Saturday, May 29, 2010 @ 11:22 PM Author: clarinda
Shit!! I have not been studying at all when I am supposed to, especially since I have not started memorising..OMG!! I am so dead, yet I still spend my time going out and watching dramas and variety shows. =((- Germany
- Turkey
- Romania
- Denmark
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Armenia
- Greece
- Georgia
- Ukraine
Wednesday, May 26, 2010 @ 9:42 PM Author: clarinda
1st News Article: Vienna is best place to live
The Austrian capital 'retains the top spot as the city with the world's best quality of living,' British consultancy firm Mercer said in its 2010 Quality of Living Survey. -- PHOTO: INTERNET PICTURE
VIENNA - VIENNA is the best city in the world to live while war-torn Baghdad is the worst, a survey said on Wednesday, putting Europe at the top of the rankings with Asia and Africa trailing.
The Austrian capital 'retains the top spot as the city with the world's best quality of living,' British consultancy firm Mercer said in its 2010 Quality of Living Survey. Swiss cities Zurich and Geneva followed in second and third places respectively, while Vancouver in Canada and Auckland in New Zealand were joint fourth.
For its annual survey, Mercer assessed the quality of living in 221 cities worldwide, measuring them against New York with an index score of 100 points as the base city. Vienna, which also took the number one spot last year, scored a total 108.6 points, while Baghdad scored the lowest with just 14.7 points.
European cities continued to dominate the top 25 cities in the survey, Mercer said, while Canadian cities also had a strong showing. Among cities in Britain, London ranked number 39, Birmingham 55 and Glasgow 57. In the United States, the highest ranking entry was Honolulu in 31st place, followed by San Francisco in 32nd.
Singapore was the top-scoring Asian city in 28th place, followed by Tokyo in 40th. Baghdad ranked 221st, remaining at the bottom of the list. It was followed by Bangui in the Central African Republic, N'Djamena in Chad, Khartoum in Sudan and Tbilisi in Georgia.
Mercer also awarded cities eco rankings based on water availability and drinkability, waste removal, quality of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion. Calgary in Canada came top of this list, followed by Honolulu in second place and Ottawa and Helsinki in joint third place. Port-au-Prince in Haiti ranked at the bottom of this table, Mercer said. -- AFP
Singapore: My home country
Birmingham: Current city I am residing in
Calgary: The city that I will transit in en-route to Los Angeles
2nd News Article: Fast food still calorie-laden
A pancake breakfast providing 1,380 calories, a single-serve pizza that packs two days' worth of sodium and a pasta dish swimming in four day's worth of fat top a list published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). -- PHOTO: KEVIN TAN
WASHINGTON - LAWS requiring US restaurant chains to list calorie counts have not stopped them from offering unhealthy meals that pack in calories, fat and salt, a group that encourages healthy food said.
A pancake breakfast providing 1,380 calories, a single-serve pizza that packs two days' worth of sodium and a pasta dish swimming in four day's worth of fat top a list published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
The group, which 'outs' the calorie, fat and sodium counts of America's favorite foods every year, said it looked for evidence that restaurants are trimming back their offerings in the face of new laws and political pressure. They found little.
'One might think that chains like Outback Steakhouse and The Cheesecake Factory might want to lighten up their meals now that calories will be required on their menus, courtesy of the health care reform law signed in March,' Michael Jacobson, executive director of the non-profit CSPI said.
'But these chains don't promote moderation. They practice caloric extremism, and they're helping make modern-day Americans become the most obese people ever to walk the Earth,' he said in a statement.
More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. -- REUTERS
SOME of the meals listed by the CSPI:
* Bob Evans' Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes has 1,380 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat or 'about what you'd get in two country-fried steaks and four eggs', the CSPI said.
* California Pizza Kitchen's Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak has with 1,680 calories, 32 grams of saturated fat, and 3,300 mg of sodium.
* Five Guys' Bacon Cheeseburger has 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat. Its large French fries has 1,460 calories 'about triple the calories of a large order of fries at McDonald's,' the CSPI said.
* P.F. Chang's Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo has 1,820 calories and 7,690 milligrams of salt.
* The Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Carbonara with Chicken has 2,500 calories and 85 grams of saturated fat. -- REUTERS
Anyway, I ♥ this new song, Greatest, by Lady GaGa A LOT!!!
