The Day I Grew Mad For Garlic

That's right.

I would rather admit blatantly that I have a sudden strange obsession instead of acknowledging I am now officially a year older.

Last week marked the final year of my twenties. Boohooo.
On a brighter note, I had some really good years in my twenties when I looked back. That is a consolation I could hold on to.

My sister was rocking off her birthday in Seoul with some friends and it was a pity I couldn't join them. She, however, shared photos of her trip LIVE, from time to time via Whatsapp. It was cool that South Korea has WIFI practically every where.

Since I didn't get to go to Seoul, hubby said I could have a Korean meal as a birthday celebration. Yippie! Off we went to the famous Han Gang Korean restaurant in Grand Indonesia mall.

Perhaps it wasn't my lucky day. They were closed for renovation!! -.-
We checked with the Information Service counter if there were any other Korean restaurants in the mall. The answer "Mad For Garlic" came up. Twice. We asked 2 different counters twice and we got the same reply.

We decided to check it out, although I was quite sure it wasn't Korean.

It turned out to be an Italian bistro, which is originated from Korea.
Aha! That, apparently made it Korean to those two Information Service representatives! -.-""

Anyway, to save us from hunting for the real Korean restaurant, I told hubby that we shall give this a try.

The place was rather comfortably decorated. Cosy, in fact. There were huge couches that you could probably lay down for a nap while waiting for your orders to be served.
And of course, garlics were practically everywhere!

Up in the ceiling.

On the lights.

On the walls.

And surely, on your plate of food.

From left, clock wise : Lobster Cream Pasta (topped with fish roe), Garlic Snowing Pizza, and Assorted Seafood Salad.

The food portion was surprisingly generous.

I like the vinaigrette flavour in the salad. It matched very well with the sauteed shrimps, squids and aromatic garlics (of course!). While the squids were fairly fresh, I find the shrimps were either over cooked or it was a frozen product. They didn't have the bouncy texture of fresh, perfectly cooked shrimps.

Garlic Snowing Pizza is such a cheesy name - remember how Korean romance dramas always have a snowy scene :p
When it was served, the waiter sprinkled a generous portion of grated Parmesan cheese as the pizza topping. Besides, slices of fried garlics were also visible on the pizza.
Beneath all those toppings were some peeled shrimps and absolutely sweet pineapples! The pizza was a pleasant surprise to me. I enjoyed it as it had all the ingredients I like in one serving - pineapples, garlic and cheese.

We started to feel the food were slowing expanding in our tummies when we were reaching for the Lobster Cream Pasta. We only had the salad and half of the pizza. The food were filling.

Hubby wasn't a huge fan of creamy based food but he decided to order the Lobster Cream Pasta because it sounded promising. The verdict? It was all right. The pasta was cooked al dente and the cream sauce wasn't lumpy.

As hubby paid the bill, the waitress brought him a dine in voucher with the validity till December 2013. Mmmm...will we come back here again?

Maybe.

Just maybe, if I grew mad for garlic again.

And if Han Gang is closed, again ;p

The 17th century old Leiden

The fond memories of The Netherlands are always associated with the Amsterdam city, the cheese market, the "candies" and the alluring night life of the Red Light District.

Truth is, the Dutch land has more to offer.

About 40 km from Amsterdam, lies a quaint town of Leiden. It is probably the second largest 17th-century town centre in The Netherlands after Amsterdam. 

As we walked into the Dutch province of South Holland in an early morning of November 2011, our sights were only limited to 40 metres ahead due to the heavy fog enveloping the quiet town. We took the opportunity to explore the historical and cultural place before the town was fully awake.

Enriched in historical fortifications, Leiden is also a university city since 1575. It is a home to Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Centre and has twinned with the England oldest university location, Oxford since 1946.

 

Despite having a mere 22 square kilometres of land, Leiden has numerous small canals and that made it excellent for offering canal tour packages as well as setting up cafes or bistros along the waters.

One thing that you will most probably not missed, albeit the mist and fog is the windmill! It certainly is the landmark of the country and it is massive. If you are absolutely fond of windmills, do visit De Valk, the windmill museum.

A 16th-century building, the Town Hall (Stadhuis Leiden)

I imagine the town will be much more charming during summer or perhaps even spring, when flowers are blooming and butterflies are round and about.

It seemed we had missed one important building during our exploration amidst the fog (we had to be careful not to walk into waters as the visibility was pretty bad in some parts of the town, especially near the canals) - the castle De Burcht. You may check out more information here, if you are interested.

You will probably not enjoy Leiden as much if you like hippie and vibrant city life. However, you might consider celebrating the annual 3 Oktober Festival (not to be confused with Oktoberfest) with the locals. The festival commemorates the anniversary of the 1573–1574 Siege of Leiden, during the Eighty Years' War, when the Spanish Army attempted to capture the city.

There will be parades, traditional food hutspot and Dutch herring, partying and of course, drinking all day.

Stylishly Miss Ann

Being your own boss may sound glamourous and glorious. You can work at your own pace. Come and leave work as you wish and most importantly, you are the one bossing people around instead of being bossed around!

Truth is, it is not as rosy as it may appear. A lot of hard work and effort is needed to start up and subsequently maintain it.

Kudos to those who boldly embarked into such a challenging journey and may your hard work pays off.

A friend recently jumped into the same wagon wheel. She started up her own fashion lable Miss Ann, which is based in Melbourne. Since she is not an Aussie, I could imagine how tough things can get when trying to start up a decent business abroad. Nevertheless, she made it.

