red koloured polka pots

birthday wishlist 2011

2011-03-17T15:41:00.003+08:00

1. I NEED A FRIGGIN WALLET

Doesn't have to be this one, I just thought it was a nice picture.

Plus, I actually wouldn't mind owning this.

2. Rayban Wayfarers

3. Furla Candy Bag

Cheaper version of the Hermes Special Edition Kelly that I wanted

4. Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag

5. Recipe Books

6. MAC Wonder Woman Collection

Not everything though, just MOST. Heh.

7. Hermes Jige Clutch

If I don't get a wallet, this will suffice.

HAHA, who am I kidding!

Okay, I think I am done for now!

furla candy bags

2011-03-17T09:36:00.002+08:00

Birthday in 10 days!

*hint hint*

why so skinny?!

2011-03-17T09:19:00.000+08:00

why is megan fox so skinny and pale!

girly grunge

2011-03-03T16:25:00.001+08:00

Ashley Tisdale

Wednesday Bakes: A blog post about the lack of blog posts

2010-09-06T22:39:00.001+08:00

Two Wednesdays have passed since I started this project and I haven't updated my blog with any bakes from the recipe book! It's not cause I haven't been baking, but more likely, cause I've been too busy with bake orders to make anything from the recipe book, Baked! The first week, however, I was good and made one recipe from Baked - Sour Lemon Scones. On top of that, I made a Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart and a Nutella Tart. Last week it was another Nutella Tart, a S'mores Tart, 24 Dinosaur Cupcakes and a White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondie.

I didn't have time to take pictures of the scones, but I still have a few of them in my freezer so I will make sure to get pictures. BUT, I did take pictures of the S'mores tart that wasn't blogged about in the previous post. I also got pictures of the blondie and dinosaur cupcakes. Feast your eyes! This week seems equally hectic, hopefully I find time to bake the second recipe in the Baked book!

Fluffy white marshmallows atop a dark chocolate ganache nestled in a graham cracker tart crust!

These blondies went all the way to HK for a good friend (:

Mother dino with her eggs -- My favourite dinosaur cupcake!

For more pictures, go to Bake(r)'s Facebook Page

TARTS ARE MY NEW BESTFRIENDS

2010-08-28T00:07:00.003+08:00

I've finally made a Chocolate Ganache Tart and it was a serious success! So I decided I'd venture a little more and take a risk to make my own variation of the Chocolate Ganache Tart -- Nutella Chocolate Tart with an Oreo Crust. The Nutella tart is inspired by the one I tried at Everything with Fries (EwF). I think my version is pretty awesome too! Looks like I'm on a roll with this tart baking thing! Am already thinking of what other variations I can do and what tart I wanna next make. The possibilities are pretty much endless but I was thinking of something with a Digestive Biscuit crust though, mmmm.

The first tart I made

Close to perfect!

Picture from LadyIronChef

Nutella Tart from EwF

My version, slightly pothole-ly surface though..

I got a request to sell it an a shop alr!

EGGCITE :D

Still need to perfect the crust -- it's pretty crumbly

Does it look like the one from EwF?

Their's is served with chocolate fudge on top though..

New Camera -- Yes, No, Maybe?

2010-08-21T01:32:00.002+08:00

Canon Powershot S95

It is really puuurrrdyyyyyy!

Was launched in the UK today

If I do get it, I'll probably trade in my current camera for this one..

I want something more "pro" so I can take all the yummilicious food pictures (:

Wednesday Bakes

2010-08-20T01:14:00.001+08:00

I've a ton of recipe books and they are all really underused.
So, I have decided that I'm going to start a project called Wednesday Bakes to bake my way through these cookbooks, especially those which are more interesting. Of course as the name suggests, I try one recipe every Wednesday. Why Wednesday? Cause it's my day off from school!

The first book I'm am going to attempt to bake my way through is:

Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

It consists of 50 recipes and I'm going to start next Wednesday, 25th August 2010!

More updates here!

flip flop obsession

2010-08-19T17:49:00.002+08:00

Saw these at Pedder Red -- Studded Grey Havaianas

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

But no size! And they were S$80 but it didn't bother me.

So I went online to search for them and I found themmmm (:

I have a serious issue

Picture from FashionToast

And I'm really looking to get this Cross Double Finger Ring.
Heard it first retailed in Forever21 for a few dollars and now it's so high in demand, people are paying exorbitant prices for it on eBay and other such auction sites.

wish for you on a falling star

2010-07-20T21:32:00.003+08:00

sometimes, all you wanna wish for is one more day,
one more day with her.

au naturel

2010-07-15T19:26:00.004+08:00

on sunday, i discovered that i got sty on my right eye and in case you don't know what it is, it's like a zit on your eyelid. since i'm going to bangkok this weekend, i wanted to make sure it healed before i left so that i won't look gross in all my trip pictures :P

so i decided that i wasn't gonna put any eyeliner and mascara this week cause that's what you're supposed to do when you get sty. if you know me, you'd know that it's a struggle. i've worn makeup since i was 14 and i wear makeup whenever, and i mean WHENEVER, i go out, except when i go to school. it definitely was (and still is) difficult especially since i'd quite alot of going out to do this week. in fact, i have work also and you know the stigma with island creamery girls, i mean bad enough that we alr have to look good on normal days, what more on days when i can't wear eyeliner right? then i had to go back to mccann for a potluck and these people have seen me with makeup, every single day of the 3 months that i was there. and if you wear eyeliner often, you'd know that it REALLY makes a world of difference to the way you look!

anyway, i made it through this week, well most of it, and i think it's really changed me. before, i could never go out without wearing eyeliner cause i'd feel so insecure. now, i feel like its okay and i might actually do it more often, it's quite liberating, really. just thought i'd share this cause it's an issue that i constantly deal with and have been dealing with for quite long. since young, i never was the prettiest of the lot and neither was i the slimmest so i've always had to deal with people saying mean things about the way i look. it's come to the point where even when people say nice things now, i find it difficult to believe. i really am very glad that i'm finally starting to get over this insecurity.

makeup-less day

2010-07-12T23:40:00.003+08:00

AIYAH, I HAD THIS WHOLE BLOG POST WITH PICTURES ABOUT VISITING BANGKOK THEN MY DAD CLOSED THE WINDOW BEFORE I COULD PUBLISH IT. TSK.

I don't want alot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need..

2010-07-12T13:43:00.003+08:00

Hermes 1997 Special Edition Kelly Handbag

JOY TO THE WORLD ♥

2010-07-12T13:09:00.002+08:00

The only winning picture I could find with Torres in it.

WHAT A LET DOWN, TORRES!

Tsk.

VIVA ESPAÑA!

I need to do my eyebrows, pronto.

2010-07-09T01:05:00.003+08:00

HURR HURRRRR

Don't wanna end up like this, for sure..

why so chiozxzx?

2010-07-03T11:57:00.005+08:00

I want a dress like that ):

Princess Themed Cake Trees

2010-07-03T02:53:00.000+08:00

3 tiered cake display, consisting of 6" cake and 40 cupcakes

close up of cake

ballerina

Go to Bake(r)'s facebook page to see more pictures (:

Embarrassing or Motivating?

2010-06-25T14:59:00.004+08:00

An outdoor advertising for gym, Fitness First, bravely shows your figure weight when you take a seat at this Rotterdam bus stop.
A pretty cool ad, I must say..

Source: Cool Design Blog

When is it okay?

2010-06-24T11:32:00.000+08:00

When is it okay to be angry?

In the Bible, we learn that we should let God be the judge and that we should always trust Him for provision.

Imagine you're in this situation: Someone borrowed a large sum of money and hasn't paid you back. Because of that, you are now broke $ What makes it worse is that the borrower is still going out and having fun while you are stinging and wondering how you're gonna pay for your next meal. So then, is it okay to be angry at the person? I mean you technically are not broke but you're "suffering" because of someone else. Being angry at the person is only natural but then you look back and realize that despite the day to day struggle, God has been providing you with just enough for every day, no doubt tight, but still provision anyhow.

So then again, you ask yourself, is it okay to be angry?

I mean you still have enough for each day.

Isn't that enough to be thankful for?

Worship Camp

2010-06-03T11:55:00.004+08:00

This year, the worship team is having a combined worship camp with FGA KL from the 11th-13th of June.
Initially I was excited to go but when the date drew nearer and issues arose, I wasn't sure if I still wanted to be there anymore. There was that battle within me, half wants to go, the other half would rather stay behind. I didn't see the benefit I could gain though I knew that the right and responsible thing to do is to go. So, deadlines drew near and I still couldn't make up my mind, furthermore, I wasn't sure if my internship would allow me to take leave.

