#27 - The 2976

I posted on Instagram a not so obvious photo of my DMs and I've been putting this blog post on hold for a while. The reason being that my feet needs to heal. Now, I've read online about how DMs can seriously injure your feet and that the pain is something that one should not be playing with. #truth

I'm gonna be real honest when I say that if you can bear the pain and have the patience to wear them out, then go for it. I got mine because my pre-loved boots were crumbling off. Literally. Trust me when I say that I leave crumbs (flakes) wherever I walk. I guess you can say it is an investment and a rather big one. Let's get a move on and "Quit talking, more showing"!

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These babies are the Dr Martens 2976 Boot. I guess the style is called Pull-on Chelsea Boot and I got the smooth ones because I prefer matte over glossy. One thing about DMs is that they are made out of hard leather which is probably gonna take quite long to break in to. (break in : the leather to soften)

Here are some links which I think might be useful if you're thinking of getting DMs :

• http://danicastark.blogspot.sg/2013/04/how-to-break-in-your-martens.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnSfSNnXdfo

I also like how these 2976's give me the extra height without making my feet feel 'tired' like how heels do! Since I took some pictures of my DMs, I thought why not show how I would style them! So, I paired my outfit that leaned toward the night vibe.

I have this formal white top on and I thought that this would be appropriate if I want to look dressed up at night. Also, I think some of us (or maybe just me) would rock this during our internship so I guess it's something common in a way. Next, I thought I'll kick it up a notch and rock a statement piece.

I buttoned up and set this gold necklace (If there is a name to describe this, let me know!) which I got from CLS, around my neck. I think it will be eye-catching since the gold contrasts the white. Plus, it's reflective so it'll definitely be eye-catching!

photo blog : http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/

You know how Fall/Winter is coming up? I think I can pretend that it feels chilly even though it is 30 degrees all year round in Singapore. I thought I'll just throw on a light jumper which I got from H&M to maybe keep myself comfy and warm in the air-conditioning. I love how the pairing came out because it's monochromatic which is the style I'm totally in to!

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That concludes my DMs post! Hopefully, I can keep posting regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays since school has already started for me. Speaking of school, I have so much things to do and so much more to learn which is daunting. For sure, time is gonna fly quickly and soon enough it'll be over. (:

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed weekend!
Stay fabulous &
Thanks for reading, x.

#26 - My milkshake brings...

..All you people to my blog. HA HA. Okay so yes I'll be talking about milkshake but not chocolate or strawberry OR vanilla but A.V.O.C.A.D.O!!!!!! YAY!!!! You can probably tell that I really love the fruit. Yes, in fact I really enjoy eating them/drinking them because they go well with salads, sandwiches, facial washes(?) and milkshakes of course. I recently made an avocado milkshake for myself and here's how.

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I think that this beverage is something easy that everyone can make and certain ingredients are things that most people would already have!

Milk is an essential part of this beverage because not only does it allow the avocado to be sipped on, it makes it easier to blend and it's also good for your bones. Depending on how many avocados you use, the end product should be thick rather than liquid. Also, you can choose to add any amount of milk to your preference. At the end of the day, it's all about your own taste, right? Personally, I added 1 cup of milk to 1 avocado. So ratio is 1:1 .

Sugar is what tingles the taste buds. I feel that avocado has a nutty kind of taste to it but it's neither sweet nor sour. Adding sugar will make a big difference to the drink so add however you prefer. I prefer the in-between where I can taste the nuttiness of the avocado and the slight sweetness of the sugar. In case you were wondering what the brown stuff is you see on the authentically made drinks, it's gula melaka. So, I am just replacing that with sugar.

Last but not least, Avocado. I bought 3 at one shot from the supermarket and two of them were unripe. I waited for them to ripen before using and once the skin turns brown, it's appropriate to use them. After slicing the avocado into half, I twisted them and pulled the halves apart and since all I needed were the flesh, I took out the seed. I had no idea that you needed SKILL to pull the seed out so I'm going to pass down my knowledge like how shifu did to Po.

With half an avocado in your hand, take the knife and chop down on the seed. Once the knife is stuck to the seed (not your fingers), twist it and it SHOULD come out. Be very careful because I don't want it turning into a halloween prank. After this, just dig the flesh out with a spoon and throw it into the blender together with the ice, sugar and milk!

Photo blog : http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/

& here I have mine in a not so limited edition coca cola cup from the Olympics season very nicely decorated by my mum with a straw! yay! I think mine came out pretty good so it was a success :)

I hope you guys are having a wonderful mid-week.
Stay fabulous!
Thanks for reading, x.

