Monday, November 30, 2009
Cyber Monday!
Hello
The shopping never ends does it.xP Retailers keep coming up with new "days" and specials that just lure and tempt online shoppers into parting with money in order to contribute to the economy of the world. Either that, or they are lured into stores to part with their money in immediate exchange for goods.
Obviously, I'm not exception seeing as I am weak when it comes to good deals.=P I was rather pleased with myself however, when I managed to resist Cyber Monday. Haha. I did put items in the shopping cart, but thinking twice about it, removed myself completely from the sites since I've already contributed duly to the economy through Black Friday shopping.
Prudence, of course, was not the only thing that deterred me... Work too called far too strongly (as did sleepiness) and so I forgo-ed shopping for work. Haha. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be anyway.
But taking this research methods in Psychology class is making me react severely toward research because I have a strong dislike for it.xP I just find data collection and preparation of material and finding research topics far too troublesome to be worth anything. The Japanese have a good phrase for it "面倒くさい！" xP It's just me of course, since I do know people who adore research.
Going back to reading Japanese literature (translated for sure), and doing Japanese homework is so much more relaxing for my brain.-_-" I guess that settles it, anything with science in it (or math) is definitely unsuitable for my poor humanities-focused brain.xP I wonder if this is telling of anything...?
Randomly, I cannot wait for Gackt's new releases!!! YATTA.=D Alice Nine's new release (DVD - Untitled Vandalism Finale Graced The Beautiful Day) was so good.xD
I cannot wait for winter break to make its way here. I can watch my anime! And dramas! And variety shows! And DVDs! xD xD xD This semester is really killing me, and I don't think next semester will be any better. ;_;
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : 遠雷 Do as Infinity + Missing Gackt]
[mood : tired.. -_-]
[food : Choco & Coffee Biscuits from Bourbon!]
PS: My brain is kinda fried so no Chinese/Japanese entry today...=XLabels: alice nine, asian studies, Gackt, psychology, shopping, umich
Monday, June 29, 2009
よく食べた～
こんばんは～
週末にすごくおいしい食べ物を食べた～ うれしかったな！でも、食べ物のせいで今貧乏な学生になった．．．（Ｔ＿Ｔ） （でも学生はいつも貧乏な．．．） そして、無料で、Ｙｏｕｔｕｂｅでガクトの新しい曲を聴いていて、宿題をして、音楽を聴くほどうれしい事はないと思う！＾＿＾ｖ 本当にいい歌なぁ～
金曜日に、三人一緒にカラオケに行った！～すごく楽しかったよ。でも三時間で歌に続けて．．．後で疲れちゃったんだ．．．しかし！カラオケ後、他の友達に会って、京都駅にあるレストランに食べに行った。ちょっと高いけど、すごくおいしかったんだ！びっくりしたな．．．京都駅でも、おいしい店もある？！じゃ、その本店の食べ物は考えられないようにおいしい？！Ｘ＿＿Ｘ 幸せな～と思って、湯豆腐や焼き魚を食べた。その店の漬物は最高だ！赤御飯と一緒に食べた、本当にチョ～おいしい！＾＿＾！後に、皆酒を飲んだり、遊び場で話したりした。でも、最後のバスを乗らなくちゃならないから、早く帰った。
そして、土曜日に、大阪に行ったんだ！大阪ではね、あまり有名な場所に行かなくて、買い物や食べ物のために行った。大阪の心斎橋（買い物のいい所）は本当に大きい！！びっくりした．．．昼御飯は有名な道頓堀の「かに道楽」に行って、すごくおいしい蟹を食べた。特に、茶碗蒸しとかに釜飯は一番最高だ！（焼き蟹もおいしかったね。）昼御飯の方が安いから昼御飯の時間に行った．．．後で、心斎橋に行って、何時間歩いていて、まだ道の終わりを見えないんだ！大阪の買い物場所は東京に比べて、負けないよ～（でも、確かに東京はそういう風な場所が色々あるかな～）様々な店に行って、たくさん服を買った！～うれしい！！！そして、シュークリームやクレープを食べた。おいしかったよ～でも、買い物をしたり、お菓子を食べたりする後、もちろん晩ご飯を食べたね。チェーン店の「千房」というお好み焼の店に行った。ここで、セットメニューがあるから、チョ～安い！「とん平焼」と「焼きそば」と「お好み焼」そして「サラダ」があるセットを注文して、おいしかった！でも、いっぱい食べたから、たこ焼きを食べなかった．．．残念ね。（しかし、京都のたこ焼きもおいしいよ～負けないよ～）
あ～週末、おいしいものを食べ過ぎちゃった！～今、お金がないね。（Ｔ＿Ｔ） 今日から、今週に、安いものを食べるつもり！～
では、ガクトの歌を聞いて続いてね～
*-[5 days to Gackt's Birthday!!!~]-*
