It was pretty intent on pecking at both sneakers. This photo was taken at about the same time it started pecking at the second sneaker.

I’ve recently been so enamored with this collage by Anthony Zinonos that I’m actually using it as my MacBook wallpaper. Which makes it rather surprising that I failed to see the connection until J pointed it out. Oh you tricky beady-eyed hypnotic monster of a bird.

Hair salon… or not ?

Shanghainese staples that you’ll see everywhere streetside once you get out of the tourist zones though in my opinion, nothing beats mee pok tah. Any day.

Been a massive homebody in recent weekends. Likewise, this weekend was about doing the laundry on Saturday, vacuuming/ mopping the floor on Sunday, relaxing some then working some and stocking up on groceries. We stopped by the florist and I’m really glad these flowers came home with us.

I’ve always wondered about the people behind these chalk-written propaganda messages. Is it those old folks with red armbands sitting on their little stools in the morning sun or chain-smoking men strolling about the neighborhood at dusk ?

I think we’ve found the perfect French restaurant in Hong Kong (well actually my mom found it and she has been nagging us to go check it out since we arrived). It’s non-pretentious and serves delicious home style food, which already says a lot. I had my very first steamed whole artichoke and enjoyed the process very much.

Plus service is impeccable and non-intrusive. The only thing that keeps us from going back more frequently would be the price factor. Oh well it’s definitely one restaurant we’ll bookmark for special occasions… which leads us to why we were there that night, because I’d found a job !

I’m now two weeks in and been kept on my toes with so many new things to learn. It has been exciting but also rather stressful so I’ve mostly been cooped up in the office and not exploring the city (or blogging) too much. Explorations are generally limited to the food-related sort in our neighborhood and I think I can get used to the laid back weekend dim sum brunch routine Hongkongers do with tea and good reading materials in hand.

And yes don’t judge me, that is chicken feet (though not in black bean sauce the way I like). I’m trying to get past the not-so-classy aspect of consuming chicken feet by cutting them up into smaller pieces with my spoon and chopsticks first. Blame my coworker for getting me hooked. So tasty !

More commonly known as the apartment block where famed Chinese writer Eileen Chang lived for a number of years.

A rather impromptu reunion of sorts with the students’ council guys, it’s slightly creepy how these pictures exude quite a timeless feel. Put us back in uniforms and we’ll look no different from 10 years (!) back.

Also funny how back in those days, the hawker centre was the last place I would suggest when I meet with friends, it’s more where I go to dine with family. But of course in recent years, whenever I’m back in Singapore, the hawker centre increasingly becomes a natural dining location of choice for meet ups. Trendy restaurants are everywhere and I rather divide my time between homecooked meals and hawker centres during my limited number of days there.

Speaking of which, I’m already back in Hong Kong and ought to scamper off to bed now as gainful employment starts tomorrow. Mixed feelings abound.

Singapore 1960
Venue: National Museum of Singapore
Date: 3 June 2010 – 22 August 2010
Time: 10am – 6pm
Admission: Free

If the name Cai Guo-Qiang rings a bell, it may be because he recently curated “Peasant da Vincis”, an impressive showcase of Chinese peasant inventions, at the equally impressive Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai.

“Head On” was Cai’s earlier work, first exhibited in 2006 at the Deutsche Guggenheim as his debut solo show in Germany. It consists of 99 life-size replicas of wolves running and flying into a glass wall. Trust me, it’s definitely something one must see in person to grasp the magnificence of the work. Definitely worth a trip to the National Museum of Singapore for those in town !

Cai Guo-Qiang: Head On
Venue: National Museum of Singapore
Date: 2 July 2010 – 31 August 2010
Time: 10am – 6pm
Admission: Free

Video: 547 photos shot on a Canon PowerShot G10
Music: Taking Wing by Daedelus

Not long after my last day at work, I went on a hastily-planned backpacking trip with the sister. It was the first time we traveled together, just the two of us, and I was anxious to show her 36-hour train journeys and the northwestern face of China I love so much.

Time constraints dictate we give Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region – typically off the tourist radar given its location and lack of prominent tourist attractions – a shot over Xinjiang and Qinghai. During our time there, we learned more about the short-lived Xixia kingdom in between many servings of spicy vegetable chuan’r and liangpi.

Video: 1,131 photos shot on a Canon PowerShot G10
Music: Trace a Line by Au Revoir Simone

Experimenting for the first time with a new medium in the hope of more timely posts. I sure had a lot of fun doing it. Hope you like it.

An extra incentive to drink milk, considering they come in such lovely old school bottles.

Hong Kong, the land of fishball mee pok soups.

Like I said, land of fishball mee pok soups. A pity they aren’t served with red chilli slices in soy sauce though.

I’ve had a good trip cramped full of homecooked meals, thrift (and some non-thrift) shopping, cats, family time and plenty of afternoons spent in gardens. Unfortunately my camera’s so overloaded with photos that I cannot upload them directly with a cable. I’m trying to delete as many as I could before I resort to buying a card reader. Well, let’s see.

p/s Updates will likely be very sporadic over the next two weeks as we are bound for Europe tonight. Looking forward to spending time with the family and attending a wedding in South East England, but first I should probably get started on packing that suitcase…

Yesterday marked a one-day mid-week siesta for Hong Kong as it celebrates this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. We appropriately spent the afternoon at Stanley Beach watching the dragon boat races and bustling crowds.

I’d promised mom I would eat a rice dumpling but it completely slipped my mind so I guess I’ll have to go look for one today. Wish me luck !

First, an aphorism by famed Persian poet Saadi at the entrance.

Then a showcase of the country’s technology advancements…

… industrial progress…

… and natural resources.

There was also a little booth set up to attract foreign investment, the sort that materializes at non-trade expositions.

But the highlight of the pavilion has got to be the carpet showroom on the second floor. Persian hand-woven carpets are among the world’s finest and so do not make the cheapest souvenirs (such as this one at RMB 40,000), that I know.

But I’m rather flabbergasted by the seeming mindlessly-chosen designs.

A year’s worth of hard work by an unknown weaver somewhere in Iran, priced at RMB 46,000…

Why ??

At the cafeteria, we had tasty saffron pistachio ice cream and watched an Iranian staff endlessly water the brick floor. We tried querying the purpose of this act…

… unfortunately none of the Iranian staff spoke enough English to tell us why.

Someone’s idea of a birthday present.

Right next to the Iran Pavilion, nice touch.

Cross the pretend bridge to view the pretend Juche Tower and pretend Pyongyang cityscape.

I spoke to a North Korean for the first time. Not surprising that she could speak reasonably alright English and Mandarin.

We bought a couple of books so we have officially contributed moolah to Kim’s despotic regime.

Seems like whoever’s in charge had edited the selection of books to ensure there are none of the fervent propaganda content intended for domestic consumption I had heard so much about.

Disappointed.

19 December 1921 – 10 June 2010

Here’s some of the pavilions which caught my eye (and which happen to photograph well).

China

Australia

Singapore

Thailand

Portugal

Finland

Estonia

Latvia

Denmark

Sweden

Iceland

United Kingdom

Italy

Croatia

Russia

Germany

France

The (very awesome) farewell/ wedding gift from our good friends that was separately shipped a few days after the packers had gone. At last check, our gazillion boxes of pots and pans, books and clothes are still stranded at a port in Shanghai. Gee, thanks.

I was seven years old in 1989 and yet I remembered seeing the Tank Man on telly. It left such an impression that when I finally stood at the square in 2004 (my first time in China at a ripe old age of 22), I was overwhelmed by the historical significance of being actually there in person: the very venue where Red Guard fanatics waved crimson books at Mao… and its proximity to where blood was shed years later in the tumultuous summer of ’89.

