Are you AWARE?

Below message from the former AWARE team:

http://www.we-are-aware.sg/ is a site set up by the old guards of AWARE. There seems to be lot of support in cyberspace, but we don't know how many of those voices will be attending the EGM.

It would be great if all of you who are intending to come to the EGM and supporting the old guards could register on http://www.we-are-aware.sg/, so that we can keep you informed of what to expect at the EGM, dos and don'ts/ etc. It will also help us plan and organise the logistics for the day, and to make sure that the event goes as smoothly as can be expected under these circumstances.

From our viewpoint, what is really at stake is the space for a diversity of views in our cosmopolitan, pluralistic, multiracial, multireligious and multicultural society. The continuance of an all-inclusive and secular AWARE depends on YOUR VOTE.

For All Women, Sign Up, Turn Up, Be Counted

EGM Venue is now at Suntec City Convention Center, Hall 402.
Date: 2 May 2009
Time: 2pm-5pm (registration starts 12pm, please turn up earlier)

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

Last week, I have listed the men who are my personal favourites. Now I shall unveil LOL8's, my top 10 personal favourites of the women I love.

I don't know why, for women, I do not go purely for looks. I'm stricter because there are just too many many many with the beauty but what about brains? Besides looks (which not necessarily must be stunning), they had to have a certain X factor, a certain charisma, a certain special something that is attractive, that makes them a star. I have come across many beautiful ladies in real life whom are attractive plus the X-factor. It is not nice for me to dig out all the women I know personally for this posting, so I will pick only the higher profile celebrities whom everyone know. And it's not the usual suspects of dumb blondes (aka Paris Hiltons of the worlds) or sweet young things (aka Jolin Tsais of the world).

1. Tang Na 堂娜
She is the only idol I would admit to. Those who are close to me knows she is my idol, and not many people know who she is. Nana is a China-born actress/singer known in Taiwan. I noticed Nana when she was acting in the early days, her acting was superb. Her singing was what impressed me. Mostly sob songs, she has a powerful voice with hits like 別戀 and 退路. I will never forget her concert when she belted out my favourite song 庆幸 and she cried. After a serious car accident when she was 27, she turned to yoga to recuperate. She is in her early 40s now and is a yoga instructor, with DVDs, books, fashionwear line and she owns a cafe. She is a brave woman, a very quiet person who talks calmly. I would consider her a Sophisticated Beauty. The accident affected her deeply, she said: "痛,提醒我还活着", to which I would like to add.... life is pain and suffering, but at least we have a precious human life.

2. Lee Young Ae 李英爱
LYA is a South Korean actress who is very well known in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe and her fan base easily numbers hundreds of millions. Known as the 'Oxygen Lady' because of her beauty (no cosmetic surgery at all), her popularity grew by leaps and bounds due to her performance in the incredibly successful Korean drama Dae Jang Geum (Jewel In The Palace). She has been a great ambassador of many titles (including Goodwill Ambassador in 2004 by UNICEF) as well as been involved in numerous charity events. She personally made many donations to schools and hospitals. She has earned a number of Best Actress awards. I love LYA not because of her popularity, but because of her thoughts in her autobiography and books. And I just love to hear her speak. She is very patient and calm and speaks ever so gently (unlike younger bitchy loud-mouthed actresses) and she is very shy off-screen. Now 38, she has a Masters in Theatre & Film and is multi-lingual in many languages. I would consider her a very Dignified Beauty.

3. Chen Xiu Wen 陈秀雯
She is a veteran Hong Kong actress. Although she may not be a stunning beauty, I remember her good acting skills when I was a kid watching HK serial 浮生六劫 starring her, and the late Leslie Cheung, Yue Hua and Alex Man. I feel the younger HK actresses nowadays are so over-rated. Actresses like Chen Xiu Wen in the older days were so different. They just concentrated on acting and often portrays her girl-next-door roles convincingly. I would consider her a Demure Beauty.