Omg. Super long post in Japanese. Must have become easier to think and type in Japanese after writing that stupid 1500 word report. X__X [Though I can't vouch for my grammar which is still shaky... But I'm trying to incorporate those terribly useful phrases from the textbook!~] Now as Gackt's music plays on loop via Youtube, I have become regretful of my spending over the weekend on food(!) and clothes(!) so this week shall become one of penance as I attempt to rectify the weekend's expenditure overload. ^_^"
I think that every cent spent was worth it though - the food was so good!!! xD And if you really look at what you get for the price you're paying, it was very good value for money.^_^
Friday, we went for karaoke! and then went for this expensive Japanese meal at Kyoto Station - finally managed to eat 湯豆腐 (yudoufu) which I've been dying to try since coming to Kyoto [Kyoto is famous for 2 things especially: tofu and vegetables]. =D It was super delicious!!~ But then again, so was the rest of the meal. And the 漬物 (tsukemono, pickles) was indeed 「最高！～」 as Jeldine so succinctly put it. Haha. I am totally buying all these fabulous 漬物 before going back to Singapore.. You'll never get to try those superbly delicious pickles again I can assure you! =D
And on Saturday, we headed for Osaka - what I have come to view as the equivalent of Orchard Road [but LOTS better] for Kyoto-ites! Haha. =D It's a ridiculously short 28 minute JR train [by the Super Rapid Service, otherwise it's about 45-60minutes depending on the train] ride away and is so filled with good food and good shopping it makes Kyoto seem like a quiet town. [I still think living in Kyoto is more conducive though.. Haha..] We went to the famous crab restaurant for lunch which has pretty affordable and very yummy lunch sets.=D [We were looking enviously at the table next door which ordered the fabulously expensive seasonal crab set lunch.X__X ヤダ．．．食べたい．．．] I'm not big on crab though, so I was pretty happy with my set which had the most delicious 蟹茶碗蒸し (kani chawanmushi; crab chawanmushi) and 蟹釜飯 (kani kamameshi; Japanese crab claypot rice)! ^_^ They even give you the option of turning the rice into お茶漬け (ochatsuke; rice with toppings over which tea or broth is poured) which I adore!!! =D For dinner [after shopping and eating シュークリーム (choux a la creme) + クレープ (crepe)], we went to this famous お好み焼 place to partake in yet another set menu that was really affordable~ Yummy!!!
お好み焼 tastes great with cheese if you ask me.^_^
I want to try もんじゃ焼き～
And so after a weekend of eating and shopping, it's time to cut down on the spending and start being super frugal! [I'm generally frugal on weekdays anyway - it's hard not to be when the 食堂 (cafeteria) is so affordable.=D] And I have discovered a new fabulous way of eating eggplant [which I generally dislike]: cut a thick slice of it, stuff it with some delicious minced meat mixture, fry it tempura style, and top it off with a thick tempura sauce + negi!!! =D =D =D SO GOOD!
Ok~ Back to listening to Gackt on loop! His new singles and B-sides are FANTASTIC!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Ｏｂｌｉｖｉｏｕｓ～顔のない天使～ Ｇａｃｋｔ]
[mood : ^_^v]
[food : Tempura Eggplant stuffed with meat!~]
Sam: Ahh! You must tell me how was Hokkaido!! I want to go there when the lavender fields are blooming...
