Tuesday, May 30, 2024
English Devonshire Tea
During our day trip up to the Blue Mountains, we stopped at this quaint little tea shop called Bygone Beautys at Leura Village to have a real and truly elegant English style Devonshire Tea.
Tea was served with freshly made scones with cream and strawberry jam... yum yum!
As Explorer Bus passengers, we were entitled to a special two-for-one offer, so the tea cost us only $9.95 for both of us.
It was perfectly sinful the way we dolloped the cream all over the scones. And there really is something elegant about taking tea using a proper tea set, at nice tea table just for two, with a rose tablecloth, in a little room with lace curtains on the windows. Aren't we elegant!
Hubby and I had a little debate as to whether the jam should be on top of the cream or vice versa... in the end we decided that the jam should go on the scones first, followed by a dollop of cream. Apparently this turned out to the the Cornish fashion of eating the scones.
We also walked around the shop to see their wide range of classic tea sets and accessories. We were absolutely blown away by the hundreds of little knick knacks which were all part of this whole English afternoon tea tradition... they really do make a ceremony of the entire thing.
More photos from our Blue Mountains Trip found at:
>>Day trip to Blue Mountains May-06
What is Devonshire Tea:
>>Wiki info on Devonshire Tea
Make your own Devonshire Tea:
>>Recipe for Scones
Tea was served with freshly made scones with cream and strawberry jam... yum yum!
As Explorer Bus passengers, we were entitled to a special two-for-one offer, so the tea cost us only $9.95 for both of us.
It was perfectly sinful the way we dolloped the cream all over the scones. And there really is something elegant about taking tea using a proper tea set, at nice tea table just for two, with a rose tablecloth, in a little room with lace curtains on the windows. Aren't we elegant!
Hubby and I had a little debate as to whether the jam should be on top of the cream or vice versa... in the end we decided that the jam should go on the scones first, followed by a dollop of cream. Apparently this turned out to the the Cornish fashion of eating the scones.
We also walked around the shop to see their wide range of classic tea sets and accessories. We were absolutely blown away by the hundreds of little knick knacks which were all part of this whole English afternoon tea tradition... they really do make a ceremony of the entire thing.
More photos from our Blue Mountains Trip found at:
>>Day trip to Blue Mountains May-06
What is Devonshire Tea:
>>Wiki info on Devonshire Tea
Make your own Devonshire Tea:
>>Recipe for Scones
Labels:
eating out,
food,
movies music books,
travel and outings
Guning Biru...
Our trip to the Blue Mountains was refreshing... it was quite cold at this time of year... but the views were absolutely amazing...
As I stood there looking out on the great expanse of valleys and highlands... the old words of one of my favourite Tennyson poems floated through my mind...
As I stood there looking out on the great expanse of valleys and highlands... the old words of one of my favourite Tennyson poems floated through my mind...
THE splendour falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
--Lord Tennyson--
More photos from our Blue Mountains Trip found at:
Day trip to Blue Mountains May-06
Labels:
movies music books,
travel and outings
Monday, May 29, 2024
Bake to keep warm
Only three more days before the official winter season sets in. But we've already begun to feel the wintry chill in the air...
So to keep warm... I decided to do some baking on Sunday.
I concocted my own version of "Apple Sponge Pudding".
So to keep warm... I decided to do some baking on Sunday.
I concocted my own version of "Apple Sponge Pudding".
Two apples, sliced into thin wedges, and tossed in some sugar;
(Then mix a simple sponge cake batter of a stick of butter, half-a-cup sugar, three-quarters-cup self-raising flour and two eggs)
Apples go into a well-greased baking dish/tray;
Batter goes over the apples;
Bake until golden in a 180ºC oven.
As easy as that!
Recipe >>here<<
Sunday, May 28, 2024
My take on The DaVinci Code movie
Hubby and I went to watch The DaVinci Code on Tuesday.
There's nothing I violently dislike about the movie. I suppose the main thing preventing me from flowing along in complete abandon with the movie was because everything I had read in the book was constantly nigging me at the back of my mind.
I had a feeling of being rushed past the details through the movie. I suppose because it is quite a mammoth task to compress a big book into a small space of less than 2 hours. Not bad, not bad... And it was definitely nice to visualise the details of this book on screen... (how cool is a cryptex, eh?)
Hubby, not having read the book yet, was just caught up in the action of the movie. He may not have been able to pick up all subtleties such as the background and history of the different characters and symbols throughout the movie. But of course he could ask me all about it later on.
I can understand the controversy of this big mystery that could topple the whole Christian empire... but in the end, remember that this book is in the FICTION section of your library, not the non-fiction.
