WOOhooo.....

my sister and her little one

Little Mischa has a smile that brings sunshine to my world. Maybe because it reminds me of my mini-sister. it brings back memories of our childhood. I was a "parrot" of my sis. I wanted to do everything she did. Wear the same clothes, say the same things, pose the same way in pictures. She hated it, but she loves me. If not for the fact that she pestered my mom for a sister, i wouldn't be on this earth. She used to pinch my cheeks everyday until they were so painful, and i wasn't allowed to retort cos she told me it was a sign of love.

My sister is so immaculately beautiful. I always tell people that i grew up thinking i was quite ugly. Of course i breathed a sigh of relief when the boys started calling...HENG AH...

Seperated at birth

Left: Russell my nephew, Right: Mary Kate olsen

They even have the same pout.

the story of my Burberrys bag

There was once a man named Herman Antakusuma. Mr Antakusuma wasn't much of a shopper, and he believed in quality over quantity. All his life, he had 1 rolex watch, 2 wallets (Louis Vuiton for credit cards, Bally for cash, and he puts them in different pockets in case someone tries to pick-pocket him), 1 Bally belt, one pair of Bally shoes. AND he wore them for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS...

After he passed away 5 years ago, I don't have anything to remember him by, not even photographs cos they were all left behind when i moved to China. Except this old vintage Burberrys postman bag. So everytime i look at it, this small part of me feels connected to him again. As this is made of cloth, i only wear it on very rare occasions cos i am so afraid of dirtying it.

Man on the moon

Aren't we proud...I love reading such news. For once, it's not just money that we care about. It's about understanding the world out there, development of mankind, stepping beyond boundaries.

We've been spending way too much hard earned money and time on the war, saving ailing banks...

Astronauts ready for spacewalk today

By Xin Dingding (China Daily)

The three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou VII spacecraft were in fine health on Friday, ready for the extra-vehicular activities (EVA) scheduled for Saturday, a spokesman for the space mission said.

Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming started assembling the 120-kg EVA spacesuits since 10:20 am, Wang Zhaoyao, a spokesman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday. Xinhua reported that they finished the work in about 12 hours.

The two space suits were fixed to the module wall in parts when the spaceship was launched, to be assembled by the astronauts later.

Unpacking the suits comprises 21 steps and each step is divided into sub-steps and detailed moves.

Once the suits are assembled, the astronauts started testing and wearing them, in addition to a 100-minute rehearsal in the orbital module before the spacewalk.

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"A job that people can finish in one hour on Earth usually needs two to three hours in space," Li Xiqiang, a researcher for the Shenzhou VII mission, said at a separate press briefing. But he promised the astronauts would not feel exhausted. "There's enough time for them to take a rest."

It was the first time for the two to assemble the suits in zero-gravity as it is impossible to create a real zero-gravity condition on Earth.

One of the astronauts will walk out of the orbital module at 4:30 pm on Saturday, Wang said. "Since it is the first spacewalk for China ... there are many uncertainties. We will very likely adjust the time for EVA according to the astronauts' conditions," he said.

The astronauts will make a series of difficult moves in space, Wu Bin, the expert in charge of astronaut training with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told Xinhua.

Zhai, the No 1 astronaut, is most likely to walk into space. Assisted by Li, who will stay on in the orbital module during the process, Zhai will take a test sample of solid lubricant from the surface of the spacecraft, which was placed there before the launch.

The astronaut, tied to the spaceship with two safety wires, is scheduled to walk along the orbital module exterior.

"Actually, it is not like walking, but floating," Wu said.

A set of handrails on the spaceship surface will help the astronaut move, he said. He must make sure that both wires are tied to the handrails before taking any step forward.

During the mission, the astronauts will depressurize and re-pressurize the cabin, as well as exit and re-enter the orbital module.

To ensure the safety of the astronaut who will do the spacewalk, the space suit is equipped with three oxygen tanks. An 8-m-long electricity wire, linking the astronaut with the spaceship, will send his physiologic data back and act as a spare safety wire.

"The EVA is expected to last 20 minutes. If the time for opening and closing the module door is factored in, it will be 30 to 40 minutes," Wang said.

The historic moment will be broadcast live.

The spaceship will aslo release a 40-kg satellite which will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.

Earlier on Friday, Shenzhou VII shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 343 km above Earth.

The spaceship atop a Long March II-F rocket lifted off at 9:10 pm on Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, in China's third manned space mission.

Muffin!

I've been browsing Karen Cheng's muffin recipes and always wanted to try. So i finally did!

TADA! Blueberry muffin with lemon glaze. I substituted milk with soymilk and it still works.

Okay la its really less delicious than it looks. Very doughy cos i didn't beat the egg enough. but still edible lor. Super rich. I couldn't finish one even. But Mountain Man gobbled 2 at one go, so supportive. He's a big fan of my food- maybe my only fan.

good kitchen night

I like cooking. Notice i didn't use the word 'love' cos then i'll be putting cooking on the same pedestal as shopping or handbags.

Cooking is great to destress. I don't enjoy the cutting, or washing, or cleaning... But i like stir-frying, it's like playing masak masak but real. The best part is really WHEN or IF the food turns out edible, or maybe even delicious.

I try to tell myself that homecooked food is NOT like restaurant food, cannot expect the same texture, tenderness, taste. It's just simpler, healthier (MSG free) and the overall experience of sharing a homecooked meal. Sitting down at the dining table, seeing Mountain man wipe everything out keeps me going, he keeps me motivated to cook another meal. And thankfully cooking gets better with practice, albeit the occassional "accidents" i won't rule out yet.

Last night, i cooked a very local chinese dish. I had never eaten it until i came to China. I just got the recipe from a colleague.

This is Tomato with fried egg. The ingredients are simple, but the process is a little complicated. As u can see, it's a little wet and the tomatoes have to be skinned first. Eggs and tomatoes have to be cooked separately before mixing them together.


Stir-fry beef with mushrooms. Yummy... Got this recipe from another blogger. Thumbs up!