I wish I could bake!

Visited the Public Garden Flea Market today and discovered some lovely baked goods by the Smitten Micro Bakery.

The cupcakes are sooooo pretty! I would have loved a try at everything... but Jo and I finally settled for the lemon cheesecakes, chocolate bunt cake and strawberry tartlette!

I ended up with extra jars of cheesecakes for W and D, whom I met later for dinner. It was a little sour (which I kinda liked!) and not too cheesy. According to the Smitten baker girl, it's low-fat too. The strawberry tartlette was just as lovely to the bite. It's a nice addition to any home parties and definitely something to consider if you're inviting your friends over for tea.

The Public Garden Flea Market at the MCI Building (formerly MICA) will last through Sunday, 20 Jan 2013, 1-7PM, so you might wanna head on down and check them out for yourself.

Spotted, at breakfast this morning.

what bird is this? raven? crow?

Retrolicious 2012.

This is gonna be a long post. You've been warned.

I've been wanting to go for this since I've heard it being advertised on Class95... but here's what I found out: I have little/no friends to go with and I'm too stingy to pay $125 (let alone $225 for VIP tix). And then the best thing happened (or so I thought... but let's leave that to the climatic end) - the cousin texted and said the event organizer was looking for volunteers to help at the event, and in return, all volunteers get a VIP tix in return! You cannot imagine my excitement; I was totally looking forward to it, and then came the boo-boo that my name wasn't on the volunteer list a week leading up to the concert. You see, all volunteers received an SMS with details on time/place for the briefing, but no, not I. And so I started bugging the cousin every other hour (ok, I'm exaggerating) until she must have so regretted telling me about the call for volunteers (I know you still love me, Y.)

4 days to the concert. The phone beeped. FINALLY. (And with any story worth reading, there's always a "but"...) The cousin texted and said she wasn't feeling well - my first dampener. But she was kinda sure she'll get better by the weekend. So there was hope.

1 day before the concert. The cousin's little girl was down with fever - my second dampener. But she said she'll monitor her. If the fever subsides, she'll still go for the concert. The husband was cool about her going by the way. It was more like she felt bad about leaving the baby at home while she was out partying. My POV? Little O wasn't gonna feel any better with one more person by her side. I literally told her that and assured her I wasn't saying it to be mean (yes, she has verified that she still loves me! yes, I am shameless like that). At this point, I was pretty sure the cousin would not be attending the concert afterall. I was half-prepared to go solo.

6 October 2012:
"Oi. bad news." The phone rang. Little O's to be admitted to hospital. Apparently down with some viral infection. "Just great," I thought to myself. I wasn't gonna let that ruin it for me though. So as much as I was pissed (with the world), I decided to go anyway. Afterall, it wasn't a nice thing to volunteer and then pull out last minute.

I arrived at Fort Canning Park 3:30PM for the briefing. Everyone's a strawberry. I was given an oversized t-shirt and a crew pass. ̶N̶i̶c̶e̶.̶  10min later. I've made a new friend. She was also alone! The friend played her out. We were kinda glad we ended up in the same group; she was to play usher while I took on the role of a "wrist-tagger". Sweet. I couldn't wait for "work" to end so I could go all wild and gyrate to the 80s hits. I was so wrong. My new friend had to burst my bubble and tell me volunteers don't actually get to see the concert. WHAAAAAAT! Volunteers had to work, so their friends get the free VIP tix instead! Double whaaaaaaaaaat! I couldn't have been more pissed at this point. This was also where I realised gee, I really didn't have that many friends to invite.

I texted D whom I remembered was touching down that same day, and told her she could bring a friend. I figured W wouldn't be interested since she did say "it wasn't her thing". D didn't manage to get anyone so my pair of VIP tix went totally to waste.

The crowd started pouring in about 6ish, 7. I was one hell of a tagger, I tell you. The strawberries were impressed. I also made sure I didn't litter the ground with the sticker butts (is that what they call it!?)... unlike *ahem* the rest of the kiddos in the other lanes.

I was paired with a strawberried ticket-tripper. That's what the ticket-tearers are called. I like her. She wasn't whiney... although she kinda stressed out when the crowd came storming through. I had to half-yell at them to STOP and get their tickets checked/torn before coming over to me to get their right wrists tagged. And even then, I get people telling me to tag their left wrist instead, because they're left-handers. I was like, "Honey, it's SOP. I only check right wrists for re-entries. You don't get to come back in if you're tagged on the left wrist." The lesson to be learnt here: never argue with the door bitch. I felt empowered. Ha ha ha ha!

