Next stop: Taiwan

Yup. leaving singapore to go taiwan for a tiny road trip. With parents. It has been quite an uneventful holiday so far. Just feel abit detached from mind and body. Days roll by but my mind is not registering it. queer. Almost like a weird euphoria state, not a care in the world. *YUM*

Dont think i will be touching the comp till january. So, have a merry Xmas and a wonderful new year!

Sisha..

如果我变成烟鬼。。。。

insomia hits

once again, insomia. WHY? this time, overly excited about harry potter stories. Not that i have not read then before. But just having the books to read kinda makes it difficult to put the book down. She is such a good story teller. She is sooo mean too ! making me wait for a year more for the NEXT movie to come out, and another year more for the final book to be written. I do hope it will be worth the wait.

In the weekend, i conjoured up a nice new dish - it is an iranian stew, called - Gormeh sabzi . Obviously i tasted it in iman's house. His mum is a fantastic cook. Using the recipe from the website, i managed to get a nod from iman!! ^_^ He reckons that potatos are not needed thou. Who cares, the potatoes added taste to it. But man, it was a LONG stew to cook. The next time round, i will be using even MORE spinach, more parsely leaves & lesser meat.

Ok meat lovers, these green stews are GOOD FOR HEALTH. And the lime added gives it a very clean taste.

TADA!

Just cant help being proud of the fact that i can cook something nice. Its comes naturally to some i guess, for others, its a chore.

You know, it is little surprise that i am becoming so fat. my tummy... new year's resolve: attend pilates and cardio classes....

A new day

Muahaha!! An one hour long presentation entitled: "The use of PVA hydrogel for nucleus replacement" has been been successfully delivered. How delightful to know that i actually do know my stuff pretty well, enough the thwart the questions of friends, professors and strangers...

It is probably a combination of luck, hard work and the comfort knowing that a number of friends sat in my presentation to support me. Friends who are also working in my field does help calm my nerves. ^_^

As for my french presentation... haaa.. talking about idiotic. took me 5 minutes to calm down and stop looking at my text, another 5 minutes to start improvising my speech... haaa. Catastrophic. At least, i know i can speak abit of french and create a tiny repotoire with my schoolmates.

Now, back focusing on my research.

Kisses... Cant stand my ego.

seminar presentation

Take about jitters... tomorrow.

Drunken at home

Well well. Finally i get to have the pictures from a gathering before i left Sg to return to the COLD. Besides the usual grumbles of fat arms ba ba.. i didnt remember posing for some of these silly pictures... haa.. made me realise how GONE i must have been. It doesnt matter that much,

i was in good hands.

Although the pictures showed a misery bottle of peach tea (desperately trying to sober up..), behind the scenes were TONS of food leftovers,

2 empty bottles of wine, and a half gone jack daniel....

**

As much as i would like to boost on my drinking skills...

**

wellllllllllllll..........

**

(I decided to give myself some credit for NEVER having a hangover till now, in my entire life.... YES, i know u guys are jealous. The downside is, i get BLOODY red and 'drunk' looking and probably acting drunk so darn fast. Please remember that being RED is not equals to DRUNK)

**

Still amusing me..

Isreal "accidentally" bombs another town...

Israeli tank fired in the town of Beit Hanoun... accidentally. Though clearly condemed through europe and middle east, US sent very careful statements like: "deeply saddened" by the injuries and loss of life, calls for "appropriate steps" to be taken to avoid a repetition of the incident. I dont recall them being so casual over other mishaps.

I am actually getting immune to the bombings, mishaps, suicides, attacks, retaliations. Browsing through the news, a bomb AGAIN, couple more innocents die.. this awful zone of violence is becoming mandane, part of life.

However, today's evening news, with showing videos of the disaster scene.. and i see the mothers crying, the babies wounded, fathers in shock.. i almost just teared. This hasnt happened for quite a while....

Post holloween

So... the blueies...

get a sense of my dress...... hair..boots.. n blue fish net stockings....

(talk about kitsch)

i just look BLOODY FAT in this pic..

(it is suppose to be a my fair lady thing...)

my room full of sexy girls..

highlight of the boyz (note the extra HUGE.................)

U know, i kinda like the holloween thing. U can be as ugly, as slutty as idiotic as you want, just for one night. ^_^

Vanity

I noticed that when i look at pictures, i look for MYSELF first. I start scrutinizing myself in the pic. TOO fat, TOO uneven, UGLY skin tone, imperfections that you never knew existed wil suddenly pop up in YOUR FACE. But seriously, i do think i am too fat and too lazy to actually do something about it. SIGH. I do try playing tennis!!!! The waist doesnt seem to have gone down....

