Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Advanced birthday gift!


This has got to be the first gift for my birthday this year - a lovely watercolour painting (picture) from my Chinese penpal, Dina :) Which reminds me that I've yet to visit the real China, since a day in Shenzhen hardly counts!

This week at work, we've been entertained and warned (of course) by emails regarding petty theft. Itchy fingers swiping away an entire box of chocolates...finding their way into drawers laden with candy. All of a sudden, all the grievances start pouring out on the staff network - missing umbrellas, framed objects...and we start to view each other through suspicious eyes ;P

stormiii at 2:10 pm

0cups of tea

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Full bloom

Picked up a few random stalks of roses, geraniums and peonies from the MAC makeup counter at Tangs last evening ;) There was some guest makeup artist and the gorgeous bouquets were about to be disposed of - kinda sad huh.

At least they've been given a second chance to cheer up my living room!

stormiii at 1:13 am

1cups of tea

Friday, November 18, 2005

Pruning...


Guessed what I found in yesterday's issue of ST's URBAN (Your Guide to Looking Good)?

Just what was an ad for pruning doing in a fashion pullout?! And a total count of 120,000 bushes?!! I don't think the Botanical Gardens could even compete with that figure!

Hehe...give up? This was none other than a whimsical take on...brazilian waxing - effective, I say :)

stormiii at 1:44 pm

0cups of tea

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

A lemony end to the weekend...

Hey guys! Welcome to my new blog :)

Checked out the new The Coffee Connection at CityLink Mall (where "its always cool!" basically an air-conditioned underground mall connecting a few major hang outs in town - maybe the world's first underground mall?!) last Sunday.

This was my first time there and I was surprised to see that its decor was rather different from the other branches - rather space-agey ;) As we flipped through the menus, I went straight to the dessert section and made my choice before deciding on the entree!


After the spicy chilli beef soup, I was anticipating something sweet to soothe my burning palate. Instead, I got something cold and lemony instead! The chilled lime souffle, served with mixed berries and some chocolate/plain biscuits did an interesting job of putting out the fire. But at the back of my mind, I wished I was eating something more conventional like a key lime pie or a proper warm chocolate souffle like the one from Max Brenner ;) Guess you just can't take the chocos out of me!

stormiii at 10:51 pm

0cups of tea

Monday, November 14, 2005

Eid Goodies

Still playing around with the factors that are needed for taking fantastic food pictures :) Tip: natural light is BEST.

My thanks to Dee who supplied the needed inspiration for these pictures. Yummy Hari Raya goodies - my favourite would have to be the melt in your mouth pineapple tarts!

stormiii at 5:18 pm

2cups of tea

What's your fla-va?

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
You are kind, popular, and generous.
You tend to be successful at anything you try.
A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd.
You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.
What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

stormiii at 2:34 pm

0cups of tea

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Free your mind!

Took Wednesday off to maximise the two public holidays on Tuesday and Thursday...shiok :)

Caught up with my cousin Caroline yesterday as we'd been talking about checking out her yoga class in town. But first...FOOD :) We had an early lunch at the new *Sun with Moon Japanese Dining Cafe* (#03-15, Wheelock Place). They're slightly different from the usual sushi / tempura / don-set type of place because for one, the place is more sophisticated and two, they're well known for their kamameshi (traditional steamed rice pot) and yummy dessert :) But all that flew out of the window when our eyes landed on the bento sets comprising of 8 types of dishes, delicious matcha ice cream with azuki (red) beans and tea/coffee! My tummy was heartily satisfied but somehow the food still lacked that japanesey taste to it...unlike the food at Nirai Kanai (Okinawan izakaya at #04-05, Tanglin Shopping Centre), where I could imagine myself in the land of the rising sun itself if I were to close my eyes in ecstasy...hmm...

And now for the True Yoga experience :) This club is one of the largest here that specialises in various yoga types and pilates classes. It doesn't have a gym, but there's the usual shower, locker, changing room, steam room amenities. It even has a "waiting lounge" for customers to relax and gossip in before the class begins. And yes, someone actually announces that the class is ready for boarding...erm, use. My cousin signed me in for the Indian Fusion Dance class taught by Kumar (not the same Kumar of Boom Boom Room fame). But this instructor actually holds a PhD in dance and teaches the Bellydancing & Indian Classical Dance classes too ;) The class was really FUN as it reminded me a lot of my YMCA aerobics classes, with the combination of cardio and dance moves. There were about 15 to 20 participants (from aunties to Japanese ladies) and most were concentrating too hard on perfecting the moves instead. He had to remind us to smile every 10 minutes! My belly dancing techniques came in handy too...lots of hip swivel and shoulder movement. Kumar was such a diva ;) The class ended with some yoga and pilates stretching / cool-down poses. Apparently you can attend some of their trial classes for $5, but beware of hard-selling sales staff.

stormiii at 5:20 pm

0cups of tea

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Something healthy for a hot day...

OK...while I seem to be sitting on the fence about whether I should start a proper food blog, I decided to seize my chance for some yummy shots since Mom made popiah and kueh pie ti for lunch today. And that requires a lot of work. Which isn't easy on a swelteringly hot day, in a small kitchen and especially for a woman approaching menopause...*gulp*

No matter what happens, the food is definitely worth it ;) These are two dishes which I missed BIG TIME when overseas previously. Better stock up on the bliss now...!

Happy Deepa-Raya to everyone out there!

stormiii at 5:15 pm

0cups of tea