#25 - How to: Bite-sized Taupok balls

Can we just take a moment to relish the fact that it's a SATURDAY?! All y'all finally made it to the the weekends! For me, I'm about to start school and I'm not too sure how I really feel about it. I'm excited for all the new things I'll be learning and doing something productive everyday. However, I'm not too excited about the workload and the fact that school is starting. Yeah, I know. It's a feeling that is going to take a while to understand. Also! My school had sent me an email telling us that they have added a new 'Wardrobe Collection' for those who don't abide by the dress code. Wow. I'm looking forward to the Fall fashion style that the school would be testing on students. HAHA (cue laughter)

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I for one have never seen any food stall that sells what I'm about to show. So, I thought why not share about how to make them. Maybe it'll inspire you, maybe not? I can guarantee that it will be delicious and your taste buds will be calling out for more.

Ingredients you'll need are :

• Minced chicken meat 
• Fish meat 
• Mushrooms
• Spring Onions
• Carrots (diced)
• Soy sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Chinese cooking wine (a.k.a 花雕酒)
• Pepper
• Corn flour (depends on how much of the filling you have. more = more. It will help the mixture to stick)
• Egg yolk (this will help the mixture to not only stick together but also makes it more fragrant)
• Taupok (*SUPER IMPORTANT IF NOT YOU AIN'T GON' MAKE ANYTHING*)

In total, I spent : $10+ 

So, the things that I needed to spend on were the meat and the taupok. I did about a 100 servings but don't be taken aback by the amount it's not tedious at all. For the mixture, I just threw in the meat and vegetables together and gave them a good mix till everything is one big chunka meat. The sesame oil and cooking wine were added to give it fragrance. The pepper was added to sorta strip away any fishy smell. Lastly, the soy sauce was to give it flavor but I adjusted accordingly since the fish meat that I'd bought had MSG added.

For the taupok, I bought the bigger sized ones so my grandma and I thought of many creative ways to present the taupok balls and also to be able to make enough for everyone. In the end, we stuck with mini taupok balls or what my grandma would say "GOLD INGOTS!" HUAT AH!!!! (cue laughter)

Taking this big piece, I cut it into four. Then, for each piece I cut the middle just enough so that it won't tear open when I invert them. The trick when inverting is to push the middle or the corner of the piece in first then try as much as possible to be delicate with pushing the rest in. Of course, practice makes perfect! The following picture shows the progression. The end result is getting the coral-like interior to be outside so that I'll end up with a crispy delight!

Filling wise, we didn't want to put too much because the outside gets cooked really fast and we don't want people having to eat charcoal balls. Another note is that taupok by nature is very absorbent so therefore, it absorbs A LOT of oil so make sure that the oil is hot before cooking. While cooking them, I learnt to not over-fry them because the 'juice' from the meat will be gone. So, as long as you can see the meat turn white and the inside is more solid, it's time to take it out. 

photo blog : http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/

Eventually, they will turn brown even if I took them out when they were golden but rest assured, they are perfectly fine. Of course, they taste better when just cooked! I'm really glad that my CG mates loved it! So, I hope that anyone who reads this would too :)

Alright, have a blessed weekend and..

Thanks for reading, x.

#24 - CHILL DAY

I'm guessing most of us spent the day with our family and friends yesterday since it was a public holiday. It was a very chill day for me and family so we each did our own stuff. I decided to tag along with my grandma and mum for some grocery shopping as well as lunch. After that, it was just helping mum make an apple pie, watching TV shows and Youtube videos.

The outward appearance of the pie looked really good since mum put in some work to mold some leafy detail. However, the recipe she used didn't turn out the way she wanted it to. Nonetheless, we now know that the recipe will forever be at the bottom of the sea and never to be seen by a human soul. Ever.

I also have a photo blog! >>> http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/ <<<

Thanks for reading, x.

#23 - I AM A DECENT COOK.

If you ask me if I can cook, I would've told you that "I am a decent cook." I can cook up an egg sandwich for breakfast, a pot of fried rice for lunch and an oven-baked fish for dinner. Suffice to say, I can cook myself a meal. So for lunch a few days back, I made myself a quick and simple meal!