Saturday, May 22, 2010 @ 1:22 PM Author: clarinda
(the interior)
and this (Rice wrapped in vegetables)
Kara's Dormitory
Thursday, May 20, 2010 @ 9:00 PM Author: clarinda
David Choi - That Girl
SNSD & 2PM - Cabi song (Carribean Bay)
Wonder Girls - 2 Different Tears (English Version)
朱紫娆 & 苏永康 - 当我爱上了你之后
Weatherman raped Girlfriend
BERLIN - GERMANY'S best-known television weatherman was charged on Wednesday with aggravated rape and grievous bodily harm for an alleged attack on his girlfriend, prosecutors said.
Joerg Kachelmann, a Swiss presenter beloved throughout the German-speaking world for his rollicking weather reports on public broadcaster ARD, stands accused of sexually assaulting his partner at knife-point.
The alleged victim, 36, had just ended her long-term relationship with the 51-year-old Kachelmann when he turned violent, the state prosecutor's office in the south-western city of Mannheim said in a statement.
Kachelmann has dismissed the case against him, which has been front-page news in Germany, as 'baseless' and 'a total fabrication.' Authorities say Kachelmann attacked the woman in her apartment in February and held a kitchen knife with an eight-centimetre-long (three-inch-long) blade so firmly to her throat that she suffered a serious cut. 'He also threatened during and after the rape to kill her,' according to the statement.
A court must now decide if Kachelmann should be held in investigative custody until his case goes to trial. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
The burly Kachelmann with his lilting accent has been a fixture on ARD newscasts since 2002 and has a major following for his fanciful descriptions of precipitation, clouds and the jet stream. He became an Internet phenomenon last year when a large tabby cat wandered onto the set during a broadcast and he scooped it into his arms and continued his report. The broadcast drew more than 980,000 hits on YouTube. -- AFP
Saturday, May 15, 2010 @ 6:24 PM Author: clarinda
Spending my first step into adulthood in UK was something I had expected from the moment I signed on the dotted line. I was not expecting much from everyone that I knew as it was during the exam period. Nonetheless, the surprises that I received throughout the day makes my 21st birthday celebration a memorable one.Shortly after midnight, as I was intending to turn in for the night, there was a knock on my door. I thought that it was Steph who came up to say happy birthday. It was such a pleasant surprise to see Steph, Aimi and Aesha at my door with a birthday cake with (I do not know how many, but guess that it is 21) candles. It took me a while to finish blowing out those candles. I was obviously in the dark when they entered the house. If they had entered the house from the back door, I would have known. I was really happy and touched that they came over at midnight and gave me the surprise. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ♥
The cake was huge and I forced them to finish it with me. If I were to keep the cake, I would have ballooned. After all, should I not spread the joy and fats among us. haha =D The cake was good! I ended up going to bed feeling fat and unhealthy, but happy and touched.
For dinner, I have invited a group of close friends to celebrate my 21st with me. I could have actually invited more people along. Nevertheless it was during the exam period and having this group of close friends to celebrate with me is sufficient. Choosing to have dinner at Frankie and Bennys (Selly Oak) was a deliberate choice as well. I supposed that everyone should be busy with revision at this time of the year, and I would have felt bad if I made them travel somewhere far for dinner. Coincidentally, there were three other people who were celebrating their birthday there as well. This meant that the lights were off three times. My friends were so smart and nice to ride on that and sang me a birthday song on each occasion. The fourth time was my turn, and there I was busy taking photos. Truthfully speaking, I knew that it was mine because I saw the cake coming towards my direction. Oops..haha. I made a wish and blew the candle. Before blowing the candle, I was coerced into singing the national anthem, Majulah Singapura. It was intentional!! I ended up just singing one line, thanks to Ai Lin who said that that I can do just that. Then I did the most embarrassing thing. I sang wrongly! It should be Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore), but I sang Marilah Singapura (Come Singapore). I do not even know where to hide my face. I feel like digging a hole and hide myself in there. How can I even count myself a Singaporean? As most of them were Malaysians, they did not spot the mistake. Deep down, I felt a strong sense of guilt as a Singaporean. I am really and sincerely sorry towards Singapore. I feel that I should be brave to admit my mistake, a strong reminder that I should never ever let this happen again =(
