YOU'RE AWESOME!!!

Short advertisement for Sentio - a charity dance concert...It's on 8th and 9th June, 7pm. At republic poly. All kinds of dances performed by highly accredited SYF dance groups, danceworkz champions, LADC, NUS BLAST! (and me!) This is for thee bone marrow donor programme ( www.bmdp.org)

Personally, I'd like to see the first student-organised FOR-profit dance concert. Are those not fashionable or something?

Tickets are going for

$50, $30, $15 for the Opening Night (8th June)

$100 (priority ticket holders), $50, $25 for the Gala Night (9th June) with guest-of-honour and a private reception for priority ticket holders

Anyways, dance aside, I'm back from my 'business trip' to KL. Haven't been to KL since primary school, and I didn't happen to miss it much either. It's really just a replica of singapore, except a couple of years behind. Since we went with mommy, the main agenda was shopping. We explored KLCC and Midvalley. Whatever you can find in Singapore, you can also find there, at the same price too. KL DOES have a couple more things that I haven't seen around here, like lots of juicebars (funky branded juicebars like MIX in Singapore, except less expensive) (not the FoodJunction-type of juice bar, lol). They also have more branded stalls selling kuehs. Nice kuehs :)

My mom and Jas spent a fortune at Lillian Too's World of Feng Shui, haha. I swear, we spent nearly 3 hours in there. So while they were picking out their fengshui jewelry for abundance and goodluck and whatnot, I watched a hilarious video of Lillian Too trying to explain what someone with a weak Metal should do in the South-east corner of his house to enhance his lovelife. And there was this Q&A part in the video where the audience could ask questions. This guy stood up and asked, "So what happens if you figure out that fengshui elements-wise you're married to the absolute wrong woman?" I can't remember how they replied but they were pretty tactful. I usually quite okay with Fengshui, I just don't like the way Lillian Too conducts her business. Too focussed on generating wealth, and telling them that everything in the lives is horribly misaligned. And whoever makes money by writing books to tell people to buy her own things (eg. fengshui figurines), is a very cunning person. After the video, I browsed the instore library reading books about Qi Gong, I Ching, and Buddhism. I think the Lillian Too's version of Fengshui contradicts the basic philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism, but whatever, I'm talking too much.

Mommy met up with a couple of old colleagues, and I managed to practise my Malaysian chinese :D. Nice. Overall, it was a nice trip. I even got to watch Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, Spiderman, So you think you can dance (KL), a lost episode of The OC Season 3, and relentless re-runs of Cho Seung Hui's 'manifesto'. oooooo DRAMA! My only grouse is that I couldn't have internet access for 3 whole days. NO MINERVA!! Minerva has become my weed these days:p Also, I had to put up with auntie-chatter about stuff like how it's great to buy bread at Rotiboy in KL. Because some sausage bun thing is only 1.50 RM in KL. But in Singapore it's S$1+. And the worst is JB, coz the buns there are even more expensive than in Singapore, in their attempt to trick Singaporeans, who think that everything in JB is cheaper than in Singapore. But of course, my aunties will never be fooled, and I have been graciously enlightened.

Here are some pictures of the KL cityscape.

A random thing that happened during the trip include, my celebrity sighting of mtv vj denise keller and colby...forgot his last name. Also, there was a car that overturned while driving right next to us. I also saw A&W, and Saint Cinnamon, which are now extinct in Singapore. I didn't really manage to shop much. Got a couple of shirts, pants, and a book. LOL. I couldn't have bought these in Singapore huh!

At the end of the trip I had to put up, yet again, with auntie-chatter about the KL airport. They were pretty furious that KL's was named the best airport in the world and were pretty sure that Singapore's is way better than KL's. Started complaining about how the KL airport was too big, and that there's too much walking to do. About how 'un-happening' the departure hall was (meaning, not much shopping to do). Even though, I nodded in agreement, I secretly preferred KL's airport. Haha. I love the high ceilings and glass walls, and the whole open-concept, airport-in-a-forest aspect of it. Singapore's seems quite claustrophobic in comparison, with its low ceilings, dark walls and never-ending rows of stores.

For now, I'll just check Minerva one last time...

feeling quietly happy

Went to Menotti for breakfast today with my BSF group, the restaurant I've been wanting to try. No pictures to offer, but the American Breakfast set was pretty good, and quite reasonable at $6.90+++. Comes with eggs in your preferred style, this grilled bread thing, sauteed mushrooms (=D!!!), ham, salad, coffee/tea. Not too large a portion either, that would leave you too stuffed. Well, apparently their lunch and dinners are pretty good, Italian food, so let's go soon Maddy!

Next up, a couple of cool things I just got! Met Kat for dinner on Tuesday, and look what she and Kevin got me!I didn't know they sold button badges like this around here! And I absolutely love the cartoony Queen one! (Hehheh, Kat's pick right?) Thanks so much you guys!!!

