visions of clarity...do as infinity

Saturday, December 04, 2010

JLPT

Hello

Here I sit, with 3 other accompanying laptops, in a Chicago hotel room studying for the impending JLPT exam (which is tomorrow... hence impending).

Lincoln Park is such a nice area of Chicago! Way nicer than downtown Chicago if you ask me... Obviously rich people live here. And thanks to the magic of the internet *ahempricelineahem*, we too can experience these riches! (albeit shared amongst a larger number of people than the hotel expected)

But anyway, in reviewing my grammar notes for the JLPT again, I have discovered very convenient grammar phrases that I can use in my everyday speech! So in an attempt to study and ahem practice, I will share these useful phrases that you too can adopt.

何か言いかけてやめるのはダメ！
- Starting to say something then stopping halfway is not allowed!

こんなにたくさん食べきれました。。。ヤベー
- I've completely demolished this much food... Damn.

今度こそ試験がパスしたい。
- I really want to pass this exam this time around. (This doesn't imply that you've never passed though, just that you really want to pass this particular exam...)

ドラマを見る時、予想に反した結果が出てしまったんだ...
- The drama had an ending that went against all my expectations...

いつも朝寝坊のBさんは、今学期にわたって授業を休んだ。
- B took a break from classes the entire semester due to him oversleeping all the time.

彼は私たちの心配もかまわず、勝手なことばかりする。
- He always does selfish things, not caring about us worrying over him -_-"

And so on. My battery is running out (such is the fate of running so many computers based on one plug X__x)... So.

Toodles!~ The next time I blog, I hope I'll have done well at this JLPT thing ._.

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : What Else Is There Royksopp]
[mood : study study study]
[food : KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN xD]

Labels: Chicago Illinois, Japanese Lessons

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Yao Xu's Birthday Week: Chicago

Hello

So I'm finally getting round to posting these photos.. ^_^" Heh. But anyway, Yao Xu's visit here was one of the highlights of the semester because we went to ... Chicago!!!

It was super fun and we ate yummy~ food! ^_^

One of the things I love in Chicago: The Bean! at Millennium Park.=) It's really pretty, reflects all the cityscape around it, and lends itself brilliantly to our favorite pasttime: 自拍！

How to take photos with the Bean
1) Pose in front of it
2) Turn around and beam at your own reflection
3) Lean against it and take doubles of yourself
4) Many many more..

Along the Magnificent Mile, the characters from a famous American Gothic work of art have been represented as statues!

YX's Birthday Dinner!!

I hadn't eaten such food in such a place in quite a while, so even if it was really for YX's birthday, I was pretty pleased with everything too! =P

My scallop appetizer: Sea Scallops seared and served with beurre blanc with leeks and onions, topped with hibikko~
SO good.=D =D =D

My confit entree: Confit de Canard [and magret] served with a rosti like potato cake, and with cherry sauce.
Mmm. =D

The desserts we shared!

Profiteroles filled with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and topped with Warm Chocolate Sauce
The profiteroles themselves were disappointing as the choux was totally overbaked.=( But the ice cream was nice. Haha.

Thankfully, we ordered a 2nd dessert!

Chocolate Fondant served with Strawberries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
SO GOOD.... Not as amazingly amazing as the one at Nobu but this was delicious!!!

We shopped 2 days in a row [didn't buy much though.=( And the tax there is higher! =(], ate a lot everyday, and had a great time!!!

At Cheesecake Factory:

My shrimp pasta entree~ It was better than I expected. Haha.

And of course, how can you not eat cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory?

The 30th Anniversary special Cheesecake: Layers of fudge chocolate cake with layers of cheesecake - much more delicious and chocolatey than expected!! ^_^ Yummy~

YX's Strawberry Cheesecake: The best one actually!!! Haha.. I realized that if you just eat the cheesecake alone, it's absolutely much better than what I've had before - the strawberries are a nice complement but really, I just liked the original taste of the cheesecake.

All this cheesecake wants me to make my own Japanese cheesecake, and go back to Singapore to get more Japanese cheesecake, after which I want to buy cheesecake again in JAPAN! =P

Ahh Chicago. It was a really fun weekend.=) But!! We did more rubbish throughout the week.. Didn't take photos of everything but we went for the UMMA opening, went to eat at Matsu-chan ramen [I have photos of that of course! =P], and went for the Maple Syrup Festival in Mason, Michigan [a few photos..]!!! ^_^

I totally need to explore and go see more of the Midwest before I leave...^_^

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : DAYBREAK'S BELL L'arc en Ciel]
[mood : Galileo Galileo~]
[food : Mama Instant Noodles!]

Jiamin: Dirty laundry? It's entertainment!! Haha. And it makes me shudder everytime I watch that video.=P Mickey is hideous. Sorry Wendy. =X

Labels: Ann Arbor, Chicago Illinois, edibles, umich

Friday, March 20, 2009

Antique Bakery

Hello

Now in Chicago in our hotel room!! ^_^

Finished watching the Antique Bakery movie with YX and it was thoroughly enjoyable! ^_^ At first I thought it was in Japanese so when Korean words started appearing on screen I was rather confused… But in the end, I kind of liked the way they did it and the actors they picked fit the roles really well. =)

Arrived in Chicago at night and went to eat deep-dish pizza! ^_^ Jeldine and I shared driving responsibilities so she fell asleep pretty quickly.. YX and I got started on Antique Bakery.. Haha.. =D I really must thank Wendaye for her supreme talent at recommending goodstuff as usual.