Anyway, i admit - i am vain. in fact, i am very vain. As careless as i am, as clumsy as i am, i still like feeling pretty, and looking pretty. Well, i am darn sure this vanity will just grow with age. OH DEAR. i honestly dont want to be too caught up with this whole face + fashion thing...

random titters...

Moody Friday

research is such a bitch. In short, i thought i found a "short cut" which eventually made my calculations invalid hence scratching half of my experiments off.

Result: MORE late nights, MORE early mornings... =( REDO

Tommorrow, SATURDAY: i have to go back to my dear lab to catch up on lost time, then i have a frisbee game, then a little holloween extavagenza.. hopefully that will cheer me up abit.

My darling has not been really around me lately, i must sadly say. He has his own set of schedules. Being stressed out really put me on an emotional rollar coaster.

i think i know what i like

U know what, i realised that i do enjoy baking, ALOT. And, i really want to make good breads, cakes and pastries. I want to understand the basis of making a GOOD pastry. Not just a pastry. I have to become more critical of my bakings....

PS: i just made an olive bread yesterday night. The appearance is pretty. However, the texture is abit on the heavy side. It tastes moist, but heavy. I think i was cutting down on time for the flour to rise. Maybe that will solve the problem

Pumpkin fest

my pumpkin pie (a small test before the real one)

Steam cut pumpkins till soft. remove the skin and you get your pumpkin puree.

Things You'll Need
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 c. pumpkin puree

Instructions
STEP 1: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F (175 C).
STEP 2: Put eggs into a food processor or large mixing bowl and whisk well.
STEP 3: Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt, and mix. Set aside.
STEP 4: Make your pumpkin crust or buy one crust. (just buy vegetable shortening and the instructions are there. If you are lazy, buy premade ones)

Step 5: Pour the pumpkin filling into the warmed pie crust and bake about 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set but still a bit quivery, like gelatin, when lightly nudged.
STEP 6: Cool pie on a rack and refrigerate. Serve either cold, at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Additions: pecan nuts go well with pumpkins (you can stuff pecan nuts onto your crust, if u are making them. it tastes .. DELICIOUS... mmmmmmmmmmm

slurp!

Just having insomia. NO idea why.

so much for fancy restaurants. u get good food.. in MINUTE portions. At least, the dessert was FAT-bulous...... Am i lame or what.

Why are many asian girls WHITE infatuated?

In Singapore, there is a SPG syndrome
This year round, i was lucky enough to go clubbing to check out the taiwan night scene. Beautiful club, wonderful bartender performances, hot girls. The music were surprisingly only english, (god, they dont even understand the lyrics anyway!?) there were english rappers and scantly clad girls dancing on stage. People were cheering.

The question is WHY?

Honestly, i think he sucked. I have a feeling, most of the whites in the club thought so too.

So whatz up with the english craze? In chinese, there is a word for it - 崇洋 --- I guess, history is repeating itself.

While browsing through a friend's website (a friend i got to know overseas), they were discussing over this website - Link to Keiko << i checked it out and.. am actually NOT surprised that some japan girls crave for the WHITES too. Being not a fan of the japanese male domination, i am less inclined to judge. I was tempted to leave a message. (in my friend's blog) .. but decided not to. It seemed pointless.

This phenomenom is also rampant in the all mighty China. There are 2 type of girls - one that goes crazy over whites. The other that avoids them like crazy. A guy friend who went China commented - if he wanted, he could have any girl he wanted on WEEKLY basis. Somehow, i felt so bad to hear it. He felt bad for saying it thou, he was honest and sincere.

Anyway, still feeling bad over it. My stand is clear: i dont mind whites, blacks, browns, chinese, as long as u are cute to me. When you are that of another race, u damn well be REALLY worth my time. In addition to your looks, you better have even more to offer.

*feeling irritated*

Drenched Duck

Call me a drenched duck. A soaked sponge. Or maybe i just looked homeless. I dont care. Yesterday's game was, unconventionally fantastic. As usual, the weather forcast lied. Light Showers? it was more like a cold, freezing bath of rain. Mine you, i am impressed with myself. freezing temperetures, dripping wet hair plastered on my face, socks in shoes squish squash with every step - i DIDNT catch a bloody cold.

*STRONG!* (I think my mum is rolling her eyes)

Yup, on top of that, we won, a whopping 6 - 2, in a 40 minuites ulimtate frisbee game, qualifying for the playoffs as the top seeded team. I really am not looking forward to playing outdoors in these temperatures anymore, not to mention a possibility of snow. But, an experience.... indeed.

Today, a dry,sleepy Caroline, grumbling and whining.