And I bought a couple of books at a book sale. Got one a few weeks ago, and got another one today at the same sale, haha. $3 books are simply irresistible! Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same by Sloane Tanen is a really funny book, with great pictures. Although it's quite short (I finished it on the train ride home from Dhoby Ghaut, which you all know is pretty darned short), it's a really great buy. I first saw it on notmartha I think, never expecting to see it here in Singapore. But who knew! Click for larger pictures so you can read it. Subtitle for the last picture: Caroline's eggs hadn't even hatched and already Victor's eyes were wandering.

Home Sweet Home by Lauren White. This book has very pretty illustrations, but my first thought was "call this a book??". In fact, it isn't actually a book (minimal words), but a picture book. In Maddy's words, "eh, I also can draw this lor". But after taking a closer look at it, and reading it a few more times, I'm quite glad I got it after all. Maddy, your book's with me, but I think you'll be glad too, haha. It's very simple, but pretty. Maddy could probably draw these too, but here it is all nicely wrapped in a book, haha.
So anyway, if you feel like it, go check out Carrefour's book sale at Plaza Singapura. There's still another 3 days before they close the sale and they've moved it up to the first floor. There are a lot of strange books in there, like about acing job interviews in a week, self help, dating disasters (we got this for Bern), Buffy the Vampire Slayer tributes etc, but oddly enough also nice little treasures like these.

Pale Blue Dot in an Indifferent Universe

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's
us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of,
every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy
and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic
doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and
destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love,
every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of
morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar", every "supreme leader",
every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of
dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate... Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from
ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and, I
might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no
better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of
our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and
compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot,
the only home we've ever known.

-Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan never fails to humbly remind me of how my petty problems and greivances are so infinitely miniscule when put in the cosmic scale of things. Like I always tell Eggy, I'll never really go into true depression. Because something inside of me always tells me that my personal problems are only exaggerated by self-centred conceitedness. They are nothing compared to the 11 yr old African girl who is struggling to live, whose parents died from AIDS, leaving her in charge of feeding her 6 younger siblings. Nothing compared to the guy who was born without arms, or legs, or eyes.

"For we are the local embodiment of a Cosmos grown to self awareness. We have
begun to contemplate our origins: starstuff pondering the stars; organised
assemblages of ten billion billion billion atoms considering the evolution of
atoms; tracing their long journey by which, here at least, consciousness arose.
Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for earth. Our
obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos,
ancient and vast, from which we sprung."

"For most of human history we have searched for our place in the cosmos. Who are we? What are we? We find that we inhabit an insignificant planet of a hum-drum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. This perspective is a courageous continuation of our penchant for constructing and testing mental models of the skies; the Sun as a red-hot stone, the stars as a celestial flame, the Galaxy as the backbone of night. "

"Every one of us is precious in the cosmic perspective. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another."

Just wanted to share the video, LOL, didnt mean for this to be an emo post. Blame my fascination with the stars :p We live in an awesome universe! Booyah!!

Far Coast

Far Coast is this funky little cafe at the bottom of International Building (i think, between Palais Renaissance and Shaw House). The place rings with 'Holiday Getaway' vibes, and stepping into the place is like entering a pseudo-exotic beach cafe. I love how they decorated the place with comfy couches, random throws and colourful mismatched pillows, and a rojak of various rattan chairs, faux-wood tables and stools. The decor is so welcoming and inviting I almost felt like taking my shoes off and just napping on the couch.

I seem to be having alot of scones these days, enough to become a scone aficionado. This scone was particularly crumbly and chockfull of juicy raisins, which is always a good thing. They were generous with the whipped cream and the jam was authentic. Not the sickeningly, artificially sweet sort. One day, I'll have to try baking my first batch of scones.

Parmesan mushroom wrap. Tasted very asian, almost like a popiah. They even had sliced taupok in the filling. Skin tasted suspiciously like roti prata.

Anyway, the trademark of this place is the coffee, but I stupidly forgot to take a photo of my cuppa. They have a whole variety of beans for us to choose from. Unfortunately, I don't really know the difference the beans and randomly picked the one with the fanciest name - which I can no longer recall.

nostalgia

Another song post, haha. I'm reliving my eva period, rediscovering Eva Cassidy. Her voice is indescribable. The things she does to those songs you always thought you knew, you haven't truly heard it until you've heard her sing it. Well, it's sad though, because she died at a really young age, 30+. Her voice is beautiful, and carries so much in it. There's this wistful quality in it, yet she can do big songs (ie. gospel etc) so well too. Big voice for a white girl, haha. Quite sad that we won't be seeing more albums from her.

Well, go listen! To all her songs if you can! Especially these two.

Might Morphin'

Didn't everyone have a crush on the White Ranger?

Click here

If we had the internet back then, they'd totally have fancy fansites and wikipedia articles. They would probably have appeared on Trent too. Hehe...Pink is the New Power Ranger!

Je présente Shy'm!

So Sam just returned from France a couple of weeks ago and has been playing lotsa French songs in dance class recently. So she's bringing the French music scene to Singapore and now our class has a very odd love-hate-relationship with Shy'm! Shy'm's like this ultra-hip, ultra-cool, super-up-to-date, totally rad (bring it on!!) singer/dancer/celebrity/star/sex icon...famous in France, I guess. She's sort of like a french version of Rihanna (particularly in her song Reves d'Enfants, you can listen to it on imeem. Reminds me of Rihanna's Unfaithful.)

Shy'm - Wikipedia Article
Shy'm - Imeem Search Results

Shy'm - Reves d'Enfants
Rihanna - Unfaithful

And you know, Shy'm is better than all the other American R&B clones because she's french, so that makes her cooler than, for example, Beyonce. Also, she has an apostrophe in her name, so that makes her better than all the other apostrophe-less celebrities. HEH :p

And I hereby declare that 'Baby' is the most overused English word in non-English songs. It's not just the taiwanese boybands that use 'Baby'. Somehow the image of Wu Zhong Xian in a cheesy pose keeps popping up in my head whenever I hear the word 'Baby'.

Oh well, welcome to the French music scene people!

One day, when I'm a rich and famous rockstar, I will change my name officially to Maddy'o (note the apostrophe). Or something more outrageous, such as MO Screwdriver, or Huff Mommy, or Lil Meow Meow... :( Maybe K3wlieZ, instead of Coolio. Haha.

Check this out: Music Stars Real Name. Quiz Time! Try to guess who these people are, as we know them. Paul David Hewson, Curtis Jackson, Artis Ivey Jr., Robert Alan Zimmerman, Rober Van Winkle (Winkle!!!), Reginald Kenneth Dwight, James Todd Smith, Carnell Haynes Jr., Alvin Nathaniel Joiner IV. Unfortunately, Usher's name really is Usher.

happy birthday ah ma!

I've never seen whiteheaded matches before! I'm amazed! It seems so at odds with its function, you know, black and sooty. Was my grandma's birthday today, and this came with the cake =)

Another random picture, have you ever noticed how mangoes sliced this way resemble the esplanade? Well, I never have till now. Haha, felt like a 3yearold during dinner being amused by the parents. "Look weiwei, esplanade!"

hang on little tomato

Go listen to this song! I love love love it! Listen to the whole thing kay, it's very nice! The front is nice and happy, but long, so make sure you listen till the part where she sings, even lovelier =)



The sun has left and forgotten me
It's dark, I cannot see
Why does this rain pour down
I'm gonna drown
In a sea
Of deep confusion

Somebody told me, I don't know who
Whenever you are sad and blue
And you're feelin' all alone and left behind
Just take a look inside you and you'll find

You gotta hold on, hold on through the night
Hang on, things will be all right
Even when it's dark
And not a bit of sparkling
Sing-song sunshine from above
Spreading rays of sunny love

Just hang on, hang on to the vine
Stay on, soon you'll be divine
If you start to cry, look up to the sky
Something's coming up ahead
To turn your tears to dew instead

And so I hold on to his advice
When change is hard and not so nice
If you listen to your heart the whole night through
Your sunny someday will come one day soon to you

Oreo Cupcakes

It's been awhile since our last bakeoff...and, we're back! Made Oreo Cupcakes this time round.






Crushing the oreo cookies was fun, and the cake batter kinda reminded me of cookies and cream ice-cream or something. The cupcakes themselves were sweet and moist. And the outside had a good crisp. They tasted like normal vanilla cupcakes though, the oreo flavour was not very obvious. And since the oreo crumbs were quite small (got a little carried away with the crushing), they were not really noticeable, texture-wise. If we had bigger cookie chunks, the difference in textures (between the cookie and the cake itself) would have been nice! Extra punch! :p

Here's the recipe for the cupcake itself:

Oreo Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups crushed oreo cookies (10 cookies)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with baking cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract, then beat in the egg whites one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Working in 4 or 5 additions, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the sugar mixture. Keep the mixer on low speed while you do this. When just combined, stir in the crushed oreos.
Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick comes out clean (a few chocolate cookie crumbs are fine, but not batter).
Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Store in an airtight container if not serving the same day.

Makes 24 cupcakes

The frosting was really watery and yellow at the time we took the photo. It kept overflowing...off the sides of the cupcake onto the table, so we had to scrape the frosting back up onto the pile in order to save the cakes. Maybe we beat the frosting a bit too much?


Recipe for the frosting:

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with frosting using a butter knife or offset spatula. Add as much or as little frosting as desired. If making oreo cupcakes, garnish with additional chunks of Oreo.

According to Bakingbites.com, this was how our cupcakes were supposed to look like. I blame the cheena cupcake cups. And maybe, the Golden Apple tshirt.

Is it just me, or is this post really boring.

I'm not feeling funny today :(

More Mercury

Tight pants. Big hair. Bright lights. Sideburns. Classic Rock and Roll!

It's April!

Just found this picture in my digicam. It's from back in february when we had dinner at the equinox! Spectacular fireworks display :D

You can see my reflection in the window.