Magical morning

Woke up to a magical morning when everywhere is covered in white, Happy Birthday darling!!!

Not too much snow, only about 1 cm, The temperature was freezing and the snow at some place weren't melting by end of the day.

Heavy snow forecast??

This was taken at 4.30 am which the weather forecast said that there will be heavy snow.... Hmmmm??? Just a dusting of snow but it does makes everything seems so magical.

Well, maybe this is the most amount of snow we're going to see for this year....

Annual event

It's our annual event of the year again!! Going to the Next sale at 5am. Bought 4 bags of stuffs, 3 of them belongs to Sam and he's going to refund most of it. So how much in total did we spent?? Nearly £300!!! But I think we going to at least refund half of it.

Christmas turkey






Oh boy, the turkey we had last night was delicious!!! So here's the recipe

Turkey recipe
Turkey (I bought the smallest which is for 4-6 people and weight 4.2 kg)
250g unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic (minced)
Thyme
Pepper
Salt
1 white onion (cut in half)
4 cloves garlic

1. Soften the butter with a wooden spoon and add the minced garlic, thyme, pepper and salt.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
3. Cover the turkey with the mixed butter using your hands. Also using your fingers, loosen the skin of the turkey and stuff the mixed butter between the skin and the turkey breast.
4. Stuff the onion and cloves garlic in between the skin.
5. Place the turkey in the roasting tray and cook for 3 and a half hour (for 4.2 kg turkey).
6. Every half an hour, take the turkey out of the oven and pour the oil in the baking tray over the turkey. (This is to ensure that the turkey will not be too dry and will taste juicy)
7. Halfway through roasting, take out the turkey and turn it around in order to roast the other side. At the same time, take out the onion and garlic stuff in between the skins (ready to be serve later on).
8. Remember step 6 after this and the turkey will come out nicely done.
9. Ready to serve.

Brussels sprouts recipe
1. Wash and boil the brussels sprouts for 10 mins.
2. Take out the brussels sprouts and shallow fry them with butter for a few minutes. (this is to add fragrance to it).
3. Ready to serve.

Sage and Onion Stuffing
1. A packet of PAXO Sage and Onion Stuffing.
2. Mix as per instructions on the packet. (which is to add water and a knob of butter)
3. Form the mixture into balls and bake on a greased baking sheet for 25 mins. (I love it crispy, thus used this option.)

Roast potatoes
Too lazy so had bought frozen roast potatoes, just need to pop them in the oven.

Roast turkey gravy
Well, just buy those packet ones and follow the instructions.
Add some of the oil from the turkey for a fuller taste.

Christmas Eve

The turkey is in the oven and it smells good!!! Had got a friend over for dinner, thus cross my fingers and hope that the turkey will be alright to be eaten (never make this dish before). Will post some picture if I don't forget and start eating as soon as the turkey is out of the oven.

Great christmas holiday and I will only start work on 3 Jan 2006. Is this brillant!!!

Well, merry christmas to everyone and hope you have a wonderful new year ahead.

Cry like no tomorrow

No, Sam didn't bully me!!! He's good to me.. sweet hor.

I cried because of the movie - The Notebook.

I knew that it would be a moving love movie (likely that I would cry) but I still rent it cos I had read the book, love it and cried when I read it. Silly me crying like that, but I can't help it, I got a very emotional heart. I'm human after all (that's how Sam put it in a kind way).

Cried throughout the whole movie, not just towards the end. Guess I knew how it was going to end, so any slightly emotional scene would set me off weeping.

After making my eyes puffy, I still love the movie and might buy the DVD to keep. I had got the novel - The Notebook at home in Singapore and I highly recommend reading the book. It's written by Nicholas Sparks who also wrote Message in the Bottle (the novel is so much better than the movie).


Extracts from thebookaven on the novel :

The Notebook opens in a rest home. An elderly resident is telling us his story. He spends his days visiting a woman that often does not remember him. Each morning, he enters her room with a notebook containing memories of his life and love. He hopes that sharing these past events will jog her memory, but it is not to be. Yet, he tries each day and does not give up.

