Recently, I'm pretty stressed out so my friend asked me this question:

Where is one place that you feel calm no matter what, why does it make you calm and when did you go there last? 

I need a break from my essay writing so I'm going to blog about a restaurant which really sets me at ease. It's a fantastic location hidden away at East Point Mall (Simei) and it's called Hoshigaoka Restaurant. Below is a photo of the place itself:

This photo is taken at about... 2pm in the afternoon. It's not that far away from lunch time but as you can see, it's complete empty (excluding my sister and I). So it totally has a relaxing ambience, the service is excellent and you wouldn't have to worry about judgemental people peering over and wondering what you're eating.

If I happen to be eating alone (yes, I'm fine with it #loner), I can take all the time in my world sorting my thoughts out and nobody would be hurrying me to get out of the restaurant. If my sister is around, I can spend a long time chatting with her and the employees are nice enough to be refilling our tea constantly.


Free refills, yeah!
The food is excellent too *food porn alert!* and the price is incredibly decent, especially their lunch time menu.

I totally sound like a food blogger, don't I? XD

Such an atmosphere totally puts me at ease and momentarily, I'll just forget about my hectic schedules and tight deadlines. I last went there about a week ago and I'm looking forward to visiting it again soon!

As I was writing this entry, blogger has been a total bitch and my formatting / photos are constantly moving and running all over the place on their own. It's like the webpage is haunted / has a mind of it's own. As such, I think it wouldn't be long before I switch to wordpress. I mean, who would want to spend HOURS on fomatting? For such a short post, I spent more than 45 minutes before things look presentable.

Labels: food, review

After one week, I'm practically reduced to pauper status. I've been spending too much on...

FOOD.

I really wish that I can control my diet QAQ I went for a fat analysis and my fat percentage is super high, so I really need to cut down on carbo and start exercising OTL I want to reach my ideal weight before university starts, but I don't really think it's possible!

Firstly, my sister just returned from Europe and that can only mean one thing - lots of snacks! One of the most interesting ones which she had purchased for me is...



HAGGIS CHIPS!

In case you're not a foodie expert, here's a short breakdown of what Haggis really is:

"Haggis is a kind of savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs — see offal); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach." - Wikipedia

What the hell? OTL

It actually tastes fine, albeit indescribable. A little on the salty side, hmm...

Then last Saturday, we went for early Father's Day celebration. We ate at a zhi cha store, somewhere around Blk 800+ in Tampines. The shop appeared on the television show 煮炒到了 or something like that, hosted by Li Teng and Pornsak. The food is great and the service is okay, but the lady boss's attitude sucked big time!

My mood was totally spoilt because of this dish:



The dish isn't part of our order and it came wrongly, but the shop refused to take it back and insisted we pay for it. We were arguing with the waitress when the lady boss walked over and took a look at the commotion. We thought she would do something about it, but NO! She merely peered over, and freaking walked away, back to her seat and doing nothing! She offered no solution or whatsoever, leaving her poor employees to due with us. In the end, the employee forked out her own money to pay for complimentary desserts to appease us. I think the waitress is really poor thing and I didn't want to ruin the mood, so I just took the dish (I was paying for the meal).

As a lady boss, shouldn't you take charge of your freaking business and do something instead of leaving your employees to fend for themselves? I sure wouldn't want to work under someone like that in the future! The food is good, but I'm still slightly pissed.



Sambal kangkong with cuttlefish; average I guess.



Black pepper venison - I could only taste black pepper. I think the sauce was too overpowering for the dish! It pales in comparison to other restaurants etc.



Best dish of the day! Scallops with Banana and prawn :B Hehe, it's a great combination!



Ma po tofu! But I think the one near NTUC Income tastes better :(

After a hard day of cosplay shooting on Sunday, I went to feast again @ Watami located at The Central with my cosplay friends - Yuuwa & Kamelot.



My salad; tastes amazingly good!



Some sort of tea... Jasmine maybe?



My beef hot stone rice! Mad yummy~



Kamelot's Gyukotsu Ramen (beef ramen). The stock is beef-boned soup O_O



Then the sashimi came and my eyes literally SPARKLED.



