Welcome back Samuel!

Samuel returned from France two nights ago, and I finally had the chance to meet him.. He's really surprised me from the time I met him again during my pageant last year.. Remembering the bunch of us not really liking him cuz we thought he was arrogant, he really highlighted to me first impressions dun count.. Running into him along the corridor on the day of my pageant, I found out he was a long time friend of Tim.. We asked him along to come watch me for the pageant... He said he would try, but he was not sure,, But he turned up in the end, and with a bunch of flowers! So sweet! It was really surprising for me cuz I thought no one knew the culture of giving gifts when you turn up for a friend's performance..

So what was the surprise this time round? He actually bought me the blow torch I asked for when he was in France.. Mind you this is from France, made in FRance.. Priced in Euros, you wun believe how expensive this is.. I wanted him to help me buy, but it was a souvenir from him.. Its like woah! I didn't even spend that much getting Omiyages for my coursemates...

To pass me my long waited gift, we met up and guess what? He came to pick me!! And we went Holland V! I finally had the chance to visit Shermay's Cooking School to look at the little shop selling good stuff.. And we visited all the quaint little shops we found there.. There was this shop where we bought a hazelnut crunch cake from.. Well, actually a place where Samuel got it from.. He's like a Singapore version of Tat-chan.. The second man I knew who had a sweet tooth! Ain' that adorable? Haha... I'm sure he hates this description... And very nice Mr Chee treated me to Haagen Daz after that...

I have to blog this because he is the first friend I had who made so much effort to cheer me up.. And in this short time, I have learnt how true Samuel is as a friend to all his buddies..
And, I have started my splurge on the more extravagant ingredients.. Madagascar vanilla bean paste and extract set at $70+?

Dinner at Dave's and the Singapore Garden Festival

Dave's mum invited me over for dinner the night before. She prepared the Chinese restaurant dish she learnt at the cooking class for me.. And it was really good!! Scallop wrapped with bacon !!
And today, I went flower festival with dearest Mummy!!! and of course daddy.. and our home designer who's probably one of mum's best friends now.. My mum is so nice to her... Jess had a contract with this reach family and they paid her $6000 less on purpose!!!!! So mean!!!!!!!! Plus one of her instalments of $750, she lost it by accident when she misplaced it in her tote bag... Apparently she did not put it into the bad, but out of the bag without realizing me... Claire moment for poor Jess... My mum went to the temple and prayed for Jess and got her an amulet... So kind.. I must learn from my mum's kindness...
So subsequent pictures are some of my favourite displays at the flower festival... so, enjoy!

I vote this number one.. It feels like a secret garden... HAha..
Can you tell who this lady is?
This is my second favourite... It feels like Atlantis to me...

Mummy and Jess... But apparently the lighting wasn't that good.... :S

Cupcake Hero Entry: ABC Cupcake

After alot of procastination,i finally had the chance for my first cupcake hero entry of the year!!

Introducing
ABC Cupcake
A Bean and Coconut Cupcake

Red bean cheese cupcakes topped with Red bean coconut malibu filling and blue sprinkles..

Red: Red Bean
White: Cheesecake and dessicated coconut
Blue: Rice sprinkles

Recipe
Ingredients
250g Cream cheese
50g Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp gelatine
60g water
300g whipping cream
200g red bean filling
Directions:
1. Cream the cheese and sugar till light
2. Heat water to warm temperature (not boiling, about 50-50 degree celcius), add gelatine and stir till dissolved
3. Add gelatine mixture to cheese mixture and stir till combined
4. Whip the whipping cream till soft peaks form
5. Add to cheese mixture and mix till combined
6. Add red bean filling and fold it into the cheese mixure
7. Divide batter into muffin pans lined with cupcake wrappers
8. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 hours
9. Top with Red bean coconut malibu filling, sprinkle blue coloured rice or other preferred decoration and sprinkle desiccated coconut on top of the red bean topping.
Red Bean Filling:
150 g Red beans
1200 ml water
90 g sugar
1/3 cup dessicated coconut
1/3 cup malibu rum

1.Cook red beans in water till soft
2.Discard water and add sugar
3.Return red bean mixture to heat
4.Heat till mixture boils and remove from heat. This is the red bean filling for the cheesecake
5.Add dessicated coconut and malibu rum after adding 200g of red bean filling into the mixture. This is the red bean filling to be topped of on the cake.