The brand, the logo

And all she needs is a kind and generous support from friends, families and you, who respects her determination and her courage to build a dream. Since we were in high school, we could see her distinct taste for fashion and I am glad she is able to indulge in what she loves and adores.

Please like her in Facebook here. Your support counts and much appreciated! :)

A sneak preview of her banner ;)

P/S: All pictures taken from Miss Ann.

The Artsy Holy La Sagrada Familia

I know I have not been blogging much lately. I was being attacked by flu bug and then later, lazy bug. I was coughing and wheezing in my bed, like some old woman in the brink of death. It was awful but glad that I am recovering.

Anyway, I shall continue posting on my Barcelona trip, after a few interruptions.

You will probably hear and see Gaudi everywhere you go in Barcelona or Spain. He was famous and still is, despite he is buried six feet under since 1926. One of his famous masterpieces is La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church in Barcelona.

Much to my surprise, the church is still under construction and set to complete by 2026. It was only 15-25% completed by the time of his own death. The construction works were interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936, where parts of the unfinished building were destroyed by Catalan anarchists and the present design is based on reconstructed versions (with modern adaptations) of the plans that were burned in a fire.

La Sagrada Familia is under construction and this is taken in December 2011.

Its facade has a lot of decorative details and some sort of storyboard along the walls. I haven't found another Catholic church that has a slight resemblance of La Sagrada. Simply impressive.

It is no wonder Gaudi created such a huge name for himself. His designs and ideas are by far the most unique I have come across. Most of his designs are magically harmonized with the nature.

As you can see from its interior, the structure of the building reflects the shape of tree branches.
It somewhat makes you feel as though you were walking into a huge tree that has a secluded church.

What I really like about cathedrals and churches is the coloured or stained glass on the windows. It gives life to the loving and holy atmosphere of the sacred place.

If my memory serves me correctly, you could take an elevator into the higher levels of the building, with a fee. A guided tour is also recommended if you are keen to know the history and story of Gaudi and La Sagrada, although you will find snippets of explanation on the walls in the museum.

Apparently, the construction of Gaudi's brainchild is not funded by the government or any official church sources. It draws fund from the purchase of visitor tickets and private donations. That explains why the ticket price is rather pricey but it certainly is worthy.

And if the circumstance permits, I would love to see the completed version of La Sagrada, which is 13 years from now.

Coincidentally...Lantern Festival

Lantern festival.
Mooncake festival.
Mid-autumn festival.

They all mean the same. It is the time of the year where we feast on mooncakes (traditionally, we also had massive dinner gatherings) without any excuse, whatsoever.
This festival is celebrated annually by the Chinese community on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese Calendar. With this festival being commercialised in the modern days, even the non-Chinese community are joining the feast, enjoying the creative new flavours being introduced by bakery shops.

For the past 3 years, I had not been part of the celebration and the feasting. However, this year, it is exceptional. Not only that I am back in Asia, celebrating with my family, the festival coincidentally fell on the same day as my mother's birthday. Sweet.

We had a small family dinner together, before proceeding to catch a glimpse of the mid-autumn festival celebration in Marina Bay Sands (MBS), Singapore. My sister and I were there during the day to observe if it was convenient for our wheel-chaired granny. 

Fortunately, Marina Bay Sands is relatively convenient for elderly citizens and the disables, just like any other public places in Singapore.

However, the heat during the day didn't make a day trip to MBS pleasant.

It was much better during the night. That was also when all the decorations were lit up.

 Full-blown size balloon lanterns floating on the sea in Marina Bay Sands.

 Decorative rows of lanterns lighting up the walkaways in Marina Bay Sands.

While the mooncakes found in most of the celebrating countries are similar, one that totally stands out is Indonesia. The Chinese community here has its own version of mooncake and the locals call it "Tong Jiu Pia".

Its appearance is much simpler than the usual ones and there are several flavours - chocolate, cheese, chocolate and cheese, milk, jackfruit, etc.

I somewhat like the non-greasy surface of Tong Jiu Pia, as opposed to the usual ones.

In terms of flavour and texture, Tong Jiu Pia is dryer, less sweet (perhaps the degree of sweetness depends on the pastry chefs) and lighter. It doesn't consist of salted egg yolks, which the locals find the latter an awkward blend to the lotus paste of the usual mooncakes.

Well, I am indifferent. I enjoy the goodies from the different cultures, though I must admit having too much egg yolk lotus paste mooncakes can be unpleasant. But then again, there are many other flavours and alternatives to choose from these days ;)

Getting Nostalgic, Getting Close To You

Up till yesterday, I didn't realise October had arrived silently.

Have I lost myself to time and space?
Never mind about that. 

It is fall already. And it is one of my favourite season of the year.

I love the harmonious combination of hues sprawled across the backyard, gardens and parks. It effortlessly drowns me in my own little world of happiness, delighted by the colourful landscape around me.

Taken in Frederiksberg Garden, Copenhagen, last autumn.

On a different occasion, this was taken in Botanical Garden in Copenhagen last autumn.

The air can get rather chilly but it is quickly forgotten and forgiven. Many will take the opportunity to have a family picnic, should the weather shows mercy on the hopeful ones. 

Dogs and children running freely in the parks, while the parents watching from afar - contented with the gift that Mother Nature has generously offered.

I could sit in the park for hours, listening to the gusts of wind passing me by, watching the leaves dancing rhythmically with the wind or like the contented parents, enjoying the heartful laughter of the playful children.

A loud honk from the street wakes me up from my beautiful autumn dream.

Yikes.

Well, perhaps another daydream for another day.
Right now, I am just glad that it is Thursday!

Time to unwind myself....
As I am getting close to weekend...