无良商人的黑心食品

近期所发生“黑心”牛奶事件应该被记录为本世纪最缺德的事件！无良商人竟然可以为了牟利而在食物里掺杂对人体有害的物质，更加可恶的是受害对象们大部分都是在成长发育的小宝宝们。 真的，他们的良心都到哪里去了？他们还是人吗？

那些不幸受害的宝宝们将来得背负着多少健康上的忧虑和毒奶所可能带来的后遗症。对受害宝宝的父母亲们，他们可能因为这事件而内疚一辈子，良心永远受到谴责。无良商人也把用心在做生意的商人一起害惨了。最后，全球的消费者对你这个国家所出产的物品再也没有信心， 而名誉扫地。 试问，这种损人不利己的浅短牟利途径毁了多少人的一生。。。

为什么人们不可以脚踏实地做事？在最短的时间，不择手段地爬上最高峰，固然一时间很有成就感，但看到踩在脚下的无辜“牺牲品”，难道不会内疚吗？这样赚来的肮脏钱花得下吗？他们不怕有报应吗？

道德沦亡了。。。

十六的月亮 (The perfect round moon...)

昨天的月亮好圆，好亮，好美。
它曾经代表谁的心，结果都一样。
看，你看。。。
今天的月亮又代表谁的心了？

How to Make A Chocolate Fondant Cake?

Chocolate Foundant Cake - Dessert. Essentially a chocolate cake with moist centre. Looked undercook, but actually not. The original receipe was taken from Gordon Ramsay's cookbook which called for 120 g of sugar and 2 yolks. I adapted it to suit Asian's taste bud.

The original receipe was too sweet for my liking, thus I reduced the sugar content. Just a word of caution, you are not supposed to reduce sugar when making cake, because sugar apparently make the cake moist and it will turn out dry if there is not enough of it. I reckon that there is some water content in the chocolate, thus it would remain moist. Also, I used one whole egg to replace two yolk, thus there is more than enough moisture in the cake to make up for the reduced sugar.

You can either bake a whole cake or small muffin-sized cake for each individual.

Ingredients:

100g of chocolates, good quality, dark and bitter at least 70% of cocca, melted

100g of butter

90g of sugar

100g of plain flour

A tablespoon of cocco powder

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 160 degree celcius.

Method:

Crack the eggs and sugar in the mixing bowl.

Whisk them until pale and thick in consistency. It should take about 10 mins.

In another metal bowl, mixed the dark bitter chocolate and butter. Put them over hot water (not boiling) to melt them.

Do not melt them over open flame directly as chocolate burnt easily. Stir them constantly to ensure that the ingredients are well-mixed. The chocolate mixture will looked smooth and shiny when melted properly. Let it cool for at least 10 mins before use.

Stiffed the flour before use. This action incorporate air into the flour and will also remove any lumps in it. To incorporate maximum amount of air into the flour, stiff the flour from a higher height.

By now, the eggs and sugar mixture should look thick and will form a ribbon* consistency. When dripped from top, the mixture will stay on the surface for a while.

Now, this is the technical part. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Stiff one part of flour into the mixture and fold. You can use metal spoon or spatular. Folding meant you scope part of the mixture on top of the flour. This method of mixing prevent deflation air bubbles in the mixture. Repeat until the flour is used up and there are no more lumps of flour hidden in the mixture. Becareful when doing this, over-mixing can caused the air bubbles to escape and cake will not raise when it happened.

Carefully, divide the mixture into the baking tin. You might have left over, I baked them in two batches. Muffin tray will take about 10-12 mins. 20 cm cake tin will take about 18-20 mins. When ready, the cake will raise slightly and it should be firm at the side when touched, but middle will feel wobby.


Other Photosophize's Sweet Recipes:

• Pandan Chiffon Cake
• Delicious Banana Cake
• Orange Sponge Cake
• Cookies
• Honey Cone
• Chocolate Fondue
• Lychee Martini Jelly

Or refer to My Kitchen for other recipes.

Look! It's Singapore Flyer!!

Who would have guess that after all the threats given by the quirky organiser, I still managed to go to the Singapore Flyer ! A kind aunty has given me her ticket as she was not keen to go... It is not easy for someone to give up things like that. I guess I am really lucky in a way. However, I really appreciate her kindness!

Upon reaching the place, we were greeted by this unique structure. See below. It looked like an UFO, remarked one of my colleagues. Without hesitation, I whipped out my camera and start taking photos like a tourist.

Guess what is it?

It's a fountain. I thought it looked like a volcano with lava spilling out except that the lava is actually water. Perhaps they build it to enhance the Feng Shui.

Look up and I saw it.

The giantic Singapore Flyer wheel!

We were greeted by the guides and brought up to level 3. Before we can board the cabin, we have to go through security checks. It felt like we were at the airport, passing through the immigration counter!