Subsequently, I was made to remove the ultra short candle from the cake using my mouth. Do you know what does this meant? It means that the instant you try to remove the candle, your face will be smashed into the cake. Hence while nobody was looking, I quickly remove the candle using my mouth. GUESS WHAT?? They said that there was not counted and I had to do it AGAIN!! OH NO!! Ultimately I did it and my face was smashed into the cake. Thank goodness the cake was not extremely creamy and Suresh did not push my head down too deeply =D
I went to the toilet to wash up after that and came back finding two more cakes. This time the cakes were meant for eating. Then again, they sang the birthday song. I tried cutting the cake normally, but they said that I should try holding the knife in a murderous way to cut the cake. I happily obliged them, only to find that the cake was rather frozen. How great is that?! They must have knew it when they requested that I cut the cake in that manner. Thanks to Timothy and Suresh for helping me to cut the two cakes. Apparently, the cake that my face was smashed into was the most sumptuous one among the three. Oh well. After we left the restaurant, I expressed my gratitude towards them and they sang the birthday song for the sixth time. OMG!! I was really, extremely, super, ultra MOVED!! Thanks Allen for loaning his huge and professional camera for my 21st, and CX Tee for being the photographer, taking countless of candid shots (albeit unglamorous ones as well I guess).
Hereby, I will like to express my sincere heartfelt gratitude to all those who made my 21st birthday celebration in UK a memorable and unforgettable one. It will and always be engraved in my heart. Regardless of whether the birthday wishes are from Singapore, UK or US, regardless of whether you gave me a surprise, regardless of whether you gave me a birthday card, regardless of whether you gave me a birthday present, regardless of whether you smashed my face into the cake, it is the thought that counts. Honestly speaking, my gratitude towards those who made my 21st a magical one cannot be expressed beyond words. I hope you know that and felt that.
Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
♥ YA (:-)
lots and loads of ♥,
clarinda
(written on 15/05/2010)
evidence of my fat, round face..
Thursday, May 13, 2010 @ 3:08 PM Author: clarinda
Sunday, May 9, 2010 @ 12:01 PM Author: clarinda
By The Straits Times China Bureau
Location: A luxury villa project in a Nanjing suburb. Wanted: Two reception assistants. Race: White.
Job advertisements in China can throw up a few surprises for those used to a non-discriminatory employment environment. Here, companies make no apologies about openly stating the race of the employees they seek.
And like it or not, the desired skin colour is often white.
'We want our customers to feel like English aristocrats,' explains Ms Xu Yueqin, 35, a real estate executive working for the Nanjing villa project.
All that is required of the white employees - they must be female too, surprise, surprise - is that they usher prospective customers to a marketing office, where Chinese employees will present the sales pitch.
Asked if she felt uncomfortable about the race-based hiring requirement, she replies, matter-of-factly: 'Other companies do the same thing. By and large, Chinese still think all things Western are better.'
Despite the official line that China has 'stood up' after suffering more than a century of humiliation by the Western powers, there is a lingering hangover in Chinese views about the white man.
Many ordinary Chinese continue to associate whiteness with quality, even to the point of 'silliness', as one scholar puts it.
The result? White foreigners who live and work in the Middle Kingdom find opportunities galore to make a quick buck. Observers estimate that two in five in the 230,000-strong foreign student community here have taken up such race-based jobs at some point.
Some companies ask for Western-looking men to pretend to be company directors just to lend them credibility at meetings with potential clients or government officials. In other cases, whites are roped in to help promote upmarket products such as wine or jewellery.
And for schools teaching English, being white has almost become the standard prerequisite for prospective teachers. On first sight, this might seem reasonable if the Caucasian in question is indeed a native English speaker.
But when schools have to choose between a teacher with good English and another with the right ethnic appearance, they invariably opt for the latter even if he or she is less qualified, points out Mr Gregory Bryant, 26, an American who has been living in Beijing since 2005.
One school he taught at passed over Asian Americans who spoke English as their first language for an Eastern European who spoke English 'with a heavy accent'.
'It's a ludicrous hiring standard and it's wrong,' he says. 'But unfortunately, that's the reality we're dealing with in China - a culture that is consumed by appearances and stereotypes.'
