Listening to: The Killers
Gave the tiramisu to Gary who was surprised that I actually did it, and looked so pathetically grateful that I felt bad for feeling bad. LOL. Like all smart retortness disappear! at the magical pathetic (hypnotethical) puppy eyes. Went to work, which was pretty okay~ Talked to Konno-san about it, and she said okay to dressmaking classes. YATTA! *does a mini-dance*
Anyway work was fine~ I think I'm overanalyzing my job anyway. I really like it, should enjoy it and stop worrying. If I get bored, then I'll just try teaching or something. I really shouldn't worry - it's supposed to be fun and holidayish~ Like summer job! Summer makes me think of lazy afternoons, beach-strolling and dishwashing jobs. Then you sit in a rickety wooden chair and listen to the strained tunes of old Jamacian bands while the fan swings lazily and wipe the bar with a white, ragged cloth and sing: you've got to get yourself together~
Had koshi anpan today~ I wonder how long it'll take before I get sick of the taste? But I like koshi anpan - it's basically skin-less redbean paste which makes it very much smoother and less bitter. It's less earthy though, but I like it not so rich anyway. It's great to nibble on the way home, along with my 70cent Solero icecream~
Went to check out Cafe Rosso during my lunch break and OMG THERE'S NO MONT BLANC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently they don't have a Japanese patissier anymore, and like THEY'RE NOT STOCKING MONT BLANC. *withdrawls* OMG I need rehab. Like, REHAB NOW NOW NOW. Either that or 7 Mont Blancs would do the trick. Not only that, there's no more Strawberry Fraiser either ;_______; Anyway Yuka-san said she'll try her best to get one, which will come in around April.....AFTER MY BRITHDAY ARGH NO I WANT A 1 KG MONT BLANC D:!!!
*breathes deeply*
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.......
*relaxes*
Came home, gave Aya her Milk Cheese which she liked and promised to get her the Custard Tart one the next time. Or something interesting. I heard the scones weren't too bad either. Went to check on the status of my items and OMG D: Innocent World Items SOLD OUT!
Anyway, she recently replied me and told me:
Putumayo items: Pending
Gouk Items: sold out on website, gonna check Parco (sis you want something else?)
IW items: SOLD OUT
So Sak and I did a MAD RUSH to look for other purchases. In the end, I bought this dress and Sak bought these socks. They're both from Beth's Alice set. I picked the pink because a)I want something cute and sweet b)I need something to match with the beret.
*worries*
I worry about the fit though
I'm not exactly a tiny Japanese girl :x
Got a phone call today from the most unexpected of people. I mean, most. Guess who called? Mr. Gabriel Tan. Honestly I didn't recognize him on the phone (I rarely do - exceptions being mom, audy, aya, sak and kor) My first thought was: did I get another wrong caller again? *sigh* Anyway, I dislike people who assume you know who they are, unless you're like ZOMG!BEST FREN KZ with me. Anyway, he wanted to comission an oil painting from me. *raise eyebrow* okaaaaaaaaaaay. Dunno. I'm not going to turn down money unless he wants some nude p0rn or something :/
Anyway I agreed to meet him at Orchard (he originally suggested Bras Basah, Art Museum and I did a mental WTF-pretentious-shit.) And he suggested Burger King. Ew people D: Burger King cannot and will never compare to the greatness of MOS. (if he said KFC, I would have a grossed out expression)
I don't know what he wants really, painting's a painting. I don't even want to know how he got my number (although, I suspect it's Clare.) I'm just curious to why he sounds so snarky and I'm-laughing-at-You on the phone. 'sides, if he did anything funny I can just walk off. It's Orchard Road after all. It's not so cool to walk off in art musemum. I'll feel stupid for paying the entrance fee.
Actually I suspect he wants me at the art musemum simply because Clare is working there. So it's like a dumbed version of hurhur-I-don't-need-you. Wackos.
Some people, need to grow up and learn some class kz.
Anyway he was annoying vague about designs - not even telling me if it's a potrait or landscape, or what size he wants it in. The only thing he said was that he did a few "sketches" and purposely tried to be self-deprecating (nope, it does not work when your ego is inflated.)
I'm curious enough to go
Not curious enough to stay and play games
After all, I have to work on Sunday :x
Oh yeah, and I have a bruise the size of 2 50cent coins because I banged myself against the stainless steel counter in Provence. Counter 1 tsu 0. BAH. I WILL PWN j00 SOMEDAY. Anyway it's now really black and blue, and going into a nice ripe colour of purple. w00t. Guess what my mom said when she saw it? Does it hurt? Let me POKE it.. Like OW DAMNIT OF COURSE IT HURTS. Funny thing, my sis had the same reaction.
Talking about sis, it seems like everyone in ACJC who was fomerly from IJ knows me as the "airy-fairy ribbon genius"? Gee. If I was so smart you think I'll stay in CJC?.......Actually it's possible I would, considering I'm not particularly interested in school. Either that, or Mrs Low has been spreading tales - AGAIN! Hahahaha I love her though~ even so.
Anyway gtg
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 09:59 p.m.+
Listening to: Climbing to the Moon - The Eels
Mood: Cranky
but right now, everything you want is wrong
I don't get it myself :x
As a child, many people left me - so I grew up neurotic with seperation anxiety. I don't know what to say except that what I want seems to be wrong, because logically it's wrong. I feel it's wrong, and my instinct is usually pretty good. I feel that the wind has deserted me, my dearest.
thoughts
hang heavy, like spooned rocks
on tongue
on blinded eyes
the drowning man
the hanged man
dangles
impossibly from the gently held strings
inverted
The sky seems less like a friend and more distant, which worries me. If I don't have the sky, what am I now? I need it like the way people need air to breathe, I need it like the way plants photosynthesize.
I haven't seen the moon for so long.
A memory: stars in the shape of a dipper, a bedtime story of a girl who travelled far to get water and names that sounded like music; Pleides, Orion, North Star, Southern Cross, Venus at evening, Scorpio's tail and Triple Bears........my dad taught me, when he was still around. Even now, I remember how to find myself: to face the North Star and to count the degrees from the North Star to horizon, then the knots. And soon, you'll know where to are.
I don't know where I am now.
Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choices: was it the right thing to do to give up romance - point blank? Was it the right thing to turn down going to china to work, and stay in Singapore? Was it the right thing to do?
I need a star chart, like the ones I used to have
Read the stars, follow the light and sail your way home.
dust; air
stings and tears
as I
lean out of the rushing window
trying to watch for tomorrows
............Anyway with my presudo-angst over, I'm just going to say that my speaker lights are Moitie blue and I would like to eat more anpans. I like anpans. Anpans are friendly and lovable and have cute peely-skin and taste yummy. I like anpans~ and audy is a kogepan. I mean, she has a personality of a kogepan. Or at least, the audy-of-before. Now audy is like an ichigo-pan!
Talking about people changing, I think Dad is Insane. My theory goes that the mining thing is screwing his head in such a way that he's got illusions of grandeur and awesomeness. I mean, WTF man..............Private jet is understandable, but the way you're talking sounds like you're building castles in the air. And not good ones. I mean the kind I built involves smexing and hawt guys, but yours are like corrupt
It doesn't help that he wants me in China. I'm terribly suspicious and paranoid by nature, but in this case - it works for me. As a child, I've sworn never to be outwitted by him (and thus far resisted though strategic planning). It's times like this I wish I was like L/Raito, then I could suss out his motivation. My first instinct says that he wants to treat me as well as possible in China, so that I would be lured back to working for the company. Second instinct says that he wants to force a competition between my brother and I; because I would never do that. Third instinct says that he wants to keep an eye on me, simply because I'm not exactly the most boot-licking of family members.
Or it could be he just wants to spend time with me
Except of course, I would think: that's pure bullshit
Seriously, there's no love lost between us. Hell, during office hours I call him "Mr -surname-" too. It's like yakuza or something, but less cool.
My second reservation is I know how his company is run. Side by side, Provence and Family Business seem similar: both are relentlessly efficient, highly emphasizing on quality and ruthless. Then look closer. Working for (note: "for" not "with") is like being an automated machine. You sit at the desk, you read data and compile. Mostly you work till overtime, then go back to your hostel to stone, and stare into space. Wake up in the morning and it's back to work again for the next 8 hrs. There's nothing to do besides work and sleep - Zhuhai is an industrial estate with nothing to see except the blank emptiness of dirt and pale sky, broken only by large spewing concrete factories and the chug-chug of 24hr machinery.
It's like dying, from the inside.
At the same time, at Provence - I'm an overqualified dishwasher. At this rate, my brains will rot because I don't read nor do I simulate myself intellectually. Most of the work is physical. There's no puzzles to play, problems to solve, worlds to save. Very safe, very comforting daily labour. I'm also worried I'll get bored with it, because it's so routine. Currently I don't feel it since I'm learning new stuff everyday, but I can forsee that one day it might be a chore. I need to be constantly challenged, and it's hard when you do the same things over and over.
At the very most, my reflexes have become much faster.
I just don't know what to do/think anymore.
It's so confusing.
------------------
My lack of yurameki could be due to the speakers
It doesn't carry the "feel" of music as intimately as earphones do. Less intense, the feeling.
I'm vaguely annoyed at my sister - I hate people who bark orders at me. Seriously, ask nicely and I'll usually do it. Don't bark at me as though I'm your friggin slave. At the end of day, I'm STILL older than you and your sister. You can be in ACJC, studying triple science....whatever. Don't let that make you into an arrogant prick.
'sides, after an entire day of working and customers, the last thing I want is someone telling me what they want to do.
Anyway tiramisu is baked, and ready - it wasn't as hard as my sis made it out to be. I'm happy it's done though, thanks for all the help.
I want back earphones. Speakers don't do it for me, even very expensive ones. I want to hear my kokoro wa watashi ni in PURE UNDILUTED ANGST.
withered spring
fallows are covered in sky-crows
sunsets that fall
like mantle wings
descending on to
dirt earth
---------
speak with sighs and not words
contracted eyes
with humourless duty
as you hold your hand at me
-what for?-
[muted answer]
----------
ripples of muscled green
hard earth, beneath my feet
firm and fleshly seductive
waiting
tamed by concrete
into broken tarmac
The feeling.....of the hills I remember. The sensation of the earth as a muscled, rippled animal, wild and ready and fleshy, layered underneath so silently...I don't know if I could ever describe it...and the feeling that you're standing on it. Giddyness!
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:59 p.m.+
Sent the money to Kimalucifer, OMG I HOPE THE ITEMS ARE STILL THERE *dies* If not, I'm the one who'll be suffering. You see, once the funds are transferred to Paypal, you can't convert it back to normal currency. And since I'm doing everyone's order, I have roughly 0 transferred....>_< I hope nothing bad happens.