The second scene of the book takes place in October of 1946. Noah Calhoun has returned from the war and purchased his dream house in New Bern. He came into a windfall, bought the 1772 house, and restored it in an attempt to forget his past. We find out that his past includes a long lost love. This lady was his first and only love and she went away when they were teenagers. He has never forgotten her.

The Notebook then flashes back to Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson meeting and falling in love in the summer of 1935. Fifteen year-old Allie is visiting North Carolina. She is introduced to seventeen year-old Noah and likes him immediately. They spend the summer together sharing everything including their first sexual experiences. By the end of the season, it is clear that these two are in love and meant for each other.

However, Allie returns home and loses touch with Noah. Her parents have implied that Noah is not right for their daughter because he is of a different class. Noah writes to Allie often, but his letters go unanswered. He moves on with his life as best he can by enlisting in the service and going to war.

Let's fast forward now to 1946. Noah is living in and restoring this big house all alone. Allie is 29 and engaged to a successful lawyer. She reads an article about Noah in the paper and decides that she must see him one last time. She tells her family that she is taking a trip to shop for antiques and heads to New Bern.

Once she meets Noah face to face again, it is clear that the passion they shared so long ago is still there. They spend two wonderful evenings together sharing magical experiences. However, Allie must soon return to her other life and the man she is about to marry. Will Allie return home to a safe, comfortable life? Will she leave Noah a second time? Or will she stay in New Bern, where her heart belongs?

The last quarter of the book involves an elderly couple and their undying love. It is the couple in the rest home to which I was referring earlier. The woman has Alzheimer's disease and often forgets the life she shared with this other man. He doesn't give up hope and tries to give her back her memory each day. The doctors and nurses are stunned and touched. This man's undying faith sometimes fools the disease, and his love gets her memory back once in a while. Those moments they share are priceless and the author describes them well.

Are these two people Noah and Allie or another couple? Did Allie leave? Did she find her way back? I'll never tell.

Comfort food

A new store in Cambridge - Hotel Chocolat. Each pack cost 2 pounds and we were very tempted by the different range of chocolate they have and the packaging. Bought 5 and we immediately opened one pack when we were out of the store (hence the opened pack in the picture). Very nice chocolate..... mmmmm.....

There was alot of people in the store buying, guess it was something new and just in time for Christmas.

Brussels here we come

Fantastic offer from Reveal magazine, 2 person for the price of one to travel by Eurostar plus accomodation. We choose to go Brussels in Belgium in Jan 06 and stay at Marriott for 2 nights, all for the price of £175 (YES only £175 for both of us!!!!).

Looking forward to staying at Marriott, 5 star hotel leh, don't play play....

The dates we booked for this trip also coincide with our ROM anniversary. Ohhhhh, how great is this...

Space cadets

After so much advertising about Space Cadets, I was very keen to catch the first episode of it. Just kaypoh, want to know who so goondu not realise that they are not in space!!

The show becomes abit boring after a while and I don't think I will be watch it again, maybe just the occasional checking on website for updates on the show.

Well, it's just like Big Brother, isn't it??? And I don't watch that either....

Men, men, men...

How many men does it take to change the toilet roll???
.
.
.
The answer I think is NONE cos they don't change it.
.
.
.
Sam's answer is....definitely more than 1 which means he alone can't do it.
.
.
(sign)

Dinner Tonight

Porridge

Hmmmmm!! Porridge.... I'm not a fan of porridge but it's soooo long since I had mince meat porridge that I crave for it.

Never like it with spring onion too but now I love it. Mom always say that you will like it when you get older, guess I'm old!!!!

Andex Puppy

Andex Puppy

I received my Andrex Puppy today!!

With 6 tokens and 5 pounds cheque, you will receive this Limited Edition Andrex Puppy for the promotion to turn 'Puppies into guide dogs'.