21st July till the end of the month

Orientation

Since I didn't have the chance to go engineering camp, I went for Union camp.. and this row of freshies except Mr green shirt Dan are the freshies of Z-group...

The really cute girl in front is Rachel.. She's probably my favourite freshie because of her efforts in enthusiasm and she reminded me alot about myself when I was a freshie... Plus she's was student councillor... We're same height too! Plu I think she's really pretty... Hey! not les hor!
These are the freshies who are dancing behind.. blur and lost... There's a fake freshie in this picture... guess which... she's a girl.. so you can look at the girls starting form the left and guess..

But after all the campus games, its amazing these freshies were smilin in this photo.. Well, we took some time to get them to smile.. if you look at the photo before this shot, they were half or already asleep

Classic photo formation which i think this OG hated...

Water soccer... Pretty fun...

I'm in this picture.. But I'm in so much pain being the base of tau pok u probably dun recognise me..

OG dinner was at Breeeks.. didn't eat.. but most people didn't find it good.. In particular Eugene who hated his pasta.. And jian da who hated his baked rice... This reminds me that I only drank plain water the entire day...

Den after that was the clubbing night, which I spent some time crying alone outside the DXO.. before I went in being all xian and bored.. Clubbing was definitely not my thing... And flash photography ain't it either... Makes my makeup look bad... time to change make up!

Den Sentosa night... Candle fight.. Really fun! probably the freshie's favourite game.. There's a guy in my group who has a power breath to blow out the canfle flame of opponents taller than him, holding their candle at maximum height.. Amazing... CPR skills....



Seow, Junwei and Xue Feng's birthday



The fourth day of the camp gave me a chance to sneak home to bake a cake for my dearest friend's birthday.. The inflation made me realise how expensive cakes are... Since prima deli is the cheapest cake shop in Singapore, I made comparison based on that.. but, 1kg of cake is almost $40? Plus u wun believe how heavy this cake weighs...

So presenting my proud masterpiece, Irish chocolate cake... Well, its not from Ireland.. But this cake is all about the baileys... Chocolate sponge soaked with Bailey's Creme Caramel syrup, layered with rich cream cheese frosting infused with the same favourite Bailey's liqour.. decorated to look like Winnie the pooh's trademark icons...

And the great bunch of friends who make efforts to celebrate friend's birthday...
The birthdays of these three aero genius who celebrated their birthdays together the year before too...

Back to Orientation

Friday was amazing race.. So it was all about running around and trying to compete in speed of travelling around Singapore.. Started with east coast park from changi chalet...
And penalty for being unable to find a puzzle piece landed the group under the sands... Poor freshies...

After the entire week of action, I struggled to meet Elvin for our Rock Climbing session.. Thankfully it rained in the morning, so I could snooze in.. And I only conquered one wall today... very pathetic of me... boo hoo... But at least I got to take the view of Yishun from the top of the wall...
And the scary tall wall on the other side which I think I'll never have enough strength to complete...
Greenery on the other side..

And there's poor Elvin stuck up there cuz his horrible belayer was taking photo instead of letting him down...

And... School is starting soon... Boo hoo...

Dinner with Princess Yan

Steph, Dave's younger sister treated me to a meal at fish and co today... After rescheduling a few times, we finally settled for the dinner to be on this day... After visiting school, I wanted to drive home to catch a bus for Novena Square.. But since she arrived earlier, I decided to head straight.. Except that I lost my way there since I was already on the KJE when I decided to go there...

The appetiser was this really nice fried prawns.. It tasted really good... But I can't remembered what its called...
I had a chance to have a picture with Princess Yan.. I know... I look horrible.. From all the crying, its no wonder why my eyes halved its size...

Who's that cute guy in the background? Make a guess.. I wun tell you.. Haha...
The other dishes were the usual FIsh and Co special.. Except for the desert this time round... Creme Brulee!!!! The crystalized topped that was made brittle by the blow torch was delish!!!!Another photo with the princess who treated me to dinner.. I think she looked prettier than the last time I saw her... Really nice!
Bonus of the dinner? Dave joined us.. :) It was nice to have him around...