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visions of clarity...do as infinity

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Post-Last Day of Work

Hello

Hmm. The last day of work at ... where I worked was yesterday.=) I have to admit I still haven't gotten over the "OOH BANK AD" and "OOH WATCH" when I read the newspapers and making a mental note to cut it out/take a photo the next day for the competitive report.O.o Bizarre.


I'm glad that I did this internship.=) I guess I really saw what work went into producing just ONE campaign. Okay. Not even one campaign. Just ONE AD requires so much work.X__x Things like this make you a little more appreciative.^_^"

The work environment there too is wonderful.=) Everyone is supportive of each other and helpful in trying circumstances. Ahem. I think the work environment is incredibly important and practically integral to whether or not you enjoy working somewhere. It's kind of like school except that in school, you can choose to not make friends with certain people but at work, you should try your best to get along with everyone so that everyone can work well together. I think I was lucky that I was seated where I was since I could make friends with the people who still remember what it's like to be new I guess? ^_^"

I'm sad to leave because I enjoyed working there [would I call it work though? Hmm.] but I'm also happy that I can now focus on packing my room and preparing for university.X__x

Although no work = no money too. O dear.

I'm in the midst of packing for Japan. O my goodness. I cannot pack! Absolutely cannot! *stares miserably at suitcase* My clothes are kind of draped all over in my attempt to "throw things in".=X


OMG *distracted* NEW ALICE NINE. PV OUT!!! *squeals*

Ahem. Anyway. Packing. Yes. I just found out from dear Jiamin that I'll have to bring a towel.O.o I'm just like. O DEAR. *stares at bag* Perhaps I should just prepare myself for doing laundry to save space in case we shop! =D Oh the possibilities Japan brings!

xD

Anyway, I don't know if my friends from work will read this but... if they do..

THANK YOU.=D

Oh! And the ramen at Robertson Quay in the quite-dubious alleyway behind the Japanese-Taiwanese food place is really quite good.=D I think it's better than Miharu.^_^v I would've taken a photo but their presentation isn't very pretty... Thanks for the meal!!! =D I'll bring you all something the next time we meet.

Last night, we also went to MOS.=) Dangit I thought it was Ladies' Night but no.-_-" I had to pay. Rawr. Anyway. I actually rather enjoyed the whole experience. Except that I am convinced that next time, we'll have to go somewhere for cheaper drinks first.^_^" I would still like to go to Zouk though. The fact that it's been there for... AGES still mystifies me..


O FAINTED. Gackt!!! YOU LOOK DAMN GOOD!!! I love your kimono!! *wishes she owned one* I am SO getting this magazine. Just look at him!!! *_*!! *brain stops functioning*

Squeals!!!

Oh I could ramble on! But my open suitcase and empty bag are GLARING at me in the most ferocious manner. And popiah for dinner calls!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Shunkashuutou + FANTASY alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : bo lor bao!]

zeelei: Miyavi is indeed not quite a rockgod. But he IS a good guitar player so I think he could bring some youthful enthusiasm to the whole project! Haha.=D His new hair! Omygoodness. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT.-_-"

wendaye: HRM. I think it's debatable whether you want to see Yoshiki without clothes.O.o And Miyavi too. I'm not sure what Sugizo looks like so no comment there. But Gackt!!! *_*!!!!!! NGYAHAHA.

pixiezdust: I meant that I feature a bunny every Midweek men.=D Can't let the animal kingdom be left out.;) Haha. Sadly, Hide is no longer around and I think Miyavi isn't bad. I mean, he's talented! And has great stage presence!

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Saturday, May 26, 2007

SUPERBAND + DVD release

OMG I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!!

The fourth member in Yoshiki's Superband is... none other than.. MIYAVI!!!


(Miyavi [ex-Due le Quartz], Yoshiki [ex-X Japan], Sugizo [ex-LUNA SEA])

PLUS


(Gackt [ex-Malice Mizer])

EQUALS


I see trouble ahead. Seriously. All these people fighting for attention? TSK TSK. Still, I am THRILLED that there will be so many goodlookers! *supports*

Haha. But Miyavi's latest transformation is.. horrifying to say the very least. O.o

I also don't see how Miyavi is a "legend" like the other 3 are. Since X Japan, LUNA SEA and Malice Mizer all had [and still have] a HUGE following and they also went major [thus proving their popularity], Gackt, Yoshiki [who is a legend on his own] and Sugizo do have a certain place in this superband. But Due le Quartz. Hmm. They were famous certainly, but never on the scale of the other 3 right?

Nevertheless, they will be performing at Anime Expo on June 29 and in Japan in November. (T_T) In other words, mortals like me from faraway lands cannot go.

Apparently, the Superband is called "SKIN". I wonder why? O.o


All images from Deviantart. Squee! I love playing with photoshop.=D

More news! =D Gackt will be releasing the TRAINING DAYS DRUG PARTY 2006 DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!! *squeals madly with excitement* xD xD xD YAY!!!!!!!!! I adore the setlist!!! =D =D =D And apparently, it'll be the Zepp Tokyo performance! [For which I have fond memories because I urh. Stood outside the concert venue.=X]


SQUEE!!!!!!!!!! Hooray for Gackt! He's finally returned to the spotlight after hiding almost all of last year!!!

The dears (link) page has also been updated with images relating to his role as Uesugi Kenshin in the NHK drama Fuurin Kazan (link) (風林火山) and his new single, RETURNER~闇の終焉~.