Work was fine. I don't really like Youko-san though, she's nitpicky as hell and reminds me of mah mah .____. I generally stay out of her way though, so it's not so bad. I just can't stand the way she nitpicks on the way I wipe trays or wash the dishcloth (seriously *rolls eyes*) But because I'm polite and whatever, I don't say anything although it does make me uncomfortable. It doesn't help that she's uberJapanese and very very proud of it.
Oh yeah, apparently the owner of Provence is this secret-secret guy.....Matsumoto-san. I've seen him only once. Briefly. At least I think he's the owner. Actually, I have no clue. But generally it's Aunty Candy, Konno-san and Gushi-san who manage the place. If you're a sucker for tags, then it's Sales, HR and Operations respectively.
And oh! I saw the new owner of Cafe Rosso again, Yuka-san. They're reopening on 17th Jan, Wed. YAY! (they better have mont blanc or I'll cry ;_;)
Sis came over, and we walked home together. It's rather nice, except that today wasn't windy but muggy instead. And I like the koshi anpan better than the normal anpan because it's sweeter and smoother. But anyway, anpan rocks!<3
Went home, napped then woke up for dinner. Settled the paypal thing, slacked around and didn't do much. My feet hurt :/ I'm tired too. But I'm working, so it's to be expected. I'm not yet bored out of my mind yet, and I don't think I'll be (but it may change in 4 months' time)
Dad offered me a job again in China, which means that he desperately wants me there for godknowswhat reason. I have no idea though.......I know it's kinda weird for a JC student to be working in a bakery - it's not glam, it's fairly repititive, very physical, not very intellectually simulating and low pay, plus a chinese/hokkien speaking enviroment.......but I do like my work. I just don't know if I should jump ship or not.
Working for dad is different. No more 6hr shifts or comfy bread or running about - worse still, no family or friends. I like my family and friends. I really really do. I like joking around with people, talking, slacking around and drinking too-sweet tea, going to MOS, catching films, sleeping and hugging people.
*grouses*
And I don't want to leave for 5!months
I have my own life okay?
There's cloths to sew, people to meet, stuff to learn, friends to hug and pillows to sleep with.
I'll wait and see though
:x that's the best thing to do now.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:52 p.m.+
I've just realized that it's actually amaguri as in amai (sweet) + kuri (chestnut). I've been saying ameguri, which is rain+chesnut. Thus, raining chesnuts!
Working is tiring - I hate working when it's raining. It makes me want to curl up and stone into space, and stare at the clock waiting for the hours to count down. On the other hand, we're less crowded on rainy days (although it makes no difference on weekends), which is a relief since I tend to work through the rush hours of 11am - 1pm.
So what's it like to work in a bakery? Well, for starters, everyone smokes. Or at least, most of them do. Most of them are my age too, they dropped out of school and started working from 16. It's kinda strange I guess, I'm one of the only *2* JC students there. Most of them speak hokkien, which I definitely do *not* understand. They'll nice though, when not relentlessly barking orders. Behind the kitchen is the bakery, next to it is the storage area/corridor/locker area. It's the narrow alleyway where they pile the sacks of sugar and flour that I like best :D During break, you can sit/sleep on those sacks, stare into space and listen to the muted noise of the kitchen, the ring of the cash register, the babble of conversations and the barely discernable mandarin-pop tunes played over the kitchen speaker.
I like to sit there, stone. Listen to the sounds of movement against the patter of rainfall.
It's cramped though, just wide enough for one person to walk through with sides piled high with dry goods and lockers and checklists. Dimly lit, with a whirling fan and an aged lunar calender.
Work is hetic. Seriously, I barely can breathe sometimes. The rush usually begins around 10am, that's when people start coming in for breakfast and everyone (customers and staff alike) anticipate the Wassant Rush. Wassant by the way, is Provence signiture item. It's a layered bread made to look like a crossiant, but filled with alternating layers of chocolate or custard instead. Weekday people usually go for the chocolate, Weekend people prefer custard. Personally, I like the custard better. Anyway, by around 10.45-11am, the wassants are out and there's like this MAD RUSH as we try our best to fill the bags, restock more wassants, go into the kitchen to get more wassants, call for more wassants, look for the reservation orders and pack it all too. At the same time, there will the normal orders of people wanting to eat here, tables to be cleaned, trays to be wiped, tongs to be wiped, drinks to be made, dishwashers to be emptied and refilled and orders to be called.
The register never stops ringing then.
But it's not as bad as Anthony Bourdain says so. Standards are kept (although occasionally bent), this is a Japanese bakery after all. We rush, but we never really do anything awful. At most, we forget about the "hard bread bottom, soft bread top" rule or overstuff the bag slightly - but no throwing food or reusing anything.
I've also seen insane customers who buy 14 Milk Pans or another one who works in a Karate school who bought 20 Pizzas or my favourite of them all; The Insane Wassant customers. As I've said before, it's a very popular item. Some of them buy 50, 60 pieces. I've seen a couple who buy 100 pieces or more before too. Not only do they buy so much, they usually reserve in advance too. They'll call, leave their name and state the amount of BAGS they want. 10 bags = 100pieces, 1 bag = 10 pieces. They'll come, charging in at 11am SHARP, and ask for it. It's not really fun, because we have our normal customers and because the wassants are just out of the oven - we basically have to go to the kitchen and pack them right off the tray in paper bags.
By around 1pm, the chaos dies down a little and the first shift people go for lunch. It's 30mins if you work only 6/7hrs, but 1hr if you work 8/9hrs. Anyway, usually by then I'm sick of packing bread - so I'll just walk across to eat kai si meen (shredded chicken noodles) at Yeo Cheong Yee. Then I'll go to the back room and stone myself silly until it's time for work again.
By the time I start again, I know for sure that around 3-4ish, we'll get slammed by the Afternoon brunch people, followed by the Office workers. By then, I'll be just counting down till time, wrapping up the cooled bread (bread comes off the oven around 1-2), clearing tables and loading the dishwasher. Around 5pm, we dismantle the dishwasher and wash it - btw, it stinks like hell because I've choked on it before. Think of steamed rubbish - it's gross.
I finish work usually at 4pm, sometimes at 6pm but generally I take only morning/early afternoon rush. It's quite a lot of physical work - you stand more or less the entire day. After I finish, I'm dead tired and craving for a chair. Then maybe I'll buy bread to bring home, and maybe an icecream on the way home as well. I walk, strangely enough. I walk home. I know I can take a bus, but seriously it's only 3 stops away and it's 90cents. Bah. I refuse to spend it. So even though I'm tired, I walk home.
Then I'll crash on the sofa, and stare into space for a while and go for a shower. Depending whether I have a day off tomorrow or not, I'll air my clothes/wash it.
And that's how my day is like really. It's not bad, it's not fantastically fun and games all the time either. I like my colleauges well enough, although Gushi-san is still very...kowaiii. I dunno. It's illogical 'cos he's nice, but still....I feel shy lah. A little awkward, but that's how it feels like being new.
---------------
Saturday was fun~ made ume soumen with soup, I'm so happy that audy liked it! <3 I love instant food, it just makes you feel so much better sometimes. Slurpy goodness~~ Then audy joined us in the Japan Winter Sale group order for Putumayo jackets and watched My Boss My Hero.
OMG TEGOSHI IS SO CUTE! *pinch cheek*
OMG TOMOYA IS SO COOL! *awed*
*turns into a JE fangirl*
I really really want to write a nice, slashy Sasaki x Sakuranantokakoji fic. A nice, fluffy, smexy one. Okayokay....when I'm I next free....this Thursday...*checks calender* Dayoff!:D
.......anyway.
I'M TURNING INTO A JE FANGIRL
*wibbles*
It's quite terrible how much I like popmusic
and cute guys. and nonsense songs.
then again, it's like my Gravitation!love
Nonsense is fun and cool!
Although, small boys don't do it for me. I like the older JE members like NewS or Tokio and maybe Jin from KAT-TUN.....or Kame. Or Maybe maybe maybe even Yamapi xD xD
Anyway, I found a really good video of Jin here. Wah! he dances like a bad Gackt!
Apparently, according to audy - Gackty, Yo-kun and Sugizo-sama are starting a band. True? OMG IF IT'S TRUE I MUST HEAR IT. It'll be like Gawthick!Vampire-meets-AngstLyricist-meets-JESUS!HippieSexGod. Hahahahaha....I can't believe what kind of music they'll produce. Sugizo is so.....trashy and Gackt is so....wangsty and Yo-kun is all....BLOOD!ROSES!TEARS!
Okay shall stop giggling now.
Tomorrow there's work to do!
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 08:45 p.m.+
I feel like having a sweet layout.
Like cupcakes, or chestnuts~
Must be the withdrawl symptoms...*craves*
I'm willing to sell my soul for a marron glace now
Now, I know exactly how Yuushi from SWEETS feel.
:x 'tis NOT a good feeling. Not. At. All.
*wibbles*
Anyway I feel like cooking soba this weekend. Cooking soba the proper Japanese salariman style is an art. First, it must be simple. No funky expensive ingrediants like scallops or prawns or fish or what nots. It must be simple - at most, fishcake (with funky colours!) and egg. Maybe some seaweed and obligatory sad-looking vegetables.
Eating it brings me back to the bowl of soba I had after the DeG concert. It was cold and rainy and I hadn't had dinner so audy, her mom and I entered those cheap side shops with vending machine tickets where you punched in the number with a couple of coins. I picked the 300 yen tsukimi bowl - basically soup, egg and noodles. (Tsukimi btw, means "moon watching/reflection" which is a poetic way of saying egg yolk floating in soup.) It was steaming hot when it came out, so hot that it fogged my glasses when I smelt it. That thick scent of tsuyu and buckwheat and salt - hits your nose like a warm warm bath.
I took a tentative bite.
It was yummy!
Different also, from what you have in Singapore. In Japan, they don't really cook the egg. Usually the tsuyu broth is poured over so the membrane is just cooked, but not fully. The noodles then mix into the white so it's much stickier and slurpy-er - but it's really darn good. Like the way pasta and sauce are finally tossed together so the starch bines with the sauce? Yeah, like that. The egg white does coats the soba so it's weirdly slurpy and ABSOLUTELY YUMMY.
So nowadays, when it's rainy and cold and I'm just hungry/tired/bored - I make it. Sometimes if I close my eyes and let the steam fog my glasses and eat it at the counter, I can almost imagine I'm back in Japan; bitterly cold with the hot soup burning my cracked lips. It's not particularly hard to make either, all you need is soba noodles, seasame oil, tsuyu and lots of spring onions. And of course, an egg.
