The Long Weekend (Martin Luther King's Day)

There was a long weekend.

But we didn't hit vegas as suggested. hmm... monkey was not feeling well. and theres alot of things to do, like... SPRING CLEANING!

i already rearranged the kitchen on fri nite, after collecting elaine's shipment. thank u mrs chua for help us bring things...

well... monkey was a beri neat guy... and hardworking.... he woke up earlier than me on sat... to wash the toilet.... good monkey! nx time i buy u more bananas! :P

Then he rearranged the dusty storeroom.. moved alot of unwanted things in... haha... so now my dining area is neater....

I rearranged a book shelfs.. so now my books have a proper home. hmm... already attracted many dusts after all the movements.... but am happy to see a neater house. cooked porridge and had a simple meal for the day.

Sun morn, went dim sum early with polly and the other families.... we were late cuz of the last min activation...although they asked us to eat slowly... but seeing them already finished and waiting for us... i tried to eat as fast as i could but didn't eat really much cuz i just wake up... still in blur state.. haha

then we all went leelee to stock up on groceries... now my fridge is bursting with food.... haha. CNY ma... its a must!

Then evening time we all went hua shan for a good and sumptous authentic chinese dinner... forgot how many courses.. but nice... and full!!!! their portion hor.... haha...

then mon, monkey went to wash his little wife while i cooked prawn mee.... so nice to have lotsa of ingredients at home...

then in the evening.. i wanted to go buy some leggings... end up... i bought 1 belt for my papa and 1 shirt and 3 pairs of shoes as below!

though its not my style to wear covered shoes... but hor... somehow taste changes... and they seems and feels comfy when tried... the pink shoes on the left oni cost USD4.99! really love ROSS! the white shoes in the middle from Tommy Hil oni cost USD22.99!!!! CHEAP!!!!

Then i went ULTA which is just beside.. monkey bought the below for me.. hehe... he oso bought his dematological cleanser.... yeah! i got my fav OPI shade! beri hard to find this color leh!

then monkey was mumbling... the cost of spending in AZ this wkend, is enuff to go vegas and had an easy holiday... hahaa...well.... hmm.....

Another Day of lotsa of food

Hehe... this is the part 2 aka the final pastry baking of pineapple tarts at juliet's hse. the gals like bangawan solo style, so the shapes were long and oval. did u see some ingots (yuan bao) shape? haha... arean't we creative?

We had some extra pastry after using up all the pineapple fillings. so we put in hersheys choc chips (the oni thing wrappable found in juliet's fridge). and the creative team actually make the shape of the pastry into a hershey kiss shape. hahaha


Our pastry is very successful. with thanks from the butter that eunice bought, the fragrance melts alot of pple..... its so nice!!! and dun think our fillings dun have fibres... it does! i like the chewy part abt the fibres of pineapple tarts. see!

Then with extra ingredients, and so coincidence i brought over the bananas from my apt, we decided to make banana cake... was surprised tat the method was actually easy and the outcome is SUPER! NICE!!!!!!! it raises just nice, and fluffy and rich... and it melts in the mouth... aww.....

the crust is abit crisp.. the warm banana cake.... awww... i wanna make that again!!!!!!



i think i m beri blessed. sheena called and asked if i wanna try her mee siam (how wld i reject? haha), then she get her hubby to deliver to us.... ahahaaa

See, she so totful and packed the meesiam and gravy in seperate containers so it wun spoil.... touched leh!!!!



Had dinner at Juliet's house and the day was soooooo fullfilling with so much food... haha... the pineapple tarts were so nice, they wanna make it again this wk. Just made the fillings today with them. tomolo will bake pastry le.... looking forward for more pineapple tarts!

Back to School!

Yeah!!!!

I finally successfully managed to register myself for a course tat is not too long term, not too expensive, something tat i m interested and will be useful for my future career......

Japanese Language!!!