Arena 37C will also be released on 9 June and... Gackt will be on the cover!! SQUEE! In KIMONO!!! xD And if I remember correctly, the kimono dresser who helped with the photoshoot said that Gackt looks so good in kimono, he should wear it everyday. Ahaha. Except that kimono is quite difficult to wear so I think that'd be a problem..

Anyway, since I am resting instead of flitting around the zoo, I shall have to pack for Japan [or rather, start packing/planning what to pack.=X] and organise things. X__x

Ahh! The excitement has practically made my flu go away!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Requiem et Reminiscence tour Gackt]
[mood : xD xD xD]
[food : soup!]

Wendaye: omg! So smart. Yar. I think she's asking when she can eat it. *stares hard at sentence* WAH SO SMART. Haha. xD Ahaha. I couldn't stop laughing at your little Takuya anecdote. ;) He apologised to his fangirls! Like "sorry I'm marrying someone that isn't you". Hahaha. And omg! HIS SOCKS!!! AHAHAHAHA. Thank god Gackt doesn't do that. *can't stop laughing* Ahahaha. I wouldn't be able to stop ridiculing him about it.

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Free Entertainment

Hello

=D It's the weekend! Yippee! Anyway.

Quick recap of today before I go on and on about something [as I usually do]
- Driving lesson: Omg! Test routes are SO SHORT! Whenever I finished one and my instructor got me to go back to the circuit I was all "O__o is it over?!" I kept asking my instructor. Ahaha. I think he was, YAR ITS OVER NOW DRIVE. =X Oops.
- Lunch at Vivocity.=) Finally got to see YX. Haha. I will never go out with lovebirds again.X__x

Okay! Main Event One:

I got my MP3 player!!!! Hooray! I bravely made my way down to Funan on my own. It's creepy okay being surrounded by either families or weird guys who go to buy like. Some random part for their ever growing computer parts collections.X__x So yay! Hello my darling Zen Vision:M! =D

I thought of a fabulous name for it today. But I can't remember it now.=X Oops. I think I got too distracted by the PSPs and Nintendo DS floating around at the shop next door...

The salesperson was all disdainful about the ipod. It was quite funny.=D No offence to ipod loving beings.^_^" I love the iPod too. It's too pretty for words! But... Must be practical. AHEM.

Still. I'm annoyed that some of my videos can't be converted for transferring into the Zen Vision:M. CURSES!

And... Main Event Two!

Just returned from dinner at Cricket Club.=D Since they had the opening of the Singapore Arts Festival at the Padang, we could watch while eating dinner! ^_^

Dinner:

I had 2 appetisers and lots of stolen helpings from other people. Oh. And dessert.^_^" I am still hoping I ate less than the average person.*tries to diet*

I apologise for taking everything from the same angle but with the constraints of light, one has little choice.=X


Escargot with poached pear and ... some kind of salad that was crunchy and yummy.^_^"
- The escargot was good! It wasn't the usual "drowned in garlic butter" escargot.=D And the filo pastry cup that held the escargot was yummy too since it provided a great textural contrast.^_^ The poached pear though... Hmm. While it went well with the balsamic vinegar, I didn't really know why it was there.=S


Sticky Wagyu beef cheek with peanuts, cucumbers and such Asian decorations.
- This was interesting, though definitely not life-changing. The beef was rather sweet and the peanut sauce added texture but... not much else.O.o I MUCH preferred the Angus beef I stole from my mother and grandfather! Beams.=D


Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Banana Ice-cream, almond brittle and raspberries
- MMM. Chocolate! =D You can never go wrong with chocolate. Seriously. But my mom and I both didn't really GET the Valrhona-ness of this supposed Valrhona Chocolate Fondant. Valrhona has this particular taste you see that you can definitely sense so I'm wondering if they used a different blend from what we're used to? The banana ice cream was LOVELY but very sweet [I cannot be trusted here though].^_^ And of course, the almond brittle was yummy! Overall though, satisfying dessert.


The gooey insides of the chocolate fondant! And they didn't even cheat by filling it with chocolate ganache! =D Sorry it's such an unglamorous shot.=X

Petit Four

Financiers!
- While the idea of a little almond cake to end your meal is a good one, I was not impressed by this particular financier. It was too floury in my opinion.=X The restaurant's bread is yummy though.=D

And throughout dessert, we were watching the Arts Festival opening!
- Spinning Wheel? COOL!
- Human Curtain? AMAZING!
- Fireworks? PRETTY!
- Techno Music? urm. BOOMING!

=D

We're off to the zoo tomorrow for my dad's company's Family Day. My brother is all excited and happy. ^_^" I suppose this is a good chance to urh. Get close to nature. And practice my photography skills on... not-quite-stationary-but-usually-stationary animals. Oh! And pig out on free satay.=D

In the meantime, I shall return to filling my darling new mp3 player with new stuff.=D Oh curses. I hate the ripping program they have! And why o why do I have to sleep without aircon! IT IS SO HOT. (T_T) Stupid nose and being blocked at the slightest sign of chill.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : H.A.N.A.B.I. + FANTASY alice nine. + 絵夢~for my dear~ Gackt]
[mood : grumpy]
[food : BEEF!]

wendaye: Yes yes! I watched that introduction of Hyde and Megumi too! IT WAS SO CUTE. Hahaha. But I thought that.. last year or something there were reports of Hyde getting divorced. Or something like that. Hence I'm not sure. I'm not the Hyde fangirl that you are. ;) Haha. And I was like O__o at the Seventh Heaven PV. Ahaha.

zeelei: HANAKIMI!!! I know I know!!! SO EXCITING. I'm waiting for Jiamin to come back so I can remind her CONSTANTLY that she must support Shun Oguri's teen idol dramas!! Ahaha.=P And sadly, I think Shun Oguri looks MUCH better in motion than in photos. Ahem.

