stately weekend of learning

Last weekend not only was i ecstatic that i didnt have to stand up for 8 hours on the shop floor; I had a free weekend of learning at Cumberland Lodge inside The Great Park in Windsor. Thanks to being a Resident Assistant at one of the coolest places to live in London, we had an amazing weekend of cultural awareness, event planning, hearty eating, and movie making! Oh and a Blair Witch type of walk after dinner...erm of course I dont have pics of that!

music room

part of the grand stairs


view from the window

can i have a library like this??


wish i had dishes like these everyday!!!

healthy and yummy veggie tart

dessert over the weekend...my faves!

dinner i enjoyed the most..mushroom soup, salmon cakes, and chocolate cake


challenges we had to do as a teamany thoughts on how we did them? ;)

the winning team from norway, palestine, philippines and uk!

Cumberland Lodge regularly conducts conferences and their next big one is the International Christmas Event..details here

And for the events at ISH...please visit http://www.ishevents.org.uk
50% discount on local and international tours for UK students
Karaoke Thursdays, Free Sunday movies and much more!!!

missing indo/malay food: C and R Westbourne Grove

For my last day at my internship i decided to reward myself with feel good food. I spotted C&R Westbourne Grove while in a bus home. The place is probably three times the size of the one in Soho plus it has a bit of ambience to boot! I was the lone customer at 1:00 p.m. so as expected service was really fast.


Here's my before picture. Nasi Goreng Kampung at 7.50 pounds and Es Teh Tarik for 2.50 pounds. My measure of good nasi goreng is the amount of chili and shrimp hidden in the rice. This passed with flying colours! Around 10 pieces of shrimp and generous amount of sliced chillies. The rice was right seasoned with soy and piping hot. For 2.50, the tea was big as I get the Thai Iced Tea from Mangosteen in Carnaby and it's half of this one and .25p more expensive.

Excuse the gluttony...it was my first meal after lunch the day before. Excuses..excuses! ;) Eating at C&R also reminded me of my dinners with Sara at the Soho branch. She introduced me to the place and would always order Hainanese Chicken and Sambal Sotong which I also highly recommend.

take a bite from your ring shall you..

the SA at Boucheron laughed at me...well because i squealed when I saw these...

two loves in one...i wonder if these will actually sell..

all things yellow

Trying to kill time waiting for a university letter, I headed over to Selfridges and stopped at the usual suspects..NARS and Kiehl's counter, magazine section, Artisan du Chocolat and then I remembered with all the yellowness around me that there was an exhibit downstairs for Selfridges 100th birthday...Ive never seen so much yellow in my life!

Random faves...

red is for oscars, purple for mtv, yellow is for thee..

look at what i found in the kid's corner...why hey he's a kid at heart

(Outside) rubber ducky you're the one...you make bath time time lots of fun...

Now I just have to wait to run into the Selfridgettes...of course in their Giles rubber ducky dresses...

I wonder if it's the best way to celebrate your 100th?

london dimsum part 1: yauatcha

I've read so much about Yauatcha from blogs, guides and reviews. It sounded perfect to me. Asian taste. check. Sweets. check. Yummy cocktails. check. And to be honest reviews about bad service in a Chinese restaurant only means one thing to me. It means it's authentic, served by Chinese people whose concern is to serve food fast, piping hot. I know that's a fast generalisation but really I always find that when I go for restaurants with reviews like this, I tend out to be fiiine.

What better way to entertain my amiga Chloe who's visiting from Vancouver than merienda in Yauatcha? :) She's my forever culture vulture, gourmet and sweet tooth partner in crime. I was too lazy to take pics but here are shots by Chloe:

dessert heaven!!!!

Chloe's dessert (i forgot the name). What i remember is chloe asking for a soft dessert as her teeth were still sensitive from a dentist thingy. Chocolate-mousse like this dessert was perfect! Kudos to my amiga for trying very hard not to finish the dessert before i get my food.

First meal of the day after an all nighter for an essay. At nearly 5 pounds per dish, the dimsum was all worth it! i got the char siu cheung fun and the peking dumplings. Both filled to the brim, steamed with proper timing and just the right thickness to the skin. Loooved it! As it wasnt crowded we were served quite promptly. We did notice that later on it was getting harder and harder to get the attention of the servers. Also i was expecting them to stop us from taking pictures but it didnt happen at all.

