Christmas is around the corner

Guess what! I decided to decor the house up a little. Bought a stencil to improve on the letters. Still need some improvement but good enough for me. I found doing this very therapeutic, it takes my mind off any problems that are bothering me. 

Tadaaaa! 

I like how it turn out. If only I know how to cut out nice Christmas tree, next time hopefully.

Music Wednesday

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra

I am currently hooked on this song. I am slow I know. This song is just so intriguing. 

Food : Hong Kong Ichiran Classic Tonkotsu Ramen

Thanks to my wonderful friend visiting, she introduced me to this ramen chain store from Japan, and it has since become my favourite ramen in Hong Kong, Ichiran Ramen. The best part is, they are open for 24 hours everyday! I can already see myself having supper there.

Address: Lockhart House Block B, 440-446 Jaffe Rd; 香港銅鑼灣謝斐道440-446 號駱克大樓A 座地下F-G 舖

The other good thing is you can come alone and there is no need to worry getting weird stares. Everyone will get their individual booth. Personal space is good for me. 

Free flow of their delicious water or what we call plain water.

They even have a guide to advise on how to order. Almost everything in the bowl is customisable.

My yummy ramen is served. Noticed that now the curtain is down. After they serve your ramen, they will close down the curtain and leave you alone to enjoy your ramen I guess.

Closed up on my ramen. The soup, the noodle is really good. 

The price of this ramen is on the high side though but totally worth it! 

My friend went Tokyo and try Ichiran japan. She said it was awesome. Now I am looking forward to trying the one in Japan. Soon, I hope. 

If you had tried Ichiran Hong Kong, tell me what you think. 

Chasing Light

I guessed the life of bummer passes by like lightning. We are at the last quarter of the year. 2014 has not been a really good year so I am already looking forward to 2015, although it means I will be another year older (this thought is really not very welcoming).

I am thinking of what activities I can start for year 2015 (Yoga is one of them). I am bugging myself to start learning Cantonese, if not, another language maybe (Most likely I will have no use for it)? I have no passion for anything right now, so it is quite tough to come out with anything now. I am beginning to think I am having mid-life crisis! I guess life is always greener on the other side. 

Whenever I feel lost, I do magical things to make myself feel better, like watching fireworks from Disney land!

Making it more colourful

One of the things I like to do when I am bored. Sticking Masking tapes. I love Masking tapes with design.

Making use of Starbuck bottle if you ran out of vase. 

A little something to spice my life up. 

The Masking tape can be easily taken out. If you are throwing a party with a theme, you can always change the design of the tapes to suit your theme.

Feeling crafty

Feeling rather bored with tv series recently, so I looked up the internet and voila, my first craft. I know everything about this flag banner is wrong but well, this is my first, so this will be staying there for quite a well and I am feeling accomplished.

Hopefully, I can show off my second one, ever.


p.s. pls ignore the messy bookshelf

Music Wednesday

Lost - Michael Bublé

I always like his voice. I hope you like his as much. 

Cycle through a different Hong Kong

Another item to strike off on my checklist for Hong Kong. I had been wanting to exercise for the past few weeks. With the weather being unpredictable, I was mostly home. Last Sunday, the sun was inviting me to go out and play, and so I did.

Read online about the Tolo Harbour Cycling Track which is along the seaside, totally tempting. And so I went. 

Shatin MTR station. This is my first time to this station. I was actually very confused at first. Usually the stations/places I go to, the station is newer than this, this is like a few metals put together. I got so excited that I took photos of the station. 

This view already made me happy. Big space makes me a happy girl. Oh yah, by the time I reached there, it was already 6pm. This place is not exactly near the place I stayed, but totally worth it. 

My rental bike and here we go.

This is the scenery along the way. You can actually cycle for 2/3 MTR stations and return the bike at the specified location. But I was there too late, so I need to cycle back to return the bike. 

Made a logical stop at this tower. Such a pretty sight at night. After resting for 5 mins, went all the way back. 

Guess what, I did a 23 km ride. I feel alive again although my thighs and butt do not think the same. I guess due to the time I started, most of the crowds already went home, so it was really good. I want to do this again in winter! 

Music Wednesday

Since I am in Cantonese land now, thought I should start posting Cantonese songs as well.

