Chocolate & Candyfloss®

New Stroller for Emperor

2012-02-01T18:20:00.001+08:00

After one 2nd hand stroller from Cash Converters, one cheapbo "Good Baby" Brand stroller for another 2 yrs, I'm finally getting a stroller I like!

Violet/Purple Combi Spazio Stroller! Super love!!! :))

Yong Le is here!

2012-01-27T11:32:00.002+08:00

11-Jan-12, 1:35am: I think my water just broke... Was turning around in bed and couldn't sleep and just heard a "tiak" sound... I got up and there was a gush... My undies is wet... Cannot be pee, cos I just returned from toilet visit. Put a pad and wait... See how...

3:04am: blood-tinged show and urge to poop... Contractions are stronger...

3:29am: decided to go to L&D

3:45am: reached L&D and sent to assessment room in the delivery suite to monitor contractions and baby's heartbeat. Doctor came about 2hrs later to check on medical history and dilation. 4cm dilated. Contractions not so strong but constant.

5:21am: Doc ask if I want to go to ward or straight to delivery room. I chose delivery room as I'm not sure how long can I take the pain without starting to scream. nurse ask if I wanted any pain relieve shot or epidural. Checked with her on the possible complications she told me BB could be drowsy and might need admission. I chose to just use the ethanox gas. I was hooked on the drip as the previous meal I had was many hours ago (7pm) and I'm dehydrated. They put in the intravenous unit on my left hand and took god knows how many tubes of blood for cord blood donation test as well as Duno what other test, then put in the drip and heartbeat monitors.

6:00am: Contractions get really strong and hubby asked if I want to take epidural. I told him,"Our first 2 kids both never use, now third one then use, isn't it very stupid?" He replied,"Then u want to be stupid or be painful?" A strong contraction overcame me and I failed to answer him but somehow inside I was laughing at his joke. Thinking no point since I'm already this painful, what's a little bit more?? So I chose to breathe the gas like a mad woman.

6:30am: I started whimpering with the pain which starts to get stronger and nearer and unbearable. Midwife came to check n told that it's 6cm. Before I know it the pooping feeling came, coupled with unbearable horrible back pain. I guess that's back labour...

7:00am: The pain from the contractions, back, front, below, are killing me... And the gas is making me drowsy... I started screaming and midwife came and told me to use the strength to breathe in and out rather than scream! She checked and it was at 7 or 8cm. She told me not to push yet but I replied that I can't help it, cos the body is pushing on its own!

Blurry seeing everything being prepared, so is bb's warmer and clothing... And I got the uncontrollable urge to push as hard as I can... Yeah, like trying to evict the biggest poop in the world again. All the pressure behind is indescribable. But the only thing I know is to push as hard as whatever strength u got left in you...

And I felt an episiotomy being done... And I think after a total of 7 or 8 pushes, I was told the head could be seen, then finally by the next push, the shoulders and body plops out... Immediately the relief came over me. In between heaves and deep breathing, I hear BB's cries... Strong and loud! And measurements being taken... Didn't manage to catch any. Asked hubby later abt the weight and he told me 3395g (49cm). So, my little Yong Le is born at 7:31am on 11-1-12! The end of my pregnancy journey for life.

My lower back and lower half of the body is so sore and painful after that... But was do glad it's over and also happy that they implemented the skin-to-skin scheme immediately after birth. BB was alert and he latched on almost immediately... Sooo cute... But during that time doctor also arrived to do repair and stitches... She gave LA injections to almost like 10 locations! And man are these shots painful!!! After that the stitching was not so bad followed by cleaning up... BB was then brought up to the nursery to do more tests, thenafter returned to me. There wasn't any bed available at the moment so I was waiting in the delivery room... Until 1pm where I was told bed is available already then moved me up. Here I am now waiting at a kinda warm ward... Hoping that we can go home ASAP!

I was told in an effort to promote mother and child bonding, BBs with no complications will be left in the care of mum for 24hrs a day. I was glad to take the chance but a little skeptical cos of the dozen of stitches feeling extremely sore and my lower back and body feels like it has gone through a bad whacking session in a gang fight, I can hardly keep my eyes open for 5mins as there was no sleep plus all the pain and activity through the night... But thinking BB will be asleep most of the time anyway, I'm ok. However, it turned out that the room is noisy most of the time, BB kept getting annoyed by the noise and squirming around. One of the patients must be afraid of cold, so she kept the aircon at the lowest possible, not thinking about whoever that's near to the sun heated burning warm windows (btw that's me) I almost died of hotness and stuffiness. Finally cannot take it and asked nurse to help turn up the fan speed/down the temperature that it's finally a wee bit cooler. But that didn't end. Before I can even start to cool down, it's back to hotness... Mum and sis came down and we took pics, they left to see my mil who's also in SGH for leukemia. Hubby came over at around 7:45pm and he went to turn down the temperature again. This time round it maintained for a longer while.

Day 2, 12-Jan: while the night was long and with all the noise, activity, BB and pain going on, there's no sleep to be mentioned. I just couldn't wait to go home. The nursery staff took BB to have a bath and get checked up by pediatrician at 7:30am while I waited and have my breakfast. Then wonder if I should take a bath as the previous bath was the night before I came in. Gynea came n checked me, and I was given all clear to go home. After a while pediatrician came and told me that BB is fine for home today and I went for a shower, changed into my home going clothes and waited. BB came back to me... And I informed dad, mum and hubby that BB and I are for home today! Mum couldn't wait to come and pick BB up! Dad is also anxious.

As 11am+ approaches, nurse came to discharge me, and then mum arrives. Hubby couldn't find parking space and came later. I was then told that BB haven't do the first bowel movement (which has to be done within 24hrs of birth to evict the meconium. They are worried cos some cases it means BB do not have properly linked anus-intestines... The strict nursery nurse pushed BB back to nursery to do assessment. And so all of us waited... Worried that BB dun get to come home due to the poop! Finally after abt 30mins nurse pushed bb back and said he just pooped. And changed his diaper there. So he got all clear and we were briefed, packed and left. Just before leaving the hospital lunch was being brought over and I didn't know I still got lunch? So while hubby went to pick up my medication, I ate lunch of failed chicken rice... Rice is like kueh and chicken pieces are like stone. Then we went down to wait for hubby to go pickup car at Multistorey Carpark to pick us.

Hubby made me the dates drink everyday and I started drinking the night after BB's birth. Made me drink lots of it...

As we reached home, gong gong and the two older sisters were so excited... Ran over to welcome their new baby brother... Took turns to carry and xx refused to put him down.

Hubby was really bz after that preparing dinner. Made steamed cod fish for me and spinach. Then at night he started defrosting things and making some special soup... He's like a confinement nanny!

13-Jan-12, Friday: hubby got up early and put the dates tea into the flask and put at the bedside table for me before leaving for work. BB has pooped meconium for the third time since yesterday and I was bz cleaning up. Later tried to do the BB art mould for the hand and feet and bathed BB. The rest of the day seemed like a blur as I battled pain and constipated feeling, tiredness, muscle & joint pain and fatigue. Finally the day is ending... Hubby's back from work n whips up dinner... I'm feeding BB while smelling cooking from the kitchen feeling like a fortunate little woman. The 2 older sisters are out with Popo and maid for a walk and the room is quiet... What I need now is a good shower and hair washing session!

10:00pm: milk has finally come in... Though very sore, but all worth it...

17-Jan-12: Yong Le's cord stump has fallen off... goodbye to the uncomfortable piece of clipped on plastic!

Yong Le is Full Term (37 weeks)

2012-01-03T09:54:00.001+08:00

That's from the countdown app that I installed... He's finally full term. Now I wait for the eviction time when he decide to come out and meet everyone... or rather, I might just try for an induction possibility. The past 2 days has been totally painful for me. Cramping for a few weeks now but no sign of any consistent contractions. Every single time it started it manages to taper off after a few hours and none were strong enough to have any major effect... Adding on with all the rest of the unglam symptoms like haemorrhoids, heartburn, pains below, butt, back, tummy, bloatedness, indigestion, now swollen feet, hands and body, numbness, pukey, fatigue, constant peeing, insomnia, breathlessness, sciatica, constipation... U know how bad I want him out, NOW... and since I'm already starting on my maternity leave, I'm practically wasting each day waiting, rather than using this time to take care of BB... If he's not out by this Friday, which is my upcoming weekly appointment, I'm asking for induction... pls lah, my little emperor, be out now...

2011-12-28T17:04:00.004+08:00

Feet and fingers are so numb... so extremely ready to end this pregnancy already... URGHHHHHhhh... I was awake 3:30am last night with so much cramps and pressure pushing down I just feel like all the internal organs which are lower down are going to be pushed out of my body!!! Had to sit up, get up and move around or else heartburn sets in.

Went to walk around at home, sit down, stand up... cramps that radiates down from the lower back to both legs and they they get sng and painful... and the heels hurt. This makes me recall the false labour days when I was going to have Lele... which made me go to hospital for 3 times with 2 times getting sent back since the contractions and cramps subsided after a few hours on its on. With that experience in mind, I'm not going to attempt to go to hospital until the contractions are constant, gets worse and doesn't go away in a few hours! But still... abit worried cos this is the third... what if labour is very short? zzz... and also must worry about the time of the day if it strikes... what if we're stuck in early morning traffic jam? But somehow most of the episodes I experience happens to be at night... As the anxiety sets in, it gets even harder to rest.

Getting super fatigued out, and all ready for this to be over... praying hard that my little Yong Le comes by the end of 2011... if not better, by the end of this week... I'm dying!!!

2011-12-25T18:02:00.001+08:00

Will finally be into week 36 next Tuesday... feeling extremely uncomfortable, painful, tired, sng to death... Though as much as I want to save all my maternity leave to take after BB's arrival, I can't... Its too much for my body to take to sit in office all day. Need to shift around ALOT and change positions to try and ease my pains. Non-stop peeing and constant hunger.

Started maternity leave on 22-23-Dec-11 (Thurs and Fri). Initially thought I can still complete the facilitating of my office Christmas party which I had planned so much over the last few months... but my body just gave up on Wednesday and I had to start taking off from work.

And after sitting at home for 2 days, I finally went out on 24-Dec-11 Christmas eve evening to have dinner at the new Botak Jones @ Blk 503 Jurong West, I found that my shoes has become tight... Then I realised my feet have swelled. Took a closer look at my fingers and they have also really swelled up... Perhaps this is another sign that labour is near?? I was hoping for a Christmas BB with all the pains and cramps going on these days. However, today is already Christmas, and there's no sign of my little Yong Le's arrival... so, gotta look forward to New Year's Day! Wishing he'll be out soon... I need to get back my body... am just about maxed out totally...

Pls help me pray for a healthy BB who'll be out soon!

End of Year 2011

2011-12-15T14:18:00.000+08:00

We've reached yet another year end. Life is full of ups and downs... And while we send off a life, we're also welcoming a new life...

Started off 2011 with warnings that its going to be a bad year for those born in the year of rooster... I treaded the days with caution. However, no matter how careful I am, I get bitten, I miss out stuff and angered my boss. Feeling sad and dejected I was wondering if there was chance to make that up. Time heal all wounds... I'm slowly putting in all the effort to make everything better... and still working towards renewing trust and relationships...

In April, we were greeted with a positive pregnancy test after on the second month of trying. We decided to try for a no. 3 with the encouragement from our parents that we should try for a boy since we already have 2 girls. We were skeptical at first, but decided, OK, we shall try, and I give myself until my 30th Birthday. If nothing happens by then, we'll abort the plan.

At around 20 weeks, we found out its a BOY! And were really glad we did try...

Everyday is peaceful and enjoyable and smooth flowing, while my mum and dad helped out with the kids and we watch them grow up day-by-day. Hubby and I have stable jobs and we're looking forward to welcoming our little boy, whom we've decided to name Yong Le (Similar to an emperor's name). Later this year, grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the liver, which had progressed with the 15 years of hepatitis B that she was carrying. Before we know it, she has passed away barely 2 months after the diagnosis on 05-Nov-11. I wasn't able to go to the wake or funeral being in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and some chinese superstitions. In a blur, that passed as well...

I was thinking, yeah, well, perhaps that's it for 2011, and we're down to waiting in happiness for BB's arrival. The good thought didn't manage to last very long... we sent our car for aircon repairs since it broke down for the second time... and on Friday, hubby received a call from his mom's company and then she called him, telling him that she's not feeling well. Her company doctor has written a letter for her to check it out at the specialist at the hospital for the dizziness and breathlessness symptoms that she's suddenly experiencing. And it just happen that our car is stuck in the workshop, hubby sent her down to A&E via taxi. After a full day of waiting, the results weren't conclusive, she was made to stay for observation. And finally on Tuesday, 13-Dec-11, the reports came out with diagnosis of acute leukemia. It was so sudden and being unable to go down, I was so shocked with the results as she has always been so active, healthy and cheerful. All of us are now so worried, but now we could only wait for the part 2 results which will be out probably next week to see the stage she's in so that treatment options can be decided.