4. Princess Diana
Everyone knows her. I liked her ever since her fairy tale wedding to Prince Charles and even more when I saw her pictures with Baby William (she loved her boys dearly). Princess Di has done a great job in community work, a great humanitarian involved in several charity projects. Although she was the People's Princess and had high-profile fame as Her Royal Highness, it was a pity her personal life was so ill fated. I always remember her downcast, seductive yet sad eyes, I often wonder, exactly how happy she was after her divorce. I would call her an Enigmatic Beauty.

5. Jeon Do-yeon
She is another highly-acclaimed South Korean actress who has won many awards including best actress at Cannes Film Festival in 2007. She is most famous for her extraordinary portrayal of a broken woman who has lost everything in the movie, Secret Sunshine, which I watched. Not exactly a true-blue beauty (she has small eyes), what captured my attention was her smiles. She was so bright and cheery which made her nose and eyes crinkled whenever she smiled. Even her smiles were mentioned in the Korean drama, Lovers In Prague. She is truly a Sunshine Beauty. She is 38, married, and just gave birth to a daughter this year.

6. Aung San Suu Kyi
Although I am not familiar with the political life of this Prime Minister Elect of Burma, she is a high profile lady who has fought hard for democracy for her country. She was a Nobel Prize winner in 1991. To this day, Myanmar's military junta has placed her under house arrest for about 14 years on and off. It is rare to see such resilience in this petite and pretty lady. She is an outstanding example of the "power of the powerless". She is truly a Heroic Beauty.

7. Jaclyn Smith
My all-time favourite American actress, she was one of the original Charlie's Angels. To me she was a moving model among the complex faces in Hollywood. A number of style mavens and magazine polls have attested to Smith's popularity and declared her one of the most beautiful women in the world. I remember watching her in Charlie's Angels when I was very young and has remembered her since for being such a stunning beautiful lady. In my eyes, no American actress has replaced her so far. She is truly an Elegant Beauty.

8. Angelica Lee 李心洁

Discovered by Taiwan's director-actress-singer Sylvia Zhang Ai Jie, Angelica is a Malaysian who is based in Taiwan. She started out as a singer. She did not make an impression as a singer to me. However at that time, I saw in her a certain star quality which I thought would be better if she went into acting. Indeed, she was a natural when she acted. Angelica starred in The Eye, the hit Asian horror film, winning her the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Festival and a Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Award. She is among the very few Asian artists to be awarded as Berlin Film Festival Best Newcomer Awards in 2004 for her role in Betelnut Beauty. In her early 30s, this star has a long way to go. She is definitely a Pleasant Beauty.

9. Faye Wong 王菲
Many would know this Queen of Pop. Faye is a Chinese singer, songwriter, actress and model. She is an icon popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and to some extent in the West. I do not find Faye a natural beauty and I didn't like her much when she was younger. However with the birth of her second daughter (born with a cleft lip), she has spent recent years taking care of her, as well as setting up charity events to help the unfortunate. She has also gone spiritual, learning the Dharma from her guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche (who is also my guru). She seemed happier being married to Li Ya Peng compared to her previous marriage. I love her one song 红豆 alot. Awaiting her comeback. I would call her the really Aloof Beauty.

10. Natassja Kinski

I bet nobody in their 20s or younger even know Natassja Kinski. She is a German model, then actress in the 1970s, who has appeared in more than 60 international movies. Natassja speaks German, French, English, Italian and Russian fluently. Now 48, she is a vegetarian and suffers from mild narcolepsy. I think I saw one of her earlier movies when I was a kid. She was simply ravishing, very sexy and high-spirited. Her sex appeal was very raw, with seductive eyes and pouty lips. I would call her the Sexy Beauty.

It is weird to note that, many of these ladies I notice, when they were much younger, they did not look as good or attractive compared to their current looks (even though they may have aged). In fact, they look better and better as they age. Maybe it is because of the wisdom and experience they gained, a more laid back attitude as one gets older, more at ease with themselves as well as to those around them. I guess, that is what makes them more beautiful?