Isn't she cute!!!

Suddenly cold

It had become very cold out of a sudden. This morning we even had to scrap the ice off the car!!! Checked Met Office website and the temperature for this week (Night time) will reach 0 degree cel. So cooooold but I like it.

Ipod wheel





Got the Ipod wheel from Ipod My Baby website and can't help it but to design my own garment. :)

World map

So far only covered 4% of the world....... Need to earn more to travel around...:(



create your own visited country map

Update of my 'Soap dish' adventure

Finally found the soap dish I want at John Lewis. Guess how much???..........

It's 8 pounds!!! Bloody hell!!! That's S$24!!! Can buy the whole set of bathroom accessories in Singapore!!! I wouldn't even pay S$8 for a soap dish in S'pore let alone 8 pounds here!! Giving up my search now and will wait for Sam to made something for the eye toy. Think will wait long or not???

Where to find soap dish!!

Bought the PS2 Eye toy Kinetic game from Amazon and received it last weekend. Tried to play it but realised that our apartment was too small for the game, I can't move any further behind so only solution is to move the eye toy away from TV. Found the perfect spot, on top of the mirror next to the TV. What I need now is just a suction pad soap dish so that the eye toy can sit on it. Brilliant plan!!!!

Now my problem is that I can't find a suction pad soap dish anywhere!!! So far, I had been to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, Superdrug & Boots. URGH!!! To think that it such a common thing that it can be found in all major supermarkets!!!

How I wish I'm back home in Singapore cos I know for sure that the hardware stores in Ang Mo Kio definitely have it!!!

A day in London with Esther

Went to meet Esther who stop over in London during her trip last Saturday. Esther, you still look the same lar...

First time I took friends sightseeing in London. Usually friends living in London will take us around, where to eat, which tube/ bus to take, etc. Think we took it for granted....... (Thanks to all friends who had took us around London before)

So where did I take Esther and her colleague around?? We went to :-
- Buckingham Palace (Didn't get to see change of guard)
- Hard Rock Cafe (Now they search bags before going in!!!)
- Harrods (Of course must also locate Diana & Dodi Memorial)
- Piccadilly Circus (Manage hop on a bus from Harrods to Piccadily Circus )
- Trafalgar Square
- Shopping at Regent Street and Oxford Street (only went to Clarks!!!)
- Dinner (pub food) at Carnaby Street

Before I leave from Cambridge, I gave them some London maps and instructions as to how to get to other London attractions. Hope they manage to visit all the places they intend to.

Gromit Thermo-nose mug

PG Tips Free mug

Finally Sam found the PG Tips with the free mug at Tesco in Newmarket today!!! We had been to all supermarkets in Cambridge these days searching for it as I decided not to buy from Ebay. I'm happy now and since Sam bought 5, we can ask Junwen to ship some home..... :)

Steamboat

We had steamboat for 2 days (Sun & Mon) so that we can finish the things we bought at Billinsgate Market. Think we are high on protein now and I'm a bit sick of seafoods (never thought I would say that....).

So some interesting pictures here.

Oysters
Opened by Sam using a butter knife and hammer. Poor thing, he hurt his finger with the sharp edges of the shell.



Crab claw
Big hor!!

I want this mug!!

Thermo nose mug

PG Tips had developed a Thermo-Nose mug. Pour your PG Tips into the Gromit shaped mug and watch the Thermo-Nose turn red. The Thermo Nose mug comes free when you buy special packs of PG Tips 160s from selected stores from 3rd October 2005, but hurry as stocks are limited

I had been to Sainsbury & Tesco but can't find this free mug!! Going to try other store tomorrow. Hope I'm not too late in getting one!!

A long day in London

Woke up at 4am on Sat so that we can drive to Billingsgate Market to buy seafood. Reach there at abot 6.15am and bought the followings items :-
- 2 kg of prawns
- 1 kg of squid
- 1 small box of scallops
- 2 kg of crabs claws (very big ones)
- 1 kg of fish (not such what's the name of the fish in English)
- a dozen of oysters (fresh, not open yet!!)