I'm now in my 35th week of pregnancy and my little boy is measuring ahead. I'm constantly in pain and can hardly move around with all the pain and weight. I just can't wait to get back my own body again, so that I can be purposeful... As much as I would like to carry on preparing meals for the family, its beyond my means after this week as standing for more than 5mins a time can practically kill me, so is sitting. Visiting the washroom every 10mins is crazy and each trip to the loo just feels like jogging 2.5km and that's especially worse if there was a leg cramp prior to that, which will leave me limping for 2 days.

Going for my checkup tomorrow, and will tell the doctor about the contractions I'm feeling the past few days, so is the hemarroids which has scare me twice in the past few months. Not to mention the back/sciatic pains, aches, sngness, heartburn, breathlessness, bloating and cramps which seem to be a normal part of the end of 3rd trimester... I'm just taking it a day at a time as it comes and watching the count-down to full term/EDD app on my phone. Dare not think too much, dare not hope too much... just wish for the best and pray for my mum-in-law...

Year 2011. Just leave already OK? Wishing for a bright and cheery 2012...

撑着！（Hang on!)

2011-11-18T09:40:00.001+08:00

Having terrible heartburn and backache all night for consecutive nights, I'm totally burnt out. Fighting the thoughts of whether I should take an MC today ran through my mind as 4am approaches and I'm wide awake... As 5am approaches Ms Headache greeted me, and reluctantly I had to ask to take a day off... Dare not take anymore MC to add on to the 10.5 days which I already took over the year, I too annual leave, bringing the balance figure down to 6. I should have enough for my prenatal checkups until delivery. The next one is still with a 4-wk gap and by then it'll be 34 wks.

There's this feeling telling me it's nearing... And I won't even get to see January 2012 in this shape. Hubby just tell me dun keep on thinking that way, but it's really my body telling me and giving me this indication... Of course I'm still hoping to make it to full term... But that, is one thing I can't make the decision on. The baby decides. I'm just hoping to take it easy for another month as I approach the 36th wk by end of December... By then, I'm reassured. However, the pains is ridiculous. The backache I've been feeling since 20+ wks is only getting worse each day and add on with the sciatic pain which happens once every other day. Braxton hicks contractions are more frequent and stronger now and I get the hard, tight and painful feeling in the tummy about once or twice a day... Not to mention the round ligament pain and hip/crotch pain... Lifting/moving the hips area gives this sharp pain and is also since 20+ wks. Somehow, I'm so used to these pain that I can't remember how it feels like to be normal i.e. being painless for a moment or a day.

Starting to dread the weekend outings with the kids, as it's crazy having to pee every 15-20mins and having to watch 2 young toddlers. I'm just pure lucky to be in Singapore where toilets are all over the places... But it's a killer having to try locate one ever that often. So perhaps I might just decide to scrap weekend outings for the next month, to save the pains and trouble...

I'm also just telling myself to hang on in there for another month every morning I wake up... So each day feels more bearable... Whatever it is, I'm so looking forward to meet my little boy... Absolutely can't wait...

Checkup Week 30

2011-11-16T12:13:00.001+08:00

Finally able to see the finishing mark! Considering my first 2 are both early, Dr also say its a high chance that it'll be early for the third. BB not very cooperative at the scan... And was basically having his face plastered to the placenta... The previous time also... He seems to love that position very much, and is in the head down position, measuring at 1890.33g. (Avg wt for BB at this age is abt 1300g)

Dr was worried at first cos big BB is closely linked to gestational diabetes, but luckily, after checking the result of my previous glucose tolerance test, I have passed, so it's normal. I'm going back on 16-Dec for the next checkup at 33-wk...

Goodbye Grandma

2011-11-06T10:10:00.001+08:00

After being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer some weeks ago, grandma was hospitalized and after doctors confirmed that no treatment is necessary anymore she was enrolled to nursing home and stayed for a few weeks, shuffling to hospital with every ailment and complication that comes along. Dad was with her throughout the whole journey. Even so, he was shuffling between the schedules to help watch xx and Lele, do that we could go to work. I'm very thankful for his effort and at the same time so worried as he is hardly able to eat or sleep and within the few weeks he have lost alot of weight...

On Friday, after going for the Glucose tolerance test at SGH, we went to Guan Ying Temple at Bugis. I prayed for some help from god... My parents are very tired through the whole journey now, and just recent years after sending off my mum's dad and mum it's now my dad who'll be sending off his mum now... And how tired he is... Just some help to bring peace to everyone and take care of my poor dad... And relieve from pain and suffering for those who needs it... I prayed 3 times, ti-gong, guan ying. No bad intentions... Only good ones for everyone to lead a peaceful life from now on...

Yesterday at around 10am, I went over to mum's place with the kids and dad was just rushing off after receiving an SMS that something has happened in hospital. It's bad... And later in the afternoon dad told mum that grandma has passed away at 4:20pm.

Though there were deep misunderstandings in the past, but at that moment, nothing just mattered anymore. I'm worried about my dad, who's a very simple and kind natured person but very emotional... I'm praying for him that god give him strength to tide through. I wanted to go over... But they refused to let me... Cos of the advanced pregnancy I'm in and it's a Chinese superstition that red and white matters should never clash. So, I won't be sending grandma off, and somehow, I'm always thinking that it's just a normal process of life and I won't be feeling sad, but here I am, all in tears and feeling heartbroken... Then worried, sad and helpless...

There's nothing much I can do but just pray and hope for the best. Whatever's has happened has happened. We just gonna tide through... And I'm very sure a lighted path lies beyond.

27-Weeks (Into the 3rd Trimester)

2011-10-25T11:00:00.001+08:00

Finally into the 3rd trimester... looking back at the past months, it has been an incredible journey. From thinking that 2 girls are all that I will have for this life to actually getting down to plan for a third... for a possibility to bring some equality to the over-female dominated home of mine. I never had a brother, and I always wished I had an older brother... so I guess I woudn't want to be disappointed and have a final go. Initially it seems impossible, as I left GSK with a better paying job (WE NEED IT!!!) and later end up leaving the other one either, cos I was so not used to working in the central and packing dinner everyday... its so unhealthy to eat out so often and we ran out of ideas what to packet after running through the list of mixed vege rice to chicken/roast pork rice to fishball noodles etc. Finally after twists and turns I'm finally settled down at APBS with a perm job which I am so hoping for... and everything fits nicely into my family schedule. I was thinking if I can't find something suitable, I'll cease my plans when I hit my big 3-0.

So I guess gods wanted to give me one more chance... and since I landed up here, I'll give it a go, but plan to abort the plan if nothing happens when I hit 3-0. Seriously, I don't think I have much of a chance, as trying for one seems like a challenge with a toddler turning 2 and the other turning 4 and whom won't go to bed before 11pm every night. By that time, we're both dead-tired, and planning for anything else is a pain in the A**... Just like our no. 2, after trying for a year with no news I give up and go take up a long term course...only to find that BB decided to come at the same time as I started my part-time studies. This time round its incredible... Just managing to slip in tiny pockets of time for BB trying and within the second month, it was a success! And not thinking it would be so soon as I'm still new into my job, I was scared to tell work. What if I loose my job! How to pay for all the expenses piling up??!!

Accumulated all the courage and told work after the first 3 months past. Luckily I was met with positive congratulations from boss. And it was great relieve...

The following weeks was kinda crazy. I could only eat bread/sandwiches for the first 3-4 months. Its basically the same for all meals, be it lunch or dinner. Anything else "NORMAL" would induce unnecessary nausea and it'll turn me green. After that, I could finally resume eating small meals normally. I have hardly gained a kilo by then! However, by the mid-end of second trimester, the taste buds changed... and I could only eat rice/rice-made products and BB seems to love Indian food. I was unable to eat my favourite noodles/bak chor mee pok and even trying to have fishball noodles I'll feel that they're the worst tasting food in the world. And at around week 20, all the pains started setting in... which was WAYYYYYY toooooo EARLY!!! I remembered going to supermarket everyday after work with my first to get food to cook dinner... and since I had no domestic help that time I did all the housework until the day I pop. It was only at around 30+ weeks did I feel any discomfort, pains or breathlessness. Even for no. 2, I was working overtime 2-3 times a week and attending night classes till 10pm twice a week, reaching home only at around 11pm... and back to work the next morning at 8am. The funniest was fighting with a 3-cm dilation to go for exams and then going for the next exam one day after delivering. My classmates were SHOCKED to see me there! Didn't really managed to study much but passed the exam anyway.

However...

This third and final BB... I'm already having lower back pains and joints pain at 20-weeks, and as I approach week 25-26, I can hardly get up from the floor without first getting on all fours and finding something for support! Am 27 weeks day 1 today and my back is not having any mercy on me. Lifting each leg gives sharp pain to the round ligament; I'm breathless walking up a flight of stairs, and even when I'm not doing anything... my lungs seems to be compressed by the growing BB. I get very bad pressure on the intestinal area... bleeding piles problem which had left me for the past 8 yrs comes plaguing me and I had to start taking stool softeners so it doesn't bleed again, even though I'm taking lots of fruits, vegetables and fibres. Pimple-like stuff that grows on the back, which I have never experienced before... and it won't go away no matter what creams I use. Doctor also say that it will disappear once I deliver... its caused by the pregnancy. I had nasal congestion/sinus for the first 20+ weeks which has just started to get better... sleep was hell at that time as I couldn't breathe properly through the nose. Clartiyn doesn't work and I can't use nasal spray for more than 2 weeks in a row. Now a whole new set of problems plague me... all of a sudden I put on 8kg... and turning around in bed at night is like doing a "3-point-turn" (like what a mom say in the babycentre forum). Had to pee every 15mins in the day and every hour at night whether I drink water or not. Don't know isit the age catching up on me or what... I'm having the worst pregnancy ever!

However, knowing that BB is on the 50th percentile of growth and everything's well, and that I'm finally having a boy its telling me that all is worth it for this last time. I know I'll miss feeling the kicks after this is over, but at least that part of life is over for me and it'll be a whole new set of challenges ahead. Still, I'm looking forward to what's coming and whatever it is I face it with my loved ones. 3rd trimester, here I come... can't wait to hold BB in my arms...

Weekend 25-26-Jun-11 (Peter's Auntie's Birthday)

2011-10-19T11:06:00.000+08:00

Getting lost of what to do during the weekends... though the kids will be happy wherever we bring them... Lele will be jumping and hopping non-stop (we thought she had springs installed in her legs), and Xx has her eyes on whichever opportunity she can grab hold of sweets... I'm just so worried that her teeth are all decayed... Mainly due to last time we had the wrong sequence of brushing teeth --> Drink Milk --> Sleep... which we had already switched around to Drink Milk --> Bursh Teeth --> Sleep but its too late... She's got such a sweet tooth and now even try to steal sweets (climbing up to where I kept the treats) whenever she sees I'm not looking... and its not helping that gong gong wouldn't stop giving them boxes and boxes of tic-tac where they'll eat like peanuts. zzz... duno what to do...

This weekend was quite normal for Saturday, and Sunday morning was the usual task of buying fish at commonwealth market, our usual fav fish stall where its super cheap and everything's super fresh. And as usual, after getting a week worth of fish, we had our fish porridge. So glad I was able to eat the fish head porridge and it actually taste great, together with yu sheng! So I guess my new resident has finally decided to settle down... and not make me eat bread/sandwiches for all my meals... yeah.. has been like this for the past few weeks and I'm personally sick of bread... but I can't have anything else other than bread/sandwiches withough feeling really sick. And I didn't rememnber I was like this with my first 2... Xx got no problem at all and for Lele, I just can't eat fish... And also... so glad my sudden burst of acne has finally calmed down... and I'm finally seeing clear skin in weeks... very glad.

And after we return with fish and eggs (yes, my eggs supply from there... always fresh and very cheap for cakes!) we proceed to bring the kids out to the Supermarket to buy vegetables etc. And they loved being pushed around in the shopping trolley. Last time they used to sit together in 1 trolley... and now, Lele is so 霸道 that she will not allow her sister to sit with her, so we basically have to take 2 trolleys...

They had Mr Sushi's salmon handrolls and then we proceed to get my Subway sandwich, and home. Peter then went out for his lunch (he wanted Lai Lai wantan mee but there were absolutely no seats)... and for a haircut... bad time for haircut as its school reopen tomorrow and lots of kids queueing up for the cut. Mum-in-law suddenly called while the kids were having their nap, saying that she was thinking of asking me to make a cake for the Auntie's birthday that we're supposed to attend later for the catered buffet... and I decided to do a last minute one... I've only got 2hrs...

Decided to do the same cake from Keikos... made the pipping gel first (to stabilise the whipped cream later) and then prepare the ingredients... and within minutes, the cake is in the oven, to be baked for 30mins... then I went on to make cream puffs... recipe also from Keikos... Made the crust... and once the cake is out, the cream puff crust goes in for 30mins... and while the cake is being cooled, with the fan's help and the puff crust in the oven, I made the custard... then as the custard is cooling, the pastry is out and cooled while I beat the whip cream. Then put the cake together, and fill the puffs with custard and leftover whipped cream. I made it! All within 2 hrs!

It was so rush that I didn't have any time to take any pictures... so we packed and rushed out.

We turned out to be an hour late... the buffet was OK from Eatz or something... and after hanging around for a while, we finally cut cake! No Candles and No Birthday Song... because they pantang that CaiDe is sensitive to such Birthday Celebrations... erh... erh.... 0.o Well ok.... It is the first time the whole cake was chomped up and just nice for the big group of very stuffed pple and its amazing how they loved it.... yeap, it was a simple blackforest cake... luckily I have all the ingredients ready at home, if not dun even know how to suddenly come up with the cake!