Despite pro-democracy agendas of the various activist groups present at Victoria Park, I’m touched by how 150,000 Hong Kongers (or so the organizers say) from all walks of life have come together for the event – young, old, very pregnant and with kids in tow. Singaporeans, I guess, still have a long way to go in this respect. I left the park with two songs in my head, wondering about the mainlanders in today’s crowd – are they ordinary Chinese nationals or outspoken individuals already on the party’s radar ? Not that it matters, of course.

Hot pot highlights: KY’s refreshing pea shoots and mango salad and her mom’s oh-so-spicy chilli sauce.

Kidney bean, mushroom and pan-fried salmon linguini for two.

Made the most of an all-you-can-eat Japanese dinner on a school night.

Not in my top form last Saturday as I sneezed my way from Shanghai to Hong Kong, home for the next couple of years. Being sick-ish in Hong Kong made me feel claustrophobic for the first time. Fingers crossed it won’t happen again. On a cheerier note, wireless internet connection in the apartment was set up within the first hour of our moving in. Yay.

Not the best Korean we’ve had…

… but I think it is good enough given its proximity to home. No waitress to help us with the cooking so sore hands after all that tongs gripping and meat flipping.

Finally tried crab xiaolongbao’s, the mothership of them all.

Very tasty and worth every bit of the RMB 81 price tag though admittedly a little too rich to consume on a regular basis.

Lots of walking.

J tricked us into walking from Wan Chai to Causeway Bay for dinner. His lure: the “It’s just right in front” line.

J got his karmic retribution when I accidentally ate his bowl of satay beef noodles the next day. In my defense, the broth doesn’t taste satayish and he had asked for proper noodles not instant noodles.

The weekend started early as we left for Hong Kong on Thursday night, zipping about Mid Levels and Wanchai for most of our time in Hong Kong.

Fingers crossed for that lovely apartment in Wan Chai which overlooks the quaintest neatly put-together rooftop garden.

Back in Shanghai, we popped by a tiny izakaya for some ramen and yakitori treats.

I watched half of Princess Mononoke and the whole of My Neighbor Totoro. I’d never thought that one day I would watch these two films but I’m glad I did.

Mori played host and whipped up a delicious Japanese meal on Sunday night.

So I’ve slacked off posting photos from my recent travels in Shantou, Chaozhou and Hong Kong but only because rest on Sunday turned out to be a much higher priority.

Polka dots with the trusty oversized military jacket for an outfit that doesn’t require too much thought.

That coming from a conversation between two trendy-looking post-90s Chinese boys, I couldn’t help but started paying attention to what they were saying as it was surprisingly heartfelt.

“我一点都不想家，还比较想家里的狗。”

The conversation took a turn for something a little more unexpected when one of the boys talked about how he grew to be rather independent when he was growing up because his parents were busy most of the time and were not at home. He saw them once a week for dinner at most.

“我从不打我们家的狗，太心疼。”

His friend responded when the boy mentioned that he always hits his dog at his family home. Even today when he gets his dog sitter to let him speak to his dog over the phone, the animal cringes with fear just hearing his voice.

“我的外甥也蛮怕我的。”

The boy added. He noted he is strict with his nephew because he doesn’t want the child to grow up like him, a rebellious teenager who engaged in fights and theft because he was spoilt by his parents. He stole RMB 10,000 from his dad one time.

“郁闷。”

He said he has been in Shanghai since November last year and remarked how he hasn’t been homesick once unlike his friends. His father is now visiting and will likely stay for one to two months more, he’s not too enthusiastic about it.

“我爸打完后，带我去买吃的。”

The two boys delved further into their childhood, marked by experiences of being hit by their respective fathers when they misbehaved. One mentioned how his dad dragged him home from a fight and hit his head against the wall on a separate occasion, contrary to my impression of well-to-do Chinese fathers who fawn over their little emperors.

I’d then finished lunch and had to go back to the office. It was quite a bit of interesting insight into the lives of China’s post-90s youth today I suppose. At times like this, I really appreciate that I do blend into the crowd quite easily.

Liking how the weave belt added more shape and spunk to this secondhand dress I’d thrifted in France. Paired with dark grey thermal leggings as the weather is still a little too cold for bare legs.

We found ourselves at the Shanghai Botanical Garden, even then the skies turned somewhat grey not too long after. We had intended to head to Chongming Island for a leisurely day trip but the throngs of people queuing to buy ferry tickets scared us off.

Look what a last minute change of plans brought us – chirpy Haibao all decked out in Santa Claus gear balancing on his ribbon with a bouquet in hand. Haibao effigies are annoyingly everywhere in Shanghai these days, I’m afraid.

Don’t think I’ve seen tulips out of vases growing in the soil before this.

We stared at this colorful horticulture attempt for the longest time: What are the two pandas in the foreground doing ? Is this a ritual of sorts ? Why is the girl panda lying down ? So many questions, no answer to date.

Then a little stroll in a pretend bamboo forest.

I haven’t had a balloon in years ! I was happy, so was 小虎 !

Not as fantastic as the ones by Terry Richardson and Tommy. I need to learn to take better pictures.

There were still alot of people everywhere though, families out in full force with grandparents and kids in strollers. I might have been the only adult with a balloon but it was good fun reliving childhood.

Throw in a few upcoming trips: Going down south in search of my roots, visit ancestral hometowns for the first time and see where I might have been if my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother had not gotten on the slow boat to Southeast Asia in 1959. Then a week-long backpacking holiday with the sister to northwestern China. It’s going to be the first time we are traveling together by ourselves and I can’t wait to show her the non-touristy side of China.

At this point, there are so many uncertainties. I’m fraught with worry yet what would life be without the thrill of uncertainties ahead ? I can only hope they will fall in place properly in due course. To add to the noise, the fiancé is currently caught in the volcanic ash hoopla in Europe. Let’s hope he can make it back safely and in time. Fingers crossed.

Just when you thought Obama Entertainment Club is the pits.

Actually, this isn’t so bad. I mean, it could have been worse.

I’ve recently rekindled my love for this fiery hot and savory mix-it-up streetside snack which originated from Sichuan Province. KY first introduced me to it a few years ago when we were flatmates. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a stall selling the snack and guess what, I couldn’t resist.

It’s an easy process: Let the stall owner know which ingredients you would like in your snack – from a selection of mostly sliced beef, beef offal to processed food – and she will weigh the portions (so you know how much to pay) before mixing everything skillfully in a large wok with generous sprinklings of condiments, coriander and roasted peanuts. It should cost about RMB 10+ and definitely under RMB 20.

I’m not a big fan of beef or beef offal so my version is usually more a combination of crunchy things such as cucumber, jellyfish, seaweed, pig ears, transparent noodly things and Jew’s ear. While I’m quite certain it doesn’t sound very appetizing to the non-Asians among my readers but trust me, it is ! Crunch crunch, om nom nom nom !

Pet chicken let out for a walk.

A little girl waiting for her friends.

Here they come, in full split-pants glory.

Ducks hung up streetside. Hygiene, pollution, whatever. Doesn’t matter.

Dusty second-hand books and random knick-knacks.

A sad dog trapped behind glass panels. I’ve walked past this shop often enough to know he’s there most of the time.

Selection of Chinese wines.

The carefree smoker cyclist.

Plant growing in reckless abandon.

Black sesame dumpling break. Don’t be misled by the size, they are about three parts dough to one part black sesame.

Narrow alleyways.

New textured tiles contrasted against windows that are almost falling apart.

Mobile vegetable hawkers. (Take that, cilantrophobes !)

Fading traces, almost forgotten. Inevitably so, I’ve always found it extremely humbling and sombering to bear witness to these traces of history.

Someone’s open-air storage grounds for stone statues.

Botanical art forms.

Never knew Sir Stamford Raffles had such muscular calves.