I've tried making a dry version before using beef, and it's really yummy too. The sauce is basically reduced oyster sauce, seasame oil, lots of pepper and a good whack of tsuyu.
Anyway, here's how you make a REAL soba.
Salaryman style.
salariman vending machine soba
200g of good instant soba
tsuyu (I like kikkoman)
handful of spring onions
1 egg
seasame oil + pepper to taste
optional: yellow daikon pickles!<3
1. You need to boil a saucepan of water. Like, around 500ml of it. Wait till it's a rolling boil aka. big bubbles then slowly prod your noodles into submission.
2. The noodles should be done around 5-7mins. They should be bouncy and a bit snappy when you bite into them. Grab the saucepan off the stove and fill it IMMEDIATELY with cold water from the sink. This stops your noodles from being fugly and starchy. (that's why mine tastes better than yours!hah!) Drain, toss it into a bowl and crack a raw egg in it.
3. To cook the broth, add enough tsuyu to cover the base of the saucepan then add 1 bowl of water. Add seasame oil + pepper to taste. Once it's simmering, add whatever else like fishcake or what nots. Wait for it to boil. Once it's boiling, pour it over your egg carefully and poke it a bit.
Ta dah! Salariman soba!
The instructions seem really long, but actually it takes only 5mins max.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:43 p.m.+
I am an addict.
In fact, I am absolutely addicted to Mont Blanc.
Mont Blanc, by the way, is type of chestnut cake. It consists of an outerlayer of chesnut puree (which gives it the distinctive noodle-alien-brain-look), and an inner chantilly cream layer with milk-boiled chestnuts. The base is traditionally a meringue, but nowadays some people use pastry sablee.
Anyway, here's a picture:
Doesn't it look absolutely gorgeous???????? <3<3<3
The problem isn't just that I'm addicted to it. Part of the problem is that Cafe Rosso is the ONLY cakery to make it. Seriously. If it was something like strawberry fraiser I could easily get it from Sun Moulin or Da Paolo's. But not Mont Blanc. It's impossible to find. I've heard of people saying something about Cedele, but I can't find it there. Neither do I think Culinia has it. Da Paolo doesn't carry it either. The only other version that I know of is by Crystal Jade, but it tastes SO BAD I never want to eat it again. EVER.
Most places don't carry it because it's extremely painstaking and difficult to make. Most of the ingrediants are impossible to get hold of too.
To make Mont Blanc, you first need around 1kg of chesnuts and blanch them into hot water to peel off their skins. Then you need to add them into simmering full-cream milk (NEVER BOIL. If it does, the cream will break) Then after simmering, you need to puree the chesnuts with the warm milk and equal amounts of sugar until you get chesnut paste.
The filling is basically chantilly cream with chopping milk-boiled chesnuts with marron syrup. Marron syrup is basically a kind of chestnut syrup that looks like honey and is clear - it's like chestnut essence. You mix the filling into a bowl, and put 2 spoons of it on top of a pre-cooked meringue. Then you pipe your puree ON TOP of the chantilly cream. The final touches is a piece of honey glazed chestnut with powdered sugar.
In addition, the creams must be made fresh daily, because it spoils very easily due to Singapore's heat and humidity.
Now....why the hell would I like such a strange tasting dessert? Or why is it so hard to find in SG?
See....it started a very long long time ago when I was only 7. When I was 7ish, I went back to HK for "qing ming" - some kind of ancesteral grave-cleaning activity. It sounds really morbid, but it's more like a picnic. Everyone pulls up weeds, and rakes it over, you climb up a mountain and afterwards - PICNIC! Anyway besides bo loh bao (a kind of melon pan-ish top with sweet pork inside) there was this strange......cake.
Initally it looked really strange to me. Like wrong maggi mee or alien brains. But it smelt nice. And it was cake. And it looked interesting. And there was something....glowly and special-feeling about it...
So I took a fork, and swiped off the top of the cream tentatively. Mmmmmmm....It was.......delicious. It's hard to describe how it tastes exactly, because there's nothing else quite like it before. Kinda like durian. How the hell do you describe it? It's sweet, but not very sweet. Like dark-chocolate sweet, but not bitter. Instead, it's very light and very airy. It melts in your mouth, and the flavour spreads lightly and fragrantly...like sweet, earthy, woody...warm feeling.
And when you dip your fork through all the layers of cream and chesnut and meringue, it's really surprising. The hard chestnut cream with the meltingly soft chantilly with chewy chesnut bits and a sharp sweet burst of crunchy meringue. It's like the sensation of falling in love - you feel lightheaded and happy and giggly as though you've drunk too much champange, and the bubbles have gotten into your brain. At the same time, you're aware of how the flavours meld and complement each other: the woody earthy chestnut taste with the milky airy cream and the hypersweet crunchy bottom. You can't help smiling, so happily as the sweet taste finishes in your mouth. It's like heaven or sex or God....but so so so much better.
I was in love <3
And I've been hooked ever since.
It's been my favourite cake since forever, and when Cafe Rosso opened to Singapore, I was so HAPPY. It meant I didn't need to bug my dad or grandmother anymore to bring back (slightly squashed) cakes and I could eat it more easily.
I've noticed something about Mont Blanc though, there's several versions of it. The HK version uses a shortcrust pastry base, with chocolate cream and *then* chantilly cream with no chestnuts, then chestnut paste on the top. Also, they use chocolate shavings instead of powdered sugar. The Japanese version I tried in Shibuya (d'Caramel) used a pastry sablee base instead, which was much harder and less crunchy. But it's more nutty. Inside the tart base was a sponge, and then the chantilly cream - also with no chestnuts.
I think the best version was the one at Shinjuku where they have Mont Blanc Ice cream!!!!!!!!! It was really delicious, and I asked for a topping of red bean which would seem strange to some people, but was actually very good. Other strange flavours I've tried is Matcha mont blanc which I disliked, and the Mont Blanc Pocky which I saw online.
All in all, I prefer the traditional version of chestnut/cream/meringue rather than pastry sablee. It's a personal one, because sablee does taste good and works particularly well for certain things like ameretto cakes and pumpkin tarts. I don't know. I guess the problem is that sablee doesn't poke as well on my fork as meringue does...Hmmm....
The origins of this cake is much disputed also. Even though the name is "Mont Blanc" - named after the French Alps, the origins is in Italy, Florence (so THAT'S why I saw so many marron glaces there). It was later imported into France, and France kinda took it, and made it it's own. There, it also gained the name of "Mont Blanc". The best version of it in France is in Paris, Patissere Angelline.
Later after the War and everyone was becoming more westernized, people in HongKong and Japan started to like it and make more of it. It never reached Southeast Asia mainly because the tempretures and humidity made it unsuitable for storage.
Thus, this is the story of my love affair with Mont Blanc~~
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 11:34 p.m.+
[plug]
TRY THE BREAD IN PROVENCE! IT REALLY TASTES FANTASTIC!
[/plug]
Seriously, I can vouch for the quality. Anyway, back to talking about my job. I'm really happy with it - it gives me great pleasure to know that the product that I'm working for is always of highest quality and appreciated. It's like....taking pride in your work. Like, even if I'm tired or slackerish, I *won't* slack. Because deep down inside, I don't want to disappoint/lack in any quality.
Like....the way Provence insists that the plastic packaging must be wrapped round once before putting it into the carrier bag to ensure the sugar doesn't fall out. No other bakery does not. Not only that, Konno-san insists that the "hard" bread (ie. pizza) must be put in the bottom with the "soft" bread (ie. cornet) must be on top. In fact. she's so insistent that she'll TAKE OUT EVERYTHING and repack it so that it sits nicely. Also, when placing the bread into the carrier, it must ALWAYS be done in the counter infront of the customer.
Then there's other small things, that most people don't notice when they buy. Like the fact that the loaves of bread face the same way, and the ribbon ends are always flat (when it's bent, it looks "old" so it must always be flat). Or that the top must always form the shape of a "flower".
And if you're worried about hygiene, DON'T.
I've never down so much washing and wiping in my life.
Unlike most places, all cleaning towels are washed with WARM water to kill bacteria. All table cloths are plunged in bleach, then washed with warm water. Dishes are double-washes, first it's a rinse in the sink, then another round in the dishwasher. The counter area is mopped and swept twice day. Tongs and trays are wiped constantly, and if they contain sugar/ketchup/cream they are rinsed with warm water, then wiped dry.
Not only that, they have strict rules on employees. All employees MUST take a break once a day, it's the company policy. No overtime is allowed. To quote: You cannot be too tired to work, if not it won't be smiling (Konno-san speaks Engrish, which is supercute) If you have long hair, you must tie it up. No perfume or long fingernails allowed. Multiple piercings are also not allowed. All employees are entitled to one free drink of choice (juice/tea/coffee) and we get 20%!off all bread.
God, I love working there.
It's not just the fact that the product is so gorgeous that even after work, I go buy some home. It's also the friendly atmosphere. Everyone does everything, and everyone is willing and patient to teach you. Like yesterday was my first day, and they were like "Oh here's how you do it...". Also, they teach very patiently. Like yesterday, Aunty Candy was like "Since you're new, we teach you one at a time so that you don't need to remember too much at once".
Like, today when I came for work, Konno-san was so nice. She said "You must be very tired after your first day of work." God. She's my boss but she sounds like she cares! <3 I mean, I'm new, so I don't expect very much....but everyone nods and smiles and it just feels....good.
It was never like that when I worked in dad's office. I felt like a machine, automated, not particularly wanted. In Provence, everyone really does everything. You are where you're needed. If you're done wrapping the bread, then you do the dishes. If the dishes are done, then you go sprinkle sugar on the doughnuts (seriously fun). If you're done with the doughnuts....well, there's always trays to wipe and tongs to clean.
It's not easy work though, it's tiring but extremely satisfactory.
Just for my sake, here's my work schedule for Jan:
8th Jan 12noon - 6pm
9th Jan 10am - 4pm
12th Jan 10am - 4pm
14th Jan 9am - 4pm
15th Jan 10am - 4pm
16th Jan 10am - 4pm
17th Jan 10am - 4pm
21st Jan 9am -6pm
22nd 10am - 4pm
25th 10am - 4pm
26th 10am - 4pm
28th 9am - 6pm
29th 10am - 4pm
Not bad huh? I think it's really good. It's flexible, I still earn money and I enjoy what I'm learning. Next week hopefully the move me to do more kitchen work, but I think I'm having fun with the counter too. Like today I learnt how to dismantle and wash the dishwasher. Kinda fun, if not for the steam.