Yesterday was the ABSOLUTE last day to make my decision, I still had no idea, whatsoever, if I wanted to go or not. It was getting late, like 7.30pm, and I wasn't even close to a decision, so after my run, I told God,

"God, I want to see the word 'worship' (I mean since its a WORSHIP camp right?) when I read Our Daily Bread today"

(Some of yall might alr know where this is going.)

I visited the site, and even made sure I was reading the devotional for the 2nd of June, and look what I saw:

I was shaking! Has to be God right? Only one 'worship' you know?!?! D said I should've asked for something more specific cause the word 'worship' isn't exactly very rare in Christian texts. But oh well, I truly believe rare or not, it was really God's answer to my test!

So, COMBINED WORSHIP CAMP 2010, here I come (:

**EDIT:

My leave got approved and they're not even cutting my pay!

showstopping show show stopping

2010-05-26T11:32:00.001+08:00

Diane Kruger at Cannes Film Festival

Driving.

2010-05-26T09:57:00.003+08:00

So I started my "Learn Driving" process on the 25th of Jan 2010 and 5 months later on the 25th of May 2010, I took my first practical driving test and as much as I want to say that I passed, I FAILED ):
I got 22points which is MAJOR close to passing (to pass you need 20pts) and as much as I know that my instructor cannot take all the blame, he did play a major role in my failure. He did not mention alot of things which I got marked down for, and these are things which can be easily changed (read: can change within one lesson kinda mistakes). Of course I was pissed when the tester reviewed my driving and he told me stuff which my instructor did not ever tell me I was doing wrong so of course I continued doing the same for the test right?

But anyway, my intention for this post is not to bitch about

KOH TIAN POH

21.43%

And yes, 21.34% is his passing rate!!???! Out of 14 students, only 3 ever passed. I got the statistics from this website, which shows you your instructor's passing rates and KOH TIAN POH was the one who told me about this website, too bad I was too trusting of him to actually check out his passing rates. And when I did at the end of the test, I found to my horror that he has the LOWEST passing rate among all the private instructors at Ubi. WHAT A MISTAKE TO NOT CHECK!!!
*Disclaimer: I might have told some of you that I got the best instructor ever right? That was before KOH TIAN POH, it was another guy who went on holiday one wk before my test hence landing me in the unsafe arms of this instructor who, by the way, goes by the name of Simon and is really cheekopek.

Oh yes, back to my real intention, before the test, I'd some time to spare, so to claim my nerves, I thought I'd read Our Daily Bread. I read John 9:1-23 and this is what struck me the most:

¹As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. ⁴As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Can you imagine reading this before the test? I kinda thought, "God are you trying to tell me that I'll fail?" but then I pushed it aside and on hindsight, I think He indeed was preparing me for this. Sometimes bad things happen to us not because we deserve it or we are "paying" for the sins of our parents, but so that God can use these bad things to show Himself true in our lives. Hopefully I pass the next test with FLYING COLOURS so that He can use my failure for His glory (:

2010-04-14T11:32:00.002+08:00

Kikki K.

2010-04-13T15:43:00.001+08:00

Bought my 2010 planner from Kikki K. but look at this one I just saw!

I love it and (super) feel like getting it cause it's so cute and it's got baking and food and stuff but what am I gonna do with TWO planners right?!

This is the one I have now

The one I like!

Maybe I should get the Baking Organizer instead (:

help me decide!

2010-03-30T21:58:00.000+08:00

So, you guys bought me a Kitchenaid (my gaht!) but I can't decide if I like this colour :/

This is the colour I have now

Boysenberry purple?

Or ice blue?

Or tangerine orange?

There're other colours but I don't think Tangs has them.

So how!?

Casual Lovin'

2010-03-24T23:05:00.001+08:00

Jessica Alba on the back patio of Caffe Luxxe

Kate Bosworth at LA Airport

Nicole Richie grabs lunch

Reese Witherspoon running errands in LA

Pictures from CoutureCandy

4Cs: Chunky, Chewy, Chocolate, Cookies

2010-03-19T13:09:00.000+08:00

Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate and Macadamia Chunks

Just outta the oven!

Hmmmmmmm...

Canon Ixus 210

2010-03-19T00:04:00.001+08:00

Not the camera I wanted but nonetheless, I am super grateful that Auntie Kenn got it for me (: I haven't gotten a new camera since 2004/2003 and I really needed a new one especially since I'm always taking food pictures..

This is it! Same colour too (:

It's a touch screen too!

It's supposedly Canon's latest model though honestly, I'm not that keen on the touch screen. I think it won't last as long as one with the normal buttons but what to do, I got it as a gift. Plus, if I exchanged it to the Canon Ixus 130 which is pretty similar in terms of functions but, in my opinion, nicer looking and less bulky and cheaper, I would be exchanging this for something of a lower value, then what do I do with the remaining money?

The Canon Ixus 130

I still like the buttons ):

Exchange?

Mac Attack!!

2010-03-17T23:46:00.000+08:00

So as mentioned in my previous post, I had 12 egg whites left over from my Poire d'Eve adventure and as promised, I made macarons!

Bake(r)'s macaron (left) vs. Bakerzin's macarons

The filling!

White chocolate ganache with peach jelly in the centre

Stack, stack, stack

Bakerzin's Macarons

2010-03-10T23:28:00.005+08:00

Bakerzin is having some macaron promotion now! On their website they say 6 macarons for $6 but when I bought at Taka, I paid $6.40 for 6! :/ I bought all 5 of their caramel flavours (because I ABSOLUTELY loveeeee caramel (:) and one other flavour which has vanilla buttercream with rose jelly.

Can you see the gold "flakes" on the macaron?

Quite impressive. I wonder what it is..

I like the colours of this one.

Who says matchy matchy is always a good thing!

The non-caramel flavour.

The one below too.

I chose this flavour cause of the rose jelly filling. I thought it'd be interesting to try but upon further inspection, my guess is, it's just jam..

I tried not to repeat pictures of the same macarons but this picture was just too yummy to not post.

All lined up! I ate the first two from the left already (:
And yes, I was eating and using the computer. It's a super bad and unhealthy habit but everyone does it!
Plus, we're talking about macarons here :P

I'm gonna be making macarons soon too, still have 12 egg whites left over from my Poire d'Eve baking adventure.

Uni Applications Checklist

2010-03-09T23:48:00.003+08:00

Changeling.

2010-03-07T21:20:00.000+08:00

This show was out in 2008 and I've always wanted to watch it, but I only got to today. I'm not going to give a review or anything but if you've watched it, you'll understand what I mean when I say: I'm glad we don't have a corrupted government in Singapore. If you haven't watched it, WATCH IT!

AABBC

2010-03-06T11:02:00.003+08:00

It's finally over. Two years of slogging it out and it's finally over. You won't really understand unless you've been through it, but it's never really over till you get your results. It's like a massive weight lifts off your shoulders and you know it's officially the end of the old season and the start of a new, exciting one.

I can't say that I'm extremely happy with my grades, I mean who wouldn't say, "I wish I'd done more"? On top of that, it seems almost as if the people who did the Arts Combination did alot better and it reiterates (and rubs in) the fact that I SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN ARTS! And that makes me kinda sore, but who can I blame except myself and my silly wrong choices. But I definitely learnt a hard lesson from it: NO MORE SCIENCE FOR ME ANYMORE!

Despite all the regrets, what's done is done and ultimately, I still thank God for his grace and mercy in seeing me through, what I am going to call, the toughest two years of my life. And while they were the toughest two years, they were also the two most rewarding years of my life. Just from little things like getting into CJ and how it was initially a struggle but it ended up being one of the best choices I've ever made (The friends I made and the experiences we shared; I wouldn't trade it for the world.) to things like how my MG friends stuck by me, even if it was via SMS and we left all our childish play in school and continued to support and encourage each other even though we didn't get to meet up as often and everyone changed along the way.

I'm so happy and relieved that I survived this amazing once in a lifetime experience (though I don't know if I'll recommend it :P) and I sure as guacamole couldn't have done it without the constant You-Can-Do-Its of friends and family and not forgetting, God, who carried me through when I thought I couldn't carry on and without whom, my miserable 20/100 math grades couldn't have jumped a miraculous 5 grades (YAH, I REALLY HATE MATH!)

