Hi guys!
Im surprised at the number of tags after my post on the Cayenne Pepper Drink!
Dun worry, I'll try to reply all questions at the end of post.

Last night was a blast at my ex-colleague's place near Mt Faber where we had a small meet-up session with some current colleagues, their respective spouses & some ex-colleagues who had left a long time ago.

Im glad to have made really good friends in the company, and I sincerely hope that even if I would have to quit one day, we will all still remain as friends.
:)

But the best part of the evening was playing with their babies!



I hate it when their mummies make fun of me and make the babies try to call me Auntie, but I lurveeee smelling babies and pinching their cheeks.

They are the cutest little things ever and greatest creations by The Lord.
God bless them and may they grow up healthy & happy always.

And... I also want one someday!
Haha!
:D

Bye guys, have to go work soon!
God bless.

xoxo
elaine



Tags replied!

Anon: No problem! I love sharing tips so that everyone could try it and let me know how effective it is for them too. :)

anon: You can buy the ingredients from supermarkets to DIY the drink.

junkie: Hi babe, some of pictures of me with curled hair have been done in the salon, where I would go and do a wash & blow. However I do own a hair tong, but its from Japan, not currently sold in Singapore. Its brand is CREATE ION.

Fan: Im not fair at all! Hee! Im pretty tan, but the flash on my Sony is rather strong thats why I look so fair in pics! :p
The maple syrup is an alternative in maintaining sugar levels in ur body if u are going on the fast w/o any food consecutively. I've not done it as a fast, but my colleague has and she says its quite possible to go on it after u get pass the first 3 days. Hths!

junkie: Wahahaha! Good for u! Congrats on ur determination & do update me ya ~ !

yixuan: Ooops..sorry! :( But I tried changing the current tagboard's colours, do u think this is alright? :)

evilin32: Yes this is really inexpensive and I do hope it works for everyone. One word of caution thou, pls consult a doctor before embarking on any fast/diet etc.

wing: The prices are ard $15-$20 at Shilin, but sometimes u can try to bargain! N the weather is cool now, sometimes it might get alittle chilly at night but overall, its great! Hope u enjoy Taipei, it is one of my fav places of all times. :D

annie: U may simply use boiled water or use any mineral water as long as you are comfortable with it. :)

anon: Now, now lets be nice to each other ya? ;)

Ok bye all!
Got to go soon, back next week!
Love love.

God bless.

Hi girls!
I just got back from Jakarta and it was lovely doing my hair spa and massages for as little as $14 per treat.
Now I come back home and realise that everything here is terribly expensive!
Tsk.

To: Anonymous

Im currently on a detox system and I'm loving it.
Introduced by my colleague, its called the Cayenne Pepper Diet and its relatively easy and extremely cheap.

Made famous by Beyonce for getting into shape for her role in Dreamgirls, its made to be originaly a fast but I do not recommend it unless you are really determined to stick it it.
I drink it daily but I still have my meals - just smaller portions & lesser meat.

And not only that, I dun trust the idea of popping pills or going on fad diets to be crazily thin.
I like being happy and healthy - even if Im not deemed to be of 'model weight'.
:)

Im 158cm, and I weight around 48-49kg.
Sometimes I even hit 50kg, but becoz Im short I tend to look heavier.
Unfortunately I put on weight only on my lower body so maybe you might think that Im thin, but trust me Im not!

I dun weight myself regularly, only when Im at my regular spa in Singapore and I hop on one for fun.
Yes, I dun own a weighing scale at home.

I just dun believe in it.
I judge my body by my clothes - becoz numbers on a machine doesnt mean anything to me.

If I feel tighter around my hips & waist, then I cut back on my food and try to eat lesser suppers!
LOL.

Yesh, Im a big fan of late-night suppers coz Jungle Boy's always hungry at midnight.
Im trying to stop.. I am!
But Macdonald's aint helping by having 24-hour deliveries.
Sigh.

Anyways, here's the receipe and I hope you are not on medication, or if you have any doubts, please do consult a doctor first.

The Cayenne Pepper Diet

The Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet is a cleansing regimen that would help detoxify your digestive system and at the same time help you lose weight.

The Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet which you’d have to drink would consist of the following:

- 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- 2 tablespoons of 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (8oz) of distilled water

If you decide to do it the Beyonce way, this drink is in replace of ALL meals with a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 10 days.
(The actual process is recommended to be minimum 10 days & a maximum of 40 days but I find that too extreme.)

In additional, it is recommended that you drink a herbal laxative tea in the morning and night to aid in bowel movement.

However, due to my work schedules and hectic lifestyle, I am not on it as a fast.
I drink it in addition to water - and I try to eat healthier food.

The Pros and Cons of the Cayenne Pepper Diet

If you are looking to shed about 1-2 pounds per day and at the same time, clean your body of harmful toxins and chemicals then they Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet might just be the thing for you to try.
Originally called the “Master Cleanse”, this diet which was invented by Stanley Burroughs helps people to get rid of their body’s toxins that have built up over the years.

The Cayenne Pepper and Lemon cleanse is a very simple to make but getting past the first few days of the cleanse is another question.
But once you get yourself conditioned and have gotten used to the diet, you’ll see that it gets easier and easier.

Not only do people say that they’ve lost a lot of weight with the diet, many have also said that they energy levels have increased.
Cravings for junk foods and eating in fast foods have also reduced significantly.

This decrease in their cravings for so-called “bad food” would help them continuously loose weight and eat healthier in the long run.

Unlike other fad diets, the Cayenne Pepper diet will not leave you feeling tired and hungry.
Not only will you lose weight you will also get a total system cleanse and that should be reason enough for you to give it a try.
After all, the digestive system is one of the most vital systems in the body and making sure that it’s clean and healthy would ensure you of zero digestive problems in the long run.

Additional Information:

Each time that we eat, the body would also ingest chemicals and toxins.
In the long run, this will harm the body caused by irritation. Among the signs that will tell you if you body is already taking the toll are: body aches, bowel constipation, pains, irritability, exhaustion, and other tough side effects.

Among the body parts that can suffer from an oversupply of toxins are:
1. liver
2. colon
3. gall bladder
4. kidneys

The lemon and cayenne pepper diet can provide a lot of benefits aside from its detoxifying effect.
A lot of users were surprise that their craving for junk foods is lessened and the pain throughout their body instantaneously disappeared.

This is because the body experienced a release of pressure and irritation within the blood vessels and the nerves.
There are even some reported incidents when acne was observed as well as the improvement of the skin texture.

Review:
If u are wondering about the taste, Im glad to say that it doesnt taste bad at all!
I find it rather refreshing and you can either choose to take it hot/warm or cold.
I like it best room temp, just adding alittle hot water to make it slightly warm if the weather is cold.
I put the drink in a large water bottle and I carry it everywhere with me.

So far I think I lost around 2 inches from my waist, and I dun find myself as bloated as before.
I feel like I've gained more energy, and my eyes dun look as tired as before.
I go to the toilet alittle more often and I think its great becoz I drink more water as a result.

You may find the Cayenne Pepper in supermarkets like Cold Storage and it costs around $5.
Please remember to use fresh lemons and 100% pure maple syrup.
If u dun like maple syrup, u may subsitute it for honey.

But I can never stress the importance of your health, rather than trying to fit into society's mould of looking good.

Do consult a doctor at anytime if you feel weak, or dizzy and immediately stop all treatments once you dun feel well.

