October 2010
28 posts
Calling cards
Spent the afternoon at Winnie’s. She made penne with pancetta and mushrooms in a tomato sauce. And she designed this beauty. She sorta took what was in my head and turned it into something sophisticated, beautiful and absolutely fitting for what type of photography I (want to) do.
I love it!
3 tags
Paella
I made paella! I made paella! From scratch!!! Since Jayna’s tweet about making paella, I’ve wanted to try my hand at this. I actually think the paella I made tastes better than restaurant paellas. I think it’s because it was made fresh - it takes about 1 1/2 hour from scratch - and there’s no way a restaurant can make it from scratch! My paella had chicken, chorizo,...
What do you think?
Should I go home?
Stylist: How to move on from setbacks
I picked up Stylist yesterday from Tottenham Court Road. I don’t manage to get it all the time these days but every time I see it, I puck it up. This week’s Life Coach made a lot if sense to me.
Focus on the positive. Buy yourself a notebook and write down all the positive things you can do now because you’re not in your previous situation.
Do something new. By embracing new...
Let it be known that
… though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
“You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure...”
– Julie Powell Julie & Julia, the movie
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My Monday
It’s kind of a cold night today. I suppose it was kind of a cold day today too. But it was sunny. I had intended to walk through Hyde Park to Marble Arch and pick up a fluffy white bathrobe but got an appointment to see the ‘geniuses’ at the Apple Store Genius Bar and decided to visit my friend’s new apartment in the gorgeous neighbourhood of Prembridge Villas. As I left...
4 tags
Black sesame cake
I am a big fan of cakes. I love cakes. I’ve eaten a lot of cakes. But I was absolutely blown away with my first bite of this black sesame cake that I baked this morning. The aroma and taste were subtly sesame, there was a crunch to bite into, and it was positively unique as one doesn’t expect sesame seeds, usually associated with savoury dishes, in a sweet treat. It is now 11pm and...
1 tag
One Saturday morning
There are but a few things better than a lazy, sunny Saturday morning where the sun’s shining though it’s cool and you have all the time in the world to do what you want and you march to the beat of your own drum. There are things that are missing from an almost perfect morning but one day soon the picture will be perfect. I’ve never had such a lot of time off and for a...
“Happy Birthday Twinnie.”
I watched “According to Greta” today and felt sufficiently disturbed. The screenplay was good up till the point of the reconciliation of the three generations of women. I feel that Hilary Duff’s character’s sudden leaving behind of her suicidal tendencies was too flippantly handled; not something easily solved by a session around a table looking at old photographs. What I...
5 tags
The Daily Catch
“Where to have dinner?” is a very important question to ask, especially for Chinese who love to eat. We were thinking of going to a restaurant near South Station but Jesa recommended The Daily Catch in Little Italy. We were not disappointed.
Or rather, we were only disappointed that our stomachs couldn’t hold all the yummy food in front of us. Fried calamari, prawn &...
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Harvard
The next day was Harvard day! I know all about the American school system and Ivy League colleges.; it started with an obsession with Sweet Valley High when I was about 15. In fact, it was my dream to go to school in America. I didn’t quite get to so this was a close 2nd. We started off with breakfast at a Portuguese diner down the road from Jesa’s - bacon and eggs and home...
5 tags
Margarita madness
Our Airbnb host recommended a Mexican restaurant for dinner and margaritas were the drink of the night. I love my strawberry margaritas. Pinky had the mango.
For more pictures of Boston, head on over to my Flickr page.
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Boston
The second city of my 5 city tour of the USA. This leg of my journey was initially meant to be my absolute solo leg because I don’t have any friends in Boston. I got a room in a house in Sommerville through Airbnb and that was the extent of my planning for Boston.
Jesa’s Victorian house in Sommerville is a mish mash of lovely eclecticism. Jesa is an architect by training but...
Serendipity
I love the word ‘serendipity.’ This word was coined by Horace Walpole, from the Persian fairytale “The Three Princes of Serendip,” in which the heroes possess this gift of making fantastic discoveries purely by accident or sagacity. A fortunate accident (from the film “Serendipity”).
The word feels magical and full of possibility. It just makes me remember the...
Being Erica
Chasing the past, she stumbled into the future. (paraphrased - T.A. Sachs)
… dare to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not and to believe in your own individuality. (Henri Frederic Amiel)
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. (E.E. Cummings)
The heart wants what it wants. (Woody Allen)
Sleepless
It’s almost 5 am. I’ve been awake since 4, and tossing restlessly since about 3. The curse of technology means that it’s easier to stay up and not go back to sleep.
I’m watching Being Erica from the beginning again, somehow it seems to resonate more with me now. I like Dr. Tom; I wish I had one. Somehow, I don’t fancy an NHS one with a British accent; it’s just not Dr. Tom.
I went to Carnaby...
5 tags
Looking through
Beyond this gate lies a sliver of sunshine and greenery, a hint of a promise I can’t see fully for myself. This gate is locked, access denied, but it’s there. At the moment I don’t see, but I have faith that I will soon.
Some people in America
Andrew Roberts · Peter Cape · Lisa Abrams · Debbie Norman · Jeremy Tiang · Adam Clark · Abby · Daniel Wallace · Matt Blasi · Tiffany · David Sullivan · Haemin · Steve Zhang · Linden Chiu · Alex Edwards · Kelly · James Nord · Pinky Lam · Jesa · Chris Moffo · Mike Moffo · Pedro da Silva
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Stanford and Steve
“… you can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever—because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it...
The rest is still unwritten
… I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find Reaching for something in the distance, so close you could almost taste it Release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in No one else,...
A day of gratitude
Thank you for:
A beautiful morning in San Jose full of sunshine.
A trip to 1 Infinite Loop.
A bed in a glass house on top of a hill in San Francisco.
An unexpected meet-up with another old friend.
Japanese for dinner at a restaurant recommended by a Japanese friend.
A new 15” MBP and Apple Care at student pricing.