I am extremely, utterly, abundantly, blessed (:

my little dessert making adventure: Poire d'Eve

2010-03-01T02:06:00.009+08:00

I don't really know what Poire d'Eve stands for. I Google Translate-d it, and apparently it stands for Pear Eve or Pear of Eve (I always get different answers..) but whatever it is, both the translations don't make sense. This dessert has been on my Bake List (to the left, to the left ~) for the longest time but I always talk myself out of making it cause it seems so complex and difficult to make as compared to my usual cupcakes and stuff (you'll know what I mean when you see the pictures below) I don't know what got into me today but I decided I'd spend my Sunday afternoon making it and then bring it to 'Chap Goh Meh' dinner for my family to try (mind you, most of my family is in F&B so there was alot of pressure there)

Close up!

See the layers? That's why I said it's a complex dessert.

There's no baking involved but you've to make it layer by layer and refrigerate in between so as to prevent the layers from mixing. It's almost as good as making 4 different desserts.

It's my first time making successful jelly (gelee) from scratch (: The last time I tried, my jelly didn't set and I ended up with a watery mess. Making the Bavarian Cream layer was almost a lost cause. Lemme try explain:

// The recipe calls for 4 egg yolks, a quarter cup sugar and 1 cup milk. The milk is first heated and then added to the egg yolk mixture (egg yolks whisked with sugar) after which the combined milk and egg mixture is returned to the stove and then cooked for a very short time under good heat control to achieve the perfect Bavarian cream. I'd never made Bavarian Cream before and was unaware of how crucial timing and heat was hence, I ended up making 2 failed batches before finally deciding to consult Youtube and getting it right on my third try. I was left with a whole lotta scrambled eggs (cause I missed the perfect time and overcooked the cream. You've no idea how depressing it is to be throwing away batch after batch of scrambled eggs that weren't meant to be) and a refrigerator full of egg whites, 12 to be exact (looks like my next few bake projects are gonna involve macarons or meringues..) Despite the "little setbacks", my dessert turned out tasting awesommmmeeee (: Maybe I'll make this again some time..

Backside view, taken in natural light.

The End.

Grace & I baked till 7 in the morning..

2010-02-28T00:31:00.001+08:00

The 2 specially packed ones for A&J

Close up of the precious diamonds. Hurrrrrr.

Many many!

I totally do not take credit for this. It was the combined work of two crazy girls who gave our 200% effort from 12mn to 7am to make these babies for our beloved A&J who are FINALLY getting married!

Bakes.

2010-02-24T18:26:00.003+08:00

Chocolate Mud Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting.

Made my own caramel for the first time!

Petit Fours topped with Caramelized Hazelnuts

Close up.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Got to use my new blowtorch! (:

Made these today (:

Felt like baking plus had Wei's farewell dinner so I specially made PB flavoured cupcakes cause it's Wei's favourite!

Packed and ready to go!

HAPPY (cake popping) CNY!

2010-02-15T15:43:00.000+08:00

Tiger Cake Pops!

Valentine's Day Petit Fours

2010-02-13T02:54:00.003+08:00

Because CNY and Valentine's Day happens to be on the same day this year, I had to choose between baking to sell for CNY or baking to sell for Vday. If you read this blog, you prolly would've already known that I chose the former. But, like every other avid baker, how could I turn down baking for VDAY?! So, I made Petit Fours (alot of work considering that I'm not selling them and that they take up alot of time which could've been used for making tarts). Here's a preview of what you will get to see and taste tomorrow, IF you're from Ignited, that is! If things work out, and ya'll like them, they will probably be on sale for Valentine's Day 2011 (:

Some of the petit fours!

Valentine's Day is about LOVE and some people LOVE ice cream!

HAHA.

MY favourite! (:

Queen of my heart.

YEESH, CHEESY.

Rose

Since my life at the moment revolves around pineapple tarts, why not pineapple petit four right?

Cupcake!

(Which sorta looks like a cactus.)

Maybe I could sell them for Christmas too.

You think?

What's VDay without hearts..

Maybe the initial of a loved one..

More rainbows..

Cute lil cock eyed rabbit.

Don't be a hater. It's my first time making these elaborate creatures.

Yes, they're quite elaborate when you actually try and make them..

Pretty ribbon.

My maid's favourite..

Beary in love.

HURRRRRRR.

All laid out for tomorrow's BIG reveal! (:

XOXO, Gossip Girl

Mysteries.

2010-02-08T22:31:00.008+08:00

You know how sometimes you get mystery bruises or cuts and you wonder where you get them and you've absolute no recollection at all? I tend to get them quite often but I usually can guess where I got them from. Like for example, I link a bruise on my hip to working at Island Creamery cause I'm always having to lean over the counter to scoop ice cream.

But look at this one I found today!! So huge! Look at it's size compared to my finger..

And I can't guess where I got it. Scratching my leg against the baking tray on the coffee table seems the most likely but I really don't remember doing that and baking trays don't leave double, close-to-each-other cuts.

Then there's the mystery pineapple tart buyer. It's someone I don't know who's a Chinese name. And I bring up Chinese name cause it kinda freaked me out. I couldn't figure if it was a guy or girl at first and that's scary cause what if it was some creep?! I didn't get to meet her (I now know it's a her) but my maid did and my maid said she's really small and nice (THANK GOD!). She left me a $4 tip cause she felt like she'd troubled me! Haha, she in no way troubled me! She even drove all the way to Bukit Timah to collect the tarts and just cause I wasn't home and had to coordinate with her and my maid a meet up place and time, she felt she was troubling me. So anyway, she collected the tarts and didn't contact me with any feedback for about 2 weeks. I pretty much convinced myself my tarts were so bad that she didn't have anything nice to say and hence no email. But today, I found a surprise email from her!

Hey Rachel,

Apologies for late reply! JUST managed to eat your tarts. Omg for a
person who doesn't like to eat pineapple tarts, these are great! I
kept eating them!
The boyfriend's family also praised them and compared them to other
tarts that they received. Can't compare. Haha.
I brought some tarts to office and my colleagues want to buy some. I
want to get more too!
Tentatively could I get 5 boxes of 50? I'll go home and ask if anyone
wants more.

Thank you!

Super excited! Cause it means that I really have some sorta standard. Not that family and friends' comments don't mean anything. It's just that when you get feedback from a total stranger, you know that she doesn't have to be nice or say anything patronizing (: So anyway, more cupcake pictures!

Tea Ceremony Cupcakes!

Someone ordered them for last weekend!

These were the initial designs I proposed but she wanted the swirl and in lavender colour hence the cupcake above.

2010-01-31T15:53:00.000+08:00

Pineapple Tarts - Repacked.

2010-01-30T01:29:00.006+08:00

A new packaging for the Pineapple Tarts!

Now yall know what they actually look like when packed (:

Btw, it's not that they used to be in a different container or anything! It's just that I've pasted my own labels instead of the really cheena looking, typically Chinese New Year Fu ('wealth' in Chinese) red stickers!

Macarons (Read: Mah-ka-hun)

2010-01-29T10:45:00.002+08:00

Green Marbled Macarons Filled with Milk Buttercream

Can you see the nice feet!!! (:

Can you tell they're marbled?

I'm not THAT brilliant. It's actually the green food colouring that just wouldn't mix well.

Macarons are Parisian desserts and hence, are pronouned as Mah-ka-hun in french.

Cupcakes for Nadine!

2010-01-26T11:50:00.002+08:00

For Nadine's friend (:

Heart theme!

I don't know why I put 2 really similar pictures. I couldn't decide which was better!

Weekend Bakes.

2010-01-24T19:39:00.006+08:00

Baileys Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Milk Buttercream Frosting

I played with Photoshop on this picture, that's why it looks kinda weird-ish.

Polka Dot Themed Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes for Hazel

My "Bake List" is getting longer and I haven't done any planning for any of the projects on that list yet. I want to complete something on a larger scale and harder difficulty level than what I usually do, like maybe make the Chocolate Caramel Tart or the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake.
We'll seeeeeeee.

The Butter Factory

2010-01-21T00:03:00.003+08:00

Why visit Butter Factory when you can start one at home?

HAHAHA. Okay, I know I'm being really lame.

But quite funny right?! Hurrrrrrr :P

All 22 sticks of butter for making pineapple tarts.

I'm gonna be busy, busy, busy.

The Art of Tart Making

2010-01-19T10:07:00.005+08:00

My days are spent doing two things: Working or Tarting.

I borrowed Jia's DSLR so I can finally take nice food pictures but somehow, when I had the camera, I didn't bake anything special or bother to take that many pictures. Here's whatever was in the camera. I took it while making Pineapple Tarts!