I wish all of you the best, and take care everyone!
Will be away on a long work trip, so will be back next week.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine

(Info Credits to : Author Peter Johnson)

Tags Replied:
Ping: Hi babe! I bought my clothes from Shilin Night Market in Taipei & they cost me roughly $12-15 each. :)

Anon: The above entry is dedicated to you! Hope u like it & do let me noe if it works for you! :D

Florence: *hug!* Please call me when u are back in Singapore! N yes I enjoyed myself in Hk.. too bad I couldnt meet u there thou! :(

Hey hey everyone ~! Hows the weekend coming along?
Betcha must be busy with going out, eating, shopping and dating!
Keke!
;D

I love weekends - I love sleeping in and yes.. waking up to Jungle Boy's nonsense.
This morning, he was looking for our house keys in my bag coz he left his set in the car.

Jungle Boy: Why you got sooooo big bag but no keys??
Me: Ask me! Ask me! Its here! (Opens another bag to take keys out)
Jungle Boy: U dun put ur keys in ur neeeew bag but u put in laundry bag??
Me: ITS HELLO KITTY BAG OK!
Jungle Boy: *sigh* Women...

Heehee.. Ok I admit.. it's supposed to be a laundry bag but I found it so cute I put other things in, cannot meh??

Men.

***

Ok! Back to HongKong Part II ya!
:D

On the 3rd day in Hongkong, we left the hotel for Ocean Park!
It was Wendy's actual birthday and we forgo going to DisneyLand coz it was too far, and we heard it was very small too.

So it was Ocean Park, we went!
:)

Ocean Park is a Recreation Park in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The marine-themed amusement park covers the area of Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan, and is located in Hong Kong. Public can go to Ocean Park by taxi or Citybus.
The theme park currently has over 14 rides and other attractions such as aquariums. Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2000 fish. The official mascot of Ocean Park is "Whiskers"—a waving sealion.
Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong also operates observatories, well developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales And Dolphins Fund.





It started drizzling by the time we got to the park, but the sun was shining hence we still decided to carry on and go in.
Hugeeee mistake.
But more on that later.



I've been to Ocean Park a long time ago, when I was just a little girl on tour with my family.
I remembered it being very fun, with lotsa rides, and many sea creatures to see.
But then again, that was so many years ago and coming back again, I realised most of the exterior from the outside looked similar.
It was kinda like re-visiting the 80s, hee.

So naturally, with me being older now, I didnt expect too much from a theme park which looked like it was stuck in a time capsule 20 years ago.

But BFF wants to go, BFF gets to go.
:D





But one thing didnt change, thankfully.

The view!
I love picturesque views in different countries.. I like breathing in the fresh air and admiring the wonders of the world.



Er...Oops!
Hehe!
Candid shot courtesy of Wendy...
:p

Ocean Park





When we went to Ocean Park, there were surprisingly only a handful of tourists.
We thought that it was maybe the weather, or maybe recession.. thats why there were so little people.

And since the rain had stopped, we took a roller-coaster ride and continued our journey in Ocean Park.
Being a rather big place, we had to go up countless escalators and walked long winding roads to go to a big theater to watch the sealions n dolphins LIVE show.

Sekali....

There were thousands n thousands of you-know-which-country people pushing, screaming and jostling to get a seat in the huge arena.
The staff from Ocean Park were literally shouting to keep order and as if it wasnt already such a joke to see sooooo many people in one place.. it had to rain right at the very moment we got there.

HEAVILY.
I nearly fainted.

So there were three very (-_-)'' Singaporean faces.

We had no umbrella, no seats, not much shelther and definately zero chance to get out of that place dry.

But since we were there, Wendy & Debra jie tried to catch the show, albeit standing up amongst the humogous crowd.
But too bad the kiasu-ness in us were very much defeated becoz the two of them got quite bruised from all the poking, pressing, prodding and elbowing our very kind comrades handed out to us.
:(

Appalled by the lack of civic-mindedness, we had rain splashed on us, umbrellas opening in our faces and kids kicking us while the parents carrying them were in total oblivion.

So we planned an escape.
Armed with a very thin poncho which we had to buy there, we had to completely throw whatever image we had down the drain by retaliating tit-for-tat, push-for-shove.

I think I was literally shouting to the girls, " Push! Push! Push! Nobody knows u in Hongkong laaaa!"

It was an absolute nightmare but extremely hilarious coz once we got out of there - we started laughing our heads off.
I think this would be such a funny story to tell our kids in future.
:)

Extremely wet and hungry, we went for dinner, changed into dry shoes back at the hotel and continued shopping!
We even caught a really funny Catergory III movie and spent the night giggling in the cinema.

The next day, we headed back home.



I had absolutely enjoyed myself so much so we're planning another holiday.. hopefully soon!
Think I put on 2kg alone from the dim sum dim sum everyday!
Sigh.

Okies, back to the real life already.
Got to work so very hard!

Take care all, God bless.

xoxo,
elaine



TAGS REPLIED!

yixuan: Thank u! The old one had some problem so had to change to another layout. Thank u for liking it! I think its pretty too! :)

cupcake: Thank u sweets! I usually get my clothes from night markets in Taipei, HongKong, Korea, BKK etc. They are inexpensive and easy to wear with either pants or jeans. :)

polarie: Heehe! Yes! The ice milk is very very yummy! :D

jo: Hi jo! Do u use Picasa or Picasa 3? I think Picasa 3 is a new and updated version, thus they have more features. Try to download Picasa 3 by googling it on the web. HTHS!

itzmoiz: Thank u so much babe! I got my chiffon top from Shilin nightmarket in Taipei recently! Only $12! I love buying cheap clothes! :)

Jacq: Hi babe how r u! No leh.... I wasnt in Singapore that day..

fan: Hello! Thank u! I dun use whitening products regularly, but I use sunscreen daily.

coco: Hi hi! I dun do facial regularly becoz I do it myself at home. I usually only have a facial once every 3-4 months for some deep cleansing when I have the time.
Maybe I should post a facial regime next time if I can?? :D

june: Oh god I miss taipei again!! N yesh the smelly tofu not smelly at all rite! :D

megan: Heehe! Hope u have a nice haircut there ya! :D It cost ard $75 that time coz the exchange rate was pretty high then. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!
Tata!


I admit it’s tempting to wish for the perfect boss, or the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit, but maybe the best any of us can do is not quit. Play the hand we’ve been given and accessorize the outfit we’ve got.
- Sex & the City

Hellooooo everyone!
I am finally back from Paris, and nooooooo I did not buy anything!
(*Ahem* Except for two wlittle bags but thats for another day.)

I guess it got alittle boring after awhile.. looking at the arrays n arrays of bags with tons of people pushing, shoving n talking loudly in the shops.
(Read: P R C)
I just wanted to run away!
:(

Buying a bag to me - is like art.

You walk in leisurely, look around with no obligations, n feeling absolutely free to ask questions since you're putting half a small country's GDP on a single item.

So sometimes I just wanna machine gun snobby sales assistants in Singapore!
Weirdly, their french counterparts were much better, we had excellent service everywhere it was amazing.
:)

On happier things!

My favourite week was when I left for HongKong for holiday early this month where I shopped, walk, ate & partied with my best friend Wendy!
She left Singapore 2 days earlier, so I flew up later in the week to meet her.

And I made a good friend too, Debra Jie who owns a salon in the North.
I loved travelling with two hair stylists! It was like having my fashion consultants travel with me.

She was also like a mummy to us, and we had lotsa fun making her drink in Lan Kwai Fong! :D

HongKong: Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial capitals, a major business and cultural hub, and maintains a highly developed capitalist economy. Its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where east meets west is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions, and although the population is predominantly Chinese, residents and expatriates of other ethnicities form a small but significant segment of society.

Pictures!

First night in HongKong.
Shopping and desserts.