I was also expecting to see lots of familiar faces, especially since I was right at the main entrance. I couldn't have been more wrong. I saw more hands/wrists more than faces I swear. Sweaty ones too! The expected turn out rate was 5,000 people. (According to the papers a day after, there were at least 6,500 people!) I would have tagged at least 1/4 of that number. I was totally free labour, did I say?

Oh yes, I haven't griped about how I could only hear the muffled sounds of Wang Chung playing "Let's Go!" where I was standing... my feet were a-tapping and my hands were trying so hard not to go up in the air!!! The strawberries could not understand my pain because they had absolutely no effing idea who the artistes were and what songs they were known for. Pffft. I was in pain. Tiffany came on like an hour later and again, I could only wish I was in there... I didn't feel that deeply for Howard Jones.

The conert was supposed to end at 11PM but Alphaville hadn't even come on then. There was a glimpse of hope. I asked if they were gonna dismiss us anyway (because we were told it'll end at 11PM). By this time, I've been moved inside, to bid the party-goers "bye bye", "goodnight" and "see you again next year!". My only consolation being I could actually see the side of the stage from where I stood. I could actually move my feet and danced to the beat! I was half-elated. It was like the icing on a carrot cake (I don't eat carrot cakes. Go figure)

The event ICs decided to dismiss us but hoped for 2 volunteers to stay on. No way was I gonna volunteer. But I told the new girlfriend, let's stay for Alphaville! I was glad she obliged. We also hung out with another guy friend who's brought along his girlfriend (but had to leave her with his friends because he also didn't realise he wouldn't be going for the concert! Such suckers we are!)

I ran to change outta the ill-fitting t-shirt (the temp toilet was so effing wet and dirty!!!!)... grabbed the new-found girlfriend, and scurried back to where the guy friend and his friends were. Alphaville just about started playing when we got into positions. AWESOME. FINALLY.

I could have sworn I moved every bone in my body. I was transported back to my Mambo Jumbo days! (if only my friends were here!) I went wild when "Big In Japan" came on. Even wilder with "Sounds like a Melody" and finally with "Forever Young"!


"Big In Japan"



the lights were giving me a headache but i went wild anyway

 

closing song: "forever young"


I am totally paying for the tickets next year. Then again, You owe me one, Y :)

And just so you know, I'm never volunteering ever.

(According to most of the strawberries I spoke with, they volunteered in the hope of getting called back to help at a K Pop concert that's happening.) The new friend I've made will continue to volunteer I've been told. She reckons she's got nothing (better) to do on weekends anyway. Amazing.

How much is that cupcake in the window?

I've always wondered if the cupcakes were any good, each time I come up by the escalator from the carpark at Great World City. And each time, I'll tell myself "I'm gonna have one after dinner!" But that never happened because I would have stuffed myself over dinner and then there were no room for desserts.

But today, one of my meetings happened to be in the afternoon and at Great World City and I had room for desserts! It was the perfect afternoon to finally put a rest to those thoughts. 

I went up to the window display... looked really hard at each cupcake... just so I could pick the "right one" to try... and even asked the cupcake lady over the counter which were the popular ones. She enthusiastically intro-ed almost all of 'em and I just went with their red velvet anyway (although this particular red velvet had raisins! And I don't usually like raisins with my stuff.... but figured I'll give it a chance, because I really wanted to find out what the fuss was all with red velvet cupcakes)

I was happily digging for coins; I mean, how expensive can cupcakes be, right? $3-4 a pop? But NOOooo, the cupcake lady keyed in the register, smiled and said "That'll be $6, ma'am." I looked at the boyfriend and exclaimed "Whaaaaaat! Six dollars for a cupcake??" But paid anyway and what did I do after? I made a detour home so I can store the cupcake in my fridge, and then head back to the office. You didn't think I would devour it all in 3 bites, did you? How could I!? It's a six-dollar cupcake FFS! Surely I would have to take all the pictures deserving of a six-dollar cupcake so I can blog/tweet about it! 

Here, enjoy the pictures. I hope they do my six dollars justice:

very high society pricing indeed

It came with a lovely box; extremely oversized for housing one cupcake. But hey, I did pay six dollars for it. 