Billingsgate market

After leaving our purchases at friend's place, we realised that it's too early to go to central London so we pop over to Cutty Sarks for breakfast and sightseeing.


Cutty Sarks

Reach Oxford Street at about 12pm and shop then. First time that I didn't buy anything shopping in London!!! Guess I got too much things already. Got to stop shopping now if not will got into trouble if we shipped things home (for good)..... :P

Left London from friend's place at abot 10pm, very tired......zzzzzz

Shop early and save at Sainsbury's

Sainsbury is having a third price off for christmas gifts. Was it just to attract customer like me or did they predict a slow christmas turnover?? Either way, we consumers benefit.

Two trips to Sainsbury at lunchtime to buy grocery and I had already pick up two gift for ourselves.


Baileys with 2 swirling glasses. The glasses are round and don't sit on the table firmly. Cost about 10 pounds for this gift set (Note : the bottle of baileys is already being sold at Sainsbury for about 12 pounds individually, so I'd got a bargain here).


Brulee Kit. Sam always wanted to buy a blow torch for making creme brulee (Not that I make them over often but somehow he thinks that it good to have), so this is for him and I will try to make creme brulee soon.

Guinness is good for you

Dublin trip

What to see in Dublin?? We thought of going there for Guinness and mmm..........???

I love Dublin cos the shopping is great and we nearly spent most of our time in Penneys shopping!! Great value and you can find most of the things under one roof.

Nevertheless, we as tourist MUST visit some tourist attractions :-
- Guinness Storehouse FYI Guinness do taste different in Dublin
- Spire of Dublin
- Temple Bar
- Ha'Penny Bridge
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Irish Pub
- Souvenirs shops


The Spire of Dublin behind us.


After visiting the Guinness Storehouse.

We did it!!!

Finally did the walk at Blakeney Point after 3 years!!

We parked the car at Cley Beach carpark and starts the walk from there onwards. The first information board near the carpark inform us of our starting point and 'warn' us that the far end is approx 4 miles.



Walking west along the shore (that's left as you face the sea), and just kept walking (Oh Boy, it's harder that said cos it's a pebbles beach and every step you take sinks into the ground and slip back!) We passed a disused building on your left and that where you know that you're halfway there. Luckily, as we get closer to the end of the Point the walking becomes easier as we were able to walk on hard sand.


Finally the end is nearer and the Blue House (which we found out later that it was the Old Lifeboat House) was in sight... Exhausted, but can't give up now


So we are at the Old Lifeboat House but there's no seals!!! we walked this far for nothing *@#&*^# plus we need to walk 4 miles back (UGH!!!!)


We found another information board at the far end and thought we MUST take a picture of this as evidence that we DID walk to the far end.


After a 10 minutes break, we walked the lonely walk back.


Junwen wait lar.... Not so far.....me can't catch up....

We start off at 2.30pm and reach the car at 5.30pm (3hours walk!!!). Never this happy to see our car!!!

Drive-thru instructions

The Bank wishes to inform all it's clients that we are installing new "Drive-thru" ATM machines, where you will be able to withdraw money without leaving your vehicle. Please follow the instructions that apply to you:

For our MALE customers:

1. Drive up to the ATM machine
2. Open your car window
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN
4. Enter amount of cash required
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt
6. Close window
7. Drive off

For our FEMALE customers:

1. Drive up to ATM machine
2. Reverse back the required amount to align car window with machine
3. Restart stalled engine
4. Open the car window
5. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card
6. Turn the radio down
7. Attempt to insert card into machine
8. Open car door to allow easier access to ATM machine, due to its excessive distance from car
9. Insert card
10. After "Invalid card" is displayed, remove the Edgars credit card, and insert correct ATM card
11. Remove ATM card
12. Re-insert card right way up
13. Re-enter handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page
14. Enter PIN
15. Press "cancel" and re-enter correct PIN
16. Enter amount of cash required
17. Check make-up in rearview mirror
18. Retrieve card
19. Empty handbag again to locate card holder and place card inside
20. Place receipt in back of cheque book
21. Re-check make-up
22. Drive forward 2metres
23. Reverse back to ATM machine
24. Retrieve cash
25. Re-empty handba! g, locate purse and place cash inside
26. Restart stalled engine and pull off
27. Drive for 2 to 3 kilometres
28. Release handbrake

Oh ya, the last step (forgot to release handbrake) was the reason why I failed one of my many driving test :P

I just call to say I love you
By Steve Wonder

No new years's day
To celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring
No song to sing
In fact here’s just another ordinary day
No april rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding saturday within the month of june
But what it is
Is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

No summer’s high
No warm july
No harvest moon to light one tender august night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
No even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No libra sun
No halloween
No giving thanks to all the christmas joy you bring
But what it is
Though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do.

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

Of my heart
Of my heart

Tonic soup for dinner

Following instructions on the packaging, we have to cook the chicken soup for 3 hours. The result was good and we drank the soup until the last drop. Yummy!!:P



BTW : I just re-designed the blog and can't seems to work how to resize the tag board and style, thus please wait patiently for this. Meanwhile, please have you say in the comment link.

Sam's watches

Sam had been complaining why I didn't post an entry on his fossil watches as he too had the same dilemma. So which one do you think??



My advice : To keep the leather strap one cos the watches he have now are all metal strap ones.

Roti John

Saw this blog a few weeks ago and thought 'Hmmm... the Roti John looks nice, got to try it', so here's my version of Roti John and recipe.



Recipe for 2 persons :-
* 200g mince beef
* half an onion (chopped)
* half a green chili (chopped)
* a bit of light soya sauce
* a bit of white pepper
* 6 eggs (small)
- one whole baguette
- sweet chilli sauce

Mix the items * together and ensure that it's not too watery for spreading onto the slice baguette. Place the baguette with the spread side down onto the pan (low heat needed in order that the meat is cooked). No oil required for non-stick pan.

I always got myself into this

Went to TK Maxx yesterday and I bought 2 Fossil watch at the price of 30 pounds each. Still can't decide which one to keep or to refund both.....

Help!!! (all comments will be appreciated)

Dial can be set to alternate from heart pattern to black or stay on one color. Similar to the 'growing flower' design that I fancy but that wasn't on sale.



Features contrast stitching and thick ecru stitched flowers on band.

The 'evil' side of Ebay

It's been a long time since I got hook on Ebay. Thanks to Sam who had purchased 7 items from Ebay, I had started surfing onto Ebay website today and found this Fossil red bracelet.



Think the bid will go up to more than £40. Die lar!!!

Visa Update

Got the Visa extension and we were given up to end Feb 07!!! More than enough time for us to go travelling before heading home..

Now booking to go Dublin when Junwen is here for the 2 weeks. Only 0.01 + airport tax each way per person.

Visa extension

Had already took off to go to Home Office in Croydon tomorrow for extension of Visa. Although Sam was informed by the Home Office personnel that I need not be there, I though I should go with him (just in case wrong info. plus Sam needs a navigator to get there).

The fee will be 500 POUNDS but Sam's supervisor agreed to pay so guess that's a relief for both of us.

Difficult question

Sam posed me a difficult question today. What does Singapore flag symbolise?? Uh Oh!!!

I know we learnt this during school days but who really remember it.... But since we are here in UK, we could be asked this question by anyone here and would be very malu if we don't know it, thus I had checked it out.

The flag consists of two equal horizontal sections, red above white. In the upper left section are a white crescent moon, and five white stars forming a circle. Each feature of the flag has its own distinctive meaning and significance. Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man. White signifies pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the ascendant. The five stars stand for the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

Check out the Singapore Infomap website for more info on Singapore Pledge, National Anthem, etc.