遥远的她 - Jacky Cheung

Jacky Cheung is one of my favourite singer. His voice is just irresistible. He came Singapore few years back for concert I think. I bought ticket to one of the night (He had a few nights). After that night, I bought for another night. I wish He start his around the world concert again. 

Below is another one of my favourite, in Chinese though. I know I say Cantonese song today, but no one can resist nice song right, regardless the language. Enjoy.

咖啡 - Jacky Cheung 

Food: Hong Kong Muji Cafe - A simple life

Stumble upon Muji cafe a while back. I didn't know they have one in Hong Kong. I was actually quite excited to be able to try it but could not make it that day.

I finally make it few Sundays back.

The cafe decor is really simple. I especially loved the long table seating that faces the Muji Store. It makes eating alone less awkward. Hong kong has this habit of putting 2 strangers sitting at the same table facing each other. Lunch/dinner crowd I know, but the idea of facing a stranger while savouring the food, it is just awkward. Throughout the meal, the 2 persons just stare at their handphone. True story. 

I really really really like the fried chicken with sweet chilli sauce. It tasted like KFC fried chicken but the healthier version. I wish someone would share the recipe with me. I want to eat it everyday. 

The food they served is very simple. It is a set meal. You can choose 3/4 dishes each, comes with a bowl of rice(white or brown), and a drink. I ordered another hot chocolate to try(not sweet at all, so doesn't do well with my tastebud).

The bill for these 2 sets of meal cost HKD 231 which is SGD 38. It is self-service. 

Now that I am looking the photos, this sure look like economy rice in Singapore! In Singapore, we have these stalls where they will prepare a lot of dishes and you will pick whatever you wants to eat, they will put the chosen dishes on a plate together with rice. It will cost you around SGD 7, with aircon. This muji cafe served atas(read:In Singlish, means "high class") economy rice!  

Soups: Chinese Vegetables Soup

One of the things I miss about home is homemade soup. My mum makes the most awesome soup, like the best. For the past few months, I eat out everyday (almost, unless you count instant noodle), I decide to at least try making soup once a week, best decision ever. I am going to save my ingredients and recipes here just in case I need to refer to it.

I have tried 3 different soups so far and one of them tasted wrong. I will try to get that right before saving the recipe here. Other than asking my mum, i will also refer these 2 sites for help (noobcook and joy she cook).

Just tried making this Chinese Vegetables soup yesterday.

Ingredients (Soup for two): 

- Halved Chicken, skin removed and cut into pieces

- 1 Tomato, diced

- 1 Yellow onion, diced

- 1 Carrot, diced

- 2 Potatoes,diced

- 3 stalks of celery, diced

- A Quarter of cabbage, cut into chunks 

- 5/6 dried scallops

Steps:

1. Parboiled the chicken for 3 minutes

2. Washed the chicken with cold water

3. Put the chicken and all the ingredients into the pot

4. Pour around 1.6 litres of water

5. Boiled for 10 minutes 

6. Simmer for 1 hours

7. Voila~, it is done

It looked nicer in real. 

p.s. I can't wait to go back Singapore and have mum-made soup. Cooking is really not my thing. Domesticated, not. 

Music Wednesday

I am glad to be digging all these awesome songs that I never knew exist.  

Keep me in your heart - Warren Zevon

Such an auntie

Can't believe I will say this but there you go, I am lusting for this Pot!

Photo from Le Creuset website

I can't believe I am talking about pots here but this little beauty here caught my heart while shopping in town. I don't really know how to cook but maybe I do with this in the kitchen. I went to check it out at the store weeks ago, it is freaking HKD 4528 which is about 700+ SGD. 

Right now, I am still wondering how can a pot cost so much. And by the way, this pot is now on sale in Hong Kong. It is HKD 2944, which is about 500 SGD. If you are in Hong Kong now, and you have been lusting for one this size (26cm), go get it. I still need to think. 

Something for the heart

Saw this quote from my current read. Jot it here to remind myself.

“There are times in the lives of most of us, when we would have given all the world to be as we were but yesterday, though that yesterday had passed over us unappreciated and unenjoyed.”

William Edward Hartpole Lecky

Music Wednesday

Yup, this is from another drama serial. Bones, this time. 

 Sabotage - Amy Stroup

Adding colors to daily life

One of my favourite things to do is shopping for flowers. No, I am no expert. I just like seeing them in the house. Most of the time, I have no idea what their names are. Mix and match is not my thing though. Usually they look weird but who cares, just for my eyes.  

