by the fact that people fail the A levels and thus can't go to university. But have they thought about how you might fail in poly? Then you wouldn't have a diploma either. And besides, if you fail the A levels, it's really partially your fault and not fully that of the system. If you didn't study, can you really blame the system?

I agree that going to poly then to uni gives you a balanced education in the sense that you get hands-on experience and then training for higher order thinking. However, doesn't that really depend on what exactly your goal/ambition is? Different jobs require different things.

Sigh. I have to say though... That polys are doing very well at promoting their brand of education. Too bad everyone thinks going to JC is "staid" and "boring".-_-" Soon, polys might be a thing of the past and people will be clamouring to go to ITE instead.


Ahh. I am SO looking forward to going to Japan. ^_^ I cannot WAIT! Beams. I have so many expectations of Japan though.
- Good food
- Good shopping
- Clean everything
- Many many many fangirling opportunities [Keita/Gackt/alice nine.-Land here we come!]
- BEAUTIFUL summer scenery
- Historical sights

I hope it'll live up to my expectations.=) I do not want to mar my glamorised vision of Japan.


Sadly, I don't think we'll have the opportunity to see any concerts. (T_T) Oh Gackt. Why o why can't you have a summer concert! Especially when you look SO GOOD with a mic.xD xD xD *points above* Oh alice nine. Why o why do we have to go in between your summer concerts! (T_T) And deprive us of Nao!!! (T_T) *points below*


On a random note that is mildly related, I was most amused by the pictures of the Chinese president eating "homemade bean cake" and sitting down watching a tea ceremony on his recent visit to Japan.=D Beams. I would LOVE to sit down to a tea ceremony [and then die from the bitterness of the tea] and eat "homemade bean cake" too! xD

Oh I LOVE these cultural exchange visits.xD It almost makes you want to work in the foreign ministry. Not.

Yay! My new DVD-burning software is wonderful! *hugs it* It's so userfriendly!!! xD Yay for smart, computer-literate people who help others! =D =D =D [I mean, I obviously didn't install it myself.-_-"]

Okay. I haven't studied for Japanese class yet. Faints. *rushes away*

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : 無限の花 アリス九號.]
[mood : --]
[food : spaghetti!]

All images from Deviant Art and the Gackt/alice nine. images are from various places. It's also nice to know that I can type in katakana! I thought my programme didn't support it at first.=P

ViQue: Of course! xD No one but ME squeals over Gackt. (T_T) *mopes around in corner*

cch: You mean we have King Lear? *edges towards Spark Notes* Maybe I'll take the easy way out.O.o And technically you have all the time in the world too, being on scholarship and everything.O.o If your friends like shopping and Jrock, trust me, they will be LOVED! xD Haha. Just kidding. I'm sure I'll like them all. Somehow or another.=P

Liu-Yi: xD Yay! It's nice to know people actually read my blog. Most people complain it's too long. And I've already tried to break down the paragraphs!!! (T_T) I will definitely make anything you want when you come back.=D

Labels: , , , , , ,

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Gackt + alice nine. + King Lear

Hello!


xD

Gackt is going to release a new single in June!!! ^_^ It's going to be called: 闇の終焉~Returner~. It's supposed to mean something along the lines of "End of darkness" but whatever the case, it sounds rock-ish!!!

Which is great news! And it sounds like a continuation of the Moon project! =D And it's so "RETURN OF THE EVIL VAMPIRES!" xD Haha. Beams.

*hopes for Moonchild 2 for more GacktxHyde yumminess*

Sadly, he's also doing the mainstream thing [like alice nine.] and has made his website available in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. (T_T)


Thankfully, I was just drooling over his Training Days 2006 Drug Party tour pamphlet, realised that he's returned to his darling eyeliner and that really made me happy.^_^


However, I must now learn how to do GORGEOUS eye makeup like the 2 girls in the pamphlet have on. *peers hard at pictures*

alice nine.'s new single "WHITE PRAYER" should be something to look forward to as well! =) And their live report sounds absolutely MARVELLOUS!!! (T_T) *jealous*


Saga is absolutely adorably retarded! xD Beams. And Nao too!!! Hehe.

