7.30.2006
Case: Demented children of the present day
Location:Pottery Barn Kids, Yorkdale Shopping Mall
Exhibit A: Twisted baby doll in stroller
Exhibit B: Cooked alligator toy on stove
Exhibit C: Microwaved butterfly plushies
(Seriously the toys were arranged as such when we got there, we didn't do this ourselves...we were appalled, lol)
7.18.2006
Wishing
01. Laptop
02. Laptop carrying case/bag (possibly this?? xD)
03. Charlotte's Web signature edition
04. Cell phone
05. Tennis racquet
06. Snowboard + gear (eg. goggles)
07. Trip to NYC
08. Complete collection of Eyewitness Books
09. Mazda RX-8 in volcanic red
10. Condo by Lake Ontario
...
Got a lil carried away there, lol. Step by step Joseph, step by step...xP
02. Laptop carrying case/bag (possibly this?? xD)
03. Charlotte's Web signature edition
04. Cell phone
05. Tennis racquet
06. Snowboard + gear (eg. goggles)
07. Trip to NYC
08. Complete collection of Eyewitness Books
09. Mazda RX-8 in volcanic red
10. Condo by Lake Ontario
...
Got a lil carried away there, lol. Step by step Joseph, step by step...xP
7.12.2006
It just occurred to me a couple of days ago that with the money I'm earning right now, I can easily afford a trip to New York at the end of August to watch the US Open. It has always been my goal in life to attend (in no particular order) i) a World Cup match; ii) a Grand Slam match; and iii) an Olympic event...now I might just be able to fulfill one of them. I've already checked the ticket prices/availability & things are looking pretty good (can you believe it's cheaper to watch the US Open than the friggin' Rogers Cup??), but the only problem is that I have no one to go with. If I did, I wouldn't mind going through the trouble of finding a good place to stay & all (I'd also have to renew my passport...ugh stupid new American rules), but now, why even bother...
Would sure have loved to see Roger defend his title (& do some shopping at Times Square)...=\ Maybe I should go to London next year instead, hehe (oh grass court is love...<3).
7.10.2006
Hot Plates
Went to my first (& possibly only) Summerlicious dinner this year with Mick tonight. This time we went to Filet of Sole, which happens to be just one floor below The Strip House, our restaurant of choice last year. I was pretty excited before going 'cause the menu sounded delicious. And well, now that I've actually had the food, here's what I thought:
Appetizer: Baked Lobster & Crab Soup
Mick & I had this last year at The Strip House, & we both agreed that it was the best fucking soup we've ever had. When we saw it again on this menu, we knew we had to get it again, hoping it'd be the same recipe. AND IT WAS!! Ahhh after a year, I almost forgot how good it was, but getting to smell the soup alone already brought back all kinds of good memories, lol. It's STILL the best fucking soup that we've ever had, & I can't help but quote Stewart Gilligan Griffin: "There's an orgy in my mouth!!" xD
Entrée: Seafood Linguine Marinara
On paper, this sounds like the best pasta ever - it's got lobster tail & soft shell crab on top of linguine, for crying out loud. When the real thing came, I was even more pleasantly surprised, as there was actually quite a bit of lobster. Unfortunately, the lobster was a lil dry 'cause it was slightly overcooked. Still, it wasn't half bad...it just could've been better. The best part of this dish though has definitely got to be the soft shell crab - it was EXCELLENT. Granted I've only had it the Chinese way until tonight, but this roasted version was crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside. MMM MMM GOOD. One weird thing though is that the pasta didn't come with a spoon, & neither Mick or I like eating pasta without one, so we ended up having to ask. Ya we're fancy like that. =P
Dessert: French Vanilla Crème BrûlEE (lol)
Since the desserts weren't listed online, we didn't know what we could get until we were there. And when I saw crème brûlée listed on the actual menu, I hyperventilated a lil, lol. I haven't had it in a long while, & was dying to get it. Sadly it turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the night...well, half of it anyway. The carmelized crust was nice & hard, & the top half was simply sugar heaven. The bottom half, however, was a watery mess. First thing that came to mind was that they used table cream instead of whipped cream. But why would a professional kitchen do that?? And why would the top be fine but not the bottom?? I'm puzzled.
All in all, the dinner turned out be slightly below my expectations, but a great one nevertheless. It was a good deal, the food was good, the atmosphere was nice, & there was a giant octopus hanging from the ceiling!! xD I'd definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves seafood.
P.S. I'd share something funny that happpened during dinner, but Mick would kill me if I did. xP Let's just say someone was having a hard time finishing her food & was near dying, lol.