We stayed in Mongkok where it was really easy to go places and find food in wee hours of the night... but then, HongKong's a food haven everywhere!

The district is characterized by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level and commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail, restaurants (including fast food) and entertainment.

Day 2:

We decided to wake up bright n early for dim sum!
I lurve the Hong Kong's style of yum cha, where you can spend the rest of the day eating and drinking tea.

Both which are great loves to me!





Dim sum (literally meaning "touch the heart") is the name for a Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light dishes served alongside Chinese tea. It is usually served in the mornings until noon time at Chinese restaurants and at specialty dim sum eateries where typical dishes are available throughout the day. Dishes come in small portions and may include meat, seafood, and vegetables, as well as desserts and fruit. The items are usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Yum cha (literally "tea drinking") is the term used to describe the dining session, especially in contemporary Cantonese. Chinese families in particular typically like to gather at Chinese restaurants for dim sum on special occasions such as Mother’s Day or Chinese New Year.

After eating, we went shopping!
Walking and walking in streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, we got hungry really fast coz there were so many teahouses along the streets.

In the past, people often enjoyed tea in old restaurants with a long history, also known as "neighbouring restaurants" (茶寮). This kind of restaurant was built with simple and cheap decoration. However, it was the place for the neighbors to meet as a morning routine. Especially for the elderly, their main entertainment was going to chat with their neighbors in the "old place". They read newspapers, discuss current issues, their family life, their good old days... to name but a few. As time passed by, a strong bond would form between the patrons and the restaurants.

Unable to resist, we walked into one and ordered my favourite... ROAST PIGEON!
The greedy in us had milk tea, egg tarts & of coz.. the original peanutbutter french toast in hongkong!







We walked n walked and went back Mongkok for more late night shopping!
We bought so much I couldnt take pictures... coz my hands were all red from carrying bags of clothes/shoes/makeup!



We were very tired actually, but it was so close to Wendy's birthday.. we had to throw our loots back in the hotel and go LAN KWAI FONG!

Lan Kwai Fong is perhaps Hong Kong's most popular and well known area for a night out. Boasting numerous bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants, it is a popular choice for the well off locals, expatriates and tourists. The high costs associated with the area makes this a relatively high class location, although the quality and reputation of this area is obvious virtually every night. Visiting on a Friday or Saturday night you may be overwhelmed by the enormous crowds that fill the streets (which are closed for several hours to vehicular traffic), with all bars having only standing room. It is interesting to see that, as mentioned, a majority of the crowds are in fact expatriates or international students. It is one of the few places where English is the overwhelmingly predominant language, although many of the Chinese who are there are most likely to be bilingual.

Now you all also know why I act cute...



Debra jie bought a cake for her... and I brought the present we BFFs bought for her all the way from Singapore as a surprise!
I hope she likes it.
:)



We drank, ate cake, make merry and had two younger men talk to us only to be slightly bemused that we were were about half a decade older than them.

Wah I didnt know I look 21!
Bery happy, you know.
But too bad it was Wendy's birthday and it was a reminder that she is getting older!
Heehee!
:p

Bye guys, have to rush to evening service in church tonight.
God bless.

Will be back soon with Part II of HongKong and then pictures of Paris!

xoxo
elaine

I love my BFF!

Hi guys, a fast one before I leave for to Paris tomorrow!

I have a million things to do later - pack bag, dinner with family, then disturbing Jungle Boy.
Heehe!
(Now you know why our favourite words to each other are, embarrassingly, -"Go awaaaay!")

Err, okay... enough paiseh details. :p

Here's long long overdue pictures from my dinner with family! (Before I cut my hair!)
We met up for a nice dinner with lotsa sake at Botan during the Chinese New Year week.



I call them my family coz we grew up together, with our parents being friends n all.

But unfortunately, we dun get to see each other as often as we like, for everyone are in different places all the time.
Crytal's back in Sydney, Jason n Jim's in New York now.
Fortunately Jamie lives across the street to me n its dinner later at her place, yay! :)

After the dinner that night, we went to do something I loved doing in New York.. Hooka-ing!
And then there were more drinks, of coz keke.



I miss them n I miss New York!
Cant wait to see all of them again.
:(

**********************

12th March 09

Our regular BFF gathering!
(Btw, its Bad Friends Forever, not the normal ones coz we aint normal to begin with. Them, not me. :p)

We decided to do something different this time.
N also... it was a post-birthday celebration for Wendy.
So it was off to K-box, we go!

Birthday girl get to sing, we get to drink.
:D



We got her a small Mango cake.. no durian coz she hates them.
I hope she likes her mini celebration coz we all did have so much fun, I almost laughed until I fell off the couch!



I went home with a hoarse voice, but feeling immensely blessed* to have such great friends.
Might be planning a BKK trip with the girls, I do pray it comes true!

I love shopping n eating n I lurve my girls.
Til then, au revoir everyone!

Take care, will be back soon.



xoxo
elaine

Tags to be replied tonight!
Jungle Boy hungry. :(

Hi everyone!
Guess Im terribly late this time!
I have about a million pictures in my Picasa & then there were more with my recent HongKong holiday! Just greeeeat...

Alrighty, I'll start off from my Valentine Day dinner - a lovely treat from the everso stingy Jungle Boy who is forever telling me he ate bread & water for 3 months just to bring me to Akashi. (-_-)''
Heehe!



There were no exchanging of presents this year between the two of us, but we might be planning a short weekend getaway if the both of us can make it.

I love holidays & Jungle Boy likes to eat snake.. so a holiday would be more apt a present than something material. Not only that... Im fussy so Im better off buying myself presents!

The men just dun get it...
A typical conversation between us goes something like this.

Jungle Boy: Why must buy so expensive bag?
Me: Why cannot!
Jungle Boy: NTUC plastic bag also can put thing inside wat... n its free!
Me: *kicks pull hair screams* Go away laaaa you!!!

But then happy days came... Taipei!

i've always loved Taipei.. for the food, the people and of coz the magnificent shopping areas!
People in Taipei shop til wee hours in the night becoz they love going out late & meeting friends for a drink or some dessert.

Night markets are abuzzed with activity even at 11pm, where long queues for food at roadside stalls can be seen.
Dessert shops are busy, with groups of friends chatting, or lovebirds on a date.

Day One in Taipei

Once we touched down, we wasted no time by rushing off to eat some typical Mala (spicy) steamboat! They come in an array of choices - Beef, Pork, Chicken etc.
U could either choose a non-spicy based soup, or like me, I opted for both kinds.

I like it also becoz its rather hygienic as each person has their own pot of soup and you dun share the food at all.
Esp when we were in a large group, and there were dietary restrictions for some.
Eg. No beef or pork eaters - so in the end, everyone is happy!
:)



After a hearty meal, what better to burn calories by shopping??
We went to Ximending, a popular area for the hip & the trendy.

Ximending is now called the “Harajuku” of Taipei. The local bookstores sell Japanese magazines, books, CD albums, and clothing, making it a heaven for the "Harizu", or Japanese culture adorers. Individual vendors gather in the streets as well as the large business buildings, such as Wannien Department Store and Shizilin Square in the early days, and Wanguo Department Store and Eslite 116 in the later period.

After walking and buying stuff, we trooped to another famous Taiwanese pastime.. Milk desserts!

Thinly shaved ice milk with various toppings like mango, kiwi & strawberries makes it a local favourite.. esp during summer when the weather is hot!

My favourite after-shopping activity.
What a great way to end the night.
Yum yum!

Taiwanese Milk Ice Dessert


Day Two

We woke up bright and early to shop!
As we had a day full of places to go, we set off by taking the train.

