Mochi Sweets (日本傳統的甜)

We decided to visit Bugis+ yesterday, and found the new tenant-mix so much better than the last. There's a huge Sephora store, Uniglo, and a dessert store called Mochi Sweets which caught my eye. When we first laid eyes on the display, the first thought that came to mind was Mochi Cream, a similar dessert we had encountered on one of our trips to Japan. Honestly, I think they just named it differently.

The boy decided on a black sesame mochi, and I chose the purple potato mochi. At $2.50 to $2.80 per mochi, it is on the expensive side, though still cheaper than in Japan. The mochis are frozen and you have to wait at least 20 minutes for it to thaw before the texture is perfect for consumption. 

They were really flavourful, though a tad too sweet. Thank goodness for the teaspoon of cream inside which helped to balance out the sweetness.

Sew! by Cath Kidston

I finally got down to sewing a shoulder bag during the two weeks my internet connection was down. The free time was greatly appreciated too, since my current bag was already splitting at the seams. 

My thoughts on Sew! by Cath Kidston:

It contains quite a number of interesting projects, both simple and moderately tedious, especially if like me, you have to sew by hand instead of using a sewing machine. Hence, this project took me much longer than it should have.

Although it states on the cover that this book includes everything needed to make the bag, thread and needle isn't provided. Neither are scissors. So do remember to get these beforehand.

The pieces of fabric are already cut to size, so the pattern sheet is redundant for this project, unless you plan on making more of the same with cloth you purchase or make some other variation of this bag.

What disappointed me a little, is that the bag isn't as bag as I had imagined it to be. The base is only 9cm wide, and the bag approximately 20cm by 20cm. More than enough space for a long wallet, handphone, keys, tissues and perhaps a small cosmetic pouch, but definitely none left for a book.

Ginger Chews Candy by The Ginger People （姜糖果）

I like ginger. Lots of it in my porridge. I like onions and garlic too. I can polish off an entire saucer of chopped garlic with my fish and chips at Fish & Co. 

Therefore, I couldn't resist getting myself a pack of Ginger Chews which I came across in one of the pharmacies at 112 Katong. $2.80 for a pack of less than 10 pieces of candy is quite expensive, but they are really addictive! 

The texture is comparable to hard mochi dusted with icing sugar, and although it is made up of mostly starch, the ginger flavour is intense (8% ginger) and it is deliciously spicy.

Fruity Puffy, Tea and Grapefruit Calpis @ Fruit Paradise

So we were walking past Fruit Paradise at Vivocity when a new creation, the Fruity Puffy, caught my eye. I never like cream puffs, especially when most have horrible hard shell, but somehow it brought to mind the cream puffs that Singapore Airlines offered to passengers as pacification when a flight in 2009 was being delayed for 2 hours, and anything related to travel and food is a happy memory for me. 

Well, the long weekend was also upon us and we weren't traveling out of the country and what better remedy for a sad thought than some sinful cake. 

Can't decide between a cake or a tart or a cream puff? Hey, have all 3! Why not have some peaches, some strawberries, blueberries, and jelly too?

Since there was only 1 cream puff, I divided it into 2, so that the boy and I could both have some. And I was sweet enough to make it more enticing for him.

He had a grapefruit calpis which was too milky for him and I had a pot of Fruit Paradise tea which was too bland for me. We'll just stick to their tarts the next time.

For some other varieties of tarts they serve, you may want to refer to my previous post.

Halloween Horror Nights @ Universal Studios Singapore (新加坡环球影城: 万圣节)

Since it's almost Halloween, I decided to post some pictures I took at last year's Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore. Am still deciding if I should go again this year. It was fun.

Did a quick last minute paint job on my nails for the fun of it :)

There were many bloody/ghostly/scary characters wandering around the place and trying to creep visitors out. I have no idea why I screamed every time they rushed up to us. I think I over-psyched myself for the event.

There were a couple of photo spots and one of them was The Siamese Twins.

A Japanese ghost.

A mummy.

Other random fun bloody characters I can't identify.