Step 1: Make the jam!

See the difference in colour? The one on the plate was the colour when I first started cooking the jam. When it was about done, it turned to the dark orange paste on the spoon.

Finished jam!

This is the result of cooking 2 medium size pineapples for 2 hours. It's tough work man!

I grated my finger in the process..

Step 2: Make the dough!

I don't know if you notice the scissors in the bowl? That's the small old school scissors which gramma swears by. It's what we use to make the designs on the tarts.

Step 3: Assemble the tarts.

This takes like 3++ hours for one batch of dough and it only yields this tray and the tray below's worth of tarts.

Step 4: Egg Wash.

See how it looks sorta shiny as compared to the one above. Light here is mega cui cause it was prolly 12ish at night when I took this picture.

TADAAAAA!

Completed and cooled tarts the next day.

PINEAPPLE TARTS FOR SALE!

2010-01-13T11:13:00.006+08:00

Chinese New Year is coming and I'm back to making Pineapple Tarts again!

Selling them for $28/box
(about 45 pieces)

I know I should insert some paragraph about how good they are try make you drool but I really don't know how. Plus, actions speak louder than words. SO, if you've tried (trying being the action) them and you like them, and want to order, please go ahead! (: If you haven't tried, ask me!

Teresa did an "advertorial" for me!

The picture above was also taken by her..

Click on the picture to see the advert! THANKS GIRL! (:

HE never fails.

2010-01-07T23:46:00.001+08:00

Firstly, my oven's fixed!
It was down since Christmas Eve and everytime a technician came, they either had to come back again cause they didn't know what was wrong or they didn't have the spare part (in short, MAYER has really bad follow up service). So anyway, they nearly couldn't fix it again today. The technician even told me he might have to bring the whole oven back to get a more detailed diagnosis. But again, my little prayer "God please let it work" and my mustard seed faith of thawing the butter before the oven was even fixed worked! God came through (: So I got to bake pineapple tarts!

Nom nom nom (:

Secondly, I got my job at Island Creamery! Start work next Monday. AWESOMEEEE (:

When I look back at my list of things to do after As, I'm glad that I've done 5 out of the 9. It's not normal for me since I tend to set unrealistic goals and am a major procrastinator. But, like I said in the title, He never fails.

tiramisu + sushi = tiramisushi. HUURRRRR :P

2010-01-06T18:59:00.004+08:00

Tiramisu cake made in the shape of hand-rolled sushi.

Even topped with fish roe look alike candy melts (background) and the not-so-right-colour sashimi (foreground).

Another one of the cool food ideas I found (:

Click on the picture for link!

Talking about food, my oven's gonna be fixed tomorrow!

KEEENOT WAIT!!!!

$*^&$

Mr Oven is Sick.

2010-01-05T20:02:00.001+08:00

My Oven's been down since Christmas Eve. I think the massive cupcake orders in a short period of time made it overheat or something.

I'm really missing baking (it's been 12 days!) and am anxious to get started! I want to make pineapple tarts for CNY. And I've to make a "tester" batch for some of dad's friends so they can see if they want to buy from me. I want to get the tarts out ASAP before dad's friends look for other pineapple tart suppliers. And what makes Mr Oven's "illness" even worse is that I have a food blog selling baked stuff! How to bake without an Oven! Hence the lack of updates on Bake(r).

Anyway, Oven Fixer is coming either tomorrow or thursday. Hopefully, Mr Oven will be up and working soon!

Cause I feel girly today..

2010-01-04T20:01:00.002+08:00

Got it from whowhatwear.com. Especially like tip#3!

Lego Kitchen

2010-01-01T17:36:00.000+08:00

Ho cool worzxzxz.

2010

2010-01-01T04:02:00.001+08:00

So it's the first night of 2010 and I'm lying in bed and blogging from
my iPhone with mellow music, dimmed lights and all :) Watchnight service was really awesome, I strongly believe that everyone who was there was ordained to be there. It touched me to see how so many made the choice to come even though they could've been elsewhere partying.

I guess this year's gonna be a whole lot different. For one, I don't have to go back to school on 4th Jan :) But not only that, other things like actually feeling like maybe it time to grow up. I always knew I was forced to grow up prematurely cause of my mom's passing but I feel like this year, I don't wanna be mature just for my dad or for Nate, but for me. I want to take on more responsibilities (we'll see where that takes me..) And of course I've other goals for this year but I'm too sleepy to talk about everything now :P

Here's to a good 2010! :)

HUGS <3

Mini Miracle.

2009-12-20T23:29:00.006+08:00

After church today, dad and I headed to PS to get Saybons for lunch. We ordered 3 soups and a meal. Everything added up to $16.10. Prior to Saybons, we'd bought some herbal drinks so dad had $115 left and needless to say, I'd no money. The $115 that dad had was a $100 Brunei note and $15 Singapore dollars. He'd wanted to keep the Brunei note for Nate so technically we had $15 left and Saybons was $16.10 right? So I rummaged through my wallet and found $1.05 so we were 5 cents short!! I searched my bag, my pockets and so did dad but we were still 5 cents short. The cashier noticed our little commotion and he was really nice and said he'd take the 5 cents from the tips. We felt super bad!! So I said a quick prayer "God, please provide". Right until the moment we got our food, we were still 5 cents short so we resigned to having the poor cashier take 5 cents from the tips box. How embarrassing right? Not as if he earns alot then we still owe him 5 cents. Just when I turned to walk away, I spotted a 5 cent coin on the floor!! We take it and pay the cashier. What a miracle right? God provided just enough. Not one cent more or less. So amazed :)

One of those days.

2009-12-17T12:53:00.000+08:00

Something happened today.

It made me feel inadequate, lousy, ugly, inferior, replaceable..

But I continue doing what I need to do because:

HE thinks I'm worth it
HE thinks I'm good enough
HE thinks I'm beautiful just the way I am
HE thinks "I love you so much, I laid down my life for you"

Matcha Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-12-08T23:36:00.000+08:00

New FLAVOURS coming soon at BAKE(R)

Matcha Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

scared-ed

2009-12-06T18:12:00.002+08:00

I think my biggest fear is being rejected or not having things work out the way I want, after putting everything on the line.

Which is probably why I'm not much of a risk taker.

P-A-R-T-Y!!!

2009-12-06T00:58:00.002+08:00

I had prom yesterday. But my friends decided not to go cause they say its paying to take pictures, so we ended up having dinner at Timbre and then meeting with the rest of the class at the postprom party at Supperclub. Despite the fact that we had a few really happy people (if you know what I mean :P), it was still alot of fun. We hadn't hung out as a class for uber long! Plus we had a few cool experiences like the boss of Supperclub buying drinks for us and some photographer taking those "clubbing" pictures of us. It was quite the cheap thrill!

Dinner at Timbre!

Teresa and I are happy with our strawberry magaritas!

More happy campers!

Sandra ordered some really cool Chocolate Sundae drink!

SEAFOOD PIZZAAA!

It was nice but I think the one from the place where we celebrated Austin's birthday is nicer though :/

Chilling cause we arrived almost 2 hours earlier than the prom goers..

Multishooting but to save yall the agony, I won't upload the rest :P

After about an hour of camwh*ring and turning down three "Hi, do you want to order" questions, we finally decided to order our first drink - Long Island

Either the boss of Supperclub thought we were super poorthing cause the five of us shared the one jug or he took pity on our extreme boredom, but whatever it is, we got free lychee martinis from the boss!

Then the class people started arriving but I only managed to get this shot with Neng and another with Nic cause everyone else was all over the shop

After a super crazy night, we finally make it back to Fraser Suites!

Also, Teresa very kindly did a free advertorial for my online bake shop on her blog! She's so sweet luh! I don't really think I'm worthy of all the nice stuff she wrote but, THANKS ANYWAY, GIRLIE! (:

up and ready!

2009-12-03T11:29:00.004+08:00

Click on the logo to go to the blog!

Chirstmas isn't Christmas till you have a cupcake!

2009-12-02T00:49:00.006+08:00

Made Christmas cupcakes today!
They'll be on sale at my new online bake shop
It's not fully up yet though
(Okay, more like it's just plain basic now)
Please bare with me!
(:

Cinnamon Chocolate & Sour Cream Cupcakes

Topped with crunchy honeycomb!

Is the honeycomb (background) or raisin (foreground) design nicer?
I'm prolly gonna make it more Christmas-y looking.

