FEELINGS心情日记: 表演

去了一趟泰国-芭提亚和曼谷之旅，真感谢老豆不辞劳苦出钱出力带一家大小游玩享乐，尤其让我这位千金不花分文就得以放松身心和痛快血拼，感恩啊，歹势啦！

在这个旅程里，可能是因为跟团的关系，所以有机会观赏各式各样的表演，想逐一跟大家分享一下：

1    1） 海豚表演

在我眼里，海豚是最可爱又最聪明的鱼（嗯，其实是哺乳动物）。演出的特技，包括和训练师握手，亲吻观众脸颊，高空跳跃和翻腾，摇摆呼啦圈，顶球旋转，还有最精彩的人鱼共游，速度快得惊人！演出时不难发现，在表演每个动作前，训练师都喂海豚一些生鱼，然后再做些手势或暗语。这不禁让我有点怀疑，训练过程中是不是有把海豚（或其他动物）饿坏再逼它们做这些特技呢？到底将这些海豚和其他动物收在动物园里，是一种关爱的保护和培育，还是不人道的囚禁？看看训练师和海豚的亲切互动，我希望是我多疑吧。

2    2） 大象表演

也是很可爱的一群动物，总觉得它们的嘴时刻微笑，行礼的动作像是在跟观众道谢。演出的项目也相当精彩，有踢足球，投篮球，保龄球，绘画，踩脚车，跳舞（挺搞笑的！），和为观众按摩（他们庞大的身躯还真让我冒冷汗）。训练这群大象的导师手里都握着一只前头有弯钩的竹竿，不时拍打大象的身体，或钩着大象的鼻子。只是，看着观众们哈哈大笑，我不禁又想，这样娱乐观众赚取小费的背后是否有不为人知的辛酸呢？（我太多愁善感吗？）

3    3） 鳄鱼表演

这简直是一场人鱼搏斗吧！两位表演者（一男一女）出场时，先是就地拜祭祈求神明保佑，再下水将鳄鱼们一一激醒（激怒），过程还真是危险啊！还将手臂和头放进鳄鱼口中，让我们都憋气冒汗。不过我有看见表演者点击鳄鱼身体某些部位，应该像是点穴的道理要那些鳄鱼乖乖不动。表演后，看着表演者期待的眼神，大部分观众都赏了些小费，毕竟他们是在卖命演出。

4    4） 文化表演

值得一看，短短的一个小时就可以了解泰国的风情。传统舞蹈美艳无比，泰拳搏击真实精彩（拳手很有型！），重演古代战争情景更是让我们拍手叫好，两位国王（泰国和缅甸）还是骑着大象领队打仗的！

5    5） 人妖歌舞汇

我实在不想用人妖这个词，好像有歧视的成分，不懂哪位词汇专家可以编个好听一点的词吗？这个表演节目是出乎我意料之外的，因为内容绝对健康，且有传承各国舞蹈的意义，服装和背景也很华丽，叫我目不转睛。看完表演，始终不好意思和舞者拍照，只能远远的欣赏她们（对吗？）。

6    6） 真人表演

这个环节，恕我无法讲解表演内容。只是在想，那些表演者是如何看待他们自己呢？没有其他工作了吗？这样的演出意义何在？比起前面两项演出的表演者，只能说这个表演得不到我的尊重。（NO MORE NEXT TIME！）

好吧，来些照片：

美丽的寺庙

悠哉的葡萄园

热情的海滩

奇趣的玩艺

壮观的战利品

BEAUTY美丽日记: Bright Lippies!

I didn't know it will look so vibrant on my lips! In fact, I was shocked (frightened) a bit when I first looked into mirror. All I can say is, the color pigments are strong and it definitely look the same on your lips as how it look like in the container.