Anyway it's time for dinner.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 06:26 p.m.+
OMG I feel like those ten-year-old kids on crack and sugar eg. MOMMY LOOK AT SUPERMAN! kind of thing, except I'm saying MOMMY LOOK I GOT THE COOLEST AWESOMEST JOB!
I really love working at Provence. REALLY. First, it's the cute uniform. I have a black beret, white double button shirt and a SUPERCUTE wine apron with a side pocket. If there's such thing as the perfect lolita job - I think I found it. Also, the place smells wonderful. FREE SMELLS should be the motto of Provence. The blast of warm, comforting, freshly baked bread is great. The people there are really helpful too. There's Ms. Kanno and Mr Gushiken and The Aunties. Made a friend called Natasha too~ Waiii! I really like it.
But who knows? Maybe after 6 months I'll be ranting hahahaha
I hope not though. And oh yah, Cafe Rosso isn't open yet ;_;
I'm suffering from WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS.
Like heroin addict LOL.
Anyway Aya is in ACJC, which is really really......pitiful. The only good thing is that I'm working near her, so I feel rather happy. Plus, I'll get to see her since my hours are so....neat xD
Going to sleep now, I'm tired as hell
PS. I keep forgetting to change my layout. Damn.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:05 p.m.+
Just thinking about kekkais and random stuff, then I realized that the Seals (goodguys) are really lousy strategists. I mean, okay, you're supposed to protect the kekkais of the world right? And you have nasty enemies right? Logically, the first thing to do is to gather your arsenal - of course, that's impossible in CLAMP where everyone has an angsty backstory but anyway.....The second logical thing would be to construct an offensive first before the others do it. Then the kekkais would be in a more defensible position. Also, by attacking first it'll be more a surprise and it'll be FURTHER away from those bloody kekkais you have to protect. It's like playing battleship - thou shalt not fight on the tiny boats.
A really good strategy would be to get Arashi to build the kekkai, Subaru to use his shikigami as "eyes" for survellience. Sorata and Seiichirou could team up together to do a combined Lighting/Wind attack and if Fuuma/Seishirou comes along to mindfuck Subaru/Kamui - get Yuzuriha ready with her uber-genkiness. Then, when no one's looking - get Karen to blast them into smithereens :D
Okay I'm just a really blood-thirsty teenager...hah!
Destroying is so much easier than protecting though.
Isn't it ironic that to protect, you must make the first offensive because it's more logical and strategic to?
Anyway it's really stupid, since the Seals are usually ukes with no guts. Honestly, if Destiny wanted to pick someone to save the world they should've picked one with more of a spine and a brain. Like Seishirou. Except of course, Seishirou wouldn't really care about what happened to the world, and if possible would feed Destiny to his carnivourous tree.
Anyway, Fai totally reminds me of Kakyou. Dunno why. I always imagined Kakyou as a bit mouthy, bitchy, bitter in a sarcastically languid sorta-way. And I'm not really sure if I like the idea of Kamui and Subaru as twins in TRC. Their combined potential for angst is like WAAYYYY over my head. Not to mention the combined macho-ness of Fuuma/Seishirou has enough tetestorone to make me gag. Seriously. One side it's too passive-aggressive, the other side is just silly macho-bravado. Can't there be any balance around here?
Then again, conflict is essential to plot.
At the moment, seems like Sakura is acting as the Kotori/Hokuto/Yuzuriha element. Not as loud as Hokuto, not as annoying as Kotori, not as energetic as Yuzuriha.....but she still does all of it anyway. Anyway she seems to be getting gothic-er, maybe like - she'll improve and become a deeper chara.
I just really wanna see Seishirou and Subaru though.
It makes me so.............happy
Tomorrow is my first day of work, so wish me luck okay?!:D
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 11:12 p.m.+
Urgh I've been so horrible not blogging enough. What's up with me lately? It's such a bad habit to stop blogging. Anyway, going backwards.....
Sunday/Tsubasa Chronicles
Woke up late and grumpy 'cos Sak and I spent a whole night/morning sewing. Started drafting for the tartan blue shirtdress since I ran out of thread for the wine skirt. On the other hand, most of the finishing for the ruffles is done, and I can't wait to have a cute, ruffly wine skirt with big bows on it!:D
Had pudding with marshmellows and junk food and slouched all over the TV to watch random anime and variety TV. Then Sak's sewing machine decided to be a pissass and chew on the thread so she can't sew her JSK. Mou~ ;_; Unluckily, I ran out of thread too. So we're like *starestare* at each other.
Anyway after watching TRC, decided to update myself on it and OMG I DIDN'T KNOW SEISHIROU WAS FUUMA'S BROTHER. OMG SUBARU AND KAMUI ARE TWINS? OMG OMG OMG. So exciting <3~
I'm *dying* for Seishirou/Subaru action. *dying*
And I finally get the whole Fai-vampire thing.
And the whole Syaoran-right and Syaoran-left.
It's like totally wanktastically mindfucking CLAMP style.
Saturday
Woke up to meet audy, then got a call from Provence to be there by 3.30pm for another round of interviews. So after meeting Audy at Orchard, we took a bus backwards to Holland Village. So while they ate, I had an interview. Anyway it wasn't so much of an interview as was Friday's, more like a job confirmation and OMG I AM STARTING WORK IN PROVENCE ON MONDAY. I<3U. I was really really happy darnit~ Just superhappy about it.
Went to Arab Street soon after, to buy the more coudroy for the ruffles. You know how much does it take to make a ruffle? Like this. Say your waist is around, 72cm in total. The circumference of the skirt would be then (72x3 + 54x2). To make a ruffle for that, you need (72x3 + 54x2) x 3!!! And since I wanted a double ruffle, I need double quantities of that. Insane right? But with this, I'll get a very pretty flare skirt. Yay~
Found some pretty ribbon charm bows, and I couldn't resist buying even though I didn't need them~ Then we had murtabak with badung and it was just a pretty, wonderful (though really hot) day.
Went home, slacked then tried to make mom's pudding but we added too much butter. Ended up with too much quantity so it couldn't cook properly. I think using the Baby Belling would be better in this, since the dish was so deep but at minute we steamed the darn thing so it actually cooked. SAVED!
Aya was all -_________-;;;; over us though.
Anyway once they left (and we finished the family activity of reading Yaoi_Daily together), started sewing and cutting. I hate finishing. Sometimes I wish I could get a serger which would just MAGICALLY! FANTASTICALLY! serge all my ends for me. On the other hand, I absolutely adore drafting. I think next time I'll just get those finishing tape-ribbon things, so I don't need to fold the hems of what nots. Plus, it looks more professional too.
ARGH FINISHING BORES ME.
Worse was I ran out of thread halfway, which pissed me off to no end. WTF man. THREAD. And somemore I was at the thread shop today to buy lace and BLUE thread. Oh why oh why didn't I buy more wine thread too?!?! D:
K.O'ed around 4.30am in the morning.
PS. OMG WHEN WE GO IN JULY MUST BUY IW FUKUBURO.
Friday
Renovated the house, pissed off cos sak was unintentionally late, plus she didn't tell me her mom said no. Anyway what's done is done, so ended up I called up the company (in which a hilarious conversation ensued)
Woman: Good Afternoon, ----- --- Technologies.
tsu: Hi, can I pleased be put into line 54 please?
Woman: harrrr? Line 54?
tsu: Yea, I want to talk to dad if he's around.
Woman: Harrr? Who you want to talk to?
tsu: Argh.
Woman: Hellooooo?
tsu: Can I please speak to Mr Law, Ms Law or Mdam Law please?
Woman: Hold on hor. Who are you har?
tsu: I'm his daughter.
Woman: Oh! He's not in what.
tsu: Thanks.
Anyway, I finally got hold of gu jie after her conference. Dad's in zhuhai/shanghai/Japan/America........anyway I'm not sure, and he'll be back only next week. I thought of going there if I couldn't get a job in Provence, and since I won't be working with Sak, I thought why not? The pay's good, even if the place is a boring industrial park of EXTREME nothingness. Yah. Not even MTV ;_;
Anyway spent the afternoon drawing the pattern for the skirt, made of the leftover coudroy material. It's pretty fun, and I'm using the 3xgathered+flare skirt. Ended up having JUST enough material for a 42cm skirt (just overknee), so I decided to go Arab tomorrow to buy somemore coudroy to make ruffles with. Any extra from that and I'll make a matching vest/capelet. Watched Sak use the oldskool, untech way of tracing which was kinda cool. Actually, I have a better idea. Next time, she needs to trace, she should just use those cheap transparency sheets, trace the pattern and use the spray adhesive to stick it on to paper.
Because just watching her made me think: "There must be an easier way!" It's so labourious >_<
Anyway kor's coming back tonight, and sak's going home and tomorrow I'll be starting work ~:D Life is so wonderful ne?
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 06:17 p.m.+
Listening to: Weiss Kruez
Before there was JE, there was WEISS! The gayest 4some in the prettyful world. Although, nowadays they totally want to forget their yaoitastic days.
Anyway, yesterday night/this morning talked to Audy and bo din wa zhouk, which basically means: boil telephone porridge. Lots of fun hahahahaa~ apparently I stole her book in Primary 1 and I didn't know it. Just to make sure it was actually me and not another pigtailed, tiny girl. Here's a pic when I was 7 years old.
pic!
So anyway, the conclusion is that I really did steal her yellow Enid Blyton book in primary one. LOL. Ahhhh~ such a coincidence~
-------------------
Sak couldn't make it due to her okaa, so I spent the day checking classifieds. It's not so bad. Tomorrow I'll cold-call some of the places, and walk-in a few. I'm mostly interested in finding restaurent work, since it pays well. Cleaning too.
Read Tactics, drabbled a bit, read lots of magazines and generally spent the day slacking whilst Aya was baking in the sun. Poor Aya! The horrors of JC has been impressed upon her. You won't believe how glad mine is over >_> Really. But it goes pretty fast, so just hold out lor
*sighs*
I'm actually rather tired now.....
Maybe I'll go sleep soon~
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 11:31 p.m.+
Yeah, 'cos I've been such a lazy pig lately. For audy, she requested; I delievered.And to sak too! Cheer up darling! honey yaoi bunnies!XD XD XD Hahahaha. Anyway, enjoy it folks!
----------------1. Deathnote--------------
There's nothing quite like the taste of metal when it bites into your mouth, choking and desperate. It stinks of sweat and saliva, clinking against his teeth, wet with drool as his eyes gaze bearily on to the white hotel sheets, cheek pressed, face down. It's suffocating - the hand grasping his hair roughly, his face pressed forcefully on to the sheets, chain yanked across his mouth with Raito's cock tight in his ass.