*le gasp* It's amaebi (sweet shrimp)!

Kamelot didn't used to eat raw seafood, but now she does! *grins*



Yuuwa's tonkatsu ramen.

It was super embarassing when Yuuwa paid for the entire meal OTL sibei guilt-stricken. Must treat him someday back!

And even after eating so much yummy food, my gluttonous journey has yet to end. On Thursday, after the eye check with Josie, I went out to eat with Gaiana. We were browsing mindlessly in Ion Orchard when we realised we were both bored to tears and food was totally the way to go!



Gindaco Takoyaki! I bought the egg mayo one, which is $7.00 for 8 takoyaki balls. It's quite reasonable if you convert back to yen and it really tastes like the ones in Japan. MAD LOVE! ♥♥♥



Ending our snack with Yoghurt from The Yoghurt Place!

While walking midway, Gaiana and I really craved for Thai food, so we took a train down to Siam Kitchen @ Bugis Junction. I was literally kissing the glass windows; it was so packed! But our efforts paid off when we starded Dinner; Part Two!



Prawn crackers as appetizer.



Tom Yam Soup with Jasmine Rice for Gai...



... and Onion Curry Soft-shelled Crab with Roti Prata! It doesn't tastes as nice as a similar dish in Thai Express.

Then, I really started missing Thai Express at Tampines 1 and went there the next day. FML seriously; Thai food two days in a row? My diet is screwed, period.



My sis is obviously impatient and wants to eat already, lulz!



Her hor fun! It's actually seriously spicy! Don't be fooled!



Prawn toast! Only dish I don't mind with coriander.



My Tom Yam Soup! Super spicy too; I didn't finish it :( Like a wuss!



Their award-winning dessert! Tastes awesome!



I think this photo has "feel" leh... What do you think? LOL.

Of course, my week isn't complete with some online shopping, and I bought this pair of shoes from the LacePipe Sale. Most of the nice items were sold out before I even woke up and check my email for their newsletter OTL I am so thankful for my small feet, for I grabbed the pair below at a ridiculous price - $17.55 inclusive of normal shipping! The packaging was bad (envelope was torn apart), but Singpost kindly repacked it for me before sending over to my house. Initially I thought my mail was lost in post! Thankfully, my worries were unfounded!



I love them! They fit my feet perfectly! I can wear this with lots of outfit! I can bid my slippers farewell soon xD

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I'm also super looking forward to next week (22 June especially) because Music Station is having an awesome line-up.

TO THE LIMIT / KAT-TUN
Special Medley / Keisuke Kuwata
PAPARAZZI / Shoujo Jidai
Kimi wa Boku da / Atsuko Maeda
BURN IT DOWN / LINKIN PARK

*I'm sorry I don't give a damn about Shoujo Jidai or the other two acts. It's just not my style.

If Linkin Park and KAT-TUN are singing back to back, I will seriously E JDK;LFHDSKJL FHGK LFSJDLASFDKL ; I'M SORRY, WORDS FAILED ME A LITTLE BACK THERE!

I loved the preview of the PV for To The Limit, so I'm really want to watch the live performance!



*swoons with happiness*

Labels: blogshops, fangirl, food

This year, new year came exceptionally fast. I was taken aback because everything just came too quickly! It seemed only yesterday when I just landed back in Singapore from Japan, and after a short rest, Chinese New Year was already here! *phew!*

I discovered I had a severe lack of clothing this year, and I'm so thankful for my impulse buys online. I wore a normal white blouse with an orange tank top, TCL's HW Shorts, and Converse's leopard sneakers. It was a pretty casual look, so I tied two pigtails forthelulz and wore my Juicy Courture earrings my sis bought for me in America to glam up the look. I also wore a pretty bracelet, which I forgot to photograph and am too lazy to take it out again, just to snap a photo of it.

Pretty flattered when my auntie said I looked like I belonged in Harajuku. Thank you, but I think my make-up skills still have a long way to go before I'm even on par with them. The make up skills which the Japanese girls possess are imba! *_*


My look on 初一! My dad thought my hair was fake / a wig.