ZL: Haha.=D I would like to go for a JE concert too~ Just to see what it's like.=D
XW: It totally was!~
CL: Ehhh! But XY knows some Japanese too. Hahaha.=P She can read hiragana at least.=) And of course it's long, didn't you see who it's dedicated to?!
Jiam: Squeals too!!! ^_^ I saw Keita's new look - it's er... You have to go see it yourself. The images I saw were from w-inds. latest tour. ^_^" I don't think I'll be able to bring him home.(T_T) He's nowhere to be found.Labels: edibles, Japan, Japanese Food, Kyoto, Osaka, shopping
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Dorm Life
Hello
After finishing an exam [Psychology] and a test [Japanese], I finally got down to thinking about my philosophy thesis paper [I want to do it on epistemology]. Then you know how things go... When you think about philosophy and other deep thoughts, your mind trails off somewhere else and I eventually started thinking about dorm life. Or rather, what I've discovered about dorm life.
You know how everyone tells you how fun dorm life is and how you get a ton of freedom and everything? It's true. It really is. For the first time in my life, I've had zero curfew [only my own curfew. And that hardly counts.] and I can spend as much time as I want doing whatever I want [as long as I get my work done so I don't die later]. It's also the first time in my life that I've spent so much time with my friends. I mean, I've basically only spent time apart from them when I go to sleep. Everyone studies together, eats together, go to class with other people and then you still have a roommate to come back to when you return.
All this means that, I've never really been alone since I came here. Which can be a good and bad thing, though I really don't like classifying things in such a way. It's a good thing because it's fulfilled all my "omygosh I want to spend all my time with my friends!" dreams and because you are never really lonely since you always have people around you. And this is a wonderful thing for people who don't like to be alone. On the other hand, it means that I've never really been alone and I don't really have time for myself anymore. I don't have time to pursue what I want to on the internet [like diligently reading food blogs and Gackt news] because I'm always hanging out somewhere else or studying. And you'd think that I could talk to people and read my food blogs but no. This stupid dorm has no wireless internet and even if it does, it sucks beyond all belief.-___-" Hence, I've never really had time to check my email or leisurely read my food blogs [which are gradually moving on beyond me. O NO.] unless I do it late at night or early in the morning.
I've never really appreciated my alonetime so much before. When I was at home, I had a ton of alonetime and I loved it! But it also made me appreciate being with my friends a lot more. Not that I don't appreciate being with my friends now, it's just that I spend so much time with them, I feel like I'm not spending enough time by myself. So today, when I suddenly found myself alone this sunny afternoon, I don't feel lonely at all.
Beyond relationships within the dorm, let's talk about the food. It's generally accepted to be quite horrible and un-nutritious so I'm really dying to move out to cook my own food. But it's the most value for money to eat the 13-meals a week plan which basically covers ALL my meals except breakfast everyday and Saturday dinner. But I don't really eat breakfast anyway so that's not a big deal. And it really helps to cut down on spending on food outside the dorm even if you ARE paying more to eat in the dorm than if you eat out cheaply. It's so sad.. Dorm food gets very depressing and as you slowly run out of things to eat, you try to convince yourself that dieting is a good plan anyway. But choosing not to eat and having nothing to eat are two very different concepts. One gives you a choice in the matter which empowers you [to borrow terms off this stupid Eating Disorders video we watched in Psychology class] and the other leaves you with no choice [except to not eat because it looks so bad]. At this stage, it makes me miss the fabulous canteen food offerings in Singapore but at the same time, I've not felt any homesickness at all.
I wonder if that's a good thing?
Right now I'm trying to plan what to do in Winter 2007/2008 and in Spring 2008 for school. Since I'm going to attempt to apply to the organizational studies course [I hope I get in. If they wish to look at my psychology grades and eventual economics grades closely, I might just as well die.], I don't really have a choice as to what to study next semester because I need to do the pre-requisites anyway. At least I'll be studying Japanese and sociology! Fun! ^_^ Then I have to think of Spring! =) Haha. Maybe I should do Stats then.=P But how about my Asian studies courses?! *torn*
Another fabulous thing I've learnt about myself as I'm getting older [and possibly, just possibly, wiser] is that I can actually work consistently hard. *gasp* I know! Isn't it shocking?! I was thinking about it just now [see how philosophy leads you into deep questions about life? Haha.] and I realised that I've been doing my homework everyday. And if I'm not doing my homework, I'm studying. STUDYING. Like. OMG. And I'm not even studying because I need to study for a test. [Okay, for Japanese, we have a test every week so it doesn't quite count.] I actually read ahead for class, I make notes, I make flashcards [you should see my Japanese flashcards! I'm so proud of them. Haha.=P] and I'm actually prepared everytime I go to class. I never knew I could be this way since in JC, you tend to um. Slack off. And in secondary school well.. No self-discipline necessary. =X Is this a sign of age? (T_T)
The only thing we haven't really done is go out to like Briarwood Mall or do anything beyond going out for dinner on Saturday evenings. Or go grocery shopping. Which is fun but you know. It's not exactly ... what teenage people usually do. That is pretty sad I must say... And I am determined to change it! *nods* We need more of a life. We're in college! And we're freshmen! We shouldn't be doing work all day! I need to go shopping! I haven't yet found a pair of pretty and practical knee-high boots!!! O SADNESS. I did buy a pair of pretty black suede boots at Footprints, a footwear store near East Quad though.=D Yay! And I waterproofed it too so it's totally prepared for winter.xD
KNEE-HIGH BOOTS! KNEE-HIGH BOOTS! KNEE-HIGH BOOTS!
With nothing else to occupy my mind except Japanese, I shall continue chanting this while I do corrections on my Japanese essay. Wee! To improvement we shall go!
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Yuri wa aoku saite alice nine.]
[mood : contemplative]
[food : some variety would be nice..]
Jiamin: How was halloween? =D =D =D
XAC: Hello Miss Chen Xiaoan.=DLabels: Ann Arbor, east quad, Japanese Lessons, misc, shopping, thoughts, umich
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Day Two! [no pictures yet...]
Hello
Just a quick update! =D Firstly to say that stupid horrible T-Mobile has no coverage in Rachel's house. So to my parents, please don't call me. Unless I'm not in her house... And that's when T-Mobile works again. Beams.
We went shopping today!!! First we had a yummy breakfast with omelettes!!! Then we did a bit of homework before taking full advantage of the FABULOUS sale at Old Navy. =D =D =D Omygosh. They had stuff costing like $3!!! O___o!!! Of course, as usual, I'm picky and everything so I paid more than other people but I got 2 cute bags!!! xD Beams!
Tomorrow we're going apple-picking!!! The weather's been cold but rather glorious so all is good.=) Beams! And we're going to make applesauce... Homemade applesauce!!! O HEARTS! And I might make apple crumble... Rachel's sister made apple crisp today that was good! And they have the coolest apple peeler-cum-slicer EVER. Omygosh. I so want one!!!
And her mom made Pot Roast with pork for dinner. YUM. So good. And the mushrooms and onions and carrots were so sweet and delicious! And and and! Mashed potatoes!!! =D =D =D And applesauce too.
Hmm. Anyway, we're all studying now so I won't be posting pictures but maybe I'll have more energy to post tomorrow.^_^ Descartes is a completely retarded philosopher. I cannot believe that he died from waking up early. AHAHA. xD
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : Studio Ghibli favourites]
[mood : tired]
[food : POT ROAST!]
Jiamin: I'm going to learn driving from Rachel soon.=D Haha. And I'll post the photos of the backyard tomorrow. So gorgeous!Labels: Holland Michigan, misc, shopping
Monday, October 01, 2007
A New Template!!! And Birch Run!