It's too much, too crazy, too insane. //We'refuckinglikebunnieslikefuckingbunniesfuckers// He tries, but it comes out strangled, twisted - dead. Like us. Kira. Deathnote. Death Gods. Death. Everything comes out dying.
We live, only to die
Freud, he remembers. But he can't really think anymore, not with Raito's hand on his cock now, with Raito's thrusts quickening, with Raito's breath on his hear - harsh and savage with anger. He wonders sometimes, if what they do is wrong, or what he's doing to Raito that's wrong. Poor perfect Raito, with his golden boy aura and sheepish smile that fucks him every night, all bloody and bruised - without fail.
But he knows, deep down, he enjoys it.
To see that slip in his otherwise perfect mask, to shatter that iron control - L knows. Like a child fascinated by fire, he can't help it. Can't help but tease and provoke and enflame until they burn - or rather, he burns, into the gloriously fufilling death.
So when Raito fucks him in his self-righteous glory, he can't help but laugh. Laugh when the chain bites into his giggling, drooling mouth. Laugh when the skin begins to rip and tear with every bewildered and angry thrust. Laugh, even when he's choking and breaking and bending because it's his ass that did it. It's his call now. It's Kira. He's done it. //KiraI'vefoundyouKiraKiraKira
And when he finally comes, it's Kira he calls out for even as he burns gloriously into light.
99.99%
-----------------
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:29 p.m.+
Listening to: Snow
Didn't go out with Clare in the end, but went out with Alex and Kunal to watch Deathnote. This is the *FIRST* time I've fully agreed with the 8-Days reviewers: finding it boring, pointless, useless and mundane to the point of infinite stupidity. Sorry, the most interesting thing about the show was watching L's desserts. Compared to the first movie, he's eating a lot more Japanese desserts. From what I remember: mochi with kuromitsu, summer konyaku noodles with syrup, green bean yokan, shaved ice with plum syrup and milk and ramune concentrate (peach flavour). I'm pretty sure the sticky gassy looking stuff is ramune concentrate, because it 's the only dessert I can think of that looks like that - although how he's going to walk off the set without diehorrea will puzzle me forever. Ramune concentrate is like glucouse syrup yanno :( I tried it once, so I kinda know the side effects.
What also really puzzles me is that if he's supposed to be eating Japanese desserts (compared to the first movie where he had strawberry fraiser, and chocolate A.Q-lookalike), why isn't he eating ameguri manju or the yummy custard pudding creme. I mean, it seriously tastes better than (cold)mochi with (lukewarm) kuromitsu. Or even the crackers taste better. Mou~ the producers have such bad wagashi taste.
Another thing that bothers me is that the last scene was inaccurate. Raito's birthday is near mine and my sis, so THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL IT'S GOING TO BE SNOWING. Really. Japan snows from late Dec to early Feb, but by the time my birthday springs around, it's almost almost spring. I know 'cos my sis and I, birthdays fall within tsubaki season. And the week after that is sakura season.....therefore...NO SNOW.
*pissed*
It's not just that - it's how stupid the movie is. If L and Light watched this movie they would just die of boredom. I was anyway. It wasn't a good movie on truth or justice, just a wankfest of two wannabe-detectives trying to showoff how smart they really were, and how childish it was. There wasn't even the sense of tragic hubris: the death of a falling god.
I feel like I just wasted watching it. BAH.
Anyway aside from the dessert watching (which seriously took cake - pun intended), it was a perfectly useless movie. I wish I saved my cash to buy myself a yummy, perfectly heavenly Mont Blanc instead. Yeah. Something like that.
--------------------------
Finished my Uni Apps, I really hope I get in. Anyway, I've decided that if I do well, I'll reward my two years of sloughing, angst, loneliness, sheer pain and pure boredom with a dress. Yah, very materialistic and consumerist right? I don't care. I want something pretty. Something dependable (like prettyness), something like bearbear.
Friends and family come and go, aesthetics prevail!
Some are leaving, some have left. Anyway.
Please vote for your favourite dress!
no.1: innocent world
close up of print
no.2: BABY seraphim
close up of print
no.3: BABY parafait
close up of print
Please vote on the tagboard!:D
---------------------------
Oh yeah, I'm starting a new Tactics fic (because one can never have too much HaruKan love<3) called "Aori" and maybe maybe maybe a drabble-ish oneshot for DeathNote. Bah. I don't like PinkSniper though, it's audy's kind of style, not mine. *shrugs* I'm really uncomfortable with that kind of language, for me - no one "real" speaks like that. It's too....hard.Too grating. I prefer people who speak like wind and chimes and laughter and rain, like old music and beads falling, like sleet and sighs and footfalls that sound like thunder.
Anyway I kinda know what I want for Tactics already, it's a suspense fic, like those detective case files (solve the mystery and win! hahahah) but it's not too complicated. A watered down version of a mystery I guess.
I don't know. I could be overestimating or underestimating. Sometimes what I find blindingly obvious is too hard for some, sometimes I just don't get it either. Anyway I've kinda started on the prolouge, I'll problably upload both the deathnote and the Tactics tomorrow on to their respective commns.
Oh! here's a drabble just for fun (or rather, a bit of dialouge).
-----------1.----------
Raito, L knows, sings in the shower. It's one of these quirks that seems to humanize the perfect boy into someone more endearing, more kind.
But he can't seem to forget the story he once watched on TV, the documentary on a Nazi commander. He whistled off-key, recounted his mistress, he called his puppy Liebechen. How could he be evil?
And he knows, deep down, that the moment perfect is no longer "perfect" (even if it's just singing in the shower, even if it's waking up grounchy), then Raito, like anyone else - is human. And like anyone else - could be Kira.
So even as he wishes otherwise, he watches the percentages climb up.
But even at 99.99% - he can't - won't, give up.
Because it's his friend, he's trying to save.
---------------2.------------------
It doesn't take long to realize that Haruka's favourite fruit is strawberries. He eats them quickly, almost bird-like in his greed. The way he savours every last bite with a lick of his lips, the half-closed eyes, the satisfied smile- Kantarou knows.
So even when he's tired or late on a deadline, he sneaks out to buy some - just for the sake of that watching him eat.
For that, to Kantarou, was already a pleasure itself.
------------------------------
You know, I have the weirdest desire to do a SeiSub crossover with Tactics. It's so weird. *wonders* What am I thinking? LOL. Anyway, I better start editing.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 09:49 p.m.+
Listening to: Zero7
It's been a busy year hasn't it?
When I think back....I remember my shaky single resolution: Just Get Through It and well, I did it. Kind of anyway. I mean, first few months in JC2 wasn't particularly hard. Okay, Lit S was a pain to get into (and staying there was hard too!) and all that effort! All that pain! All that wangsty am-I-in-or-not?!?! feelings. Then the hyper-fake!drama of Rockerfella and Gabriel Tan. Hilarious! I mean, the entire culture and commuication thing. I really should talk to aunty Iris about it....she'll be really interested 'cos she's in Marketing and all...
Talking about Gabriels, has anyone read Junvenile Orion yet? OMG KURO X GABRIEL OTP! I swear, he looks EXACTLY LIKE BOKU NO SUKINA SENSEI. Then again, Boku no Sukina Sensei is also by Sakurako Gokurain. Her boys are so pretty!<3
Then after Common Test was the crappy June holidays, which involved lots of procastination and last minute rush for Midyears which was ABSOLUTE HELL. Did badly for it, and then tried to make up for it during Prelims. I remember rushing like crazy for Coursework, to the point that I was practically living in CJC day-in-day-out trying to finish painting and studying and painting and studying and one day, I just K.O'ed on the sofa - paint, dirt, grime and all. Exhaustion y'know?
Oh yeah, sak...I found the keywords for seifuku! It's セーラー服 while high school uniform is 高校制服. You can search it on y!j and we can make cute uniforms for ourselves and pretend to be tourists!:D
Then by the time A levels spun around, I think I was too cracked to study. Ended up in the airport with Clare and Alicia, which was pretty okay but my interest was falling. Then prom, then Italy.
And soon we were back and packing and preparing for Christmas. And just an hour ago, it was Happy New Year! What can I say? Putting it like that makes time spin so much faster - as though moments speed into memories, and fade with the quietness of fond rememberence. I think sometimes it's so quick, so passing - I wonder how we can capture it all?
I think.....I still remember. Cherish your friends and family, someone once said to me, because one day...everyone will go away.
Anyway today was reunion lunch - early one. Uncle Jordan was a pain in the arse as usual, Uncle Raymond was cool, got a teaching offer to teach my bratty spoilt cousin and godknowswhy, I actually agreed.
But who knows? Nothing's confirmed yet.
This year my resolution is something different.
Not so much getting through, but just enjoying it.
Isn't it so much better, when happiness is inside rather than because of someone?
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 01:58 a.m.+
I'm in yer petticoat, makin' some bombz
Okay I haven't blogged a long time, but this week as been really busy.
tea party
Actually it was worth it.
All that organizing, calling, last minute deposit collection, money counting and TWO MONTHS'OF BOOKING(!) actually paid off.
Reached Orchard around 1.20pm, and met Atsushika_puppet. The HeartE JSK looks better on her IRL. Waited around then I saw Angeldecay who was in shirololi (allwhite). Then atsushika (who has better eyesight than I do) spotted Kagestuki and Kaori who didn't seem to hear me and walked the OTHER direction so I ran after them. Actually they DID hear me, but was walking towards the ATM -_-;;; Like, you could've just stopped yanno? Then I think Sansele and Mel came, and Mel was wearing this GORGEOUS Atelier Pierrot dress. *wibbles* It's....so....pretty.....;_; Sansele is really cute though, all in red gingham! Then Kurokaze's friends came, with Bwahaha in pink and Kuro in the H&M dress. The dress was so big on her but she looked so pretty! At the same time (or earlier? I was losing track already :x) I saw Stormywish and Angelzhou who had earlier told me they were walking from Far East Plaza to here.
By then there was a pretty large group of people (think...around 18?) Nightchild and Muzzledroses had informed me earlier that they were going on their own, so I wasn't too worried about them. But Shaoyang and her friend hadn't appeared and it was already 1.45pm. My booking was at 2pm, so no choice - had to go first. It was kinda cool though, having so many lolitas in a group. Like......PWNNED! Everyone was really well-dressed, so I was quite happy. We only had two aristocrats though, Erushi and Huiwei. The funniest thing was that I knew who Erushi was, kind of. She was lexis's friend and she took S lit too! Small world huh? I just didn't know it was her cos I didn't recognize her screen name.
Settled for lunch, and met Nightchild and Shaoyang and another girl. ARGH SO MANY PEOPLE I CANNOT REMEMBER THEIR NAMES! There were only two people in blue though, me and another girl wearing the Meta Alphabet skirt....but so many in PINK! and CREAM! I'm so happy~~~I hope maybe next time more will come in colours. One of the girls had this gorgeous beret which was so...........CUTE! I was all omgomg!omgomg! over it~<3<3<3 I want a beret like that!
Anyway it was fun, and the food was really good so I'm quite happy even though my feet were going to kill me. Heels' yo! But ah well.....fashion is never about sensible yanno?
Friday
BOOK fair! Woke up at the godforsakened hour of 8am and left the house for Expo because Times' book fair was there. Met up with Kero and bumped into Mindy and proceeded to RAID books. Thankfully we were early, so the rush-crowd hadn't started yet. Picked up a book on pastels, Drawn Quarterly, a Japanese pyscho-thriller and John le Carre but didn't find Harry Potter or Murakami. *sighs* Ah well, it was fun though but we were hungry from being breakfast-less!
On our way out, saw the Metro sale and proceeded to rave about the cheap 3 for .90 underwear! Since I didn't get her a present, I bought her underwear for christmas! Hahahaha it's a really useful gift though, everyone needs underwear and these were the comfy cotton ones without any spandex. Plus! They were really cute with flower patterns on it.
Went to Orchard, met up with mom to go shopping but ended up not finding any skirts. Instead, I bought a shirt but it was kinda cool with floppy sleeves so I didn't mind. Went home and K.O'ed before dinner, then woke up to write that DAMNED Personal Statement. Just in case you don't know, I still haven't finished it but ZOMG I HATE HATE UNI APPS. FOR REALZ!
I'M IN YER STATEMENTZZZ, SCREWIN' YER APPS!
Sorry, stress is getting to me xD
Thursday
Isetan and Zara sale! I got a dress and two shirts which came with free necklaces - all from Korea. I love dresses. And cute cute shirts with fish and cat prints~ Isetan Wisma wasn't as crowded as Lido though, and it was drizzling the entire day. Also, I wore sak's hoodie by mistake so it got wet and now I'll wash it and give it back to sak another day *dies* I thought it was mom's handmedowns! Anyway it was fun, had lunch at Mos~ Mom bought a LOT though, but was quite worth it. Had to phsyically restrain her from buying the ENTIRE range of POTS AND PANS from WMF. For a second, I thought it was yien I was talking to but actually it was mom. Maybe it's genetics....heh xD
Didn't go Kino and was sad because I wanted Juvenile Orion 5. Bah. Getting it on Sunday anyway.
Anyway it's been a busy week.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 11:37 p.m.+
I'm more or less a huge Cafe Rosso fanatic. First off, it's my favourite place in Singapore and problably the world. Next is that their Mont Blanc is perfect. It's not like the HK style with chocolate shavings AND meringue which makes it too sweet, it's not like the Crystal Jade or Cedele ripoffs. Also, all my favourite memories have been there, most recently: After S paper Lit, I went there and bought myself 5! cakes which I inhaled with much happiness :D
Which is why.......THIS IS SO ALARMING:
なお、新経営陣におけるCafe ROSSOはコンセプトも新たに1月より営業スタート予定ですので、今後とも引き続きご愛顧いただけますようお願い申し上げます。
For those who can't read Japanese:
Furthermore, because Cafe ROSSO is starting the new management concept, the business schedule starts anew from January. In the future it continues and hopes for patronage it recieves.
Say it with me, WHAT THE FUCK?!?!
I love that place, just like I love the owners: Tomi and Toshi. I love the fact that it's so peaceful, that the decor coordinates to the point that *I* want to wear a red skirt so I match the place as well. I love the cakes, particularly the Mont Blanc. I even love their pumpkin tart even though I don't like pumpkins. I hope that it's not some idiotic Singaporean that decides to franchise Cafe Rosso and make it into a big idiotic brand like TCC.
If TCC buys over, I am going to KILL them.
They're the arseholes who bought over Sun Moulin Cafe too.
Look what franchising did to Pasta Cafe. In the beginning they were in Scotts, up till 1999 when some IDIOTIC CJC MONEYMAKER bought it over and turned it from an above-average-family restaurent to a below-par Italian fast food. I'm using fast food in the most degoratry terms, think MacDonalds'. What used to be beautiful Cabonara, now is starchy, over-creamed and not enough bacon. In other words, BELOW PAR.
So support Cafe Rosso! <3<3<3<3<3
God I really hope nothing happens to them....
LINK: Cafe Rosso
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 01:57 a.m.+
Listening to: The Stranglers
Christmas Eve
First off, thanks to all those who came! I really appreciated the company and I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Christmas eve started bright and groggy - I woke up late again because I finished sewing only around 2am. I couldn't even remember where I left my toothbrush, so I ended up using mom's (shhh! don't tell her :x). Anyway by the time I was up, Aya was already busy marinating the bourgegion, boiling potatoes and checking off her MonoKuroBoo list xD So cute~ I should've taken a pic of that.
Anyway once I was up, was immediately put into duty as Masher of Potatoes and Sundry. Mainly because I have really good arm strength (due to all that painting/lifting hah!) and I mash really well. You know you made good mash potatoes if they become flour-y on the ladle because it shows how fine a powder they are. The Holland potatoes didn't mash as well as the USA ones though, problably due to the starch content. Added clarified butter and cream and ladled 2kg! of potato mash until smooth and creamy~ adding vinegar really gave that light lift though, the buttery-ness was almost too much (my sis melted an entire bowl!)
I'm really happy people liked it~ I liked it too!
The beef bourgigion smelt awesome though~ this earthly, rich smell that made me think of winter nights and fireplaces and rye bread and calloused hands and a bubbling pot of stew (literally). I'm not so fond of the ham, mainly because it was too salty/overseasoned for me, but the salad was great! I like to think that part of the reason why the salad remained so crisp was because I hand spun the vegetables so it remained light and airy. Usually people use vegetable spinners, but we don't have it at home so I tossed it until most of the water came out.
I hope we still have some salami left though :D they make yummy sandwhiches and nice topping for sunny rice.
Kor's girlfriend, Vivian came first, followed by Sak and Kiwi. ZOMG sak looked so cute! So I changed into my dress, and we were matching loli-twins! (must upload pics!<3) It was all candy-striped and cool~~~~~decided not to mess with the kitchen (especially since Aya looked like she was going to kill something), so we sat around and watched TV till dinner. Late guests would be my brother's friends, who were a frikkin' 2 hours late! o.O And people say I have bad timing......
Watched Swing Girls and had chocolate pudding~~ waiii! I love the seifukuu. I think Sak and I are going to make matching seifukuus or something~ it'll be so cute and adorable! <3<3<3 The ending was so nice and feel good, so all of us headed downstairs to play with sparklers
Things about sparklers:
1. Sak has no guts
2. Sak has no skill
3. When Sak lights a sparkler, everyone runs to hide
So funny! We were singing Smoke Gets In Your Eyes because of all the smoke it made. It looked foggy and misty and cool too~ Then went to walk around the pool and nearly fell in, fooled around in the playground and swing very high. Randomly said Merry Christmas to strangers and sak is scared of Aya pushing her so she kept on yelling "asshole" in the most un-loli way and then around 11ish we went back, changed into our matching! PJs and opened presents at 12.
tsu's haul
1 squishy piggy!cushion from mom
1 set of speakers + FF9 from kor
1 set of purple!earphones from sis
2 dressmaking pencils + squishy!calculator from sak
2 brushes + 1 box of paint from uncle marc
1 box of cookies from kiwi
1 book of fashion design from audy
1 tea mug + cap from auntie susan
1 drawing book from cousins
1 straw bag from auntie bobbie
I'm really happy with this year~ it's been so wonderful! Then after when everyone was sleeping, sak and I watched this hilarious HK comedy called FEEL 100% which was superrrrrghei and shit funny~
Around 2am KO'ed
Next day
Went for mass, then had lunch. Called audy and then said her comp was infected so she'll be late. Wasn't really in a hurry, so went to watch Windstruck and ZOMG ALL OF US CRIED HALFWAY! It was like massive!sniffles and stuff.
Audy came over, traded presents, sak left, audy stayed for dinner and like whoa~ reminsence, then talked rubbish. Quite fun~~ although I wish that she came over for the eve as well.
Finished uni apps (except for Personal Statment bah),and finally picked the courses. Okay lah, although I really like QM and City. Read a bit of audy's Fashion book and began thinking about portfolio.
There's lots of things to say, and things to reflect upon, but this entry is too long anyway, so I'll do it tomorrow.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 02:02 a.m.+
*falls over*
It's finished!
2 days' worth of work
Sak said it should be 1.5 days though, and I agree
Mainly because I haven't really been able because of:
a) collecting money
b) not having thread
And that Gutemann thread is not only frikkin expensive, but also breaks easily. WTF. Anyway I went back to the HV ribbon shop to get a big big roll (looks like 4m to me) for . I feel so CHEATED :/
Next up is Kuro's dress, but since she fits into GLB patterns perfectly - I'm just going to trace!cut!sew because it's tedious drafting your own pattern. I don't hate it, but it's a pain. Finishing is fun though, although I think I'll just do a rolled hem next time.
Anyway it's complete! I'm quite happy about it except that I haven't made the matching bonbons and I haven't finished the beret. I'm quite lazy to sew now though......argh. In any case, I have a matching bow now.
Hmmm let's see....yesterday went to buy zip, and sis's baking dish. Day before was supposed to meet Kaori and Atsushika_puppet, atsushika turned up but Kaori didn't and managed me to make me grumpy. Wanted to board the bus but ZOMG I forgot to bring my wallet. Even better, I thought I left it on 174 or Orchard MRT so I called Boon Lay interchange AND MRT control station. Ended up that I just left it at home....BAH
Anyway went to Holland Village, bought more thread and had lunch at Cafe Rosso. Oh yeah, all fans of Cafe Russo they're closing from the 26th Dec to 3rd Jan because they're going back to Japan ^^ but ZOMG their pasta is fantastic - brilliantly made anglio olio and of course, the chestnut cake <3<3<3 I love them, I love the place, I ADORE their cakes (maybe enough to sell my soul for it)....It's like a tiny slice of heaven right here <3
Anyway I really have to go~ potatoes to mash! christmas eve dinner to prepare!
[EDIT]
Just 'cause it's christmas eve, I'm going to share with you how to cook an egg in your mircowave.