The view from the second floor of the Old Parliament House. The Old Parliament House was actually closed that particular day but we were allowed to venture to the second floor on basis of checking out an event venue.

Curiosity got the better of me because I wanted to show J the old Parliament Chamber so I went up to the third floor, pushed the lever door handle and… to my surprise, it was unlocked !

A gem of a uniquely Singaporean translation equipment in the solemn and gorgeous chamber. I love the place. It was funny how we both started speaking in hushed tones the moment we entered the chamber. I think partly it was because I felt like an intruder.

I found myself in Kampong Glam one night a few days after and learnt the hard way that while most of the bars there offer shisha, fewer than five sell beer. I should have known, how could this have slipped my mind ? Bleh.

A much welcomed revival ? I almost bought a Singa the Lion t-shirt this time in Singapore but didn’t because I couldn’t convince myself to wear a ringer T-shirt (much less one that has black ribbing on dark grey). I suppose I will make do with this photo instead.

Just offhand, I know I can’t live without the chilli sauces which come with, in no particular order, chicken rice, kuay chap, mee hoon kueh, mee soto, c-harm, bbq chicken wings and yong tau foo. So many variations. All lipsmacking fiery.

Kopi O, not mine.

If I have a choice, I can eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Yes the spicy dip forms a significant part of the attraction.

I only know these shells as gong gong. Just like how I know some others as la la. It is crucial that they be eaten with their accompanying spicy dips. For those who find c-harm (blood cockles) yucky, give gong gong a try. Likewise, it’s also an acquired taste – the raw taste been replaced by a fully-cooked, chewy texture. I have to admit part of the fun lies in twirling the flesh out from the shell using a toothpick.

Speaking of which, here’s how I spent one rainy afternoon in Singapore viewing contemporary photography from Germany with the sister. I really like it that the gallery has preserved the original cement floor and its fading hopscotch courses.

Good girlfriend and good Indian vegetarian grub, although to be frank, I was also eyeing the delicious-looking spicy non-Vegetarian options ordered by diners next table.

Mommy’s take on the hotpot we’ve come to associate Chinese New Year with over the years. Tasty MSG-free meat broth (made from scratch, not from a bottle) and spicy home-made dipping sauce (non too finely-chopped garlic and chilli in calamansi juice, light soy sauce and vinegar) guaranteed.

Inspirasi mee soto, how I’ve missed you so.

My favorite yu sheng is actually this one that is available all year round at Maxwell Food Centre. $2 worth of a refreshing and very fresh sashimi salad, in savory Singapore style. Uh, salivating now as I write. Thanks YM for the treat !

My sister took me to get ayam penyet in the unsuspecting bowels of Lucky Plaza. Indonesian food can’t get any better than this, no ? (Not that I’ve had alot.)

The Soh sisters also went to get their mee kuah fix. It’s so spicy but it’s oh so so good. I swear by the mee kuah from this 24-hr coffeeshop near Middle Road. And of course, it will be wise to have a glass of kopi-c peng on hand to help put out the fire.

Waiting for the elevator after visiting my aunt and uncle.

You have been instructed…

… to stand behind the yellow line.

How many of us know that MRT in Chinese is 大众快速交通 ? To be fair no one says that in everyday use, 地铁 it is (even though it isn’t even underground half the time).

74 is the magic number of my childhood.

Daily life at the town centre.

The florist at the market sells fake flowers too.

Last night’s non-sober conversations become today’s crates waiting to be collected.

A quick snap on the new overhead bridge we are forced to use because barriers have been erected to curb our jaywalking habits.

The neighbor’s cat ready to pounce (sort of).

The multi-storey car park behind our apartment.

Stairs because we live on the second floor.

A spot of green amid mundanity.

Pathway leading to the bus stop.

Not far from the bus stop.

Where is the bus ?

Technically this has nothing to do with being an Eastie but I usually have something to read on the bus to mommy’s noodle stall. Thumbs up to Female’s captivating cover this issue, I really like how the two typefaces interact.

Alighted from the bus. It takes about five minutes to cut through the neighborhood to reach mommy’s stall.

Halfway there…

… almost there.

Tell-tale signs of the Chinese New Year festivities at the hawker centre.

The view from inside the stall.

Why I went to mommy’s stall: To get lunch ! My mommy makes the most kickass fishball bak chor mee. I think I had two bowls of noodles that day.

That’s all for now. Here’s a kitty good night from Bedok.

Postcard-worthy. It is actually the only part of Qibao resembling its more famous water town cousins elsewhere in eastern China.

Argh. Way too many people for our liking. Being squashed by the crowds in fake ancient streets lined by shops selling the same ubiquitous junk found in restored ancient towns across China isn’t our idea of a day trip though I think it qualifies as one to many Chinese.

So we decided to take matters into our own hands…

… and take a detour to the residential (and less touristy) part of Qibao.

Operation success: We managed to lose the tourists.

Residential Qibao has an interesting array of mint green houses, somewhat a toned-down version of the Emerald City.

I wonder what made residents pick the color.

It does add a touch of whimsy heheheh.

We met three bubbly little girls enthusiastically looking out and picking up trash in their neighborhood. When asked why they were doing this, they chirpily said: 因为我们要爱护环境. Ah, the sort of cutesy childhood innocence that’s quite a rarity among Chinese children these days. Regretted not taking a photo of the three girls, ack !

Then we stumbled upon Qibao’s quaint catholic church…

… which has two stone lions guarding its entrance.

Live poultry sighted as we walked through a small outdoor market after leaving the church. I like markets in general, so many things to see and (sometimes) to touch.

Bye bye Qibao because it’s about time for us to get on Metro Line 9. Don’t know when we will be back again. You were lovely less for the water town and more for the suburban ride.

We had a quiet dinner in a dimly lit and pleasant restaurant right smack in the middle of the nightlife buzz on a Saturday night.

J started wearing a fake wedding band over the weekend. I think it might have come from a bottle of wine we’d opened months back. I’m amused that he doesn’t seem inclined to take it off anytime soon. Since I am still without an engagement ring, this might work – as a substitute ring worn by the fiancé instead.

The rare glimpse of sunny, warm weather prompted us to go on an ad hoc trip to Qibao on Sunday. More on Shanghai’s very own water town in another post very soon.

Summery blooms in the apartment, I like very much even though I don’t know their names.

I used to eat this for lunch almost everyday at the university cafeteria. I guess you can say I’m rather predictable with food I love.

Every year, on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, mommy prepares a stir-fried dish comprising of seven types of vegetables. There are one or two types that are only available once a year during the Chinese New Year period. A little guilty that I can’t name the seven vegetables even though mommy must have told me dozens of times.

Another (semi-) annual ritual, the awesome supper at Blk 85 with a number of friends, some of whom actually trudge all the way over from the other side of the island. Appreciate it, guys.

Potluck at the annual family get-together. Mommy’s contribution was a large pot of braised pork knuckles with sea cucumber and mushrooms.

Ready, get set…

… and go ! Don’t forget to say out loud all the auspicious wishes you can think of as you toss the yusheng.

No more dim sum.

Guess how fast this restaurant cleared out when the parking inspectors popped by.

Lo hei in da house !

Sleepy newborns are quite a handful.

Big brother.

Forlorn because we are on the wrong side of the fence. Oh wait, what are those things near the pails ?

Sleepyhead puppies, hah !

Awkward positions, though anything goes as long as the job gets done.

My uncle’s dog became rather antsy when he realized everyone’s fawning over the new pups. Fret not Dolly !

New family…

… and new toy cameras.

A quick dinner before we board the bus back to Singapore.

Grandma, we love you this much.

Breakfast. Not typical.

Penne and chicken breast. Not my favorite cut of the chicken.

It’s tough to photograph soups, even when they are actually very delicious. Like this one J made because vegetable soups (and chicken noodle soups too) are the best food for a sickly bird.

