so she says...

I still miss her so much...

2008-10-16T02:29:00.005+08:00

It has been over a year since she left... 1 year 8 months and 21 days to be exact... but time has yet to heal the wound in my heart, when she left so suddenly...

1st Tear
The red sky meant it was time to go back home after a long day at school. But as I made my way up to the second floor to get my book back from a friend, i did not expect the life-changing event that I was about to experience.

Ever since my days in Temasek Poly, I've always had a problem with opening the number locks on the school lockers. It would take me ages to get it open. No, to be exact, I was never able to open them no matter how hard i tried, even though Karin can open them easily right after i give up. But after I entered SMU, i finally managed to "crack the code".

As i entered the code and spun the lock, my phone rang. Mummy was calling. Curious on why my mum was calling at a time like this, I picked up and uttered, "Hello?!?". Mummy then said, "I am going to visit mama, mama is in hospital".

"Huh?, what happened? How come she is hospitalised?" I questioned, concerned and confused. "She went for her check-up today and doctor wanted to admit her to do a thorough check-up, he said that it is wierd that she suddenly lost so much weight, so I will go home after visiting her, you settle your own dinner ok?" My mum replied. So I agreed, hung up the phone and proceeded to get my book out from the locker before making my way home.

When I reached home, Daddy was watching his Korean Drama on cable and i ploughed myself into the seat next to him, like i did everyday. Time went by and we both laughed at the funny parts, cursed and sweared at the characters we hated, teared with it was time to be sad...

Just then, the familiar sound of the keys dangling from the keychain, entering the lock, turning in the lock ringed into my ears. Mummy and Jie Jie was back. As i turned my head to greet them, what came into the light in the living room were 2 faces with tears flowing down their cheeks. They had been crying.

Curious on what happened, i asked, "What happened?". But mummy didn't utter a word, instead she started crying again. I turned to my sister, waiting for an answer and that was when she said the 3 words i did not expect, "mama has cancer".

My mind went blank.

I then proceeded to give my mum a hug, that was the only thing i could do. She then added to the news by saying, "doctor says she only has 3 more months to live...." It was then that i wailed like a baby...

Newest addition to the family - Noah

2008-10-15T23:59:00.000+08:00

The 8th of October proved to be a day of joy and anticipation for my godsister.. For she brought a new life into our family at 1935hours that day.... With Baby Noah - her son, together with gor gor David..

With that, I present the Happy Family, with the newest and cutest addition - Baby Noah...

As I listened to Pei Pei Jie Jie's conversation with her friend, it just dawned upon me that she has really grown up over the months of her pregnancy.. Gone were the days where she was the cheeky girl who seemed to have something up her sleeve to bring cheer and happiness to the people around her.. Now, I see her as someone who has matured, someone with great responsibility, someone with lots of love to give, someone who has a child - a mother...

Thinking back, when we were younger, much much younger, we used to go to each others place for stayovers, to swim, to play with barbie dolls and even hold our very own miss universe competition with our cousins... hahaha.... those were the days... lol... With a blink of an eye, she is now a mother, ready to impart the teachings of life to her son.. Like she said, she has to be responsible now, she has to grow up and look after the life she and gor gor David brought into this world..

Her pregnancy allowed me better understand the pain my mum had to go through to bring me into this world.. Hearing her describe the amount of pain she underwent during labour is quite frightening... After thinking on how to bring across the pain to someone who hasn't given birth, she finally said, ''it is like having your menstral cramps and stomach ache all together", then her friend added, "times 1000'' ... it really sounds unbearable... this is what our mothers went through years ago... quite scary and frightening ya....

Up till now, I still find it wierd that she now has a child... It's like yesterday she was still the funny, cheeky girl and today she is a mother.... I guess i will need some time to get used to it...

But i am sure that she will be a good mother... Seeing her comfort her crying son with her soothing words really touches me... Baby Noah, here's something from your yi yi Candice... you are one lucky boy... with such loving parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties... may you grow up to become a pride to your entire family by spreading the love and joy your parents have for everyone....

I am sure SHE would be so glad to Baby Noah...

Japanese Curry 101

2008-10-09T12:33:00.003+08:00

I am definitely a japanese food lover... that's why i like to experiment and cook some japanese dishes for my family...

recently, my elder sister reminded me that i "owed" her a pot of japanese curry... hahaha... how did i owe her a pot of japanese curry??? i have no idea... lol... but still i decided to cook it for her, since she had been asking for it since quite far back...

i usually use this brand of the curry mix - Golden Curry Sauce Mix and always the Hot one (cause Japanese Curry isn't spicy at all...)

ingredients for Japanese Curry (Serves 5):

1 pkt Japanese Curry Mix
Approx 300g Pork Belly, sliced
1 Carrot, cubed
2 Big Onions, cubed
1 can of Button Mushroom, sliced
water

you may change the proportion of the ingredients to your liking, i usually choose pork belly because of the amount of fat in it.. it kind of makes the curry smell more fragrant... you may substitute it with chicken as well... all up to you...

