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Japanese Festival and Goodies

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:20:00 +0000

It's hard to get a clear shot of the stage when kids are infatuated with jumping on them for their 5 minutes of fame..

Singaporeans love Japanese food too, but how well they know them remains in doubt.

Green tea and chocolate chip sponge cake

Green Tea and chocolate chip soft wafer biscuits

Green Tea collon, better than the regular flavors out in supermarkets across Singapore

Green tea and chocolate chip soft cookies

Green Tea marshmallow with red bean filling

Green Tea and caramel candy, though it looks more like some herbal medicine with its packaging.

Japanese fruit and yoghurt pudding <3

I still can't figure out the taste for this one. Coffee? Chocolate? Or maybe it's a combination of both...

Holga Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:50:00 +0000

Well, recently, I was infatuated with Holga Cameras since they're unique. The photos taken are even more special than digital cameras, not to mention that these holga cameras actually uses film instead of memory stick. Yup, that's where the charms of old-school cameras lie, those good old days of yesteryear coming back once again and kicking digital camera butts (supposedly if digital cameras have them in the first place).

Though, I won't go so crazy and buy each and every single Holga out in the market, it's absolutely crazy to even think about it. So yeah, I'm only going for those that are really really special, especially when the photos are developed.

So, just check out my (not so latest) Holga Camera collection that I have amassed so far:

A small tiny palm sized camera in all its packaged glory!!

The front view of the camera, it really fits into the palm of your hand. I'm not kidding!!

The back view of the camera. The film can be just attached on after flipping the back lid open. Took quite a while to really figure this out, despite asking around for help and ended up in disbelievement.

Nya Nya Holga ak.a. Cat Holga

yes, it's in a tin food can format, except the tin is much bigger than regular tin food (>.<)

It comes with a lid that is easily opened. And that means, if you want to use the camera, you have to open up the lid...

Instruction manuals, warranty cards... all in Japanese. (My Japanese sucks so horribly that reading an entire sentence is going to give me nightmares)

The camera itself... Nya Nya Holga!!! You have to put in AA (or AAA) batteries so that the camera can go "Meow Meow" when you press a button. Film wise, it's the normal film which is easily bought from camera shops that sells films.

On a note, I wonder who's going to be doing the chasing when I use this camera? Me who is running after the cat for a photo? Or the cat who suddenly seemed annoyed at the meowing camera? Anyway, that is all for my camera collections, and I seriously hated digital version because until now, I still can't figured out how to use them... And I'm absolutely proud of it, cos' I'm old-school!!

Back... Finally

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Yes, I'm finally back again. The lame and sucky reason is because I lost, or rather, forget my password for my blog. So yeah, I was having some problems trying to log in a.s.a.p (>.<)

Anyway, I've already have my photos ready for posting up and blogging about them, so it's basically the password issue. And now that I'm back, the Pu's back in the blogging business, folks.

Meanwhile, I'll just stop right here and let you all go, "Pu's finally back!!"

The first actual post in such a long absence will be up tomorrow as I re-change back my password back to the one I always used regularly. Also, I'll need to clear up my photos and delete more spam in my email inbox too. Facebook account will also be checked (and maybe I might feel a little amused at that lol).

No Updates Because

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 02:52:00 +0000

There won't be any updates on this blog for at least a week as I am not feeling well at all. I've seen a doctor and although he prescribed medication for me, I found myself feeling even worse after taking it. Meanwhile, I'll be chilling as I try to recover a.s.a.p. And do note that there won't be any updates to Mars And Venus... Actually too (for at least 1 month or so.)

View from Harbourfront

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Those were the good ol' days where you can take a ferry from this terminal to Kusu Island, St John's Island while passing by Sisters Island. And if you're the romantic type, take the ferry to Sentosa Island.

I'm starting to miss the ferry terminal at Sentosa already. It holds so much memories for me when I was little...

Ginger Onion Pork Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Ginger with onion (it's really scallions) and pork on a bowl of rice topped with this yummy black sauce!!