On a food-related note, no idea why but I seem to have lost my interest in food these days. That’s right, I’m past duck noodles, malatang doesn’t quite excite anymore and neither do meal times. I don’t know what’s wrong.

Whoever invented spicy clams ought to be rewarded with many conch glasses’ worth of iced lemon tea.

Spicy at home this time, Thai red curry from the bottle (or more accurately, pack).

Sometimes, non spicy can be good too, like in penne with tuna and peas.

Still sick so I pretty much canceled on everything except for two separate birthday feastings for four friends over the weekend. I also caught up with some much-needed readings and drank a ton of soups.

Been counting on self-medication and now starting on home remedies courtesy of J’s grandma… getting desperate because all the signs are currently pointing towards a much-dreaded trip to the public hospital. BUYAO !

We browsed the 400 pieces that were on display and I think it would have been more interesting for me if I were French because there are so many cultural and historical references, along with word plays, that escape me. Intriguing nevertheless, I left wondering if Zhou had stipulated a particular sequence for the 400 pieces because the sequencing seems tongue-in-cheek at times (see fifth photograph below).

In case anyone was wondering, that hand photograph was only because I was trying to capture my new (barely noticeable) sheer nail polish (with glitter bits !) in natural light at the museum not because I was bored. My nails still look as frumpy, regardless of nail polish bah !

Here’s a number of random photos from the weekend just past.

I’m guilty of a massive backlog of photos from Singapore. I’ll be organizing and posting them up soon, I promise.

On Saturday we reached the Shanghai Art Museum at 4pm for the Marc Riboud retrospective, turns out the museum closes at 4.

A chance detour over to MoCA for a sampling of Zhou Tiehai’s Desserts which left me intrigued and puzzled. Did you know Zhou doesn’t paint his own works ?

I spent some time petting a big dog and holding a six month old baby in my arms. Not at the same time though.

Pleasantly surprised by the packaging of the chamomile tea bag at brunch. I think it looks nice with the twine bit curled.

One of the few things I like about winter is being able to wear nice patterned tights.

Watched an Adam Sandler comedy on Sunday night that wasn’t so slapstick funny after all and then bed immediately after.

I felt sick-ish the entire weekend and it escalated some the past two days. Been taking meds and drinking LOTS of water to try make it go away.

Statues of Burmese monks, if I don’t remember wrongly.

Interesting presentation of artefacts focused on shadowplay.

Intricate glazed figurines of Taoist gods…

… and demons in elaborate ceremonial outfits.

Memory trippin’ back to simple childhood joys. Teeheehee !

Best out-of-service sign I’ve seen in a while. Made me smile.

This reminds me of the Shedu’s I’d seen in Paris.

On a separate note, I wonder how fashion interns afford/ lay their hands on the latest trendy goodies (and we’re just talking about shoes here, remember there are still outfits, bags and accessories). Where I come from, interns don’t earn alot of money and it is just incredulous to see these interns dressed to the nines.

Steve Madden Platform Sandals

Pierre Hardy Platform Sandals

Stuart Weitzman Platform Sandals

I’m back in Shanghai as such I have finally framed and put up the recently-purchased prints in a lovely corner. I stumbled upon the bigger print, Sue by Madrid-based illustrator and designer Blanca Gómez at rockstar while I got the smaller gocco print by Scottish illustrator Jen Collins on Etsy.

Despite being not able to afford very much at the moment, I like to support art when I can. Thank you Jen for the heartfelt package with handwritten note and the cutest little badge (now pinned on my very worned-out Le Pliage tote along with wake me up at <insert destination> and The Little Dröm Store’s Mr. Squirrel badges) ! Your print is especially apt now that I’m starting a (happy) home of my own.

Duck rice and laksa with the family for lunch. As a student I would have never gone to hawker centres if I was eating out with friends. Nowadays I love meeting up with friends at hawker centres. The atmosphere, variety of food, good food (I actually think Malaysia does it better but hey we’re in Singapore so let’s make do) and wallet-friendliness – there’s no where else I rather be on a weekend night out.

Nothing can beat the Singapore breakfast. Mee rebus and wanton mee at Blk 58 New Upper Changi Road hawker centre with the family. We used to live in the neighborhood so this was where I hung out when I was growing up. The mee rebus is still cooked by the same Makcik who took my orders more than 20 years ago.

And of course, some kuay chap (flat, broad rice noodles eaten with braised pig offal, pork, beancurd, eggs and a spicy tangy chilli sauce) and tau huay (a snippet of the purple bowl in the corner of the picture) to complete the breakfast. Hooray for hawker centres !

More pampering from mommy. As with family tradition, we begin the new year with a vegetarian meal. (Bak kwa here I come after this.)

For dessert we have dumplings, something I usually eat out of obligation (i.e. because mommy says eat !). No different this time.

A good spread of bak kut teh, steamed prawns and greens. Yay for meals at home !

I like this print by Youngna Park so much I was on the brink of making it my first 20×200 purchase. The thought of chippy triangle flags brightening up the room minus the hassle of stringing them on the walls… I can already picture the print in a white frame. But I had to let it go at the last minute because I cannot afford the shipping cost – more than the price of the print itself ! Sigh, next time. For now I have to be content looking at it on the laptop screen. SIGH.

Our Peranakan family friends invited us one evening to join them at their barbecue. All the food was painstakingly prepared by the females in the family… which can only mean one thing: miam-miam !

I tried bakwan kepiting for the first time and it was delicious ! Unfortunately the dish took hours to prepare – Aunt C had to remove meat from the crabs, scrub the crab shells clean then stuff the minced pork and crab meat back into the shells.

We took a stroll through Pasir Ris Park after the barbecue. In all my childhood memories, this structure was humongous and I’d never managed to climb too far up. Today, it looks less intimidating but as I was wearing a skirt that night, I couldn’t know for sure if I had actually conquered my fears since.

Mommy’s fried noodles and soy milk for breakfast.

A reunion lunch instead.

Blue skies and sunshine, I’m happy to be back.

Even if it means waiting approximately 30 minutes for our bus today.

My attempt at a soupy light meal. I like it but also found out that while J hearts sashimi, sushi and all other aspects of Japanese cuisine, soba and udon are the two things he is indifferent about.

Pork slices on a bed of French beans with a light mushroom, carrot and onion sauce. I like vegetables but I suppose there wasn’t enough meat this time because both of us wanted more food after finishing this. I think we ended up cooking some pasta, heh.

Hello it’s the last weekend before I’m headed for home. Yippeee, (I’m stressed with final weekend to-dos but I’m also) excited !

Mokkos with some friends after the company CNY dinner, topped off with a small serving of malatang before we parted ways into the night.

Found suitable bedroom slippers for mommy at the funny slipper shop.

Not much luck at Zara or H&M, I’m gonna have to bet it all on half a day’s worth of strategic shop traipsing on the eve of Chinese New Year with a bored boy in tow. Wish me luck.

New haircut cost me just RMB 10. I’m finding the outcome a little too short and a little messy, but oh well it was RMB 10 to begin with.

I bought a lovely handmade wok and felt like I’d bought a piece of history. Now I need to use it properly so that it will last for the next 20 years.

Also squeezed in some bachelorette party craziness. That game with the tealight candles and spoons, I’m totally down with it. Oh, and we ended the night on a stage at a packed Chinese club.

Met some new Singaporean friends over Sunday lunch at where else but a Singaporean restaurant.

I like having the option of eating burgers as a salad…

… and eating blanched green peas for breakfast.

On other days, I eat like a king.

I’ve learnt that sometimes my dessert-making efforts don’t turn out as delicious as they look. Served in gold gilded dessert bowls we’d received as a gift, I love the wonky lines.