HELLO ALL
WEE! I finally changed the template!!! Yay me.=D Image and background by myself made with brushes on photoshop.=) And all modifications by me again! I'm too lazy to actually redo the ENTIRE thing but ... hey. This is good enough right. I rather like this template except for the whole disabled-copying thing. -___-"
Anyway. Last week, Guo Lu and I were treated to a homemade Laksa meal by John!!! =D =D =D Thank you!!! The Prima Taste Laksa paste is actually not too bad.. though it's still a little spicy for me.xP
Our happy bowls!
On Saturday we went to Birch Run for a shopping spree and then finished at Frankenmuth for dinner.^_^ I've been to both places before previously but this time I really got a heck-load of shopping done. MWAHAHA.
Right now, my laundry basket is overflowing. And that's just all the new clothes I bought.=D =D =D
I didn't take photos while shopping.. Obviously. Who takes photos when shopping? O__o But I think I spent the most money at places like Old Navy, Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters.=D BEAMS! I have a full wardrobe now!! MWAHAHA! And tons of absolutely gorgeously yummilicious Pepperidge Farm products!!! And I'm still planning to shop over Black Friday. ^_^ And when we go to Rachel's house!!! Yippee!
Us at Frankenmuth before we went to the Bavarian Inn to have dinner!
The Bavarian Inn! It's German style, just like all the other places in Frankenmuth.^_^ Cute but a little too touristy.
Xiaowei and I in the Bavarian Inn while we were waiting for a table! ^_^ There were like, 20 of us in the whole group so they were preparing long tables for us.=)
What Frankenmuth is famous for: Fried Chicken Dinners! I was dying of hunger so I ate the 3-piece dark meat chicken plate. Which cost as much as a 2-piece white meat chicken plate. Thank goodness I love dark meat.. It helps me save money too.=D =D =D Haha.
So yes! Thanks to John Yap for being so kind and driving us to Birch Run. Thanks to him and Jeremy for letting us see their house up in North Campus at The Highlands! Their house is.. GORGEOUS. And makes me want to move out immediately. (T_T) Also, thanks to the seniors for organising this for us freshmen and driving us there! And bringing us to Frankenmuth! ^_^ We treated them to dinner to show appreciation. Hehe.
Beams. And on top of it all, I got that CD from Jiamin. And the note from Vivienne and Chong.=D =D =D Beams! Now all I have to do is properly study for Psychology and Japanese and I'll be all set. I'm even enjoying Plato's Symposium. It's really nice to read.^_^
At the moment, I'm looking forward to going to Rachel's house and finally having the chance to cook and bake.^_^ Oh. And it'll also mean no more exams till next month! Yippee!
Unfortunately, the weather doesn't share my semi-good mood because it's been pouring ALL DAY and it's cold!!! The sadness that is my life. And I am now convinced that having classes all in East Quad could be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I NEED TO GET A PROPER WINDBREAKER/RAINCOAT.
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : heisei jyuushichinen shichigatsu nanoka alice nine.]
[mood : stressed]
[food : PROPERLY COOKED VEGETABLES]
cch: I'm buying stamps off Kevin first.=D Still have to go there though. Thankies. And no problem about the shirt.
Mom: A lot. Hahaha. A lot of tops, and some bottoms. And mostly clothes suitable for layering or other multipurpose functions.=D
Fel: I have a ton of cookbooks in Singapore! *sobs* Don't remind me of my poor cookbookless state. I have quite a few though. I think they are listed on my food blog.=)Labels: Birch Run, edibles, Frankenmuth, misc, Prima Taste, shopping, template
Friday, June 29, 2007
Back from Shanghai!
Hello!
We came back from Shanghai on Wednesday but since I've been trying to catch up on Gackt & alice nine. news, I didn't update. Plus I've been watching anime madly.xD Oh! And I also met some people who'll be going to Umich with me.^_^
Because my camera generally doesn't have people in it... I'll have to wait to get Calissa's photos.=P Hehe. But! I can post images of Shanghai! And it's food!!! xD Haha.
On our first day, we arrived around 4pm and because we had to clear immigration and all that nonsense, we couldn't really do anything. So my uncle brought us to 小南国 for dinner!
The place is huge. This is just ONE section of one floor. And there are six stories in that building!!! And the whole place was PACKED. It's crazy! Coupled with a few sittings a night, that place does very well!