Char-Kway-Teow Kosong

Had Char Kway Teow today. The auntie at the stall was shocked I did not want ingredients like fish cake, cockles, prawns or sotong. I instructed her, just veggies like beansprouts and chye sim with egg.

So she gave me a really big plate of almost plain char kway teow. In a way it was nice, it tasted like breakfast dark noodles which are usually devoid of ingredients except beansprouts. For Char Kway Teow I just like the sweet black sauce that was used to fry the kway teow plus the mashed egg in it, that's all. Actually normally, I do not like the fish cake or prawns in this dish anyway. As for cockles usually, I just take one or two. So, although it was plain char kway teow today, I had say, I didn't miss much. :)
Some snaps I took recently.

The simple fare

Maybe it's because I'm half Teochew, I like to eat little dishes with plain porridge. I could almost eat it everyday if I don't have a choice. Recently because of the hot weather, I tend to want to eat porridge, or something simple. Porridge does not make one thirsty afterwards, unlike other outside MSG-laden food.

One of the days, for lunch, I bought dishes and porridge from outside. I chose szechuan veggies, stir fry cucumber, and egg tofu, all packed into a lunch box. The plain porridge had sweet potato in it too.

For lunch today, as I was in Park Mall, I went to Han's Cafe. This local chain of restaurants which served simple local food, western food and pastries, is famous for their fish and chips. Their middle-class style was simple, decor clinical, and presentation of food too was simple. It was sort of like a fast food chain serving chinese and western dishes.

I ordered the Mushroom Omelette with Potato soup and Yuan-Yang. The Mushroom Omelette came with salad and french fries. The Potato soup came with a garlic bread. The photos taken were horrible as I messed up my phone's settings. Some people on vegetarian diet would avoid eggs as well, but not me (this I will elaborate in another posting).

The Mushroom Omelette was real simple and light (which was what I wanted) but a little too wet for my liking. I loved the fries and salad. Ever since I went on vegetarian diet, had been craving for fries. The bowl of potato soup served was really too much it almost overflowed and I could not finish the whole bowl. It was too watery with no faintest taste of potato. I didn't like the Yuan Yang (coffee mixed with tea). It tasted like diluted coffee. Must remind myself never order Yuan Yang in any restaurants other than HK cafes. And at Han's, it is best to stick with its set lunches like Fish & Chips and Pork Chops sets if you are in a hurry.

If music be the food of love, play on.....

Other dishes I prepared on trial and error, but 90% were delish.

Mee Goreng

Sweet & Sour Fried Eggs
Ketchup Potatoes
Mee Sua Noodles Soup with Egg & Bacon
Braised Tau Kwa with Mushrooms

Mapo Tofu

Minced Pork Spaghetti

The meaty stuff

Well, here are some of the seafood, fishy and meaty stuff I attempted to cook.

Sweet & Sour Seafood Platter
Garlic Drunken Prawns
Shanghai Braised Pork Belly

Honey Pork Ribs

The green creations

I love my greens! Healthy, crunchy, light and very nutritious. Here are some of my green creations.

Fermented Beancurd Kang Kong

Stir Fry Broccoli with Young Corn and Mushroom
Sayur Lodeh
Stir-fry Lotus Root with Minced Pork
Cabbage with Taupok and Mushrooms
Sambal Long Beans
Szechuan Veggie with Minced Pork
Tau Kwa with Mushroom and Fermented Veg

Stir-Fry Bean Sprouts

Stir Fry Kai Lan

Steamed Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce

Garlic Brinjal

Chicken dishes!

There are so many variations to cook chicken. Here are some of what I did.

Kung Bao Chicken
Lemon Chicken

Claypot Chicken Rice

Curry Chicken

In hot soup!

I am thinking of creating another blog just for my food creations, so that it would be easier for me to search for reference next time, and keep it as my record of recipes I tried. For now, I shall "store" my creations here. The below are different types of soups I prepared.