Marriage - In a relationship, married or not... You should read this.

2011-10-19T11:02:00.001+08:00

In a relationship, married or not… You should read this.

Marriage.

“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

I saw this on the internet.. I thought I would share this on Facebook to my FB Friends.

25 Wk Checkup

2011-10-15T21:27:00.003+08:00

Went for checkup again on the 25th Week, 14-Oct-11. There was a scan scheduled, and was so luckily I had the same Indian lady sonographer who did the previous scan for me... and there was another lady attached to her and she was teaching her how to do measurements... and double lucky I was in the room with the 3D/4D ultrasound scan machine. And she was so nice to do a 3D/4D scan for me... and even gave me 2 pics (for free)! So thankful... I do not have to specifically go for a paid one... But as last time, my Yong Le is not in a good position... the placenta is blocking his face and the umbilical cord is in the way also... and his arm is in front... but she managed to get quite a clear picture... "Aiyoh... he always so shy!!!" and she managed to get a view of the boy parts in the 2D photo...

He's weighing in at 895.66 grams...much more than the estimated 660g in babycentre.com.sg. That's at around >50th percentile... There's a good amount of amniotic fluid and everything's well. So happy to hear that... all the suffering i.e. back pain, leg pain, round ligament pain, constipation, piles (from the pressure on the intestines), etc... is all worth it... so happy to hear of the good development and growth... Will be going for the glucose test in 3 weeks time on the 4th Nov and then the doc checkup on 16th Nov... :)

However, fatigue is starting to set in again... and up till now, I can only successfully eat rice... and I keep craving for sushi/sashimi and japanese food... hope BB can last till full term or better, CNY so I can have a dragon baby!

On the side note, Xuan Xuan and LeLe are both at their cutest... and other than fighting over everything and anything during the days, they're sometimes really dear to each other... and whenever one cannot find the other, they will find the other... and Lele will follow XX everywhere... Not much time to update blog these days... bz like hell!!!

Anatomy Scan on 16-Sep-11

2011-09-16T22:28:00.002+08:00

Waited a whole 5 weeks for this checkup... and I can't wait to find out if its a girl or boy I'm having... Finally the day arrived... Appointment for scan was at 2:10pm and then to see the doctor after that. Mum couldn't wait to take a peek at the scan so she came along... Initially cos both Xx and Lele are sick, and she thought she should stay to look after them, but dad assured her that he will watch them and she was all jumpy and happy that she can join me.

As we reached at 2:00pm, we waited until 2:40 before it was my turn... the ultrasound technician lady, an Indian lady, did my scan, and it took a very long time... after almost an hour, and lots of turning here, there, shaking/moving around, she simply can't get BB to cooperate and get into a favourable position for measurements to be taken. In the meantime, Peter and mum were waiting outside, as the technician told them to wait outside first while she takes the standard measurements as it would take some time. She finally gave up... showing me, "I'm sorry I can't manage to take some of the measurements, baby is totally not cooperative... you see, I can't see the face cos the back is up and face is hidden below somewhere, and then, I cannot even tell the sex... you see you see, the legs are closed tightly! (Showing me), and then below crossed somemore!!! I'm afraid I have to ask you to go walk around for 15mins and come back again to try again..." Feeling a little disappointed, I went out and we went to the Kopitiam there for some dessert as I didn't have much to eat during lunch.

Then went back...

The position was slightly OK... and, the legs were finally slightly opened... and she showed me... "OK, you see this? Its a penis! Its a boy!" I finally get to confirm the facts... after asking lele and xx for a while whether they think its a didi or mei mei... and lele just say didi all the way... etc... But technician still couldn't see the last part... stomach... cos he wasn't swallowing anything... and for the past hour plus, he's still in that favourite position... alas... the final chance, she showed mum and hubby the details... then sent me for another 20min walking session... We walked around... and came back... finally she saw the little bubble of liquid that he swallowed... and reminded me to ask for a more detailed check of the stomach on my next scan 4 weeks later. At least the mystery is solved and we're all really happy... My wish came true and I'm having a little boy! And now, to hope that he'll stay longer... hopefully after 37 weeks and come out to greet us chubby and healthy... can't wait... for now, its back to normal life...

连心

2011-09-12T16:02:00.001+08:00

昨晚，Peter 在网上听歌的当儿，突然叫我过去听一首歌，“这首歌很有意思，我特别点给你！” 本来已经快呼呼大睡的我，起来，过去看youtube 上的 MTV。是刘家昌和刘子谦父子合唱的歌曲。原本是男女对唱。

连心

歌词如下：

1.連心

主唱：劉家昌．鄭欣宜

作曲：劉家昌

填詞：劉家昌

女：你站在我後面　支撐我更勇敢

我能超越大海　我能跨過高山

男：我站在你後面　我陪在你身邊

當你遇到任何困難　我會與你分擔

女：你給我的溫暖　讓我走出暗淡

這份真摯情感　深到海底遠過天邊

男：我就在你身邊　一切為你承擔

我們倆的心手相連　共渡年復一年

合：真愛永不改變　不能缺少一半

一步一個腳印　腳印疊在一起

一直走到永遠

很简单的歌词和曲，但是意义深厚，充满着动人的旋律。唱着唱着，刘家昌看着留学远道归来的儿子，老泪盈眶。我都快哭了。世上没什么比得过亲情。就这么一起听完了这首歌之后，心中一时感到无限的温暖，被重视的感觉非常好。歌词就是在描诉着我们这辈子的旅程吧。望：珍爱永不改变，不能缺少一半，一步一个脚印，脚印叠在一起，一直到永远... ...

R.I.P. Ar-Bit

2011-09-03T10:45:00.000+08:00

After a happy life with Ar-bit for 6 years, I finally have to say the inevitable goodbye... Gone through working days, getting married and 2.5 kids, he's been through all of them with me... I know the day's gonna come... and recently I felt it... I know it... that's life... and we have to say goodbye in some point in time. Nothing's forever... May Ar-Bit be happy in heaven... you're greatly and deeply loved and never forgotten... always...

Goodbye, my dear Ar-Bit...

蚂蚁壁虎蟑螂

2011-08-31T22:30:00.001+08:00

Wed, 31 Aug 2011, 10:25:32 PM (GMT+08:00)

乐乐不要刷牙，我问她：＂你不要刷牙，知不知道等一下睡觉的时候什么会跑进嘴巴里面？＂她说：＂蚂蚁壁虎蟑螂！！！＂我问她：＂你刚才吃很多什么？＂她回答：＂糖糖！＂＂蚂蚁壁虎蟑螂！蚂蚁壁虎蟑螂！＂然后跑去刷牙。

Sick & Tired

2011-08-17T19:22:00.000+08:00

This is really the season for sickness... First was Lele, who was down with fever, sore throat, cough and flu... then followed by hubby, who refused to go to the doctor's even after 2 weeks of being unwell with self medication and much persuasion from me. I told him, what if the kids caught the virus from you again? What if I do? You better go see the doctor. And when he finally does on that faithful Saturday, it was because I have also caught the virus from him. There's not medication I can take, and even after going to the doctor's, I was reluctant to take anything much... afraid of what it might do to BB... And being unable to sleep due to his noise and coughs, I was sleep-deprived, which makes every day even harder to survive.

I have taken quite a fair bit of medical leave and urgent leave due to kids sick and I sick... from the lack of sleep. I can function, but I function without the brain actually working. But in times of need, I pushed myself to do as much as I can... with limited resources.

Furthermore, with the extra work laden (previous staff left and we're left with 2, previously was 3 headcounts at our side, so the other part of the work that the previous guy had been doing landed on me.) I'm trying my best to manage. Managing systems, records, technical training, commercial side training, external training, internal training, updating of all the tracking worksheets, chasing for documents, chasing for 3-mthly follow-up documentation, payments for all the courses, rolling out training, managing hotel/external venue contracts, bookings, rates, responses, reminders and finally, internship programs and sponsorship programs complete with overseas programs etc... I can't say I'm managing too well. Sometimes, some programs I was suddenly roped in... without knowing head or tail... and I tried my best to find out as much as I could and follow-up as much as I can...

Until today...

Had a bad night of no sleep... and still sick... the previous day of MC didn't help much... and the overdose of walking on Monday (videography) gave me aching back and legs. Was quite reluctant to walk too much... and this ended up that I didn't follow up things as closely as I should have been. Miscalculation and rushing all day since the early morning without even having breakfast (Lunch was spent half-working while eating at desk) didn't help at all. Boss also forgot about the limit that she can sign for, ended up invoice has to be re-routed back for our big boss to for signature before the final final signatory can be obtained... and... finally, I had been so busy I forgot the time, and by the time I received the invoice I couldn't find our big boss to sign cos he was away till next day. That means it won't be signed by our big big boss until tomorrow... Told my boss and she was totally pissed off... :'( Angry that its now landed on her plate. And how sad, there's nobody else I could talk to... :"(

Luckily my sweet colleague agreed to help get signatures cos I will be offsite tomorrow to oversee training... and I'll be back on Friday to get things done.

So... the moral of the story... one should never never never scrimp on work... you gotta do it you gotta do it... and you have to personally get it done yourself... no matter how tired you might be. Or, it could just be the end of a good working relationship... or even cost your job. OK, this sounds too serious... but well, you'd never know what's gonna happen.

Felt like crying... but what can it do? Perhaps it'll de-stress myself for a while, but that's about it... also against the morale I have learnt from Siew Hoon and Kathelyn... Happy also one day, Unhappy also one day... so why generate bad cells when you can create good ones? So I gotta tell myself to chill for a moment... and hope for a better tomorrow...

And, I'm not going to attempt to sleep with noisy hubby until at least his cough go away.

To a better tomorrow!!!

2011-08-09T14:07:00.002+08:00

Was talking one day and suddenly mentioned the kids comedy... Peter was saying,"ya, what's that yellow thing that looks like sponge? Ohh... Spongecake."

We laughed our heads off... OMG, that's spongebob!!! Spongebob Square pants! Hahaha!!!

Update 31-Aug-11: asked Peter what is the character again... he thought hard.... and said, "erh... Some Box right... Cheese Box?" Me: !!!!!!!!

National Day Next Week

2011-08-04T14:01:00.001+08:00

Its August again... Xx's 4th and Lele's 2nd National day... and now that both is attending nursery, both of them goes for the National Day celebration party at their kindergarten this Friday, 05-Aug-11 for next week's National day. And since they're supposed to bring snacks/titbits, I've decided to bake them a cake... a National Flag one (on top of all the chiffon projects I'm doing)... After all the cooking dinner and feeding them dinner I finally got to start my project at about 8pm last night, and only managed to put the cake together at 10pm, with fresh cream and buttercream crumb coat... now in the fridge waiting for decoration tonight...

As I'm out all day today to oversee an external training, not sure when will I get home... and fought the heavy downpour today... feeling ever so sleepy now... wish I can survive to finish 2 chiffons and their Flag cake for them to bring to school tomorrow. Good Luck to me. :) Updates again soon.

*Updates*

Happy Birthday Singapore!

Blog Post no. 501... Wow...

2011-07-24T17:21:00.000+08:00

As I approach week 14... yeah, my soon to be "Lemon" (size comparison to fruit and veggies on babycentre.com) is finally making my tummy visible... That's an achievement! At least people will not look at me and think... "FAT", but instead, "Pregnant". HAHAHA.... Great... Fatigue and morning sickness from the first trimester is almost good as gone and I'm finally eating 3 normal meals a day. Almost. Just that they have to be small meals... I can't handle large meals unlike my previous 2 pregnancies with my girls... where I can eat anything I want, and in any quantity I want. 1/2 bowl of rice, 1 chicken wing, a few mouthful of vegetables, and a few mouthfuls of soup is all I can take. Anything more, I feel sick for the rest of the time until I get hungry again. But at least, no more bread/sandwiches/subway everyday... where that's all I can eat for the first 3 months. I'm totally sick of bread... though I still have them for breakfast these days.

Great achievement recently other than the successful sponge cake base that I finally mastered, is the pandan chiffon cake that everyone who tries it gives big thumbs up. Very very heartened... So thankful for the recipe from prima flour website... I never think I'll ever be able to research a successful one until I came upon the website. I shared it with my friends and colleagues, everyone who loves baking... its a really good site! I wished I had more time... so I can do more experiment and make more yummy stuff for my colleagues and family. I think I should tantalize them with cream puffs next... if not for the hard work that has to be put into the making of the choux pastry. The arm is tired after 2 batches... and it can't be replaced by electric mixer.

And a heartbreaking homicide happened... Xx killed the iPad that I had painstakingly paid for with a whole month of salary... by sleeping with it in her bed and wetting the bed at night... at the same time wetting the iPad. And while trying to turn it on... it flickers and turn itself off. Sending it to the repair centre doesn't help either, as they simply shone a torchlight into the orifices and said, "Water has gone into it. Hopeless. Can't repair. Would you like to get another one at $699?" Mad... mad... mad... get another one and let it get killed again? I dun have so much spare cash... :(( And dying for the first bonus, so that I can put it in our "Sinking Fund" just in case any of our appliances/parts of the home gets broken.... TV/Fridge/Washing machine all possibilities.... my fridge is dying... aircon is dying... washing machine is trying to survive... The 6-yr old plasma TV should have either reached or exceeded the duno how many hours that its made to last. BONUS IS IMPORTANT TO ME... NO MATTER HOW MUCH... and I have never given my mum any "Bonus" either... cos my previous jobs never gave me any. :(( Its time to repay her... So looking forward to September.