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code
Breaking The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
Criticisms of The Da Vinci Code
There's nothing I violently dislike about the movie. I suppose the main thing preventing me from flowing along in complete abandon with the movie was because everything I had read in the book was constantly nigging me at the back of my mind.
I had a feeling of being rushed past the details through the movie. I suppose because it is quite a mammoth task to compress a big book into a small space of less than 2 hours. Not bad, not bad... And it was definitely nice to visualise the details of this book on screen... (how cool is a cryptex, eh?)
Hubby, not having read the book yet, was just caught up in the action of the movie. He may not have been able to pick up all subtleties such as the background and history of the different characters and symbols throughout the movie. But of course he could ask me all about it later on.
I can understand the controversy of this big mystery that could topple the whole Christian empire... but in the end, remember that this book is in the FICTION section of your library, not the non-fiction.
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code
Breaking The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
Criticisms of The Da Vinci Code
Labels:
movies music books
NSW south coast trip cont'd... Day 4
As we wind down to our final day of our NSW South Coast trip... we decided to drive back to Sydney using an alternative route via Canberra.
Our first stop was a letdown. We drove through a very bad, gravel road to see the supposedly amazing Mumbulla Creek Falls... but this was all we saw... probably a result of the poor rainfall NSW has been suffering from lately.
So then, it was on to Bega where the famous Bega Cheese Factory was located. Quite an educational experience to see the history of cheese and learn about the cheese-making process.
The outlook along the route to Canberra is quite different... acres of wide open grazing fields filled with grey blobs of sheep. I love the view of these sweeping tall trees standing up against the blue sky which we saw along the way... so pretty.
And then finally... our nation's capital: Canberra. This is the parliament house. Canberra is a very neat little city. All the roads and buildings perfectly planned. But it's nice to know that you have at least step foot on your capital city at least once.
More photos from Day 4 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 4
Our first stop was a letdown. We drove through a very bad, gravel road to see the supposedly amazing Mumbulla Creek Falls... but this was all we saw... probably a result of the poor rainfall NSW has been suffering from lately.
So then, it was on to Bega where the famous Bega Cheese Factory was located. Quite an educational experience to see the history of cheese and learn about the cheese-making process.
The outlook along the route to Canberra is quite different... acres of wide open grazing fields filled with grey blobs of sheep. I love the view of these sweeping tall trees standing up against the blue sky which we saw along the way... so pretty.
And then finally... our nation's capital: Canberra. This is the parliament house. Canberra is a very neat little city. All the roads and buildings perfectly planned. But it's nice to know that you have at least step foot on your capital city at least once.
More photos from Day 4 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 4
Labels:
adventures,
movies music books,
travel and outings
NSW south coast trip cont'd... Day 3
Before I begin telling you about our trip to the Blue Mountains. I'd better stop and finish-off my saga of our trip to the NSW South Coast...
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 1
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 2
Because...
[A] You may possibly be aching to hear about the rest of the trip
[B] I simply cannot stand leaving things undone and incomplete
So here goes Day 3 of our trip to the NSW South Coast... probably my favourite day of all... was it because of:
[A] The lovely warm & cozy smell of this handcrafted woodfired sourdough bread?
[B] Being transported back in time inmy imagination: the year 1928, the shipwreck site of the S.S. Merimbula? (Imagine what it must have been like on that dark stormy night which led to the sad end of the sailors who died here)
[C] Almost succeeding in persuading hubby to lick the salt deposits in these rock crevices?
[D] Having Fresh sourdough bread and tuna for lunch?
[E] Spending the evening in this cozy B&B; at Tilba Tilba?
[F] Meeting my new friend? --Diesel--
OR...
[G] All of the above?
More photos from Day 3 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 3
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 1
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 2
Because...
[A] You may possibly be aching to hear about the rest of the trip
[B] I simply cannot stand leaving things undone and incomplete
So here goes Day 3 of our trip to the NSW South Coast... probably my favourite day of all... was it because of:
[A] The lovely warm & cozy smell of this handcrafted woodfired sourdough bread?
[B] Being transported back in time inmy imagination: the year 1928, the shipwreck site of the S.S. Merimbula? (Imagine what it must have been like on that dark stormy night which led to the sad end of the sailors who died here)
[C] Almost succeeding in persuading hubby to lick the salt deposits in these rock crevices?
[D] Having Fresh sourdough bread and tuna for lunch?
[E] Spending the evening in this cozy B&B; at Tilba Tilba?
[F] Meeting my new friend? --Diesel--
OR...
[G] All of the above?
More photos from Day 3 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 3
Labels:
adventures,
movies music books,
travel and outings
Saturday, May 27, 2024
PC status
The PC is back in action. Hubby is happily perched before it playing his Empire Earth.