Went to my first (& possibly only) Summerlicious dinner this year with Mick tonight. This time we went to Filet of Sole, which happens to be just one floor below The Strip House, our restaurant of choice last year. I was pretty excited before going 'cause the menu sounded delicious. And well, now that I've actually had the food, here's what I thought:
Appetizer: Baked Lobster & Crab Soup
Mick & I had this last year at The Strip House, & we both agreed that it was the best fucking soup we've ever had. When we saw it again on this menu, we knew we had to get it again, hoping it'd be the same recipe. AND IT WAS!! Ahhh after a year, I almost forgot how good it was, but getting to smell the soup alone already brought back all kinds of good memories, lol. It's STILL the best fucking soup that we've ever had, & I can't help but quote Stewart Gilligan Griffin: "There's an orgy in my mouth!!" xD
Entrée: Seafood Linguine Marinara
On paper, this sounds like the best pasta ever - it's got lobster tail & soft shell crab on top of linguine, for crying out loud. When the real thing came, I was even more pleasantly surprised, as there was actually quite a bit of lobster. Unfortunately, the lobster was a lil dry 'cause it was slightly overcooked. Still, it wasn't half bad...it just could've been better. The best part of this dish though has definitely got to be the soft shell crab - it was EXCELLENT. Granted I've only had it the Chinese way until tonight, but this roasted version was crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside. MMM MMM GOOD. One weird thing though is that the pasta didn't come with a spoon, & neither Mick or I like eating pasta without one, so we ended up having to ask. Ya we're fancy like that. =P
Dessert: French Vanilla Crème BrûlEE (lol)
Since the desserts weren't listed online, we didn't know what we could get until we were there. And when I saw crème brûlée listed on the actual menu, I hyperventilated a lil, lol. I haven't had it in a long while, & was dying to get it. Sadly it turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the night...well, half of it anyway. The carmelized crust was nice & hard, & the top half was simply sugar heaven. The bottom half, however, was a watery mess. First thing that came to mind was that they used table cream instead of whipped cream. But why would a professional kitchen do that?? And why would the top be fine but not the bottom?? I'm puzzled.
All in all, the dinner turned out be slightly below my expectations, but a great one nevertheless. It was a good deal, the food was good, the atmosphere was nice, & there was a giant octopus hanging from the ceiling!! xD I'd definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves seafood.
P.S. I'd share something funny that happpened during dinner, but Mick would kill me if I did. xP Let's just say someone was having a hard time finishing her food & was near dying, lol.
7.08.2006
Redemption
...& everything came full circle!!
Man, what sweet victory. This has been a great Wimbledon, for me anyway, having all four of my favourite female players (coincidentally the top 4 seeds) make the semis: Clijsters, Sharapova, Mauresmo, & Henin-Hardenne. It was practically the Australian Open all over again, except the Belgians played each other instead & Amélie played, well, the Shrieker (lol no I love Maria to death xD). My ideal match was to have Kimmy & Maria in the finals, but unfortunately both lost, & both by a small margin, to their respective opponents. So I was a lil disappointed. But man, the match today made up for it big time. I guess I kinda forgot how badly I felt for Mauresmo when she won the Australian Open, but seeing the same two play against each other again brought that feeling right back & I just couldn't help but root for Mauresmo. I wanted her to have the championship point that she was robbed of back in January, to win a Grand Slam title fair & square. And she did!! I must say I was surprised, despite the fact that she was the #1 seed, I didn't think she would win at all. Those who follow tennis would know that Mauresmo's famous for her nerves, that everytime she's in an important match she breaks down & fails miserably. This is paticularly evident when she's at home playing the French Open, where she's never made it further than the quarterfinals. But wow, did her shrink do a good job or what. Today she was invincible. After losing the 1st set, she didn't even blink & just swifted past Justine like it was a practice run. Her serves were so amazing Justine was left helpless on the chopping board. And I finally saw why Mauresmo's #1 in the world.
The funniest thing of all, is that before this year, many people kept saying Mauresmo was the best player to have not won a Grand Slam. But what do you know...now she has two, & there's still one more left this year!! She might as well win the US Open too, that oughta shut everybody up. =P
Quote of the day:
Mauresmo, after winning the match: "I don't want anybody to talk about my nerves anymore."
Hahaha I laughed so hard. xD Well said.
...& everything came full circle!!
Man, what sweet victory. This has been a great Wimbledon, for me anyway, having all four of my favourite female players (coincidentally the top 4 seeds) make the semis: Clijsters, Sharapova, Mauresmo, & Henin-Hardenne. It was practically the Australian Open all over again, except the Belgians played each other instead & Amélie played, well, the Shrieker (lol no I love Maria to death xD). My ideal match was to have Kimmy & Maria in the finals, but unfortunately both lost, & both by a small margin, to their respective opponents. So I was a lil disappointed. But man, the match today made up for it big time. I guess I kinda forgot how badly I felt for Mauresmo when she won the Australian Open, but seeing the same two play against each other again brought that feeling right back & I just couldn't help but root for Mauresmo. I wanted her to have the championship point that she was robbed of back in January, to win a Grand Slam title fair & square. And she did!! I must say I was surprised, despite the fact that she was the #1 seed, I didn't think she would win at all. Those who follow tennis would know that Mauresmo's famous for her nerves, that everytime she's in an important match she breaks down & fails miserably. This is paticularly evident when she's at home playing the French Open, where she's never made it further than the quarterfinals. But wow, did her shrink do a good job or what. Today she was invincible. After losing the 1st set, she didn't even blink & just swifted past Justine like it was a practice run. Her serves were so amazing Justine was left helpless on the chopping board. And I finally saw why Mauresmo's #1 in the world.