Oh! And my dad booked tickets for the Royal Shakespeare Company's performance of King Lear.=) It is CRAZY expensive. O.o But nevermind.=D I shall read King Lear ummmm Soon! ^_^" Or else I can always poke Joyce and ask her to tell me a nice and quick breakdown of the story in case that... Elizabethan English loses me halfway through.=P

Okay. End of random entry.^_^"
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Hitoiro NANA Starring Mika Nakashima]
[mood : zen]
[food : --]

Labels: , , ,

A Cooking/Baking Weekend

Hello

I didn't do anything significant this weekend except um... Cook. And bake. O dear! I MUST go shopping soon!!! xD Haha. And get away from some of this domesticity. I'm quite sated in the "must-cook-NOW" department.

I must warn you ahead of time that this will be an image-heavy post.

Yay! So I saw this recipe in Today for Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon. And it sounded SO GOOD! =D And I also made Garlic Bread from 101 Cookbooks and Asparagus with Tarragon Dressing from Donna Hay Magazine.

Part of my mise en place:


The finely minced garlic was ordered by my mother who was all, MAKE IT FINER OR YOUR GARLIC BREAD WILL BE BAD! Or something like that.xD In any case, I found mincing garlic as finely as possible a most therapeutic activity.=) Seriously. I got all zen while using this huge and dangerous looking chopper to chop up garlic as small as I could.^_^

Mincing Garlic = Good for you. [Plus garlic has all those antioxidants and what not! xD]


The chicken before going into the oven! I hate touching raw meat so I used chopsticks to attempt to poke the garlic and all that marinade around the chicken. I love chopsticks. They are SO useful.


The final product after 40 minutes in the oven. Sadly, I think rubbing all that marinade in by hand would have been better in infusing the chicken with more flavour.

For the garlic bread,

This:


Plus this:


Equals this:


xD Garlic-Lemon Bread with chives. YUMMY. This was actually quite good except that I felt I could have let MORE butter soak into the bread. Which would make it very good but very very very very very fattening.=S But seriously. The lemon brightened it up and made it really yummy.xD


The tarragon dressing on asparagus.=) The recipe called for white wine vinegar but I couldn't find that in Cold Storage so I used this Japanese brown rice vinegar we had lying around at home instead. It was quite yummy.=D Beams. The taste of tarragon is pretty unique and slightly spicy [I tried eating it on its own when I was plucking it off the stem because I've never tried tarragon before] but quite aggressive. It is not a mild-flavoured herb.

I also made my usual chocolate cupcakes.=D Beams.

That day, Jiamin and I watched The Neighbour No. 13, starring Shun Oguri and this really ugly other guy. It was just.. FREAKY. O.o O my gosh. It was shot in a very suspenseful way and was quite art-housey because... the ending was very HUH-DON'T-UNDERSTAND. Haha.=X And Shun Oguri was like, hardly the lead actor there.-_-"

Thankfully, after Joyce came and I had fixed my old DVD player on top of the new one [the new one CAN'T PLAY JAPAN DVDs!!!!!!!!!!! Of all the horrors. I was MOST upset. But with our superior technical abilities, we managed to fix the old DVD player to the new sound system so we can watch alice nine. and Gackt in concert but with surround sound! xD Yay!] we watched a bit of alice nine.'s Alice in WonderFilm! xD It horrified Joyce. Haha. She was less horrified at Gackt's Sixth Day and Seventh Night though. Yay for Gackt and his drama!! =D

Then we watched Gigolo Wannabe which had a MOST unsatisfying ending.-_-" But! Shun Oguri had a MUCH bigger role here and was very charming and goodlooking so that was good.=D Haha. *bimbotic* It had a very simplistic plot that leaves for a nice-to-watch but not-critically-acclaimed show.=P

For dinner, we snacked on the cupcakes, the Dutch-Swiss rolls and Japanese instant noodles!!! xD