I've found a nice camera setting and place to take food pictures at night!
Not bad for a 6 megapixel camera huh!
And do you like the red polka dot cupcake liner? :D

Why don't teachers really say this?

2009-11-29T12:28:00.005+08:00

Life's a series of choices, a big combination of moments
Little ones that add up to big ones that create who you are

You're letting other people make those choices for you, Finn
You're letting them decide who you're gonna be
People you're not even gonna know in three years
People whose names you're gonna forget when you run into them at the hardware store

- Mr Schuester, Glee

See, I'm not THAT pro after all..

2009-11-25T21:32:00.004+08:00

I baked today.
The macarons turned out okay but the chocolate chip cookies, not so much.
Let's just say mega fail is an understatement..

Macaron!
Strawberry with white chocolate.

Failed Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I don't know if you can tell but they're really spongy. Alot like sponge cake!
I know why I failed though: I wasn't intending to make them!!
It was supposed to be the filling for the macarons but they didn't come out right.
Plus they had the ingredients required for cookies so I just tweaked it to make cookies rather than throw the failed filling away. Who knew I'd end up making sponge cake :P

PS: Sorry bout the bad pictures AGAIN.

2007-2009: A Reflection

2009-11-24T00:17:00.007+08:00

On the way to school today, I had a lot of time to ponder. I usually bring my notes to revise on the bus, but for some reason I left them at home. It's really unlike me cause I'm the kind of student who needs my notes for comfort but, I don't think it was any coincidence. I think God planned that I'd spend that time reflecting on the past two years, especially since the last few months have been so so so busy and I haven't really stopped to take a breath and reflect.

Today was significant for three reasons:
1. It's the end of As!
Two long and really tiring years of studying, all for this ONE exam. It lasted 2 weeks and 1 day and now, it's finally over. The friends I made and the moments we shared throughout this journey has made a great impact on me and who I am today. Whatever happened in the two years leading up to this exam, I have no regrets.

2. Last day of school uniforms!
12 years of wearing school uniform just flew by. It hit me as I was getting ready for school so I made sure to stop and stare at myself in the mirror for a while longer today. I was nearly brought to tears. All the times I spent in my uniforms came racing through my mind. I guess I'm sentimental that way.

3. Start of a new season
So now that my "uniform schooling" days are over, I realise that I'm stepping into a new season in my life. Change is coming and I know it's not always going to be smooth sailing and so, I'm apprehensive yet excited. The start of a new season also, obviously, signals a closure of the old season. Looking back, I see how much I've grown and I acknowledge that it was only through God's guidance that I've come this far. In fact, I wouldn't say that it's about how far I've come but how far He's brought me. An amazing journey I didn't even realise I was taking until today. The more I think about it, the more clear my journey becomes and the more I see his hand over my life. Like how he always made sure I came out triumphant from a tough situation or how his guidance lead me to do the right thing when the lines were blurred. I couldn't help but take a few moments out of this morning's hustle and bustle to thank Him for bringing me thus far. I wasn't left dry eyed.

I think this reflection is really apt since 2009 is coming to a close and this is the first time I'm making such a huge transition from protected institutionalized education to a more open environment where really, anything goes. I can't wait to embark on this new journey and see His plan unfold in my life. And as Audrey's character (can't remember her name! :/) says in Redemption Hill, "It's gonna be great!"

Think about His love, think about His goodness.
Think about His grace, that's brought us through.
For as high as the heavens above, so great is the measure of our Father's love.
Great is the measure of our Father's love.

On a lighter note, I baked! Lemon meringue cupcakes (:

PS: The picture's so cui cause I took it when night had already fallen and I couldn't find nice light. In my effort to try make it look nicer, I think I might've actually made it worse :/ And by the way, do you get my "opening poster" above! HAHA!

All I Want For Christmas Is....

2009-11-22T16:22:00.005+08:00

A KITCHENAID!!!

I've also been thinking about what I'm going to bake once I'm done with exams (which btw, is less than 24 hours away!!!).
<---------------------- LOOK HERE for the list!
(It'll move up once I remove the A levels list. WOOTS!)

Boys and Cabbies

2009-11-21T12:11:00.005+08:00

A few days back, Nate had prom. He and his friends stayed out all night and then some of them came over to our place to sleep. Made me wonder what it'd be like being a boy. In my opinion: Boys have more fun. I can't comprehend how boy "gangs" work but that intrigues me more.

They hang out all the time but might not necessarily talk about real life stuff. Girls start pouring their hearts out the second they feel the connection. They meet one day and are best friends the next. Girls are more comprehensive about making new best friends. They're not best of friends but they go to each others' house to stayover. Girls only stayover at their besties' places. They make each other angry but forgive each other the second the situation is over. Girls like to stay in the "moment", sometimes we never get out.

I asked Nate once "Do your friends know about mummy?" He replied "Ummmm. I don't know?" How do you not know?! Beats me.

Another thing I really like about boy gangs: They don't plan! Sure, sometimes it gets irritating when they stand around and not know what to do or where to go but the fact that they're so chill and have that "I'll come whenever I'm ready" attitude, makes me forgive them for being so fickle and indecisive sometimes. (I know I contradict myself here, but some days, I like to chill and not spend it worrying about how I'm gonna get from one meeting to another on time. Other days, I get a major adrenaline rush from rushing from place to place.)

I guess it probably seems more interesting to be a boy cause I'm not a boy. You know, like how we always wonder what it's like to experience something and when you finally get to experience it, you conclude that it wasn't that great after all.

*

Then today, in a cab, on our way back from brunch, dad started a conversation with the cabby. They talked about interestingly designed buildings, religion and then finally about jobs. This cabby used to be a GM in a big Japanese Company and then he got sent overseas for 4 years to fill some other managerial position. But when he came back to Singapore, he couldn't get a job. He said employers discriminated cause he's Malay, can't speak Chinese and is asking for too much pay. Now he works as a taxi driver, been working for only 11 months and only so that he can support his family who stays in KL. His wife comes back for a week every month cause other times she's in KL taking care of his grandchildren. And he only travels up to visit them for 3-4 days in a month. He wears Emporio Armani glasses and talks about visiting all these cool places in Europe which means he used to live a pretty comfortable lifestyle and then he said this, which really hit me "Driving a cab is not a job, it's survival".

Conversations like that really bring you back down to earth. It reminds you that sometimes, it's okay to forget about trying to live the lavished life and just be thankful for family, friends, a decent roof over your head, the ability to have three meals a day, go to school and the privilege to serve a God who loves you more than you can comprehend.

*

I guess what these two things have in common is the fact that, no matter what/who you want to be or wish you were, we should all be thankful for being made me.

GOODBYE OPRAH

2009-11-20T17:53:00.003+08:00

Oprah's ending her daytime show in 2011.

If you don't already know this, I LOVE watching Oprah. Yea, I'm guessing some of you think it's a trashy show and while it may be true that she plays on emotions sometimes, I still think she has the most awesome daytime show.
I learn so so much from her shows: life, health, fashion, helping others, politics... You name it, she's probably had a show about it before. Not that I take her word for everything but in my opinion, she does live by some pretty good philosophies. Plus, she interviews very different people from all walks of life and I think it really opens up your mind to the endless possibilities that life can bring. And I love that even after all these years, she still cries while interviewing some people and she still struggles with her weight. It just makes it seem so real. I mean, you'd think that she would've gotten used to hearing all these sad stories. It's definitely going to be one less good TV show to watch. At least I'll have another 3 years left to watch her show since new episodes don't air in Singapore till almost a year later.

This Christmas...

2009-11-18T20:09:00.001+08:00

CHINESE FAIL

2009-11-18T17:01:00.003+08:00

And so, we all know what I'm referring to.
If not, watch the video!

Bilingualism policy was wrong

So anyway, he says "We insisted on ting xie (spelling), me xie (dictation), madness! We had teachers who were teaching in completely Chinese schools and were not allowed to use any English to teach English speaking children, Chinese. Turned them off completely!"

Even though I'm done with formal Chinese education, having been through the struggle with this language beckons me to say something about it. Coming from a completely English speaking family and school, I must say that the quote above is extremely relevant. And while I am happy that MM Lee has finally seen the detrimental effects of drilling us with a compulsory second language, especially Chinese, I'm also very humbled by him coming out and speaking so bluntly about it. Takes alot for a man who's said to have all this vision to come out and apologize for messing up. I must also say that while studying Chinese was darn difficult, it has been very useful, especially the spoken language, not so much the written though. And who can forget the times when the class bonded over a Chinese teacher bullying session also known as the Chinese period :P I'm sure everyone has had his/her own story of their struggle with Chinese but, whatever it is, Singapore is hopeful the new changes which focus on helping children like the language instead of just forcing them to learn it will bring a new era of Chinese speaking Singaporean children who no longer hate the language or make jokes out of the teachers. Can't wait to see that day. Learning Chinese in Singapore will no longer be learning Chinese in Singapore, if you get what I mean..