There's so much to be said but so little time... update again....soon, I hope. :)

Best Beef Noodle Ever

2011-07-15T19:30:00.001+08:00

One day on the way in the car climbing up the slope to Taman Jurong Food Centre Carpark I saw this stall selling Beef Noodles.... Wanted to try, but after a few times of visiting the food centre, I still never got the chance to try it... And on Tuesday hubby packet for me for lunch... And the first taste... Got me hooked!!! So today, just three days later, I can't resist, and went to have it for dinner tonight!

Never try the soup one, cos all my life I loved dry one. And this, is nice beyond imagination! The sauce is thick and very flavorful, and NEVER ever becomes watery! Every strand of noodle is coated with sauce... So every mouthful is noodle + sauce. At the last mouthful, the last bit of sauce leaves the bowl with the noodle. The beef tendons are.... OMG YUMS!!!

That's after my last mouthful... You definite gotta try! It's at the third level of the food centre and stall name is ABC Market Beef Noodle!

Great Quote: Multiply

2011-07-01T10:38:00.000+08:00

Great Quote:

Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, you will receive a ton of sh..'

Love and appreciate all the women in your life.

Farewell to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station 30-Jun-11

2011-07-01T10:04:00.000+08:00

We're finally saying goodbye to the iconic railway station which has been here since grands' generation? And its especially meaningful to me 4 years of my life... my secondary school life is spent walking past this building every single day... and the sounds of approaching/departing trains accompanies our every minute in school as its just next to our Gan Eng Seng School. How I remember that teachers will stop talking and take a break whenever trains arrive at the station because of their horns and sheer noise... and will pass by the canteen at the station watching how the Indians roll our chapati and cook them... the smell of nice briyani that follows... though I never had the chance to try. So, the final train took off at 10pm last night, 30-Jun-11 which signifies the final journey...

Pictures from yahoo.

Report from Straits Times
MR SHAMSUL Bahari became somewhat of a celebrity on Thursday evening, as hundreds of visitors swamped the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station on its last day of operations.

The station manager, 43, who's worked at the station since 1996, was signing autographs for the people who came up to him bearing souvenirs -- from coffee mugs to PVC folders with images of the station imprinted on them. 'Must be more than 1,000 people already since this morning,' Mr Bahari said, smiling. 'No, my hands not tired yet!'

Around the station, shutterbugs scattered themselves, adding to the sense of occasion, bulbs flashing at every corner of the 79-year-old KTM Railway Station. Music blared through stereos brought by visitors; necks craned behind iron grilles that separated the ticketing booth from the train platforms. On Friday, the land on which the station sits will revert to Singapore.

Retired station manager Sukhairi Ahmad Junid, who arrived on the last incoming train at 6pm together with 40 other retired KTM staff, said he was sad to see the station stop operations. 'We worked here, we ate here, we were happy here,' said the 59-year-old.

Visitors included also Mr Phill Seah, a tourism consultant in his 50s, who, like many others, said he came by out of curiosity. 'I just want to see what the fuss is about,' he said.

University student Denise Chua, 20, who came with a group of 15 friends, described the final send-off was an event 'not to be missed'. She said: 'We want to be part of this history-making moment.'

The last passenger train will leave the station at 10pm. The Sultan of Johor is expected to drive the final train into Malaysia at 11pm.

Goodbye...

Peter's 33rd Birthday Celebration

2011-06-22T10:39:00.001+08:00

Here's the celebration!

Papa was supposed to be taking video clip of them singing... but... apparently, he have pressed "Start" and then "Stop" at the same time and finally no video is captured... ha.

Asked Xuan Xuan how old is daddy... she counted 6 candles, and say, "6 yrs old!"

Simple deco of lines and chocolate waffle balls...

Finally, a decent cake... that taste like what we buy outside... so glad...

Fnally...some adorable pics of Lele stacking cubes... I was telling Peter that Xx's 3yr old development checkup at the polyclinic, she was given 4 or 5 blocks and supposed to stack them out and line them up. But at 26mths old, Lele is already making a train + wall + super high chimney taller than she is.

After that, there was like 5 slices of cake left... and sis decided to bring it over for Nancy family to try... Lele look on as I was packing it into the plastic box... and then put it into a plastic bag and Sis took it out... she was so agitated, and exclaimed, "Oh Oh!!! 姨，蛋糕，拿走了！" Then climb out of her seat and pull gong gong's hand to go out and chase it back... kept on repeating the above! Then later gong gong brought her out walk one round and came back... say cannot find... she went to drag popo! Until I brought her inside for a bubble bath... and she finally forgotten the incident... Its so cute and heartwarming lor...

Looking forward to more projects and more birthdays! YAY!

My Baking Adventures

2011-06-21T11:13:00.000+08:00

I love birthdays! Because we've all passed a year of living and its a celebration that we move on to the next... And also because... I get to bake! After going through hundreds of recipes over the months, and over a hundred occassions of success and failures, I realised that it was mainly failures, partly because the recipe did not turn out to be something I am looking for, or, its more tapered to the taste of other nationalitites... e.g. heavy/dense/rich cakes for the American versions or soft cakes that couldn't hold their structure... and most of the times, the recipes turn out to be DAMN SWEET, that I was afraid I was gonna give the tasters (usually my poor family members who were always so supportive of my baking initiatives) diabetes...

I had done tonnes of research, from bakingmum to bakerella etc to Keikos... And I had failed most of my Birthday cake attempts from all the rest of the sites... I didn't check out Keikos Cakes cos there's a membership fee involved... How wrong I was! All the rest of the failures amouted to many times of the membership fee! I finally took the plunge and joined Keikos cakes... to see how the pastry chef do the creations... went through the recipes and videos... and my second attempt with the exact portioning of the ingredients and trying out the techniques really makes a hell of a difference... This is what I finally got...

Which, unlike my previous attempts that either can't rise, taste like egg custard, texture so rough like sandpaper, hard like stone, too fragile to handle, too sweet, no taste... you name the issue, I have it. Can't blame my biggest tester, hubby for groaning when he see me trying out a NEW RECIPE again. This porportion of ingredients, the technique etc, brought out the best it can be... and not only is this sponge light and soft, it rises and keeps it shape totally. Zero sinking... and best of all, the sweetness is just nice for Singaporeans taste buds... not too sweet, and has a nice chocolaty flavour (made this a chocolate sponge for coffee bavarian creme)...

Look, the inside is soooooo soft and spongy!

Its definitely worth the money to join a membership... its not that expensive, now that USD is low... it not even SGD$10. So I am really wondering why didn't I join earlier. I'm looking forward to many many many more creations in future, successful attempts for my family, friends and colleagues to enjoy, rather than being tortured...and the best thing is... I'm so glad I did not give up...

To Baking! :)

P.S. Looking forward to hubby's Birthday celebration tonight!

Little One

2011-06-15T11:17:00.000+08:00

Went for the first appointment at SGH on Monday, 13-Jun-11. Was told to go for a scan first, at 9am and then see the doctor at 9:40am. However, although I reached and registered at 9am sharp, I only get to do the scan at 10plus... that's after more than an hour of waiting! What's the point of making an appointment then??? ZZZ... After seeing the doctor and everything, it was finally done at 12+pm. No choice... boh lui so must wait. Hubby also went for his appointment on the same day at 10:20am, and ended so much earlier than me. Grrr....

So anyway, here's our little boy/girl...head facing down, with tiny arms and feet, and "tail"... he/she is 8weeks now... and the tail will disappear by 9 weeks...

Has a strong heartbeat of 164 bpm... and I can hear it clearly... so exciting!

Looking forward to the next appointment for scan on the 15-Jul!

Crispy Roast Pork Belly Recipe (From Channel 8 Ladies Night)

2011-06-10T12:32:00.000+08:00

Pork Belly 1 block
Chinese 5 spice powder
Black pepper powder
Coarse sea salt
Root Vegetables (Onion, Carrots etc)
Water

Cut slits 1-cm apart on the skin of roast pork through the fats, ensuring that it does not go beyond the fats into the meat. turn around and rub bottom with 5 spice powder, black pepper powder and sea salt. Turn around and rub salt into top (skin). Marinate overnight in fridge.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Put pork into roasting dish lined with cut root vegetables and add more coarse salt to the top. Before roasting, add water to the dish to cover the meat below, ensuring no water gets on the top skin. Roast for about 1hr until skin is crispy.

Looks really easy to cut and pull apart in the show... The chef made candied granny smith apples to go with the meat...

Candied granny smith apples

Granny smith apple slices
Dark brown sugar (abt 1 cup)
A little water

Can't really recall what else.... but he just basically cook the apples with the dark brown sugar, and add a bit of water... then let it cook until apple is soft.... to serve with the roast pork. Looks damn delicious!

Mid Year 2011

2011-06-07T08:57:00.000+08:00

Its been really busy. Busy on the new job, busy with life, busy with kids, busy with family life, busy with everything. I can hardly find a moment of my time to sit down and write anything. The only moments that I am "free" to myself is perhaps the moments when I'm asleep... and that, usually makes up less than 6 hrs of the day. And since we started our project a month ago to ensure that we get even busier, everyone, including our parents, the project was completed and successful... Looking forward to the 30+ weeks and since its the last we'll be having, I'd want to experience as much as possible and make it a memorable one.

After Xx's 4th birthday on the 01-May-11, it was followed by Cousin Stacy's wedding on 04-Jun-11 (last Saturday), then celebrated mum's 64th birthday on 05-Jun-11 (Actual day on 06-Jun-11). I'll be having my first checkup on 13-Jun-11! And soon it will be hubby's birthday... Many Many more things to look forward to and to come... and since there's Plurk and Facebook these days, I guess blogger has become quite a white elephant... I will continue to document my journey nevertheless...

Till next update!

Singapore General Elections 2011

2011-05-08T01:40:00.001+08:00

Finally get to cast my vote today! After an agonizing wait through the rallies for a whole week... Am waiting for results now! Who will it be for our area???

Mistakes and Mistakes

2011-05-03T16:28:00.000+08:00

My Cousin is getting married

2011-04-16T17:07:00.001+08:00

My cousin Stacy is getting married... *sniff* it just seem like yesterday that we're playing together, running around the whole of Bedok North together carrying my little tank of two tiny terrapins... Though we spent our childhood together, we were really kind of separated since we moved on to secondary school life and then to work and later everyone was too busy with work and family life.

We're finally attending her wedding on 04-Jun-11 with Mark... Am looking forward to it with a big red packet and wishing her all the best blissful marriage... Can't wait to carry BB! Hehe!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lele!

2011-04-13T12:53:00.000+08:00

After the pooh cookie project on Saturday which ended on 6:30am on Sunday and coming back from Eileen's 21st birthday celebration at Anchorvale Community Club (Crazy FAR AWAY) 10-Apr-11 I got down to create Lele's Rilakkuma cake... The cake turned out looking beautiful (but texture is grainy and stone-like) but the texture sux, so I'm never gonna use this recipe again, or perhaps will twitch it abit, perhaps it'll be the cotton sponge texture I want which won't collapse so easily? I hope.

Came home at about 9pm and completed the project at around 12:30am due to a failed batch of buttercream as I was too anxious to put in the butter when the meringue is not cooled yet... zzz but eventually managed to do another batch which turns out well. Seems like we can't use branded butter to do buttercream... the texture doesn't turn out to be stiff enough for moulding.

I was trying to survive the Monday as much as I could and I think you can see my gnormous panda eyes even though I still had makeup on...

Finally it was time to go home and after a simple dinner, we proceeded with the song singing.

One moment they can be fighting and pulling each other's hair out, the next moment they can cuddle together. Zzz

Lele is happy with her cake...

Xx putting the candles on...

Will be looking forward to the next project soon... That'll be Xx's princess castle cake...

Camera Cake for Papa's 56th Birthday

2011-03-30T13:12:00.000+08:00

Since dad has been a photography lover, has won awards in the past when he was younger, he had sold his beloved photography equipments he had in the past when me and my sister came into their lives as they were poor to begin with. I still remember vividly how my mum has to make do with $300 a month to feed and cloth us, and to take care of all the bills and stuff. He was working in a paint shop to deliver paints and drove taxi in the evenings to make ends meet. It is only now that we're all grown up and that he has some savings and money left from sale of house. He bought himself back what he loves, but in a different mode. Flim cameras, manual cameras which were a thing of the past, no longer exist anymore, and he needed to take time and learn how to use the new digital stuff. It is definitely not easy, but he did it.

So... for his love of cameras and photography, I made a camera cake for him on his birthday this year. That's the first time I'm making a cake for his birthday.

I baked double recipes of this.

For the cake:
9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup strong coffee (or water)
½ cup whole or low-fat milk

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

This is the cake (baking paper not removed yet) and its going to transform into a camera in a few moments time.