Most areas of interest are easily accessible from the transit system. The MRT (Taipei's Metro Rapid Transit System) has well-marked signs, in both English and Chinese, throughout the stations to get you to your destination quickly. They have above and below ground lines. The above ground lines are particularly good, and cheap, for sightseeing. An automated system tells you each station's name when approached in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English.

And so we decided to go WenfenPu, a popular wholessalers market.



They are like Bugis Village, a smattering array of individual shops selling clothes, accessories & shoes.
I like how funky the owners there can be and I admire the artistic factors of some shops no matter how small or cramped the area is.

Taiwanese people are mostly animal lovers, so dun be surprised to see a dog or cat lazing around in the shop with their owner!

I love petting animals & buying clothes at the same time, hehee!

In the 1960s, many people from FangYuan (芳苑, a town in Chang-Hua County, Central Taiwan) noticed that it was easier to make a living in Taipei and came to rent houses from the veterans. They used the first floor as a pret-a-porter (ready-made clothes) shop and the second story as their houses and the tailoring place. After a few years, the veterans all sold their houses to these inhabitants from FangYuan and many newcomers, and as of today Wufenpu is still a special pret-a-porter wholesale hub for clothes retailers in Taipei.



After an afternoon of bargaining and walking.. we went for some oyster omelette done Taiwan style!
I like it coz its not as starchy as our local ones and they are accompanied by a rather sweet-spicy chili sauce which complements the dish very well.

Oyster Omelette


Then we headed for Shilin Night Market.

Taipei has many night markets, most famous of which is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin District of the city. The surrounding streets by Shilin Market get extremely crowded during the evening. Most night markets in Taiwan open around 4 p.m. as students begin returning home from school, crowds reach their peak between 8 and 11 p.m. Businesses continue operating well past midnight and close around 1 to 2 a.m.

If there is anything NOT to do in Taipei.. its having a proper dinner becoz there are so many roadside stalls in Shilin, u would be spoilt for choice!

U can walk and eat.. shop then eat again.. walk somemore take pictures and eat again!
Its a dieter's nightmare, quite literally.



And dun be alarmed when you have to wait for 20 mins for something as simple as fried chicken in Shilin at 10pm!
The queues can be snake-long for popular food, like oyster mee sua or even smelly tofu.

I know some people would avoid the fermented beancurd snack like the plague, but there are really nice tasting ones in Taipei!
Dun let the smell fool you, they dun taste anything like how its smells. :p

Sometimes I dun find it smelly enough.

Smelly Tofu (Deepfried style)



Wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacture and preparation. Most typically, it consists of tofu which has been marinated in a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat for as long as several months. The brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs.

Stinky tofu can be eaten cold, steamed, stewed, in mala soup or most commonly, fried. It is often accompanied by chili sauce.

After filling our tummies and walking like mad for the whole day, we decided to go do something the Taiwanese people love... Dogs!

There are shops and shops selling these puppies and they are the cutest things ever.



I never agree with the commercial part of buying a puppy from pet shops but I guess the demand for something so small & cute will never go away anytime soon.
I strongly advocate adopting one from animal shelters, becoz puppy farms use mostly cruel ways to breed puppies for sale.

My heart broke when I saw how small the cages they were in, but I do pray for them to be bought soon by someone who would truly love and treat them well.
How ironic.

On a happier note, we went back extremely tired, extremely full.. but also extremely happy as we all had great fun in Taipei. These would be memories that I would relish forever.
:)

The Loots


Bye all, I have a thousand things to do this afternoon!
Need to wash clothes, wash toilet, mop room, declutter & unpack my stuff from Hongkong.

Will be back soon with pictures from my HongKong holiday next, take care everyone.

God bless.

xoxo
elaine

Tags Replied:
Im sorry if I cant reply to all.. there are too many tags dating from way too long!
For personal questions or quicker responses, I'd appreciate emails. :)
sugar_sweet7733@yahoo.com

Fan: Thank you darling! I hope u like my new updates!

Jace: Heehe! Heard u saw Jungle Boy last week? Keke... n I will update my link to ur new blog soon. Thanks!

Regina/ Ping: Thank you babes!

Ladysilver: Ooooh I miss enzo so much! That little cutiepie.. Take care n update ur blog more ok!

maggie: *hugs* I know u have been going thru alot this past few weeks, do take care n be strong! jia you!

Cupcake: Thank you! I guess I needed a change after having the same hairstyle for so long!

S: My hair is not coloured! Except for the streak in my fringe. :)

June: Thank you dear! Im not stylish.. just quite vain!:P

Wendy: LOL! Omg....Im not a taitai lor! But I did blow my hair that night coz it was my daddy's birthday and we booked a private room for celebrations, hence the blowdry.

piepie: Heehe! Thank you! Think its the new hairstyle laaaa!

junni aka diaster: Thank u too! But my curls are temporary one.. n I never rebond my hair actually too! Its just that my hair is naturally straight n heavy thus it looks rebonded! ;D

jace: Thank u! The Bible is my saviour at all times.. :)

Diane: Who is Jamie Yeo's new bf??? She got new bf already ah!!! *scandalous juicy news*

polarie: I miss u too!!! N yeah! Japanese bathhouses very nice! Thou quite paiseh to walk naked everywhere.... keke!

To Mag/T/Nana/Megan & everyone else regarding my new haistyle..:
I got it cut by a hairstylist in Japan Tokyo, at Narita Aeon Mall by the name of Takimoto Fusako. She speaks English so I usually look for her. The hairsalon is called Earnest, tel: 0476-24-5831

The streak in my fringe is dyed at Jean Yip, Parkway. The rest of my hair is not dyed.
This was inspired by my best friend Wendy from Twister, Monsoon.
(She flew to HK before I had the chance to dye my fringe thats why I went JY!)

Ok, bye bye!
Really got to go now.. back soon!
Keep reading, keep tagging!
Loves.
:)

A preview picture from my HK trip!(Maybe u can see the hair colour better from here.)
In airport express to Kowloon.



"A girl should be two things - classy & fabulous."
Coco Chanel

Bye all! *hugs & kisses*
:D

Sometimes I get alittle lost in life and I start daydreaming.

I wonder if my path would be different if only I've studied harder, or I've put in more effort at work - or maybe.. if I've gotten another job from the very start.

Then suddenly Jungle Boy jolts me out from space and says," You dunno how fortunate you are already."

I wake up and realise that I am indeed such a lucky, lucky girl.

Thank you my BFFs, thank you my family, and most of all - thank you Jungle Boy for not spoiling me.

For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose their soul?
Matthew 16: 26

The simplest things makes me happy.
We play Scrabble every night & its costs nothing but means everything.
:)

Hi everyone!!!

Im finally back from HongKong n I had so much fun there! :D
I ate until tummy want to burst already, then there we shopped n shopped until my legs nearly cant walk anymore.. we blew candles for the birthday girl in Lan Kwan Fong, squeezed with a million PRCs in Ocean Park, n got caught in the rain until all our boots were soaking wet!

And then we found H&M n it was shopping all over again in Mongkok.
Damn drama mama, man.

But I do love my best friend n I wish her health, happiness & everything she asks for in life.
:)

Happy Birthday, BFF.



God bless.
Back with pics soon!

xoxo,
elaine

Hi & bye everyoneeee!
Im off to Hongkong tomorrow morning and I'll be meeting my very cute, very lovable but very short best friend there!
But if she's going to fight with me over the toilet... I'll karate-chop her!

We're spending her birthday there too, so excited!
:D

Take care everyone, will be back soon.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine



P.S
Poor Jungle Boy has to work hard in Singapore, all alone somemore while his gf go mai dong xi, cie dong xi.
Ahahaha! *evil*

Hi guys!
Im surprised at the number of tags after my post on the Cayenne Pepper Drink!
Dun worry, I'll try to reply all questions at the end of post.

