the morning thereafter

the morning sky was painted with an array of colours from hues of pink and orange to the bluest of blue. as the sun slowly rose from behind the silhouetted skyline those wisps of clouds took on shadows, giving the picture a dramatic feel. the fading crescent moon hanging high in the sky gave the finishing touch; that was my thursday morning.

the sky was a blanket of grey and the wind was sweeping across the broadway as i walked down orchard road. it felt strangely foreign as the usually busy street was suddenly quiet with those few remaining people heading for the metro and somehow i felt really out of place too, as though i'm a traveler in another city.

i've watched bride wars and gosh i love the apartments in new york with those windows and yes i believe i have written about those windows before but nevertheless for the things we love ,it doesn't hurt to mention them several times. and never forget that the tree lined avenue with bakeries and cafes just around the corner.

you know the feeling you get while walking into the departure hall on a wintry early spring morning. the skies are cloudy with the chilly wind sweeping past and there's the scent of jet fuel lingering in the air. grab a cuppa coffee and chill as you wait for the boarding gates to be open and in the mean time, just day dream.

the lunar new year. sigh

the lunar new year has finally arrived and although i have for many years wanted to attempt at making pineapple tarts, sadly enough time is not on my side this year. but nevertheless i made something that is well known and definitely acclaimed for the tedious making process; kueh lapis. layer by layer the cake is baked.

somehow i've never like the lunar new year, the visitings are such a bother i rather stay home. for a few years now i've some plan to run away and hide, catch a flight and stay out of reach or simple just leave the house early in the morning and turn my mobile phone off. chill at starbucks somewhere and read.

going from house to house visiting was really fun in the past, but i guessed as time passes these traditions just do not appeal to us anymore. there was an article in TIME magazine that wrote about traditions the article states that kids are the ones who remembers and continues the cultural traditonal celebrations. they know what is needed, what's missing and are the ones who are interested.

these days i just wanna get done with the obligatory visits to those few relative homes and get the job done and call it a day. maybe someday i will come to enjoy the lunar new year once more but in the mean time happy lunar new year and may the year be a happening one for you with many things to come.

pause and take a breather

met up with some friends last weekend for dinner and although it's the usual company that comes every so now and then, the things we talk about changes with time as we move on in our lives but at the same time some things just don't change and that's all the rubbish and unsound things we can talk about.

was out with the old cow before the group of us met and she started talking about how she's gonna be thinking and talking about marriage soon. it's quite funny and unexpected when it comes to relationships because one can bitch and complain about the other but it always ends with loving the feller more.

but love is never my kind of coffee and when time is not on your side, gatherings and meet ups with friends seemed more of an important issue to me then going on dates. and oh my, did i mention that love can be troublesome at times too and that's something i don't want now with all the happenings happening now in my life.

i guess the main thing is the effort that is needed and sometimes it gets really tiring and confusing when the balance is screwed. then comes my attitude, i always do what i like and even my lifestyle seems years ahead; reading and baking and just chilling at a cafe with a good cuppa coffee while watching people go by.

you know they say that people of the different characters are attracted to one another but how true can it be i ask. there must be some similarities i supposed or things will be one hell of a roller coaster ride. but then i guess it's about understanding and going through numerous events in life that binds one to another.

i wanna hike up a hill, take a seat under the shade of a tree and look down upon the city, the streets of cobblestone and roofs of terracotta. people walking along the streets heading to who knows where and the al fresco cafes busy with the morning rush. the market in the city center buzzes with activity yet all is peaceful and serene as relax with the passing breeze.

apple pecan and honey

apple pecan muffin with honey comb crunch. you see the story goes something like this, old cow wei hua brought these honey comb crunch snack back from melbourne and was demanding that i bake something with them. and so the simple thought of honey and apples came to mind with the addition of pecans and a generous dash of cinnamon.

the muffins liners or cupcake liners rather as said by tung ling were quite small, it was a challenge filling them up with the roughly chopped apples and pecans and honey comb crunch. i was afraid that the batter will overflow due to the amount of fruits and nuts but then the honey comb crunch thing melted and everything fell into place.

the recipe is a really good one as the muffin is soft yet not too light and the aroma of the eggs and sugar simply makes you smile. i used whatever apples i found in my fruit basket and surprisingly they turned out well without turning mushy and soft but still packing some crunch. as for the honey comb, it melted all over the place. delicious.