* Blink blink *
It wasn't bright yet but I am wide awake! I start by admiring the fact that I can wake up so early in the morning feeling all refreshed and revitalized without the help of my alarm clock.
* Grab grab *
Finally got hold of my Iphone... One glance and I knew I had it wrong from the start. It was way past 7 and I had unconsciously snoozed it for a few hours~! Yikes~! The stormy rain outside my window would also explain the lack of sunlight beaming into my sleep laden eyes.
Gosh~! I jumped out of bed, but still in time to stock up all my shops in Tiny towers and harvesting my crops in zombie farm. (both of 'em are Iphone game apps) lol... and stated to get ready.
Listening to the rain outside with a cup of hot milo, I began to reminiscent spring in China, and how I arrive in the airport with a thin cotton jacket in an afternoon of 8 degrees. I guess having grown up in a hot humid climate whole year through has taught me little about what to wear during these occasions. Needless to say, my friends were aghast and kept asking me whether I would wanna wear my thicker jacket. (Errr... This is my thickest one... brrr... ). Lucky for me, they helped me stocked up on my winter wears and senses before I left home. I guess that is why I find it totally funny when I see gals persisting on wearing tiny shorts on a cold winter day while hugging themselves to steel against the cold winter wind. They must be from Singapore or Malaysia~! ;P
Then what about those oz's who jog under the rain, who wears a singlet and short and walk under the rain. However that is way better than last year, when I could smell ppl from metres away (hint: no bath??). Omg~! Winter... winter... U bring out the funniest in ppl. Having finish my milo, off I go.
Project 365: I love masks~!
I really love masks~! I even made an effort to collect masks from different places. Just take a view of the collection of facial masks I have collected~! =D
From the top of the pic, you can see the facial and eye mask from Japan, followed by the MG brand facial mask (brand from korea, made in china) while the bottom section of masks are a collection of france, korea and taiwan.
When I feel stressed out or tired, just putting on a facial mask helps relax and refresh my skin. But finding the right mask can be both tedious and tricky. Everyone have different skin type as well as different qualities they are looking for, e.g. sebum/oil control, hydration, brightening, etc. Apart from the type of qualities you are looking for, there are also a lot of different ways to deliver these nutrients to your skin, e.g. jelly mask, mask sheet and cream mask.
It was infact during my trip to China that I got hooked onto sheet masks. I also learnt that they are many different types of sheet masks out there. Things to look for in choosing mask sheet are like:
1. Serum (e.g. purpose, amount, etc)
2. Type of sheet mask (e.g. paper, cotton, non-woven fabric, silk like texture)
3. Mask cutting (whether it can adhere well to the surface of the skin to deliver the maximal nutrients)
I have yet to try out all the mask that I collected. These are two of the mask that I tried so far.
Material : Cotton (Note: when using cotton sheet mask, do not exceed more than the advised time slot on the packaging, usually around 5-15 minutes)
Country of origin : Japan
Cutting : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺
No immediate effect after first use and it contains slight amount of alcohol.
Material : Non-woven fabric
Country of origin : China
Cutting : ☺ ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
The skin is noticeably hydrated and smooth on the next day. But it is slightly tricky to wrap the mask sheet around the face.
Hope this short review of mask sheet can help someone out there review what mask to try out. But one important point to remember when trying out mask sheet is to use a bit of the serum to test for any allergy prior to use. So, have fun with your mask~! =D
From the top of the pic, you can see the facial and eye mask from Japan, followed by the MG brand facial mask (brand from korea, made in china) while the bottom section of masks are a collection of france, korea and taiwan.
When I feel stressed out or tired, just putting on a facial mask helps relax and refresh my skin. But finding the right mask can be both tedious and tricky. Everyone have different skin type as well as different qualities they are looking for, e.g. sebum/oil control, hydration, brightening, etc. Apart from the type of qualities you are looking for, there are also a lot of different ways to deliver these nutrients to your skin, e.g. jelly mask, mask sheet and cream mask.
It was infact during my trip to China that I got hooked onto sheet masks. I also learnt that they are many different types of sheet masks out there. Things to look for in choosing mask sheet are like:
1. Serum (e.g. purpose, amount, etc)
2. Type of sheet mask (e.g. paper, cotton, non-woven fabric, silk like texture)
3. Mask cutting (whether it can adhere well to the surface of the skin to deliver the maximal nutrients)
I have yet to try out all the mask that I collected. These are two of the mask that I tried so far.
Material : Cotton (Note: when using cotton sheet mask, do not exceed more than the advised time slot on the packaging, usually around 5-15 minutes)
Country of origin : Japan
Cutting : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺
No immediate effect after first use and it contains slight amount of alcohol.
Material : Non-woven fabric
Country of origin : China
Cutting : ☺ ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
The skin is noticeably hydrated and smooth on the next day. But it is slightly tricky to wrap the mask sheet around the face.
Hope this short review of mask sheet can help someone out there review what mask to try out. But one important point to remember when trying out mask sheet is to use a bit of the serum to test for any allergy prior to use. So, have fun with your mask~! =D
Project 365: Do you understand me?
Having been raised in Malaysia, my education is a mixture of chinese, bahasa malaysia and english. My kindergarten and primary school education utilizes the mandarin language, while my secondary school utilizes the malay language. As if unwilling to lose, my university education utilizes english as a medium of communication. To make everything that bit more confusing is my multiracial exposure at a young age. Our community consisted of many different bumi races such as kayan, ibans, kadazans, penans, etc and our elders who persisted in talking to us in dialect to ensure we are also fluent in our mother tongue. It has always been known that too many cooks spoils the broth, it is no wonder when it comes to language, I am a jack of all trades and a master of none.
Image : http://www.toonpool.com
In a way, I am proud of this upbringing as it provides me with an edge when it comes to moving around. Just earlier this year, I was sent to China for research purposes. Though the professors encourage their students to speak to me in english, they soon gave up trying to speak in tongue, and I was force to catch up with their mandarin. It was then that I realise something a person who was educated in one single language since young could not fathom. It is that though we are speaking the same language, understanding is not always easy.