Picture speaks louder than words. Enjoy! (I wonder if it is an offence to take photo while driving, I mean stopping in front of traffic light)

Hair-of-the-day: I tied my hair in a high pony tail and curl the tails with iron curler. After using a hair spray on the curls, I tied the end using a small rubber band, before twisting them around the roots to form a bun. Finally, secure with more pins. (Didn't do a good job to hide the pins!)

He challenged me to use low-angle shot when taking photos. Nah!!

Thx to my dear partner for this shot!

Except for that glittering pair of shoes (80 $$) to suit the dinner theme, I didn't splurge to dress up. The dress  is only 50 $$, which I actually bought as office wear (pairing with a cardigan of course). while other items are all old ones. Sometimes I just gotta praise myself, that I can manage to pull off with cheap/old/second-hand/whatever-I-had-in-wardrobe items.

Catch-up with friends, good old friends~

All dress-to-the-nine

Lol. Similar shots again. Let's take this every year ok?

Walked all the way to the other end of the huge hall to meet this fellow.
 After all, how often do we have chance to meet each other? Haha!

My ex-lunch mate. Miss you!! XD

And my dear partner of the night! 

KITCHEN厨房日记：Marble Cake

Thanks to our Langkawi Trip and his sister's visit to M'sia in August, we have tonnes of chocolates in the fridge that I doubt we would be able to finish them in this year! So, I try to utilize these chocolates in bakery. Tried to bake flourless chocolate cake last few weeks but it was a total failure, not worth posting about it here. This week, I tried to bake Marble Cake, which is actually butter cake with swirls of chocolate batter. And I actually modify this recipe from ordinary butter pound cake recipe!

I prepared the cake batter as usual, but scooped out 1/4 of it and mixed in melted chocolate (Hershey's!). Then, simply filled in the baking tray with a layer of butter batter at bottom layer, chocolate batter at middle layer, then topped with butter batter again.

Saw the 3 holes? I have to test the cake to make sure it is well done!

There is definitely room for improvement, but I think this is the best cake I ever baked! The texture is fluffy and soft, while taste is just nice, and not too greasy. The only thing is, the cake is too 'loose' i.e. difficult to lift up, probably because I used less butter (out of butter) and sugar (thought wanna cut down sugar consumption).

And I think, I need a good oven, proper oven (ah, blaming the tools!)

BEAUTY美丽日记: Beauty Quotes

Natural Look ≠ Bare Skin. It simply means appropriate make-up that will bring out your beauty.

More than often, things happen in the way least expected.

Whether sunrise or sunset, it’s never too late to pursue your dream.

Certain things are worth a change, while some are not.

Feel exhausted with the rush in your daily life? Then try this, do something which is different from your routine work.

Everyone can be a princess, you just gotta find a person that treats you like one.

A sweet smile is the best make up, in every occasion.

Just ignore how other people might look at you, you don’t know them anyway.

Fashion means, look good with whatever you have in your wardrobe.

And, never forget to dress up yourself, and live your life.

KITCHEN厨房日记: Dinner Times

Yup, I've been cooking dinner for myself every weekday, since I've moved to PJ 5 months ago! Time sure flies, I've made a daring move (I think) and thank goodness I adapted well to this new environment. No regrets definitely!

One of my small success here, is the collection of dinner recipes. You see, I come back home late after work, I am sharing kitchen with another 7 house mates (yes, 7!), and I have minimal utensils/space to work with. Hence, I do not cook rice and meat for dinner, as these 2 items need longer cooking time and more preparation work.

So, my dinner ingredients comprise of lots of veggies, with some carbohydrates like potato, noodles, pasta, bread and etc. Out of my surprise, with this diet plan, I actually lost 3-4 kg after about 2-3 weeks! Nevertheless, my digestion and excretion system took sometime to adapt to it.

Without further ado, let's look at my best creations! And the not-so-good ones...

Hall Of Fame

Stir-fried Penne with...

Cabbage, Tomato and Fresh Shittake Mushroom (Trust me, you will not consider dried Shittake mushroom once you've tried fresh one!)