What's In Your Daily Cuppa Coffee?

2009-11-17T21:19:00.004+08:00

Saw this on a food blog. Thought it was really interesting and some parts are gross at the same time. Reminds me that I should slowly start staying off coffee since I've been having 2 cups a day during this exam period, an extra cup since I started drinking it when I was 14 <- can you believe it!? I think my teeth are turning yellow from it :/

Caffeine
This is why the world produces more than 16 billion pounds of coffee beans per year. It's actually an alkaloid plant toxin (like nicotine and cocaine), a bug killer that stimulates us by blocking neuroreceptors for the sleep chemical adenosine. The result: you, awake.

Water
Hot H2O is a super solvent, leaching flavors and oils out of the coffee bean. A good cup of joe is 98.75 percent water and 1.25 percent soluble plant matter. Caffeine is a diuretic, so coffee newbies pee out the water quickly; java junkies build up resistance (I think I belong here :/)

2-Ethylphenol (I know how to draw this after all that Chemistry! WHOO!)
Creates a tarlike, medicinal odor in your morning wake-up. It's also a component of cockroach alarm pheromones (??!!), chemical signals that warn the colony of danger.

Quinic acid
Gives coffee its slightly sour flavor. On the plus side, it's one of the starter chemicals in the formulation of Tamiflu.

3,5 Dicaffeoylquinic acid
When scientists pretreat neurons with this acid in the lab, the cells are significantly (though not completely) protected from free-radical damage. Yup: Coffee is a good source of antioxidants.

Dimethyl disulfide
A product of roasting the green coffee bean, this compound is just at the threshold of detectability in brewed java. Good thing, too, as it's one of the compounds that gives human feces its odor.

Acetylmethylcarbinol
That rich, buttery taste in your daily jolt comes in part from this flammable yellow liquid, which helps give real butter its flavor and is a component of artificial flavoring in microwave popcorn.

Putrescine
Ever wonder what makes spoiled meat so poisonous? Here you go. Ptomaines like putrescine are produced when E. coli bacteria in the meat break down amino acids. Naturally present in coffee beans, it smells, as you might guess from the name, like Satan's outhouse.

Trigonelline
Chemically, it's a molecule of niacin with a methyl group attached. It breaks down into pyridines, which give coffee its sweet, earthy taste and also prevent the tooth-eating bacterium Streptococcus mutans from attaching to your teeth. Coffee fights the Cavity Creeps.

Niacin
Trigonelline is unstable above 160 degrees F; the methyl group detaches, unleashing the niacin—vitamin B3—into your cup. Two or three espressos can provide half your recommended daily allowance.

--WIRED Magazine

illustrated

2009-11-16T13:11:00.006+08:00

Saw these on designsponge.
They're just two parts of a whole illustrated recipe. I super like it! I want to learn how to do it. Is it adobe illustrator? But how to draw so nicely on a computer! I know they've those electronic drawing pad thingys but even then, this is still very impressive. Look at the detail on the fork!

"Life happens"

2009-11-14T21:27:00.005+08:00

I don't like the phrase "life happens/happened" when it is used to describe how someone has lost zeal and passion for life. I don't like it cause it's based on the assumption that life is supposed to get monotonous and routine. I don't like it cause there's so much to look forward to and so much to do and I don't think that growing older and having more responsibilities should stop you from doing what you like.

Okay, maybe you're in a job that you're really beginning to hate or maybe the stress from the family is getting to you, that still doesn't give you reason to not do what makes you feel most alive. Blaming the kids or work for taking up most of your time is nonsense. I think after your kids get to a certain age, you should let them start living for themselves and you start living for you. It's been what I've been trying to get across to my dad for a long while. He's beginning to get it now and everything at home seems so much better. Less fighting, less awkward silence, less walk-away-rolling-eyes moments. It doesn't mean he loves or cares for us any less. It just means he's learnt to trust God and let go and start to live his life.

If you're a parent or a grown up, there's a high chance you'll disagree with me, but whatever it is, I want to live my life this way. No harm dreaming big right? I get so excited every time I think about what I'm going to do after the A levels and after Uni and once I start working and start a family (: I can't wait to grow up. Which is why I hope God doesn't come too soon. I WANT TO GROW OLD, GOD! YOU CAN COME WHEN I'M 60 (: Not that everything goes downhill when you're 60 but at least I would've lived most of my life by then..

So, starting small, a list of what I want to do during my super long break:

Work
Some of my friends applied for relief teaching but I was thinking Island Creamery cause it's near home and has flexible hours which means I still get to sell baked stuff online. And I get to interact with people and make their day by serving ice cream with an extra big smile (: Prolly won't get much pay but I don't really think I'm working for money. Just to pass time and since it comes with monetary incentives, so be it!

Sell baked stuff!
Bake, bake, bake! Do I really need to elaborate?

Go on a mission trip
I was thinking Ubon to help Uncle Joshua or something.

Learn to drive!
Maybe if I stay in Singapore for Uni, dad will buy me a car? :P We'll see..

Get fit
G and I plan to join a run next year.

Visit my grandparents more
Maybe pick up some cooking skills from my Peranakan grandma along the way (:

Help out
While reading an essay on poverty, I was really motivated to do something helpful. There're so many people in need. Was thinking of offering my services at a hospice? I can't do anything medical though :/ Maybe I should just stick to babysitting or something :P

Try out all these DIY projects I've been thinking about
Tie-dye t-shirts, cupcake liners... I'm a real DIY girl on the inside. I used to read all these girly DIY books (how to make you're own lipgloss, plan a party, turn old jeans into a bag, etc.) when I was younger. HURRR :P

Catch up with people
G booked me for the 25th already. Haha, she's so much of a planner.

Travel
Maybe head to Malaysia with Aunt KS or something. Might be having a family vacation too.

So many more things.
Just basically don't want to spend any waking moment of my life doing nothing.

reasons to celebrate

2009-11-13T16:25:00.005+08:00

Note: After every reason, I would appreciate if you join me in a wild wolf cry (:

1. WEEK ONE IS OVER!
It's amazing how much exams can take away from you -- Sleep, Health, Time with family and friend and Hobbies <-- we all know which hobby I'm referring to here :P So, since the first week is over, here's to celebrating the fact that we are ONE WEEK closer to getting our lives back! (:

Together: WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

2. I don't ever have to do math again! EVERRRRRRRRR.
Unless I crazily choose some math related course/module in Uni. Please stop me if you find out. Even if violent intervention is required, JUST.STOP.ME.
Okay, another reason to why we should Thank God It's (an awesome) Friday (:

Together: WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

disappointment lingers but i must continue to TRUST

2009-11-12T11:31:00.007+08:00

i'm upset about today's paper
i need a miracle

i was so careless ):

i calculated.
if i still want to get my A,
i need
50/60 for paper 2,
30/40 for mcq,
and this is with the assumption that i got full marks for my practical
and that an A grade still stands at 75 marks.
if the bell curve shifts, its overrrrrrrrrrrr.

aiyerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
*&#$(*^$(*#&)!(@*

i think it comes with no coincidence that before every hard paper
(ie. tuesday's math paper and today's chem paper),
God used someone to remind me to trust Him.

it's just hard to reach that state where your mind is totally at rest and you stop crying over spilt milk and you don't worry cause you know He's in control.

i need you, i trust your hand
i need you, i'm not afraid

the all elusive development diamond

2009-11-09T18:45:00.007+08:00

A development diamond, similar to the one below except a little more complicated and with different headings came out for today's Geography paper.

Questions asked were,
1) Which indicator deviates least from the low income group?
2) Which indicator deviates most from the low income group?

My reaction when I saw it, "SIMI LAI EHHHH?!?!?! HOW I KNOW?!?!?!"
Am I supposed to read the distance from one diamond to the other diamond? Or the distance from the diamond to the end of the line near the headings? HOW I KNOW?!
And this was just ONE of the many stunner questions in today's paper. Oh well, at least it's over right?

Cambridge is quite the unexpected type.

Tomorrow is Math Paper 1, the PURE math paper.
Mr Math and I have zero affinity for each other, so help me God.