Made a batch of buttercream and left about 2 cups and added a box of Philadelphia cream cheese to that to use as frosting for the layers. Its very yummy. I'll definitely do that again.

Left another portion for crumb coating and the rest for the outside frosting.

After shaping and crump coating.

Got ready the outer frosting i.e. buttercream with cocoa powder + black america colour paste, learnt from a videojug video cos usually you will only be able to achieve grey colour no matter how much colouring you put. Cocoa powder allows black to turn real black, somehow a little green colouring helps tremendously too.

Frosting done.

More deco done, all with buttercream. I'm not choosing fondant as its too sweet and its going to be difficult to handle in the warm environment. Buttercream is a better choice.

The leftover cake crumbs turn into cake pops.

Here's our birthday boy!

Look inside the layers...

Lele enjoying the cake...

Xuan Xuan eating...

Popo, trying to clean off the black cream.

Lele LOVES the black cream.

Finally, the day was at its end, and we have had fun. I had fun making the cake from scratch, Gong Gong had fun cutting it and we all had fun eating it. And, my conclusion, I'll never make a black cake again... if you see everyone's mouth/teeth after eating... hahaha

March-11 Japan Earthquake

2011-03-26T16:46:00.002+08:00

Its now about 2 weeks past Japan's most serious earthquake with strength of 8.9-9.0. Tsunamis hit the country and everything we see on the news it was like all the houses, plantations, ships, vehicles, buildings were like miniature lego that just get swept away like nobody's business.

It's a terrible natural disaster that took away hundred of thousands of lives, lost billions of dollars and so many love of loved ones. The most terrible thing to follow is the effect from the meltdown of the nuclear power generation plants there, which causes radiation to affect every wood, tree, water, food and living things there. I am especially touched by those 50 staff who stayed behind to cool the nuclear generators in order to prevent meltdown of the other generators, especially generator no. 3 which contains the ever dangerous substance, plutonium. Used correctly it can power millions of households for decades but with something having a melting point of 641 degrees and boiling point of 3232 degree celsius, it's really a matter of safety vs efficiency. Used incorrectly, 1kg can be equivalent to 20,000 tones of chemical weapons with a half life of 26480 years... Which means, it's radioactive effects will only be cleaned off after 2 x 26480 years. How dangerous is that. Those 50 amazing fighters will die within 2 weeks staying in that place... From the radioactive surrounding. And dads calling home to tell their family there're not coming back anymore, it's totally heart wrenching...

I'm also totally amazed by Japanese's spirit. Even though in such terrible situation, everyone is orderly. Queues up to get food ration, water ration, public phones and there's no sign of pilferage even though shops have been there after the disaster. How many countries can do that? What we see in all other reports in such disasters is people fighting for supplies, robbing stores and getting rough... U see how well the people are taught to be... Comparatively, I seriously don't think Singapore would have been a clean country if not for all the foreign worker cleaners around who clean up after people around the clock. I find bins to throw my every scrap of rubbish and recycle every item that can be recycled... But most of Singaporeans are still not taking the initiative. How long will it take for Singaporeans to be as disciplined and well natured as the Japanese?

The Red Bean

2011-03-11T17:23:00.000+08:00

Yesterday papa went to some pluck some red beans from some plant around this area and gave to the kids to play. I came back from work and saw it, feeling skeptical but since they look like they were just playing "cooking" so I let them.

After bathing the kids at night and maid was bathing, the kids decided to play in their playroom. Suddenly lele came into my room with her toy ikea frying pan with 3 red beans and proceed to sit behind me to play. Then later she called me to look at her and then took one red bean, saying, "Neh!" And went on to put into her nose. I quickly snatched it from her hands, and my instinct tells me to quickly throw away all the red beans. I searched for it and only found one bean in the frying pan, and the other one in my hand. So, where is the other one? My intutition tells me that its already in the nose. I tried to peer into her nose under the light to locate the bean, but I can't see anything. Tried to squeeze it out, but nothing comes out and can't feel anything. I called mum and she told me to try let her smell some pepper and sneeze it out. I tried but just won't work. Tried to suck it out but she refused to let me either use mouth or the baby nose pump...

In the end I was planning to bring her to A&E... and she was crying so much there was mucous everywhere... then I hoped it will come out together with all those mucous. It didn't... Then was hoping it would have gone through the throat and into the stomach... let her calm down first... and after she calmed down, she asked for milk. She seemed ok. She drank her milk slowly, pausing lots inbetween. This tells me that something is still inside. Decided to monitor for a while.

She seem to go to sleep fine and in the morning, after half day of work, I went home to check her out. Maid showed me the red bean in her hand which has somehow grown bigger and darker and told me that she has sneezed it out in the morning while playing. I heaved a sigh of relief... and so did everyone around. Initially gong gong refused to believe that the bean is inside, but after seeing the actual thing, he got nothing to say. Just glad that its a scare and nothing more. Will definitely be more careful of such tiny things next time and dun allow them to play such stuff no matter how harmless they look.

Parents out there beware...

PENCIL & ERASER ( Inspirational )

2011-03-10T08:07:00.000+08:00

Read this which was forwarded by a colleague... very true and inspirational... Read On...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pencil: "I'm sorry"

Eraser: "For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

Pencil: "I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time."

Eraser: "That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad. "

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad.

All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.

This is to all the parents and children out there.

Vanilla Chiffon Cake

2011-03-07T12:55:00.000+08:00

Chiffon Cake

Frost this chiffon cake with your favorite frosting or dust with powdered sugar and serve with fruit.
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, sift before measuring
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
5 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar

Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Into a mixing bowl, sift together the sifted flour, salt, baking powder, and the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Add the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon peel to dry ingredients; beat with spoon until batter is smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, beet the eeg whites and cream of tartar until egg whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks with beaters are lilfted. Add the 6 tablespoons of sugar gradually, beating until all sugar is used and peaks are stiff when beaters are lifted.

Pour the batter, a little at a time, over the beaten egg whites and sugar. Gently fold in with a rubber spatula or spoon. Continue until all of the batter has been added, blending well. Batter should be smooth.

Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake cake at 325° for 55 minutes. Increase heat to 350° and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.
The cake can be baked in a 13x9x2-inch pan at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes.
Remove cake from oven. Invert pan and let cool for about an hour.

Isa's Communication & Interpersonal Relationship Workshop

2011-02-25T11:27:00.000+08:00

I'm observing these 2 days of training on the Communication and Interpersonal Relationship Workshop and it has been such an experience... Though I didn't go through all the activities with the participants, but I have benefited lots from what has been facilitated by Mr Isa over the 2 days. All the participants enjoyed every moment of this workshop. Mr Isa is very high-energy and very good at engaging everyone and keeping everyone focused and entertained. Not one moment am I feeling bored or am falling asleep from the usual such workshops I attended. I find the most interesting segments yesterday, on mirroring other's actions while holding a conversation and how important is body language when you're trying to engage someone in your conversation. That, if you're showing the opposite party opposite action e.g. his hands is in front of him while your hands are at the back, even though the topics are what you both agree on, the conversation will not be able to flow smoothly. (Matching and Mirroring the other party's action/age group etc)

There's alot of psychology to it... how u hold a conversation and how you maintain it. After yesterday I was talkingt to Jamie at the bus stop while we waited for our buses back, that somehow, subconsciously we have all learnt bits and pieces of these communication skills in our life. I told her that perhaps youngsters will not be able to appreciate this cos for those who have not yet entered the working society, whome they have communicated with will most probably be with their peers, family and friends, whom either they have known for a long time or are of same age group. Its only when they joined the workforce that they have to learn to communicate with people from different age groups, different history, different experiences and whom are from all walks of life. That is when most of them experience "culture shock". And most of us start to learn to adapt to the society and the "Norm". We learn the ways of the world.

We're now in Day 2 of the training, and in the first segments, everyone greeted everyone else good morning and got into a circle with a piece of paper stuck on their own backs and have everyone going around to write things about them. They were then later put into a circle where Isa put on the floor $6, and challenged everyone to jump over it with both feet together. Then later went on to give a condition, that is to jump over the money while holding your toes. HOLDING. Not TOUCHING.

Nobody attempted... he up the bet to $16. Still nobody. He put in $50, this upped the bet to $56. Everyone started trying, others testing it out behind the circle. Many attempts but eventually nobody could do it without releasing their toes as a reflex action while jumping over.

Why is this so?

He adviced us... in his other workshops, some people took the money cos they were able to do it. How come?

We're looking at RELATIONSHIPS... Its Painful to build relationships... isn't it. Youngersters will perhaps not understand until further down the road how painful it is to build relationship with strangers... with colleagues, boss etc. And why do we automatically release our hands at the moment when we jump over? Its because, we're afraid of stepping on our own fingers... i.e.PAIN. Those people who finally get the money (after being able to jump over the money holding their toes) have decided to take the pain... and we do realise that people will only do it when they find that its worth the pain... $6 nobody, $16 nobody, $56 everyone do it. Its the same as building relationships which we feel are worth it.

We're now into "Chunking" - Chunking - Big Picture Vs Chunking - Details. Its about how to bring someone from a topic into the other topic which you wanted to talk about. How can we talk about the big picture and then slowly skew them into the conversation with you and then you change the topic. Even if they change it back, you'll be able to grab hold of the situation and Chunk it back. Its NOT EASY... but if you practice enough, eveyone is able to do it. Just need some effort.

Correcting people's negative thoughts about you.REFRAMING - Changing the perception by changing the content/context. We ask questions like..."What else could this mean?", " How could this become a benefit/blessing?" e.g. New sales person, given a key account to handle, CEO of client found out that's he's all new... CEO is negative towards the new person whom have no experience... What the sales person can do is... e.g. tell him things to change his frame of thinking. e.g. Because I'm new, YOU have me working for you full time. I have new promotion ideas for YOU. etc.

To be continued...

My first days at Asia Pacific Breweries

2011-02-23T21:15:00.000+08:00

It was actually such an interesting journey since I joined APB on 13-Dec-10.

I joined the community dinner on 26-Jan for the Kreta Ayer old folks...

The mobile kitchen that is cooking the dishes...

The tables were really small... I was wonder how can it sit 10 pax!

To add to that, it was pouring heavily... and before we knew it, a river has built up below my legs at my table.

As the elderly arrived via bus, or from the nearby community/day care centres, we went to pick them up with umbrellas.

I was one of the first dish servers, so we lined up waiting for the cue when Dr Lily Neo and our GM Michael Chin have finished their speech to start.

Just very simple stuff for the old folks. Then the middle glass was filled with water and dry ice, we took the dishes walking down the lane ala banquet style... with all the "smoke" coming down...

Then there're songs and dances and a kid performing traditional opera. And finally, the God of Fortune... everyone's favourite fortune god appears, distributing gold coins and lucky 4D numbers to everyone. Dr Lily Neo went around wishing the old folks happy new year.

At the end, we finally wrapped up at 10pm... I had wanted to go home, but missed the chance when I went to return a tray to the Tiger beer counter. So Michael Chua from Purchasing tell me to go with them for some dinner... that they, for the past years, would go after this session to the nearby food street to have bbq as well as beer. We reached after walking a few streets and we're at this area with tables lined up in a long stretch reserved for us.

They went on to add another like 3 tables later, at least...

And they started with the drinks first while someone else went to order bbq. The beer that I has earlier just after the event was taking effect... I guess cos I had it on empty stomach, but was too thirsty to reject...usually beers are peanuts to me...haha... but that day... it doesn't work too well...

And doesn't help that our GM Michael Chin started filling everyone's glasses with a deathly concoction of Tiger + Guinness Stout...

That's the stall we patronised for the bbq.

The deathly concoction of Tiger + Guinness! I am gone after like 3?

The lining up of the bottle went on and on... as they tried to beat the 128 bottles in the previous year. Their target is 138.

I was sitting at the last third table I think... and about after an hour the bottles finally reached me...

The Sales Agent lady is super happy... with today's crazy sales.

I had to get Peter to come pick me up. I seriously am conscious but almost can't walk straight. He got so pissed off with what I ended up with... I guess that's my first and last session with them.

CNY Selling

I turned into a promoter during CNY season and promoted Tiger Beer like mad... it was such an experience! First was on the 28-Jan at Basement Jurong Point NTUC, and the next one was on 31-Jan at NTUC X-Tra JP. The sales seem to be extremely good this year, with an increase of like 35% over last year!

Then it was the Tiger Lunar Extravaganza!

It was held at the Promotory at Marina... with 3 freaking big tentages with over 400 tables. They have free flow beer that night...

We have 40 volunteers that day but I guess we're just extra... cos they have already got hundreds of service staff there.... but I was interested to experience it, as well as watch Shi Xin Hui!

That's the menu.

And lots of beautiful Brand Ambassadors (Dressed in blue dresses) serving the beer and stout...

And I was told they had a table for Marina Bay Sands and this is the CEO and his wife.

Lots of Lions came in... followed by lots of God of Fortune!

Later, every table was presented with a big plate of yu-sheng and everyone started doing the Lou Hei! After most of the table have finished eating their Lou Hei, Dennis Keller and this Sebastian or something started announcing, "You see the Lou Hei on your table? Please do not proceed to Lou Hei first. We will do it together in a little while!"