For them, they use specific words for specific things and could not catch your meaning if you use different word with the same meaning. I wish they could just... like read a thesaurus? Take the case of the time I was in China, I was referring to key as 'shuo shi' and nobody understood me until I say 'yao shi'. But both terms refer to the same thing. Or just last few weeks, when I attended the bridal open day, i asked a lady from a gown exhibition booth whether the dress are for sale or for rent? She answered 'they are not for rent, and they are not for sale'. (I was pretty sure she was messing with my head with that answer... lol...) Later I find out the specific term she was accustomed to was 'hire'. Duh... Or when I bought the Oz accent of 'cudos' or 'cheers' to Msia, and my sister scold me for talking nonsense.
Image : http://psychicsarah.wordpress.com
Something they could not understand is that some language expresses certain things better. A best example is the mandarin language expresses emotions better than the english language. One single sentence in mandarin could sometimes express more than one paragraph in english. And the meaning of the words could hardly be captured by mere translation. So sometimes, it takes time for me to filter through my large dictionary of words in my head and try to pinpoint the best word in that language. And I guess that is the bad side. If I don't even bother (especially when I am talking to my family), I would speak (what we term as) the 'rojak' language which is basically a mixture of everything. (Perhaps the 'rojak' language will one day be recognized as a language... lol... I am still spreading the influence... :P)
The other bad side of it is when there is a cross over between languages, like when I was in China, my fellow researchers' favourite term is 'gei-li-able'. 'gei li' is the chinese term for something that is very great/good/awesome. And you can guess what 'able' means in english. =P Or when I went back to Msia and contracted the virus of 'cacat-ed'. 'Cacat' means disable/broken/not right while 'ed' is a suffix in english. It is amazing how language grow and mutate by itself.
I guess at the end of the day it really isn't about being grammatical or vocabulary correct but the ability to be understood by your peers. After all, isn't language used for communication? =)
Image : http://www.toonpool.com
In a way, I am proud of this upbringing as it provides me with an edge when it comes to moving around. Just earlier this year, I was sent to China for research purposes. Though the professors encourage their students to speak to me in english, they soon gave up trying to speak in tongue, and I was force to catch up with their mandarin. It was then that I realise something a person who was educated in one single language since young could not fathom. It is that though we are speaking the same language, understanding is not always easy.
For them, they use specific words for specific things and could not catch your meaning if you use different word with the same meaning. I wish they could just... like read a thesaurus? Take the case of the time I was in China, I was referring to key as 'shuo shi' and nobody understood me until I say 'yao shi'. But both terms refer to the same thing. Or just last few weeks, when I attended the bridal open day, i asked a lady from a gown exhibition booth whether the dress are for sale or for rent? She answered 'they are not for rent, and they are not for sale'. (I was pretty sure she was messing with my head with that answer... lol...) Later I find out the specific term she was accustomed to was 'hire'. Duh... Or when I bought the Oz accent of 'cudos' or 'cheers' to Msia, and my sister scold me for talking nonsense.
Image : http://psychicsarah.wordpress.com
Something they could not understand is that some language expresses certain things better. A best example is the mandarin language expresses emotions better than the english language. One single sentence in mandarin could sometimes express more than one paragraph in english. And the meaning of the words could hardly be captured by mere translation. So sometimes, it takes time for me to filter through my large dictionary of words in my head and try to pinpoint the best word in that language. And I guess that is the bad side. If I don't even bother (especially when I am talking to my family), I would speak (what we term as) the 'rojak' language which is basically a mixture of everything. (Perhaps the 'rojak' language will one day be recognized as a language... lol... I am still spreading the influence... :P)
The other bad side of it is when there is a cross over between languages, like when I was in China, my fellow researchers' favourite term is 'gei-li-able'. 'gei li' is the chinese term for something that is very great/good/awesome. And you can guess what 'able' means in english. =P Or when I went back to Msia and contracted the virus of 'cacat-ed'. 'Cacat' means disable/broken/not right while 'ed' is a suffix in english. It is amazing how language grow and mutate by itself.
I guess at the end of the day it really isn't about being grammatical or vocabulary correct but the ability to be understood by your peers. After all, isn't language used for communication? =)
Project 365: Through sickness and health...
This is by far one of the most unbearable week I have underwent. I contracted a weird bug earlier this week, which means I was coughing and had sore throat earlier in the week. Once I thought I was getting better, the cough evolved into full fledge flu. So I was sneezing and 'wrapping wantan' all day long. After consistently consuming numerous flu medicine that leaves me feeling like all drugged out, I developed mild food poisoning. It is such a nuisance since my weekend was thus ruined.
But I was lucky that this experience leaves me aware of one blessing that is in my life and he is my fiancée. As I cuddle under thick layer of blanket and sneezed and coughed, he kept track of my medicine and my meals. As I slept under the effect of the flu meds, he was off washing the dishes, cleaning the mess and doing the laundry. I felt really touched with his presence in my life.
It is really easy to be by someone's side when they are healthy and charming and happy, but when someone is sick. They are not only weak and vulnerable but also cranky and needy, like in my case (LOL). And having that someone who stick by you through sickness and through health is so precious, not even diamond can replace. :)
But I was lucky that this experience leaves me aware of one blessing that is in my life and he is my fiancée. As I cuddle under thick layer of blanket and sneezed and coughed, he kept track of my medicine and my meals. As I slept under the effect of the flu meds, he was off washing the dishes, cleaning the mess and doing the laundry. I felt really touched with his presence in my life.