LOVE

2009-11-08T09:56:00.002+08:00

Saw this when I signed into Facebook this morning. HAHA!

Mediocrity.

2009-11-07T22:37:00.005+08:00

I think what I'm most afraid of is a repeat of my O levels.
That "you did okay but it's not what you wanted" feeling.
Like how I got four A2 grades.
Imagine if I worked just a bit harder then I would've gotten four A1 grades which would've pushed my mediocre 12 points to 8 points.
What a world of difference.
For the O levels I wanted to get into AC but I didn't, I got into CJ
(no regrets about it though)
For the A levels, I want to go to NUS but what if I don't make it.

I'm so scared of letting myself down again.
I'm so scared of getting that "okay" grade again.
That worries me more than the fact that I've to complete the whole A level syllabus.

I know the A levels is such a small hurdle compared to what I'm gonna face later down the road.
And when I look back, I'm probably gonna think
"You were so silly for letting that worry you".
But for now, it's what matters most.
I need to push myself more than I ever have before and I have less than 48 hours.

yellow yellow dirty fellow

2009-11-06T11:38:00.002+08:00

Still want to get your flu jabs?

2009-11-03T19:38:00.003+08:00

Disclaimer:
I'm not sure if the jab she took is the same jab Singapore is offering but it sure is scary enough to make me think twice.

This Goes Out To Anyone Who Oversleeps On A Regular Basis.

2009-11-03T12:57:00.005+08:00

Saw this on a friend's tinyurl.

"Weird Alarm Clocks That Can Wake The Dead"
www.healthkicker.com

1. Clocky alarm clock: This alarm clocks has two small wheels on each side. It runs and hides when you don’t wake up!! It works just like another normal alarm clock, but “if you hit the snooze button it jumps right off the night stand and cruises around your bedroom finding a place to hide. It can actually jump 3 feet! One it stops running, the alarm goes off and continues to blare till you get out of bed, find the alarm clock and shut it off.”

2. Puzzle alarm clock: “This clock shoots four pieces of a puzzle into the air when it goes off. In order to silence the alarm, you have to reassemble the puzzle on top of the alarm clock.”

3. Flying alarm clock: “The dratted propeller driven module of the flying Alarm Clock actually spins of the base unit each time the alarm goes off. The catch is, the noisy alarm won't turn off until you retrieve the propeller and place it back on the base. This means you have to get out of bed and search for the pesky propeller which may have landed anywhere.”

4. Sonic Bomb Clock: This "has an adjustable volume alarm with a maximum loudness of 113 decibels ( which is the equivalent of a power saw right next to your ear). If that's not enough to wake you up, you can also slip the bed shaker that comes with the alarm clock under your mattress to get you rocking early in the morning! If you have a penchant for more punishment, you can always hit the snooze button to repeat this torturous cycle of noise and discomfort.”

5. Carpet alarm clock: “In order to turn it off, you have to get up and step on it. If you really want to make it a challenge, place it far away from your bed.”

6. Shape up alarm clock: "This dumbbell-style alarm clock wants to start your day off right! Just set the alarm and in the morning it will buzz until you’ve done 30 reps."

I think the dumbbell and puzzle ones are the funniest!

It better not be STRIKE THREE

2009-11-02T11:29:00.008+08:00

What do you do when someone asks for help and you agree, and to some extent want, to help and even make sacrifices to help but then he disappoints you twice. First, he totally doesn't show up. No sms, nothing. Leaving you and your massively heavy school bag (cause you brought material to teach him) stranded in the canteen. And the second time, he's 1.5 hrs late. At least this time the meeting place is near home so him being late just means you spent a whole of 1.5 hours doing nothing productive even though the major exam is ONE WEEK away. You decide you're not going to help him anymore cause you've your own problems and your own studying to do but then he starts begging. He doesn't even become nasty about it, instead, he says he's sorry to have wasted your time and understands the predicament you're in.

WHAT should/would/do YOU DO?

By now you would've guessed that this happened to me. It's not like it was easy for me to turn him down after he blew me off the second time but I just felt like I had to. I mean, he made lame excuses! Like the first time he said "Oh, I got carried away" when you find out from his friends that actually, he decided to go home to shower so he could go out later that night. Then the second time he says "I had a late night". I HAD A LATE NIGHT TOO BUT I WOKE UP!?!?! You see why I turned him down? Plus, I didn't want to waste anymore of my precious time. I felt really bad though. I know he really needs help but he doesn't seem serious about it even though he claims he is. So, to give him a third chance, or not?

In deciding what I should do, I asked myself "What Would Jesus Do?" I know He would've given him another chance but then again Jesus also has a limit to the amount of chances He gives us. When He returns and you haven't made your decision to follow Him, I guess there goes your chance. Yet at the same time, he tells us to forgive, forgive, forgive.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

So, I made my choice. Give him a third chance. He doesn't get a choice as to location or time, unlike the other 2 times, but it's still a chance.

It better not be strike three.

so stresssszxzxzxz

2009-10-30T22:25:00.003+08:00

I was put into some "potential distinction for chemistry" enrichment class last year. I still remember receiving that golden organic chem booklet (It was really just yellow paper but the teachers call it golden. Haha!) I was secretly so proud of myself..
But, ever since then, I haven't been doing well for chem.
My chem teacher, however, hasn't given up on me.
In fact, she just sent an email to say she wants to give the potential distinction students consultation and I happened to be in that group even though I've disappointed her time and time again...

It so so so stressful to have that expectation to live up to.
I remember blogging about wanting to do this for myself but even then, I really cannot let her down!

SHINGZ.

We All Scream For Ice Cream!

2009-10-26T19:35:00.001+08:00

GLEEEEEEEEEEE

2009-10-25T17:37:00.002+08:00

Don't worry. I didn't just screw up studying by starting to watch a new series.
Nate just showed me this short clip on youtube. It's pretty darn awesome. If you like music and musicals, you'll prolly like this (:

I loved it! It made me feel like getting up and learning the routine N.O.W
I'm sooooo gonna start watching Glee once I'm done with As (:

Burger Shack

2009-10-22T13:20:00.005+08:00

Visited Burger Shack (the new Island Creamery burger outlet) after school with Tiff, Zhiyun and Sandra the other day.
Didn't blog about it immediately cause we got scolded by a really mean security guard who threatened to call school to complain about us when really, we weren't doing anything wrong. Her claim was that we were too old to be playing at the playground. I didn't know playgrounds had age limits! And we weren't playing or being a nuisance! Just moving around taking pictures! You'll see what I mean in the pictures below. We didn't think she'd really bother complaining about us and true enough, the situation didn't blow outta proportion but just to be safe, I didn't post the pictures first. We still had a really fun time though (:

2009-10-22T09:47:00.000+08:00

there's some cookie dough in the fridge
my fingers are itching to bake!!!!

boomzzzz

2009-10-19T22:55:00.003+08:00

I've always wanted a leather jacket.
My dad says its not feasible to get one cause you just won't wear it in Singapore. Plus the humidity will make it mouldy (Is it spelt mouldy or moldy? Or is this another one of those American or British English things?) in no time.
I still really like them though.
Let's just say if I were Ris Low, I'd describe it as "y'know, BOOOMZZZZ"

Photo credits to whowhatwear.com

winslow wynne willer

2009-10-19T10:09:00.005+08:00

today i received an email from wilma, my family's domestic helper from years back.

hi rachel,
how are you? today is your late mom's birthday. i still can remember and sorry to remind you. here's some pix from our daughter. she was born 8th Oct. at 8.58am, 3710grams, 53cm through ceasarian section(like you). yesterday, she was 9 day old and i was able to bath her after my long practice with you and nathan. i remember you were a two week old when i started to bath you. when you scream last time i felt so nervous...nathan was younger when i started bathing him... 5 or 6 day old...
ok until next time. regards to your dad and nathan..

love,
tita wilma

she saw me when i was born and was around through all my developmental stages.
i think she worked for us for 7 years before returning home to the philippines and then moving to germany to get married.
we'd lost touch for quite some time but found each other along the way..
she's 41years old now but she's just given birth to her first child, winslow wynne willer. a true miracle.
today, i share her joy (:

in remembrance and celebration

2009-10-17T11:27:00.006+08:00

Mom
1953-2005
Yesterday would've been her 56th birthday.
This picture was taken at her last birthday party.

Uncle Henry
1932-2008
The 21st of October marks one year since his passing.
This picture was the taken on the day he shared his last message at FGA.