Sloppy, Nonchalant or Heck-care dress-style

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:17:00 +0000

Okay, at least this one didn't look so bad. Although he was wearing flip-flops, but at least he has the decency to wear a pair of jeans instead.

Note that this is an sports apparel store and since sports apparel sells pretty expensive, how come people who can afford to spend their money on Converse, Adidas and Kappa Sports doesn't have the same amount of money to dress smartly?

This is also from the same sports apparel store.

Look couple, I know both of you are going to the beach. But then, you both are taking the train from Orchard Road area...

Ang Koo Kueh + Soon Kueh

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:04:00 +0000

The transliterated Chinese name of this dish is 笋粿 (sun guo). This is a steamed Chinese dumpling made of rice flour skin with chopped turnips strips as filling. Although the word 'soon' is a Chinese dialect word for bamboo shoot (笋), practically all modern versions of this dish are made with turnip. It can be eaten steamed or fried (to make the skin crispy), with sweet dark soya sauce and chilli paste.

How to make Soon Kueh:

Ingredients:

200g dried shrimps, soaked
50g dried mushrooms, soaked and sliced
200g chicken or port fillet, sliced into strips
500g chives, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Dough:

900ml water
1/4 tsp salt
500g rice flour
100ml oil
250g tapioca flour

Method:

1. Cook the filling and set aside.

2. Boil the water in a pot and then stir in the salt, rice flour and oil. Mix thoroughly till the mixture thickens.

3. Allow to cool before removing from t he pot. Knead into a dough with tapioca flour. Divide into the same number of portions as the filling. Shape into a ball.

4. To make the soon kueh, wrap 1 ball of filling with the dough. Press the edges together to seal then twist patterns along the edges.

5. Steam on a greased tray lined with banana leaf for 12 minutes.

6. Remove and brush with oil.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A traditional must-have during a child's first month celebration, commonly know as 满月 (man yue). Not too sure what it symbolises though, but red is usually used in happy occasions like in weddings and all. ang koo kueh literally means "red tortise kueh". traditionally made in a mould with the shape of a tortise shell.

Guess what flavour?

It's green tea!!

How to make Ang Koo Kueh

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato Skin:
200 g sweet potatoes
300 g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsps oil160 ml water
Some red coloring (optional)
Mung Bean Filling:
200g yellow split mung beans (soaked until soft)
80g - 100 g castor sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsps oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup diced shallots
Water

Method:

Sweet Potato Skin:
Steam the sweet potatoes until soft.
In a bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a fork. Add glutinous rice, oil and water and mix well to obtain a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave aside. You can add a little more water if the dough is too dry.

Mung Bean Filling:

Steam the yellow split mung beans until soft. Mash with a fork.
In a non-stick wok, fry the diced onions in oil. Leave aside to cool.
In a bowl, mix the mashed split peas, salt, fried onions, oil and enough water to form a soft dough.

Shaping the Ang Koo Kueh:

1. Brush the ang koo kueh mould with a little oil to ease removal of the kueh from the mould.

2. Take a small lump of sweet potato dough and using your palm or a rolling pin, flatten it, into a round shape with the centre thicker than the sides.

3. Spoon some pea filling into the dough, pinch the sides of the dough together, and using the palm of your hand, roll it into a ball.

4. Press the ball into the mould firmly, to obtain the design and shape of the mould. Tap the mould gently on the table to remove the ang koo kueh from the mould.

5. Place the ang koo kueh on a square piece of oiled banana leaf.

6. When all the ang koo kuehs are shaped, steam them in a wok over high fire for 3 minutes covered. After 3 minutes, remove the cover to release steam, then re-cover and steam for another 3 minutes over a medium fire, until the kuehs are cooked.

7.Remove the kuehs from the wok and brush them with a little oil to prevent them from sticking to each other. Serve when cool.

Notes:If you don't like the mung beans, you can use peanuts or red beans filling.I used about 26g pastry and 19g filling.