Ingredients

• Scrambled Eggs : White Onion (small), Corn Kernels (mine are the frozen ones), Carrots and Milk.
• Dry noodles : Mi Goreng noodles

I like how NTUC sells these cooked fish that is already marinated with teriyaki sauce which makes things SO much easier. I think beginners can even cook this because they have 3 methods that comes with instructions at the back. Fret not young ones!

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On the same day, I decided to make some banana pancakes because I was craving for it. Since there was some connection problem I couldn't search the Interwebs for a recipe so I just used my gut feeling to judge. I did had a fun time experimenting (:

(disclaimer : this is what I would do if I made a pancake. The recipe can be altered to your personal taste)

Ingredients

• Salt (a pinch)
• Eggs x2
• Banana (Mashed)
• Milk (small cup)
• Plain Flour/Self-Raising flour (preferred)
• Vanilla Essence

For the banana, I mashed it while leaving small bits of banana. I reckon that while biting the slightly tasteless pancake, there will be bursts of sweetness. As for the milk, it was my savior when the batter became too thick as you want the batter to be more of a liquid consistency so pour it in bit by bit. I used plain flour thinking that I will have fluffy pancakes but had flat cakes instead. I guess self-raising flour would help with the fluffing it up!

After altering the recipe after the first pancake, it turned out pretty good! It went really well with my cup of milk and a spread of Nutella (:

Hmm, what did I learn from this? I guess, you never know until you try. Now I know how to make pancakes! So, UNLEASH YOUR INNER COOK TODAY!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!
For better viewing of pics, go to http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/

& as always,

Thanks for reading, xx

#22 - C.TOWN VISUALS

05102013
It has been many years since I'd last been to C.Town so when mum invited, I agreed. After getting my gear ready, we took a train down and when we alighted I was greeted with myriads of people. There were SO MANY PEOPLE! From tourists to locals, there wasn't much space to walk around but I guess that added to the atmosphere :)

Good Morning Nanyang Cafe

75 Pagoda Street, 059234

Opening hours : 9AM - 7PM

1630 : We stopped to have a quick meal before embarking on our walk. Although service was rather slow which is understandable due to the lack of staff but food was good enough for tea. I recommend the yam cake and the soon kueh :)

Upon exiting the MRT Station, I was again greeted by people and shops that sold many trinkets as well as decor which would only be bought during CNY. (It felt like new year all over again!)

Thank God for the wonderful weather where the sun brought great lighting for my shots and how it wasn't very warm that I had to hide indoors most of the time! Looking up, I noticed that it wasn't always blue skies but there were lanterns hung from building to building that decorated not only the streets but the skies and that created contrast. Therefore, you would notice that most of the shots involved lanterns.

Many stalls sold the same things and all of which little trinkets and pretty vintage stuff. For instance, glass perfume bottles with a traditional Chinese painting inside. 

They also sold lighters that were made of marble and had the merlion engraved on it. You can definitely find T-shirts, sunglasses, bracelets etc. So, if you're thinking of getting a present and want to stay away from the shopping malls, then Chinatown is a good place to visit! Of course you've to bear in mind that the prices are set more for the tourists so fake an accent if you have to to get a discount haha!

While we were making our way to a pastry shop, we walked past a hotel called Rucksack. It caught my attention because of the outstanding red Chinese umbrellas that were hanging down from the ceiling as well as the the nicely vandalized wall.

I think that having the guests to write their comments/reviews on the walls made this backpacking hotel outstanding. It is so clever too because its a form of advertisement and shows how many people actually have stayed at the hotel. "A time stamp" is how I would describe this!

Our next stop was to visit a shop that sells commercial items for those in the F&B business because mum wanted to. According to her, this was a parent stall to TOTT ? While on the way there, we stopped at this old medical hall and you would think that it'll be quiet. Apparently not. There were busy packing all the herbs into papers for their orders. It didn't stop there because people started coming into the shop to buy medicine and some were waiting for their medicine.

(there were like dried bees in the stack of herbs! au natural)

When I first entered, I was put off by the strong smell of Chinese herbs but staying in there long enough, I got accustomed. In that moment, I thought that I should learn to appreciate it because it's not everyday do I get to experience this. 

The architecture was also beautiful. It gives off an Asian feel mixed with European architecture. Also, a great place to have a photoshoot or filming because of the old and timeless sites like the alley ways. 

After walking a bit more, we made our way back to the MRT station and headed home! It was a good experience for me while I was walking around because it felt like a whole new world with the many sights and sounds. 

That concludes my entry! For more photos, go to - http://foxusphotos.tumblr.com/ ! :) :) :)

Thanks for reading, x.