my table

Not quite sure what I was trying to achieve with this shot. I was uploading some photos and left the camera on my table and saw this shot on the screen. Thought it was rather cute. How many things can YOU identify in the photo?

chinese

Watching Natalie on the communitychannel on Youtube is making me blog a lot for some funny reason. She's what you term a video blogger. So instead of typing up posts like these, they make videos and post them on youtube. I must admit though some of her videos are really quite funny and according to ChowChow, she is one of the most subscribed videobloggers on youtube. Go ahead, you know you want to have a sneak peak at what I'm talking about. Go youtube "community channel" and the first one that comes up should be an Asian chick with long hair on the screen shot. Alternatively, youtube "orgasm blush".

Anyway, that was not the reason I am blogging at this moment. Partially, I'm trying to escape from having to write up my essay. But that's not the point.

The point is.... why is it that when Chinese people see me, they automatically assume that I'm Chinese? Do I have "I speak Mandarin" tattoed across my forehead? Not the last time I checked, no. Yet funny enough, this morning when I went downstairs to answer the doorbell, this couple assumed I am Chinese and proceeded to speak to me in Mandarin saying that they were here to view the furniture. To which I gave them a very puzzled look (plus the fact I had just gotten out of bed). Then they explained that they were looking for 132A, which is the house behind mine.

And all but 5 minutes ago when I went downstairs to answer the doorbell yet again, these three people (one female and two male) automatically assumed I am Chinese and proceeded to speak in Mandarin asking if my place is 132A.

Seriously! Other than the fact that I am Asian, is there anything about me that screams the fact that I speak Mandarin? No! I mean, I could be like Korean or Japanese or Vietnamese or something you know? Other than the fact that I am not but that is really beside the point.

OK, not too sure what was the purpose of this rant for but just felt like I needed to say something about that.

Ciao

p/s Maybe I should go cook some french toast now for nobody who is hungry which means either I will end up eating everything by myself, force feed it to someone in the house or let it sit on the counter for a day or two before throwing it into the dustbin. Not too sure what is up with my cleaning/cooking streak for the last few days. Should really get that checked out.

Mamma Mia!

Not quite sure why that poster says the release date is September '08 when I watched it in the cinema last night.

Btw, the guy on the right reminds me of Mark Smitten from Tudors (the gay musician who was accused of adultery with Queen Anne Boleyn and quite brutally sent to the gallows)

Back to Mamma Mia!. Watching Meryl Streep play the role of the (somewhat promiscuous when she was younger) mother to Sophie was definitely a huge huge change from the role of chief editor she undertook in The Devil Wears Prada (which btw I absolutely loved as well). A singing Pierce Brosnan was rather... odd. And I'm sorry to burst your bubble Xin, but Colin Firth plays the gay role.

All in all, I absolutely enjoyed the movie except for some Bollywood like moments where everyone in the vicinity breaks out into song and dance and all are in sync. A little too corny for my taste. But overall, I loved the movie, sang most of the songs and probably embarrassed the hell out of Yi Lin who was seated to my right and Allan to my left. Believe me, if I could, I would have been dancing by the aisle.

Unless you grew up listening to Abba on your mother/father's CD player, I wouldn't advice you going for the movie unless you were into musicals. But then again, if you were into musicals, you would have probably watched Mamma Mia before. So uhm yeah. Totally readdicted to Abba songs now!


[Edit] Just realised what a horrible attempt at a movie review that was. =(

grilled salmon wrapped in bacon

Presenting...........
grilled salmon wrapped in bacon with sides of peas, carrots and mash potatoes with gravy

Because Overdresser wouldn't believe that I, Castalnetta, am capable of cooking.. these two pictures are here to prove to him otherwise.

Scrambled Eggs

okay.. so maybe i should have taken a photo of my perfect (to me anyway) scrambled eggs that i made at 2pm for lunch today (i even got up and had breakfast today! i am slowly breaking my one/two meal a day cycle).

Scrambled Eggs
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of milk (1 teaspoon for each egg)
1 dash of salt (1 dash of salt for every two eggs)
1 tablespoon of butter for frying (i used oil instead because i can't stand the smell of butter on the pan)

(multiply accordingly if you want to make more)

Heat a non stick frying pan
Whisk the eggs, milk and salt. Let the foam settle.
Melt the butter in the pan. (I sprayed oil evenly around the pan instead)
Add egg mixture
Wait until the first hint of setting begins
Use a spatula/flat wooden spoon and push the egg towards the centre while tilting the skillet to distribute the runny parts onto the pan
Continue this motion as eggs continue to set
Repeat until there are no more runny bits.
Flip over and cook for 15-20 seconds.
Serve on plate.
Salt & pepper to taste.



My pretty much perfect scrambled eggs on the first attempt! Yayzors!!!!

my lace choker

the choker that i bought online from hottopic.com
the box that they used to send the choker in

the size of the choker that i bought in comparison to the box that they used to send the choker in

NOW we know where my 27dollars in postage went to.

i sucketh

made my first batch of muffins yesterday.. and i kinda burnt the top of the chocolate chips. good god i sucketh at this cooking/baking thing.

i'm hungry

I'm hungry... and cold.. and craving for a nice hot plate of ...If you don't know what that mess looks like, it is called wat tan hor or char hor fun or yin yong min.

During my trip to Melbourne, Celine and Bako brought me to this delightful little eating place in an alley shopping mall like place off ChinaTown where I rediscovered my love for this dish. Noodles, chicken slices, beef slices, prawns and occasionally squid are the essential ingredients of the dish. For a touch of colour, green leafy vege is used. Its delectably silky gravy is conjured up from egg, starch, seasoning and sauce.

The flavour of the dish is light and inviting. It is not heavy nor overly oily and somehow it whets your appetite just enough to want you going back for more. And going back for more is exactly what i want.

It is currently 2am in New Zealand, pretty much everything is closed, I'm hungry and I'm cold and I just want a nice hot plate of wat tan hor.

Goddamnit New Zealand.