Portable photo storage

**Blogger just deleted my entry here cos I was creating this post too long, got to re-collect what I had typed before!!!**@@##

I always thought that since memory sticks are out in the market, there should be a compact sized card reader + storage for photo. Never occurred to me that such item does exist until a friend told me about it.

Since Junwen is coming to UK, we can take the opportunity and ask him to buy in Singapore (which is usually cheaper than buying in UK)

With the help of Junwen at Comex 2005, we narrower our search to 3 items :-
- X'S-Drive II Plus VP2160 Price S$119
- Compact Drive PD70X Price S$199
- Digimate II-PLUS Price S$99

Note : Price quoted are from Comex 2005 and without HDD.

Through long distance telephony communication across half the world, in the span of 2 hours, we managed to spend S$1,000 without touching, smelling (we mean the plasticky smell lar!) the items (how's that for shopping!!)

Items bought by Junwen :-
- Panasonic FX9 (black)
- Spare battery
- 1 GB SD card
- X'S-Drive II Plus VP2160

To comfort ourselves, these would cost us £480 if we buy them online in UK (excluding Ebay), thus we had saved about £150 by shopping in Singapore.

Too bad we got to wait for a month before Junwen is here with our new 'toys'....

Stock.xchng

Some of the pictures that I submitted to stock.xchng yesterday were approved!!! So glad that the Whitby Abbey pictures were approved, cos they are my favorites (took alot of pictures of the Whitby Abbey and had only submitted the best 2).

Check out my gallary.

Yorkshire trip

We are back from the lovely Yorkshire trip from 26/08 to 29/08. We need to thank Sheena who kindly let us stay at her place in Knaresborough.

The weather was fabulous throughout the whole trip, not a drop of rain!! Isn't that incredible considering how "crap" British weather is!!


Clifford's Tower in York


Whitby Abbey (the place I love most for this trip)


Chocolate fountain at Whitby (It's really chocolate...p)


A string of strawberries covered in chocolate. Yummy!!!


Lovely view at Aysgarth Fall (no clue what I was trying to do here)


A visit to Birmham Rocks, with the help of Sheena (if not we will be lost)


Stepping stones in Bolton Abbey


A 2 hours walk at Ingleton Waterfall (trying to avoid the sun shining onto my face here)

Clouds

clouds
Originally uploaded by abtmay.

There's always a saying the red clouds means that there will be rain later on. How true is that??

I love it when the sky is red and there's lots of clouds in the sky. As a child, I always stare at the clouds and imagine any image that I can form. Is it a bear, horse, or an angel?

SALE

Yes, we are on a mission to cover as many stores as possible with the word S.A.L.E on!!! (Just kidding)

We had been wanting to buy certain IT books and thought it might be worth visiting the Galloway & Porter warehouse sale. Definitely worth the trip. We bought 12 books for ..............................£18!!!!!

I had been searching for a guide on creating webpage and had bought the Creating Web Page Bible at £1!!! Hopefully, I can learn some tips to improve my blog.

We know these books are not the latest version but we just want to know the basis, thus they are good enough for us.

Guess now my problem is finding space to store these big and bulky books.

你是我最深爱的人

爱上了一个人 能够为她牺牲
就算付出了生命 我甘心为了你
两个人在一起 分享爱的命运
永远都不会忘记 我们生活点滴

你是我最深爱的女人
你有最美丽的嘴唇
你拥有最动人的眼神
你带给我幸福和快乐
我是你最深爱的男人
我的爱绝对是永恒
做什么都值得 爱上了一个人

Top Gear

Must buy!! Top Gear magazine Sept issue includes Cool Wall Fridge Magnets. The magnet also come with the 3 presenters' pictures and you can decide which wall they are on. Cool!!!

2 cars that I would love to own and are now on our sub-zero wall are Volkswagan Beetle and Toyota Aygo.