You would also probably have expected the cupcake to sit in a tray so it wouldn't topple over in the box. And especially when you've just paid six dollars for it. But alas, that's not the case. And I only discovered this when I was in the car... Well done, High Society. I had to hold the box so carefully and make sure the boyfriend did not jam on his brakes so my cupcake would not lose its cream cheese topping to the sides of the box. So much for first impressions.

packaging fail

You can imagine the amount of time I "devoted" to get these shots. I had to make sure I captured as much details as I possibly could. On the SLR too.

love the colors in my kitchen!

red velvet from high society

Notice how the red is airbrushed onto the cream cheese topping? That's like a dollar in the works. So the 6-dollar question at the end of my blogpost: was it worth it?

It was good. But not worth paying six dollars for. Twelve Cupcakes' $3 cupcakes are on par. You be the judge.

The SLR Experience.

Just about everyone owns an SLR these days. Yet, I, for one, have not been converted. If you've been following my blog, you would have read I was given my very first digital camera only 3 years ago. And prior to that, I've always relied on my mobile phone camera.

Today, I shot my first "slr photo" and it turned out over-exposed. (Now you see the reason why I hate complicated toys? Not to mention, they're heavy to lug around too.)

and then I got a little better; or so I thought! (but also only because the boyfriend adjusted some settings)
 

piece of {peanut} cake

this has got to be my best shot

In case you're wondering, the camera's on loan, from work. Cos I'm hakka and I'm not about to spend a 4-figure sum on a camera.

Settled.

photo taken @ the lok kok canteen

What I'm Eating.

Our one {red velvet} cupcake from twelve cupcakes.

$3 a pop. nice.

Sebastian

made us dinner tonight. And if you'll like to find out what else he has to offer, visit him here.

beef straganoff linguini

Laundromats.

There's something therapeutic about laundromats. To me, at least. It think it's watching the clothes spin around in that drum, coupled with the smell of fresh clothes that's been doused with powdered detergent that brings an instant calm to the soul.

I think I associate laundromats to "independence"; it lets me think I'm living on my own, in another country, where I'm too lazy-assed to wash my own clothes, so I'll bring 'em down to the laundromat; stick in the coins, hang around and watch the clothes spin, with a hot/cold drink in hand, strike up conversations with the other people-in-waiting... (which in real life would not happen because I so do not like to strike up conversations with just anyone)

Now you know.

Feeding the legs with:

mushroom salad with bacon and eggs



iced cappuccino



Spotted!

makes my hair stand when you look at it up close

Tiong Bahru.

I almost had a chance to live in this neighborhood; that is, if my dad had put his foot (and money) down on a unit at Bo Bo Tan Gardens. But that's another story altogether, and I shall not get to that today.

The boyfriend suggested we had breakfast before heading in to work. I happily obliged, of course! What a way to start a Friday morning! He wouldn't say where we were headed, so I only found out when we got there. Ahh... Tiong Bahru. We had just discovered this bakery a few nights ago when we had dinner at the adjacent coffee shop. Full glass windows... wide array of home-made breads displayed... nice furniture... crowded. Yes! It was totally packed with people! On a working, Friday morning. What jobs do these people hold? I'll like to do what they do; sit around in a cafe and chat my morning away. But then again, I do have a job like that.

Tiong Bahru Bakery: 56 Eng Hoon Street #01-70
{If may also wanna check out The Orange Thimble right next to them!}

all sorts of breads. *for display only*

loved the big wooden swivel  door

Moving along... I sent the boyfriend off to order "whatever he thinks is nice" for the two of us. And he came back with these (and two cups of cappuccino), and a whopping bill of $22!

some almond sponge cake thingy

some chocolaty-biscuit thingy

I think it's way too much to pay $22 for 4 tiny items in a cafe that's situated in a housing estate vicinity. I wouldn't mind it the first time, but I wouldn't also be coming back for seconds or thirds any time soon. It's just not something I'll splurge on on a weekly basis. But having said that, you should go check them out, because I read on Twitter, that their croissants are a hit.

Cafes like this are sprouting out all over the neighborhoods... as a matter of fact, there's one just on the ground level of my HDB block! They're a tiny outlet, opened by folks who used to roast coffee beans at Papa Palheta. They're not exactly a cafe, but more of a take-away joint. I'm really not a coffee person, but I'm sure I will order a cup soon.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Currently snacking on

Oreos Dream Bar: Robert Timms

"I'm so full. But which cake do I want?" The boyfriend thought that was hilarious. #Juxtapose

Happy Labor Day!

I'm glad I didn't have to labor today. Woke up according to my body clock, enjoyed a nice long shower, and then caught an episode of Desperate Housewives, in between games of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook. I wish everyday was like that... oh! Hang on, perhaps not. Cos if I were not doing anything everyday, it means I would not have the means to not do anything!