I am so excited!!! i had taken a 3mth jap lang course from a community centre when i was in poly. but i sort of returned half of the stuffs to my teacher and the course was too basic... so its time i continued this enrichment of mine! ooops... did i tell u tat this coming course tat starts on 02/02/09 (special day to me) got assignments, tests and exams? hahaa... but nvm.... i still find it more relaxing than my degree...

Isn't it good to have something enriching, and oso.... past time easier?! :)

My Hunting Result

I am very fortunate to have beri good cookers staying ard me.....

I wld like to thank the little nouya show tat makes pple crave for nouya kueh.... christine was one of the "victims" and she had the craving so much that she said she almost woke up the entire Adiamo to find the missing ingredient which is coconut milk....

lucky she got it from the cute and late nite oso nv sleep de ms lindarella... she made this kueh salat thru midnite!!!!

i dunno how to make this... but i noe where she stays... so i go "rob" this nice kueh from her... really beri long nv eat this already... i miss banganwan solo... but chris's kueh salat is oso nice!!!! i like! :)


My appetite was nv small.... a simple kueh salat cannot satisfy me easily... haha.... my antenna (facebook)receives news tat another neighbour Hema made some odeh odeh... so i went ard the estate "robbing" food... hahahaaa.....

Her odeh odeh hor.... when i gave my first bite... the filling ooozed out!!! WOW!!!!! juliet saw tat and was surprised oso... haha.. nice leh...shiok!!! omg! i love odeh odeh...

Then we (juliet, eunice and me) prepared more pineapple fillings for the tart making!! today is day 1. tomolo continue the pastry and baking!!! yeah!!!

oh, had a nice and simple dinner at juliet's house oso.... thanks!!! we chatted till 1am and monkey reached home after his nite shift and find me not home yet..... haaa... he bobian me so come and fetch me from juliet's house (acutally still in the same estate and within walking distance), he scare i gena kipnapped......

i had a day full of nice food. i fell in love deeply with my neighbours but they are going back to sg soon!!!! HOW? :(

Pineapple tarts!!!! CNY 2009!!!!

I tot by updating 7 of my blog entries at one shot previously, will give me some time to rest before nx blogging.

But i simply have too much to say, i noe i m just plain talkative... haha. Do expect 3 entries from my blog today! :)

As you would have already noe, we got a new family member aka money the fighter fish (blue). But recently, monkey bought another fish... its sucker fish... meant to eat the rubbish in the tank... so now i have money and i have sucker in my fish tank.... tat sounds like money sucker... hmm....

and hor... fighter fish are born to fight! they cannot live with others peacefully... my poor sucker... gena multiple attacks on it's first night in it's new home. i was surfing net at nite and heard so much water sound.... lucky sucker fish are born to ignore everything and keep sucking... so it did not return any fists to money.... so at times, money tot its a fake fish and stopped attacking.. then kick it again and try... wabiang... money bully sucker...



In order to get the CNY mood and stop my craving, i bought 2 pineapples and called the princesses over my house to bake pineapple tarts!!!!

We do all from scratch, from me cutting the big pokey pineapples and grating them into fine fibres, to the princesses helping me to stir cook it non-stop for an hour.... must have grp work else hands will break by stirring... i noe i look abit pale and dark circles.. woke up too early to go market...


The 2 big pineapples fillings, after grating and cooking and chilled in fridge overnite, is left with this much!

We mould them into shapes of pumpkims, apples and pears...christine was our "design dept" and ms jm and me were the "moulding dept"... haha.... ms jm was glazing the cute little things...

Tats our final result of cooking in 2days.... cute rite? it taste professional enuff oso!!!! YUMMY!!!! but 2 big pineapples oni made 25 small little tarts... hmm...

New Year 2009, My 1st Movie in US and New Family Member

It was the last day before 2009 arrived. I dolled up abit (not too much but at least bothered to out on make up) while waiting for monkey to come back from his bowling session and fetch me go gai gai.....