The funniest thing of all, is that before this year, many people kept saying Mauresmo was the best player to have not won a Grand Slam. But what do you know...now she has two, & there's still one more left this year!! She might as well win the US Open too, that oughta shut everybody up. =P
Quote of the day:
Mauresmo, after winning the match: "I don't want anybody to talk about my nerves anymore."
Hahaha I laughed so hard. xD Well said.
7.04.2006
Right Side Up
The woman who sat beside me
Had a frown on her face
As she sieved through thousands of envelopes
I wanted to ask her if she's okay
Only to remember she cannot hear
At the same time I wondered
If I had the same expression as I worked
Then came a 7-year old child
Who shared to us his life as a diabetic
A thousand shots of insulin
Since January
And no end in sight
All this has only reassured me
That how fortunate it is
To be alive, well
And loved
--
Suddenly she stopped working
And came to stand beside me
I looked up
From her body language
I figured she needed my help
I did
And to the best of her effort
She said thank you
By blowing me a kiss
It was the best thank you
That I've ever received
The woman who sat beside me
Had a frown on her face
As she sieved through thousands of envelopes
I wanted to ask her if she's okay
Only to remember she cannot hear
At the same time I wondered
If I had the same expression as I worked
Then came a 7-year old child
Who shared to us his life as a diabetic
A thousand shots of insulin
Since January
And no end in sight
All this has only reassured me
That how fortunate it is
To be alive, well
And loved
--
Suddenly she stopped working
And came to stand beside me
I looked up
From her body language
I figured she needed my help
I did
And to the best of her effort
She said thank you
By blowing me a kiss
It was the best thank you
That I've ever received
7.03.2006
Hide & Seek
Refuge, that's what it is. Suddenly it's nowhere to be found.
Refuge, that's what it is. Suddenly it's nowhere to be found.
Kidult Behaviour
You know you have great friends when you can be a child all over again around them...
Haven't gone on a swing for at least 10 years (obviously, since most playgrounds ban anyone over the age of 12 from playing =P), but when I went on today it didn't feel foreign at all. When I was in HK I used to go to the park across from my flat (haha how British) every night & use the playground there. I fell in love with the overhead ladder (it took me a while to finally get through all the rungs though since I was a weak child, lol), but nothing could top the feeling I got while on the swings. Something about being high up & the breeze really captivated me. It was nice to get that feeling back tonight. =)
And then came the monkey bars (well, more like monkey ropes). I climbed to the very top despite the fact that I'm deathly afraid of heights. Well I guess I'm not anymore...probably got cured after jumping that fucking cliff last summer, lol. But who knew you can sit yourself up against the ropes, comfortably too, & chat for hours on end??
The chat only ended 'cause some cool (& rich) kids were lighting some crazy fireworks. Seriously the best amateur fireworks I've ever seen...one of them lit up the whole sky!! It was another thing that I haven't done in a while...I remember I used to go watch the fireworks at Victoria Harbour every Chinese New Year when I was a lil boy (as I got older I just stopped bothering & stayed home & watched the telecast instead, even though it was only a 15-min walk from where I lived to the shore). I used to get so mesmerized...I really forgot what that feels like, again, until tonight.
And what a night it was. I feel blessed.
You know you have great friends when you can be a child all over again around them...
Haven't gone on a swing for at least 10 years (obviously, since most playgrounds ban anyone over the age of 12 from playing =P), but when I went on today it didn't feel foreign at all. When I was in HK I used to go to the park across from my flat (haha how British) every night & use the playground there. I fell in love with the overhead ladder (it took me a while to finally get through all the rungs though since I was a weak child, lol), but nothing could top the feeling I got while on the swings. Something about being high up & the breeze really captivated me. It was nice to get that feeling back tonight. =)
And then came the monkey bars (well, more like monkey ropes). I climbed to the very top despite the fact that I'm deathly afraid of heights. Well I guess I'm not anymore...probably got cured after jumping that fucking cliff last summer, lol. But who knew you can sit yourself up against the ropes, comfortably too, & chat for hours on end??
The chat only ended 'cause some cool (& rich) kids were lighting some crazy fireworks. Seriously the best amateur fireworks I've ever seen...one of them lit up the whole sky!! It was another thing that I haven't done in a while...I remember I used to go watch the fireworks at Victoria Harbour every Chinese New Year when I was a lil boy (as I got older I just stopped bothering & stayed home & watched the telecast instead, even though it was only a 15-min walk from where I lived to the shore). I used to get so mesmerized...I really forgot what that feels like, again, until tonight.
And what a night it was. I feel blessed.
