Friends and Food

I suddenly have an urge to write this, like some sort of random, sudden quick note of thought.

I realise that I mainly have 2 types of friends - in relation to food.

The first type - go wherever food is good.

The second type - go wherever the dining experience is good.

Let's call the first type the 'Foodie' type, while the second type the 'Dining' type. If you notice, even the words used to describe the group is layered with meanings.

My Foodie friends likes to go to places with tasty food, usually at a low cost because these exits in food centres (or lovingly known as Hawker centers). It could also include places like Pepper Lunch, where the stench of food covers you entirely after a meal there.

My Dining friends loves places with of course, good food, but usually at a price. The ambience matters, no stink of food, quality service...

How about me? I the budget- foodie/dining type. Anyway is good but it has to be good for its price, meaning i must be willing to pay that much for it, or else no matter how nice it is, i will wish i have gone to somewhere cheaper for something slightly less tasty, doesn't matter. Price is king in my decision. But that doesn't mean that i won't pay a higher price for the food+ambience+ experience, but it has to be justified.

And usually, the price justification mechanism in my mind, is super ultra fussy. Because usually, i will prefer to spend that extra amount on a piece of clothing that lasts longer than the few hours that food can satisfy me for.

And other examples of the price justification mechanism..
- I will try not to eat takeaways because that extra 10-30 cents is not worth it in my opinion.
- I will stand by Pepper Lunch because it is yummy, but regret after that.
- I will think bubble tea + waffle if i am paying the bill. But Sushi and Japanese restaurant if i am not.

And lastly, another random note. But sometimes, i really cannot stand how people can take a thousand years to decide what they want to eat, not because they cannot decide and don't have something in mind, but they're afraid other people may not like their suggestion. And when someone suggests something, they may not like it but refuse to say, or refuse to come up with another suggestion. Oh, and this applies to group dining situations. Very irritating sometimes, really. Not to the people who behaves like that, but the action. But you know, this is usually a female thing, why is it so gendered?

Because females are group-conscious while males are individual-conscious? But well, despite females being group-conscious, there are decisive ones among them, and it could be a complementary trait. When those two traits combine, perhaps that is one of the ingredients possessed by women leaders around the world, and that is what make them (perhaps) better leaders than men. I aspire to be such a female.

I need my lunch. Not sure where to eat cos i am all alone at home trying to do my school work.

Love, principessa

Dreams

Do you have them? I am sure we all do. And the best thing about them, is that they are unlimited and boundless, they can even veer on ridiculous, out of this world ideas, or as simple as you like them to be. I am a day dreamer, and i have plenty, but some of the recent ones, and not so recent -perennial- ones are:

Personal Fulfillment

• To learn Ballet (i will try to fulfill that once i start working, Adults Elementary Class)
  
• To achieve the Gold standard in Ballroom Dancing one day, and dance beautifully for these social events. The type that people stop and stare, and admire about. Don't think i want to join competitions though, but well, you never know...there's always a maybe.
  
• To learn how to speak foreign languages (French, Japanese, Thai, Italian maybe)
• To be a fantastic baker making pretty cakes and desserts, and cook up the most heartwarming dishes
• Throw fabulous parties and gatherings
  

Job/Career Related

• To be a newscaster
• To work in female magazines
• To be a makeup artist/stylist
• To be a travel journalist and have a TV program /or air stewardess
• To be a Regional Brand Manager/ Public Relations of a House (Haute Couture) or a Beauty brand like Shiseido and Kanebo
  
• To be a new-age Tai Tai - Business Maven and Supermum and Super-(wonderful) wife, not your ordinary lady of leisure... and ultimately, earn my own keep entirely.
  
• To be a designer - interior, furniture, clothes... anything
• To be a wedding planner /matchmaker
  
• To inspire people to be kind to Earth and Animals
• Oh, and to have my own Cafe/Boutique/Holistic Health and Beauty Palour
  

As you can see, i clearly love to dream.
And i really hope that many of it will come true.

xoxo, principessa

I am so sick of school i need a cure.

How to cure..the blues to school? It is not just monday, but i get this school blues on an almost everyday basis. Frankly, I am so sick of school. So sick of school i just feel like running away from it all. I believe that studying could be fun and a happy thing, but currently, it is not my frame of mind to think that way. I used to think that way, and i try to think that way now. BUT no..that feeling doesn't stop existing just because i try to think of school as a happy place to learn new things to see my friends.. to enjoy before i cannot get it back anymore.