Step 1:

Heat frying pan with a little oil. Once the pan is hot, throw in onions and fry until fragrant and see-through.

Step 2:

Once onions turn transparent, throw in carrots and fry for about 5 minutes

Step 3:

Throw in meat and continue to fry till meat gets cooked

Step 4:

Then add in the sliced button mushrooms and continue frying for a few minutes.

Step 5:

Add in 2 1/2 cups of water into the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes under slow fire. (Note: boil it longer if you want the carrots to be softer)

Step 6:

Then break the Sauce Mix Cake into smaller pieces and throw it into the pan. Mix thoroughly to ensure that the sauce is evenly distributed. Simmer for 1 - 2 more minutes

Step 7:

Finally, scoop a generous serving of your Japanese Curry onto a plate of piping hot rice and enjoy your very own Japanese Curry!

I do hope that the curry will turn out to your liking, i was quite satisfied with my creation... hehe... quite idiot proof... lol

anyway, here are some tips to improve on the taste and texture of your curry... (i haven't exactly tried this method but it should do the trick to improve the taste of the curry)

if you prefer your carrots to be very soft, you may want to start frying the carrots first, then put them aside to fry the onions before putting the carrots back in to fry... the carrots in my curry were still a little too crunchy for my sister's taste, so i think i will try this method next time
to make the meat softer, tenderize the meat by pounding it, this would make the meat softer and nice as well

hope that you guys will like this recipe... Itadakimasu!!!

KissHug by Aiko Yanai

2008-09-29T04:06:00.000+08:00

I recently came upon a lovely song by 柳井愛子, more commonly known as Aiko to those familiar to the JPOP scene...

Her 24th single entitled KissHug was released on the 23rd of July this year. If you have watched 花より男子ファイナル(Hana Yori Dango Final), you would have heard her wonderful piece as it was used as an insert song.

Here is the Promotional Video (PV) for KissHug, enjoy...

Lyrics - Credits to blackrabbit2999

友達だなんて一度も思った事はなかった

あなたに出逢ったその日から

変わってしまったのもあるけど

変わらない事の方が

あなたもあたしも多いよ

暑い帰り道に見えなくなるまで

本当に小さくなるまで見ていた

あなたが好きだったの

今も今も…

夏髪が頬を切る

また年を重ねてきっと思い出す

あなたの影　あたしの言葉

You Love　You Love…

3つめ4つめと数えた星の涙に願う

あなたの傍にずっと居たい

まだ知らない事だらけの背中と背中を合わせて聞こえてきた音

壊れても仕方ない程に熱い

光に手をかざして隙間から見えた通り雨カゲロウ

あなたの影　あたしは想う

You Love　You Love…

暑い帰り道に見えなくなるまで

本当に小さくなるまで見ていた

あなたが好きだったの

今も今も…

夏髪が頬を切る

また年を重ねてきっと思い出す

あなたの影　あたしの言葉

泣き顔怒った顔突然唇に触れた唇も

傍にいると誓った証

You Love　You Love…

I Love…

Lyrics (Romanji) - Credits to 6lyrics.com

Tomodachi da nante ichi do mo omotta koto ha nakatta

Anata ni deatta sono hi kara

Kawatte shimatta no mo aru kedo

Kawara nai koto no hou ga

Anata mo atashi mo ooi yo

*Atsui kaerimichi ni mie naku naru made

Hontouni chiisaku naru made mi te I ta

Anata ga suki datta no

Ima mo ima mo...

Natsu kami ga hoo o kiru

Mata toshi o kasane te kitto omoidasu

Anata no kage atashi no kotoba

You Love You Love...

Mi tsume yo tsume to kazoe ta hoshi no namida ni negau

Anata no soba ni zutto I tai

Mada shira nai koto darake no senaka to senaka o awase te kikoe te ki ta oto

Koware te mo shikata nai hodo ni atsui

Hikari ni te o kazashi te sukima kara mie ta tooriame kagerou

Anata no kage atashi ha omou

You Love You Love...

(*repeat)

Natsu kami ga hoo o kiru

Mata toshi o kasane te kitto omoidasu

Anata no kage atashi no kotoba

Nakigao okotta kao totsuzen kuchibiru ni fure ta kuchibiru mo

Soba ni iru to chikatta akashi

You Love You Love...

I Love...