Joyce: Haiyos. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIND THOSE NOBU PICTURES. Please send me your hot Takumi and Naoki and Yasu and Ren ones.=D Haha. That way I can pick and choose in future!!! Beams. All of you arh. Always suggesting, never helping. I'm not a fan of them remember. It's harder to find nice pictures!!! Haha. And yes. I think Keita looks VERY GOOD with an apple. ;)

liu-yi: Ehehe. I understand the first part. And yay! I love Japanese food too! =D But what does いつかたべれるかな mean??? O__o いつ = when and urm. That's all I really GET.=X

pixiezdust: Haha. No no! It's not mine.^_^" I don't have any pets.=X But I feature Mr Bunny every Midweek Men see so yes.=D Mr Bunny is invariably one of the cutest.=D Ahaha.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Midweek Men: Week 3

Hello!

Time for another edition of Midweek Men. Shall we review our past guys?
Week 1: Hyun Bin (Snow Queen), Daniel Henney (My Name is Kim Sam Soon), Miyavi and Mr Rabbit
Week 2: Lelouch (Code Geass), Tom Schilling (NAPOLA), Saga (alice nine.) and Mr Rabbit

Who will we have this week?

First up..


Tachibana Keita! =D Gosh I love this image of him.^_^ [And no. I will NOT feature his new shaggy dog-like hair.-_-"]


Keita is the lead singer in the boy-band, w-inds., and his fellow members are Ryuichi and Ryohei. They have 7 albums under their belt and countless singles like most J-pop groups. w-inds. has also had 5 tours to date and Keita is now concurrently pursuing a solo career. He has already released a solo album entitled "声" (Koe, or voice in Japanese) and has 2 singles.

And...


Nobu! xD Terashima Nobuo. =D Oh Nobu. You're such a nice guy.^_^


Nobu is a character in the manga/anime/live action movie NANA, created by Yazawa Ai. He is a member of BLACK STONES, fronted by Oosaki Nana, and he plays the guitar while Shin plays the bass and Yasu the drums. He's also Nana's best friend, always there for her and (up to episode 39 of the anime at least) is in love with Hachi (otherwise known as Komatsu Nana). He's the son of a rich ryokan-owning family but has defected and gone to Tokyo with his band to pursue their dream of going major.^_^

Of course, we cannot forget..


Mr Bunny! =D Oh how adorable you are in all your variations!

And finally. ^_^


hyde!!! xD OH HYDE YOU ARE TOO GOODLOOKING. I absolutely adore this picture of him during his FAITH tour.=D =D =D


hyde is the lead singer of L'Arc~en~Ciel and also has a successful solo career as HYDE. He's married [I think] and has a kid but keeps all that private stuff under wraps of course. He has released 6 albums in total though some are overseas editions as a solo artist, starting off with roentgen and his latest offering, FAITH. He completed his solo US Tour last year and has just released a new single with Laruku called "SEVENTH HEAVEN" [PV only, the single releases 30 May] and will soon release their 31st single, "MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM".

^_^ And thus! Another Midweek Men episode is born.=) I hope to keep updating it and hope I won't forget about it.=P

In other news!


Gackt's new single cover is amazing!!! =D Above is the regular edition cover for his new single, RETURNER~闇の終焉~. ^_^ I am looking forward to it!!! =D It'll be released 20 June.=D

And coupled with alice nine.'s new single release for WHITE PRAYER...


*squee!* 6 June!!! =D =D =D They aren't major so I don't know whether alice nine. will be everywhere but... one can hope! Beams.

I've been reviewing anime episodes and such. I want to watch these:
- Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu or The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Rozen Maiden [ancient but looks good]
- Sumomo mo Momo mo

They are all ancient... and probably licensed. Doesn't that mean I have to wait for the VCD to come out here?! Something which will probably never happen. HMM.

Okay. My nose has been dripping ALL DAY. -_-" And I cannot stop sniffling. Something that annoys me and probably everyone around me but they are too polite to say anything. Oh kind souls! I must recover by this weekend!!! [Before I kill all the trees on this planet, and contribute to global warming even more.] -_____-"
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : FANTASY alice nine.]
[mood : annoyed at sniffly nose]
[food : --]

zeelei: Darling! Yoshiki's myspace has been there forever! And yes. I read his angsty blog entries too.=X Most of the artists who are moving into America [like Dir en grey for example] have myspace! So mainstream but nevermind. *is accepting*

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

Garlic Breads + Other random things

Hello!

Tonight we had a really simple dinner.=D My maid made the soup and prepared the salad while I made the Garlic Bread.^_^


The salad. It's got a mix of leaves including rocket/arugula and spinach. My mom made her usual balsamic dressing but since I wanted to use up the sesame dressing, that's my portion right there. [Again, failed attempt at "artistic drizzling of salad dressing".]^_^" Hooray for Japanese sesame dressing! It's really yummy! xD I have no idea what brand it is but it's got those super Japanese slogans on it, something along the lines of "Let's eat salad!" or something like that.


Pea soup with apple-mint! The mint was AMAZINGLY fragrant. Seriously.xD It gave the soup a wonderful aroma! Oh. And this was really healthy pea soup, without cream or anything like that.^_^ Good for my waistline.

What was not so good for my waistline however, was the garlic bread.=P I made 3 types: Garlic-Lemon, Garlic-Rosemary-Thyme and regular Garlic bread with black pepper.


Garlic-Lemon Bread.


On my mom's request, Garlic-Rosemary-Thyme Bread.^_^

Hmm. We all agreed that the Garlic-Lemon was the best. I love the subtle flavour of the lemon.=D It really goes well with the strength of the garlic! The Garlic-Rosemary-Thyme combination is much more aggressive in flavour. Why didn't I discover Garlic-Lemon Bread earlier?!

^_^ I think this particular garlic bread recipe [not a recipe really. It's kinda like a spontaneous "add-what-you-like" type of garlic bread.=P] is here to stay.

During dinner, we watched the Singapore Airlines International Cup.=D Horse-racing!!! I love it. It's 2 minutes of an adrenaline rush.=D

In the initial stages, they allow you to view the horses while they walk around this circle thingie. OH BEAUTIFUL. All of us were admiring the form of the horses.=D I LOVE black horses. They look so sleek... and pretty... and most of all, absolutely majestic.

When they ran, oh how they ran! Sprinted actually, would be more accurate. But who's quibbling? I especially loved the close-up shots of the horses flying across the green, I think horse-riding is such an elegant and romantic activity.=D Brings to mind images from Pride and Prejudice [the BBC series, not the movie] and Lord of The Rings! Haha. I really want to ride a horse in a vast open field one day.^_^

For the record, the hot-favourite, Shadow Gate, won.^_^ It's a gorgeous black horse from Japan. [Incidentally, the top 2 spots were taken by the Japanese, the 3rd by the French and the 4th by a Singaporean.]

I also loved Colin Goh's column in Lifestyle! today.=D I love his humour. And how he manages to concentrate a memory into a teensy anecdote! Brilliant stuff.

And I learnt more about mahjong today.^_^ I think playing regularly with my aunt and grandfather will help me improve on my current nonexistent skill. Beams. I'm REALLY bad at it. I can see now how exactly mahjong can help you prevent your brain from vegetating completely.

I also watched the first episode of Dennou Coil today.=D It's actually quite good! Haha. I rather like the concept of how they merged the cyber world and the "real" world. Although one lives in the real world, through a pair of specially made glasses, one can view the cyber world in the context of the real world. It's quite a difficult concept to explain but it's very interesting.^_^

Right. To watch Darker Than Black next!! =D Hooray. Even though I've got a massive headache. Maybe the excitement will make this pain go away.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Waltz Suneohair (Honey & Clover OST) + Without You (Classical version) YOSHIKI + Jolly Jolly Jill-Decoy Association (Red Garden OST)]
[mood : ouch.]
[food : garlic bread!]

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Saturday, May 19, 2007

Inagiku + Washoku

Hello

So today my family and I ate at Inagiku for dinner.=)

Inagiku is located the Raffles The Plaza and while the decor didn't really impress me [it's not terribly eye catching], the food was quite good.^_^

Before going, I had the impression that, because my dad continually grumbles about how expensive they are, it would be a beautifully appointed Japanese restaurant of the high-end variety. While I must say it is in a great location, I wouldn't call the decor stunning. It's okay though, not horrendously drab or anything like that. The service was acceptable though I can envision them being a little more delicate. Nevertheless, the main focus in restaurants is the food! ^_^ And that's what I'm here to blog about.

I must apologise for remembering to adjust the ISO setting only later on.-_-" So you'll have to be content with horrible pictures with flash. Gomen ne?

My parents both ordered the Tuna set, I ordered a Teppanyaki set and my brother a Tempura set. My dad was all, "Sets are good! You get to try things you wouldn't normally order! *steely look*" Ahem. The sets were quite substantial though, and rather good value for money.


A watermelon and shochu [a Japanese liquer, wiki here:
Shochu (link)] cocktail/ice-blended that came with my parents' set. It was terribly sweet. O.o And I could just barely discern the alcohol taste. Still, it was rather refreshing though very sweet. ^_^"


The first course in my set. I attempted to artistically drizzle the mustard miso dressing over the sashimi salad and it urhh kind of failed. But nevertheless! I liked this a lot.=D I donated the salmon to my brother but I really liked the hamachi [Japanese amberjack or yellowtail], tuna and ikura [salmon roe] with the salad and dressing.^_^ Yum. Maybe I'm a bit more accepting of sashimi now!

Speaking of sashimi, I stole my brother's swordfish sashimi. O YUMMY.xD I ADORE swordfish! =D At first I was utterly convinced that it was ootoro until I ate it [and peered at it]. Haha. Not ootoro, but I love swordfish anyway.=D It was really good! I still don't understand the draw of salmon and uni [sea urchin] though. O.o


Salmon with a butter and lemon sauce. I thought this was okay though I really liked the sauce. My brother and father really liked it though.=P I think my bias against salmon made me not LOVE the dish. Perhaps if it was mackerel or cod, I would have really enjoyed the dish.=)


Tuna Cheek in a soy-based sauce. This came with my parents' tuna set. Oh it was DELICIOUS!!! O my goodness. I have come to a new conclusion that I LOVE TUNA CHEEK! xD Ahaha. And it isn't even as expensive as tuna belly so isn't that brilliant? =D


King Prawn with special INAGIKU sauce [it was really a bechamel sauce] and topped with roe [flying fish roe if I'm not mistaken]. The prawn was amazingly yummy but I wasn't thrilled at the creamy sauce. O.o Why hide the gorgeous prawns in that thick, creamy sauce? I felt the roe went very well with the prawns as well, complementing the texture.=) Ahh I love prawns.xD


Australian beef tenderloin with garlic soy sauce. The beef was really soft/tender and yummy.xD And went brilliantly well with the sauce. It was an altogether good combination that bordered on the safe side. However, I still like wagyu beef better. I wonder what Matsusaka beef tastes like...

Are you shocked at the amount of food I got? O.o I was SO stuffed. And there's more...


Garlic fried rice. This is practically a staple at any teppanyaki meal. I wonder if they really eat it in Japan though.=P I adore garlic fried rice though I maintain that the Japanese will never be able to get wok hei like the Cantonese in their fried rice.xD Haha. I was so full that I donated 3/4 of this bowl to my dad.^_^"

My set ends with Matcha Ice cream and azuki bean paste.=) I donated that to my brother and in return got...


Musk Melon!!! =D I LOVE musk melon. It has this sweetness and fragrance that honeydew doesn't have.xD xD xD This one was no exception though the fragrance wasn't quite there. My mom thinks it might not be from Japan. I kind of agree. Japanese Musk Melon is crazy expensive. [2 huge ones just fetched record prices in Japan if I remember correctly.]

But o Musk Melon!
That great sweetness and fragrance!
How I adore you.

Sorry. Lame attempt at haiku. Anyway.

On my parents set: The tuna set was a perfect amount of food.=D I thought it was pretty good for it's price! I would have ordered it except that all that sushi/sashimi made me hesitate.O.o It started off with tuna sashimi salad, followed by the tuna cheeks [mentioned above] and then a tuna sushi platter [minced tuna, toro among other parts of the tuna] with miso soup.=D

On my brother's set: He had the tempura set which, of course, showcased their tempura. He started off with a wonderful soup-in-a-teapot [I have no idea what it's called] that was marvellous.=D Then he had a plate of sashimi [which looked fabulous and had yummy swordfish! xD], followed by a huge plate of tempura! I tried the anago tempura [sea eel, which I fell in love with in Japan]. Hmm. While I really liked how the anago was fresh [though not as thick as I would have liked], I wasn't terribly impressed by their tempura. Sadly, it had a very strong taste of the oil [something that irks me when I eat fried food most of the time, so it's really just my fussiness]. Thankfully though, the batter was quite light even if it was thick. It ended off with miso soup and kakiagedon.^_^ A set more suited to me perhaps, except for the sashimi bit..

I am dying for my dad to bring us to the specialist tempura restaurant, the only one of its kind in Singapore if I'm not wrong. The one I went to in Japan still floats around in my dreams...xD xD xD I REGRET NOT TAKING PHOTOS. *stabs self*

Drink: We also had o-cha [or is it sencha. I'm beginning to get confused by all the Japanese names for tea.O.o] and sake from Shikuoka. Which was apparently quite neutral in the sense that it didn't shine in either the "very good rice" or the "very good water" departments but was a nice balance in between. Like Hrm. Yay.^_^"

Overall? I felt that the meal was good, but not exceptional. Perhaps I was expecting more and was thus slightly disappointed. But nevertheless, they didn't fall below too much [just on the wow factor]. So that's a good thing.^_^ Still, next time, I'd rather go to Kaisen [I have to remember to bring my camera next time.-_-"] or Nadaman [which my dad prefers apparently]. And I have to try Kuriya! And um. Shiro, though its extremely expensive and supposedly not FABULOUS. Hmm.

Anyway, I'll come up with a proper rating system next time.^_^ Wendy and I are setting up a food blog together so hopefully when it's up and running, I'll have come up with a proper system by then.^_^"

Moving on...


I FINALLY bought Washoku by Elizabeth Andoh at the Kinokuniya sale today!!! =D =D =D Yay for Kinokuniya! They finally had stock while it was on sale! Hooray! Haha. I'm looking forward to plowing through the book and attempting recipes.^_^ I've read the introduction which was really interesting.

Elizabeth Andoh gives a lot of detail and insight into Japanese food and cooking, with a nice and lengthy explanation regarding the different ingredients and techniques used in Japanese cooking. I enjoy reading in detail how ingredients come about, and stories behind recipes so I love this book.^_^ Also, despite being a Japanese cookbook, she is mindful that many of her readers might not be Japanese and constantly encourages you to use what you have available [freshness is key] and to apply the Japanese concept of balancing your meals according to their principles to your usual meals, be it a sandwich or a bento set.

Although the book is not filled with pictures, those that are present are beautifully presented with the barest addition of props. Her notes and observations also aid wonderfully in envisioning the recipe in your mind so that you can create the dish you would like to eat, not the dish you see in the book. Thus, pictures are not the most necessary ever and are included thoughtfully for foods that might require some images to envision properly. I really like the font too. It's authoratative without being overly serious, and has a slight difference to it in the curl of the fonts which make them appear friendlier.=)

Okay. So I REALLY like this book. Why else would I invest so much money in it? xP But hooray! I can't wait to try recipes from this book and apply the principles of balance and harmony to my life.=)

Randomly, I am SHOCKED at the local university admission offices this year. What are you all up to! -_-"

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Shunkashuutou alice nine. + The Final Dir en grey]
[mood : ^_^
[food : Japanese! =D]

Wendaye: Ahaha. I really doubt Hyde would go onto the dancefloor unless he were drunk.=P Too cool for that. Haha. And seriously, I think he and Gackt can have a smoking competition though apparently Gackt has quit. O.o Anyway. I think I might be able to bake next week.=D If you can get Joyce to be free, we can all bake over the weekend! Or urh Saturday. Or something. Haha. Or I can meet you guys and forcefeed you with my experiments!!! BEAMS. And we really have to settle the food blog. Hmm. MUST. SOON. *nods* And sorry. I don't have the single now. But if I do come across it, I'll get it for you? =D Though you are supposed to be better at this than me. Haha.

