2007年01月29日Monday

Something Abt Ah Lian

What is with the fashion in Spore? Has This Fashion taken over the whole island? A usual walkabout from Sommerset to Scotts will always reveal at least a few stuff I can consider buying when I saved enuff but last weekend, I was amazed to see nothing I remotely want to even try on. I have either grown too old for them or they have grown too auntie for me. Much of has gone Japanese style with the thick sash around the high waist and flowing long sleeves. From Hereen shops to Metro Paragon to Takashimaya..... perhaps it's the 20% off over the weekend crowds that put me off (altho I braved worst during BJ's zoo markets) and the snaking queues at the fitting rooms.... G2000 has gone office style with frilly fronts and U2's range is too teeny bobby pinks and yellows. P was obviously very happy since I have nothing to buy :) Only thing is Charles and Keith has great shoes!! 
Posted by Sakuragi at 20:50:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

The wind, the TV and the plastic bag

I think I am not used to the winds bk here. I am not used to not closing my eyes and trying not to breathe and having dust and small pebbles hit my face when the wind blows. I am not used to not cheaking the weather forecast before I go out. I KNOW the weather - rain and possibly still rain. Today spent an afternoon having my fav Kopi Bean drink that is not kopi - sunrise blend (orange) in an alfresco cafe, corner of Wheelock Place. It was windy and it was nice gentle breeze, the sort you see on TV shampoo ads. And someone lied to me - there is no Star World on my cable!!!  Not that I can fight my mum over the TV channel anyway since she is home all day too now. Darn! And what is with the Korean drama fever here in my own house? One year ago, the only acceptable Korean thing for my mum is kimchi. Today she watches My Girl and finds it funny. I think it is corny (sorry sis!!) and I strongly recommend Goong instead. Nevertheless it is sad to know that I can no longer watch local chinese drama serials. Somehow I even find the acting a BIT not there ne..... there is no decent local sitcoms either..... and even P's greatest desire to PAY THAT MUCH to watch a movie in a theatre is seriously dampened by the fare offered. Truly nothing interesting..... what has BJ done to us!!! I actually miss my DVDs.... Went to my usual titbit store to "stock up" on the junkie essentials - Chicken in a Biscuit, Twisties, Wang Wang biscuits and Calebee prawn crackers. But I didn't have to use the bag I brought along to hold them - I have returned to the land of good plastic bags..... those that I can count on NOT tearing or need for double bagging. One nagging thot is surely that it is more enviromentally friendly to bring your own bag than to use more plastic bags.... hmmm.... I saved more trees (is it trees?) in BJ..... wierd concept there.....
Posted by Sakuragi at 20:35:56 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

2007年01月25日Thursday

Viva Vivo

You are not Singaporean if you havent been to this newest fad in town. Touted to be bigger than Suntec and Takashimaya, it is impressive with its "wavy" green ceiling design - very "starhubbish" actually. It's a shopaholic's dream come true for all popular and hip brands under the very same roof. What impressed me was the FOOD variety that can be found there. Visit the Food Republic for pretty decent local fare in very quaint surroundings of old shophouses' doors, shelves and wooden plank walls (probably picked up from some construction site since they were all NOT colour coordinated). The view from the terraces was just great after the grey and cold BJ landscape.... see photos in Stuff! Now what actually will bring me all the way back to the City is TADAH!! Japanese shop Daiso!! Now why hasnt ANYONE told me abt this Spore version of the Jap 100 yen shop? Except things cost S$2 here? Ok, so it is not AS cheap but the things are just as cute without having to fly all the way to Tokyo!! *sigh* it brings back so many fun memories cramming so many little I-don't-need-this-at-all little stuff into my basket in Japan......

Posted by Sakuragi at 00:18:22 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

2007年01月23日Tuesday

Bash it up!

Had an informal gathering at CC's hse last Sat and it was really a HUGE eat out. Not that there were many pple, but there was A LOT of food. Personally I am never truly comfy in all these 'supposed to be informal but actually hor...." kind of gathering with P's colleagues but what the heck, how to say no since it is not, in the truest of all senses, an informal thing right? But it turned out to be fine except for me mentally conking out by 6pm when the guys started on army talk. Then the gals left to form their own talk grp outside. BUT the food was excellent with curry and of course the mega popular durian which I did not partake of the enthusiasm. Not since 2 yrs old when I ate my very first durian and found a worm. Eeew! No thanks! Not even when they offered to puree it.  Enjoy the pics!!