Look what I got last Sunday.

Always a favourite. 

This is nicer in real. I thought it look more purple than blue. 

See the buds. They look like boxes. Too cute not to get them. 

I just can't stop taking photos of them. 

Dry lavender. They smell real nice. And guess where they belong now? 

Looking forward to finding a bigger flower shop soon. 

New Addiction

How I passed my time, a lot of people asked me. Lucky for me, I found a new show to occupy my time here, NCIS. After criminal minds, my next criminal show. It is different from criminal minds. Criminal minds is more intense, more action-packed while NCIS is more focus on evidence and clues, more talking. One thing in common, it is all about teamwork. The communications, the relationships and the dynamic between the team members, and of course the humours.

I started the latest season on teevee and before I know it, I am watching the rest of the seasons online.  I am seriously considering buying the DVD from HMV. Another 2 drama series I am watching on teevee are Bones and body of proof. You can't blame me for watching all these crime shows. There are on teevee most of the time!

Okie, I need to get back to the teevee now. It is starting soon.

Lusting

Every girl needs a bucket bag, don't they.

I have been eyeing this for a while now. Can't wait for them to be in stock. 

*Photo taken from Mansur website*

Greeting from Singapore

I am back for a week!  This trip back is to accompany my parents. Guess they miss their source of noise around the house. No one to retort my dad when he is wrong, no one to nag my mum to make soup, no one to pop into my brother's room to show off a hideous haircut (Yup, that's me with my new haircut).

I am back for about 3.5 days and I already had 3 times BCM(Bak Chor Mee) and Kopi O, Nasi Lemak, Curry Fish Head, Krispy Kreme, Rice dumpling, etc. Tonight will be lavender Pig organ soup (I usually ordered meatballs soup instead), I love the soup. Singapore is really a city full of yummy food. My only wish is I can stomached all the food I love within this whole week.

Oh yah, I took the afternoon flight so that I can have dinner with my family. We had this family whatsapp chat room for us to discuss or share information with each other. We were discussing whats for dinner before my flight back. Guess what were the suggestions made by the geniuses in the family. The sister said Aston, and the brother said Pizza! If they come to Hong Kong, I am so going to bring them to try those Singapore Food in Hong Kong *Stabbing myself*.

I continued my world cup fever in Singapore with my cousins in the local Community Centre. The crowds were unbelievable.......... biased. The 12 a.m match were Germany v.s France. No prize for guessing which one was the popular team. 2 or 3 of my cousins and me were the only ones supporting France. I have nothing against Germany but I really like Number 2 in the France National Team. I was hoping to see him more in world cup!

He is sooooooo good-looking right.

(Image taken from the internet) 

I started this entry wanting to talk about this book I am currently reading but I totally lost focus. Maybe next entry then. 

Food: Classified - A quiet break

Went town for some shopping few weeks back. Never underestimate the number of people shopping in town. Sometime I forgot I am not in Singapore anymore, but the crowds remind me so.

One thing that really puzzle me is why do the locals wear jeans in summer. I really ponder over this question when I am out alone in shorts. I did my best by not wearing flip flop to town, I did that in Singapore. Shorts and flip flop, the perfect pair all year round. =) Don't think I will get an answer on that.

Oh yah, I digress. The purpose of this post is to write down the cafe I went that weekend. I am going to blog about the places I went in Hong Kong in case my memory fails me(Actually it already did).

I wanted to stay way from the crowd for a quiet coffee/break, so I hop over to the building beside IFC. The initial plan was to try out this place call Liberty but it was closed. Wanted to be adventurous instead of my favourite starbuck, and here we go.

Classified 

The interior is not very big and the whole place give a woody vibe. 

There are quite a lot of food.

The black coffee is a bit light and not so much on the roasted side. 

Egg Benedict. Not bad but the sauce is more on the sour side.

The patty is juicy and I like the thick piece of ham. But the portion is a big. 

If you like a quiet corner in town, you can try coming here. 

Shop No. 313, 3/F Exchange Square Podium 8 Connaught Place Central Hong Kong T: +852 2147 3454 Opening Hours:  Monday - Friday 7:30am - 11:00pm Saturday 8:00am - 11:00pm Sunday & Public Holidays Closed Last food orders - 10:30pm