There is something about the design of Chinese envelopes that rings back to old-fashioned ways of the past, despite my inability to write on them correctly. There are two postal code fields and I know they are respectively for the mailing and return addresses but I’m not sure which goes where so I just slink back into international protocol: writing the return address on the back.

Sending out Chinese New Year cards to the family is an annual ritual I’ve adopted since I started living overseas, which is a little ironic considering I resented doing it when I was younger. My mom used to make my sister and I send out cards and we would get into trouble (usually scoldings) for all sorts of reasons ranging from mailing them late, poor handwriting (by mom’s standards), too many cancellations and forgetting archaic Chinese letter-writing formalities.

From this year onwards, I’ll be writing twice as many cards each year though I’m not complaining. I hope my new family in France and Spain will like them too.

Here you go, a hi-carb dinner for the lazy, hah ! Pork cutlet on a bed of spaghetti. No vegetables.

I learnt that bouillabaisse is just the most well-known version of the soupe de poisson.

More fish, French style.

A simple dinner of pan-fried salmon, greens and rice with Furikake sprinklings.

I was supposed to write Chinese New Year cards and get them in order for mailing out but I didn’t.

Look who’s on the cover of a local rag. Ho ho Polly furry cakes I’m sorry I called you pangpang because you don’t seem to like me very much anymore.

Eating by myself at home usually means bowl food in front of the laptop. I had messy (but mess-worthy) kebabs as I watched Project Runway: All-Star Challenge this time.

We were at a newly-opened wine bar that had an in-house photobooth. Great idea though I need to learn to take better photobooth snaps because my face looked so big in this set.

I was craving a piping hot bowl of ramen on Sunday and ended up getting udon because the restaurant only serves kimchi ramen. Bad decision, I should have stuck to California rolls.

Waited for J while he got his hair cut and didn’t go for mine.

So overcome by laze over the weekend. I haven’t felt this unmotivated in ages but I suppose we need to sit back and do nothing sometimes, so as to recharge ourselves for more things to come.

A Changing Shanghai by Xu Xixian and Xu Jianrong

Bund 外滩, 1987 and 2004

Lujiazui 陆家嘴, 1987 and 2004

Yan’an Xi Lu, Zhongshan Xi Lu 延安西路，中山西路, 1990 and 2004

Path between Zhongshan Park and East China College of Politics and Law 中山公园和华东政法学院之间的小路, 1980 and 2004

Hami Lu near Chengjia Qiao 哈密路，程家桥, 1987 and 2004

Confucian Temple 文庙, 1985 and 2004

Nanjing Dong Lu 南京东路, 1986 and 2003

Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 中山东一路, 1984 and 2004

Wusong-Shanghai Railway 淞沪铁路, 1987 and Metro Line No. 3 轨道交通3号线, 2004

Xiahai Convent near Tilan Qiao 提篮桥，下海庙, 1987 and 2004

Shengli Cinema 胜利电影院, 1985 and 2004

Caojia Du 曹家渡, 1985 and 2004

Jin Jiang Amusement Park 锦江乐园, 1986 and 2004

Changshou Lu bridge over Suzhou Creek 苏州河，长寿路桥, 1976 and 2004

Shanghai West Railway Station 上海西火车站, 1993 and 2004

Ferry station on Xiepu Lu 歇浦路渡口, 1988 and 2004

Dongchang Lu 东昌路, 1990 and 2004

Shanghai Gymnasium 上海体育馆, 1976 and 2004

Longhua 龙华, 1987 and 2004

Xinghuo Cinema 星火电影院, 1994 and 2004

Zhongshan Bei Lu, Gonghe Xin Lu 中山北路，共和新路, 1990 and 2004

Tianmu Xi Lu 天目西路, 1994 and 2004

It is beyond logical comprehension that J does not share our love for hangover noodles, otherwise known as Yunnan guoqiao rice noodles (云南过桥米线) to everybody else in China.

Instead dumplings are more his kind of thing, such as these ones in fermented rice wine (酒酿丸子).  I prefer to soak in the lovely atmosphere of the streetside stall nestled within a chaotic wet market.

We never reject food, especially if they are lovingly cooked by our friends, which makes this one of those days when we finally agree on food.

I was at the gym, twice. Doing backward threadmill walking on incline which borders on ridiculity for the uninformed.

Slipped on my pair of embroidered Chinese Mary Janes and off we went browsing wedding bands for the first and last time in China. Yellow gold is as traditional as wedding bands ought to be.

Witnessed someone purchase of 17 bottles of wines at Marks & Spencer, and I happen to know that someone.

Our dinner hosts made us sip glühwein out in the cold on the balcony as part of our German experience prior to the cheese fondue dinner.

We read plant signs in the park in the company of old folks and indulged in a bit of kitchenware shopping.

The weekend ended quicker than I thought because I fell asleep three quarters through The Darjeeling Limited on Sunday night.

I’ve been mucking about in the kitchen sans recipes most of the time. Rather than more recipes, I think this is exactly what I need (I know the cover looks rather blah – was teetering between this and Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food) to learn to better prepare ingredients/ cook food in ways that best enhance their flavors so that I can continue to frolick free-style in the kitchen to no end.

Here’s to the most gorgeous fried eggs to come (I hope) !

Was not able to resist these reasonably-priced and cheery tea infusers that finally turned up long after I’ve given up on the search.

Hurray to the cast-iron grill pan I can’t wait to use but I need to go find some lard to season it first.

Garlic shoots and beef cubes with rice for breakfast. My mommy would be proud.

A fun experimentation with leek and sweet potatoes in creamy butter sauce which goes surprisingly well with pork cutlets. I’m never looking at sweet potatoes the same way again.

Something mild, like Cantonese style pork and century egg porridge…

… and something fiery spicy. A small portion of the Chongqing meal that was way too spicy, even for me.

Breakfast of champions.

Sweet potatoes, champignon de Paris and broccoli for lunch.

Off to the Malaysian restaurant to satiate some Singaporean cravings. Heh, trust me I wasn’t the one with the cravings this time.

Frozen berries swirled in yoghurt. I bought frozen berries for the first time and they turned out unbelievably sour. So they are still in the freezer while I figure how to make them more edible.

The perfect fuss-free Christmas eve dinner is one where you order roast chicken and roast potatoes from the best rotisserie in town, finished off with a chocolate fudge banana cake you picked up on the way home from work.

I chanced upon some Bombay ducks in the local market and ended up craving for it the Teochew way as my mom prepares it, cooked fresh in soup seasoned with lots of coriander and scallion. The flesh of the fish is slippery, non-pungent and semi-translucent. Tastes best dipped in soy sauce with chilli slices.

I tried frying some for J since he is not too much of a fish person. Turns out I’m not too good at frying, the fish was all on the brink of crumbling off. Will try to coat fish with cornstarch next time.

More soups because winter is soup season. The best homecooked Chinese herbal chicken soup, yet. Macabre but I have a preference for freshly-slaughtered poultry from the wet markets.

Looks like someone stopped by the French bakery !

Our dinner hosts are Germans who used to live in Switzerland so they had some interesting accounts where they arrived slightly early and ended up loitering outside their Swiss friends’ residences until the time is right.

By the way, she has a fantastic Web site too – the mouse pointer effect is amazing and surprisingly non-annoying. Thumbs up.

I found an alternate use for road signs.

We took a small stroll through the curio market and bumped into J’s coworker and her husband.

I saw chippy feathered creatures my father used to have when I was young.

I saw a kitty that reminded me of this kitty.

I peeked into a kid’s wish for the new year.

I saw the first rock sculpture that I really like.

I touched the green buds of a potted plant.

I looked at some interesting teapots.

I was in a Chinese garden.

I experimented with a preppy look that ended up more a slutty schoolgirl look, which may not have made a good first impression with J’s coworker.