Belated weadding pics from Taiwan

my cousins + the wedding beau

Screwed

LICK
Cant help saying i am prettier

Muahaha.. When will i ever change

PS: DANIEL!! ANGIE!!!!! WHERE ARE MY PICS!

easy use of oven

first, the website is a wonderful source of information. u can just type baking drumsticks and it will give you soooo many recipes that you get confused.

for your drumstick soln: you can try marinating your drumsticks with some sauce.
Start with .... BUTTER or BUTTERMILK.
Generously spread it all over your drumsticks and wrap it in aluminium foil. Do make sure that there are some butter 'juice' still wrapped in the drumstick.

Set the oven temperature to about 375 F ~ 190 C.

Bake for about 20ish minutes, depending on how thick your drumsticks are. Perhaps, it will be easier to start with peeled drumsticks.. (get rid of bones and soak the flesh in the buttermilk or butter.

Adding some herbs (eg cilantro, rosemary...basil...) will give it a nice smell.
Alternative marinations, u can use teriyaki sauce + oil + pepper +salt.. check the net and improvise.

if u marinate your chicken longer in your sauces (soak it in a covered plate in store it in the fridge), the smell is suppose to penetrate more.

baaaa
update me.
Caroline

崇油饼attempt

So, i decided to try testing my new found skills in making this interestingly tasty taiwanese pancake. Thanks to my wonderful bread making skills, preping the dough is not a problem. I made a small batch of 4 to start of with.


Unfortunately, due to the lack of attention span infront of my stove... haaaa. Believe it or not, at least it was still edible - only after scrapping of the unsightly crust. I think it tasted ok.... ^_^

At least in my second try, the next day - when i made another attempt to fry, it yielded better results. Also, it is a much healther version (less oil). Iman claims it tasted good.

*Too bad i was too excited to take a picture of that historical moment.*

我能打中文了!

搞了老半天才发现windowsXP本生可以顺和自愿，改换keyboard，输入汉语拼音，changjie，DaYi，等。 蛮方便的。问题出在有时候不知道当字幕是同音，该选那一个。有时候，当然是用词不挡。。。。

没法子啦！中文基础好像真的打得很糟糕。。。。要读一篇文章花好多时间。。。

哎呀，很晚了。。 晚安。。。

Random numbers...

One step out
twice bitten shy
three's a crowd
four's makes family
five's overload
six devil's pick
seven's my mystic
eights' chinese luck
nine oh cop
ten back whole.

Sweetness

Sometimes, a rose just says so much.

hopeless

Random pics

just heavenly serene..

Boss mafia

Mafia sidekick

in a tiny canoe...

next cat

water skiing

High hopes

Crash

Crash

Crash + more crashes...

butt skiing...

about time...

FINALLLLY!

Quelqu'un M'a Dit

Que tu m'aimais encore,

C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que tu m'aimais encore.

Serais ce possible alors ?

Je t'aime, aussi.

**Je suis content**

Rollerblading

On sunday, we decided to go rollarblading. In the end, we bladed for 5 hrs. We covered about 30 km.... OUCH! but it was a gooood exercise.
GOOD company,
GOOD weather,
GOOD roads,
GOOD blades...

only one missing is U.
Come back soon
kisses

ISRAEL - The Holy Land

Only 7 days in war
Lebanon blood again flows.
Who, where, how, shall one cry foul?

British once ruled Palestine.
Fateful 1922, she betrayed Palestinians.
Decided, she had, presenting this land, as a gift to Jews.
Next came the US, President H. S. Truman.
Consolidated a land named Israel,
created midnight of May 14, 1948.

How could Palestine bow, without giving a fight?
Yet, Israel grew, supported by West.
Men defended, women grieved, children bewildered;
Their Land, once called home, snatched beneath their eyes;
Homes destroyed, families separated, tortured and killed;
Day by day, their land overtaken, their voice dying with the wind..

Jews influx, tears of joy,
motherland finally reclaimed.
Wealthy, influential, Israel is,
invincible she stands, Ahmen.

Wave of attacks, to reclaim this unjust,
she flicks off with a finger.
Armed full with military intelligence,
imported from the west.
Across the world, she perfected the role, of a damsel in distress.

Offensive, oh yes, she is.
1960s war with Egypt, sly she was,
with ambitions to dominate Suez canal.
1980s preemptive attack she did on Iraq, quoted she feared so,
an atomic bomb created.
1980s she targeted Lebanon, wailing for her rights,
to prevent terrorist attacks.
Today, another whim - to rid the world of Hezbollah,
she tears through, again, sweet dear Lebanon.

Israel, oh Israel, where holy land sits
How can she stand proud,
with a history so violent.
In pretext of defence,
spilled and still spilling,
so much.
blood.