Anyway, Antique Bakery is rather inane and fluffy but that’s not to say I didn’t like it. Sometimes watching serious stuff everyday just takes away the real feelings of happiness and enjoyment from watching shows like this! It doesn’t take itself seriously, the guys are good looking [o yes they are!], the pastries look gorgeous [and totally ready to be eaten], and of course, the story is tight, directing is pretty good, and the on-screen chemistry amongst the actors works very well. I’d seen the anime before [Antique Bakery was adapted from the Japanese manga of the same title], so I pretty much knew the whole story. But even knowing the plot, and knowing exactly what’s going on, I still enjoyed the fact that they took out less important bits, kept the whole story tight, and most of all that they managed to interpret the movie in such a fun and light-hearted way.

Unlike Korean dramas that can drag on forever, with the female-lead sobbing every other scene, Korean movies tend to far much better on my scales because with only about 2 hours or so to finish a story, they tend to be much faster-paced and well-made. Antique Bakery has a very enjoyable atmosphere to it, with just a few lead characters [all male. Yay!] to develop so it does it very nicely. It’s also a bit silly with song and dance sequences that add on to the very fun and a little crazy atmosphere they have going on in the movie – something that is utilized well and that makes the movie so very good.

The plot itself is nothing to scream about, rather it’s the process of the film that makes you like it more. I’m usually scathing in my comments with regards to films with zero plot and bad acting. However, with the raburabu Japanese cuteness transforming into raburabu Korean cuteness, coupled with the actors’ abilities to really design their characters to be very real, Antique Bakery manages to capture your attention and lock you to the screen. It’s very compelling when you see a cast who can draw you into the film. Also, I didn’t expect all that much from the movie, so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it even more.=)

I’m sure that there are people who won’t like it and will probably tell me that I have horrendous taste in movies, but to me at this point, it was something I enjoyed very much and it helped me not think about anything else for a while.=) Even Hana Yori Dango couldn’t do that. Maybe this world needs more silly light-hearted shows like Antique Bakery – and the world will be a much happier place!

Cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Jeldine’s driving “playlist” =D]
[mood : super. sleepy.]
[food : Chicago Deep Dish!]

Labels: Antique Bakery, Chicago Illinois, edibles, movie review

Sunday, May 18, 2008

A Recap of Spring so far...

Hello

Since I have been so tardy at posting, I shall do all of the things I've been doing in one fell swoop! ^_^ With the help of my beloved Picasa and laziness, here's a little recap of what I've been doing...

A trip to FRANKENMUTH, Michigan!

We went to Frankenmuth for lunch while continuing to shop at Birch Run!! ^_^ The town is absolutely GORGEOUS in Spring and full of retirees, so you basically have the whole place to yourself.=)

A trip to CHICAGO, Illinois!

We went to Millennium Park, The Art Institute of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, the Millennium Mile, Navy Pier, the park with Buckingham Fountain... Chicago is beautiful!!! ^_^ You can see more photos on my Facebook.=)

A trip to HOLLAND, Michigan!

Visiting Rachel and going for the annual Tulip Festival has been one of the best weekends ever!! ^_^ We went crazy over tulips, crazy over funfair food [it's so bad but SO good!] and basically had a ton of fun!

We even went to the beach by Lake Michigan.=) It was so beautiful and I was totally awe-inspired by how gorgeous it was in the sunset. [The sun sets at around 8.30-9pm?] There are some good parts about being in a more remote location like Michigan, you're near these beautiful lakes.^_^

All these are selected images. There are tons more on Facebook!

Of course, we haven't just been travelling and having fun.. We've been cooking and eating a lot too!!!

Clockwise from top left: Banana Pan Cake with homemade strawberry sauce, Orange-soy-honey pork ribs, Shrimp Dong Fen, Custard Puffs, Lemon-Garlic-Butter Shrimp, Linguini with tomato sauce, Lapcheong mushroom rice, Steamed Fish Tofu with minced pork topping, homemade wantons.

And this isn't all of it.=P You can see more photos on my Facebook! ^_^

And there's been so many beautiful spring days with gorgeous flowers and whatnot that I haven't been able to resist whipping my camera out at every opportune moment.=)

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous spring flowers!!! ^_^ The weather has been glorious as well, sunny skies and windy days.=) We've had our fair share of rain as well, and the strong winds of Michigan have made my umbrella totally useless.=( I have to comfort myself with the thought that with more rain, come more flowers and fruit! ^_^

Alright. I have an exam coming up. I must study!! *flees* We had laksa for dinner this evening.=) Yummy!

cheers
*[-witchstone-]*

[music : Konayuki Remioromen]
[mood : worried]
[food : homemade wantons!!!]

Labels: Ann Arbor, Bradford House, Chicago Illinois, edibles, flora, Frankenmuth, Holland Michigan, Michigan

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