Posted by Sakuragi at 13:22:07 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2007年01月14日Sunday

Not so hot afterall

An ala-undercover-investigative-journalism program showcased pretty interesting stories on some of the shocking tales in BJ, mostly involving consumer safety and health issues. Previous stories include how some FAKE instant noodles are made and some dangerous medications are sold OTC in a city where greed makes your heart go cold. Today's story was abt sesame sauce used in hotpot meals now popular in winter. Here I was just 30 mins ago telling P that I SO want to eat hotpot this week and now all my appetite is down the drain. Peddlers of cheap sesame sauce make it in dirty plastic tubs and mix expired yellowed peanuts (used to be pink) and cotton seeds to create volume (so they can use less sesame seeds). They claim that this is the usual industry practise for most hotpot restaurant owners to buy such "mixed" sauces. When the undercover journalist commented on the "stagnant" look of the sauce, the peddler broke a TREE TWIG nearby and used it to stir the sauce!!!! Pukey here!!! Another peddler of a fake veggie sauce actually showed how to use industrial PAINT to colour the 'sauce' in order to increase 'vibrancy' and she even claimed she can make ANY COLOUR that they buyer wants. Then she pours the sauce into a plastic container, stuck on a fake label (counterfeit of a legit popular brand) and said the actual price of the product is RMB3 in supermarkets but she is selling it at RMB1.  Seriously for a mere RMB2 savings, shop owners are willing to risk mass poisoning of their fellow countrymen! And seriously how to eat anything here in BJ anymore...... 
Posted by Sakuragi at 20:26:18 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

One night in BJ

Not one to carry any tune, but nevertheless decided to try out a new KTV lounge at Chao Yang Men side, Melody. Like their peer Party World, they also have smartly dressed staff welcoming you at the door with wires plugged in their ears. Strangely empty on a Sat night, we were whisked up to the 5th floor and ushered to a posh room similarly dimly lit and outfitted with leather seats. Who cares since P immediately jumped to explore the KTV system so he could choose his songs :) What I did was to take off my coat and leave the room looking for my free food. Alas, very unlike Party World, there is no buffet of free food and drinks. Instead they have a Market Place where you can buy drinks and snacks but no food!! I didn't plan to BINGE all 2 hours there but that was the fun bit for me in KTV in BJ!! Later when our friends arrived, we still managed to have a crazy time cheering and jumping around to the music. M and B were priceless together performing their silly acts while C and S sang their hearts out. See Stuff album for some pics :) 
Posted by Sakuragi at 09:21:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2007年01月05日Friday

They dun name it 'howling' for nothing

Can't really call it an "it" since definitely there were more than ONE. The HOWLING winds have been battering at my windows for the past 5 hours or so. Yup, for 6 deg winds, they are a noisy bunch. Was out today and it was NOT MY BUS day. First, had to wait, jumping and stretching my legs in the cold - melting ice by the side - for the yellow minibus which took 20 mins!! to arrive and I had to sneak into Jenny Lou's to hide from the cold. Winds were picking up speed then but I thought I could sneak to Lady's Street and do a quick frame up of some drawings which P bought in Paris. As I was leaving the building, I could see tree tops swaying crazily from the inside but still, I braved it. I know, I know, take a cab right? But hey, the stupid bus stops RIGHT outside my place and I get to save 10 bucks! So silly me went outside to again WAIT 30 mins for the stupid yellow bus which never did stop since it was too crowded. Siller me decided to WALK to a sort-of-nearby bakery which was 2 streets away to 'reward' myself with choc bread. Bought what I needed, left and STILL decided to take another bus (yellow bus not on that route) so plonked on against the winds whipping up DUST and pebbles to the UNCOVERED bus stop (all bus stops in BJ are not sheltered.... but now thinking abt it, no use coz the winds and dust will just GET YOU anyway) and WAIT in the FREAKING cold for a bus which again was late and didnt take any more passengers at my stop. Finally AFTER the next bus turned out to be not the one I needed, I stuck out the inevitable hand and gratefully got into a cab. Spent that 10 bucks afterall.... darn!!! 
Posted by Sakuragi at 23:52:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |