last drama

While packing some of the DVDs last week, i realised i have this Smile Again in my cupboard, so i decided to finish it before my friends arrive later this week. Judging from the progress so far, i might just be able to finish it within the next 2 days! Heehee...

This supporting actor Lee Jin-wook (far left) is really handsome! Check him out!

last of swaps

Last week, i've mailed out what i thought would be the last of my swaps - at least for 2007. I've been excited about these 2 swaps for the longest time! Haha... In fact, it's the only 2 swaps in which i had 'made the first move'. What they sent to others looked really enticing. Heehee... ;p

So, i put in more effort in these 2 swaps - not that i didnt in my other swaps. I really hope that they'll like what i've put together for them. Probably they wouldnt expect China to have these cool stuffs! ;p

This is for Marceline, Scotland

And this is for Malin, Sweden


I've requested for them to mail mine to Singapore since i'll be away for a while... I cant wait to get home sooner for the packages! ;)

Also decided to go ahead with my final August swap with Lyz, USA. Here's what she requested for + some little surprises (since it's really gonna be my last)! I'll mail it out before i leave. ;)


UPDATE:
All my 3 swap partners (including Little Swap from Italy) loved everything I've put together for them! Of course, lah! Who wouldnt, right? Heehee... ;p

UPDATE (finally on 7 Aug):
Here's some of the lovely stuff i received from Marceline & Malin! Both are equally wonderful! I'm also thankful to Malin for buying my baby's 1st gift - cute bibs from H&M!



And being the scatterbrain that i am, i had forgotten which of these 2 packages these cute stuff (below) belong to. Oops! I had also misplaced the cute pink Barbapapa cellphone strap & gift cards which Malin sent me at the time of shooting this photo. Found them since...n the strap is on my cellphone now! Heehee... I also suspect that I got some of the items mixed up (from the 2 packages)...eg the pink Hello Kitty letter-memo pad. O ya, Marceline also sent me a box of delicious shortcakes cookies! ;p


UPDATE (finally on 20 Aug):
I just received the LAST of my swap package from Lyz in the US! Here's some of the lovely stuff! I really love the Cram Cream patent bag...and those craft/cook books are so neat!


And this marks the HAPPY ENDING of all my swaps in 2007, Shanghai.

our all-in-one dinner

Elvis will be leaving for Beijing tomorrow morning, and we had planned to go for our wedding anniversary dinner tonight. He had to come into the office to do some packing (coz they are shifting when he's away), and also for a conference call. So we came in after our brunch. As soon as his meeting started at 3pm, i left the office and went to Cheng Huang Miao to look for nice zhongzi. But sadly, the Duan Yuan Festival fair was over. Still, there was a lot to see in Cheng Huang Miao, and i enjoyed myself despite the really warm & humid weather.

When i went back to the office, their meeting was not over!! So, i waited and waited... And till now (920pm), we're still in his office! Haha!

We had wanted to go out for dinner, then come back again, BUT it started to pour really heavily - with thunder too - in the evening!!! So, i decided to order pizza and eat with the rest of the team. Actually, i'm really not disappointed at all although Elvis felt bad about it. (He's the more romantic one)

It's really ok. We can have a good dinner again when he's back from Beijing (for 3/4 days) before he leaves again. (For this short trip home, i've rescheduled my departure a few days later) After that, i'll be home in Singapore too...eating at my fav Japanese restaurant, Fish & Co (i have a craving for good Fish & Chips today), yummy Nonya bak zhang...