Last night was a blast at my ex-colleague's place near Mt Faber where we had a small meet-up session with some current colleagues, their respective spouses & some ex-colleagues who had left a long time ago.

Im glad to have made really good friends in the company, and I sincerely hope that even if I would have to quit one day, we will all still remain as friends.
:)

But the best part of the evening was playing with their babies!



I hate it when their mummies make fun of me and make the babies try to call me Auntie, but I lurveeee smelling babies and pinching their cheeks.

They are the cutest little things ever and greatest creations by The Lord.
God bless them and may they grow up healthy & happy always.

And... I also want one someday!
Haha!
:D

Bye guys, have to go work soon!
God bless.

xoxo
elaine



Tags replied!

Anon: No problem! I love sharing tips so that everyone could try it and let me know how effective it is for them too. :)

anon: You can buy the ingredients from supermarkets to DIY the drink.

junkie: Hi babe, some of pictures of me with curled hair have been done in the salon, where I would go and do a wash & blow. However I do own a hair tong, but its from Japan, not currently sold in Singapore. Its brand is CREATE ION.

Fan: Im not fair at all! Hee! Im pretty tan, but the flash on my Sony is rather strong thats why I look so fair in pics! :p
The maple syrup is an alternative in maintaining sugar levels in ur body if u are going on the fast w/o any food consecutively. I've not done it as a fast, but my colleague has and she says its quite possible to go on it after u get pass the first 3 days. Hths!

junkie: Wahahaha! Good for u! Congrats on ur determination & do update me ya ~ !

yixuan: Ooops..sorry! :( But I tried changing the current tagboard's colours, do u think this is alright? :)

evilin32: Yes this is really inexpensive and I do hope it works for everyone. One word of caution thou, pls consult a doctor before embarking on any fast/diet etc.

wing: The prices are ard $15-$20 at Shilin, but sometimes u can try to bargain! N the weather is cool now, sometimes it might get alittle chilly at night but overall, its great! Hope u enjoy Taipei, it is one of my fav places of all times. :D

annie: U may simply use boiled water or use any mineral water as long as you are comfortable with it. :)

anon: Now, now lets be nice to each other ya? ;)

Ok bye all!
Got to go soon, back next week!
Love love.

God bless.

Hi girls!
I just got back from Jakarta and it was lovely doing my hair spa and massages for as little as $14 per treat.
Now I come back home and realise that everything here is terribly expensive!
Tsk.

To: Anonymous

Im currently on a detox system and I'm loving it.
Introduced by my colleague, its called the Cayenne Pepper Diet and its relatively easy and extremely cheap.

Made famous by Beyonce for getting into shape for her role in Dreamgirls, its made to be originaly a fast but I do not recommend it unless you are really determined to stick it it.
I drink it daily but I still have my meals - just smaller portions & lesser meat.

And not only that, I dun trust the idea of popping pills or going on fad diets to be crazily thin.
I like being happy and healthy - even if Im not deemed to be of 'model weight'.
:)

Im 158cm, and I weight around 48-49kg.
Sometimes I even hit 50kg, but becoz Im short I tend to look heavier.
Unfortunately I put on weight only on my lower body so maybe you might think that Im thin, but trust me Im not!

I dun weight myself regularly, only when Im at my regular spa in Singapore and I hop on one for fun.
Yes, I dun own a weighing scale at home.

I just dun believe in it.
I judge my body by my clothes - becoz numbers on a machine doesnt mean anything to me.

If I feel tighter around my hips & waist, then I cut back on my food and try to eat lesser suppers!
LOL.

Yesh, Im a big fan of late-night suppers coz Jungle Boy's always hungry at midnight.
Im trying to stop.. I am!
But Macdonald's aint helping by having 24-hour deliveries.
Sigh.

Anyways, here's the receipe and I hope you are not on medication, or if you have any doubts, please do consult a doctor first.

The Cayenne Pepper Diet

The Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet is a cleansing regimen that would help detoxify your digestive system and at the same time help you lose weight.

The Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet which you’d have to drink would consist of the following:

- 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- 2 tablespoons of 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (8oz) of distilled water

If you decide to do it the Beyonce way, this drink is in replace of ALL meals with a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 10 days.
(The actual process is recommended to be minimum 10 days & a maximum of 40 days but I find that too extreme.)

In additional, it is recommended that you drink a herbal laxative tea in the morning and night to aid in bowel movement.

However, due to my work schedules and hectic lifestyle, I am not on it as a fast.
I drink it in addition to water - and I try to eat healthier food.

The Pros and Cons of the Cayenne Pepper Diet

If you are looking to shed about 1-2 pounds per day and at the same time, clean your body of harmful toxins and chemicals then they Cayenne pepper and Lemon diet might just be the thing for you to try.
Originally called the “Master Cleanse”, this diet which was invented by Stanley Burroughs helps people to get rid of their body’s toxins that have built up over the years.

The Cayenne Pepper and Lemon cleanse is a very simple to make but getting past the first few days of the cleanse is another question.
But once you get yourself conditioned and have gotten used to the diet, you’ll see that it gets easier and easier.

Not only do people say that they’ve lost a lot of weight with the diet, many have also said that they energy levels have increased.
Cravings for junk foods and eating in fast foods have also reduced significantly.

This decrease in their cravings for so-called “bad food” would help them continuously loose weight and eat healthier in the long run.

Unlike other fad diets, the Cayenne Pepper diet will not leave you feeling tired and hungry.
Not only will you lose weight you will also get a total system cleanse and that should be reason enough for you to give it a try.
After all, the digestive system is one of the most vital systems in the body and making sure that it’s clean and healthy would ensure you of zero digestive problems in the long run.

Additional Information:

Each time that we eat, the body would also ingest chemicals and toxins.
In the long run, this will harm the body caused by irritation. Among the signs that will tell you if you body is already taking the toll are: body aches, bowel constipation, pains, irritability, exhaustion, and other tough side effects.

Among the body parts that can suffer from an oversupply of toxins are:
1. liver
2. colon
3. gall bladder
4. kidneys

The lemon and cayenne pepper diet can provide a lot of benefits aside from its detoxifying effect.
A lot of users were surprise that their craving for junk foods is lessened and the pain throughout their body instantaneously disappeared.

This is because the body experienced a release of pressure and irritation within the blood vessels and the nerves.
There are even some reported incidents when acne was observed as well as the improvement of the skin texture.

Review:
If u are wondering about the taste, Im glad to say that it doesnt taste bad at all!
I find it rather refreshing and you can either choose to take it hot/warm or cold.
I like it best room temp, just adding alittle hot water to make it slightly warm if the weather is cold.
I put the drink in a large water bottle and I carry it everywhere with me.

So far I think I lost around 2 inches from my waist, and I dun find myself as bloated as before.
I feel like I've gained more energy, and my eyes dun look as tired as before.
I go to the toilet alittle more often and I think its great becoz I drink more water as a result.

You may find the Cayenne Pepper in supermarkets like Cold Storage and it costs around $5.
Please remember to use fresh lemons and 100% pure maple syrup.
If u dun like maple syrup, u may subsitute it for honey.

But I can never stress the importance of your health, rather than trying to fit into society's mould of looking good.

Do consult a doctor at anytime if you feel weak, or dizzy and immediately stop all treatments once you dun feel well.