We went Scottsdale for a quick shopping (it was already 4pm and it closes at 6pm on New Year eve)... i had my breakfast cum lunch there while waiting for the chiangs... haa... odd timing i noe...

Didn't buy alot... monkey bought another holister tee while i bought the coach fabric cleaner as requested from weini... went all the way but i didn't buy anything for myself.. sianz 1/2...

Then go dinner (HUH, i tot i just had breakfast cum lunch) at Davun with the guys. Didn't ate much cuz i m still quite full.. monkey had his fav "mee-pok" lookalike...

Then.. we proceed to a place called Pussy Cat Lounge for counting down... why? dunno leh.. the chiangs recommend one and we nv went clubbing in US before... so we were quite excited oso..

When reached.... I m SHOCKED! Its so cold out there.... below 10 degree celsius i think.. and the ladies were all dressed like... erm.... short tube dress or lesser! and they were so stunning in the full of sequins outfit!!!! they are just normal ang mohs who is going clubbing like us.. but they dressed like mamasams and 7th mth ge tai... wow.. culture shock... hahahaa.. maybe i too mountain turtle liao... but i dunno how can they stand the cold with such little coverage.. and queued outside so long before getting in... at first i tot i was already in proper outfit to go clubbing.. when see them... i think i look super auntie... haiz...must buck up nx time! haha

in the lounge... monkey was standing like a bouncer behind me.. then the 2 chiangs were dancing infront of me... so i m sandwiched... erm..... but they were all trying to protect me la... cuz i heard the ang mohs will come hands up and down if u are left alone.... so tat makes me beri safe from the protection of 3 "bodyguards"... haha.. thanks!

btw, i only drank 1 bottle of beer (and it was "robbed" from kok mun cuz he gave me coke at first!).. why? cuz the guys need to drive and drink driving is a NONONONO! and they said woman better dun drink else later erm... well.... ok lor.. not my territory so its better to be more careful...

New experience... haha.. counting down to 2009 lor!!!!!! bye bye 2008!!! lets hope that year 09 will be better, n terms of economy and weather !!!!!

On the second day of new year... monkey is still on off.... so we went movie with ms jm and her hubby.. we watched..... Marley and Me

Shy to say.. but its my first time watching movie at threatre in US... cuz i do tat mostly at home.. haha... but its a nice experience... their threatre is BIG and seats are oso wide!!!!! monkey likes it so his long knees have space.... and its Free Seating!!!! meaning... u get to choose ur prefered seat if its not taken....hengz we were early......but the threatre so big and their seatings are good so tat no matter where u sit, its still good...

Ordered some food.. their popcorns kinda cute... u get to season it yourselves as there are many diff flavours of season powders available at the side.... NICE! nx time i wanna buy their tee so i get free popcorns everytime i come and buy their cup so i get free refills every time!!!! Good buy rite?!?!!

It was a nice movie... jsut that the ending part... haiz... reminds me of my pet cat lulu in her final days.. dropped first tears of the year...

After movie, we went Petco and check it out... monkey was eyeing on his fav fish... alamak... i dunno alot abt fishes but he can't take his eyes off the betas (aka fighting fish).. so i told him i will buy him one...

This is our new family member.... i named him/her "Money"... haa

Remembered the "fish tank vase" i received as vDay surprise in 2007? haha.. i actually shipped it here.... time to let it be useful again.. but since it wasn't utilised earlier.. so it was still in wraps...

Monkey was beri exciting to build a new home for his fish and started to clean up the tank... he brought it to toilet and scrub it... scrub the tank of cuz.. not the fish!

See, every now and then, he will glance at "money" awhile. be it drinking water or watching tv, he will stared at it stupidly for few seconds and check how is it doing... and check again every morning when he wakes up and before he zzz.. wabiang... he dun wan his big and little wife after he found his new love liao... Pengz!