The people simply look at each other in shock... they already finished! AHHAHA.... Gosh... they should have announced it earlier!

Finally, the buffet started at 8pm... this is the peach CNY cookies... and water chestnut cake... The water chestnut cake is soooooo delicious I later had like so many servings of it. Our earlier volunteer meal was terrible... but since I was hungry, it still tasted good.

This is the prawn fried rice with XO sauce.

Fried Dory Fillet

Broccoli and Mushroom

Char Siew Roasted Chicken

I quickly ran over cos Shi Xin Hui was up on stage!

And the rest of the group... Xiao Cui, Su, Pearlyn, Janet and Si Jia.

Me, at the Marina Bay... pic blurzzzz

Chingay was on around the opposite place tonight and there was supposed to be fireworks... we waited from 9-9:30pm but there's no fireworks... so we started guessing what is wrong.... the big rain just now flooded the fireworks, thus cannot work? Duno... Before we know it they announced that we can leave... so I left at around 10:15 pm and rushed home, reaching at around 11pm....

Peter just looked damn pissed off with me joining the activities.... zzz... I guess there's not much chances in future to join le... : (

Had a great time and built lots of relationship with my new colleagues... Enjoyed every moment!

做男生的坏处，做女生的好处

2011-02-22T16:58:00.001+08:00

Read this from FB... So funny but quite true in the society... Haha

做男生的坏处，做女生的好处

1、女生穿男生的衣服叫帅气，男生穿女生的衣服叫变态。

2、女生发脾气叫可爱，男生发脾气叫可恶。

3、女生流眼泪叫柔弱，男生流眼泪叫懦弱。

4、女生花男生钱是天经地义，男生花女生钱是天理不容。

5、女生打男生是撒娇，男生打女生是混蛋。

6、女生爱打扮是天生丽质，男生爱打扮是浪费时间。

7、女生受伤害时要男生来安慰，男生受伤害时要自己来安慰。

8、女生挥霍钱财是应该，男生挥霍钱财是败家。

9、女生不停地换男友是想找到自己真正的幸福，男生不停的换女友

是花心。

10、女生看到这日记会得意，男生看到这日记会伤悲

更多好文章，欢迎加入俱乐部

From: http://facebook.com/princet4u

Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-14T23:04:00.000+08:00

This year's CNY seems to be very simple and not as tiring as previous years... Plus I get to make my first CNY cookies in my life... Pineapple tarts, almond cookies and butter cookies, though they totally need lots more practice.

As usual, CNY visits started with in-laws, following by parents, and then it's back to home sweet home... I made it a point to take a family photo at each of our families... MIL is expecting a rabbit grandchild this year in September and I guess I'm concrete on my plans for a little dragon, hopefully, next year, but of course, that's up to my job's confirmation. I won't get to have another go at the year of the dragon... Not sure if it'll be an exceptional baby booming year next year. Also up to Lao tian ye.

As I am super duper extremely busy and tired recently, I could find no time to update... so only a random update here...

Here's Lele playing yee's drumpad set...

And falling asleep drinking crysenthymum tea..

Had a great time with the family at my mm's place, especially these few days when no evil lurking around.

Lele and fellow cousin, Peter's bro's son, Lele born in April 09 and the other kid born in August...

Lele and Xuan Xuan out on first day of CNY.

At MIL's place bai nian.

Family photo

Small family photo

More family photo... photographer didn't prompt, so I didn't had chance to smile. The other pic is totally blur.

Interesting poloroid courtesy from Eileen.

At Cai De's place, we playing blakjack and the kids playing duno what together... they had a very good time, so did we. I won $41, Peter also win.

The next day, at Eileen and Danny's place... Eileen has all sorts of interesting party stuff... the kids were amused!

Like this birthday cake glasses...

Pooh, donkey, piglet mask...

Kids playing "Majong" at Cai De's place

CNY day 1 on our way to bai nian.

All the poloroids by Eileen

Reunion dinner with my parents at my place... yummy steamboat!

At Eileen and Danny's place...see the big ribbon? Eileen eventually gave it to Xx whom duno why loves it so much!

That's very much it for the CNY...

Community Dinner Night

2011-01-28T08:42:00.002+08:00

There's a community dinner for the old folks planned every CNY sponsored by the company and since it seems like an interesting event I signed up as volunteer for the activity. We arrived at 4:45pm on the chartered minibus and met up with the rest. Went for a quick bite (I had a curry po luo bun and sugarcane drink - thanks Anna for the treat) before going back to the event area at 5pm. That's the mobile kitchen of the caterer... so interesting hor?

Were told to pick a table to manage. I couldnt find a partner and so I took one of the leftover tables furthest away... Table 21.

It was a stormy evening n the table area I was at was practically having water flowing like a river beneath the table and chairs. The entertainers on stage were trying their best to keep everyone in an upbeat mood. And we started with the rehearsal for first dish presentation.

And after that we waited for a long time for the elderly to arrive. The earliest batch arrived at about 6:20pm and the latest around 7:30pm... And then the MP Dr. Lily Neo arrived. What a charming lady... The speech by our GM Michael Chin follows and then some well wishes from MP. We first dish presenters were already on stand-by by the dishes.

We were right inbetween Chinatown complex and Tooth Relic Temple.

The flooding was quite bad... but luckily the rained stopped just when we were starting to serve food.

That's my table...

And the rest of the tables... 二姑and the guy on stage entertaining... Can't remember her chinese name but she's one of the old acting crew of SBC (Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) where were used to know.

Uncles immediately ordered Tiger Beer... and stuck on to that.

First dish! We were all standing-by for it.

Its quite normal stuff like Roasted Chicken, Seasoned Octopus, Some kinda scrambled eggs and salad prawns.

And the all-time favourite for the folks, God of Fortune...

He later went around giving out good luck gold coins... they must be chocolate coins.... Followed by Dr. Lily Neo walking around tables wishing all old folks Happy New Year. The dishes followed through... Let me recall... 1. Cold Dish, 2. Double Boiled Chicken Soup, 3. Fried prawn roll or isit Ngoh Hiong...can't really tell. 4. Luo Han Zhai, 5. Honeydew Mayo Fried Prawns, 6. ______ (Can't remember) 7. Fried Yee Mee, 8. Yam Thingy dessert

The dinner ended at aroun 8:45pm... 45mins later than planned time... tired, thirsty and hungry, I didn't hesitate to open and gulp down a can of cold Tiger that collegues passed around. How WRONG! Cos... with the can of beer on an empty stomach, it created havoc which it usually won't. We then took group pics... I wanted to escape home with the HR ladies, but one of the uncle found one of Tiger's serving tray which I took to return to the Tiger counter at the other end... when I came back, none of the HR ladies could be found... the very warm uncle Michael Chua from Purchasing urged me to join them for dinner and drinks...saying that he'd not stayed too late and would also be leaving halfway too. Since I was hungry and tired, I guess its a good idea to have a bite. So we walked abit and arrived at this beer stall at Temple street (food street) and they ordered BBQ foods. The tables were already in a long row ready for whats to come and reserved.

The food was not ready but the drinks started first... they kept on filling glasses after glasses and lining up the empty bottles on the table...

And it goes on... and on.... and on... food not yet here... I already feeling kinda light headed...

And our very nice GM, Michael Chin, was going around filling everyone's glass up with Tiger + Guinness mixture. Yeah, we all get mixed stuff... that stuff is STRONG.

And the first dish finally arrived. By that time, I was so full with all the beer I can't really eat much.

And on it goes... reaching my table soon....

Suzanne, whom was also fairly drunk by the time I saw her at the washroom while we're queueing to use...

And the food stall they oredered from... lots of yummy stuff, but me too blur to enjoy.

No, we didn't have crab.

That's the powerful concaution of mixed Tiger + Stout that killed me. Had like 3 of these plus numerous Tigers...

And the bottles finally reached and passed my table (no. 6)

I realised by then I couldn't hold on anymore... and initially I planned to take cab back, but realised I might just doze off in the cab. So I called hubby and asked for his help to fetch me back... so he told me he can only come after the kids sleep... After another Yum Seng session I had to give up and sneaked away to the nearest taxi stand, while waiting for hubby's response. Finally he arrived and I jumped on and closed my eyes... remembering that as I walked past the area the Tiger folks were still on high cheering... They've finally broken the record of 138 bottles (it was 139 when I left) from last year's record of 128. Tell me what is scary... We have people watching in either amazement or amusement and tourist taking pictures... I was totally oblivious to what hubby was mumbling about me not knowing my limits and getting myself drunk and stuff... but I was too tired to bother. I just died after a shower at home and the next day couldn't get up and had to take the day off.

Zzz... Yeap, and it was a terrible day of hangover yesterday as I tried to sleep off the effects of the alcohol... Nope, I'm not joining anymore of those drinking sessions. No way... AHahaha

Never Laugh At Chinese!!

2011-01-26T07:45:00.002+08:00

A Chinese man walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. He tells the loan officer that he is going to China on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000.

The bank officer tells him that the bank will need some form of security for the loan, so the Chinese man hands over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank. He produces the title and everything checks out.

The Loan officer agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the Chinese for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.

An employee of the bank then drives the Ferrari into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the Chinese returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41.

The loan officer says, 'Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire. What puzzles us is why you would bother to borrow $5,000? The Chinese replies: 'Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there safely when I return.'

Weekend 15-16-Jan-11

2011-01-17T08:52:00.002+08:00

Peter had to work on Saturday and so I decided to bring the kids out... Not knowing where to go, decided to bring them to this Atlantis @ Delta Sports complex. It's supposed to be a big indoor playground. Looking at it's good rates I thought I should give it a shot since the weather isn't very good and anything thats indoor, allow the kids to work themselves out, and be out of the home is good. We took train to Redhill and walked over. Didn't realize it's actually such a long journey!

Finally reached... To my disappointment that is somehow really small, I wouldn't say tiny, they still manage to have some pieces of equipment around, but at $5 an hour, I dun think I can complain, but at least I know I'll never go there again.

There's the place... its really quite small...

But at least the kids enjoyed themselves... only a few other parents with kids around though... quite empty.

Thereafter, we went to Tiong Bahru for Mac... and then treat them to the sushi bar that I visited most often while still studying for my diploma in PSB Academy. They had a serving of salmon sashimi each while I treat myself to a tiny box of sweet prawn sashimi.

The Mac food straps set that comes in a box. $25? Cute for keeping but quite useless. HAHAH... but they're CUTE anyway. So well... hahaha...

Then it was Sunday and we went to this PSC warehouse sale... bought some grocery items, and two pairs of Clark shoes for the kids... yeah, they have this "BRANDED" sales there, as well as tissue sale... ahaha... very mesy kind of sales together right... but the shoes sales is really terrible... everything is very old and filled with dust. I didn't manage to find anything for myself but at least the kids got a pair each and they liked it lots. :) And finally at the end of the day, I finally got my home glasses repaired (killed by Lele whom jumped on me one night a few months ago?) FOC at CAPITOL... so no need to buy new glasses anymore. WHEEE.... and then I tried out a recipe for Italian Creme Cake... which promises to be the best melt-in-the-mouth recipe ever with lots of great reviews from online... and I delibretly went to get cream cheese just to make the filling!

It didn't live up to the name... I was just thinking how come the cake can survive with corn oil, butter, 5 eggs and coconut milk... It died in the oven. The outside looks ok. But when I put in the filling and cut it after it has set 30mins in the fridge, the inside is totally YUCKS. I had to throw the whole inedible thing away. Freak angry with the stupid recipe (didn't even bother to take any photo). Guess I've found what I need... at BakingMum.blogspot.com and I'm gonna stick with those trusted recipes. Gonna make chocolate orange cupcakes this Wednesday for friend, Can't Wait!

The Day Our Tyres Went Flat

2011-01-07T11:04:00.000+08:00

We planned to go JB yesterday, to get groceries and also some CNY stuff... and we set off in the morning around 8am, Peter suddenly tell me, "hmm... today the car just feel weird... something not right..." I couldn't feel anything, except for the expiring brake which is giving way soon's hissing... He went to nearby SPC to pump some petrol to make up the 3/4 tank and was given a $3 carwash voucher. Oh well, he just drove into the carwash bay and the Chinese guy was frantically pointing to the rear of the car, and he rolled down the window to ask what he was trying to say... "你的轮胎扁啦！”(Your tyre's flat!). But since it has been losing some air for the past year but still we managed to save it after a good pump so Peter told the guy, "Nevermind, its ok, we'll pump it later"

Gave it a pump... and we left... halfway through, this weird sound came about and we stopped by nearby to take a look at what's going on. End up... its the sound of the rim that's grinding on the flat rubber on the road. ARGHHHHH.... So, Peter whipped out this can of tyre inflator.... and we applied it. Then he thought its finished, and he pointed it to me... the foam splatter all over me... ZZZ! But at least, its inflated! We decided to drive quickly to JB... to change all the tyres at once.

Alas... not even 15mins into using the inflator, its back to absolute flatness... so we checked out the available changing locations etc... luckily he had done some research earlier... so we chosed Hankook... and drove to the nearby workshop at Jurong East area? And our beloved car goes into ICU.