Even thinking of this semester as the very last semester of my life doesn't help. As in, it's probably not going to happen and i can't be so irresponsible but sometimes, people say that if you live your day as if it is the last, you will want to cherish every moment and live it better. SO i tried to apply that logic to school. But that clearly failed me.

As usual, i am trying very very hard to read readings for school. Trying very hard to like it, even with Mac Cafe's frappe drink in hand (will post this experience) and a pleasant environment, everything seem to fail me. And I just feel like looking at job ads, looking at magazines, surfing websites and news sites........... imagining about what i could work as.

And as i cannot stand school work anymore,
i started to design my very blank notebook with cut outs from CLEO

Pretty? I am proud. :)

BUT WHY IS THIS WHOLE DREAD-SCHOOL THING HAPPENING TO ME!

I NEED TO GET BACK TO THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND.

And did i mention, i even emailed the school office of admission to ask if i can graduate? Oh, and the answer is yes and all i need to do is file for graduation at the Dean's office. But no! I can't! I have to get past this semester, at least this semester and make my decision again at the end of it, whether i want to stay for Honors. No point backing out now since school fees for the semester have been paid. Or i could skip every lesson by withdrawing from my year 4 modules and just attend my business module to fulfill my UE requirement to graduate without Honors (Bachelor of Arts, Geography -Merit-)....... and find a job because i only need to go to school on fridays.

I can't do that!!! If i did, i won't be able to see my girlfriends anymore :( :( :(

Anyway, some of the Japanese magazines that i've been reading and some stuff i like

This girl! I think she looks really likable and pretty, especially love the beverage/dessert in front of her...

I saw some Japanese girl carrying this tote in Hawaii and i like it so much!

A tee that describes how i feel, am i still feeling this way is another question.I miss my travelling freedom.
Because sometimes i really feel as if my trip to USA is a dream that's getting further and further away from my reality.

I think she is really DOLL like. Beautiful eyes, lips and cheeks.

She's really pretty even before makeup but makeup sure did wonders to accentuate her features!
I love her eyes.

Ahhh, I'll love this Coach Bag in White. :)

And do you know, Japanese girls frequently drink meal replacement products to lose weight/or as a healthy breakfast alternative?

And they look so delicious!!!!!

And some pictures from...Dorcas's 21st Birthday Celebration in Church

I'm proud to say that i've brainstormed much of this decor layout.

Esther and my sis are part of the Birthday team too :)

My Sis, brother and I helped to design the poster. And this curtain effect is cool right?


Lots of food, Esther's idea.

I've not seen so many pizzas for some time

And lastly, sometimes the only way to make yourself feel better when you're studying is to grab a cup of Bubble tea like this.

From CupWalker at Ehub. It's a floral tea - cranberry and rosehip tea with aloe vera ;)

I only hope and wish that bubble tea can be that solution to getting through terrible school stuff, but it doesn't succeed all the time.

Dear God, please help me. Where am i supposed to be really?

xoxo, principessa

Expert says Singapore not completely immune from tsunamis

Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE — Singapore is not completely immune from a tsunami and should prepare for the possibility, an expert on coastal areas warned Friday.

The island—state can be hit by a tsunami generated from three locations and the waves could damage key coastal infrastructure without being too high, said Professor Wong Poh Poh of the National University of Singapore geography department.

"It’s not that we are totally immune. No, we are not immune," Wong said.

He was speaking at a news conference to launch a report, by the aid and development organisation World Vision, on the impact of climate change on poor people.

To cause damage, waves hitting Singapore need not be as huge as the ones that devastated Indonesia’s Aceh in December 2004, killing 168,000 people, Wong said.

Aceh was struck by a wave about 10 metres (33 feet) high.

"We don’t need 10 metres. The problem with Singapore is... we have a lot of infrastructure on the coast. All you need is a very low wave to just come in and hit certain areas," he said.

"Changi Airport will be very vulnerable," he said, adding the man—made island of Jurong which houses a sprawling petrochemical complex is also at risk, and urged the government to commission a study on tsunamis. — AFP/vm

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080919/tap-130-expert-says-singapore-completely-231650b.html

Are you worried? I am. :(

Ginger Tea with Mango

Okay, this is not a food blog but i have the perfect (perfect in my terms) way to deal with overly sweetened preserved mangoes.

The story goes like this. My brother came back from Bangkok with a huge bag, with packets of preserved fruits like mangoes and pineapples. And i am the sort who loves to snack on preserved fruits like prunes, mangoes, guava, strawberry, kiwi. Because even though i have some sort of a sweet tooth, i don't like sugar alone. Dried fruit products like the Philippines Mangoes are my ultimate favourite.