At first, we were quite worried abt how to bring this fish back to Singapore... give it to some1 or throw it away or fly it back? or give the fish our singapore address and ask it swim across the oceans and find us while we wait at bedok jetty? hahahaa... but all these are craps... monkey said he will buy another fighter fish nx wk... TO LET THEM FIGHT! so lets hope the fishes survive before we decide to make plans for them... pengz...

My First DIY Bubble Tea

Xmas is over... wow.. so fast...

Then the guys had oni need to work 2 days before their long weekend of New Year 2009.

Christine jioed me to her house... as she had prepared her ingredients for Otah.. wow.... I didn't helped much.. cuz I decided to babysit and play with her son davis... cute leh...even her dog milkshake wants to kiss me.. ooops...

Then when all the princesses arrived... i started to boil the pearls... i bought all the bubble tea ingredients from Oriental Market LeeLee.... even the straws too!

Nice attempt... the tea powder is classic flavour so it taste like teh-c... nx time i shall try the fruity flavours... the pearls are nice! but the bad thing is, the tea needs to be made with hot water... so we waited beri long before it cool down in the fridge (no one drinks hot bubble tea la!)

So this pic is taken when its oni half full.. cuz i m too thirsty after waiting so long, and of cuz.. becuz Chris's otah is spicy!!!!


Hmm.. taste authentic enuff.... and its FOC cuz we DIY!!!!! if go outside buy.. a cup will cost ard USD3..... hahaa

White Christmas 2008 - Flagstaff

Day 1 - Sedona and Somewhere in Flagstaff

Yeah! Right after Xmas Eve dinner at Juliet's house, the following day aka Christmas Day, we travelled towards our White Christmas with the rest of EI trade! Total of 17pax!!!!! Wow!!!


We all gathered at Jack-In-The-Box for breakfast before setting off.... 17 pax, 5 cars, 3days and 2 nights...




We stopped our first point in the itinerary at Sedona (again). It was raining and the parks are not opened on Xmas day... so we took pics and go... head to their town and had our "picnic". Polly prepared alot of sandwiches and I cooked some luncheon meat and fry egg (i beri nice right, after xmas dinner so late and tired till prepare the dishes till so late)... we were eating in the cold but its a good thing we are well prepared cuz alot of shops and restaurants are not opened..



Then i slept abit in his little wife while travelling from Sedona to Flagstaff... when i opened my eyes... i realised it was snowing! OMG! first time seeing snow (though i already lived for a few decades, not too many decades la...)!!!! the scenary on the way was so nice... tat i can't bear to sleep anymore....

Took this pic outside our hotel (Rodeways Inn & Suites), thanks kok mun for booking all the rooms for all of us..



My first encounter with snow.... see i m so puffed up! The red hat was bought on our way to Sedona just now, forgot to buy ear muffers... hahaa... The white thick jacket and gloves was bought on Xmas eve (after church and before Juliet's dinner).. all so last min! I noe i look round... but its because i wore 4layers of tops and 3layers of bottoms! Thats exclusive of hat, gloves and boots! Btw, my legs are hidden in the snow already..



Top - Thermalwear, Long Sleve Tee, Black coat, White Jacket

Bottom - Thermalwear, Jeans, Snowpants (in later pics)




After checking in, i faster put on my snowpants, else when the jeans are wet by the snow... my fatty legs will freeze.... we went to dunno where to play with snow... its freaking cold! Its not only snowing, but strong wind blowing oso! Our face was frozen and stiff.....just like having alot of botox jabs.... cannot have too many expressions... so cold!


Kok mun buai tahan our romantic pose.. haha




This snowman is build by dunno who.. but its really slim... got hourglass figure sia... poor issac, he so cold until he cannot do his "zhao pai dong zhuo" (say cheese with his index finger on his cheek)



We didn't sleigh... its so cold.. so we just pose for pic.. haha... i remember the jap Hana Yori Dango got Dao Ming Si looking for Shan Cai in the snow.... i was looking for him oso..haha
I had to followed monkey's footstep everywhere.. cuz my legs will get "swallowed" by the snow every step i made... haa


Posing with Polly's daughter- Annabelle. The pic says 2 bak zhangs.