Pork Rib Corn Soup
Herbal Chicken Soup

Malaysia Bak Kut Teh
Pork Rib Black Bean Soup

The dark horse won!

In my earlier prediction for the winners of this year's Star Awards, all did not come true except Chen Han Wei for Best Actor. He is a seasoned actor who deserved the award.

All the other non-winners (whom I chose) were my personal favourites. For example, 权怡风 Quan Yi Fong whom I had preferred for the Best Host Award. She gave a very touching thank-you speech when she bagged the Top 10 Most Popular Artiste Award. It has been an enigmatic year for her, as she had gone through a divorce with a kid to support, but at the same time all her 5 shows out of 6 were nominated. Although she did not win the award for Best Host, she has my personal support, for being a brave and forthright woman.

A few years ago, every morning while on the way to work, I used to listen to the morning show on radio at the old Mediaworks' radio station, UFM100.3 then hosted by DJ Huang Wen Hong. With him every morning would be regular guest hosts, like Wang Yan Qing, Zhang Hai Jie (张海洁) and Quan Yi Fong 权怡风. They broached on interesting daily topics and I love their frank yet humorous banter. I missed that program. That was when I looked at Quan Yi Fong and Zhang Hai Jie in a different light, away from their onscreen presence - more genuine, more feelings.

Ok, back to the dark horse. I am most elated with Joanne Peh's win for Best Actress. I have not predicted Joanne Peh to win, as I thought Jeanette Aw would be more hyped to win this award. However Joanne's win made me realised the potency of my dream earlier (click here). I had dreamt of Joanne Peh (left photo) for the very first time earlier this month. In the dream, she was very happy, laughing and chatting with her assistant. When she saw me, she beckoned me over, and she took pictures of us together with her mobile phone. I had mentioned then, it might be a premonition she would win the Best Actress award this year. And she really won tonight, against all odds (as to me, she was the dark horse)!

Normally I would dream alot, all kinds of dreams, good dreams, nightmares, weird dreams, absurd dreams etc... and sometimes my dreams were premonitions of something that might happen in the future. Now I can safely tell Joanne, see, my dream did come true. Haha!

Weekend laze

Nice weekend with nice food. Sis brought me to this shop in Bencoolen, selling what Taiwan is famous for - shaved ice. The shop is called Ice Monster. Their version of shaved ice was a little different from our local Ice Kacang which consisted shaved ice dripped with gula (brown sugar), syrup, condensed milk, red beans, jelly, attap seeds and peanut powder.

Ice Monster's shaved ice was really a monster version - which included fruits and milk and sherbet. We ordered the popular versions, durian and mango with ice mango sherbet and the other was strawberries, kiwis and mango with ice mango sherbet. I am not a very fruity person when it comes to desserts (I prefer chocolates and sweet rich stuff like ice cream, brownie, choc cake, tiramisu etc..). I like to eat fresh fruits on its own without all the added sauce or condiments in desserts. I tried the durian and mango Ice Monster and did not touch the strawberries and kiwis. It was quite nice and thirst quenching for a very very hot day.

I snapped the beautiful sky at noon. It was like a Divine One was descending upon the earth. Haha. It was a very very hot weekend, too hot to do anything else but laze.

I was at Marine Parade over the weekend as well. I used to frequent the hawker center there when I was working in Parkway Parade many many years ago. I liked some stalls that used to be there - chicken rice stall, char kway teow stall (wet version), nasi padang stall, and mixed veg stall there. For brunch, I ordered the Mee Rebus from a Malay stall. Mee Rebus is another Malay dish I liked which does not have meat. The dish is made of yellow egg noodles with a spicy slightly sweet curry-like gravy. The gravy is made from potatoes, curry powder, water, salted soya beans and peanuts. The dish is garnished with a hard boiled egg, calamansi limes, spring onions, Chinese celery, green chillies, fried firm tofu (tau kwa), fried shallots and bean sprouts. Yummy! And I down my Mee Rebus with a large refreshing pineapple drink!