Look at what I made!

We've recently started taking some leather making classes on the weekends at Fungus Workshop! Its pretty fun although my thumb is kinda hurting from stiching but the 4 of us clearly enjoy arts and crafts. hehe Once we learned these basics, I expect that not long after we get our own tools, that we'll start making our own designs and small leathered goods. K & J have already located some tools and bought a few DIY books. I think we might also be interested in ordering some leather craft tools online since J enjoys tinkering and collecting tools as well. :) Before class we've been going to La Marmite for brunch and it's a quiet place on staunton street with a nice clean white interior. The first time we went we had la boulangerie with croissant, pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins with butter, jam and honey. *oink

Although I enjoy desserts ALOT, I have to admit breakfast brings me an equal amount of joy. When you guys travel do you look forward to seeing what the hotel has for breakfast? I do :P How often do I get an excuse to have pancakes/waffles/continental breakfast on regular day? Which reminds me I haven't even been eating my favorite quaker oats cereal in a long while. Anyways, things have changed and I've made a pact with J whereby I won't have any sugary/junk food for a while. In order to stick to the plan this time I ordered the ranchero eggs with panchetta, grilled tomatoes, fries and a small side salad.


..while J ordered the royal benedict. Am interested in knowing how much butter is used to make that yummy hollandaise sauce.


After some foodies off we go to class. When we first sat down together, it felt like our wood work/DT class with Mr. Brendon all over again. I miss that guy, I wonder if he still teaches at SC?



Explaining the background info on leather.



We're like the naughty kids at the back of the class. heh
:D



Our tools, pretty cool huh?


Stitching..





J's final product was pretty awesome!!


Very happy with my little bao bao. I would love to make a bigger one and they remind of of the mulberry bags which I love :)

Dare to live

Long time no write, it's been over a month since my last entry and alot has happened since then. There's been 2 major earthquakes in Asia, an equally devastating tsunami, a nuclear crisis, radiation concerns, risk from contaminated food and ongoing upheaval all combined into one. Within a matter of minutes, what may seem stable and fundamentally rooted can disappear right before your eyes. My heart goes out to all the people living in Japan or elsewhere in the world who have been affected by these kinds of natural tragedies. It's so surreal the way mother nature can bring us to our knees and shocking reminder of how fragile mankind is in comparison to the world. Pray for those who have lost loved ones, who still haven't found their family members or are just struggling to make sense of it all. I know this isn't the first time thousands of lives have been lost and it definitely won't be the last.. Could this really be the beginning of the end? I was really bummed out last night after talking and thinking about the possibility of 2012.. Theres still so many things that have yet to be done. =(

Hypothetically something truly crazy was to happen near the end of 2012 what things would you do differently? This life is yours to live and you, your heart is the greatest weapon. At first I was thinking that I would splurge on everything, eat whatever I want and buy whatever I might be holding back on but thinking twice I don't think it'll help at all. Yeah I might feel happier temporarily but isn't that too easy to accomplish? Just walk into a store and buy happiness? I'd rather go see the world, cities-towns-rural areas. I mean travelling isn't cheap but I really love 'experiencing' and trying new things. Seeing things that will take your breath away. (out pops a cheesey musical tune) hehe All I'll need is a simple place to stay, a comfortable pair of shoes for walking, warm clothing when it gets cold and a sturdy backpack to store all my necessities and would be nice of course if I could have a companion by my side to share these moments with. haha do I sound like i'm really going to take off soon? :P But man, if everyone quits their jobs can you imagine the chaos this world would become?

No joke but after I came back from my nice run today, the below song was blasting from my dad's stereo. Time to get back into my running grove and get a nice tan for summer. yay =)

Dare to live searching for the ones you love
(Perché, perché, perché, perché non vivi questa sera?)
Dare to live no one but we all
(Perché, perché, perché, perché non vivi ora?)
Dare to live until the very last
(Perché, perché, perché la vita non è vita)
Your life is all you have to give (Perché)
non l'hai vissuta
Vivere!

Dare to live until the very last
(Perché, perché, perché Ia vita non è vita)
Your life is all you have to give (Perché)
non l'hai vissuta mai

- Andrea Bocelli & Laura Pausini

A special french occasion

My daily cup of coffee paired with the delish robuchon pastry specially brought by Janice as part of SAFE's farewell breakfast for Amaury. :)

Housewarming and farewell dinner at Helen's = food intoxication. hehe There were some real fancy and expensive stuff being served including lots of wine+cheese. I liked her open kitchen and the way she prepared all the food with absolute ease.. Not too much prep work so she was able to chat and enjoy the evening as much as we all did.



Dang this was so simple to make. Eggs, cream and a crack of salt, throw it into the oven for 15 minutes and it's done! Oh and yeah a healthy scoop of truffle per person. O_o

I'm somewhat opposed to ordering or eating foie gras in restaurants but it was in front of me and after trying it I have to admit I liked the way it melts in your mouth.


Saucisson & palette cleanser.