And no wonder.=D The food was GREAT. I'll save more photos for the food blog but! I shall post some food photos throughout this post.^_^
^_^ This was yummy! It's a kind of river prawn that's available all year round in this region of China. It's lightly stir-fried and should be eaten with vinegar. Absolutely yummy! It's different from deep-sea prawns but not in a bad way.
That night, we urmmm tested my uncle's karaoke machine. *coughs* Then we watched Perfume: Story of a Murderer. It is a BRILLIANT movie! And it really stuck to the book!!! xD Loads of artistic nudity [hence the R21 rating] and really bizarre scenes just like the book. It was a really good movie though. We enjoyed it very very much.
So with very little sleep, the next day, we went to this HUGE building filled with shops that specialise in tailor-making clothes. It's 3 floors of tailors and seamstresses making anything from suits to Chinese silk dresses and so on.^_^ It was a little mindbloggling really. And I made a jacket. That was a horror.X__x One reason I'm not terribly fond of looking for cheap deals to make clothes.xP
To recover, we headed for retail therapy at 淮海路 [Huaihai Road].^_^ There are tons of departmental stores there and a huge H&M! ^_^ Now THAT was brilliant stuff. Haha. We did shop quite a bit though I think that if we had gone to 南京步行街 [it's a pedestrian road at Nanjing Road], there'd have been even MORE stuff.X__x And everything was pretty cheap! Which was even better. Haha.
After that, we headed for 新天地 [Xintiandi] which is a popular night spot for expats, full of restaurants and bars.^_^
Hehe. We went to 鼎泰峰 [din tai fung]!!! ^_^ I know I know. We have it in Singapore. But REALLY. You cannot even begin to COMPARE the one in Shanghai to the one we have here. *_*!!! We had to queue for about 20 minutes before getting in.=P It was really worth it though.=D =D =D
小笼包 [xiao long bao]!!!!!!!!! *squeals* It was amazing!!! The skin was SO thin yet it never broke and held in the soup and gorgeous filling very well.=D Brenda claims the branch at 浦东 [Pudong, on the opposite side of the river] is even better. But seriously. This xiaolongbao was amazingly good.xD xD xD The skin impressed us the most though.^_^
We also had other stuff of course.^_^ It was all good!! Beams.
After a hard day of shopping, we headed to Dragonfly for a foot massage.xD xD xD That was fabulous. My feet were floating for the rest of the night.xD xD xD And the pain was all gone the next day!!! *_*!
As we were walking out the next morning to grab a cab [the cabs there are SO CHEAP. Seriously. After you divide the fare amongst us, it costs as much as a bus ride here.], we saw this!
A heavenly rose!!! Ahaha. Okay. Just kidding. My camera lens had fogged up but ... it created quite a nice effect right? ^_^"
We headed for 豫园 [Yuyuan], which has this famous "house" so to speak where this organisation was based during the revolution. Or something like that. It's got beautiful gardens and outside, there are a ton of shops selling souvenirs, random gifts and lots and lots of food.
This is the famous "curvy" bridge, so built because ghosts can't fly in a zig-zag pattern. They can only fly straight! Haha. So every path in the place is curved.xD Somehow, thinking that ghosts can only fly straight is quite hilarious..
The beautiful gardens inside! ^_^ You have to pay 40 RMB to enter the place to see the famous buildings, trees and rocks. *coughs*
We had lunch here at 南翔馒头店 [Nanxiang Bun (?) shop] which is famous for xiaolongbao. ^_^ It was SO crowded. *faints* We waited a little more than half an hour for a table I think? I can't quite remember.X__x
We didn't think much of the xiaolongbao which had REALLY thick skin and kept breaking [though the filling for the crab and pork one was actually pretty good] but we all loved the 蟹黄灌汤包 [Crab roe soup dumpling]. You drink out of it with a straw and it's pretty hot but cools down quite quickly.=) The soup was SO flavourful and the dumpling [when we pried it open] was filled with crab meat! ^_^ Yummy!! I don't normally like crab but crab soup is fabulous stuff.xD
We wandered around more after that before taking a cab down to the 上海博物馆!