BUT what he got back is Thailand mango, and i don't know if there is such a distinction or even if they differ, (different breed of mango or different levels of sugar added), but these thailand mangoes are SUPER DUPER WORST THAN DIABETIC kind of sweet. I nearly died when i tasted it. And i can't get rid of the excess sugary taste even after washing it, soaking in water, placing in hot water (will the vitamins die? :( ) and all that. Even tried to make it into a 'tea' with hot water.

But after thinking, i thought of the perfect solution. After soaking in water to rid of surface sugars, i made a cup of ginger tea (with real ginger and honey)... and placed 2 slices of mango inside.

I think the 'spicy' taste of ginger makes it less sweet, and more bearable.
I love ginger tea and this is the perfect way to tweak the taste a little. :)
Ginger tea is good for health too, as it helps to fend off colds and flus and alleviates it when you're sick.

Try this site for some recipes to make ginger tea
http://www.wailana.com/yoga/newsletter/yoga-tips-against-colds-flus.php

xoxo, principessa

Bubble tea me!

This picture is taken from http://www.hella-art.com but it is so cute i can't resist posting this up!

If you don't already know, i am a crazy bubble tea fan since my secondary school days (that is 9 years ago) when the bubble tea craze started. Yes, i was Secondary One then. So old now! :(

I've seen many stalls open and close, new flavours coming up and so on. Yet i am still faithful to this favourite drink of mine. Sweet-talk is the stall i frequent because they are everywhere (seriously everywhere) and they are the cheaper bubble tea stall you can get to.

I'm not very happy when they increase the price but it is still lower than its peak price. They sold it for $2.50 or more in the past for some water + syrup + ice + pearls! It is a completely money siphoning business at the height of the competition before the craze died down and Sweet-talk came up with the $1 versions.

And then it raised to $1.20, and now $1.50.. :(

Anyway, the aim of this post is to declare my newest favourite flavour!!

PREMIUM GREEN TEA ($1.80)

It tastes like real green tea, not just sugared syrup like the 'normal' green tea sold there. They shake it before serving and it seems like there is some sort of green tea powder inside? It is not too sweet, just perfect! My newest studying companion, minus the bubbles.

Do you know, the 'pearls' are made of starch and your body have to work harder to digest it, the stickiness makes it worst. So though they are nice to chew, don't eat too much of that. There have been studies that show that people could get indigestion from it and some other ailments. But once in a while, it's perfectly okay to have them! :D Oh, and one scoop of pearls contain about 100+ calories..

So ask for LESS or change it to jelly or aloe vera (healthy alternative cos it makes your skin clearer)!

xoxo, principessa

Mid-Autumn Festival and Mooncakes

Recently, my boyfriend have started calling me 'ping2 guo2 lian3' because of the shape of my face. And it all started because during CNY earlier this year, one of his relative said the exact same thing. So maybe, that's why i've been buying a few apple inspired clothing. Haha, like my topshop apple cami, and a apple print dress.


And these 2 months, i haven't been shopping anywhere but Topshop. This is most evil, because topshop always have something that attracts me due to the nature of their fast-fashion and high-street selections, they always sell stuff that is in fashion. And being the very up to date person i aim to be, i simply love their stuff. But that means i spent at least $100 on their stuff every month!! Fairly okay if that's the only place i buy from.

Last month (August) - Bubble Pleated Skirt $73, Apple Cami $53 (can't remember the price) but after 20% discount it is about $113 in total

This month (September) - Basic Tank Black $19, Basic Tank Grey $19, Autumn Pleated Mini $73, Over-knee sockings $13 which is about $102 in total after 10% off and $10 off.

Actually, it is not too bad, considering the guilt i feel after lauding such expensive buys, which makes me REFUSE any online shopping by not browsing anything and concentrate instead at the sad state of my bank account..

If this continues, spending about $100 on clothing shopping per month, it is actually not too bad if i don't spend on anything else except on canteen food and public transport. :)

Okay, the aim of this post is not about my buys but rather...

SEE THIS SCARY PIECE OF NEWS FOR THE MOONCAKE LOVER IN ME

The Health Promotion Board's website (www.hpb.gov.sg) lists just how calorie-laden these pastries are.

• A lotus seed paste mooncake contains 716 calories
• A lotus seed paste mooncake with one salted egg yolk has 790 calories
• If it has two salted egg yolks, that's 890 calories
• If it has four salted egg yolks, you're looking at 975 calories.

This can't be happening! Although i long know about the high sugar and oil content of mooncakes, this piece of news is way scary. I love mooncakes and i've always been looking forward to the mooncake festival. Mid-autumn means mooncakes to me, because although i appreciate the tradition and story behind it, it IS mooncake festival.