Just this year, Mr Bryant was asked by a Chinese ad agency to become the face of the Scotch whisky Chivas Regal, at a Beijing promotional event, even though he does not hail from Scotland. He turned it down.
If he had not, he would have been paid 150 yuan (S$30) an hour, or roughly 10 times the market rate for a local.
'We don't have a choice,' claims Mr Henry Zhou, a headhunter for English schools looking for white-only teachers in the north-eastern city of Shenyang. 'This is what parents ask for. So if we want students, we have to satisfy their demands.'
When pressed whether he would give the job to a Chinese Singaporean fluent in English, he retorts: 'No way. The parents will say, 'Don't try to fool us with a local Chinese!' He must be white.'
Some locals who think the trend is harmless say stereotypes exist in nearly all societies - some are just better than others at hiding them.
'The European media persistently presents stereotypes of China because that's what their audience wants to hear,' argues 26-year-old Guo Pengcheng, a Beijing-based computer programmer.
Scholars say the phenomenon could be partly due to the fact that the Chinese are opening up to the world again only recently, after a long period of isolation. As a result, the tendency is to 'colour code'. In this instance, 'whiteness' is associated with modernity and economic advancement.
Referring to the example of the preference for whites who speak English as a second language over non-whites who are native English speakers, Stanford University China expert Thomas S. Mullaney says that while most Americans will feel that the idea of using the non-white Americans makes perfect sense, China lacks the cultural foundation to understand that, because it has seen little immigration in its recent history.
Some, like Professor Liu Hong from the University of Manchester, are convinced the phenomenon will go away 20 to 30 years from now because ordinary Chinese will become more self-assured as their country grows in strength and international stature, and stereotypes will break down as interactions between Chinese and foreigners intensify.
But others say such deep-seated prejudices will take much longer to be overturned.
Beijing-based lawyer Liu Kun remarks: 'Till today, discrimination against Chinese peasants remains rampant among Chinese urban folk.
'So if we haven't even learnt to look at our own people without prejudice, how much longer will it take to change our views about foreigners?'
Saturday, May 8, 2010 @ 3:31 PM Author: clarinda
A Rough Guide to Dim Sum
Dim sum
(literally meaning, “touch the heart”) is the name for a selection of Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light dishes. They are usually served before noon, along with tea (also known as yum cha), but is now such a big part of the culinary scene in Asia that you can find restaurants serving them all day through. Dim sum are usually steamed, baked or fried, and come served in traditional bamboo containers. Here’s a quick guide through some of the more popular dim sum dishes.Siew Mai
Photo Credits - avlxyz
Har Gau (see below) and Siew Mai (or usually translated to Steamed Meat Dumpling) combine to form the one of the most popular pairing of dim sum dishes. I’ve eaten Dim Sum umpteen times, and never had one without at least an order of each. In fact, they are the first things my dad would order when eating dim sum. So while we ponder on what to order next, we’ll be munching on these delicious dumplings. The original Cantonese Siew Mai is usually made out of pork and mushroom, but nowadays you can find all kinds of Siew Mai to suit your preferences.
Har Gau
Photo Credits - Nate Robert
I personally prefer Har Gau (Steamed Prawn Dumplings) compared to Siew Mai. The skin of Har Gau is delicate and translucent, wrapped around fresh juicy shrimps to form a pouch-shaped dumpling. They are usually dipped in soy sauce, rice vinegar, or even a combination of mayonnaise and chili sauce. This dish is a crowd pleaser, so be sure to order enough so that everybody will have at least one.
Cheong Fun
Photo Credits - Wendalicious
This dish features a thin roll of rice noodles that are filled with meat, vegetables or other ingredients. Before serving, the roll is usually cut into a few pieces and a spoonful of soy sauce is poured on top. With a wide variety, this dish comes filled with shrimp, beef, char siew, or even youtiao (Chinese fried bread stick), chicken or fish. My personal favorite is Cheong Fun with Youtiao, which features fried youtiao wrapped in noodle rolls. The crispy youtiao combines well with the silky noodle rolls, melting away in your mouth with a heavy dose of soy sauce. Heavenly!