Translation - Credits to quartet4.net

I have never once thought of you as a friend

Ever since the day that I met you

Some things have changed

But for me and you

There is much more that hasn’t changed at all

*The way home was hot, I watched until I couldn’t see you

Until your figure grew really small

I loved you

I still do, I still do…

Summer hair brushes against my cheeks

As the years go by I’ll surely remember

Your shadow, my words

You Love, You Love…

I make a wish on the 3rd and 4th celestial tear I count in the sky

I want to be with you forever

We stand back to back, without knowing so much, and hear a sound

It’s so hot it doesn’t matter if we break apart

I raise the light up and see a passing rain’s haze through an opening

Your shadow, I long for it

You Love, You Love…

(Repeat*)

Summer hair brushes against my cheeks

As the years go by I’ll surely remember

Your shadow, my words

A crying face, an angry face, suddenly lips touched lips

Proof that we vowed to be together

You Love, You Love…

I love…

___________________________________________________

Apparently she wrote the entire song... Amazing right?!? Even though I do not know Japanese, I just love listening to it over and over again... Despite not understanding a single word she is singing...

This IS the Power of Music... You may, like me, be residing in small Singapore, but you can still enjoy JPOP even though you do not know how to speak the language and it is because of the efforts Singers like Aiko who spend hours and hours training to bring across the meaning of the song to listeners like you and me. With that, I salute and support her among many other the other singers I adore. 愛子, がんばって!!!

The lyrics of the song, I guess would touch the hearts of many in love or those waiting for love. To me, it shows the many happier times of a relationship - the time where you realised he/she no longer took the place of "a friend" in your heart, the time where both of you made known your feelings of one another, wanting to see the other, the wish of being able to be together forever, and as pen-ed by Aiko, あなたが好きだったの 今も今も… - "I loved you, I still do, I still do…" - Never Changing Love.

I too was touched by the song, so touched that I keep listening to the song over and over again… Thinking about how it would be like to be able to “be” like the song… Being able to find someone who would make me yearn to see, someone who would make me happy when I see him, and sad when I do not, someone who would make me shed tears of joy and sadness, someone who would vow to be with me forever… Who wouldn’t right?? It’s every girl’s dream to find someone like that, right???

With that, I hope that you like the song and may your loved one be able to give you plenty of KissHug.

who says sushi buffet only comes on a conveyor belt?

2008-09-16T04:05:00.000+08:00

6th september was a day that i first starved and then stuffed myself...

Reason being that I attended Singapore Management University's (SMU) Japanese Cultural Club's (JCC) first Itadakimasu event for this year, at the small cosy Sushi Kikuzawa at International Building for their wonderful Sushi Buffet!!!

This was actually my second time at Sushi Kikuzawa... My first was with my primary school classmate Lincoln who told me about this authentic Sushi Bar... after all, he knows about my soft spot for Japanese Cuisine more than anyone else...

The first thing that came to mind when I stepped into Sushi Kikuzawa was that it was very small, it also "felt" and looked authentic... There were also a few Japanses customers enjoying pieces and pieces of freshly made Sushi, which in my point of view, shows the authenticity of the food served...

Sashimi

The first item served was the serving of Sashimi, consisting of Sake (Salmon), Ika (Cuttlefish), Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp) as well as some kind of white fish, which i didn't manage to note down as I was gobbling the entire plate once I took a picture of it...

If you are a Sashimi-lover, this is not to be missed!!! The sashimi was fresh and to a certain extent, sweet... The salmo practically melted in my mouth... It was just heavenly!!!

The only pity was that you are only allowed 1 serving of the Sashimi... But!!! you can enjoy over 40 types of Nigiri Sushi as much as you want and it is made in front of your very eyes!!!

L - R: Leather Jacket, Horse Mackeral, Salmon Roe

Next was the Leather Jacket - it was fresh, not fishy at all.

Then came the Horse Mackeral, which has grinded ginger and some negi (spring onion) on top of it.. the ginger complemented the flesh of the Horse Mackeral so well... at first i could taste the fish, then suddenly, the taste of the ginger covered everything else... Amazing combination...

Salmon Roe was never my favourite so I passed it to my friend who gobbled it down within seconds...

Chawamushi

A piping hot serving of Chawamushi came momentarily... The Chawamushi was so smooth, you practically didn't have to chew, just scoop it into your mouth, and it will melt instantly... The hot sensation I felt as it went down my throat was just amazing... What's more, you can have as many servings of the freshly steamed Chawamushi... Perfect, just perfect...

Blow Torched Scallop

This was one of my favourites of the day... It is actually raw scallop without any seasoning and the chef just burns the top of the sushi with a blow torch, so what you get is sweet scallop on top of the slightly sour sushi rice that is cooked on the top and raw at the bottom, the taste and contrast in texture was extradorinary... A must try!!!

L - R: Blow Torched Scallop and Blow Torched Salmon

The blow-torched salmon is actually the highlight of Sushi Kikuzawa... Similar to the blow-torched scallop, the Salmon is lightly cooked and topped with ginger and negi... This combination resulted in a complex mix of flavours as it entered my mouth, you could taste the sour of the rice, the slight salty taste of the cooked salmon as well as the refreshing zing of the ginger... No wonder it is the highlight of the shop...

end of part one... please stay tuned for part two of the scrumptious Sushi Buffet at Sushi Kikuzawa...