This is not meant to be a sad post or anything. As the title suggests, it's to remember and celebrate the life of two very honourable people whom I really love and respect (:

in veritate et caritate: in truth and love

2009-10-16T16:37:00.006+08:00

Today was graduation day.
Last official day in CJ. After this, we're off to fend for ourselves. I'll definitely miss the class. Doubt I've ever bonded with my class so much in all my years of education. It just wasn't like that in MG. Didn't think it'd be this hard to leave CJ considering that I didn't wanna be there initially. But I'm happy that after As, we'll get to start a new chapter in life. It's gonna be so egggggciting! And so, today was kinda bittersweet but I had a lot of fun with everyone in class, especially the 5 girls (:

Brother also announced that this year would be his last year and that he'd be moving back to Melbourne to run an all boys school. From how everyone describes him, I'm sure he was an awesome man. Wish I had the chance to get to know him. Despite his really strict rules, you gotta admit that he's brought cj to a much higher level then before he took the role of principal. Thank you, Brother!

The girls!
The highlight of going to school everyday (:

FOOOOOOD!

Birthday cake to celebrate our class.
And also Louis' and Junkai's birthday in advance since we won't be meeting as a class anymore ):

Our final class activity was to make a totem pole representing our class and our very clever class rep decided that we'd make it a cigarette. Haha, how representative of my class. We're always doing something retarded :P Can you tell that it's a cigarette?

Shuai ge!
This has gotta be the best picture I've taken of Louis in my whole two years in CJ.

With Jaz and Kai from the other girl clique in class.
Here's how my class works. There's my girl clique consisting of the 6 of us. And then there's the other girl clique, to which Jaz and Kai belong, consisting of 8 girls. Then there're the 11 boys who don't form a clique but a gang. They really look like a gang when they walk together. And, they are pretty notorious. And we're all one big happy class (:

Rapper poses. YAOOOOO.
Recently, Sandra's been into this whole rapping thing. I don't know if you can call it stress cause she raps about Econs and Chem too. But it really is rubbing off on all the rest of us :P

This is just a random picture we took before heading for the graduation ceremony which, btw, lasted THREE hours! Anyway, I realised that our J1 classroom is in the background! How apt.

Tiff and I sneak a picture during the ceremony.
It got boring!

Where we sit.
There's Zhi Yun and Daph to the right of the picture and Teresa to the left but they weren't around when we took this picture.

With fish soup auntie.
If you didn't know, I eat fish soup EVERYDAY, without fail. There was this one day that I didn't eat it and Teresa went to buy 4D. Like SERIOUSLY, buy 4D. Haha.

All the totem poles lined up (:

So, at the end of the day, the totem pole wasn't that lame a class activity as I initially thought it would be. I'm really gonna miss CJ ):

And so, in true rapper fashion, I say
"PEACE OUT!"

Earl Grey Tea Infused Milk Chocolate Ganache Macarons

2009-10-15T17:18:00.007+08:00

Not the prettiest looking macarons. I didn't get nice "feet"! If you know what I mean. Probably cause my oven was too cold. I didn't know "too cold" affected the baking but apparently so..
And another flaw: I got so carried away with dropping tea leaves on the macarons that I forgot to leave some plain ones for the bottom! So my macarons have decorated bottoms! Haha! If you look carefully at the picture below, you'll see..
I must say, I like the colour though. Maybe I'll use it again for a banana or mango flavoured macaron (:

Brand of tea I used.
Got it for dad as his Father's Day gift but he prefers his good ole' Twining's tea so its been left unused, on the coffee counter, for a while now. It called out to me! So I had to make some of these :P
Plus, it's my last official day in CJ tomorrow, after which we get a three week study break and then the FINAL EXAMS! So I made these as my contribution to my class' potluck (:

him

2009-10-13T18:45:00.005+08:00

i rummaged through his stuff
a toothpick i hoped to find
but what i soon discovered
wrecked my heart unkind

alone, so lost and confused
this man my life i owe
i wish i had the power
to return him the one he longs to hold

i, too, must admit
i miss her more than you know
but to lose the one whom wedding vows you had promised
is a harder fact to console

2009-10-11T15:12:00.001+08:00

an ordinary day to you,
might be a special day to someone else.

Oreo Cheesecake Macarons

2009-10-10T12:53:00.001+08:00

For the birthday girls
Had some Oreo and cream cheese at home so I thought I'd give this flavour a shot (:

birthdays

2009-10-10T02:00:00.005+08:00

Went to Swensens at Ion to celebrate Zhi Yun and Kai's birthday (:

Birthday girls: Zhi Yun & Kai

the crazy clique

all the class girls except val

thank you iphone for this picture

The other day, I tried one of the best mooncakes everrrrrrrrr.

The snowskin and lotus paste look normal.
But the centre is oozing with some baileys (and I think chocolate) filling.
SHIOK. Thanks aunt ks (:

Caramel Apple Macarons (and my mess)

2009-10-03T10:47:00.008+08:00

Made macarons yesterday (:
A girl can take a break from studying right?

Was inspired by caramel apples so I made the macarons green and then sandwiched them with caramel buttercream.
Wanted to put a piece of cherry apple fruit gelées in the middle so that it'd really be like a caramel coated apple except that it's caramel coated apple gelées but the gelées didn't come out as planned so I scrapped the idea and went with the traditional macaron.

I tried some food styling.
The sunlight wasn't too nice this morning though.

I'm an amateur photographer so instead of those nice white boxes they use to get the nice white backgrounds for food photography, I used paper. HAHA.

All lined up!

And the other day, I f-i-n-a-l-l-y cleared my table. I've a big table but I barely had space to study cause of all the mess!

This is my standard of neat.....

Cause I pushed all the unimportant stuff here! HAHA!
Funnily enough, I have the gift of administration. HURR.

Expectations

2009-09-29T13:43:00.004+08:00

It's a few weeks away from THE major exam and I'm still struggling with a bad choice I made about 2 years ago when I entered JC.

Bad choice: Choosing to go into the science stream when obviously I'm better at humanities!
(Okay, it's not just any normal bad choice. It's a major bad choice)

My struggle: I just cannot seem to do well in math and chemistry! And both are my core subjects!

Then why did I make the bad choice, you might ask. I think I was swayed by society's view. I think I unconsciously or maybe even consciously wanted to be in the "clever-er" stream aka science stream when really, even my O level results show that I am better at humanities. Maybe also cause I didn't exactly know what I wanted to do in University so I chose the subject combination which would give me the most number of options when really, what is the likelihood of me studying engineering or mathematics?

I wish when I was choosing my subjects, I knew better than to "follow the crowd". Maybe if I didn't have that urge to meet the expectations of the people around me, especially relatives, and of my dad, whom I will not blame for having high expectations for me, then I would've chosen a subject combination like H2 Literature, Geography and Economics and H1 Math instead of my current H2 Chemistry, Math, Economics and H1 Geography. And maybe I would actually be doing well in school. I guess there's no point complaining now anyway, just gotta be prayerful and work hard at whatever subjects I'm doing and hopefully God will come through for me.

But, while on this topic, I think it's sad that students in Singapore, live with this cloud of expectation hovering over us. It's there and everyone, including parents who also impose their expectations on us, know it exists but no one says or does anything about it. Most of the time, we blame it on our small population and Knowledge Based Economy but really, is this pressure necessary? I wish the Singapore education were more well rounded. Don't get me wrong. I think studies are important but they are not everything and sadly enough, in Singapore, most of us grow up with the mentality that if you don't do well in school, you're good for nothing.

I think expectations are normal but we must remember who we are trying to please and that we do what we do for the right reasons. It's tough for me to reach a conclusion like this cause for most of my life, I did everything to please my dad. But recently, I've realised that doing things to please him or others will get me nowhere. I've to learn to start doing things and making choices for myself and my future (maybe I'll have more self-motivation. Since primary school, my teachers always wrote in my report card that "Rachel lacks self motivation"). Maybe the coming A levels is a good start.

I think I'm getting better at this (:

2009-09-25T18:23:00.006+08:00

Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache

First attempt at Viennese Biscuits
(And a really pretty empty cup which I used as a prop :P)

Haha, I just had to take this Macaron Face

There's something about a tanned person totally clad in black that I really like.

2009-09-24T23:12:00.009+08:00

Photo credit to CoutureCandy

HAC not BLT

2009-09-23T16:23:00.001+08:00

HAC: Ham Avocado Cheese
BLT: Bacon Lettuce Tomatoes

2009-09-21T21:21:00.000+08:00

oh dearrrrr.
this is the start of the end.
48 days and counting :/