It is really easy to be by someone's side when they are healthy and charming and happy, but when someone is sick. They are not only weak and vulnerable but also cranky and needy, like in my case (LOL). And having that someone who stick by you through sickness and through health is so precious, not even diamond can replace. :)
Project 365: Bridal Open Day
Duxton hotel in Perth held a bridal open day today and I was so anxious for it to get more ideas about how to plan my upcoming wedding. It is still long way to go though, and luckily my bride-a-zilla syndrome has yet to surface. There is soo many things on my list, hopefully I will grow another extra head to accommodate everything and arrange a once in a lifetime wedding some time next year. I guess this open day is designed to introduce us to some of the 'magic' wedding planners, so everything from florist, fancy cake decorator, limousine, event decorator, photographer, gowns and gifts to the music /deejay services and onstage performances.
So I posted some pics I have taken during the Bridal Open Day. The seashell cake is the most special cake I have seen, and the cake decorator mentioned that she can even make edible seashells~! Interesting... Too bad they don't have much gown display.
Wedding decor 1
Wedding decor 2
Wedding decor 3
Wedding decor 4
Wedding decor 5
Cake decor 1
Cake decor 2
Cake decor 3
Cake decor 4
Onstage performance
So I posted some pics I have taken during the Bridal Open Day. The seashell cake is the most special cake I have seen, and the cake decorator mentioned that she can even make edible seashells~! Interesting... Too bad they don't have much gown display.
Wedding decor 1
Wedding decor 2
Wedding decor 3
Wedding decor 4
Wedding decor 5
Cake decor 1
Cake decor 2
Cake decor 3
Cake decor 4
Onstage performance
Project 365: Frustration and I
For those who added me on FB or twitter, I have to apologize for my weird and seemingly prone to suicidal thoughts' status. I am so swamped with my current research that I feel so devastated.
My research has to deal with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling of a heterogeneous packed bed reactor, and I had to use a CFD software platform, i.e. Fluent. I did something almost similar for my final year engineering with Fluent v.6 and it was working fine. Earlier this year, they upgraded to Fluent v.12, and I found some files that were working fine with Fluent 6 doesn't work well with Fluent v.12. Once I familiarize myself with it, they upgrade it into Fluent v.13 and I noted that the information that I referenced from a journal paper is actually WRONG!! Having found out this mistake, I feel like a really smart person. So I confidently corrected those wrong parameters. Turns out when I corrected the values, everything spiral out of control. I kinda suspected that the author of the journal paper must have 'illegally tweak' those values in order to get the calculations working. CRAZY!!!
Determined to try to resolve this issue, I googled and found this helpful link, i.e. cfdforum.com. However I could not find any discussion board discussing this issue. So I tried to create a new thread, but I need to register first. Finally, a small spark in front of my endless dark tunnel. So, I quickly registered and validated my email account. *anxious**anxious*
And I finally logged into the forum!! Tried to create a new thread... and come out with this hideous message~! WTH?? They didn't even specify like what account do I have to register for in order to get access to this link!!! *Starting to scratch my head*
So frustrated... This is the freaky simulation result I get. Is this my ray of light at the end of my tunnel?? OMG!! My frustration is boiling up the surface, I shall need to find a way to battle that.
Is this sick picture an ironic symbolism of the light at the end of my tunnel??
My research has to deal with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling of a heterogeneous packed bed reactor, and I had to use a CFD software platform, i.e. Fluent. I did something almost similar for my final year engineering with Fluent v.6 and it was working fine. Earlier this year, they upgraded to Fluent v.12, and I found some files that were working fine with Fluent 6 doesn't work well with Fluent v.12. Once I familiarize myself with it, they upgrade it into Fluent v.13 and I noted that the information that I referenced from a journal paper is actually WRONG!! Having found out this mistake, I feel like a really smart person. So I confidently corrected those wrong parameters. Turns out when I corrected the values, everything spiral out of control. I kinda suspected that the author of the journal paper must have 'illegally tweak' those values in order to get the calculations working. CRAZY!!!
Determined to try to resolve this issue, I googled and found this helpful link, i.e. cfdforum.com. However I could not find any discussion board discussing this issue. So I tried to create a new thread, but I need to register first. Finally, a small spark in front of my endless dark tunnel. So, I quickly registered and validated my email account. *anxious**anxious*
And I finally logged into the forum!! Tried to create a new thread... and come out with this hideous message~! WTH?? They didn't even specify like what account do I have to register for in order to get access to this link!!! *Starting to scratch my head*
So frustrated... This is the freaky simulation result I get. Is this my ray of light at the end of my tunnel?? OMG!! My frustration is boiling up the surface, I shall need to find a way to battle that.
Is this sick picture an ironic symbolism of the light at the end of my tunnel??
Project 365: Part 1
Monday,
Monday blues...
Was so frustrated, so I relaxed at night with my favorite eye mask~!
I bought this mask last year during Sasa's promotion, so I got it for merely Rm55 + for two boxes. Upon applying it, I could feel the tightening around the eye. They package more than needed amount of serum, which means it drips all over my face and all over the top of my shirt when I use it. In order to reduce wastage, I lightly squeeze the mask before application and apply the rest of my serum on my arms and legs or package it nicely in a airtight container and put it in the fridge for future usage. However, the cutting of the mask is slightly weird, so I look like Batman or Robin off for an adventure... lol... This cutting is also inconvenient and would not adhere well around the eye-nose area.
Manufacturing country : France
Cutting : ☺
Mask material : ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Tuesday,
Ever since I watched a TvB series entitled Rippling Blossoms, I have the craving for sushi and sashimi!! ( O yeah, for those who have yet to watch, the story revolves around a cooking competition between two sushi master. All through the episodes, I can only say 'Oishi~!' or 'Kawai~!!'. ) So I went to Taka for sashimi sushi~!
Taka's sushi is too reasonably priced but it wasn't the best I have tasted or I envisioned. Looks like I might need to continue my search for the best sushi in Perth~!
Some of the criteria that I look for good sushi and sashimi are freshness, rice texture, cutting and presentation~! The texture of the rice is not too bad, and it is not too bad in term of freshness. But the cutting of the meat is really bad. Different cuts of the fish would produce different meat texture, I especially love toro for the rich fish oil along the toro. But the meat is dry and contain transparent strand of what I perceive as muscle. I guess for the price, that is the best that they can offer me. :P
Wednesday,
Omg... This sux~! I only wanted to have a quick and fast lunch and yet I was stuck with a person who just couldn't stop showing off infront of me. From the comments on my haggard look to the comments of my lack of jewelery for ONE HOUR, it was enough to drive away my good mood. I didn't have a chance to say anything, like how I have to face the computer at least 10 hours a day to do my work, and o yeah, I am DOING WORK~! And another thing, why should I wear all my gold jewelery to campus everyday?? I rolled my eye to the sky and gave a silent prayer that someone would stop her... Luckily, my officemate step in (aha... she couldn't stand it too) and we manage to go back to our work.
But after work, another O no... No more fresh food in the fridge~! So I dragged my bf to the nearest supermarket to buy some groceries and found this adorable eggplant!! LoL... It looks like an actual human face with a cute little nose~! :P
Thursday,
Hmm... Couldn't stand the dreary facade of my house plus... plus my bf won't let me rear a cute little puppy, I decided to purchase a small potted plant. So, after work, we drove all the way to Bunnings warehouse to look for a small potted plant. Instead of finding a small suitable potted plant, I was so captivated by this small potted plant ~ fly catcher!!! Would be very handy during summer, I wish.... lol...
Friday,
TGIF~!
By this time, my officemate was getting more and more exasperated and exhausted with her work's progress as well. Hence, we skipped work earlier and shared a meal in the city. Before we did that, we check out food reviews in urbanspoon to get an idea of what is nice and what is not. We discovered this place call 'Iku sushi' along William street.
Tempura template
Salmon in three ways
Walked all over Murray street until we finally spotted Iku sushi in a hidden section of the street. The road renovation work on the street seriously blocked everyone's view of the trendy sushi shop. The sushi is also reasonably priced and contains fusion between western and japanese sushi. Would love to go over again and this time would definitely try the 'cheeseburger' sushi!!
Saturday,
Saturday and Fremantle seems so inseparable~!
There has been a lot of people who would tell me that Fremantle has become a tourist spot and the prices are higher than usual. But I couldn't resist the temptation of the fresh sweet fruits for sale, the relaxed beach side, scrolling through the vintage shop and trying out the random street food along the way.
Most people would turn to the beach for fish and chips but I prefer strolling around in the Fremantle market. There is a vietnamese shopkeeper in the fremantle market who sells the best fruits I have tasted so far. Till now, I have yet to taste a sour fruit from her stall. So I always go back for more. And I even found a new stall selling adorable cupcakes~! Though it does taste a bit dry... :(
I went hunting for Jarrah honey as well but apparently it is not out yet, seems like I would return for this~! Not entirely a bad news for me. :) Along with the next trip, I would definitely try Little Creatures restaurant and Theview, both very high on the urbanspoon list of eateries.
Till next week...
Monday blues...
Was so frustrated, so I relaxed at night with my favorite eye mask~!
I bought this mask last year during Sasa's promotion, so I got it for merely Rm55 + for two boxes. Upon applying it, I could feel the tightening around the eye. They package more than needed amount of serum, which means it drips all over my face and all over the top of my shirt when I use it. In order to reduce wastage, I lightly squeeze the mask before application and apply the rest of my serum on my arms and legs or package it nicely in a airtight container and put it in the fridge for future usage. However, the cutting of the mask is slightly weird, so I look like Batman or Robin off for an adventure... lol... This cutting is also inconvenient and would not adhere well around the eye-nose area.
Manufacturing country : France
Cutting : ☺
Mask material : ☺ ☺
Serum : ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Tuesday,
Ever since I watched a TvB series entitled Rippling Blossoms, I have the craving for sushi and sashimi!! ( O yeah, for those who have yet to watch, the story revolves around a cooking competition between two sushi master. All through the episodes, I can only say 'Oishi~!' or 'Kawai~!!'. ) So I went to Taka for sashimi sushi~!
Taka's sushi is too reasonably priced but it wasn't the best I have tasted or I envisioned. Looks like I might need to continue my search for the best sushi in Perth~!
Some of the criteria that I look for good sushi and sashimi are freshness, rice texture, cutting and presentation~! The texture of the rice is not too bad, and it is not too bad in term of freshness. But the cutting of the meat is really bad. Different cuts of the fish would produce different meat texture, I especially love toro for the rich fish oil along the toro. But the meat is dry and contain transparent strand of what I perceive as muscle. I guess for the price, that is the best that they can offer me. :P
Wednesday,
Omg... This sux~! I only wanted to have a quick and fast lunch and yet I was stuck with a person who just couldn't stop showing off infront of me. From the comments on my haggard look to the comments of my lack of jewelery for ONE HOUR, it was enough to drive away my good mood. I didn't have a chance to say anything, like how I have to face the computer at least 10 hours a day to do my work, and o yeah, I am DOING WORK~! And another thing, why should I wear all my gold jewelery to campus everyday?? I rolled my eye to the sky and gave a silent prayer that someone would stop her... Luckily, my officemate step in (aha... she couldn't stand it too) and we manage to go back to our work.
But after work, another O no... No more fresh food in the fridge~! So I dragged my bf to the nearest supermarket to buy some groceries and found this adorable eggplant!! LoL... It looks like an actual human face with a cute little nose~! :P
Thursday,
Hmm... Couldn't stand the dreary facade of my house plus... plus my bf won't let me rear a cute little puppy, I decided to purchase a small potted plant. So, after work, we drove all the way to Bunnings warehouse to look for a small potted plant. Instead of finding a small suitable potted plant, I was so captivated by this small potted plant ~ fly catcher!!! Would be very handy during summer, I wish.... lol...
Friday,
TGIF~!
By this time, my officemate was getting more and more exasperated and exhausted with her work's progress as well. Hence, we skipped work earlier and shared a meal in the city. Before we did that, we check out food reviews in urbanspoon to get an idea of what is nice and what is not. We discovered this place call 'Iku sushi' along William street.
Tempura template
Salmon in three ways
Walked all over Murray street until we finally spotted Iku sushi in a hidden section of the street. The road renovation work on the street seriously blocked everyone's view of the trendy sushi shop. The sushi is also reasonably priced and contains fusion between western and japanese sushi. Would love to go over again and this time would definitely try the 'cheeseburger' sushi!!
Saturday,
Saturday and Fremantle seems so inseparable~!
There has been a lot of people who would tell me that Fremantle has become a tourist spot and the prices are higher than usual. But I couldn't resist the temptation of the fresh sweet fruits for sale, the relaxed beach side, scrolling through the vintage shop and trying out the random street food along the way.
Most people would turn to the beach for fish and chips but I prefer strolling around in the Fremantle market. There is a vietnamese shopkeeper in the fremantle market who sells the best fruits I have tasted so far. Till now, I have yet to taste a sour fruit from her stall. So I always go back for more. And I even found a new stall selling adorable cupcakes~! Though it does taste a bit dry... :(
I went hunting for Jarrah honey as well but apparently it is not out yet, seems like I would return for this~! Not entirely a bad news for me. :) Along with the next trip, I would definitely try Little Creatures restaurant and Theview, both very high on the urbanspoon list of eateries.
Till next week...
Project 365
I have decided to start a project call 'Project 365' where I record something that cheer me up every single day for a year. Except that I don't think I will have the time to upload one pic every single day so I have decided to upload it every week~!
If you have been through mundane period where it seems like it doesn't matter if today is monday or thursday or saturday(It all seems like workday),
If you spend more than 8 hours infront of the computer (work-related usage, of course),
I am sure I can relate to you on a certain degree. I guess that is why I decided to start this mini-project for myself.
Gonna start it today and will report on it at the end of the week. I hope all of you can enjoy and if this feels right, do it for yourself as well.
Cheers~!
If you have been through mundane period where it seems like it doesn't matter if today is monday or thursday or saturday(It all seems like workday),
If you spend more than 8 hours infront of the computer (work-related usage, of course),
I am sure I can relate to you on a certain degree. I guess that is why I decided to start this mini-project for myself.
Gonna start it today and will report on it at the end of the week. I hope all of you can enjoy and if this feels right, do it for yourself as well.
Cheers~!
Behind the scene of China food trod
Sigh... Trying to adapt to a new environment is never easy. The first day I reach Nanjing, I started blew out dark bits from my nose. I guess it is due to the road improvement works that have been in progress all around Nanjing, that the air quality is not that good. The first few days that I tried to get use to the climate here, my face got too dry and had to switch moisturizer.
But I was in luck as I was there for the spring; the flowers were blooming and the weather is starting to warm up.
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Beautiful stone engravings
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Decorated with flowers
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Flowers blossoming
My inflight meal in Cathay Pacific...
双皮奶: Double skin milk, taste like a healthier version of creme brulee... Really yummy~!
O yeah, one thing I really hate in Shanghai is the queue. OMG!! They even enlist the help of volunteers, soldiers and security for crowd control in China Pavilion.
And this should be the longest queue I have queued for... a test of my patience... Two hours after I started queuing, I reach the inner queue and took this picture... The area look like those barn to keep the horses, but I am sure even horses are not made to squeeze in such tight places. I had a hard time tearing my eyes away from the dandruff off the hair of the person infront of me. I know it wasn't polite but I don't think my sight could travel anywhere else. =P Btw, the Q lasted for 3 hours in total. I was told that during Shanghai expo 2010, ppl had to Q for up to 6 hours to buy the tickets. Phew...
Amidst all the other big portion of meals I have taken, this is what my usual lunch looks like in NJUT. Only provided with one pair of chopstick... look like my brother would have a hard time finishing this meal. lol...
Oh yeah, not forgetting the instant milk tea available in supermarkets and roadside stalls. (O well, those famous franchise uses instant powder anyway, so why can't we just buy the powder and mix it ourselves? Good question~!) It only cost about RMB3.90 and includes one small wrapper of the milk T powder, the sago pearl/aloe bits ~! One hot drink in spring is soo refreshing... Aahh... (Pst, the brand ambassador is Jay Chou, but I 'accidentally' took pic of the side without his face)
But wait, not everything is nice here. This is like the worst one I have tasted so far and I was so angry with this shop. I was in Shanghai's big mall 正大广长 and my friend convince me that I should eat more shanghai food before I go back. So we enter into a shop call 老上海, thinking that old shanghai means the food is more authentic. Major disappointment!! Not only this piece of meatball looks so suspicious, it taste.. well.. like any pork mince without much love would taste like. COLD! RMB16 each, I should have just purchase more pork dumplings from 裕园！！Btw, it had a nice name to it, 狮子头 (lion's head). We also ordered a claypot, turns out the soup wasn't even properly mixed. One part was watery and the other had flour lumps. We walked out and didn't bother to take more pics. I really can't understand how they manage to attract customers? Perhaps they can do, since Shanghai is so crowded with tourists that come and go, wishing to try authentic shanghai food in some of the major tourist hotspot. So, remember, don't go there~! Unless they change their OLD chefs, that is!
Another failed misadventure is trying the street food~! This one is 小鱼锅贴. It is a crispy pancake layer with fish sauce. It taste nice, something similar to the popular onion pancake in Taiwan. However, it failed miserably because I had to stay in my toilet that night, sitting on the toilet bowl with my head resting on the basin. Yeah... too much detail... =P
So don't simply try street food if you have never tried it before. A lot of chinese citizens flock to these places since young, and there is totally no effect on them. For those who have never eaten not too hygienic food, you had better stick to cleaner restaurants and cafes~!