Now, with not more than an hour of sleep, I had to pass from the cocktails. So I just chose to have my hint of alcohol with my dessert. I chose jade ganache which had absinthe whipped into the cream. I really enjoyed the hint of bitterness in the cream constrasting the sweetness of the chocolate and nuttiness of the almonds. The coffee taste blended in quite well too.

And of course our last measure of a good resto...the washroom. Yauatcha passed with flying colours! Thich tissue, good handwash and unique sink. ;)

I would definitely go back to Yauatcha to try other dimsum dishes and the cocktails. To try more the key would be to bring your girlfriends. The only thing I was underwhelmed with was the interior. To be honest, for being a trendy resto, I expected more. All in all, the right choice for a place to catch up with my amiga ;p

Viktor & Rolf at the Barbican Part 1

I must confess. I wasn't a fan of Viktor & Rolf before seeing their exhibition at the Barbican. And now of course I'm a convert! They are over the top without being costumey. The clothes are bold and in your face confident but feminine at the same time.

Excuse the pics (as photos are not allowed) and the quality (as they are not allowed I used my mobile...sneaky sneaky).

V&R dollhouse..oh how I would love a dollhouse like this one! Each doll is styled according to how the models were made up during the actual runway show of the garments.



I am not sure if all off Viktor & Rolf's runway shows are represented in the exhibition but it's certain there are enough for you to marvel at. The shows are played on video with life size mannequins (dolls rather because there are so coquette!) showcasing the best looks of the collections. Below is my fave. The Russian doll collection modelled by Maggie Rizer. Checkout the mannequin's hair ala Maggie!

What amazes me is the vision the two designers have. They have the ability to identify their inspiration for a collection that is unique and not dictated by fashion's pendulum often followed by designers in order to make it in the business. The interpretation of their inspiration is conceptual yet never literal. Also, the clothes are always so maginificent I do not blame the affluent couture ladies for buying them and not using them at all. They are works of art! Here's what they said on the Russian Doll Collection:

Russian Doll

In the winter of 1999 we appeared on the cat walk ourselves to dress a single model, Maggie Rizer, in nine layers of jewel encrusted dresses. After each layer, the small pedestal on which Maggie stood would rotate, giving the audience an opportunity to see a particular set on her before the next layer was laid on. When the final veil had been draped around her, Maggie was carrying approximately 70 kilos of richly decorated textures on her shoulders.

We intended this presentation as an ode to exclusivity and unavailability, the things that give fashion its aura. Once occluded by the next layer, the previous layer remained present on stage, but impossible for the audience to see.

As I am a new member of the club, what better way would it be to be inducted than seeing Viktor & Rolf this Saturday at the Barbican! As it is London Fashion Week, the duo are coming into town for a symposium and to announce the winner of an internship with their design house. Tickets are sold out but there will be some left at the entrance on the day itself. So rise and shine, and start fashion week with V&R! If you're not that lucky, just admire the exhibition which will be on show until September 21.

PS. Thought bubble while staring at the mannequins aka dolls...Their heads are too big for their long and lithe bodies! In real life you can't be stick thin with fleshy cheeks! Oh I guess that's all part of the fantasy...

simpson sunday

my usual sunday usually involves running from K's place to the tube station to catch the hammersmith & city line where im squished inside the train to picadilly then i finally get my breath of fresh air at knightsbridge before going to work...

this sunday was rather unusual as the tube platform was nowhere near crowded not to mention commuters where dressed fancily...i must say londoners are really tops when it comes to fancy dress...here's the best ive seen so far:


all out simpsons!! excuse the zoom quality...they were painted head to foot in yellow with outfits and accessories of characters taken into consideration...awesome! checkout homer's backfat! wehehehe...cant see it in the pic but maggie even had a feeding bottle! a different start to my sloaney sundays...

a day in my life

May 30, 2008
..one of my most random days ever

4.33 AM: Out of the blue, I woke up realising I forgot to take out my clothes from the dryer.

5.00 AM: Annoyed, I finish hanging my clothes to air dry. I believe the dryer stopped mid cycle leaving my clothes still wet. The clean lint screen was my proof.

1:15 PM: The Virgins' One Week of Danger playing while I dressed up. I ended up with a Carrie inspired outfit. That's odd given my Gossip Girl soundtrack. My subconscious tells me I must get a ticket for the movie! PS. Pardon my flats Carrie xx




















2:00PM: At the LCF Library, I am happily surprised that I didnt have to pay that much for my overdue books.