It was really cold when the wind blows the snow to us. Because of the coldness, we need more fats and energy to keep us warm... so we went for a Mandarin Buffet dinner... beri sumptous meal and cheap.... but we got so many pple until we all have to be seated in 2rows of table...

After whole day of playing... we still not tired... we proceed to Polly's room for Ban Luck... see issac so cute for his shake leg pose.

Day 2 - Somewhere near hotel

I didn't had a good sleep. Had die-real, migraine over the night... the hotel even got blackouts becuz of the stormy snow... i had to use my hp torchlight to go toilet.. so scary... and the crosswind was blowing towards our glasswindow panel so strong tat it makes so much noise.. so scare that it will break.. ooops.... but i think too much.. nothing happen.... i woke up with a neck strain (didn't sleep properly), chest pain and hard to breathe.... its quite common cuz the air is very thin and the elevation is high... my body had not adapt to it yet so i felt quite sick and uncomfortable.



Too bad, so we didn't go out with them, monkey stayed in the hotel with me cuz he oso dun wan to go skiing... i scare i go out further i will need oxygen tank.. haha.. nv felt so out of breath before...


Called the hotel caterers to deliver lunch to us... so nice to stay in while its freaking cold out there...



Monkey took pic of his little wife after leaving it exposed to the snow overnight.. the guys had to spend 1hr everymorning to shove the ice away and warm up the car before driving... Lucky we went in grps... they brought like spades and dunno wad equipments to shove ice.... but 1hr leh!!! wabiang.. snow is power!


Finally felt better after enuff rest.... so we went out to meet the rest for dinner together at Village Inn. But i scare to walk on the ice to the restaurant's door... cuz its REALLY SLIPPERY!!! i rather let my legs be burried in the soft cushy snow...




At night... the same old rules... ban luck! haha.. but i really felt better le as my body had started to adapt... every time take pic, kok mun will show the cam his cards and he everytime heng heng got beri good cards when take pic... haha

Day 3 - Grand Canyon

Self Taken pic at hotel's balcony before checking out.

Group photo at hotel's parking lot before setting off....

This is so winter sonata...


Our nx point before home is one of the 7 world wonders- Grand Canyon!!!

On the way, i spotted many dreamy cottages tat i saw on movies... see their roof coated with thick layer of snow.. just like heaven sprinkled alot of icing sugar on it... yummy.. hehee

I also see many Xmas trees... real one i mean..

And if u notice clearly.... its oso coated with snow... just like alot of cotton wool as decorations... its so nice tat it dun need any other ornaments... real and nature is beauty! :)

Reached the phototaking point before going in....

Yes, we are all here!

The fees are not cheap though... lucky its by per car basis..

But its really worth it for such magnificant view!!!!!!!!!

I am really walking into a winter wonderland.... made a little snowball... i think i miss ice-kachang too much.... forgot to bring red beans and syrup... haha

Is monkey trying to push me down the cliff?

The snow is so thick but the tree remains stong... wow..

Reached the Rim Trail at forgot which part of Grand Canyon.... there is a little hut that tells us abt the layers of rocks and its nature... how its formed and the Corolado River... wow...

Of cuz we went hiding in the hut! Cuz its too cold outside!!!!


Aden, i saw ur hand!

Compare my outfit with monkey's... he thinks his skin beri thick.... but anyway... look at the background.. beri nice... half the mountain is covered with snow and half is not.... awww... if only i m a professional photographer...

We lost half the grp cuz they parked their car elsewhere and didn't find the little hut which is our meeting point... but they had their own interesting adventures..

As its running later... we all meet up at Wendy's for dinner and proceed back home....

The little snowman tat Edmund made on top of his car for flagship had melted along the way when we left for home.. hahaa