Joyce excitedly took photos of the instant noodles because each flavour is represented by an animal and then these animals are featured as miniature fishcakes in the noodles! =) Very cute. So here you go:


^_^ Kawaii! I liked the... Ummm.. Can't remember. Haha.=X The panda one I think? Plus it had thin noodles, which I love.^_^

Then we watched SNOW QUEEN!!! Hyun Bin! xD xD xD Wah, it is SUCH a sad drama. O goodness me. (T_T) Too many sad moments!!! We must find 1 or 2 weekends to finish the series!!! Beams.=D

Then today, I made low-fat banana bread for my mom:


It's very very very moist.=) And it had quite a good flavour. But still, not the banana bread/cake texture I'm looking for. Hmm.

And I baked up my korova cookies.=D For this batch, I used my darling Valrhona cocoa powder instead of the Margaret River one that I used the last time.


It made SUCH a difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The flavour this time is REALLY rich, flavourful and almost-complex! xD And SO chocolatey!!! Yummy. My mom still thinks it's too sweet. I must remember to cut down on some sugar next time.


But omg. I am SO using Valrhona cocoa powder from now on!!! xD xD xD BEAMS! Ahaha. Sadly though, my mom reminded me that Valrhona is ummm REALLY expensive. X__x O dear. But heck it's worth it! xD Like the last time I made these, my mom kept going, HEY! That one's BROKEN! *eats* =P And sadly, I was doing the same. Haha.=X

I also got much more even/nicer cookie shapes this time.=) The last time, they spread too much.xP Must remember to cut them thick from now on.=)

Thank you Pierre Herme for coming up with this wonderful recipe! And thank you Dorie Greenspan for adapting it for the home cook!!! xD

Yay for baking! Boo for calories. At least this might cure some Monday blues.^_^"
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Training Days 2006 Drug Party set list + Missing Gackt]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : Korova Cookies!]

cch: Ahem. Why do I need to BUDGET for UNIVERSITY?! -_-" And go away. You get the most from Temasek and that's ALL you're left with?! -_____-" Omg! I am earning FAR BELOW the median!!! (T_T) Sobs. And indeed my friends are all rich. WAILS. *counts pennies in a corner*

Wendaye: I actually think the squirrel is cute! Haha.=P Omg! I'm going to see King Lear with my brother!!! =D =D =D Beams. Like, omg. SO EXSPOONSIVE. X__x But yay Ian McKellan or however you spell his name! ^_^ I have to ummmm read King Lear... Soon.^_^" Have you bought tickets? We can all wave at each other in the theatre!!! Haha.=P

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome

visions of clarity...do as infinity
by witchstone

My Emotible!
starry-eyed: filled with such youthful hope and optimism that one's eyes twinkle even when it's dark

Wish List

ie: motivation to save money!
- clothes
- shoes [heels! boots!]
- the perfect tote
- coats/outerwear! [Soïa & Kyo, Burberry...]
- Gackt - nine*nine
- Gackt Photobooks:
1 The Gift The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour Document (2004)
2 Crescent Photobook (out of print)
- Cookbooks!
1 Thomas Keller The French Laundry Cookbook
2 The Nobu Cookbook
3 Emily Luchetti A Passion for Desserts
4 Alice Medrich Pure Dessert
- Anime/Manga
1 Rurouni Kenshin
2 xxxHOLiC
3 Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
- Proficiency at Japanese!
- Learn French for Food!

Links

My Flickr Page
spoonerisms*inc a food blog (by wendy & I)
my translation blog

witchstone...
follow me on Twitter

Checklist: EAT!

The Common Grill, Chelsea
The Black Pearl, Ann Arbor
Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes, Detroit
Bella Ciao, Ann Arbor
Craft, NYC
Momofuku, NYC
Alinea, Chicago
The French Laundry, California
Goto, Singapore

Tagboard


Archives

February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010

Credits

template
background
host

template modified by witchstone~.

Disclaimer

Everything under this site is copyrighted.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.