Baos / Buns
Photo Credits - avlxyz
The most popular type of Baos (Buns) is Char Siew Bao, which simply means BBQ Pork Buns. They are soft bread with a unique texture, filled with char siew (BBQ pork) at the center of the bun. The char siew is pork tenderloin slowly roasted to achieve a tender and sweet taste, which combines well with the fine soft bread on the outside. Though Char Siew Bao is another popular dim sum dish, it is not exactly one of my favorite. As much as I enjoyed the taste very much, it is however, a very filling dish. My preference is to skip this so I can eat more of the others.
Daikon & Taro Cake
Photo Credits - avlxyz
Here’s another standard pairing when ordering dim sum. They are both similar in appearance, usually cut into square-shaped slices and pan-fried before serving. This makes them crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside. The Daikon Cake is made of shredded radish and flour while the Taro Cake is made from the vegetable taro.
Dan Tat
Photo Credits - avlxyz
Dan Tat (Egg Tarts) is the Cantonese interpretation of egg custard tarts which are popular in many parts of the world. This pastry was initially introduced to compete with dim sum restaurants, but ironically they have now become part of the dim sum experience. Many variations are available, including egg white tarts, milk tarts, honey-egg tarts and even bird’s nest tarts.
Jin Dui
Photo Credits - Charles Haynes
Jin Dui (Sesame Seed Balls) is a fried ball-shaped pastry coated with sesame seeds on the outside that is crisp and chewy. The pastry is filled usually with lotus paste, black bean paste or red bean paste. A more modern interpretation I’ve seen before are Jin Dui filled with chocolate and even durian.
Chun Juan
Photo Credits - avlxyz
This is not a dim sum dish per say, as you can easily find them in various countries with differing interpretations. However, the fried version is one you would encounter in dim sum restaurants, usually filled with various meats.
Fu Pi Quan
Photo Credits - avlxyz
This dish is similar to Spring Rolls, with the main difference being the outer layer of the dish is made of tofu skin. Just like Spring Rolls, you can find the fried and steamed versions, with various meat fillings inside of it.
Fung Jeow
Photo Credits - avlxyz
Phoenix Talons is the fancy way of translating this dish name, which is usually just called Chicken Feet by non-Chinese speaking eaters (like yours truly). The chicken feet are first deep fried or steamed to make them puffy, and then stewed and marinated in flavored black bean sauce. The result is a dish that is moist, tender and flavorful, though it does consists of many small bones.
Lo Mai Gai
Photo Credits - Jason Lam
The English translation to this dish is quite a handful – Steamed Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf Wrap. It features glutinous rice filled with chicken meat and various vegetables, which is then wrapped in a dried lotus leaf and steamed. The result is a savory and flavorful dish, with the aroma of the lotus leaf and chicken melting into the sticky glutinous rice. A personal favorite.
Almond Jelly
Photo Credits - jetalone
This is a common dessert made of sweet Chinese almond. Almond milk is extracted, sweetened and then heated with a gelling agent. It is then chilled to create a tofu like pudding with a sweet almond taste.
Mango Pudding
Photo Credits - avlxyz
Last but definitely not least, is one of my favorite dessert – the Mango Pudding. This is the perfect way to end your feast, a simple dessert that captures the glorious flavor of mangoes like no other. When done well, the pudding is silky smooth in texture, rich in flavor and refreshing in taste.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About the Author
Nikolas Tjhin is the editor for Unearthing Asia, a travel zine focusing on Lifestyle, Culture and Attractions all over Asia. Check out our latest offering, a travel magazine that visitors can browse online and even download.Thursday, May 6, 2010 @ 7:48 PM Author: clarinda
BYE SIMULINK!!! BYE!!! You caused me so much anguish that I was overcome with joy the day I sent you away!!!During one of the revision lectures...
Lecturer: Where Luke's?
Coursemate: He's not here today.
Lecturer: Thank goodness he is not here today. I was so annoyed with him. He sent me an email regarding one of the tutorial questions when I was in Jordon. I told him that I was intending and to post the answers up onto WebCT when I get back to UK(which was like next day). Unfortunately my flight was canceled due to the volcanic ash disruption. The earliest that I could return to UK will be a week from now. He replied in the email:"Well since you are stranded, I give you some work to do". You can't tell how annoyed I was when I read that. *Everyone in the lecture theatre burst out into laughter.*
LOL!!! Fancy telling a lecturer that, and in such a crude manner. He is obviously asking for it.