Hari: OMG! Of course I remember you!! =D How did you find this??? And PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER. ^_^

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Friday, May 18, 2007

Red Garden

Hello

I just finished the whole series of Red Garden, the anime that finished airing in March on TV Asahi. It was created by GONZO studios and featured songs by Jill-Decoy Association [Jolly Jolly, the opening song] and LM. C [Rock The LM. C and OH MY JULIET., the 2 ending songs].


The only pretty thing about this series is the beautiful starting sequence and the "middle pause" section [where they are supposed to insert a commercial break]. In fact, that, and the storyline, were what attracted me to the series in the first place. Other than that, I'm really not a fan of the drawings. My friend described it as "very old school/80s" and well. Let's just say it's not the prettiest anime around.

I'm also puzzled as to whether I liked it or not.


Overall, there was certainly a gripping storyline that was marred a little by too much angst. But then again, one when is dealing with 4 teenage girls, one DOES expect angst right?

Allow me to quote Wikipedia on the plot:
Kate, Rachel, Rose, and Claire are all students at a private institution set on Roosevelt Island, New York City. Waking up one morning, all feel uneasy and restless as they deem strange that none of them can recall anything about the previous night. Their anxiety escalates when the school announces that Lise, another classmate of theirs, was found dead.


They are then embroiled in a deep dark secret that will change their futures and affect their lives [hence the angst].

Plot was gripping at first but because they also focused a lot on how their experiences affected the girls in normal life, I got a little bored. There are only so many ways to show them angsting around and sobbing their hearts out. The writers also inserted subplots about the girls' backgrounds which proved interesting in some cases and utterly sleep-inducing in others. [One of the girls has absolutely ZERO plot value. Seriously.-_-"]

At first, they had a lot of shocking moments and alluring cliffhangers that just made you want to watch on and on [even though I really was appalled by the drawings. O.o I think I am a strictly CLAMP and shoujo girl. Haha.], they later focused more on the plot development as well as long and drawn-out character development bits.


Interestingly, they had musical-ish sequences during the first half of the series where the girls suddenly broke out into song [and luckily not dance]. O.o It wasn't unpleasant I guess but it was certainly weird. They later abandoned this completely so I'm not sure what exactly it was for. Filling up time perhaps?

This series has apparently broken new ground in the anime world by the use of various techniques that have never been utilised in anime before. For example, the voices/sounds were recorded BEFORE the animation and the characters' speech was then synced with the soundtrack. This made the sync-ing much smoother actually.=) They had a lot of US TV-ish filming techniques as well. I'm pretty sure the breaking-out-into-song bit was inspired by the US also.


Character development wise... The lead characters were well-developed. Seriously. They spent 3/4 of the time on it.-_-" This made me a little grouchy because I'm not THAT interested in the angsty lives of rich teenagers. However, it was quite dramatic at times which was rather interesting.

They had great action sequences though, considering that sometimes the animation was quite stilted [funny walking movements for example]. Mostly though, the animation was pretty realistic.=) Yay! Anime is getting better animation wise on the whole thanks to new technology.^_^


Overall, I still say that the plot was interesting though whether I'd rewatch this is doubtful. They only tie-in the title right at the end of the series so watch out for that.=) There are a few unresolved issues if I'm not wrong such as how the girls got together in the first place. But they did develop the rest of the little details so it wasn't altogether terrible.

Still. I'm puzzled as to whether I liked it. Let's see.
The Good
1) Gripping storyline
2) Nice action sequences [the girls get to fight!]
3) The occasional surprise
4) Development of angsty characters was well-done
5) I liked the opening song and the 2nd ending song

The Not-So-Good
1) I really do not like the drawings
2) Unresolved/unexplained issues
3) Occasional slow bits
4) ANGST
5) Too much crying

While this series is complete, there will be an OVA in August called "Dead Girls". Sounds... intriguing?

On a side note, I DESPERATELY NEED A WAY TO SCREENCAP. Windows Media Player doesn't let one screencap DARN THING.-_-" I couldn't get the shot I LOVED! So I've had to find all sorts of ways to get images.-____-" *is annoyed*


And I also finally got down to watching the new L'Arc~En~Ciel PV "Seventh Heaven". Ahh. Hyde. *gestures above* You look great! *beams* The song is almost pop-sy though. What is up with that? And the psychedelic colours in the video.O.o Still, it's not horrendously bad and I like how all the members go for a matching colour scheme! ^_^ And Hyde looks good.=) Yay.

But Hyde really shouldn't attempt to dance.^_^"

Ahh. I cannot wait for more Darker Than Black as well as Kekkaishi to come out! Oh. And NANA. Which is ending soon! *sobs* [I mean, yes, it has technically ended its run in Japan but hello fan-subbers. Hurry!!!] Speaking of which, I will also be starting on Dennou Coil, a new anime series that is supposed to be very good.^_^

Randomly, it's been a busy week. Now I see how my friends at work find watching TV a relaxingly mindless activity.^_^ I'm kind of sad that this will end in less than 2 weeks though.

Hooray for anime! Now to find a screen-capping device.-_-"
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Jolly Jolly Jill-Decoy Association (Red Garden OST)]
[mood : tired]
[food : Beard Papa cream puffs + Pineapple Tarts!]