I wish all of you the best, and take care everyone!
Will be away on a long work trip, so will be back next week.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine

(Info Credits to : Author Peter Johnson)

Tags Replied:
Ping: Hi babe! I bought my clothes from Shilin Night Market in Taipei & they cost me roughly $12-15 each. :)

Anon: The above entry is dedicated to you! Hope u like it & do let me noe if it works for you! :D

Florence: *hug!* Please call me when u are back in Singapore! N yes I enjoyed myself in Hk.. too bad I couldnt meet u there thou! :(

Hey hey everyone ~! Hows the weekend coming along?
Betcha must be busy with going out, eating, shopping and dating!
Keke!
;D

I love weekends - I love sleeping in and yes.. waking up to Jungle Boy's nonsense.
This morning, he was looking for our house keys in my bag coz he left his set in the car.

Jungle Boy: Why you got sooooo big bag but no keys??
Me: Ask me! Ask me! Its here! (Opens another bag to take keys out)
Jungle Boy: U dun put ur keys in ur neeeew bag but u put in laundry bag??
Me: ITS HELLO KITTY BAG OK!
Jungle Boy: *sigh* Women...

Heehee.. Ok I admit.. it's supposed to be a laundry bag but I found it so cute I put other things in, cannot meh??

Men.

***

Ok! Back to HongKong Part II ya!
:D

On the 3rd day in Hongkong, we left the hotel for Ocean Park!
It was Wendy's actual birthday and we forgo going to DisneyLand coz it was too far, and we heard it was very small too.

So it was Ocean Park, we went!
:)

Ocean Park is a Recreation Park in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The marine-themed amusement park covers the area of Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan, and is located in Hong Kong. Public can go to Ocean Park by taxi or Citybus.
The theme park currently has over 14 rides and other attractions such as aquariums. Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2000 fish. The official mascot of Ocean Park is "Whiskers"—a waving sealion.
Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong also operates observatories, well developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales And Dolphins Fund.





It started drizzling by the time we got to the park, but the sun was shining hence we still decided to carry on and go in.
Hugeeee mistake.
But more on that later.



I've been to Ocean Park a long time ago, when I was just a little girl on tour with my family.
I remembered it being very fun, with lotsa rides, and many sea creatures to see.
But then again, that was so many years ago and coming back again, I realised most of the exterior from the outside looked similar.
It was kinda like re-visiting the 80s, hee.

So naturally, with me being older now, I didnt expect too much from a theme park which looked like it was stuck in a time capsule 20 years ago.

But BFF wants to go, BFF gets to go.
:D





But one thing didnt change, thankfully.

The view!
I love picturesque views in different countries.. I like breathing in the fresh air and admiring the wonders of the world.



Er...Oops!
Hehe!
Candid shot courtesy of Wendy...
:p

Ocean Park





When we went to Ocean Park, there were surprisingly only a handful of tourists.
We thought that it was maybe the weather, or maybe recession.. thats why there were so little people.

And since the rain had stopped, we took a roller-coaster ride and continued our journey in Ocean Park.
Being a rather big place, we had to go up countless escalators and walked long winding roads to go to a big theater to watch the sealions n dolphins LIVE show.

Sekali....

There were thousands n thousands of you-know-which-country people pushing, screaming and jostling to get a seat in the huge arena.
The staff from Ocean Park were literally shouting to keep order and as if it wasnt already such a joke to see sooooo many people in one place.. it had to rain right at the very moment we got there.

HEAVILY.
I nearly fainted.

So there were three very (-_-)'' Singaporean faces.

We had no umbrella, no seats, not much shelther and definately zero chance to get out of that place dry.

But since we were there, Wendy & Debra jie tried to catch the show, albeit standing up amongst the humogous crowd.
But too bad the kiasu-ness in us were very much defeated becoz the two of them got quite bruised from all the poking, pressing, prodding and elbowing our very kind comrades handed out to us.
:(

Appalled by the lack of civic-mindedness, we had rain splashed on us, umbrellas opening in our faces and kids kicking us while the parents carrying them were in total oblivion.

So we planned an escape.
Armed with a very thin poncho which we had to buy there, we had to completely throw whatever image we had down the drain by retaliating tit-for-tat, push-for-shove.

I think I was literally shouting to the girls, " Push! Push! Push! Nobody knows u in Hongkong laaaa!"

It was an absolute nightmare but extremely hilarious coz once we got out of there - we started laughing our heads off.
I think this would be such a funny story to tell our kids in future.
:)

Extremely wet and hungry, we went for dinner, changed into dry shoes back at the hotel and continued shopping!
We even caught a really funny Catergory III movie and spent the night giggling in the cinema.

The next day, we headed back home.



I had absolutely enjoyed myself so much so we're planning another holiday.. hopefully soon!
Think I put on 2kg alone from the dim sum dim sum everyday!
Sigh.

Okies, back to the real life already.
Got to work so very hard!

Take care all, God bless.

xoxo,
elaine



TAGS REPLIED!

yixuan: Thank u! The old one had some problem so had to change to another layout. Thank u for liking it! I think its pretty too! :)

cupcake: Thank u sweets! I usually get my clothes from night markets in Taipei, HongKong, Korea, BKK etc. They are inexpensive and easy to wear with either pants or jeans. :)

polarie: Heehe! Yes! The ice milk is very very yummy! :D

jo: Hi jo! Do u use Picasa or Picasa 3? I think Picasa 3 is a new and updated version, thus they have more features. Try to download Picasa 3 by googling it on the web. HTHS!

itzmoiz: Thank u so much babe! I got my chiffon top from Shilin nightmarket in Taipei recently! Only $12! I love buying cheap clothes! :)

Jacq: Hi babe how r u! No leh.... I wasnt in Singapore that day..

fan: Hello! Thank u! I dun use whitening products regularly, but I use sunscreen daily.

coco: Hi hi! I dun do facial regularly becoz I do it myself at home. I usually only have a facial once every 3-4 months for some deep cleansing when I have the time.
Maybe I should post a facial regime next time if I can?? :D

june: Oh god I miss taipei again!! N yesh the smelly tofu not smelly at all rite! :D

megan: Heehe! Hope u have a nice haircut there ya! :D It cost ard $75 that time coz the exchange rate was pretty high then. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!
Tata!


I admit it’s tempting to wish for the perfect boss, or the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit, but maybe the best any of us can do is not quit. Play the hand we’ve been given and accessorize the outfit we’ve got.
- Sex & the City

Hellooooo everyone!
I am finally back from Paris, and nooooooo I did not buy anything!
(*Ahem* Except for two wlittle bags but thats for another day.)

I guess it got alittle boring after awhile.. looking at the arrays n arrays of bags with tons of people pushing, shoving n talking loudly in the shops.
(Read: P R C)
I just wanted to run away!
:(

Buying a bag to me - is like art.

You walk in leisurely, look around with no obligations, n feeling absolutely free to ask questions since you're putting half a small country's GDP on a single item.

So sometimes I just wanna machine gun snobby sales assistants in Singapore!
Weirdly, their french counterparts were much better, we had excellent service everywhere it was amazing.
:)

On happier things!

My favourite week was when I left for HongKong for holiday early this month where I shopped, walk, ate & partied with my best friend Wendy!
She left Singapore 2 days earlier, so I flew up later in the week to meet her.

And I made a good friend too, Debra Jie who owns a salon in the North.
I loved travelling with two hair stylists! It was like having my fashion consultants travel with me.

She was also like a mummy to us, and we had lotsa fun making her drink in Lan Kwai Fong! :D

HongKong: Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial capitals, a major business and cultural hub, and maintains a highly developed capitalist economy. Its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where east meets west is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions, and although the population is predominantly Chinese, residents and expatriates of other ethnicities form a small but significant segment of society.

Pictures!

First night in HongKong.
Shopping and desserts.