We walked through a local market and came upon this particularly gruesome dog carcass. I’ve seen many dog carcasses during my time in China but this is the worst yet.

I looked at new high-rise buildings in the midst of construction.

I was all piled up in clothes and wore sensible footwear in winter for the first time in years.

Most restaurants were closed, even in this part of the world where capitalism is king.

I stumbled upon a gallery I wanted to go into but it was closed too.

I noticed how there are shop operators/ copywriters who hate on China more than me on a bad day.

We had the bar to ourselves and observed the dynamics behind a band rehearsal along with enjoyable improvs.

Lugging 12 bottles of wine with zero taxi in sight, I suppose it’s only right to get dinner early and hope for better luck with taxis after.

No I didn’t make this and trust me, it tastes as good as it looks. Goes best with red sauce and a dash of Tabasco.

The restaurant was unbelieveably packed by the time I got there. Do not underestimate the number of people craving Dongbei food on a Tuesday night.

Sunset in Paris.

A meal that is perhaps just as an excuse to drink some more wine.

Full of golden, shiny things.

This was the only pastry I’d eaten during my stay in France.

The big scruffy dog that got everyone’s attention. I wonder which breed this is.

Chanced upon this store on our way to Deyrolle and I walked out with some unexpected buys !

A glint of sunlight.

Because I couldn’t take a taxidermied souvenir home, I settled for a notebook instead. I love the hauntingly beautiful store.

I am falling in love with Paris just because essentials for making your own Virgin Mary are provided each time you order tomato juice. The way it should be.

Architectural cubes.

Up the stairs to B’s apartment.

Some snacks, beer and conversations for the lazy afternoon.

View from the balcony.

Don’t these resemble mistletoe ?

Parkside.

Ah, memories. The best part is in how they layer up over the years.

Last meal in Paris, at the airport brasserie. Bisous France, you have been good to me this time.

I felt a little ill and slept in. A late lunch with Mommy D before I set out to the Musée du Quai Branly. I’d wanted to head to the Catacombes but they were closed.

Wavy tiled walls.

Fascinated with this lovely Bedouin coin face veil that must not have been as lovely for the wearer.

Comical-looking mourner’s mask made of feathers and human hair.

Pucker up !

Back in Belleville. The Perrier sour plum/lime was quite like nothing I had tasted before. Been searching for it in Vietnamese restaurants ever since.

Where’s your cocotte ?

A library of impressive scale.

White dots and lines to prevent slips.

Pigeon-hole apartments livened up with some green I wouldn’t mind staying in.

A quick snap as we crossed the road.

Pho again, I know. Best version yet.

Can’t get enough of the metro stations in Paris.

A little deer !

Gladiatorial combats no more. Today people head to the arena to play football and Pétanque.

Joan of Arc and King Saint Louis IX against the afternoon blue.

I’d never known the Tour Eiffel would get all twinkly sparkly for five minutes every hour at night. We watched it from the balcony of our friends’ apartment, it was pretty.

A simple but delicious lunch at home.

Mommy and her two boys, framed.

Found an old ID photo.

Someone played tour guide for a day.

Formal vs. casual. My sneakers are not dirty ok, contrary to popular belief.

Ah, touristy sights here we come.

I was not at the Musée du Louvre.

The good: An old-fashioned photo booth. The bad: A never-ending queue.

The Palais de Tokyo was showing two exhibitions, one on the moon landing and another called Spy Numbers. Guess which one I went to in the end.

Tiles that match the color of an accidental cigarette butt.

The perfect shade of Autumn.

On my way to find Mona Lisa. These reminded me of the paintings I had studied in art class.

A blink, just to check if you were paying attention !

I’ve always been intrigued by these half bearded man half winged bull creatures. (Your eyes are not playing tricks, the man was indeed pushing his own wheelchair around the museum.)

Got lost and couldn’t find the Egyptian antiquities section for a long while. Took a break and pleasantly stumbled upon Leda and the Swan. Very sneaky of the museum to place the entrance within the Medieval Louvre section !

Amazing to see how relevant these jewelry still are today. Admired them for a bit.

The label doesn’t tell me much what this exactly is but it is so very captivating. I love it – the balance, the poise, the celebration of the feminine form and the duck.

Yellow ochre for females and red ochre for males. Pet Conspiracy has a promo picture that reminds me of Betchou and his family.

A late night soupy snack after the museum because I was hungry after all that art.

I bought the little ones notepads and assorted writing materials. Don’t ask me why she was looking so forlorn.

A quiet moment in the mirror before running off again.

Good times…

… And happy days relived !

A sink of freshness.

I still dream about these oysters. They’ve set an impeccable standard for future oysters to come.

It was quite the most enjoyable lunch. Nothing can go wrong with seafood, frites and excellent homemade shallot vinaigrette.

Busy using shells to get the mussels out.

Little girls with random posters and dalmatian playsuits are awesome girls.

Fresh figs are sweet.

We were at the market on Saturday morning to pick up ingredients for lunch. An ocean-themed signboard is always a welcome addition at any seafood shop.

I didn’t know these would later turn out to be the tastiest oysters I’ve ever had.

Grumpy St. Pierre. Grmmmpf !

Plastic can buy you cheese.

The combination of chalkboards and fresh produce is magical ! So cheery !

More chalkboards and fresh produce.

Tender green shoots.

I feel like buying salt just looking at the way they are presented on the table.

Bunches of violet-tinged garlic. Doesn’t hurt that garlic ranks among my favorite vegetables this year.

Pondering over the variety of available spices.

All cities and towns should have open-air markets.

We bought some honeydew melons instead.

Ran out of time and we were this close to buying some olives, boo.

First course: Marinated with soy sauce, black pepper, Worchestershire sauce and Tabasco. Served with mushrooms and onion.

Second course: Marinated with mirin and salt. Served with banana, flavored with ground cinnamon on the stove top.

Not too large a selection of destinations from this railway station.

It may be small but to me it is the prettiest railway station in all of France.

You know you are a parent if you have random toys in the car.

This little one likes to draw…

… And this little one likes to set the table for lunch in the yard, haha !

Maybe it was a little too sunny for lunch outdoors. The top of my head felt hot enough to fry an egg (or two) by the time lunch was over.

Wheeeeee, a lovely white horse spotted in the fields !

Along the way, we ate some wild blackberries.

Getting ready for the ride home.

The house cat vs. the motorcar.

Doodlings for Halloween ?

I like refrigerators with a spot of character.

Say hi to toilet roll bunny craft project.

The boy with the blackberry stains had tied a string around his loose tooth.

I’m easily amused by children’s drawings, especially if they are drawn by adorable little girls.

We also drove by a rare transporter bridge built in 1900.

Last Wednesday with J’s lovely colleagues who were in town for a few days. Champagne, tasty Japanese food and plenty of laughs over the fact that a cab driver had mistaken them to be J’s parents.

So what if it is not as hip and old-school, fishball noodles and wanton noodles never run out and we never need to queue. Tsui Wah is where I’ll turn to for comfort delicious Canto food and also when I crave for mommy’s noodles. Fishball noodles here have my stamp of approval.

Steak tenderloins are perfect for weekday dinners when time is not on your side. Just thaw in the fridge before you leave for work in the morning, marinate for half an hour when you get home and you are ready to go. Start thawing the meat the day before and marinate for a day, if you like.

Hurray for beef hotpot (牛腩煲), the non-boney alternative to chicken hotpot (鸡公煲).

Pasta as we know it…

… and fusion pasta as we don’t.

Fruit yoghurt sprinkled with crunchy hazelnut bits.

More fast food. Penne with beef, carrots, onion and golden mushroom in a peppery sauce one week night.