Joyce: You've also got Snow Queen by the way. *raises eyebrows* Which we need to finish soon. *pointed look* And Darker Than Black is really interesting so far! =D

Wendaye: Ahaha. You keep volunteering to be my guinea pig. But do we ever see you? HMM. *ponders* Squee! I think Roy Mustang is a hilarious character. Ahaha.=D And I haven't watched Animax in a REALLY long time. But I really doubt that they are showing Darker Than Black because it would first have to be subbed in Chinese and dubbed in English and it is still showing in Japan I think.=S And squee again! =D I love those bunnies. Beams. I have nyunyu already thankyou.=D SO ADORABLE OMG. Haha.

Jiamin: I don't like Kim Jeong/John Hoon! -_-" I really don't see how he's better than Hyun Bin or all those other Korean actors. And no Darker Than Black isn't eerie. Just VERY VERY VERY addictive. The eerie one is *points above* Red Garden. Trust me. I didn't think he was cute at first either but he grows on you! =D Then again, our tastes are quite different. For example, I don't like any of your favourite guys from all those shoujo manga with funny names. I don't know if I should waste anymore time/money on Canele.-_-" I still swear by their Le Royale though. Haha. Beams.

pixiezdust: Yar! I was wondering if they aired it in Singapore. Apparently not. O.o

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Darker Than Black + Mother's Day!

Hello

We went to Brasserie Wolf for lunch today. I guess you could consider it a Mother's Day Lunch? The food was... acceptable but not life-changing unfortunately. O well.

Canele has also gone mainstream. It was so crowded today! O__o I was rather shocked as they usually have a steady stream of customers but not so many that they run out of seats. I'm just hoping that my darling Le Royale doesn't deprove with their expansion and popularity. The new collection is unimpressive and okay at best so I wonder what they will come up with next?

Perhaps it is time to look for a new patisserie..^_^

In other news, I started watching Darker Than Black last night.=D It is absolutely riveting!!! I couldn't stop watching the measly number of episodes I had.=D =D =D


It's somewhat like Heroes in the sense that certain characters have special abilities. However, these characters in this show are called "Contractors" as they have to fulfill a contract for the use of their powers. Thus, after using their ability, they have this NEED to do something that will fulfill this contract, for example, some of them have to smoke even when they hate it. It's described as a "psychotic tendency" by the show. There are also "Dolls" that are "passive mediums", helping these Contractors in their duties [many are employed by syndicates or government agencies].


The show is full of cool action sequences, a gripping storyline and new characters every few episodes or so to keep you interested. ;) It can also get quite violent though, since the Contractors are coldblooded killers. The animation is also pretty good so screencaps of the action sequences would do them no justice.^_^

The main group of characters in this show work for a mysterious organisation called "The Syndicate" and are REALLY cool.xD Haha. I love the lead character, Hei!!! [He's also known as Li, the Black Reaper, and various other pseudonyms.] He is VERY cool and rather goodlooking.=D


The Black Reaper. [I LOVE the black coat.xD]


A very interesting character called Yin whom I am dying to find out more about. She's also very attractive.=D And I love her gothic-style clothing!


Two members of the syndicate. [And my goodlooking Hei! ^_^ He looks pretty good most of the time.=D]

I am looking forward to seeing the development of this series. So far, it's been quite exciting and the animation quality is pretty good.=) It also has this cool factor that I adore and the anime has this dark quality to it as well. Somehow, I am more attracted to these storylines than typical shoujo ones because shoujo tend to get predictable after a while.=)

Ahh. Anime. I need an anime fix now!!! X__x I think I watch anime too fast. If only drama serials were more exciting, somehow love stories just don't have the same kind of kick.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Dragostea Din Tei O-Zone + Tsukiakari Rie Fu (Darker Than Black OST)]
[mood : ^_^]
[food : hmm. Something sweet?]

pixiezdust: Try this again:
Happiness Factory (link)! If it still doesn't work, you can watch it on Youtube.=D This is the high-res version though..

Jiamin: Hyun Bin was in my FIRST midweek men entry!!! *glares* I stated that in the introduction to the second episode!!! -_____-" I don't think John is that cute, he's a bit too.. You know. Muscular. I like the plumber better. What's his name again? O.o And I didn't watch Goong remember, so I can't quite understand Kim Jeong Hoon's goodlookingness.

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

A Baking Day: Millefeuille and Meringue

Hello

Today I baked for my early Mother's Day Gift! [My brother's contribution was urm. Transport. And according to him "moral support by not getting in your way".-___-"]

So I decided to try my hand at making my mom a Millefeuille: The Home-Baker Version.^_^" I say homebaker version because there is no way in the near future I can anything as gorgeously YUMMY as Pierre Herme's little minions. Sigh.

So I shall bring you through the small guide to a Millefeuille!

A millefeuille literally means "thousand leaves", referring to the numerous layers of puff pastry and pastry cream used in its construction. It's an intricate and absolutely to-die-for pastry that one HAS to try at least ONCE. =D


Puff Pastry!!! =D Okay, so I cheated. I bought the ready-made puff pastry and cut it out myself.=X Ahem. Puff Pastry is very difficult to make from scratch in our horrendously tropical weather! *defensive*


Pastry Cream! =D I made the recipe from the book "Paris Sweets". ^_^ It is LUSCIOUS. And fattening. But pretty good if I do say so myself. Haha. It was also a horror to make from scratch. X__x My maid and I were completely panicking because it became custardy over the stove [I thought I had failed by not getting a luscious, smooth product]. But my fears were assuaged by the addition of butter.=D Oh gorgeous dairy products!