I think i need my supper now! Keekee...

home sweet home

I've booked my flight home! Yippie! ;)

The reason why i'm going back to Singapore now is becoz Elvis will be away on biz trip from this Sunday...and for ONE month! Sob sob... But i cant leave the same day as him coz i still need to wait for friends to come here for their holiday a week later. That means, 1 looong week ALONE! I really hate that! ={

But i'm booked on a flight as soon as they leave! In fact, just hours away from theirs! Keekee... I'm sooo happy! =D

Of course, i could also fly back this Sunday and pass them my house keys when i'm in Singapore. Haha! Then they can find their own way to my house and stay here. That's a very good alternative, though a rather irresponsible way. ;p

Another downside is that my part-time maid is NOT coming in anymore! So, from now (and esp when my friends are here), i'll have to keep the place as clean as possible so that i dont need to do any mopping. Sweeping is fine with me. And Elvis will also have to manage on his own when he comes back (coz i'll still be away). After that, we'll have to look for another maid. Headache...

But anyway, i'm just too glad to be HOME!

finally!

Yday, i had a haircut. It was kinda on impulse...coz i had planned to wait till my hair is a bit longer (till the curls grow out). The stylist said that i'll have to straighten some of the curls to achieve the style i wanted. So...i went along with his suggestion. Hmm...but this style needed some volume leh... Hmmmmmm... It didnt touch my scalp, so i guess it was alright too. Besides, it's not rebonding...just a milder form of straightening. Perhaps it's "relaxing" - the pre invention of the amazing rebonding. (But it smells equally bad)

Anyway, this is what i've got! Just took it today, so maybe not as nice as when i walked out of the salon. Nice??? ;)

little swap

Yesterday, I received my 5th swap package from Chiara (aka Kiarolla). It was meant to be a little swap coz i was already booked for June, and she contacted me anyhow. I had wanted just a package of Ferrero Giotto chocolates which are from Italy, but Kiarolla said she's never seen them before. (Hmm...weird, coz i also couldnt find them when i was in Spain) So, she picked out 6 items from my wishlist.

Hmm...it was very sweet of her to wrap them individually with notes like 'Something to write on', 'Somthing blue', 'Something for your hair' etc... Anyway, here's what's inside the package: pastel blue/pink straw-like tote, recycled paper notebook, teabags, pink pearl necklace, glitter star hairband, wall pocket hanger.


And here's the stuff she requested for:

earrings similar to what i sent Phyllis, the Hello Kitty tote bag i sent Jean's daughter, Poky, deco tapes, socks and the Paul Frank bedroom slippers i sent Jean. But i couldnt find the slippers, so i got her a Hello Kitty pouch instead. Hope she'll like everything.

more surprises

Today, i received 2 packages! What a BIG surprise!

Stella sent me a "life-saver kit"! Here's it!

Seaweed, "bags", recipe book, Hainanese chicken rice paste, Nasi Lemak mix (with RICE inside!!!), and Meesiam mix!!! O my God!!! These are the food i've been missing!!! I felt soooooo touched! She really made my day...and made me feel instantly energized! Haha! I cant wait till i feel better to eat all these glorious food! ;D

I also received my little swap package from Chiara (aka Kiarolla) from Italy. But that was a wee bit disappointing though. Nonetheless, it's nice to get it so quickly. Kekee... Will write about it later. ;p

A few days later, my dear friend Catherine also mailed me another life-saver item! It's a sea-sick band i've been searching high & low here in Shanghai! Thanks sooo much! You gals are GREAT! =D

so elaborate!

Sat morning, we decided to try a Tang Dynasty Restaurant's dimsum which our friend recommended instead of our usual Crystal Jade. When we finally found the restaurant next/linked to JW Marriot (i was starving by then), we walked in and realised that it's super glam! Just like a hotel wedding dinner setting! When we saw the menu, we realised that we had gone to the wrong Tang Dynasty. They do not have a wide range of dimsum...so we ordered some dimsum and had lobster, abalone chicken soup, birds nest (inside the eggtart), and we even had GOLD (which came in a small foil on top of the har gau)! WOW!