In order to fully experience their culture here, I had to humble myself. This is something I have not done in a long looong time, i.e. riding on a bicycle. Everywhere I go, I see ppl on bicycles and scooters racing alongside cars and buses.
So one day, while going off to run an errand, my friend invited me to tag along on the bicycle. Wee~! Quite a scary experience... lol... luckily Nanjing is not as crowded as Shanghai when I was out cycling or else I might appear in the newspaper headlines the next day. 'Girl go on head on collision with EVERYONE'. =P Eventhough I was tagging behind my friend, I had a hard time cutting across lanes and crossing the road. Luckily she has more patience than me.
Finally, one month quickly came to pass. Before I left, they treated me to dinner. And like all social event, drinking came into the picture. And I must say this is the most drink I consumed in a single event through my lifetime. Luckily I didn't get drunk. This wine bottle consists of a special wine with 60 vol% of alcohol~! My gosh, it is STRONG! I barely sip 40 vol% alcohol in Oz/Msia, and I upgraded straight to 60 vol%? I find it hard to believe that I was still awake after 2 glass. (Probably coz I stuff myself with lotsa food at the same time... muahahaha...)
It wasn't easy to be apart from familiarity for one month, so I am very grateful for the hospitality extended to me during this period of time.
Just wanna leave you with these words (I heard from a lyric, but it is meaningful nonetheless)...
能遇见是一种缘分，哪怕只是匆匆的一面.
Kudoz~!
But I was in luck as I was there for the spring; the flowers were blooming and the weather is starting to warm up.
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Beautiful stone engravings
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Decorated with flowers
NJUT's suburban campus in Jiangpu: Flowers blossoming
My inflight meal in Cathay Pacific...
双皮奶: Double skin milk, taste like a healthier version of creme brulee... Really yummy~!
O yeah, one thing I really hate in Shanghai is the queue. OMG!! They even enlist the help of volunteers, soldiers and security for crowd control in China Pavilion.
And this should be the longest queue I have queued for... a test of my patience... Two hours after I started queuing, I reach the inner queue and took this picture... The area look like those barn to keep the horses, but I am sure even horses are not made to squeeze in such tight places. I had a hard time tearing my eyes away from the dandruff off the hair of the person infront of me. I know it wasn't polite but I don't think my sight could travel anywhere else. =P Btw, the Q lasted for 3 hours in total. I was told that during Shanghai expo 2010, ppl had to Q for up to 6 hours to buy the tickets. Phew...
Amidst all the other big portion of meals I have taken, this is what my usual lunch looks like in NJUT. Only provided with one pair of chopstick... look like my brother would have a hard time finishing this meal. lol...
Oh yeah, not forgetting the instant milk tea available in supermarkets and roadside stalls. (O well, those famous franchise uses instant powder anyway, so why can't we just buy the powder and mix it ourselves? Good question~!) It only cost about RMB3.90 and includes one small wrapper of the milk T powder, the sago pearl/aloe bits ~! One hot drink in spring is soo refreshing... Aahh... (Pst, the brand ambassador is Jay Chou, but I 'accidentally' took pic of the side without his face)
But wait, not everything is nice here. This is like the worst one I have tasted so far and I was so angry with this shop. I was in Shanghai's big mall 正大广长 and my friend convince me that I should eat more shanghai food before I go back. So we enter into a shop call 老上海, thinking that old shanghai means the food is more authentic. Major disappointment!! Not only this piece of meatball looks so suspicious, it taste.. well.. like any pork mince without much love would taste like. COLD! RMB16 each, I should have just purchase more pork dumplings from 裕园！！Btw, it had a nice name to it, 狮子头 (lion's head). We also ordered a claypot, turns out the soup wasn't even properly mixed. One part was watery and the other had flour lumps. We walked out and didn't bother to take more pics. I really can't understand how they manage to attract customers? Perhaps they can do, since Shanghai is so crowded with tourists that come and go, wishing to try authentic shanghai food in some of the major tourist hotspot. So, remember, don't go there~! Unless they change their OLD chefs, that is!
Another failed misadventure is trying the street food~! This one is 小鱼锅贴. It is a crispy pancake layer with fish sauce. It taste nice, something similar to the popular onion pancake in Taiwan. However, it failed miserably because I had to stay in my toilet that night, sitting on the toilet bowl with my head resting on the basin. Yeah... too much detail... =P
So don't simply try street food if you have never tried it before. A lot of chinese citizens flock to these places since young, and there is totally no effect on them. For those who have never eaten not too hygienic food, you had better stick to cleaner restaurants and cafes~!
In order to fully experience their culture here, I had to humble myself. This is something I have not done in a long looong time, i.e. riding on a bicycle. Everywhere I go, I see ppl on bicycles and scooters racing alongside cars and buses.
So one day, while going off to run an errand, my friend invited me to tag along on the bicycle. Wee~! Quite a scary experience... lol... luckily Nanjing is not as crowded as Shanghai when I was out cycling or else I might appear in the newspaper headlines the next day. 'Girl go on head on collision with EVERYONE'. =P Eventhough I was tagging behind my friend, I had a hard time cutting across lanes and crossing the road. Luckily she has more patience than me.
Finally, one month quickly came to pass. Before I left, they treated me to dinner. And like all social event, drinking came into the picture. And I must say this is the most drink I consumed in a single event through my lifetime. Luckily I didn't get drunk. This wine bottle consists of a special wine with 60 vol% of alcohol~! My gosh, it is STRONG! I barely sip 40 vol% alcohol in Oz/Msia, and I upgraded straight to 60 vol%? I find it hard to believe that I was still awake after 2 glass. (Probably coz I stuff myself with lotsa food at the same time... muahahaha...)
It wasn't easy to be apart from familiarity for one month, so I am very grateful for the hospitality extended to me during this period of time.
Just wanna leave you with these words (I heard from a lyric, but it is meaningful nonetheless)...