Lots and lots of hard & soft cheese to go with our bread. mmmMMm.. ;)


Tarte tatin with fresh whipped cream. Even though we all saw how much butter and sugar went into this dessert, it was perfectly devine. For such a rich and satisfying Tuesday gathering mixed with wine and champagne, you can imagine how hard it was waking up for work the next day. Nevertheless, good luck to Amaury & Tian in Tokyo! :)

The sweetest surprise

Hehe, celebrated Valentines Day on Sunday with my booey J. The afternoon begun at around 3ish when we turned on our oven and burned it in for first time. Once the plastic smell was gone I started on my sugar cookies. As I was kneading away, Chef J was busy prepping away and washing his vegetables. :) Was tough not peaking at what he was doing with his mischievous grin. hehe After my cookies finished I decorated them with red icing and white heart sprinkles for the domokun teeth (he said that was pretty inventive since I had no white icing sugar) teehee.

Nehoo I stayed out of the kitchen even though I asked him if he needed any help. He said no worries, everything was under control. Felt bad though because he spent so much time in there. hehe And before I knew it ta da first up was the appetizers. This was probably my fav.. <3 I love mushrooms and this time they were capped with a generous portion of spinach & 3 cheeses, all baked to perfection! Not soggy and loved the flavor from the feta, cream cheese and sprinkle of parmesan. Mm..I've never had anything quite like this before in the restaurants. About 10 minutes later he kindly informed me to leave the dining premises and remain in the room. Off I go, wondering what he's up to and not long later I hear some clicking sounds and then... some John Legend tunes. yeyeeehhh~

'Lets go to the park...' Chef J peeks his head in with a smile and tells me everythings ready. Off I go with eyes covered annnd when I open them..whoaa there were red candles scattered and the table was all set up with foodies/drinks. Was totally speechless by how far J went to make this a romantic experience. Aww.. thank you :') Felt so warm and fuzzy inside.. & I still have a smile on my face thinking about how sweet the surprise was. So we take a seat and he opens the pot and out billows the steam from the chicken cacciatore. He said he wanted to bring home this dish which he would enjoy back when he was living in LA. It's a really nice comfort dish with chopped bell peppers (only one but it made the sauce so nice n' sweet) onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and oregano. With some fresh cracked peppers? Jeng! And matched with basmati crispy rice and a spray of 'I can't believe it's not butter' makes a harmonious match. hehe Normally I eat all my salads before the main but this time the salad would have to wait. tai ho mei ahhh. *pat pat tummy.

hehe After eating J opens my lil prez & card and we take pictures with the new polaroid camera. =) As we munch on his strawberries dipped in dark chocolate and watch Wall-E, I still can't believe how thoughful J was in taking the time to buy groceries, prep and cook everything. Too sweet and happy to feel that not only today but also any ordinary day as well. I feel very lucky to spend my first valentines with J through such an incredible dining experience *omnomnom the way to my heart is through my tummy. hehe Not only do I love a man who has great qualities but also one who can cook up a great meal. YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY WON ALL BROWNIES POINTS IN MY BOOK. haha <3



Thank you for the wonderful evening.

Btw when did this whole domokun theme come into play? OH when you drew it...not just our packing boxes. ;)

Home is where the heart is.

My good friend who is living & working in Toronto recently shared with us a really good article that she wrote in the Star called 'Caught between two worlds.' I'll always be one of her biggest fans n' do check it out :) >> I enjoyed reading it because it brings a smile to my face and its easy for me to relate to. When you've got Chinese parents but moved a mumbo jumbo number of times, have alot of English speaking friends but still have a fairly Chinese background...who you are and where you belong sometimes becomes a blur. When I was young I've always considered myself as a Canadian but with age that distinction became less strong and that pause before the response always took a little longer. Which box should I tick: Chinese or Canadian? Can someone add a new box called Chindian? hehe

I think when it comes to movement and change there are two different types of people. Those who stay in a comfortable place for their entire life and develope strong sense of home (which is a great thing being able to see/know/keep in touch with your elementary school friends) and then there are others who were forced or by choice, to move around and become accustomed to throwing away useless things like me. :P But yeah I guess just by being in Hong Kong, I do 'feel' like a more enriched & worldly version of myself 3 years ago. I know I like to do alot of outdoor activities and my mom asks me how come I never did so much of it back in Vancouver when there were plenty of mountains and fresh air. It's weird. Maybe I've changed and I've molded myself to whatever this city has to offer. Because there is 'less' space, I want to make the best out of whatever is available. Kinda like 'you don't know what's good until it's gone' and I didn't appreciate the outdoors as much before..

Anyhoo tomorrow is Lunar New Year's eve and we get off earlier tomorrow *yay!! I know it's been a short work week but boy am I glad it's over. Little things have really gotten to me this week and I feel like a tangled ball of emotions. I know I shouldn't let unimportant things get to me because it's not worth my time but I just get too sensitive. Nehoo four days of family gatherings, food and j time. Can't wait.

新年快乐 and have a great year of the rabbit :)

"May your heart's desires come true"

Saturday afternoon rendezvous

Even though it's quite chilly out, we've been getting some really nice weather lately. =) After a casual but delish lunch on Saturday, we walked around the soon-to-be-demolished hong kong police station, went for coffee, kept walking along to hollywood road: man mo temple, Sheung Wan-ish area, went to the park and walked along the Sun Yat Sen Historical trail. We discovered some nice hidden jewels like this old bookstore that sold rare hardcover books. I think the minimum starting price would start at ~hkd$15,000.(Lok Man Rare Books) lalala very chill day and a nice way to unwind on the weekends.




Time for photo hunt..spot the differences :)


Mm..my previously mentioned no-junk food plan totally FAILED. How can I be more disciplined? *ponders silently to myself