Yoghurt and Hainan papaya for dessert. Thank god for the yoghurt which made the papaya slightly more edible. Note to self: Don’t buy Hainan papaya ever, ever again. I never knew that bad papayas exist, now I know better.

Instant jiaozi on a bed of lettuce, lightly flavored with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Found a non-touristy eatery near J’s apartment with the most delectable xiaolongbaos sans queues. Awesome. I was feeling experimental and tried the duck blood soup. Not so awesome.

All your nutritional needs for the day – carbs, protein, vitamins and fibre – checked. I like my chicken wings with a dash of lime, miam !

I don’t know the name of this vegetable but I know I like it very much. Best stir-fried and served hot.

I bought a children’s tee from this shop for myself which actually fits better than the women’s cut.

This is my first time in Beijing during the winter. It was indeed really cold.

Not to be missed in any Beijing winter, lamb hot pot (涮羊肉) and tripe (爆肚). They were delicious that day but frankly I think I’m quite over the gamey taste of these Beijing staples for a while.

Traditional longetivity peaches for the elderly.

Touchmedia is the company responsible for tv screens airing annoying, non-stop advertisements in Shanghai taxis. Seems like they’ve reverted back to the basics with a more literary approach in Beijing. Which would you prefer ?

A dinner that was more than just memorable. Everything changes yet remains the same from this point onwards.

Bisous, bisous !

We had the restaurant to ourselves. The decor was trendy minimal and food, delicious.

Time to wrap up the trip. It’s back to Shanghai on my own. Thank you Beijing for the wonderful memories.

An open window, not mine.

Crossing the Seine.

It wouldn’t be Paris if not for the sharply-angled buildings, no ?

Spotted some concrete sunbathers on our way to meet F.

More of the Seine.

A vegetable plot too ?

A little break in the shade.

The boys told me there used to be little boats on the water.

It was perfect weather for reading under the sun, and apparently a stroll too for a little feathered someone.

Hrrrmph !

I think I will take industrial-sized bottles of Nutella anyday over mayonaise.

We met a friend on our way to the péniche.

Fret not, he was not drinking Rosé.

The little rabbit in many a metropolitan recollection of the French childhood.

Wooden panels, a gramophone and smartly-suited waiters… what’s more, it opens till late.

Waiting…

… then we chanced upon a late night surprise while changing trains.

In the end, I lasted through the night (my first big night out since the injury !) and I’m glad I did it. It was a great night and everyone, particularly the birthday boy, had fun. All photos courtesy of A, the girl with those cozy arm warmers. By the way, that’s not a real moustache in the second last photo. In the last photo, S was pretending to be a Taiwanese rock musician and I think he pretty much rocked it.

Back in Paris, back at home.

Leafy.

An art installation filled with all things yellow.

Doesn’t this resemble a painting, with brushstrokes of dark green on cream ?

I left Kulte empty-handed.

Charming little fairy tale finger puppets.

The falafel was yummy but the chilli sauce left a more memorable impression: surprisingly good, quite like Hainanese chicken rice chilli sauce !

Ready to roll.

Not too difficult to guess which part of Paris we were at I suppose.

These plagues made me sad.

Went in search of the shop on Tommy’s recommendation. It was lovely to browse and study everything even though I didn’t buy anything in the end (despite going twice in the same afternoon).

I like how the bicycles blended into the fence.

Hooves and feet. Horse meat, anyone ?

The character of cities is shaped by its old-fashioned signages.

Witty, like someone I know who loves nuts.

Reflected in the chocolate fountain display.

Saw some interesting titles I would have loved to flip through.

I did the majority of my vacation shopping in this store… and emerged joyous with a big pink plastic bag.

Glum is.

Nice for a few hours because we needed to change trains to Montpellier.

Definitely among the loveliest beaches I’ve seen.

Changing trains in Marseille.

Where are all the old-school photo booths ?

At least we haven’t lost the chalkboards… yet !

Along one of the small streets outside Université Montpellier I.

Side-by-side laundromat and Chinese food.

Copier machine posters.

One of the places J used to live at.

Who needs French to understand the concept behind strongman burgers ?

A little run-down but still lovely.

I like the blue of the cloudless skies in Montpellier.

More side streets.

Lebanese for lunch.

Washed down with a glass of hot mint tea.

Most likely too hot to sit.

Such a large bottle of mayonaise, gawd !

I like the old-school metro station platforms with the curvy in-a-tunnel feel.

Beating the morning rush hour crowd as we took the metro to Orly Airport.

Waiting for the gate to open.

Guess where we are off to ?

Bye bye Paris, for now.

Leaving the fluffy grey clouds and rainy weather behind.

Hello sunshine ! I’m seeing the Mediterranean Sea in real life for the first time.

Catching sight of Cap d’Antibes, that’s where we were headed towards.

I like soupe de poisson and croûtons with sauce rouille. Rich but very good.

Blurry…

… and clear !

At the railway station in Antibes. We tried buying train tickets to go visit a friend and his children in a town nearby but had to go return the tickets in the end because we had no time to make it there and back in one afternoon.

Luxury yachts a little like CSI Miami but with Fort Carré in the background.

Sunbathers.

More of the idyllic.

We attended the wedding in this church the next day.

A tiny doorstep garden of sorts.

Mermaid sighting !

If you want to be sure if you are at a touristy venue in France, look out for these. Lovely to tinker with but can only be found where tourists are found.

Nekkid mannequins.

I walked by quite a few carousels during my trip but didn’t manage to get on any of them.

I don’t know why but I get into a holiday mood looking at this.

Kids having the time of their lives at the pre-wedding barbecue party as they feasted unnoticed on potato chips and saucisson while the adults chattered away. I had saucisson for the first time and I like it too.

The pool at the little hotel where we stayed.

Smells like vacation.

A mid-morning stroll along the Promenade de la Garoupe seems like the right thing to do.

Two shades of blue…

… and so sunny. Actually ‘scorching hot’ might be the right word.

Lesson learnt: don’t follow J everywhere. Moments after I’d taken this photo, I got splashed by a huge wave which caused my camera to stop functioning later in the day i.e. just four days into my vacation. Very nice.

Last photo from the GX100. We saw some frais des bois at the grocery store on our way back to the hotel. Was told they don’t come by too often these days.

Resorting to disposable cameras.

Outside the church right after the ceremony. We threw rose petals at the newly-weds, which explains why there were rose petals everywhere on the ground.

I took some pictures with the disposable camera at the wedding party by the beach that evening. Only a few were successfully developed, such as this one. Everyone’s dancing away to music that was apparently very popular back in the days among the French that I’ve never heard of before towards the end of the night. Unfortunately I also had no picture of the very delicious crab main course served cold.

The first thing I did after I touched down in Paris was to go to the doctor. Details skipped over because it’s a long story and definitely TMI.

Found in the secret garden.

I saw this at a number of places around Paris. I see Coca-Cola and I think of Virgin Mary, everytime.

The neighborhood where J’s mommy lives in.

Having my first meal in France (and in Europe) at the neighborhood Italian restaurant.

We went cycling along the canal.

Stopping at a bridge crossing le canal de l’Ourcq.

It was challenging to cycle in the streets on a bicycle that is a little too big for me. My feet couldn’t reach the ground, bleargh.

Tea break, an extremely hurried one because J was late for his appointment.

Waiting… until eventually I dozed off.

Meet sleepy ET…

… and Lolo.

A simple dinner at home to bring day one in France to a close.

Imagine my delight when I chanced upon this reasonably-priced cotton Breton sweater with off-shoulder stripes in a great color. Exactly what I’d been looking for (sans shoulder buttons though I shan’t be too picky) ! It fits better than it looks here, all loose and pyjamasy.

I also scored a lovely mesh bag that is meant for miscellaneous household knick-knacks but I think I have other uses for it.

Option 1: $40, 18×24 in.