Went out for a short while today with the dollies. Shopped a little, dined a little... it was an overdue do for W's birthday. All of us are now officially into our *coughs* late *coughs* 30s *coughs* but 30s is the new 20s right? Speaking of which, I should really start jogging to maintain shape. Or whatever it is I have left! Heh heh. Did I also mention I've already bought the shoes!? Now I just need to get my ass downstairs and move those legs.

Moving along... here are the better photos from today:

the "bling" (Chomel)

more "bling" (Swarovski pen)

sandwiches and chips: Robert Timms

bacon and mushroom fettuccine: Robert Timms

I hope everyone's well-rested and ready to conquer the rest of the week!

Kin Ngid Ngai Hee Sentosa.

Thanks to @Sentosa_Island folks on Twitter, I got Boo entry into their newly-launched Port Of Lost Wonder (POLW). The aunties and uncle were there early to soak up the sun but by the time Y and I arrived, all we soaked up was the rain (ok, I'm exaggerating but it did pour).


Port of Lost Wonder, Palawan Beach, Sentosa

rain, rain, go away!

To stay out of the rain, we had lunch at Port Belly. Food was so-so, service was blah, but I take it it's the first day of its opening? So all's forgiveable.


my Cappuccino (that came with a free bottle of mineral water - WHY?)



my penne pasta/bolognaise

the boo and the number tag she wanted to bring home!

the sleeping boo

It was a veeeery long day... but not a bad thing though. I got to see my aunties and uncle whom I don't usually meet. And at moments (which were alot of moments actually!), the uncle seems to have forgotten I'm no longer 13.  It's amazing my cousin and I still remain kinda close, even after all these years (largely due to the wonders of msn), and it's more amazing to see an almost split-image of the cousin in boo (although not in terms of mannerisms - as you can see the next few photos to follow!)

with the boo, everything's a blur!

unlike her younger cousin, K, boo does not understand the concept of "look at the camera and smile"

Here's a little boo trivia:
Boo buries face in her mother's iPhone 3/4 of the time.
Boo loves watching Pocoyo on repeat.
Boo calls me "spider yi" (the spider aunt).
the cousin thinks boo is a sam-seng (gangster!)

I like boo. I think you would too, if you've met her.

{kin ngid ngai hee sentosa = I went to Sentosa today, in hakka}

Sundays are for walking at a leisurely pace.

This morning, I woke up at 10-ish, without the repetitive beep of my alarm. I took my own sweet time to shower, to blow-dry my hair, and then to curl it. By the time I was done, it was like 12 noon. I took the train to town, had coffee and a donut at Dunkin' Donuts (for only $2.50!), and then started my 'shopping spree'. It was just all I, me and myself.

I had wanted to check out the Muji sale, the Orly Kiely collection at Uniqlo, and some knick knacks at Daiso, so Ion Orchard was the perfect one-stop-shop. First stop at Muji turned out to be a disappointment. There was almost no hint of an on-going sale, although there were random tags for items at a 20% discount. I had intended to buy a laptop bag but left empty-handed. My next stop at Uniqlo seemed more promising... until I spotted the sleeveless top I wanted, but they ran out of my size! Boo! But after much digging around, I finally found the elusive S! OK, for one of the sleeveless T at least. It would have been an easy fix for mum, the one I got in M. Hur hur hur... the beauty of having a mum who can sew!

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo

women Orla Kiely sleeveless graphic T/blue
my lucky find: the very last piece in size S

women Orla Kiely sleeveless graphic T/navy
loved the graphics prints so I bought it, even though it's an M -
I figured mum could fix that :)

women Orla Kiely long sleeve shirt/pink

I walked out of Uniqlo, $99.70 poorer. Spent zilch at Daiso. Then strolled down to Far East Shopping Centre but got stuck there for a bit because it decided to rain. And then I walked back up to Wisma, where I had tea and bread at Toastbox, before heading to Takashimaya. By then, it was almost 5pm, and time to meet the mother for dinner at Ikea, Alexandra.

Took two buses, reached Ikea about 6pm, had dinner. Bought 2 armchairs, 1 rug, 1 weighing scale. 1 happy mum. Came home, fixed up the 2 chairs, 1 even happier mum.

All that in one Sunday. I could do with more of these. But not everyday is a Sunday. I can only make the most of what I have. Hope your Sunday was well-spent too. Happy week ahead!