It's filled with lots of information about Chinese culture and we visited only a few exhibits because it was closing. We went to the Chinese calligraphy, Chinese seals, Chinese jade and Chinese minority exhibits.^_^ Very very informative, especially when the information is available in both English and Mandarin.xD Hehe.
One example of the gorgeous calligraphy on display! ^_^
Raffles City Shanghai! In China, it's called 来福士广场.^_^ Quite a nice place with TONS of shops but we visited quickly before zooming off to 上海书城 which is on Fuzhou Lu and is a HUGE building with like, 7 stories FILLED with books.*_*! Most of it is in Chinese though. I was quite tempted to buy some books but ... HMM. Didn't know which ones I could read so I didn't buy any.xD Hehe.
The view from The Bund! It's referred to as 上海滩 outside of China usually, but in China, they call it 外滩.^_^ I have no idea why but that's just how it is.=P
That's Pudong and on the Puxi side,
You see this! ^_^ The grand buildings with European influences now house banks and famous landmarks like the Peace Hotel or 和平饭店.
As we were walking down The Bund, we saw this for sale! It was called 冰糖葫芦 [Sugar Hu Lu] but I think it's a variant because they used plums.xD Haha. It was really yummy though! ^_^ And for only 2RMB, an extremely cheap snack.=)
The Bund is most beautiful when it's lit up at night.=) Hooray!
Because we were curious and just wanted to peek at Pudong, we took the Tourist Tunnel which has an EXTREMELY cheesy lights show while you travel over to Pudong from Puxi. This is the little pod you take to cross over.-_-" It was quite painful but *coughs* we took it anyway. And on a return journey too.X__x
Remember I mentioned we ate at Dintaifung twice? This was the second time. Haha.xP We ordered this 烧卖 [shao mai] which had prawns with the pork filling. The skin was too thick though.X__x
After that, we went for the River Cruise! ^_^
A view of Puxi from the boat.=) It's pretty nice when you are passing the areas which are lit up. But once you pass those, it gets pretty boring [and dark] so we just sat in the airconditioned room and chatted.=P Haha.
That night, we went for a shampoo + massage at a hair salon.=D Their hair salons open till REALLY late!!! Then because I got a salon blow-dry, my hair was at its nicest since... well. My haircut. Ahaha.=P
^_^ There was ONE stubborn bit though, that refused to cooperate. Haha. We had a nice time chatting with the people there and telling them about Singapore though.^_^
The next day, we went to 七浦 to shop. Now THAT was a horror. The touts there followed us around for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. OhmyGOD I was SO irritated. Even after we went into KFC to attempt to escape, he planted himself near us and announced really loudly that he'd SIT THERE AND WAIT FOR US. Like what the hell?!?!?!?!?! -______-" That almost killed my shopping mood but we FINALLY managed to shake them off and headed to another building. Thank goodness for that. After negotiating the crowds, the crazy amounts of goods and the prices, we spotted interesting snacks! xD
This is just one of them.=D Some shaved ice thingie that everyone was eating? You put in the toppings yourself. It looked horribly dubious though.O__o I refused to try it but my friends told me it had absolutely no taste at all so I didn't miss out on anything.=D Good thing too. Haha.
After that we went to collect my jacket [or rather, do a fitting since the idiots forgot about my jacket and were hurriedly making it..-_-"] and then went back to Xintiandi to look around in the daytime.=) It's really nice and there are tons of upmarket shopping centers around that area.^_^
Oh. And we ate at Crystal Jade, ordering a whole TON of food.=D And omygosh! China has no service charge or tax so the meals are really cheap.=D =D =D We ate SO much at Crystal Jade and only paid about S$20 a person. Brilliant stuff!!! Haha.
After that, we went to this shop near my uncle's house to buy DVDs then we went to this Hong Kong style cafe where we ate a few desserts.=D This was my favourite!!! It was ordered because of it's really weird name: 糖不甩 which literally means you can't get rid of the sugar.xD Hehe. It's a mochi soaked in sugar syrup then covered with a peanut-sesame-sugar mixture. VERY YUMMY. Seriously. xD They had really bizarre names for the desserts and we ordered another weirdly named one.xD Haha.