That queue cutter

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:00:00 +0000

He had no qualms when he cut into my queue for dessert. But as soon as I pointed him out to my family, he quickly turned his head the other way. But not before I snapped a picture of him from the side. Lucky for him, he was sitting one table away from me to be able to hear me bitch about him having ill manners and not queuing up to buy things.

Check this out

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:57:00 +0000

My father can actually read his newspaper while lying on the bed. Impressive part? He never falls asleep like this. If this was my case, the newspaper would be covering half my body (like a corpse) and I'd be snoozing in under 5 minutes.

Home cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:55:00 +0000

Just as the woman in Silent Hill quote, "A mother is god in a child's eyes", mothers sure are impressive when cooking up a meal.

Before my mother started cooking.

After my mother is done with the cooking.

Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:48:00 +0000

Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Perhaps no other stories possess as much power to enchant, delight, and surprise as those penned by the immortal Brothers Grimm. Now, in the new, expanded third edition, renowned scholar and folklorist Jack Zipes has translated all 250 tales collected and published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, plus twenty-nine rare tales omitted from the original German edition, as well as narratives uncovered in the brothers' letters and papers. Truly the most comprehensive translation to date, this critically acclaimed edition recaptures the fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm intended them to be: rich, stark, spiced with humor and violence, resonant with folklore and song.

P/S: As much as the book's summary makes it out to be so splendid, all I wanted was the hardback (hardcover) edition instead of the paperback edition...

Orange Bringing SexyBack

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:46:00 +0000

she's bringing sexyback...
yeah...
those other girls oh so skinny leh...
yeck...

Black Forest + Doraemon

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Black forest cake.

Doraemon character cake.

Spaghetti with Sardine and Sliced Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:02:00 +0000

This recipe serves 1.

Prepare sliced chilies, onions and a tomato roughly chopped.

Roughly break up your sardine into bite-sized morsels.

In a saucepan, fry your tomatoes, sliced onions and chilies.

Add in spaghetti sauce when your tomatoes, onions and chilies looked almost done.

Add in sardines and if you want more spice, put in a few drops of Tabasco sauce.

Once cooked, serve on top of cooked spaghetti and eat. Yummy!!

Herbal Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Green Tea Ice Flakes

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:56:00 +0000

Green Tea Ice Flakes/Shavings with Red Bean Paste.

BreadTalk Going Japanese...

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:36:00 +0000

A stroll along Harajuku, our eyes met. That fleeting moment, I knew it would be you.
Soft and succulent, fresh aroma of baked cheese with generous chunks of meat
One bite from you,
one bite from me
That's my meat@harajuku.

At 4am, Tsukiji Fish Market bursts into life with raw, cold freshness and rowdy auctioneers' voices. I had dory fish topped with boshi fish flakes, seaweed and wasabi egg cream. It's a lip-smacking snack anytime, anywhere!

"Konichiwa" is the first Japanese word I learnt during my travel. Nothing brings a smile faster than a sincere, simple greeting. Just like this crowd pleaser I created, enjoy flavourful toppings of Japanese fishcakes with cheese.

Meanwhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:02:00 +0000

And my mother was apparently not concerned that I bagged a cauldron and decided to read the newspapers instead...

Harry Potter Cauldron

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:55:00 +0000

All I wanted was this, and only this. I'll buy the DVDs instead.

Professor Nails Troublemaker with Eraser

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:00:00 +0000

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Deer Leap Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:54:00 +0000

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Cat Blocks Dog Intrusion

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Well, the typhoon disrupts Internet access

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:37:00 +0000

And it is rather hard to surf the Internet properly and although luckily I had signed up for a Mobile Broadband account, charges will build up. And yup, I've been trying since morning to log on to Blogger for a blog post to no avail until now. And as I am trying to keep blogging, I'm afraid that I might need to post up funny videos for at least close to 48 hours until Internet connections are secure. Meanwhile, keep a prayer for those who might be involved in landslides located in the Southeast Asia region.

Sincerely,
Pu Niao

Dresser Table

noreply@blogger.com (Pu Niao) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:54:00 +0000

My mother's dresser table, also choke-ful of The Body Shop products.