About an hour later, Peter got hole in pocket but dear car survived, and had 2 new tyres. However, brake pads still gotta be changed plus the other 2 tyres which are still in operational conditions... but not going to wait until something happens again. So learnt a lesson lah... get a tyre change before it gets too bad and then u got no choice...

We still managed to go JB... and had a great time shopping and eating... Even found this interesting wholesale bakery item shop which had all sorts of things. Might turn out to be my next new hunt... but still, it doesn't have the 11X15" box I looking for, for the birthday cake I'm gonna make on Friday night/Saturday morning for Sis's Auntie Nancy's Daughter's birthday on Saturday evening... coming back to get from Poon Huat in SG.

Ah-Hoon Cabbage Rice 包菜饭

2011-01-05T16:42:00.000+08:00

Here I'm posting the highly request recipe for Ah-Hoon Cabbage Rice... passed to me by Ms Sim Siew Hoon, my greatest cookery pal of all times! LOVE YOU DEEP DEEP!!!

Original version I typed out in Chinese... But I've included an English version below.

Ingredients:

虾米半碗

蒜头 2，3粒
小葱头20粒（越多越好）
酱油
酱青
盐
三层肉 300-500g
冬菇
包菜
胡椒粉
腊肠
米 (大概两、三杯）

虾米搅碎，小葱头切丝，蒜头剁碎，三层肉切丝，冬菇切丝，包菜大大片。

虾米，小葱头，蒜头下锅爆香，放入猪肉和冬菇，炒熟放入调味料，放一边。包菜随便炒炒一下，隔一遍。洗米加盐，胡椒粉，酱青，酱油，放进饭锅，放入肉，滚之前，放入包菜，煮到熟。

也可用长豆代替,但水不减

Ingredients:

Below Cooks ~ 4 pax portion

1/2 bowl Dried Shrimp
2-3 cloves Garlic
20 shallots
Pork Belly 300-500g cut into small thin pieces
Dried Chinese (Shitake) Mushrooms, put more if you like more, put less if you don't like it.
Cabbage (Can be replaced with long beans)
Light Soya Sauce to taste
Dark Soya Sauce to taste (depends on how dark coloured u want ur rice to be)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Chinese Sausage, cut into thin pieces
Rice (abt 2-3 cups)

In my modification I added Chinese sausage (腊肠）and it tasted heavenly.

Method:

Soak chinese mushrooms until really soft. Retain water for cooking rice.

Grind garlic, shallots and dried shrimp in food processor. Cut cabbage into medium pieces. Heat abt 2 tbsp oil in wok and fry shallot, garlic, shrimp mixture till fragrant. Put in all other ingredients except cabbage and rice into wok and fry until cooked. Set aside. Put in cabbage and stir, don't need to be cooked.

Rinse rice and add in all seasoning according to taste. Have enough water just covering the rice. Too much and you'll get porridge.

Put in all the meat ingredients and top up with cabbage. Put under mid-high flame. Once it starts boiling, lower to low-medium flame and cook for abt 30mins. Mix ingredients with rice together and serve.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

2011-01-04T11:10:00.002+08:00

PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE

100 g Cake Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Pandan Juice
100 ml Coconut Milk
5 Egg Yolks
30 ml olive oil
¼ tsp Green Colouring
5 Egg Whites
¼ tsp Cream of Tartar
100 g Castor Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°.

Extract pandan juice from finely pounded pandan leaves and add to coconut milk.

Add egg yolk, 50 g sugar, oil, colouring and salt to the coconut mixture. Mix well using hand whisk.

Sift flour and baking powder and fold into mixture. Mix until smooth. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until formy. Add remaining 50 g sugar and
beat until stiff.

Add 1/3 beaten egg white to the yolk mixture and mix using a hand whisk. Slowly fold in this mixture to the remaining 2/3 of beaten egg whites.

Pour mixture into an ungreased 18cm chiffon tin and bake for about 50mins.
Turn tin over on a cake rack to cool before loosening cake.

Butter Cookies

2011-01-03T12:55:00.000+08:00

Decided to make some butter cookies last night! The kids had super great fun fumbling around with the cookie dough and alas they came out beautifully even though the process is a big mess! Nevertheless they had great fun and the mess is nothing. Will definately make these again soon... perhaps for CNY!

Butter Cookies:

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature (I would use salted butter and forget abt putting salt)
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest (outer skin) (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 - 2 tablespoons milk

Butter Cookies: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log (round or square) that is about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm (at least two hours or overnight). Once the log is firm, with a sharp knife, slice cookies about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. (Can also place the logs in the freezer for up to two months. You can then make cookies on demand by removing log from freezer and slicing off as many cookies as you like. Return the log to the freezer.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cookies on the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Sprinkle a little granulated white sugar on each cookie before baking. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can frost with Confectioners Frosting.

Adapted from JoyOfBaking.

Last Day of 2010 - Reflections and Resolution for 2011

2011-01-03T12:45:00.000+08:00

Its the last day of the year again... for the 29th year running for me... an eventful, worrying, exciting, crazy year it is for me... Refelcting back on what has happened...

Jan-April: It was a mad rush to implement Plateau myLearning for GSK as we worked no night no day for the cutover in April. Did my first training sessions with Sukhkiran, our Plateau expert, and finally the system cut over. After that, somehow or rather... I had this feeling that I needed to move on. I needed a job with better compensation with the kids growing up and expenses increasing... I looked around for opportunities, and this job agency found me and offer me the opportunity @ Boehringer Ingehleim (S) Pte Ltd. It was a good offer though there was quite abit of travelling up and down the MRT lines and also some overseas trips... I was in a dilemma of whether I should try... after lots of consideration, I decided that if I'm not going to take this up, I'm not going to leave GSK for good till I retire.

May-July: Eventually I took up the offer and it was then a big crazy period of stuff, plus all the travelling... I went to Kuala Lumpur with Mia and came back on my own... taking a plane on my own for the first time! Then I finally realised that is really not the lifestyle I want, I can't make dinner for the family, we have to packet dinner everyday... too much travelling is killing me, and I can only reach home around 7pm everyday... So I left Boehringer Ingelheim... in search of a better managed future...

August-December: I finally found a job at Roche! Its a contract position, but boss Suzanne was giving me great assurance that soon there'll be permenant position open and I can apply... Got to know the super happening and funny team especially Kathelyn, Siew Hoon and Karen... I think I have never laughed half as much as I ever did at my stay there... Even though contract staff are unequally treated and somehow discriminated, I don't mind... but rather, it seems like the chances of being converted seems slim as news came along the way... Somehow, I know its not the job that I want... there's also no benefits... so I looked around for opportunities... and found Asia Pacific Breweries having an opening. Thus I left Roche after attending the last HoHo... Where it was Hawaiian and I actually took photo with Mr Botak Jones Himself!

They were the catering company for the Hawaiian HoHo! It was the best HoHo man... I duno how many types of meat I ate... Beef Steak, Lamb Steak, Fish, Chicken... that was just the first serving.. aahah

December... Started work at Asia Pacific Breweries. Goodbye to my predecessor Joey... getting used to a non-MNC workplace for the first time in 8 years? Little office has a different kind of comfortable feeling... just feel like a second home. Looking forward to spend decades here... : )) I've found my new "home". Though 2011 is a very bad year for those born in the year of the Rooster, I guess I'm lucky enough to find something I like before the year comes... Good Luck to everyone and wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Christmas Celebration @ APB

2011-01-03T10:52:00.000+08:00

Hello, why am I always taking pics of food which are already finished? The food caterer is Kriston... and how yummy is the chestnut duck!!! And the mushroom simply ROCK!!!! This is the BEST DUCK EVER! Complete with the cupcakes I made!

Then we have a treasure hunt to find presents which are labelled with our numbers... we draw lots to buy presents for those we've picked... I picked Anna and Mirin picked me! I got Anna a Lava Lamp and Mirin got me a very nice wooden hand-crafted teddby bear stationary stand.

Those who cannot find their present can choose to play "Pin the tail on the donkey" and their answers to where their present is will be revealed!

Here's Jamie doing it with guidance from Janet!

Here's our big boss James kena forfeited for not being able to find his present!

And Choon Ghigh, duno why kena forfeited also... but he can't take alcohol... so forced to down a pint of coke! WHAAHAHHAA

Success Vs Failed... aahaha

Oh well... it was a great event... and all newcomers need to organise the year's Christmas party! So its my turn in 2011!

My First Business Trip Overseas

2010-12-31T12:56:00.002+08:00

So Overwhelmed with Joy duno where to start updating

2010-12-24T11:50:00.000+08:00

Yeah, its the Christmas Holidays again! And I'm blissfully settled down in my new job at APB and having loads of nice collegues. My predecessor left 2 days after I joined, and I tried my best to absorb all the 6 yrs of information... Day 1 induction was loading of information.... and the Brewery tour was loading of more information... and it just seems so familiar after attending the tour a year ago...

Visit to APB 2009

And, I'm supposed to do the same tour for new joiners in future... I wonder if I can... Shouldn't be a problem ba! Today is the last day of my second week at work... and everything seems to be going well... and its Christmas eve today! We have a great celebration lined up... even though there's no offical 1/2 day... but I'm not complaining! I made X'mas cupcakes for everyone!

LOTS OF THEM! For my dear team at Roche too! Karen was so nice to give me a pressie and picked the cakes up for the rest of the team in the morning... Also 8 pcs for Sis's to bring to office for her colleagues!

And some... which are mainly done by xuan xuan and hubby... who decided to come and disturb and do all the piping and Xx decided to come and do all the snowman... had to re-adjust things and save the work... This one is tiny... so can't use the big star tip... had to use tip #21... so it didn't turn out as nice as the top one... Xx brought them to school on Thursday and Peter brought the rest to office for his colleagues...

Am now going for Christmas Celebration... Gotta enjoy... wonder what I'll get at the gift exchange? Hmmm These are the gifts I got from boss, colleagues etc...

The prettiest would be this pressie from Karen... So nicely wrapped... I got 2 handcreams from my collegues... hmmm does that signify something... my hands.... erhhhh... hahahaha

Best Chocolate Cake/Cupcake

2010-12-06T15:32:00.000+08:00

Chocolate Cupcakes with Royal Icing!

I think this is the best chocolate cake/cupcake recipe till now... it has a chewy firm texture and is very chocolaty, moist and taste absolutely great! Going to use this for chocolate cakes from now on... I wonder how would it turn out though... if I replace the plain flour with cake flour? Will it make it softer?

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 4 ounces (100g) melted unsweetened baking chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180°C). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, and scrape bowl. Mix at high speed for 3 minutes.

Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Frost when chocolate cupcakes are completely cool.

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Royal Icing (Can use either egg whites or Meringue powder):

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large (60 grams) egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar

3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder

1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)

1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water

For Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

For Royal Icing with Meringue Powder: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Makes about 3 cups

Sunflower Cupcakes

2010-12-04T18:25:00.001+08:00

Written with Words on "Idah Farewell" a letter on each cake... everyone was delighted to receive it... in this case I used the recipe for red velvet cake... and its darn good!

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

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For the frosting, I'm using Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing... because it holds better than whipped cream in this case... I was contemplating whether to use this or the Royal Icing... but thought that though royal icing is the best choice since it hardens up... but will be too sweet.... thus decided to use buttercream instead.

A delicious Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing Recipe.

4 oz (1/2 cup) egg whites

8 oz ( 1 cup) granulated sugar

12 oz (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Pinch of salt and cream of tartar

1. Combine the egg whites, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl and place over simmering water.

2. Continuously beating with a whisk, heat until egg whites are hot and all the sugar is dissolved (~140 degrees). If the sugar is not completely melted, your final product will be grainy, so make sure!

3. Remove from the heat and place on the mixer. Whisk on medium speed until meringue is stiff, and the mixing bowl is cool to the touch. The meringue will be white with a bright sheen, and very sticky!

4. Switch to the paddle attachment, and on medium speed add the butter a few cubes at a time. Please note, if the meringue is not completely cool, the butter will melt instead of combining evenly.

5. Continue beating until all the butter is incorporated. At one point it may appear as if the mixture has “broken”, looking watery and separated like curdled milk. Continue mixing…it will all come together, I promise!

6. Increase speed to high, and beat until smooth.

7. Add flavorings of your choice and tint with coloring paste.

Then finally, add colourings, coat top of cupcakes with green buttercream, add on a oreo cookie, and add petals with leaf tip #104. I wanted to add leaves and ladybird but didn't manage to get red sugar coated chocholates.... and time is running out... so there's no leaves nor ladybird! ahahaa...

Relationship between Competence and Consciousness

2010-12-02T13:27:00.000+08:00

Many many weeks ago while the team was going over the information in this book called "Good to Great" there was this concept... whereby a person starts being unconscious of what he has to do/needs to do perhaps on a new job (Unconscious Incompetence phase)... but as time goes by, he/she will find out what is lacking and what information he is short of... That is where he/she gets into the Conscious Incompetence phase.

Then as he/she starts to learn the ropes, he/she moves on to the Conscious Competence phase where he/she is conscious of what he/she knows. And finally, he/she can get so used to doing the job that they develop into Unconscious Competence phase and as itme goes by people can get complacent as they become the subject matter experts... and forget about continuous improvement... and by then... they fall back into the phase of Unconscious Incompetence... thus... the moral of the story is... NEVER fail to continuously improve yourself and NEVER BE COMPLACENT!