My favourite mooncake is the very traditional one from Da4 Zhong1 Guo2 (Big China?) with their signature black lotus and double yolk. Usually, i'll consume 1/4 of a mooncake because it is always very sweet and filling when i pair it with chinese tea (tie guan yin). I always thought it is the sugar that is keeping me away from eating more, but alas, there is more than meets the eye..

It is laden with tons of baddies and fats. :( No wonder it is so filling and 1/4 is just right, never more. Imagine, 1/4 of a once happy mooncake to me contains a most devilish 222.5 calories!!! FRIGHTFUL. And i love to have these "mooncakes appreciation" times once every 2-3 days during these festive season.

No wonder i am not losing weight.

But to everyone concerned, don't worry, i'm okay now :) As in, school is stressful and bad but i'll just go with it and hang in there although sometimes, i wish i can start working. Recently, i've been also thinking of a possibly trying out flying. But the only reason why i may want to try that is because i want to travel and see the world, and escape from Singapore for a while. I was thinking, if i grow up having a 'normal' life like others... my pay will only allow me to go overseas maybe once a year or less if its somewhere more 'major' like Europe or America.

Think about it. In a person's lifetime, they're likely to visit (if they ever) Europe once or twice. And America once or twice or how many times depending on the person's ability. Hong kong, Thailand, and nearby countries more times.. but still. Say San Francisco, i am still pining to go back... but that may be due to my attachment to the emotions and freedom and company i felt when i was there, not exactly the place itself but the experience. BUT if like the Singaporean who lives in a 4-5 room flat or perhaps even a modest condo somewhere, how many times are they likely to go back to San Francisco? Or Grand Canyon? Or Vegas or LA?

I'm not sure if you get what i mean but when i feel my reality, that these places will be places i may never see again or at most, only visit once more in my life time... i feel really sad. I feel sad just thinking about the people i got to know when i am there, but people i will never meet again.

This is probably a part of life. The world is so big, people move around..making temporary connections to other people as they go through life. Relationships that are transient, because that is reality. Limited by time, expanse of space, movements where people who were there are no longer there because they've moved...

OKAY, i know i'm talking alot of silly stuff. But there, i feel sad. And the fact is, i want to be able to go back to wherever i want to be and not be limited by anything, be it money or time.

How does one do that?

And sometimes it's really just the people who makes up the experience. At that certain place, certain emotional level, certain time. Things that can never come back again even if you want to, even if you have unlimited money or time.

feeling like i'm speaking 'cheemly', principessa

Plus: Some recent pictures

Grandma's Birthday @ Jumbo Indoor Stadium

Very cute cousin Nicole, Chilli crab and deep fried buns - my favourite favourite

With my sister. Nice pose right? I helped her with her makeup too :)

Lastly, a hug with Nash-ie.

:(

I really feel like giving up. All this school stuff, i feel that it is too much for me. I'm just so tired of trying, so tired of being stressed because my abilities is only so little.

Comprehending all these high-ty migh-ty lofty articles and theories, and philosophical trends of geography is not easy for me. I really can't understand so much, i was never the studying kind.

:( I feel so lost in class, so inadequate. I don't even have much opinions about class discussions, i just feel dumb. You know?

If only there's someone who knows, and understands, who can help me to understand these concepts too. And even if i could understand something, it takes ages. I don't have so much time, i just feel strapped for time.

Maybe i look okay on the outside, sometimes i feel okay... but i really am not. The only reason why I'm taking on Honors is because i want to work for the Second Upper Class Honors. I don't think a Second Lower is worth that extra $8000 (including my allowance) for my parents. My family is not rich, and that money can mean a lot. It is my Dad's money, he paid everything for me.. including my laptop, my travel to USA and so on. Not everyone is so lucky. I know of friends who take on study loans and have to pay it back themselves when they graduate.

That is why i feel so sad and stressed. How to get an A- for every subject when... even getting a B or B+ is such a thankful affair with the state of my understanding? I have two choices. I can get a B average and still get a second lower degree. Or i can get an A- average and get a second upper degree. If i choose the former, i can officially not work so hard because my results are at the upper end of the spectrum. But i can't, i want my parent's efforts to be worth it.

And so, this road is going to be tough. Very very tough. :( :( :( I really feel like giving up, i just want to be happy to do the things i like.

princi

PS: I hate geog thought A and its assignment, i hate Urban and its assignment. The only classes i enjoy is Int'l Transport and Organizational Culture. And i hate my weight because i can't eat anything i want anymore. I can't even fit into my favourite clothes.