How can the world turn away,
I don’t understand.
Holocaust, the infamous Jew persecution.
that I was taught.
But why wasn’t I told about Palestinians persecution?
The persecuted becomes the persecutors.
Why wasn’t that emphasized?
Why don’t more people know,
the atrocities of her dominance?

Perhaps politics are in play,
perhaps money does the trick,
perhaps people just do not care.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...
Just perhaps, one day, Israel will kneel,
infront judgment day.

Sources

Creation of Isreal - the 'holy' land

Israel wars

Palestine poems

Hezbollah

FAT FAT FAT

As usual, the normal whims and whines that i am going fat again. But i just dont understand why i am STILL putting on weight. Afterall, i havnt been eating thattt much (i think). Maybe it is the beer. I should stop drinking. *_* Also, i ahve been faithfully playing some sports, whenever i am injury free. GEEZ. THis is definitely not my year. Shoulder dislocation, now wrist pain, TONS of bruises... bad wisdom teeth problems... *_* GOd, i am spending lots on physiotherapy. At least, my therapist is a dear.. btw, it is a SHE. *hrmp*

Maybe i should just drink my 'injury' problems away..

Lab days are good. Summer makes it harder to work. In fact, i am thinking of leaving now. BAD girl. it is just barely 3.30pm. I finished my work for the day..

*Yawn*

Sun after the storm

enough is enough. I am turning away from you. Lets just be acquaintances. It is safer, less hurtful and superficial. U will feel more comfortable, so will i. If we qurrell more, we will not even be friends. Soon.

Chill.


PS: angie, i am and sitll is in montreal. ALL is good. Thanks for your concern. I dont know why u guys are having problems reaching me. My phone is still hooked up...

Tell me what u want

U called when i didnt expect u to. You showed me that you care, when i thought you don't want to care. What can i say? I really want u back in my life. Yet, i am hesitant that you will suddenly push me away like you did before. Should i rely on you at all as a friend? Do you want me to trust you at all? Sometimes, like u said, it is better not to think too much into the actions and just enjoy the times. But at unexpected times like this, there is an urge to receprocrate this friendship. Yet, i feel like there is a need to resist this urge. This really suck.

Two yrs have passed

Time slips by so quietly, so swiftly by.

Yesterday, after putting powders on my face, I was struck by the reflection in the mirror.

I look like a lady – poised, proud and full of hopes.

No longer do I look like a child trying to look grown up.

I look just like a lady I have envisioned myself to become.

Bubbling with energy and visions, trying to carve a niche to excel.

….............

You came along. So warm, calm and assuring.

My dear, I have grown. Look at me.

We have grown together; also.

&

emerged stronger, still enjoying our moments.

Relatonships, emotions.

A nice pic when my parents visited

timer went off while camera fell... *ophs

A nice bike trip (suppose to be an animal reserve park...)

WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS??!

The summer days continue...
Days in the lab..
Night frolicking...

Dont get burnt

Rules of friendship btween guys and girls

You share, laugh, cry
You simply have fun,
together.

The danger of this game
You do NOT cross the line
You do NOT start having feelings
You do NOT throw tantrums at the other cause that still hurts

Stupid platonic theory.
Bullshit.
*BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA*

Ode to you

we know what that is... ^_^

You are missed.

Rafting Tomorrow

Hectic week has almost passed.
Finally, a short holiday coming up - Rafting

It will be my first.

*Excited*

ZzZzZzZzZ
Still in sleeping mode. I am in the lab. Next sampling time in 35 min

Waiting for my camping bag. Some wonderful friend is lending it to me.

Iman has been almost gone for a week. I should find out when he will be returning.... *silly gf*

This week practically ran pass me before i realised. HOW WEIRD. It has pretty nice memories thou. Busy in lab, french classes, making crepes, going dinners, tennis, Capoeira, squash (i got squashed literally... ).

Very fruitful rest in bed each day. *YAWN*

stupid canadian services

U wouldnt believe the Bureaucracy in Canada. Or maybe it is specific to MONTREAL. I finally arranged my papers to recieve a SIN number (social insurance number) so that i can start getting paid by my darling professor. After rushing out of my office, and hunting that place down. i had to queue for 1/2 hr plus, and when it was my turn, he compared my study permit expiry date (which can be easily renewed) vs my contract letter with the employer (of which i drafted the letter MYSELF) and said in that strong quebec accent: " sorry madam, i cannot process ur documents because the contract letter is written expected end of contract to be august 2007 while your study permit expires on july 2007. PLS give us a new letter and come back again. " GOD!!!! it is just one bloody month!

SO i have to retype the letter
waste another trip down
ARGH

Day 1

My lips are stuck

Prep talk

Intrusion

Showing off asian thingi

WHAM! zonked, soaked

drenched, flushed

pouted, poised

unleashed

^_^