We stayed in Mongkok where it was really easy to go places and find food in wee hours of the night... but then, HongKong's a food haven everywhere!

The district is characterized by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level and commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail, restaurants (including fast food) and entertainment.

Day 2:

We decided to wake up bright n early for dim sum!
I lurve the Hong Kong's style of yum cha, where you can spend the rest of the day eating and drinking tea.

Both which are great loves to me!





Dim sum (literally meaning "touch the heart") is the name for a Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light dishes served alongside Chinese tea. It is usually served in the mornings until noon time at Chinese restaurants and at specialty dim sum eateries where typical dishes are available throughout the day. Dishes come in small portions and may include meat, seafood, and vegetables, as well as desserts and fruit. The items are usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Yum cha (literally "tea drinking") is the term used to describe the dining session, especially in contemporary Cantonese. Chinese families in particular typically like to gather at Chinese restaurants for dim sum on special occasions such as Mother’s Day or Chinese New Year.

After eating, we went shopping!
Walking and walking in streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, we got hungry really fast coz there were so many teahouses along the streets.

In the past, people often enjoyed tea in old restaurants with a long history, also known as "neighbouring restaurants" (茶寮). This kind of restaurant was built with simple and cheap decoration. However, it was the place for the neighbors to meet as a morning routine. Especially for the elderly, their main entertainment was going to chat with their neighbors in the "old place". They read newspapers, discuss current issues, their family life, their good old days... to name but a few. As time passed by, a strong bond would form between the patrons and the restaurants.

Unable to resist, we walked into one and ordered my favourite... ROAST PIGEON!
The greedy in us had milk tea, egg tarts & of coz.. the original peanutbutter french toast in hongkong!







We walked n walked and went back Mongkok for more late night shopping!
We bought so much I couldnt take pictures... coz my hands were all red from carrying bags of clothes/shoes/makeup!



We were very tired actually, but it was so close to Wendy's birthday.. we had to throw our loots back in the hotel and go LAN KWAI FONG!

Lan Kwai Fong is perhaps Hong Kong's most popular and well known area for a night out. Boasting numerous bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants, it is a popular choice for the well off locals, expatriates and tourists. The high costs associated with the area makes this a relatively high class location, although the quality and reputation of this area is obvious virtually every night. Visiting on a Friday or Saturday night you may be overwhelmed by the enormous crowds that fill the streets (which are closed for several hours to vehicular traffic), with all bars having only standing room. It is interesting to see that, as mentioned, a majority of the crowds are in fact expatriates or international students. It is one of the few places where English is the overwhelmingly predominant language, although many of the Chinese who are there are most likely to be bilingual.

Now you all also know why I act cute...



Debra jie bought a cake for her... and I brought the present we BFFs bought for her all the way from Singapore as a surprise!
I hope she likes it.
:)



We drank, ate cake, make merry and had two younger men talk to us only to be slightly bemused that we were were about half a decade older than them.

Wah I didnt know I look 21!
Bery happy, you know.
But too bad it was Wendy's birthday and it was a reminder that she is getting older!
Heehee!
:p

Bye guys, have to rush to evening service in church tonight.
God bless.

Will be back soon with Part II of HongKong and then pictures of Paris!

xoxo
elaine

I love my BFF!

Hi guys, a fast one before I leave for to Paris tomorrow!

I have a million things to do later - pack bag, dinner with family, then disturbing Jungle Boy.
Heehe!
(Now you know why our favourite words to each other are, embarrassingly, -"Go awaaaay!")

Err, okay... enough paiseh details. :p

Here's long long overdue pictures from my dinner with family! (Before I cut my hair!)
We met up for a nice dinner with lotsa sake at Botan during the Chinese New Year week.



I call them my family coz we grew up together, with our parents being friends n all.

But unfortunately, we dun get to see each other as often as we like, for everyone are in different places all the time.
Crytal's back in Sydney, Jason n Jim's in New York now.
Fortunately Jamie lives across the street to me n its dinner later at her place, yay! :)

After the dinner that night, we went to do something I loved doing in New York.. Hooka-ing!
And then there were more drinks, of coz keke.



I miss them n I miss New York!
Cant wait to see all of them again.
:(

**********************

12th March 09

Our regular BFF gathering!
(Btw, its Bad Friends Forever, not the normal ones coz we aint normal to begin with. Them, not me. :p)

We decided to do something different this time.
N also... it was a post-birthday celebration for Wendy.
So it was off to K-box, we go!

Birthday girl get to sing, we get to drink.
:D



We got her a small Mango cake.. no durian coz she hates them.
I hope she likes her mini celebration coz we all did have so much fun, I almost laughed until I fell off the couch!



I went home with a hoarse voice, but feeling immensely blessed* to have such great friends.
Might be planning a BKK trip with the girls, I do pray it comes true!

I love shopping n eating n I lurve my girls.
Til then, au revoir everyone!

Take care, will be back soon.



xoxo
elaine

Tags to be replied tonight!
Jungle Boy hungry. :(

Hi everyone!
Guess Im terribly late this time!
I have about a million pictures in my Picasa & then there were more with my recent HongKong holiday! Just greeeeat...

Alrighty, I'll start off from my Valentine Day dinner - a lovely treat from the everso stingy Jungle Boy who is forever telling me he ate bread & water for 3 months just to bring me to Akashi. (-_-)''
Heehe!



There were no exchanging of presents this year between the two of us, but we might be planning a short weekend getaway if the both of us can make it.

I love holidays & Jungle Boy likes to eat snake.. so a holiday would be more apt a present than something material. Not only that... Im fussy so Im better off buying myself presents!

The men just dun get it...
A typical conversation between us goes something like this.

Jungle Boy: Why must buy so expensive bag?
Me: Why cannot!
Jungle Boy: NTUC plastic bag also can put thing inside wat... n its free!
Me: *kicks pull hair screams* Go away laaaa you!!!

But then happy days came... Taipei!

i've always loved Taipei.. for the food, the people and of coz the magnificent shopping areas!
People in Taipei shop til wee hours in the night becoz they love going out late & meeting friends for a drink or some dessert.

Night markets are abuzzed with activity even at 11pm, where long queues for food at roadside stalls can be seen.
Dessert shops are busy, with groups of friends chatting, or lovebirds on a date.

Day One in Taipei

Once we touched down, we wasted no time by rushing off to eat some typical Mala (spicy) steamboat! They come in an array of choices - Beef, Pork, Chicken etc.
U could either choose a non-spicy based soup, or like me, I opted for both kinds.

I like it also becoz its rather hygienic as each person has their own pot of soup and you dun share the food at all.
Esp when we were in a large group, and there were dietary restrictions for some.
Eg. No beef or pork eaters - so in the end, everyone is happy!
:)



After a hearty meal, what better to burn calories by shopping??
We went to Ximending, a popular area for the hip & the trendy.

Ximending is now called the “Harajuku” of Taipei. The local bookstores sell Japanese magazines, books, CD albums, and clothing, making it a heaven for the "Harizu", or Japanese culture adorers. Individual vendors gather in the streets as well as the large business buildings, such as Wannien Department Store and Shizilin Square in the early days, and Wanguo Department Store and Eslite 116 in the later period.

After walking and buying stuff, we trooped to another famous Taiwanese pastime.. Milk desserts!

Thinly shaved ice milk with various toppings like mango, kiwi & strawberries makes it a local favourite.. esp during summer when the weather is hot!

My favourite after-shopping activity.
What a great way to end the night.
Yum yum!

Taiwanese Milk Ice Dessert


Day Two

We woke up bright and early to shop!
As we had a day full of places to go, we set off by taking the train.