So yes, as you can tell, one has to layer the puff pastry and pastry cream! ^_^ And thus my amateurish efforts:


In the process of layering [it sounds more professional when you say layering when one is kind of stacking it together. Haha.=X]. ^_^" You kind of blob the pastry cream on then attempt to spread it prettily on the puff pastry.

Needless to say, I am not blessed in the "good plating" department.=X


But do you not agree that it looks edible anyway? =D

So after clumsily layering the Home-Baker Version Millefeuille plus decoration and plating, I ended up with this!


The berries were shockingly expensive but very good. Haha.=X

Points to Note for next time:
- Use better milk for the pastry cream [I bought the cheapest which my brother AND father both declared dubious. Which is really saying something.]
- Hunt down cheap(er) Vanilla pods! [I couldn't bear to spend so much money on vanilla pods and returned to my darling vanilla extract instead. =X]
- Buy ALL-BUTTER PUFF PASTRY! Never again will I trust this.. this.. VEGETARIAN puff pastry.-_-"
- Alternatively, find time, patience and skill to make puff pastry from scratch!
- Try different toppings/fillings for the millefeuille!

And then because I had so much egg white left over [do not ask. X__x], the first thing I came up with to make was meringues.

I have been DYING to make meringues since forever even though I don't like meringues [I think they are too sweet] because I have been absolutely dying to try getting my egg whites to achieve stiff peaks successfully!

And today, I succeeded! =D


I love looking at whipped egg whites.=D It looks like this huge fluffy and soft cloud.

And I get very pleased when it reaches that stage and doesn't collapse. ^_^ I'm rather strange I know.


I added a little something to the meringues to make them less boring! =D

Apparently, there are 2 methods to make meringues.
1) High heat, fast baking will get you crispy and almost hollow meringues.
2) Lower heat, slow baking will get you crispy outsides, chewy and soft insides [like a pavlova].


Mm.


The insides! =D I added chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Which helped a LOT with the sweetness of the meringues. They had soft, chewy insides and relatively crisp exteriors. It reminded me a lot of cotton candy! =D

I had already reduced the sugar and yet it was extremely sweet. X__x And to think people sandwich ice-cream between merigues?! Still, I have to say that I very much enjoyed the texture of the meringues and if I were to make these again,
1) I'd make a smaller batch.
2) I'd reduce the sugar further.
3) I'd add cocoa powder to give the meringue itself more taste
4) I'd attempt a pavlova!
5) I will find many many people who actually like meringues to be my guinea pigs.^_^

And then I watched Gackt's Jougen no Tsuki concert while baking! =D And I discovered a slightly easier way to screencap. ;)


The dramatic singing.


The dramatic lighting.


The dramatic exit.

xD

And I wanted to post this the other day but I forgot.


Japan had an ice-cream day! =D Haagen Dasz/Dazs set up this event where guests reclined on beds, ate ice-cream and watched a concert!

And I have been DYING to share this REALLY cute Coca-Cola advertisement: Happiness Factory.=D It is ADORABLE! And I really really really like the music they used.


The whole ad is 1.5 minutes long and you can watch it here:
Happiness Factory (link). I strongly encourage you to watch it! =D I think it's a very cute and catchy concept but I wonder how they adapted it for TV where they usually play 15/30-second commercials?

Anyway, I've been watching the winter/spring 2007 anime.^_^ I like actually being up to date on the anime scene, it's easier to get fansubs. Haha.=X

Lovely Complex
- Short boy meets tall girl. Set in school, this manga-turned-anime has a predictable storyline but is pretty funny. ^_^ And absolutely for shoujo manga fans.
- Only 1 episode so far.

Kekkaishi
- Demons, exorcists, magic and a male and female protaganist who have to protect their city, school, families, etc and yet carry on with their ordinary lives while hiding their special ghost-busting abilities! Pretty primary-school-ish in terms of the storyline but interesting nonetheless. I love these fantasy animes with fighting themes.^_^ Brilliant brainless watching.
- 18 episodes so far and I'm not bored! That's a good sign.=D I can't wait to see what happens next.

Darker than Black
- A Japanese anime version of Heroes which appears pretty interesting. Plus, although I had initial misgivings about the drawings [not very pretty], the title is far too interesting to pass up!
- 0 episodes so far, I'm going to watch it after posting this.^_^ [edit: it started off REALLY interesting.xD Haha. This looks like something good!]

Red Garden
- Set in New York, this murder mystery anime is resolved within 22 episodes so it's short and sweet. It also involves female protaganists! =D A good thing in my book.
- 0 episodes so far, I'm still getting the fansubs.^_^"

All this on top of Code Geass [on hold], NANA [very slow] and Kyou Kara Maou [even slower]. ^_^

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Orenji no Taiyou Gackt & Hyde]
[mood : tired]
[food : JAPANESE FOOD. (T_T)]

Jiamin: Haiyos. I have NO IMAGES OF KEITA. Send me! =D And I don't really have images of Nobu either. Haha.=X And I think Shin is cuter than Nobu. Though Nobu is cute too. Oh. And I think Ren is cool as well. Yasu is cool too! X__x And I like Suzaku too!!! But he's too irritatingly idealistic. At least Lelouch is brilliant though stubborn and occasionally over confident. As for Shou and Nao, I'm saving them for another episode of Midweek Men. ;)

Joyce: I don't actually think Kim Jeong Hoon is that goodlooking. AHEM. No offence! And YOU TWO! Omy. I can't feature THAT many people in one post. Hahaha. Save them for another time!!!

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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

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