Piglet In A Basket

The Mid-Autumn Lantern Mooncake Festival is coming. While everywhere, hotels, restaurants and bakeries promote their delectable mooncakes, my only interest is for the other snack that is sold during this period. We called it the 'piglet in a basket' ("gee zai bang" in Cantonese). These biscuits are normally shaped like piggies and packed in bright red plastic baskets. These 'piglets' are actually made from the same pastry used for the outer crust of mooncakes.

I love the taste which is not too hard, a bit moist and fragrant, and while chewing, I normally like it to melt slowly in my mouth. That's testament to a well-made piglet. I remember when I was young, my mom will buy these for me and sis whenever this festival comes around. We don't really care about the becoming-more-and-more-expensive mooncakes which are simply too sweet and over-rated. We prefer the simpler, tastier and cheaper counterpart - The Piglet.

You are very special

TGIF! Been too lazy to post these 2 weeks... blah...

Tonight I went dinner at the newly built Old Tiong Bahru Market with sis and bro-in-law. Ordered local comfort food to share, like Hokkien Prawn Mee, Rojak with extra Century Egg, Lor-Mee and finished off with Chendol, the coconut dessert that tasted weird.

Anyway, while we waited for my Mom who went for her swimming lesson, we shopped at a tiny kawai shop that sold cute kiddy stuff. Bought a palm size little cute purple CareBear called Harmony Bear for my niece. This is because my nephew's birthday is coming, you see, and normally when I buy the birthday kid a gift, the other kid will also get a small gift too.

Now my niece simply lurve CareBears. So far I have bought her a hug-size Funshine Bear (yellow with bright sun on its tummy) and Love-Alot Bear (pink with rainbow on its tummy). My sis told me her girl will hug and play her 2 bears every morning when she wakes up before she goes to school. In her daily time-table to her mommy, she wrote: No.1 wake up No.2 Brush teeth No.3 Take care of BB...... (BB means her 2 Bear Bears).

I know she will love this new addition who has a smiling flower with different colored petals on its tummy. Harmony is purple and purple is one of my niece's favourite colour. Plus it speaks a-plenty when squeezed on its tummy.

"Hi friend, Harmony Bear here?"

"The fun lasts long when we all get along"

" I like everything about you"

"You are very special"

Supper!

Saturday after my prayers at 9pm, went to East Coast for supper with Jess. It was a Hong Kong Cafe with crowds strolling in non-stop. We settled for their HK Iron Fist Chicken sprinkled with sesame, because it looks tasty and many people ordered it. But the taste was a disappointment. because the sauce that came with it tasted a tad too weird. Also had the HK toast with butter and of course the milk tea. The bread was too thick ( about 3 cm thick) and the butter and milk but they were not that generous in spreading it on top of the bread. For dessert, we chose the Golden Fantasy and the Mango Pomelo drink. Golden Fantasy was just mango with pomelo. The drink was similar too, just that Golden Fantasy was sweet and the drink was sourish.

Monster or Angel ?

My nephew Raegan can be quite a handful. He is naggy and loud and obnoxiously cheeky. One minute he can bawl loudly in public because he wants you to buy him a tshirt, next he can turn into the sweetest boy on earth, melting you with his smile when you bring him somewhere else - the toy shop.

Rain and/or shine

Captured in that brief half an hour this morning when I woke up - it was sunny and raining at the same time. Beautiful.

9/9/99

Today is Darryl and Darren's 7th birthday. They're my little cousins. They were born on a super unique date 9 / 9 / 1999. Plus the fact that they are a pair of twins made it even more special. Had a small gathering with the family for their little party.

Retail therapy

These few nights in a row I went shopping after work. All in all, bought a pearl colour small bag for casual weekends. The green Elle bag which my Aunt bought for me umpteen years back really HAD to go (but I really liked the bag). I almost wanted to buy the LeCoq checked bag instead but I fancy it too costly for CASUAL weekends. Was also searching for a nice handbag for work, and finally found it. It's a limited edition Tocco Baby Collection, a flaming red bag with buckles and in gold trimmings, extra lightweight and soft great-smelling leather. My prized item for now ;) (eh... my weakness is B.A.G.S.).

Within 3 nights, I bought 6 tops: a beige cardigan from Mango, a rich dark blue cardigan and light yellow havoc prints Tshirt from Topshop, a green polo Tees and bright blue blouse from Dorothy Perkins. And also beige shawl-like cardigan from M)phosis. Bought a birthday gift for Aunt Stella as well - a neat grey handbag from GG>5 in olive green trimmings which I love so much and which I know she will like. Also I even bought a pair of Nippies to try out. See how well they will STICK.

Am I stressed or what?!

Carcass

I have not touched beef for almost 2 years, I think. Ever since I became a Tibetan Buddhist or rather, after I came to know Buddhism more, I have opted not to eat beef anymore, ever again. So I didn't touch burgers at all, except chicken whopper. I used to love a sizzling medium-raw juicy steak. I used to like the popular meatballs set selling from Ikea's cafe. I used to like beef noodle soup with the thin slices of beef and beefballs.

I once had a dream, on the night after Paltrul Rinpoche gave the Ganapati initiation. I was walking in an enclosed wet market which was chilly, as if I was inside a freezer. I saw a huge chopping board on a table. On it lies a cow carcass which was just freshly slaughtered. Its body was white and I saw the head of the cow, its mouth slightly apart, and eyes still wide opened. The eyes looked of fear and terror. And it was bloody all over the carcass. Blood everywhere. I saw myself cringing in the dream.

That's why the more I didn't touch/eat beef from then on.

The dot

Monday morning, as soon as I stepped into office, colleague commented: "Wah, a zit on your forehead!" I don't remember what I muttered and ended the never-started conversation there.

Why is it that we always seem to notice the tiny black dot on a piece of white clean paper, but never appreciate the white clean paper as it is? Why is it we never fail to spot the tiniest imperfection yet never appreciate the-otherwise perfect world?

Ah... monday blues...

Best Hainanese chicken rice

Sunday, after leisurely shopping in Orchard, went in the orange sports car to Nam Kee Chicken Rice in Upper Thomson. The white chicken meat is superb, thin skin and no fat at all and it went excellently with the chilli and garlic with black sauce. We also ordered the famous sweet and sour Hainanese pork chops, juicy and crispy fragrant. The bitter gourd was thinly sliced and stir-fried with egg into an aromatic dish. Also the kang kong was superbly done with sambal chilli. Must try! Really a nice end to the weekend.

Nam Kee Chicken Rice & Restaurant
201 Upper Thomson Road, Yew Lian Park, Singapore 574343.

Tel : 62534502

Now lor

You are dying now by the second.
So you had better start living now by the second.
- Stonepeace