2:20PM: Aaaaahhh! Was that The Sartorialist himself that I spotted in front of H&M Regent Street?!?!? I thought about this one. Should I or should I not go back. Sadly, I went straight to Beak Street to get something from the Bead Shop. It's for work so it's official. When I came back he wasn't there anymore. Sigh...

(Image:Source)



2: 30PM: Crayfish, Lime and Coriander Sandwich and Matcha Chiller from Eat Hanover Square

2: 50 - 5: 10PM: Repairs galore! Got another multi-strand interlocking type of restringing. This time it's with vintage coral beads. I also got a last-minute sale care of the old lady who wanted something to match her Comptoir des Cotonniers dress. I made a light pink glass disc and rose quartz briolette necklace for her.


5:15 PM: What news! I found a few missed calls from FFE friend J. Party partner in crime B is down and out thanks to two bottles of Moet. Too bad! Tonight was supposed to be the start of our Survivor series. That's 8 nights of student partying! Oh well, there's always tomorrow.






5: 30PM: Was at Uniqlo, looking for FFE P to tell her the news and that we need to cancel tonight. Couldn't find her...but I managed to find me a dress for tomorrow's gladiator party. I got this dress from the Juliana Jabour line. I checked out the dresses by Alexander Wang but unfortunately, they are too shapeless for me. And finally! I got my hands on a Shinichi printed carrier bag. I am still disappointed though that they didnt make a shirt with his face.




















6:20 PM: Stopped by LCF to checkout screenings for SATC. Alas, everything's booked! But hey, Banksy's work is on display at Selfridges. I missed an exhibition my friends went to and this would be the perfect time to see his work. Exhibition ends June 1.



7:30 PM: After walking to the Screen at Baker Street still without SATC tickets, I just went to Selfridges. First stop...Chanel! And my gosh...I was in the middle of a theft being found out. A suited guy tried to steal a mini black flap bag!!!! The guy was arrested. The bag went back and landed in my hands for ogling. It's the black version of the red bag pictured. (Image: Source)

7:45PM: Just in time to browse through the Urban Art Exhibition before it's 8PM closure. Love it! My fave would be Inkie's work. It's very hip, very now, very strong but very graceful. I didnt realise no photography was allowed! So there, I have a sample of what he does. Yes, Inkie's a man!!













8:05 PM: I finally get the chance to take pics of Selfridges' windows. I've been itching to do this for about a week now. I love the contraptions and I love the outifts! Here's a couple. I'll be doing a separate post on the windows very soon.










9:00 PM: Last stop for the day...dinner with FFE N at Tottenham Court Road. It's Korean for tonight and I got beef bibimbab. Yummy! Can't get enough of the red sauce!!!









I was home by 10:30 PM and I ended up having the longest convo I've ever had with my new rumie from France. She's an archeologist! Egypt, Turkey and Greece are her playgrounds..how nice!

So there...a day in the life of your resident flaneuse....

FFE

school is over. whew! 8 months just swooooshed by...this post goes out to my FFE. friends from the far east. hahaha...that's our collective term of endearment. i've spent most of the school year with these ladies. thank you for keeping me sane and for maintaining my kookoo-ness ;)


(l-r) that's C from Indonedia, K from Japan, B from Thailand, J from Malaysia, P from Hong Kong, A from the Philippines, and N from Taiwan...now you know why we're FFE...

mangosteen: best thai food in london

this is an ode to the FEF (you know who you are ;)) default lunch place..although we are venturing to other places now, you know we will always come back...yes, we come here at least once a week..and we've brought so many friends here already..didnt matter if it meant eating lunch and dinner at the same place!

how did i qualify it as best? thanks to my thai friends, i know this place has indeed passed the local taste test..

tucked in carnaby's many sois (small streets), mangosteen gives you that thai eatery vibe. nothing fancy here but food is tops! my picks are green chicken curry and coconut rice, kanom jeeb (steamed dumplings), suki nam (sweey and spicy glass noodle soup), ever reliable pad thai and my all time fave...cha yen or thai iced tea...yes that orange tinged yumminess!

i always finish half of my cha yen before i start eating ;p

if you're looking for something new to try order yentafo talay..it's noodles in pink soup! hey, did i mention the only full sentence i can still speak in thai is..wani kin yentafo..which means i ate pink noodles today ;)


a full meal with appetizer, main course and cha yen will set you back about 15 pounds...there's a lunch menu with main course rice included going for 5 - 7 pounds...