Being a tourist attraction, Singapore Flyer sells photos of you in the cabin. However, the photos are not really taken in the cabin, but at a special tunnel, where you have pass on your way to board the cabin. Photos of you and your fellow friends are taken against a green background, the scenery and special effects such as sunlights are super-imposed onto the picture.

Then before we know it, the cabin was before us. Guess what, or rather you might have already know, they never stop the cabin for boarding. In fact, it was quite an adeline pumping experience. Although the wheel moves at a slow speed, at that moment on the platform, you felt like the wheel somewhat increased their speed. I felt the boarding experience is somewhat similar to Harry Potter's 9 and 3/4 platform. Those who have "board" the platform might have felt normal, but for first-timer, there is this worry that you might not have make it onto the platform. I worried that I might be left behind because I did not board the cabin fast enough. Worst, what if I fall?

Anyway, I make it too. Hee Hee. See view from inside.

First few metres was rather scary for people who are afraid of heights. See below. I braved my phobia to take you this photo. Can you imagine standing right at the end? I mean how can anyone do bungee jump?

Finally I got hold of myself, thus walked around and take photos of the beautiful skyline.

The Sea~ On the left is a golf course, but I wonder where the sea headed out to...

See above. That's how the cabin looked like from outside.

Guess what I discover? The National Day platform is actually a green grassy soccer field. I didn't know that. I always thought it is metal plates floating above the water.

Singapore famous CBD. You can get a free view without having to pass by any ERP.

Actually halfway on top, I can feel the pressure already building up. My ears felt blocked. Not sure if it was the high altitude, but I felt giddy we reached the top. The whole round took us about 20 to 30 mins. We were pretty busy inside the cabin and not a moment was wasted. Those of us with camera were busy snapping away. Tose without camera took out their phone to take pictures as well.

Well, whatever goes up, will come down. Here we are, reaching the station again.

Doing another "9 and 3/4 platform" stun, I hopped out of the cabin. For a moment, I thought I was going to fall.

Overall, it was interesting for first timer, but I doubt I will be back again soon. Once is enough as it's pretty much that's it.

听说感触回来过

兴起, 我偷偷的带它出去兜风了. 一种又熟悉又陌生的感觉涌上心头. 原来, 时间已经过了那么久了

我几乎忘了那单纯的快乐, 简单的享受和宁静的心灵沟通所带来的满足. 曾几何时它是我的依赖,我的解脱, 能够帮助我达到理想的一个寄托, 我忘了我珍惜过.

风儿吹过脸上的感触依旧, 可惜时光没停留过...

我又开始骑脚车了. 自三年前, 脚车被偷了之后, 我就在也没骑过脚车. 当时, 我或许伤心过. 记得某人安慰我说,"偷了你的脚车的人不会走远的, 被你骑过的脚车也耐不了多久,骑不久就会散掉的..." 我会心一笑. 那黑式幽默就这样的安抚了我的情绪.

半夜, 我还紧张的传了短讯给弟弟, 告诉他我出去骑脚车了, 深怕会出意外没人知道. 虽然我还记得怎么样控制脚车, 可是不像以前那么熟练了. 我东到西斜, 遥遥晃晃的骑了三十分钟便回家. 一进门, 弟弟问"没事吧?" 我回答:"我不太熟,但没跌到. " 弟弟笑了回答:"我在问脚车有没有坏~!"

感触好像回来过...

How to make Orange Sponge Cake?

Love is in the air... (but not me)

Hopeless romantic… Not me, but my brother A. I suspect and according to spy agent R (my 2nd brother), he reported that brother A seem to have fall for one of his female colleagues. Guess how he had planned to win that lady’s heart? He is going to bake her a birthday cake!

*Angry… He has never bake any cake for us… That girl is lucky. She better appreciate it, I hope. He made her a Chocolate Fondant Cake (Gordon Ramsley’s recipe). See below. Agent R and I gave him some tips on the decoration. It is funny to see him so anxious and nervous that we might wreck his cake. Hee Hee.



Anyway all the cake making at home had made my mum craved for homemade cake as well, thus asked to me to bake her one. I did. I made an Orange flavoured Sponge Cake.

Basic Genoese Sponge

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (medium)
• 125 g of plain flour (sifted)
• 125 g of sugar (fine)
• 30 g of butter (melted)

20 cm round cake tin with bottom grease with butter
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Flavour:

• Zest of 1 orange (can replace with lemon, but omit the juice as it will soured the cake)
• 1 tablespoon of orange juice

Method:

1. Whisk the eggs, zest of orange and sugar together till mixture becomes thick and pale in colour. The process will take about 10 -12 minutes.

I used an electrical whisk, thus it is more convenient. If you wish to strengthen your arms, you can try to whisk by hand, but prepare salonpas to stick on sore muscles after that. Hee Hee.

2. While the electronic whisk is mixing, measure the flour and sifted it, so that more air can be incorporated into the mixture later making the cake lighter and fluffier.

