cupcake decorating


Cupcake decorating as one of the 100min 'The Enrichment Series' activities designed to engage hostel residents in activities... I have also attended salsa dancing and pilate classes : )

Hong Kong in one day












So I was in Hong Kong for Sevens weekend, which meant that Soho and Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) areas in Central became pedestrian malls for expats to drink and party in (see last photo). Despite arriving Friday evening and leaving Sunday morning, I managed to see most of Hong Kong's tourist attractions in just one day! I also forgot my camera so these are all other people's photos selected for their representativeness of my Hong Kong experience, delivered in order of Saturday events...

Paterson Street (where we stayed) / Ladies Market / Western Market / Antiques for sale on Hollywood Road / Inside Man Mo temple with incense coils above / Central Mid-levels escalators (longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world) / Tram up to The Peak / View from the Peak during evening / Sevens after-party crowds

Japanese things we are missing








One of the shops I will miss having when I go back to Wellington is definitely Daiso, a Japanese 100yen or Sing $2 chain store that sells all sorts of adorable Japanese household, craft and knick knack style products. There is NZ $3 'Daiso' store in Auckland but it doesn't have nearly the same range or accessibility, plus is a little more expensive. 

slippers / ceramic plates / ceramic cups & glasses / sock leg covers (only the Japanese...) / deep fried eel bone at the supermarket / my Kooma and I at ichiban sushi

Mint Friday!










After class on Friday I went to the Mint Toy museum with Debbie (dark photos because they want to preserve the collectible nature of the photos sorry!) which was very nostalgic and sold awesome wind up painted tin toys in the giftshop. Also saw some outrageously racist toys by today's standards. The soup was one of the dishes I had for lunch, very traditional and tasted oddly medicinal but in a pleasant way. The skirt is genuine 1950s high-waisted with box pleats in a stiff, smooth brushed cotton, purchased from one of the few vintage clothing stores in Singapore 'Granny's Day Out'.

rucksack attack


Been looking at the ASOS Rucksack challenge pics (take a photo of your rucksack and its contents and send it in to the ASOS crew) and having fun speculating about their owners. Makes you miss the times when Learning To Love You More was a live site (now owned by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as an online archive). Here is my contribution, enjoy

squirrels and skincare




Squirrels may be common in many parts of the world but they are still a novelty to a New Zealander like me (I saw this cute guy in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is right outside NUS Law School). Also look at the haul I got from belif at Wisma Atria (the Korean skincare label's only Singapore branch). You wouldn't think I bought only two items to look at the free samples and masses of lovely (recyclable!) packaging.

chinatown eating







Rucha has finished her internship here so is heading back to NZ - we went to a board game cafe on Clarke Quay for her goodbye and then headed to Chinatown for dinner

fish milk stew / crocodile stir fry (top left) & sea cucumber clay pot / sea cucumber over stew / aftermath / colourful building claiming to serve 'Great British food'


home-cooked noodles


udon noodles in ba kut teh, soy and garlic broth with snow peas, fresh shitake mushrooms and tofu

no sleep days




It's been a couple of no sleep days for me this past while...

St James Power Station (highly recommended) / window display for whitening creams on Orchard Rd / boa constrictor at animal show Singapore Night Safari

sewing time!


Just got my parcel from www.maximillia.com! Just handed in all my assignments too so it's sewing time!