The first few times I tried this it exploded in my mircowave. The second time became super-rubbery, but didn't explode. The final time I tweaked it, so you get a perfect heartwarming soft-boiled egg. So here it is!
How to Cook a Soft-boiled egg in a mircowave
1. Crack an egg in a ricebowl
2. Set your mircowave to the highest setting (around 850watts) for 5 seconds
3. Once it stopped, set your mircowave to DEFROST mode, it's the one with a little snowflake on the top.
4. Put your egg in for another 10 - 15 seconds.
Ta dah! Cooked perfectly soft-boiled egg.
I suggest you watch your egg while it cooks. If you cook it properly, the outside white will be slightly harder while the inside is soft and melty. You can eat it the oldskool! way with a little pepper, soya sauce and seasame oil and dip it with some toast or just plain bread. If you hear a POP! sound in your mircowave don't worry too much, it just means that air escaped through the membrane of egg.
Some variations:
cheese with egg omelette
1. crack egg in ricebowl, break the yolk with a fork
2. beat it lightly with pepper and torn up cheese (the square kind)
3. Mircowave on HIGH for 10 seconds
4. Switch to DEFROST for another 10 seconds
Sunny side up
1. crack egg in ricebowl
2. Mircowave on HIGH for 10 seconds
3. Mircowave on DEFROST for 15 seconds
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 01:58 p.m.+
A fart by any other name would smell as stinky
Went to the garden festival yesterday and ZOMG! most of it was dead ;_; The landscapes were more like bad installation art (aka. I AM Arty Therefore I AM Farty) Seriously, it reeks of pretentiousness. My favourite are those with semi-translated English, particularly the Korean one LOL. With extra spatialness in surplus LOL It's so funny~
I think out of all the landscape ones, I liked the Ikebana ones best, particularly the lovely red/black/cream combination with stiff tulle.
Saw the orchids, made bad tentacle jokes about it then went to Plaza Sing for a quick bite, then Spotlight 'cos I needed wine coloured thread. It's not bordeaux, it's really really wine (carmine red with a hint of purple)
Went home to do the finishing and ZOMG I just need 2 more days to finish it. The finishing takes really long, but other than that it's beginning to look quite good.
Okay back to sewing
love~
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 08:12 p.m.+
Dr Ten Ownz My Soul (but not my arse)
ZOMG it's 5am and I'm gonna say that I JUST finished reading all 14 acts of Dr Ten's Tokyo Savage (which pwns)
Some comments:
-Shinohara is my FAVE chara
-Shinohara reminds me of Tsuzuki(YnoM)
-Konome is so dumb it's almost cute
-Mamarou is so smart it's almost uncute
-The plot drives me crazy
-The subplots drive me crazy
-I wish they'll show more Nanashi and Katsuragi
-Especially Nanashi. Not enough backstory!
-Tomoe is so navie it annoys me
-He isn't even as cute as Konome
-I'm surprised how accurate the stuff is
-Well, not really. They're more accurate than CLAMP anyway
-Bambi-chan is hilarious
-WTF IS IT WITH SANA
-Up till now, can someone explain why the Goumas are Bad?
-Honestly I think the Mitsugi family is cracked up
-I mean, if they want the females only, why go after Shinohara?
-WTF is it with Sana's fiancee?
-And who the hell is Shinohara's dad?
-If it's Mamorou, I'm going to kill/squick myself
-Sana's cool though, if you read the last part of TokyoSavage Map where she goes to save him
-No one seems to care about Hiroshi
-Which is really weird, since he'll be Sana's son too(?)
ARGH I NEED SLEEP
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 05:04 a.m.+
Aww crap, sak got that "Santa Baby" song stuck in my head, and everytime it goes - I keep hearing Paris Hilton's "Nothing in this World" song.
Anyway I found the Kylie Minogue cover for Santa Baby on Youtube, so it's all good.
ZOMG! Tuesday was so busy I can't believe everything happened on one day.
Woke up relatively late, rushed down to meet Crucifixtion and Sansele. Ended up they were late, and while waiting bumped into Zhouyang, Clare and Mindy. Like wow.....was everyone in town that day? Met up with Cruci, who well - looks kinda scary for her age. I mean when she passed by (she didn't know who I was then) I had that twitchyitchy sense that she was sizing me up. In other words - my spidersense is tingling! She was with her boyfriend, and passed me the money. *thoughtfully* For a 15 year old, she looks very much older due to the makeup. Maybe she's insecure or something. I mean...her whole attitude wasn't just natural reserve, it was like uhh...posturing reserve. Then again, aren't all 15 year olds like that?
On the other hand, I like Sansele, even though she was late. She has a natural friendliness, and genunine feeling which I liked. After passing the money, left for Tampines to meet Kuro.
Wahhh....I didn't know Tampines was so far.
*sits on the train*
I was @_@ hungry too, cos I didn't eat lunch
Anyway it was raining like mad, so Kuro was slightly late. She passed me the money, then both of us decided to go home. Then...FUNNY INCIDENT! Some guy wanted to pick me up. (zomg! hahaha)
Guy: Excuse me, do you know where the ATM is? (zomg! what a horrible pickup line!)
tsu: sorry, I don't know. I don't live around here (seriously I thought he was lost)
Guy: Can I be your friend?
WTF
And he grabbed my hand while doing that. ZOMG UNREAL! I CAN'T BELIEVE SOMEONE TRIED TO PICK ME UP. WTF. I LOOK BARELY LEGAL. WTF. Anyway I was so surprised I just said, "I'm sorry but no. I have to go. bye". No wonder Kurokaze refuses to go as sweet loli. I would too, if this kind of perverts lurked near where I lived. I don't get it in Orchard or Holland Village areas though, so it was really surprisingly.
Originally wanted to pass the deposit, then realized I still didn't have atsushika puppet's so I didn't bother. Plus it was raining like cows. Set up my sewing machine, but ZOMG I couldn't get the bobbin to wind, which pissed me off to no end. So I called Sak to come over (sak issa my hero!<3) and she said okay.
And then it started thunderstorming.
-_________________-;;;
It was kinda funny. The power tripped around 5 times throughout the evening, so we lit up dozens and dozens of candles xD So romantic! Although I can still hear my sis grumbling about what's there to be romantic about? HAHAHA XD. Then sak got lost and ended up at King Alfred Park area (after Beauty World, before Jurong Kerchil where audy lives) so she took a cab but had no money :/ So tsu ran down with money to pay the cab driver and our shoes became squishy and wet and it was kinda fun too :D It was like comedy-of-errors, and when we got home (I think this could be sak's home too, cos she stays here so often) we had dinner with candles and hot tea and christmas lights :D
Then we watched Jamie Oliver, and made TERRIBLE PERVY JOKES about peeling cucumbers, creme fraiche aka Creamy White Stuff and grinding peppers. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and my sis's face was....was...PRICELESS! *rolls on the floor* hahahahahaha :D
Watched so WWII flick which was shitcreepy, but somehow needed to know the ending. And sak kept on mou-ing hahaha...so cute! And we fiddled with the sewing machine and ooooooo'ed at the interlocking and waaahhhhh'ed at the Amazing!bouncy!bobbin. I dunno. Watching the bobbin bob itself is like bouncy! bobbin! bobbing along. Ahahahha.
Then Aya went to sleep, and then I realized that zomg! my thread doesn't match the fabric which is super irritating since I already cut out the pattern. So I decided to screw it, and just use it as a test pattern. It was fun though~ Then sak mentioned something about berets and then I realized ZOMG I HAVE A BERET PATTERN and we spent the rest of the time making our berets. Ta da! Now we have matching coudroy berets which are floppy and artistic looking lol.
K.O'ed around 3am and phew! It was a long day~ Hahaha today is baking/sewing day and I'm rather happy~
seeya all later!
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 01:58 p.m.+
Last of my pointless posts, I promise.
I think, if I could fall in love, I would fall in love with a blanket.
*snuggles*
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 03:21 a.m.+
Oh my god, four-ple blogging. Or quadraple. I must really be a blog addict. Anyway I want to proclaim my undying love for the fact that the weather is raining in hourly intervals. It's started thunderstorming again! It's like perfect write-angsty!fics weather. You know? The kind filled with twisted mind games and unrequited love, where someone's obsessed and there's sex-but-not-sex, and love-but-not-love and lots of wanky craziness.
Not to mention listening to Strangler's Golden Brown gives me a sense of perverse joy. Like deep fried mars bars.
I almost don't feel like completing the fic, but since I promised I really should deliver. Besides, it's one of my fave OTPs (besides Gravi and Tokyo Babylon).
+tsu waited for you at 02:48 a.m.+
Shit I forgot all about gravity!
Gravity damnit
Why did I forget? Maybe it's cos I'm too obsessed with kites
damnit that would've been good.
I think I should rewrite it though
+tsu waited for you at 02:37 a.m.+
Maybe it's to make up for my lack of posting. Anyway, I'm praying that Welcome to My Chemistry Lab will hurry up and update cos damnit! You better apologize to Shinichirou or I'll just wibble and cry. And what's up with Kobayashi?
It's raining the entire day and it's making my skin feel itchy
The purple sky, the lighting flashes
Scary but rememberish
I wonder sometimes I'm so like that
Sometimes I think I'm crazy
Halfway writing the HaruKan kite fic, for some reason the ending is improperly written, which bothers me a lot. And I have 3!missed calls from a place called Ming Hua Hotel....WTF? The only people I know who would call me from hotels are people I never want to see again. Then again, it might be a good thing I didn't pick up, although now I wish I did. I don't know. I was in the shower.
The weather is cold lately....I like cold, but not that much. I like rain too. I like snuggling up to a good book, with a big mug of milk tea and my feet nice and toasty underneath a pillow with the rain pounding against the windows. Not so fond of lighting or thunder though, the noise still makes me jump.
I almost wish the caller would call back.
I mean, if I'm guessing right.
Anyway tomorrow I'm meeting Sansele and Crucifixtion. They seem rather nice and polite over the phone, so I'm holding judgement on them until I see them in person. Besides, Cruci is so young, so perhaps it's just her immaturity that makes her behave thus so. A little leeway goes a long long way.
*thoughtfully*
It's times like this - listening, that makes me wonder if I made the right choice concerning relationships. Is it a worthwhile sacrifice, to give up any expectation of any relationship, solemnly swear never to marry - so as to create a dream of fashions?
Then again, I'm lucky.
I have a good imagination
It keeps me company when I feel alone
And sometimes...
The sky seems to close in
As though, a soft blue hug
As though, a kiss goodnight from the moon
And it helps
To not feel so alone
Sometimes it hurts to listen and watch
But I don't want to say anything
I'll just spoil things, as usual
Is there........no one right for me at all?