After that, we headed back to pack.O__o There are too many embarrassing candid shots of me to count.X__x *stabs friends*
In the morning, we went to the wet market to see what it's like. Hmm. How about.. It's dubious at best? =X There were HUGE amounts of EVERYTHING though. The mountain of eggs was quite scary. Haha.
For your information, they told us that watermelons, peaches and 杨梅 [yangmei, no one can tell me the English name for it] are in season now.^_^
Because the fruits were covered in flies and such, we urhhh headed for Carrefour where we assumed there'd be fruits in a better state.^_^"
The Carrefour was HUGE! And FILLED with all sorts of weird and wonderful things.=D
They had TONS of sausages and lots of roasted meats, prepared foods, raw foods, etc etc etc.*_*! Amazing. Haha. I was trying to control my photo taking. Haha.=P
We bought a few fruits to try. Like this! 蟠桃 from 山东 [Shandong]. It's simply called "Peach" in English but it's flat! Not like the usual 水蜜桃 [Honey Peach] that we see.=D Haha. It was really sweet and nice but the skin was a bit weird so I peeled it off.=P
This was BIZARRE at best. Haha. It's called 人参果 from 海南 [Hainan]. It's literally called "Ginseng Fruit". When you bite into it, it's got a very very subtle sweetness and according to Brenda "tastes like cucumber". Haha. And no. It doesn't really taste like cucumber but it does have a funny taste.O__o We didn't finish it.=P
We took a bus to the airport. At only 19RMB a person, it was REALLY cheap!!! Haha.=P The bus was SO stuffy though. We either were laughing at this stupid singer on the TV or we were falling asleep from lack of oxygen.X__x Not a very good combination. The highway was also EXTREMELY bumpy.X__x O goodness. But we got to the airport within one hour and for such a low low price, who's complaining?
The airport is pretty nice though.=) Which made up for the busride.X__x
The last memories of Shanghai would be the HEAT. Which carried into the flight. For a grand total of FIVE HOURS.-_-" So we were fanning ourselves madly throughout. Seriously. Have they EVER heard of air-conditioning or even a ventilation system?!
Shanghai was fun though.=) Even though it was REALLY HOT and REALLY MUGGY and REALLY HUMID. But it was a great experience.=) The service staff at most eating places were really nice to us though the touts did spoil the service aspect a little.X__x I'm glad we went though.^_^ It was fun! And I learnt a lot about my friends in the process. Also, big thanks to my uncle and aunt for letting us stay for those few days.^_^
Gosh that was a long entry. I was planning to squee about alice nine. and Gackt but I think that will have to wait.. *bops along to alice nine.*
cheers
*[-witchstone-]*
[music : RETURNER single! Gackt + HELLO, DEAR NUMBERS alice nine.]
[mood : ^_^ but hot]
[food : --]
Liu-Yi: Sure!!! I'd love to bake them again.=D The chocolate cookies are really easy to throw together as long as you have the time.^_^ Oh. And they are even easier to eat.;) Haha. If you can give me a definite date, I'll bake them for you! ^_^ And that's a really confusing name for such a pretty flower. Haha.=D Thanks though! I don't know what electronic dictionary to get!! *flails* X__x I know they sell them at Kinokuniya though.=P Haha. I'll research first!!! Thank you!!! xD
pixiezdust: It was GREAT fun!!! =D And at least now we know that going to Japan on a budget IS possible.^_^ Haha. That should be a relief to most people.=) And yessss!!! The cosplayers in Japan are AMAZING!!! So dedicated and everything.=) And they really bleach their hair and cut their hair in the same way! Except that this was the best Reita I think.=P Haha.Labels: edibles, misc, photo journey, shanghai, shopping
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: edibles, future, movie review, shopping, thoughts, Train Man
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: anime, driving, Honey and Clover, NANA, shopping