I NEED A REASON TO BAKE!

2010-12-01T15:28:00.000+08:00

Birthdays Coming Up? Need cakes/puffs/cookies at a fraction of the prices outside? Have a design but couldn't get it done at cake shop? Email me!

chocolatecandyfloss@gmail.com

Chocolate & Candyfloss Cakery (Be Part of My Story!)

The Final Destination

2010-11-30T13:25:00.001+08:00

Had been looking out for a permanent job since contract jobs always seem to leave me wondering... will there be a future with the company? Will my contract be extended? Will I have a job tomorrow?

And a job with almost zero benefits is really a killer... it cannot give me any assurance for life at all... furthermore contract staff are treated as second or third class citizen in this company...no sense of belonging and I totally don't need that.

With all these in mind, I went in search of a job which have the criteria of...

1. Permanent
2. Non-discriminative
3. Benefits

I was not super hardcore into the job search... as I really enjoyed the stay with my team, especially my partners Siew Hoon, Kathelyn, Karen... whom are unique and a great mix of interesting personalities. Then the stories came along and I heard abt it here and there how contract staff (they have them separated out as blue badgers - regular staff and green badgers - contract staff) get invited to staff meeting and then get shoo-ed away by security while trying to attend the meeting. Thus Siew Hoon and I made it a point to NOT GO, even though we received the invite.

There was a celebration not too long ago on the approval of a new medicine at Zirca. I was totally excited about what they have in store and since blue and green badgers were invited I was totally going hearing about how the previous year all staff (no discrimination) were given the opportunity of the gifts and prizes. The teasers came out part by part from the organizing committee, and it was not until two days before the actual day that a powerpoint presentation with a whole big page of terms and conditions came out. And there printed in black and white on point no. 4... stating "Only blue badge staff are entitled to gifts and prizes."

What the ****??? Then we go for what? Immediately Siew Hoon and I gave up the idea. Many other instances... but I'm not going to talk about it anymore... as it is now going to be a past. But all these, of course, doesn't affect the joy I had with my wonderful collegues... and Suzanne, she is the most interesting and jolly boss I've ever worked with and you totally don't feel like we're at a different level. She has an active facebook which she updates frequently, talk about everything under the sky with us, goes out with us, sings with us, shares all sorts of jokes with us and never fail to bring back lots of goodies and treats whenever she goes abroad. The more interesting work-style would be how much freedom we're all given. You almost feel like you're working at home if you're not actually sitting there in office. There's no restriction and I never felt like a prisoner any single day. That was of course, based on the fact that our work are being done properly and timely. This somehow gave people a sense of responsibility and with such freedom people are given, they reciprocate by giving back 10/10 quality work. I feel that way of working is just perfect.

Kathelyn has been a wonderful mentor and is never stingy with sharing knowledge, teaching stuff to me and being a great listener. Siew Hoon is never boring and she has the ability to bring any mundane situation back to life with her power to turn sadness into happiness and the ability to inject humor into every aspect of life. To add, we have never-ending topics to talk about... especially family, the passion for food, culinary skills, recipes and life... How I wished we could just be great collegues and friends for life! But well... that's also part of life, we will part, somewhere in time... and I'm sure, even though my 3-mth stay there is short, it has made an impact in everyone's life... and of course, the experience there have brought me onto another level... of how much we should all appreciate life... whether good or bad it may be and to accept, to be content, and of course... 莫生气 however things may turn out to be... be happy each day and inject humor whenever possible cos it doesn't only make others happy, you get to laugh it out too and this in turns, bring about good cells (Kat's theory)

And so, this short but interesting and meaningful chapter of my life closes and I'm looking forward to open the next chapter, and perhaps, that would be titled "The final destination".

Birthday Cake for Mum-in-Law

2010-11-25T14:13:00.000+08:00

Made this for my MIL's 60th Birthday! But realised that the cake is so high that it almost cannot fit into the box! I tried using stabilized whipped cream frosting instead of buttercream frosting. For now, its still flowers... will make a different theme one for my collegue Molly's son's first birthday... and oh ya, that's my first order!

Heavenly White Cake Recipe
(Its abit too dense for my liking... I'll do sponge or chiffon the next time round)
Ingredients

2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1.Measure sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times.

2.In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating only until meringue will hold up in soft peaks.

3.Cream butter or margarine. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Mix in flavorings. Add meringue, and beat thoroughly into batter. Spread batter in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan which has been lined on the bottom with parchment paper.

4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. This cake may also be baked in two 9 inch round pans for 30 to 35 minutes, or in three 8 inch round pans for 25 to 30 minutes.

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STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE USING PIPING GEL:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pint (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons Piping Gel* (see recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon Clear Vanilla or Almond Extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine whipping cream and sugar in mixing bowl. Whip to soft peak stage. Add piping gel and vanilla, then continue to whip stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.

PIPING GEL RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups light Karo syrup, or light corn syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small saucepan and let set for about 5 minutes. Heat on low until the gelatin has become clear/dissolved - DO NOT BOIL. Add the syrup and heat thoroughly. Cool and store, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.

TO COLOR: Add coloring paste/gel or food coloring drops to get desired color.

TO USE: Put in icing bag or plastic squeeze bottle and decorate.

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Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

6 oz (170g) semisweet chocolate
¼ lb (113g) Buttter
3 eggs separated
2 tbsp sugar
¾ cups heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla
A little cream of tartar

Method:

Use a double boiler to melt chocolate and butter, whisk the egg whites and add a little cream of tar tar. Add 1tbsp sugar and whisk till egg whites are stiff. Add in egg yolks to slightly cooled chocolate mixture then fold in whipped egg whites. Leave it streaky, do not overmix. No need to clean the bowl after whisking the egg whites. Use bowl to whisk heavy whipping cream and add the remaining 1 tbsp sugar and vanilla essence. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture. Do not overmix. It should end with the coarse airy and foamy mixture. Can fill 12” cake.

The Weekend & A Birthday Cake

2010-11-16T14:08:00.002+08:00

It was a crazy weekend again... As Xx's school was having a graduation for the K1/K2 kids as well as a mini sports day and since its held at the stadium just beside our house, I decided to bring then over to take a look. It was crazy. The sun was blazing hot and blinding to the eyes and yet the young kids are made to receive awards and perform IN THE SCORCHING HEAT at 10-12pm! I quickly brought the kids up to the top of the spectator stand to get out of the heat and they watched the burning kids performing under the sun. They were dancing to the beat as the cheerleading team danced followed by some bollywood display.

Gong gong came and played with them and I made 板面 (handmade noodles) for them. It was getting better with each try and since I got the pasta maker (<$20 Peter got it from JB) The noodle quality is super pro! Now I simply need no measurement of ingredients. It'll just be a standard 500g plain flour to 1 egg to 1/2 tsp salt to 175ml water and 2 tbsp cornstarch.

After that, Peter came home from half day work and I made a big bowl for him. Later in the afternoon when the kids were taking their nap, I dragged Peter and bring me to the bakery hunts Tott and Poon Huat as I wanted to get some items and ingredients for the Birthday cakes that I wanna make... 1 for Kathelyn's Birthday on Tuesday and one for mum-in-law's Birthday on to celebrate for her on Saturday. Tott doesn't sell those tips by the singles, and each set actually cost a crazy bomb of $50-$100+ which is crazy. The lower range sets were like $15-23 but looks really bad in quality... can't buy too lousy ones cos they rust so fast! Went to Poon Huat at Clementi and managed to get the tips and stuff but forgot abt the rose pin. Bought lots of ingredients too! Oh yah, and we saw this yummilicious thing on Tott Store's website that they're selling in their Bistro. It looks like... WOW! I MUST TRY IT! So we did went to try it.

And this is the ACTUAL PRODUCT. Its = fried durian ice-cream... its basically frozen icy durian inside... and for such a tiny piece which is hardly a mouthful and at $2.50 it is MAD!!! Never ever going to the Bistro again.

Ok. Then, I got my ingredients and stuff... I went to find the picture of the cake that I wanted to make. That's the cake from Angie the Choice which I had gotten for my mum on one of her birthdays, hoping to see that it looks like the pic online. BUT... SADLY... the flowers we had on the madly expensive cake is quite pathetic. Read abt it here and its over $50! Feeling fed up, I decided to try to achieve the similar look though its a first time. Dare not tell my other collegues as I'm afraid it will turn out to be a disaster... and then later bring what to celebrate??? Then sibeh throw face lah! So I made the chocolate ganache filling and sugar syrup the day before... and then started doing the actual cake on Monday evening after coming back from work.

The chocolate cake... just after baking. It actually shrunk a great deal after being removed from the oven. I wonder if this is normal.

And then after being sliced up, filled with chocolate ganache and dark cherries....

And then after 2 coats of icing... (crumb coat and second coat of swiss meringue buttercream icing)... and oh ya to mention... I geh kiang went to try and put whipped cream into my almost ready buttercream... hoping to make it taste lighter and fluffier like fresh cream. Slap myself man!!! Everything collapse and never rise again. I had to reject the batch and get some ingredients to try again, which I did... and then I took the butter and a bowl and attempted to cut it into pieces on my palm.. and accidentally did it too hard and it went through the butter and wrapper and cut my middle finger. Then I put it into the bowl and cut it there... before I know it, I had cut the bowl into 2 pieces (ok lah... the bowl is old and had hairline cracks... might be because of that. I changed to a plastic plate and luckily nothing more happened and it turned out perfect.

And after duno how many times of fending off Lele's attempt to complicate matters... I finally completed the decorating... together with the roses I made the day before.

And on the next day, at the table of our company's pantry... while waiting to be cut...

And then finally... the Birthday song... and the Birthday girl cutting the cake... and everyone having a slice... too bad didn't take the pic of the slice inside... it was really nice, with the cherries sticking out... but I still feel that its a bit too compact. It could simply do without the sugar syrup... I shall try it again for MIL's cake this Friday.

The Recipe:

Chocolate cake with Dark Cherry Chocolate Ganache fiilling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Prepare a day in advance. Recipe calls for 2 x 8" cake tins but I only have 9" ones... Might want to scale up the recipe for a higher cake if you like it higher.

------------------------------------1 day before--------------------------------------------

Chocolate Ganache (Make 1 day before and let it cool in fridge covered)

Ingredients:
10 oz (296ml) heavy whipping cream
15 oz (425g) semi sweet chocolate/chocolate chips
2 oz (57g) room temperature butter

Put cream into saucepan and heat on stovetop till boiling. Remove from heat and add in chocolate and butter and stir till chocolate dissolved. Chill it (put cling wrap to cover, ensure that it touches the mixture so that no crust develop on top) for use the next day or in a few hours until its set.

Simple Sugar Syrup (to moisten cake and give it flavour)

1 cup sugar : 1 cup water (can add a little vanilla extract if you like)

Boil till dissolved and keep for the next day.

--------------------------------------Day 2-------------------------------------------

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
2 oz (56.7g) Cocoa Powder (Sifted)
1 cup (250g) sugar (to be sifted with flour)
¾ cup sugar (for adding to egg whites)
4 large egg whites
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp cream of tartar to stabilize egg whites
11 oz (312g) cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
11 oz (325ml) water
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Method:
Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment till light and fluffy. Mix Cocoa powder, cake flour, baking soda and salt in bowl. Mix water and vanilla extract together. Add in egg yolks one by one then add flour mixture in portions into the butter and alternate it with adding the water mixture. Leave aside.

Beat egg whites with whisk attachment until fluffy, add in cream of tartar. When egg whites are quite stiff, add in sugar in a few parts and let it whisk until very stiff (egg whites will not fall out when you overturn the bowl). Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites and mix lightly by thoroughly, making sure you don’t over-mix so as to maintain the volume of egg whites.

Pour into 2 lined, greased and floured 8” Cake tins and bake in preheated oven at 325°F / 163°C for 30-35mins. When cake is ready, leave it in the pan to rest for 10-15mins after baking before removing it from the pan.

Swiss Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
250ml egg whites
18 oz (510g) castor sugar
20 oz (567g) cold butter (cut into cubes)
Salt

Mix egg whites with sugar and double-boil over water bath stirring until sugar melts (abt 60°C to pasteurize egg whites). Test by putting your finger into the mixture and feeling for sugar crystals. Abt 5 mins. Remove from water bath and put mixture into mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 30mins and add in cold butter. Beat at speed 1 for an additional 10 mins.

Assembling & decorating the cake

Remove cake from pan when totally cooled and slice each into half horizontally. Brush sugar syrup over cake mixture to incorporate moisture. Use a pipping bag and squeeze a border with ganarche before filling it in. Then place cherries on each layer of filling Do the same for the next 3 layers. Do a crumb coat with the buttercream icing and chill it for 15mins to harden icing before putting on the actual coat of icing. Use scraper to create patterns on the side of the cake and decorate cake and remove excess icing.

(To create a smooth cake, after frosting and freezing, use a Viva towel and run scraper/hand lightly over the cake.) --> Viva towel seems to be the wonders for smoothing out cakes in the West... but its not available in Singapore... so i could only use the scraper... until I find an alternative.

Buttercream flowers: Use flower tip #104 and rose pin and squeeze to layer the petals. Then freeze it till its stiff to put on cake as deco.