I'm not just talking about those already in relationships, but those who well, are attracted to at least someone. I don't feel it at all. Just a yawning emptiness, a hint of loneliness and more than usual feeling of plodding mundanity.
*thoughtfully*
I wonder
How true are those words?
People do evil because they're lonely
But.....the moon is climbing down, and I should really sleep.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 01:22 a.m.+
My mom was showing me an article on prosituites as a profession! HAHAHAHAH
Maybe that's what uni education is for lol
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 10:30 p.m.+
Yay! Pitas is finally back up again. It's annoying not being able to blog when there's so much to talk about. Sometimes it's annoying - days meld into weeks, which melt into months....everything becomes one big forgotton blur. Maybe sometimes it's useful to forget, but I rather like being mentally organized. It helps me keep track of where I am and what I'm supposed to be doing.
I can't remember exactly anymore, but I'll do my best. So! Begin at the beginning (straight from the horses mouth) hahahha....lame jokes xD
EoY + EGL tea party planning
EoY was boring. Sentimental, but boring. Maybe it's because I've been a cosplayer since 2000, but when I look on to the happy giggly crowd I just feel old. Every single cell of my rapidly aging 18 year old contenaunce - cynical, sophomorphic, blase. It doesn't help that I generally detest crowds, especially gawking crowds. It was rather strange that no one recognized which series I'm from (wow that makes me feel even older if it's possible)
Collected money, felt like a pimp and gave out invitations. Then ran out of invitations, so Angeldecay ended up not having one. *twiddles* I hope she doesn't think I'm favouring some and not her......ARGH. What's that line again? Prior preperation prevention Or something like that. I think I'm still sore about paying just to collect money from people. BAH.
I still remember a time when the entrance fee was only , and you paid to be a member of STAC. Not only that, there was a time when cosplayers had sponsors - you got goodie bags filled with free junk and instead of stamping your hand, you had cute little stickers and badges. And afterwards, everyone went for a post-cosplay dinner in which we almost always got kicked out of KFC/Mac's or whatever establishment we chanced upon. There was a time when there were only 200 cosplayers or so, and everyone fit into the Tiny Conference Room in Suntec, and the mircophones rarely worked and there were only 5 booths. Not only that, at that time most people turned a blind eye at the rampant yaoi/yuri photos - nowadays it could get you kicked out!
Times change
I'm both in awe and sad at that
It's so different and similar at the same time
Such a strange feeling
Anyway the Tea Party (now more like Luncheon actually) is still okay, despite all the shit being thrown. Goodwood Park was a bitch - seriously, for an Afternoon Tea? No way! It didn't help that they only informed me the night before EoY, so I mentally ran down the list of cafes and restaurents I knew. I loathed sharing Cafe Rosso, since it's my favourite and secret place in the world but it was a good alternative. Thankfully or Unfortunately, they were closed from the 26th December onwards. So I ran around looking for places at 8pm, Friday night.
In the end I tried the whole string of restaurents around Jln Merah Saga. Au Petit Salut was our new venue. LOL, I still remember the first time I went there for my birthday and they had this wonderful confit duck de canard, and wonderful manjari chocolate cake with hazulnut ice cream. Honest to goodness, I didn't really expect to that their prices for lunch was so reasonable, considering their ala carte menu was around /dish. I remember that dinner costing around 0+++ for 4 people, so I really didn't think they had.....but they did! And the food's good. Plus I haven't eaten a good homestyle French food for a long time, so I'm quite happy about it.
Plus! Table linens! I love their cream and gold table linens <3<3<3 So pretty~
Packing and what's left of it
ZOMG SAK THIS IS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU.
Because sak helped me pack :D
And sak stayed over :D
And we (plus aya) watched Princess Bride
Which is the corniest, cheesiest movier EVER
ahahaha, but I love Westly all the same
and ZOMG Princess Buttercup!
Anyway everything is packed and I have new!Ikea! cloth boxes to store my stuff in. Truth to tell, I don't own a lot of things. All my possessions are contained inside a low shelf and it consists mainly of: ribbons, journals and art materials. I think that's one of the benefits of not having your own room, you tend to own a lot less.
Anyway that means once I set up the sewing machine tomorrow I can start sewing!<3<3<3
All other things
Okay I went to Alex's place sometime this week or last week, and nearly died from all the sweetness oozing out of her and Kunal. The benefits of going is that we both got a chance to complain about the sheer stupidity of Uni Applications and how much sending out those things actually costs. Kunal spent over a 0 doing it already (whoa! o.O). Strangely enough, I spent the least.
Watched Cousin Vinny with her, then helped her repair some books. I hope Kunal and her stay together - but in this case, I think they will. Alex might be quiet sometimes, and even shy but when she wants to fight even I won't want to go against her. I doubt we'll ever fight that way though lol, thankfully our tastes rarely cross :D
What's left of Italy
Okay I'm free of jetlag, so I'll just sum up:
-Saw Leonardo da Vinci and it was the COOLEST MOST UNBELIEVABLE THING EVER
-The guys in Florence are waaay cuter than Naples
-But the watchshop in Capri, has the bluest Tatsumi-esque eyes (and lashes)
-Chocolate in Florence is ownnage
-Vin Santo is offically my favourite white wine
-Tuscany is like a dream, and Chianti is very close to paradiase
-Taxi-driver Murao must be the most patient man ever
-Dad and Grandma are Insufferable
-And Obnoxious
-And Need to Shut Up
-Sublties do not work on obiang people
-Felt very underdressed most of the time
-Palazzos are wonderful!but scary
-The weather is perfect
-Mosquitoes are International Terrorists
-Last night in Florence and all 3 of us shared a bed like when we were kids!
-Late for Venice, very pissed off
-Was so pissed I was actually crying on the train
-Apparently, it's hard to explain to someone why something is Special
-As though the word Special isn't enough
-How thickheaded can some people be?
-Venice is gorgeous
-Venice is gorgeous and unbelievable
-To actually understand its fablulousness, must actually be there
-Piazza San Marco was flooded
-Sis feeding (more like chasing) pigeons
-Italian Pigeons are FAT
-So are their cats
-The cat in Boboli Gardens looks like kor, but most of all, spits like him
-Everything is more expensive
-Weired coconut icecream in Venice that tastes like everything. EVERYTHING.
-I love the papershops!:D
-Sheepdogs in Florence are frikkin cute~
-I want to go back there again!:D
-I like Florence, but Venice owns my heart<3
okay all clear?
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 09:08 p.m.+
Naples/Rome/Pompeii
train lines in Rome
Rome residence
train station in Rome
Pompeii overview
Wall Frescos in Pompeii
Pompeii house with garden
Pompeii horizontal view
Marigold flower!
marble columns
sunset in Pompeii
Naples streetway
Morning market
Piazza Gharibaldi
sunset in Naples
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Went shopping, cleared audy's christmas present(s). Also cleared various' friends, relatives, mom's colleagues etc. I was kinda tired still though.....I think I haven't adapted to SG yet. But then again, I had the easiest time when going to Italy, so I suppose it's my fault ^^;;
Unpacked most of luggage, starting to unpack my other stuff cos my mom (wonderfully zealous woman) decided that the BEST time to renovate my room was when I was away. BAH. So when I got home the first thing I saw was everything in boxes. BAH.
okay I wanna go read some trashy fic/book and watch project runway.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 09:07 p.m.+
Listening to: Muse - Starlight
I just realized I have 7 days' worth of travel to blog, lol.
Random funny thing of the day: HERE
GOD SAVE THE GABRIEL! ahahahaha
Oh mannnn....Baby you're just so funny sometimes..
Okay back to Italy.
Naples/Napoli day 1
K.O'ed during the flight to Rome. It's crazy but after 2 kickass painkillers I'm away in sleep-stone land. Didn't bother to eat much, just hibernated in my corner of the window seat. I remember a little....how beautiful the sky was, how big the moon was as it hovered over this endless pillowed sea of cloud. Full moon. At night, it's so clear. The moon is like a pathway, or a lantern and the stars seem so infinitely big. And I saw the big dipper - so sparklingly huge and for the first time - I was aware of how tiny I was. Inside this sardine can of cattle class, with my hindlegs cramped and nose pressed against the frosting (-54 degree) window looking at the moon.
Landed in Rome, and zomg! I pinched myself a gazillion times to believe that: OMG I'M IN ITALY! feelings...even after my sis gave me a good hard pinch I didn't really believe in it. Took the InterCity train from Rome to Naples and watched the countryside. It's so different....the sky seems so much lighter, more translucent, less brilliant but all the more delicate for it. Sunrise seemed less quick, but almost slowing down as the colours washed into a pure, crystalline blue. Less like the 15min SG version, more like a gentle ascent into waking.
Train stopped at Piazza Gharibaldi (Piazza is a square), and took a cab to the hotel. It's not bad, and zomg all of us got our own room! No dad or mahmah! (thank god) Had a quick lunch at Bar Louis, near Corso Umberto and had the BEST cappucino in my life for 1 euro! Zomg it was so good.....I just bought the sweet pastries - 1 trecale tart, 1 chocolate stuffed filo pastry and some other crispy sugar thing. Damnit, I thought - I love Italy already. Or maybe it was just the sugar high talking.
Went to Pompeii, which was tremendeously cool. It was just....BIG. There's no other way to describe it. Big. Huge. Frighteningly human. It's like going there made me realize the tremendeously sheer weight of history. Like, I know intellectually what happened to the Roman empire, but seeing it makes you tie an emotional value to it. It's as though you feel how insignificant you are, how small your life is in comparision with aeons of history, how....tiny it feels...and you feel even more determined to live your life to the fullest.
It's hard to describe.
I wonder how it is to live like that everyday...
surrounded by so much history
Isn't it such a gloriously trapping feeling?
Sis by then was really jetlagged and tired, and we had dinner at Princi Umberto, which was really delicious. Oh my god, I hated my grandmother then because she refused to eat anything and wanted to eat MacDonalds' Oh my god...I wanted to shoot her. I mean you come to Italy to eat MacDonalds?!?!?!? I don't get her. I mean, if you don't like it - why come and spoil the trip for us? She hated the food, hated the bedding, hated the travelling and made my brother carry her luggage (which was frikkin' huge) and all she did was make everyone feel miserable.
ARGH SHE MAKES LIVING A PAIN.
Anyway it was only day 1, and we shall soon see how disgusting she can possibly be.
Hey anyway, I need to see Mr James now so I'll upload the pictures around 8pm tonight.*sighs* Zomg I have over 300 pictures to edit.
love
tsu
+tsu waited for you at 06:00 p.m.+
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