能遇见是一种缘分，哪怕只是匆匆的一面.
Kudoz~!
China food trod ~ part 3
Trod... trod... trod around Nanjing to try some new food. Seems like there are a lot of food around the world that I have yet to taste. For example, tortoise meat, virgin eggs (basically these are eggs boiled in virgin boy's urine) or the half-hatch chicken egg... Gonna have a hard time trying to swallow that in!! LoL...
I will save my 'adventurous' spirit for next time... I m gonna stick to some food that sounds less scary.
木瓜炖雪蛤: 雪蛤 is derived from toad's lungs. Sounds disgusting... try not to read how they process the poor lungs before you consumed it. It is quite expensive delicacy and is used mainly for beautifying purposes. Even Taiwan's popular 牛尔老师 claims that 雪蛤 helps him sooth his once acne ridden face. However, if this is your first time trying it, make sure the chef is someone who is experienced in cooking this delicacy. It has a strong fishy smell that can only be reduced by ginger. So don't ever drink it cold, or else the fishy smell will resurface. Match it with papaya, it tastes sweet and soothing but the fishy smell is slightly hard to bear.
Hehe... This is not something new, but I just love this. I didn't know that KFC serves Portuguese egg tart in China~! For RMB5.50, it is the best that I have tasted in China.
榴莲往返~! Durian with black glutinous rice and santan milk. This dish did not originate from China, but Thailand, actually. But I missed durian soo much! This dessert cost RMB35 per dish... very expensive. But then I have to understand, since Nanjing do not produce durian.
拔丝香蕉: Malt on banana fritter, Once pulled apart, you will see these thin like spider webs... strand of malt. Give it a few blow and bite into it... aw... super yummy. =D
辣子鸡: This is a very popular Sze chuan dish. This dish is super loaded dried chilli with pieces of chicken and pinch of sugar and salt. One bite into this dish, you will like it. But barely halfway into this dish, start to feel the heat of the dish. Aw... aw... I really appreciate the hot tea after eating such a hot dish. *Slurp~!*
A very very special dish that I also fell in love with is a dish I tasted in a kung fu themed shop call 功夫庄. The whole shop is decorated like those olden day china style, even the bowls and plates are slightly chipped~! They have funny custom here, you can't order the dishes here. You just sit down and they will come along with different dishes and ask you whether you want it or not. But the dishes are very nice. The most unique is these rice ball. Each person is only accorded one of these rice ball.
Rolled into a ball encasing over juicy pork mince with a single egg yolk~! It is really very nice, wish I can have more of these. But like mentioned before, they only serve one rice ball each. So, savour it slowly...
Another shop that we visited is this shop that only serves mule. Braised mule, mule soup, cold slice of mule meat, etc.
This is the chef's recommendation in the shop, i.e. mule meat 火烧. Strands of mule meat seasoned match with a bit of cucumber sandwiched between pan fried 馒头. Yummy~! We were lucky to be able to eat there at non-peak hours. Delicious~!
All this highlight the end of my sharing my food trod around Nanjing. Don't forget to give these a try on your next visit~! =)
I will save my 'adventurous' spirit for next time... I m gonna stick to some food that sounds less scary.
木瓜炖雪蛤: 雪蛤 is derived from toad's lungs. Sounds disgusting... try not to read how they process the poor lungs before you consumed it. It is quite expensive delicacy and is used mainly for beautifying purposes. Even Taiwan's popular 牛尔老师 claims that 雪蛤 helps him sooth his once acne ridden face. However, if this is your first time trying it, make sure the chef is someone who is experienced in cooking this delicacy. It has a strong fishy smell that can only be reduced by ginger. So don't ever drink it cold, or else the fishy smell will resurface. Match it with papaya, it tastes sweet and soothing but the fishy smell is slightly hard to bear.
Hehe... This is not something new, but I just love this. I didn't know that KFC serves Portuguese egg tart in China~! For RMB5.50, it is the best that I have tasted in China.
榴莲往返~! Durian with black glutinous rice and santan milk. This dish did not originate from China, but Thailand, actually. But I missed durian soo much! This dessert cost RMB35 per dish... very expensive. But then I have to understand, since Nanjing do not produce durian.
拔丝香蕉: Malt on banana fritter, Once pulled apart, you will see these thin like spider webs... strand of malt. Give it a few blow and bite into it... aw... super yummy. =D
辣子鸡: This is a very popular Sze chuan dish. This dish is super loaded dried chilli with pieces of chicken and pinch of sugar and salt. One bite into this dish, you will like it. But barely halfway into this dish, start to feel the heat of the dish. Aw... aw... I really appreciate the hot tea after eating such a hot dish. *Slurp~!*
A very very special dish that I also fell in love with is a dish I tasted in a kung fu themed shop call 功夫庄. The whole shop is decorated like those olden day china style, even the bowls and plates are slightly chipped~! They have funny custom here, you can't order the dishes here. You just sit down and they will come along with different dishes and ask you whether you want it or not. But the dishes are very nice. The most unique is these rice ball. Each person is only accorded one of these rice ball.
Rolled into a ball encasing over juicy pork mince with a single egg yolk~! It is really very nice, wish I can have more of these. But like mentioned before, they only serve one rice ball each. So, savour it slowly...
Another shop that we visited is this shop that only serves mule. Braised mule, mule soup, cold slice of mule meat, etc.
This is the chef's recommendation in the shop, i.e. mule meat 火烧. Strands of mule meat seasoned match with a bit of cucumber sandwiched between pan fried 馒头. Yummy~! We were lucky to be able to eat there at non-peak hours. Delicious~!