He moves. Suddenly. Anyone keen to take a picture with him?

A psychic. I wouldn't want my fortune told by her.

This sexy lady in her abode was by far my favourite scene of the night.

Stitch's voodoo toy - I insist - looking like a rooster.

Rusty supermarket trolleys and piles of garbage set the atmosphere.

It's not everyday that you get to drink blood so why not?

My courage and sensibility somehow deserted me that night, and although I was looking forward to The Vengeance of the Matriach horror house, I backed out when we reached the front of the queue. I was still really keen though, especially after seeing how beautifully atmospheric they made the courtyard out to be, with a man in Peranakan garb holding an oiled paper umbrella and strolling solemly up and down the courtyard in the misty night.

I took 10 minutes to muster whatever bit of courage I had, with the encouragement of the staff, to finally go in. It turned out to be less scary than I imagined it to be, mainly because I had actually read a visitor's review of the journey prior, and knew where to expect all the scares. Still.

Jill Stuart Berry Scrub N

The Jill Stuart Berry Scrub N comes in a 100ml clear tube with a silver screw top cap. A translucent orange-colored gel with specks of darker-colored abrasives, this provides very gentle exfoliation. It heats up upon rubbing, but like most similar products, the heat lasts for a mere 3 seconds, which probably does not benefit the skin in any way. 

I like the fact that this scrub is fragranced, but a pet peeve of mine which happens with this scrub as well, is that it doesn't foam. Hence, I have to either wash my face with the Jill Stuart Cream Face Wash before using this scrub, or to save time, mix them in a ration of 1:1, which of course, brings the already mild exfoliating action down to almost nil.

Jill Stuart Cream Wash

The Jill Stuart Cream Wash comes in a 125ml salmon-colored plastic tube with a silver screw top cap. Just a little bit of the white-colored cream cleanser will give you lots of foam. Although it leaves skin ultra clean, it does not dry it out. 

A good cleanser for oily or combination skin but nothing spectacular. If it had the signature Jill Stuart fragrance, I would probably repurchase.

Astalift Jelly Aquarysta

The Astalift Jelly Aquarysta comes in a 40g red plastic jar with a screw top cap. Rather pricey at $148, the jelly contains nano ceramides and soluble collagen to plump the skin, improve clarity and refine the pores. It also claims to boost the efficacy of any other skincare that is applied thereafter.

The texture of the jelly is similar to watery konnyaku, and changes from a semi-solid to liquid upon application. It is perfect for oily skin as it absorbs completely within a minute, leaving the face matte. It has a faint rose scent which disappears completely once the jelly is completely absorbed.

Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention (STGCC 2012)

We went to STGCC 2012 last weekend, expecting it to be better than the previous year's only to be disappointed. Most of the displays and artists invited were the same as last year's, and though there was quite a good variety of cosplays, I have yet to see a brilliant cosplayer, professional ones included. Simply doning a costume doesn't make you the character.

Well, I'll leave you with some photos taken on that day.

Chop for the purpose of re-entry on the same day.

Most of the hall was occupied by little booths like these.

Tristan Eaton painting giveaway.

Drawings by Keatopia for sale.

Comic covers lining a wall.

The Joker.

The Incredible Hulk.

I can't believe how real these look. Again, back from STGCC 2011.

Hell Lotus, a collaboration between Mighty Jazz and Clogtwo.

Chicken Little miniature.

Morbid Happy Tree Friends miniatures.

One Piece miniature.

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac miniatures.

Athena in gold and purple.

My favourite figurine of the day, The Illusion of Depressing Love by Fool's Fantasy.

Close up detail.

There was also a stall selling Japanese snacks, stationery and toys. For $15, you could also dip your way to plushies and miniatures.

I got myself a white strawberry chewable sweet. Frankly, it tastes just like ordinary strawberry.

Some of the cosplayers that day. As usual, I'm not enough of an otaku to be able to identify the characters.

The most popular cosplayers and guests for the day, was of course Kosaka Yun and Touya Hibiki.