3. How to see if the egg mixture consistency is right? The mixture will become thicker after whisking. When lifted the mixture, it should leave a trail of “ribbon”. In layman terms, when you scope the mixture and let it drip, the dripped mixture will not disappear immediately. In fact, it should float on top of the surface for a while.

4. When the mixture is ready, pour in melted butter and orange juice. Mix a little while and stop. Do not over-mix as air will escape.

5. Then comes the hardest part, when the egg mixture is ready, “fold” in the flour. As there are air bubbles in mixture, it will be destroy if you stir. Instead, when we say fold, we scope the mixture over the flour to mix them thoroughly.

6. Pour the cake batter into the tin. Bake 30 for minutes. To test if it is cook, skew a wooden stick into the cake. The skewer should come out clean when the cake is cooked.

Malaysia Taxi - Alagappan A/L Rajamanikam Eksekutif

Beware, tourists in KL. Remember the name, the taxi and beware. For those who know, Malaysia taxi fare is relatively cheap compared to Singapore, but we paid $15 sing dollars from Mid-Valley to KLCC (No traffic jam, not because of long distance). This asshole simply took us for a tour literally by taking the longer route.

Not that we recognise the roads, but we can read the road sign. We were travelling at the express way and there was an exit named Bukit Bintang KLCC. He ignored it and kept travelling towards the airport direction. I felt uneasy and asked if he was going to bring us to airport. He smiled and replied no and exit immediately at the next exit which is don’t know where.

The taxi he is driving already charges more than normal ones because of the size. He should be making a lot more money compared to the others, but he chose to scoop to such lowly method. Not that we don't understand their plight and bother over this little money. In fact I always gave in one or two dollars extra to normal taxi when haggling the price as I understand they are making a living too and already had a harder time making money. However, I don't think it is ok for people to cheat others purposely.

I hope someone report him to tourist police soon!

KL Trip - Swiss Garden Hotel

When travelling, hotel is the most important thing to me. I cannot imagine after one day of shopping and walking, coming back to dirty hotel room. I need to feel safe and sleep well to get myself refresh for the next day.

I had travelled to KL 3 times thus far, but I had a very bad experience the first time I went. We stayed at the Federal Hotel then. Not only the room had shabby décor, wore carpet, dirty bathtub, it had cockroaches as well! My roommates and I were so shocked that we had to plug our ears to prevent cockroaches from crawling in at night. Because of it, I did not manage to get a wink throughout the night.

The second time we stayed at Mediya. It was clean, but the room rates were quite expensive. This recent time that I went, we stayed at Swiss Garden. It was the best hotel I ever experienced in KL thus far! I actually had some reservation about the hotel at first because of the review online. One of the guests reported that there were cockroaches in his room and many reported of their unfriendly staff.

Don’t believe them. I had a good time staying there. Look at the room. They were so spacious, chic and clean in my opinion. Maybe there are cockroaches in every room, but as long as they did not appear in my sight, I am ok. About their staff, I thought they were pretty ok in fact they left a very good impression on me.

We stayed at level 13. Clean bed sheets and fluffy pillow. Felt sleepy just by looking at it.

This is not a show room and yes we had a flat screen TV in our room. There are a lot of channel too. I remembered watch "Alantis" on Disney Channel. :) Great bedtime story.

The first day we had our breakfast, I noticed they placed beef next to non-beef product. When people take both food with the thongs, they contaminated the non-beef food. I cannot take beef by religion and was quite particular about it. I saw their chef/manager and suggested to him nicely that perhaps, they should put all the beef together so that it would not contaminated other food stuff and people like me with diet restriction would have a better experience. He smiled and thanked me for the suggestion. I had thought that is it.

Guess what happen the next day? They implemented it. The chef/manager even purposely greeted me and asked me how is it. While I know that he had taken note of my feedback, but I did not expect them to implement it immediately. I felt so appreciated.

Then there was their lounge - The Blue Chip.

We ordered a few drinks at their lounge and yes it was also cheaper than Singapore’s, but the drink taste wasn’t so good.

There was a live band. One of my poly-classmate’s birthday was coming soon and they suggested that I sing him a song. So I asked their lounge singer whether we can do so, she agreed and I took a long time selecting a song because they don’t know how to play the song I requested. In the end, I selected “Hero” which I am not very familiar with. Worse, their sound system almost never exist, the keyboard drowned my voice. Despite that, we had a good time.


Then close to mid-night, the lounge singer approached me and suggested that they will play my friend a birthday song and asked me to sing along with her to surprise my friend. I was so touched. I meant they did not have to do so, but what they did was an extra mile.

I had a very good memory of this KL trip because of them. I will definitely be back at the hotel again. Thank you very much Swiss Garden KL !!!

梦境 - 倒影

翠绿的湖边长满了水仙

阵阵的花香飘逸在岸边

凉风习习花摇曳

水面渐渐掀起了涟漪

水仙不经意 湖却有了影