What i have to praise them was the food presentation! (And too bad i didnt have my camera with me) Everything was so intricate! We had a dimsum that was shaped like a tiny pear, complete with a green stem! The skin was cooked till flawless light golden brown, and the 3 tiny pears were served on a glass pedestal. I didnt know what was inside, but it looks delicious anyway. Even a simple vegetable & mushroom dish was also very delicious! But a beef dish we had was a bit disappointing. We left feeling "rich" after our very elaborate brunch! HAHA! And yes, it was the most expensive dimsum we've had! ;)

For dinner, we met up with Aey and had steamboat together. I was so disappointed that the prawns were sold out. It's one of my favourite food in steamboat. :_[

Also, on Fri night, we went back to the Thai restaurant Coconut Paradise again for dinner with some friends. After that, we walked some 20-30 mins (coz we couldnt get any cabs) to Man Ji (Honeymoon Dessert) for some authentic Hong Kong dessert. I had yang zi gan lu (mango sago with pomelo), and it was good enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Yummy! ;)

jollysoya

Since i bought the soya bean milk maker, i've been too lazy to start using it. Also, i needed Elvis to read me the instruction manual (in Chinese) first. Okay, this is an excuse. Haha! I saw how it worked on TV, and it was pretty idiot-proof. So this morning, i decided to make some soya bean instead of my regular milk.

- pour in 1 cup of dried soya beans
- pour in 600ml of water
- close every lid on the machine
- press Start! (the machine was loud)
- About slightly more than 5 mins later, i could hear the water being transferred to the "kettle" part, and heating starts
- Soon, a beep sounded, and my soya bean was ready!

I quickly rushed to the machine, to see a lot of froth, but seemed like 600ml of soya bean was also produced! I added about 3 teaspoon of sugar to my cup, and it taste GOOD! Well, maybe not as good as JollyBean's, but i'm sure i can experiment with the amount of water/beans, and make it more yummy next time! Keekee...

Success!

satisfying weekend

I havent been updating much about my life here of late. Partly coz i was sick. :_( I havent had much appetite the whole week, and ate mostly whatever i can bring myself to swallow. Thankfully, i felt better over the weekends, so i ate and ate... There's only 1 word i can describe after every meal - SATISFYING!

Sat morning, Elvis went for a run organised by his client, so when he came back home, it was just in time for lunch. We decided to try the frog's leg porridge at a restaurant called 'Chinatown 牛车水' in HongQiao area. It's nothing like the yummy frog's leg porridge at Bras Basah Road, but their chaipo egg was good. That for me was satisfying! Later, i had an Anderson's Belgium Chocolate Chip icecream cone for teabreak, and it was super satisfying! For dinner, Elvis brought me to this very nice steamboat place called Colourful Hotpot. I've seen it on TV before, and must say that the ambience is really nice. Everyone has its individual pot, and you can choose from a range of soup base. Elvis chose sharksfin! I realised that the prawns served (on skewers) was hopping on the plate!!! So i made sure it stopped moving for a while before i put them in my pot. It's also much more expensive than the other steamboat places we've been to. But it's a nice place to go once in a while. It was satisfying!

Sunday, we decided to try the Delifrance here instead of our usual CJ dimsum. I had the egg mayo+salmon mayo croissant, veg soup and iced chocolate! And it felt soo satisfying! Then we had teabreak of McDonalds nuggets and fries, and it was also satisfying! Dinner, we headed to Sushi Tei. I had so much of everything except the o-so-raw-but-i-so-love sashimi. But that still felt satisfying. I liked it so much more than Sakae Sushi (which buffet's standard has become rather bad), and wanna go back again this weekend! Haha!

Ironically, everything we had is so Singaporean! I even read June 1 & 2's of the Straits Times! (It's usually at least 1 day later than published date) SATISFYING! =)

HEY! I just came home from another satisfying dinner again! This time, it's a Thai restaurant Coconut Paradise at Julu/Fuming Road. We ordered papaya salad, shrimp cake, tomyam gong, green curry chicken & a fish in lemon sauce. I finally took my camera out with me too. ;p Just saved their number in my cellphone. Will definitely go back again! SOOO SATISFYING!

Thank you sooo much, Elvis, for always buying me good food. =*