Onion and Lady Finger

Cherry Tomato and Japanese Cucumber

Cabbage and Hokkaido Button Mushroom (These mushrooms look cute!)

Asparagus, Carrot and Seaweed (Why is asparagus so pricey in M'sia?)

 Stir-Fried Fusili with...

Romaine and Red Capsicum

Green Capsicum, Onion and White Button Mushroom (Love the mushrooms!)

Lettuce

Tomato and White Button Mushroom

Cabbage, White Button Mushroom and Cheese (Yummy!)

Stir-Fried Fettuccine with...

I like this brand of Fettuccine for its texture and also packaging of the noodles in a yarn ball. It's a lot easier to cook it in a small pot. Straight long pasta needs a big pot, you know! 

Butterhead Lettuce and Shittake Mushroom

Green and Red Capsicum

 Other Pasta...

Linguine with Green Capsicum and Onion in Creamy White Sauce

Macaroni with French Bean and Sweet & Sour Pumpkin Puree

 Enough of Pasta, Time for some Chapati Bread!

With Fresh Butterhead Lettuce and Stir Fried Lady Finger & Hokkaido Button Mushroom in Soy Sauce

With Tomato, Broccoli and Hokkaido Button Mushroom in Spicy Sauce

With Stewed Cabbage, Carrot and Tomato with Paprika Powder

 Salad

Potato, Apple and Red Capsicum

Romaine, Cherry Tomato with Cheese and Bread Crouton (Good Combination!)

Butterhead Lettuce, Red Onion, Carrot and Cheese

Fettuccine with Japanese Cucumber and Carrot (Refreshing!)

Others

Nasi Minyak with Tomato Soup and Stir Fried Mushroom
(Love the colorful fragrance rice, got it from my office gathering session)

I boiled 3 tomatoes with butter and onion, garnish with basil leaves

'Kuan Loh' (Dry, Thick Soy Sauce) Spinach Vermicelli and Fried Pumpkin

Thin pumpkin slices, fried with garlics and sugar

Fettuccine with Romaine in Creamy Soup

Kuan Loh Kuey Tiow (Flat Rice Vermicelli) with Lettuce

Banana Sandwich and Milo (Breakfast in the car, on the way to work)

Remember, Dole Bananas are the best! (Look at my cute Milk Milk!)

Laksa Singapura (Instant Noodle by Koka). Best instant curry soup noodle so far.

And Stir-Fry Bean Sprout, for a bit of nutrition and vitamin.

Stir-Fry Broccoli, Tomato, Potato and Seaweed

Pass, Just Pass

Soup (They are not bad, just too plain without good broth)

Potato, Cauliflower and Button Mushroom

Similar version, with Potato replaced by Fettuccine

Cabbage, Potato and Carrot

Baby Carrot, Baby Corn and Small Pak Choy

Fettuccine with Baby Carrot and Romaine in Milky Soup

Heard they are artifical i.e. specially cut out from deformed/rotten carrot. Is it true?

Fusili with Cherry Tomato, Yellow Bell Pepper and Spring Onion

Others

Potato and Mixed Coral Lettuce (I overcooked the potatoes)

Fettuccine and Coral Lettuce Salad, with French Salad Dressing

Fettuccine, Carrot and Apple Salad

Stir-fried Linguine with Baby Choy Sum and Carrot
 (Too much Choy Sum, I don't like the taste)

Hall Of Shame

Vietnamese Spring Roll (Maybe I failed to make nice fillings, but I just don't like the texture and taste of the rice sheet)

With Sweet & Sour Apple & Cucumber Salad

With Stir-Fry Shrreded Carrot and Shittake Mushroom

Kuey Teow with Bean Sprout in Clear Soup

No, I finished it merely because I was hungry

Linguine and Japanese Cucumber in Clear Soup

Never ever cook Japanese Cucumber in soup, they simply taste awful!

P/S: So far, this is the longest post I've ever written. Tired. Time for Beauty Nap.