FOTD;
Diamond Lashes: Glamorous Eyes (I SIMPLY LOVED IT! Bought more Diamond Lashes in Japan, but different series! I shall see try out how awesome they are in the near future, hurhur)
K-Palette 1 day Tattoo (I minimized my usage of eyeliner on this look)
Maybelline's Mineral Concealer
Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover Powder (I'll do a review on this one when I have the time! I bought it in Japan and it has officially replaced my zA powder!)

I've significantly reduce the amount of make-up I slap on my face. I guess as you age, you are more wary about the drawbacks of make-up. And also because I have no idea how to use a blush and lipgloss/lipsticks don't go well with me.

Anyway, in this new Chinese New Year, I decided to be slightly more hardworking, and clear the backlog of posts I have waiting for me!



This was taken at a cafe located @ East Point Shopping Center, L2, before our trip to Japan. My sis and I were looking for winter boots before we got distracted by food. You can find it by turning into the street along Subway. It's pretty secluded, so I hope it hasn't folded yet, cause you can find healthy and yummy food there! The chicken wings and fries are all baked, so you can savour these sinful treats without feeling guilty!



They also offer pretty kick-ass yoghurt. You can choose the fruits you want, and they'll blend it for you! I chose peach and mango to be blended into my yoghurt, and strawberries, 'tadpoles', and peaches (again!) as my toppings. There's never a better way to end off a snack!

After this, we went to Hougang Mall to continue on our quest for winter boots (because the Winter Time @ East Point didn't have sizes). After my sister bought her boots and I bought my gloves (they are really cute, I swear! but after the trip to japan, I have no friggin' idea where I've placed them), guess what? I got distracted by Pizza Hut, and my sis was really nice to treat me to a tiny 6" pizza and baked mussels.



They are so yummy... Have I ever declared my undying love for Cheesey Baked Mussels? If I didn't, I will do so now!



Curry Chicken Pizza - nothing too spectacular. The mussels took away all it's glory!

The service is really superb! Initially, I wanted Ajisen Ramen, but the waitress was super rude and I left without stepping into the shop. I don't think I've ever felt so happy eating at Pizza Hut before. Good service is really vital in society; you never know how much customers you can earn just by having great service!

And because I am starving at 12:09AM, I shall end this post abruptly because I cannot stand staring at photos of food anymore *_*

Labels: food, make up

I have a huge backlog of posts, but I'm too lazy to edit my photo, so they will just have to wait for a little while more OTL

Yesterday was EOY 2011! I was supposed to go together with my friends as a team of four, but one member suddenly told me that she was going to Penang and wouldn't be joining us. It's a pity cause I really wanted a full team *cries*

Before I get started on EOY, let me rant a little first... It was also the day when the SMRT system screwed up my plans for the second time.

The first time (Marina Bay - Bradell) was when I was going home from Orchard after meeting my friends Gaiana and Peak Deng. We had no idea what was going on because the MRT station was super noisy, the announcement was soft, and everything was just chaotic! I wasn't refunded of my $0.36 and was pratically stranded at Orchard. I'm so thankful my dad was willing to drive from Tampines to Orchard again (after returning home from Jurong) to pick widdle me.

I'm just glad I'm not one of those stuck in the MRT tunnel though! Being stuck in a dark train carriage with barely sufficient oxygen... I really can't fanthom. I think I'll just panick and die (I thought of the anime Angel Beats, when the lead died after their train got stranded somewhere). One brave heroic man broke the MRT windows for better air ventilation. I hope he wouldn't be arrested because desperate times call for desperate measures, no? Then again, I also can't imagine what would have happened if the MRT was stuck on those overhead tracks instead. Talk about height phobia!

Despite all the usual faux training, I don't understand why SMRT failed to react quickly. Their bus service didn't come till much later. To make matters worse, the first breakdown occurred on a weekday during peak hours. However, I wasn't quite as upset till it broke down for the second time.

Yesterday, nearly the same stations with the addition of a few more (Marina Bay - Toa Payoh) broke down again from about 6:50AM - 12:??PM (I'm not too sure). I was on my way to Woodlands, so I needed the Red Line again (rare, cause I usually just use green line). In the end, I had to make a super big detour to Jurong East, before taking the red line from there to Woodlands. Can you imagine how many extra stops I had to take? *growls* Not forgetting to mention, I heard that even the shuttle bus broke down. SRSLY?