So what actually happened?
Well, like most PC hiccups, one can never be exactly sure what was the actual root cause.
This is my side of the story: On Thursday afternoon I was happily surfing a baby gift website to select a present to send to a church friend in Singapore who had recently given birth to a baby. As I was filling out an online form to order the gift, while chatting to hubby at the same time on the phone, when all of a sudden, the screen went --BLACK-- so scary! I started clicking the mouse and the keyboard frantically while saying agitatedly to hubby, "honey, something happened to the PC!!!"
Hubby tried to calmly and methodically guide me through some steps to do some simply tests to restore the computer... but to no avail. The only thing left to do was to pull the plug out and leave it till he came home. But hours of fiddling with it later that evening proved fruitless. We decided to leave it till Saturday after we came back from our Blue Mountains trip to bring it to a computer shop.
We put this trouble aside on Friday to enjoy our day trip to the mountains. Then on Saturday we brought the PC to a nearby computer shop for diagnosis.
We ended up forking out $60 for a new 'power source box', and after reinstalling Windows XP again, all is well again it seems.
And that's the story of our latest boh-liao escapade.
So what actually happened?
Well, like most PC hiccups, one can never be exactly sure what was the actual root cause.
This is my side of the story: On Thursday afternoon I was happily surfing a baby gift website to select a present to send to a church friend in Singapore who had recently given birth to a baby. As I was filling out an online form to order the gift, while chatting to hubby at the same time on the phone, when all of a sudden, the screen went --BLACK-- so scary! I started clicking the mouse and the keyboard frantically while saying agitatedly to hubby, "honey, something happened to the PC!!!"
Hubby tried to calmly and methodically guide me through some steps to do some simply tests to restore the computer... but to no avail. The only thing left to do was to pull the plug out and leave it till he came home. But hours of fiddling with it later that evening proved fruitless. We decided to leave it till Saturday after we came back from our Blue Mountains trip to bring it to a computer shop.
We put this trouble aside on Friday to enjoy our day trip to the mountains. Then on Saturday we brought the PC to a nearby computer shop for diagnosis.
We ended up forking out $60 for a new 'power source box', and after reinstalling Windows XP again, all is well again it seems.
And that's the story of our latest boh-liao escapade.
Labels:
this and that
Friday, May 26, 2024
technical problems... arrgghhh!!!
We are back from our day trip to Blue Mountains today.
So many things to update... but been pretty busy with business-related stuff.
I promise I will update SOON. Tomorrow if possible... IF possible... because hubby and I MAY be fighting over use of the laptop...
BECAUSE... (yup another because) the PC is down!!!!!
Tomorrow we will walk around some comp shops to see if we can get the PC fixed A.S.A.P.
So many things to update... but been pretty busy with business-related stuff.
I promise I will update SOON. Tomorrow if possible... IF possible... because hubby and I MAY be fighting over use of the laptop...
BECAUSE... (yup another because) the PC is down!!!!!
Tomorrow we will walk around some comp shops to see if we can get the PC fixed A.S.A.P.
Labels:
this and that
Tuesday, May 23, 2024
Monday, May 22, 2024
Babymaniac?
Well ladies and gentlemen... I am about to make a deep and dark confession. Are you ready for it?
OK, here I go:
"I don't really like babies"
Yup. So are you shocked? Surprised maybe?
It's not that I hate or despise them or am afraid of them... I just don't have the natural instictive desire to want to coddle and cuddle them like so many other girls.
I remember many events event of visiting someone's newborn (e.g. parent's friends, relatives etc). I'd peer at the baby from the sidelines, while hoards of girl cousins, friends, aunties, grannies all fight each other to hold the baby... cooing and ahh-ing and making so many ridiculous noises... I feel almost embarrassed for them and even a little sorry for the poor baby. How scary it must be for the little mite to be smothered almost the death my so much "love".
I usually try to mind my business as much as possible, until someone notices me and catches me to order me to hold the baby... OK, I exagerated a little there, they do not order me but I certainly am not allowed to refuse to do it... I can imagine the gasps of horror if I ever did refuse such an honour...
Don't misunderstand me, lke I said I do not hate babies... I find them mostly to be peaceful little creatures, nice-smelling, soft... I am simply just not a babymaniac!
To be honest, I might actually be more of a puppy-maniac instead... I just have a natural touch with puppies and dogs... (more gasps of horror ensue...)