Most areas of interest are easily accessible from the transit system. The MRT (Taipei's Metro Rapid Transit System) has well-marked signs, in both English and Chinese, throughout the stations to get you to your destination quickly. They have above and below ground lines. The above ground lines are particularly good, and cheap, for sightseeing. An automated system tells you each station's name when approached in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English.

And so we decided to go WenfenPu, a popular wholessalers market.



They are like Bugis Village, a smattering array of individual shops selling clothes, accessories & shoes.
I like how funky the owners there can be and I admire the artistic factors of some shops no matter how small or cramped the area is.

Taiwanese people are mostly animal lovers, so dun be surprised to see a dog or cat lazing around in the shop with their owner!

I love petting animals & buying clothes at the same time, hehee!

In the 1960s, many people from FangYuan (芳苑, a town in Chang-Hua County, Central Taiwan) noticed that it was easier to make a living in Taipei and came to rent houses from the veterans. They used the first floor as a pret-a-porter (ready-made clothes) shop and the second story as their houses and the tailoring place. After a few years, the veterans all sold their houses to these inhabitants from FangYuan and many newcomers, and as of today Wufenpu is still a special pret-a-porter wholesale hub for clothes retailers in Taipei.



After an afternoon of bargaining and walking.. we went for some oyster omelette done Taiwan style!
I like it coz its not as starchy as our local ones and they are accompanied by a rather sweet-spicy chili sauce which complements the dish very well.

Oyster Omelette


Then we headed for Shilin Night Market.

Taipei has many night markets, most famous of which is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin District of the city. The surrounding streets by Shilin Market get extremely crowded during the evening. Most night markets in Taiwan open around 4 p.m. as students begin returning home from school, crowds reach their peak between 8 and 11 p.m. Businesses continue operating well past midnight and close around 1 to 2 a.m.

If there is anything NOT to do in Taipei.. its having a proper dinner becoz there are so many roadside stalls in Shilin, u would be spoilt for choice!

U can walk and eat.. shop then eat again.. walk somemore take pictures and eat again!
Its a dieter's nightmare, quite literally.



And dun be alarmed when you have to wait for 20 mins for something as simple as fried chicken in Shilin at 10pm!
The queues can be snake-long for popular food, like oyster mee sua or even smelly tofu.

I know some people would avoid the fermented beancurd snack like the plague, but there are really nice tasting ones in Taipei!
Dun let the smell fool you, they dun taste anything like how its smells. :p

Sometimes I dun find it smelly enough.

Smelly Tofu (Deepfried style)



Wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacture and preparation. Most typically, it consists of tofu which has been marinated in a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat for as long as several months. The brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs.

Stinky tofu can be eaten cold, steamed, stewed, in mala soup or most commonly, fried. It is often accompanied by chili sauce.

After filling our tummies and walking like mad for the whole day, we decided to go do something the Taiwanese people love... Dogs!

There are shops and shops selling these puppies and they are the cutest things ever.



I never agree with the commercial part of buying a puppy from pet shops but I guess the demand for something so small & cute will never go away anytime soon.
I strongly advocate adopting one from animal shelters, becoz puppy farms use mostly cruel ways to breed puppies for sale.

My heart broke when I saw how small the cages they were in, but I do pray for them to be bought soon by someone who would truly love and treat them well.
How ironic.

On a happier note, we went back extremely tired, extremely full.. but also extremely happy as we all had great fun in Taipei. These would be memories that I would relish forever.
:)

The Loots


Bye all, I have a thousand things to do this afternoon!
Need to wash clothes, wash toilet, mop room, declutter & unpack my stuff from Hongkong.

Will be back soon with pictures from my HongKong holiday next, take care everyone.

God bless.

xoxo
elaine

Tags Replied:
Im sorry if I cant reply to all.. there are too many tags dating from way too long!
For personal questions or quicker responses, I'd appreciate emails. :)
sugar_sweet7733@yahoo.com

Fan: Thank you darling! I hope u like my new updates!

Jace: Heehe! Heard u saw Jungle Boy last week? Keke... n I will update my link to ur new blog soon. Thanks!

Regina/ Ping: Thank you babes!

Ladysilver: Ooooh I miss enzo so much! That little cutiepie.. Take care n update ur blog more ok!

maggie: *hugs* I know u have been going thru alot this past few weeks, do take care n be strong! jia you!

Cupcake: Thank you! I guess I needed a change after having the same hairstyle for so long!

S: My hair is not coloured! Except for the streak in my fringe. :)

June: Thank you dear! Im not stylish.. just quite vain!:P

Wendy: LOL! Omg....Im not a taitai lor! But I did blow my hair that night coz it was my daddy's birthday and we booked a private room for celebrations, hence the blowdry.

piepie: Heehe! Thank you! Think its the new hairstyle laaaa!

junni aka diaster: Thank u too! But my curls are temporary one.. n I never rebond my hair actually too! Its just that my hair is naturally straight n heavy thus it looks rebonded! ;D

jace: Thank u! The Bible is my saviour at all times.. :)

Diane: Who is Jamie Yeo's new bf??? She got new bf already ah!!! *scandalous juicy news*

polarie: I miss u too!!! N yeah! Japanese bathhouses very nice! Thou quite paiseh to walk naked everywhere.... keke!

To Mag/T/Nana/Megan & everyone else regarding my new haistyle..:
I got it cut by a hairstylist in Japan Tokyo, at Narita Aeon Mall by the name of Takimoto Fusako. She speaks English so I usually look for her. The hairsalon is called Earnest, tel: 0476-24-5831

The streak in my fringe is dyed at Jean Yip, Parkway. The rest of my hair is not dyed.
This was inspired by my best friend Wendy from Twister, Monsoon.
(She flew to HK before I had the chance to dye my fringe thats why I went JY!)

Ok, bye bye!
Really got to go now.. back soon!
Keep reading, keep tagging!
Loves.
:)

A preview picture from my HK trip!(Maybe u can see the hair colour better from here.)
In airport express to Kowloon.



"A girl should be two things - classy & fabulous."
Coco Chanel

Bye all! *hugs & kisses*
:D

Sometimes I get alittle lost in life and I start daydreaming.

I wonder if my path would be different if only I've studied harder, or I've put in more effort at work - or maybe.. if I've gotten another job from the very start.

Then suddenly Jungle Boy jolts me out from space and says," You dunno how fortunate you are already."

I wake up and realise that I am indeed such a lucky, lucky girl.

Thank you my BFFs, thank you my family, and most of all - thank you Jungle Boy for not spoiling me.

For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose their soul?
Matthew 16: 26

The simplest things makes me happy.
We play Scrabble every night & its costs nothing but means everything.
:)

Hi everyone!!!

Im finally back from HongKong n I had so much fun there! :D
I ate until tummy want to burst already, then there we shopped n shopped until my legs nearly cant walk anymore.. we blew candles for the birthday girl in Lan Kwan Fong, squeezed with a million PRCs in Ocean Park, n got caught in the rain until all our boots were soaking wet!

And then we found H&M n it was shopping all over again in Mongkok.
Damn drama mama, man.

But I do love my best friend n I wish her health, happiness & everything she asks for in life.
:)

Happy Birthday, BFF.



God bless.
Back with pics soon!

xoxo,
elaine

Hi & bye everyoneeee!
Im off to Hongkong tomorrow morning and I'll be meeting my very cute, very lovable but very short best friend there!
But if she's going to fight with me over the toilet... I'll karate-chop her!

We're spending her birthday there too, so excited!
:D

Take care everyone, will be back soon.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine



P.S
Poor Jungle Boy has to work hard in Singapore, all alone somemore while his gf go mai dong xi, cie dong xi.
Ahahaha! *evil*