On a side note, I really think the Singaporeans are too pampered; we think that such a thing wouldn't happen in our country, when in reality, it is not true. That includes myself *ashamed*

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Moving on to EOY!

Went to Jun Ko's house to prepare and her family was really friendly! We took hours to get ready, till it started raining really heavily! We had to flail for a cab and we couldn't find one till after 10 minutes later. Just our luck the taxi was Comfort and we seriously PAID for a short trip OTL $16.20 for a short ride! *cries*

The event was uh, boring. There is approximately at most 50 cosplayers when we had reached the venue (my estimation could be wrong)? Definitely a far cry from the previous years! I didn't even bother paying to enter this time round cause I don't think there would be anything I would be excited over. Compared to the other events this year (like AFA, which appeared to be a smashing success attracting tons of people), EOY pales in comparison. Furthermore, none of my friends went EOY D:

I'm just glad that I was with my group and I met new people ^_^ Below are some of the camwhore shots \o/







I really dislike the way I smile ): It looks mean and sad! :<



I'm so happy I met Yumi, she is super cute and friendly!!!



Everybody!

I really couldn't recognize anyone anymore around the event OTL I think I was a little anti-social, cause new people scare me at times, so I'm sorry if I appeared dao D: I'll try to be more spontaneous from now on!

***



I went off early cause I felt really sian and didn't want to hang around any longer + I was getting hungry! Walking to Woodlands MRT from Republic poly, entering Empire State to eat alone (they judge me when I say table for two), and ordering and eating a 10" pizza all on my own - It's quite a tragic sight, LOL! But the pizza was good! Cheesy and full of mushroom goodness!







However, after 4 slices, I legit wanted to vomit ;A; The portion is simply too big! The first slice was okay, but subsequently, it just got worst, LOL! Anyway, here's a random photo of myself while waiting for pizza. I look mad sad camwhoring alone while ordering such a large pizza to binge *cries*



And a blurry shot which I thought I looked OK in it xD



But I must say, the service at the Empire State place @ Causeway Point was amazing! They top up water for you without you having to ask even though it was much hectic since it was dinner time and there was loads of customers! They waiter/waitresses was also really friendly, approachable, and they say thank you when you leave. It's not just one, but almost all the employees there! Kudos to that branch for hiring an excellent crew! But I don't like how the other customers keep judging me when I eat alone etc. I could have been too sensitive too D: So I plugged in my mp3 and listened to my music, silently... till my dad arrived and help me finish my pizza, lol! Since my dad was around, I ordered yet another dish - PASTA!



Bacon & Mushroom (again) Pasta!



Hot & Steamy ^_^

Adding on to the praises, their service were considered quite fast given that it was the peak period! I didn't have to wait too long for my food to arrive, all steamy hot! I would love to re-visit the place if I ever get the chance (since I live at Tampines and Causeway Point is all the way at Woodlands)!

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I am currently super thrilled cause I just got my KAT-TUN Birth CD *happiness*



Although I didn't take photos of the lyrics booklet, EVERYONE WAS SUPER FLAWLESS IN THERE *spazzes* I only took a photo of Nakamaru to send to my sister, but everyone looked so good I regretted not snapping more photos *continue to spaz*



Okay, so I ended up walking over to my cupboard, taking the single out again, and snapping more photos of them.



Somehow, I really think Kamenashi is starting to look like Akanishi Jin :/



Ueda! The only reason why I bought this single - to see his bald hairstyle :3



I really like Koki's hair in here. A pity he didn't keep to that style in Star Rider!



And... Taguchi looking fine.

In my anxiety, I ripped apart the plastic cover *opps* I promise to be more gentle next time to all my items TAT

Random end: I am so excited. 9 more days before I'm flying to Japan!

PS: Photos are not photoshopped cause I'm too lazy to, lately. So sorry about that m(_ _)m Please disregard and ignore how messy my house is.

Labels: cosplay, EOY, food, KAT-TUN