All this highlight the end of my sharing my food trod around Nanjing. Don't forget to give these a try on your next visit~! =)
China food trod ~ part 2
I am back for the second update on my China food trod. There are soo many yummy food in China but after one year of low oil and low fat food in Oz, I couldn't stomach oily and/or spicy food... Bummer~! It was like my toilet became my 2nd bedroom when I consume fried stuff in China. =P
First stop: Dumpling~! This is one of the most popular pork dumpling shop in 裕园, Shanghai. I couldn't quite describe how to find it, though... there was quite some twist and turn. But the shop is right next to the lake in the middle. There was quite a queue to get the pork dumplings.
Ta~da~! The dumplings that I Q'd for. Nanjing pork dumplings and Shanghai pork dumplings are different. Nanjing pork dumplings are sweet while Shanghai pork dumplings are savoury, I like~! Just RMB20 for this much of pork dumpling~!!
鸭血粉丝汤 (duck's blood vermicelli)... When my friend first recommended it to me, I was slightly disgusted. The notion of eating blood is kinda creepy but then after drinking this soup. I have to agree, this is yummy. This is unlike pork's blood, it is very soft like tofu and no blood's smell. This had to be the best duck's blood vermicelli I have tasted in 鸭得堡~! Don't forget to give it a try~!
This is also another specialty ramen shop and this dish is 老头面. What is different is the pork skin in the soup. It is deep fried and then cook to a savoury soup base nestling the hand made ramen. Yummy? Yummy~! O yeah, don't forget to try it with their vinegar. My friends poured generous amount of vinegar inside and i was so shocked. The vinegar is unlike the black vinegar I have back home. Perhaps if I am a food critic with more robust vocab, I would be able to describe it. But I will try... the black vinegar that I was used to have one taste i.e. sour, while this vinegar... hmm... you could kinda roll it around your tongue a bit coz there is a certain mixture to the taste. I was tempted to bring one bottle back with me, but decided against it when I consider how many other stuff I am bringing back anyway.
Another thing I had to try is 烧卖 in Nanjing. In Malaysia, our siew mai consists of pork + prawn in thin wantan wrapping. But the siew mai here are different... Guess what? Scroll down~!
Stuffed with glutinous rice, mushroom slice and small pieces of pork!! I didn't realise this and ordered this along with my duck's blood vermicelli... end up, I couldn't finish it and had to take away.
This is my 2nd duck's blood vermicelli. It is from a very popular and ubiquitous franchise around town call 回味. It is not too bad for first timer, but the soup still loses out to 鸭得堡's duck blood vermicelli.
Yummy yummy 酸菜鱼米线. It cost around RMB15, shared between the 3 of us and still we were unable to finish everything. It is so nice~! Look at the fish slices, the texture is so smooth~! And the soup is a perfect match of chinese sour cabbage and spices without one overpowering the other. It is actually a small noodle stall outside Nanjing University of Technology.
燃面。Taste like Sarawak's mee kolok, except oilier and more spicier. Have to eat it with the radish pickles at the side to slightly wash away the taste of oil. But overall, yummy~!
And not forgetting, 糖葫芦！！！ I love this~! If you just have a major meal, eating syrup coated haw would help tremendously. But if you just wanna go in for the taste, other variation such as mixed fruit, haw and banana, etc would go down better.
First stop: Dumpling~! This is one of the most popular pork dumpling shop in 裕园, Shanghai. I couldn't quite describe how to find it, though... there was quite some twist and turn. But the shop is right next to the lake in the middle. There was quite a queue to get the pork dumplings.
Ta~da~! The dumplings that I Q'd for. Nanjing pork dumplings and Shanghai pork dumplings are different. Nanjing pork dumplings are sweet while Shanghai pork dumplings are savoury, I like~! Just RMB20 for this much of pork dumpling~!!
鸭血粉丝汤 (duck's blood vermicelli)... When my friend first recommended it to me, I was slightly disgusted. The notion of eating blood is kinda creepy but then after drinking this soup. I have to agree, this is yummy. This is unlike pork's blood, it is very soft like tofu and no blood's smell. This had to be the best duck's blood vermicelli I have tasted in 鸭得堡~! Don't forget to give it a try~!
This is also another specialty ramen shop and this dish is 老头面. What is different is the pork skin in the soup. It is deep fried and then cook to a savoury soup base nestling the hand made ramen. Yummy? Yummy~! O yeah, don't forget to try it with their vinegar. My friends poured generous amount of vinegar inside and i was so shocked. The vinegar is unlike the black vinegar I have back home. Perhaps if I am a food critic with more robust vocab, I would be able to describe it. But I will try... the black vinegar that I was used to have one taste i.e. sour, while this vinegar... hmm... you could kinda roll it around your tongue a bit coz there is a certain mixture to the taste. I was tempted to bring one bottle back with me, but decided against it when I consider how many other stuff I am bringing back anyway.
Another thing I had to try is 烧卖 in Nanjing. In Malaysia, our siew mai consists of pork + prawn in thin wantan wrapping. But the siew mai here are different... Guess what? Scroll down~!
Stuffed with glutinous rice, mushroom slice and small pieces of pork!! I didn't realise this and ordered this along with my duck's blood vermicelli... end up, I couldn't finish it and had to take away.
This is my 2nd duck's blood vermicelli. It is from a very popular and ubiquitous franchise around town call 回味. It is not too bad for first timer, but the soup still loses out to 鸭得堡's duck blood vermicelli.
Yummy yummy 酸菜鱼米线. It cost around RMB15, shared between the 3 of us and still we were unable to finish everything. It is so nice~! Look at the fish slices, the texture is so smooth~! And the soup is a perfect match of chinese sour cabbage and spices without one overpowering the other. It is actually a small noodle stall outside Nanjing University of Technology.
燃面。Taste like Sarawak's mee kolok, except oilier and more spicier. Have to eat it with the radish pickles at the side to slightly wash away the taste of oil. But overall, yummy~!
And not forgetting, 糖葫芦！！！ I love this~! If you just have a major meal, eating syrup coated haw would help tremendously. But if you just wanna go in for the taste, other variation such as mixed fruit, haw and banana, etc would go down better.
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