Option 2: $15, 13×23 in.

Option 3 (hi. i am in love with you. ok.): $40, 26×40 in.

Option 4 (hi. i am not interested in what you are saying. ok.): $40, 26×40 in.

When people say Shanghai East Hospital, I keep hearing “Shanghaiist Hospital”.

It’s my first time at a public hospital’s VIP clinic in China. The medical staff is attentive and I didn’t have to run to several counters to make enquiries, schedule appointments and process payment. I can actually do everything… at the same counter ! I like !

While at the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) department, I bumped into several foreigners who must have sought treatment at the foreigners’ medical center located within the same hospital. I’m glad I didn’t go to the foreigners’ medical center since I really don’t see the need to pay exorbitant medical fees just to be accompanied by an English-speaking staff.

I never knew that I’m not supposed to open my eyes during an MRI scan. I laid down in the scanner, listened to a series of strange bleeps, sirens and pulsing beats for about 10 minutes and that sums up my first MRI experience.

Seems like Western medicine (physiotherapy) and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) both apply the same principles in treating back injuries: pressure, heat and electrical current. I think I prefer physiotherapy because there are no needles involved.

Fast food is Le Bougon on soft, fresh slices of bread. I snacked on these as I prepared dinner.

Fast food is instant Japanese curry with mirin-marinated chicken wings, potatoes, carrot and rice.

Fast food is beef tenderloin served on a bed of sambal chilli fried beehoon with carrot slices and french beans. Perfect for hungry boys craving meat at the end of a long day.

Fast food is fusilli and bak kut teh with crunchy watercress and sweet corn. Shanghai’s current spate of freezing cold and rainy weather warrants hot peppery soup no less.

A little snack. I think this is supposed to be an appetizer but I usually have it on its own, sometimes after dinners when I still feel hungry.

While this may seem like a weird combination of potatoes (sliced so thinly they taste like potato chips), frogs and lotus root, trust me it actually works.

I haven’t had charcoal-fired hotpot in years, maybe twenty. Good choice on tomato soup instead of the usual clear broth because the east-meets-west combo turned out delicious.

We took the train from Montpellier in southern France to Barcelona. En route, we passed by Perpignan and saw Dali’s famous “Perpignan Centre du Monde” slogan on the platform.

Hello Barcelona !

Grandma making paella valenciana for lunch. Tasty, yay !

View from the balcony, sunny and perfect.

A little jamón ibérico goodness before lunch.

We only had two days in Barcelona so we made sure we were home during mealtimes to eat with the grandparents.

Catalan grandmothers a step ahead of the window shoppers.

Hmmm, anybody knows what this means ?

We were in front of quaint hat shop Sombrereria Obach but didn’t enter since I didn’t need a hat. Maybe next time.

Patron saint in the alleyway.

Looks like a tacky store upfront but if you persist and walk through amid the thumping trance soundtrack, you will end up in a secret beer garden in the back teeming with locals away from the touristy crowd.

I love the elaborate masks. Made me look twice.

Ching chiong fonts, teehee !

Dinner was grandma’s spanish omelette. Homecooked food trumps menú del día any day as it is indeed the ideal introduction to Spain. Unfortunately too, Rafa’s will have to wait for now.

Both in Paris and Barcelona I encountered the tiniest elevators I’ve ever seen in my life. Fits two persons comfortably and maybe a cozy threesome.

The grandparents live not too far away from Camp Nou.

A burst of colors by the roadside.

I am of the opinion that this can only work if the baguette is fresh.

Mmmmmmmh !

My overall impression of Barcelona, too hot and too dry. I was sorely toasted just from walking about in the afternoon.

More of grandma’s recipes. The (raw) cod and bean salad was so deliciously refreshing in the baking heat that I must have had at least three helpings.

A little TV after our lunch before we part ways and make our way back to Paris by train.

Recently I drank watercress and honey lemon tea for the first time.

Soupy bee hoon and squid balls only because the restaurant was out of wanton mee and fishballs. I didn’t get chilli slices in soy sauce to go along because the restaurant had the audacity to charge RMB 5 for the condiment.

I haven’t gone back to my old haunt in a long time. Ever since MK left China, I haven’t found anyone who loves spicy food and hotpots as much. This spicy fish head dish was one of our favorite food, not just because we are the only two persons who can stand the heat but also because of the noodles ordered on the side that we eat with the remaining soupy sauce.

J says gyudon reminds him of boeuf bourguignon. It’s also really easy to make, I didn’t even have to reference the recipe I chanced upon last Saturday. I’m definitely making gyudon more often.

Spitalfields Market was the first place we stopped by after putting our bags down at our friends’ apartment. It turned out a little too commercial for my liking. Plenty of products appeared to have been sourced from China too.

Delicious at first bite, then I realized there was no end to chewing: way too much meat.

Grey London.

We like the chimney and I think J likes the ramp more.

London struck me as being quite very crowded but that may be because I was at the south bank during the Thames Festival.

R made a very delicious version of the Sunday roast and an apple pie using a French recipe from her mother-in-law. It was also nice to meet Tommy as she dropped by to get her book.

I got left behind one day in the tube station with no cash on me. Before this happened, I came across a Vicky Pollard look-alike.

A refreshing change from the usual designated smoking area signs.

I can’t help but think of home.

Mismatched but pretty.

My first bowl of pho in Europe. It was near impossible finding a restaurant that was open at 3pm.

Many of the restaurants along Brick Lane seemed to have won some sort of award somewhere.

I think I can conclude that I’m not a big fan of pub grub. I like the pint of prawns though, enjoyed on its own just dipped in lemon juice. Not sure why I didn’t like the ale and cider I had in London, perhaps this is the way they are supposed to taste (too sour) and one pint of each was simply too much.

It was rainy and windy on our last day.  We didn’t have an umbrella and were caught in the rain as we dashed between tube stations and destinations. I eventually fell ill in Paris and I’m still coughing right now as I type.

My comfort food of choice on a cold, rainy day.

We bid London farewell at the lovely Saatchi Gallery.

Love is a star Love means giving and sharing. I’m sincere and here for my future partner. A pretty Chinese girl, late 20s who work in a European company. Have a kind heart, long for a good guy who really deserve. Love’s a star, we are the world. It does happen one day. appletr299346@enjoyalias.com

Nothing serious It’s Autumn and the nights are getting colder. A warm body to hug, cuddle and hold hands would be very nice. Any emotion shown would be returned in abundance. Appreciate with photo. angel12299367@enjoyalias.com

A stable and mature man Overseas Chinese male, single, looking for female of any nationality in Shanghai. We can chat, eat out together and watch movies. I speak very little Chinese. I can teach you English, in return I can learn your language. I will reply in 48hrs. silvers299283@enjoyalias.com

Advice I’m starting a relationship with a Shanghainese boyfriend. I’m 27 and he’s 33. Second meeting he brought me to his parents’ house, though I only see his mum - he’s inviting me to dinner again to meet his father. What is the meaning of this? lucita299338@enjoyalias.com

Lunch partners I’m bored of eating with my colleagues. Any cool people in Xintiandi looking for lunch partners? sinobri299360@enjoyalias.com

1. The bus driver would (finally) get into some crazy traffic accident because of his reckless driving.

2. Another unapologetic, impatient Chinese person would push me from behind and/or step on my foot.

Eating too much of it these days, which is why I think this will be my last cup for a very long time to come.  Shown here topped with freshly-cut cilantro leaves, I heart.

I popped by Rodney Evans’ exhibition and also chanced upon this weirdish Lei Feng shrine.

So Hebei won out because flight tickets to Shijiazhuang were the cheapest that I could find during the peak holiday season and there were also some nature sights near Shijiazhuang. There wasn’t so much to see in the end we even managed to squeeze in a day trip to Henan Province.