As I grew up I eventually learnt to appreciate how special babies are... and I honestly and sincerely do enjoy discussing all the adorable points of my friends' babies... I really do, because it really is a very special to see this maternal joy in them. Just don't catch me screaming over the poor baby "YOU ARE SOOOOO KIUUUUUUUT!!!" (honestly woman, do you have to scream so loud into the poor baby's face???) or innecessantly bouncing the baby for hours on end... (sigh, poor baby)
Perhaps I will morph into a babymaniac one day when I have my own baby... probably because my own baby will be NICER and KIUT-er than other people's babies... (well to me anyway).
OK, here I go:
"I don't really like babies"
Yup. So are you shocked? Surprised maybe?
It's not that I hate or despise them or am afraid of them... I just don't have the natural instictive desire to want to coddle and cuddle them like so many other girls.
I remember many events event of visiting someone's newborn (e.g. parent's friends, relatives etc). I'd peer at the baby from the sidelines, while hoards of girl cousins, friends, aunties, grannies all fight each other to hold the baby... cooing and ahh-ing and making so many ridiculous noises... I feel almost embarrassed for them and even a little sorry for the poor baby. How scary it must be for the little mite to be smothered almost the death my so much "love".
I usually try to mind my business as much as possible, until someone notices me and catches me to order me to hold the baby... OK, I exagerated a little there, they do not order me but I certainly am not allowed to refuse to do it... I can imagine the gasps of horror if I ever did refuse such an honour...
Don't misunderstand me, lke I said I do not hate babies... I find them mostly to be peaceful little creatures, nice-smelling, soft... I am simply just not a babymaniac!
To be honest, I might actually be more of a puppy-maniac instead... I just have a natural touch with puppies and dogs... (more gasps of horror ensue...)
As I grew up I eventually learnt to appreciate how special babies are... and I honestly and sincerely do enjoy discussing all the adorable points of my friends' babies... I really do, because it really is a very special to see this maternal joy in them. Just don't catch me screaming over the poor baby "YOU ARE SOOOOO KIUUUUUUUT!!!" (honestly woman, do you have to scream so loud into the poor baby's face???) or innecessantly bouncing the baby for hours on end... (sigh, poor baby)
Perhaps I will morph into a babymaniac one day when I have my own baby... probably because my own baby will be NICER and KIUT-er than other people's babies... (well to me anyway).
Labels:
self reflection
Lifelong commitment
The common question now everytime I meet up with friends and relatives is... "so when is your baby coming?".
I always give a nice answer... "not so soon", or "we haven't thought about it yet", or "we're just enjoying this stage of our marriage for now".
I try to take it lightly as it's just the natural progression of things people assume... after getting married it's basically the next logical step right?
I try not to resent the jabs and jokes and knowing looks from these well-meaning friends and relatives... still part of me can't help being a little irritated...
Currently, the latest version of my response to such questions is "I'm not psychologically prepared for it yet". Sometimes it stumps them for a moment... so are we having kids or are we not? But I decided to give this as my most frank answer... because really, that's exactly how I feel...
Sometimes I wonder if most people ever really consider the whole gravity of bringing a child into the world... it seems so easy for them to just go "ok, we've been married XX months/years, now it's time for kids, let's do it!".
But for me... so many thoughts flit through my mind... my whole lifestyle will have to change... think of the money involved... we'll be stuck with them for the next 20 years at least...
OK OK OK... I know I'm just focusing on the negative side there... there is the upside of course and the immeasurable joy of having children blah blah blah... BUT my point is that this is indeed a VERY SERIOUS undertaking... not be taken lightly. This is a LIFELONG COMMITMENT... sort of the same reason I take marriage so seriously as well.
I always give a nice answer... "not so soon", or "we haven't thought about it yet", or "we're just enjoying this stage of our marriage for now".
I try to take it lightly as it's just the natural progression of things people assume... after getting married it's basically the next logical step right?
I try not to resent the jabs and jokes and knowing looks from these well-meaning friends and relatives... still part of me can't help being a little irritated...
Currently, the latest version of my response to such questions is "I'm not psychologically prepared for it yet". Sometimes it stumps them for a moment... so are we having kids or are we not? But I decided to give this as my most frank answer... because really, that's exactly how I feel...
Sometimes I wonder if most people ever really consider the whole gravity of bringing a child into the world... it seems so easy for them to just go "ok, we've been married XX months/years, now it's time for kids, let's do it!".
But for me... so many thoughts flit through my mind... my whole lifestyle will have to change... think of the money involved... we'll be stuck with them for the next 20 years at least...
OK OK OK... I know I'm just focusing on the negative side there... there is the upside of course and the immeasurable joy of having children blah blah blah... BUT my point is that this is indeed a VERY SERIOUS undertaking... not be taken lightly. This is a LIFELONG COMMITMENT... sort of the same reason I take marriage so seriously as well.
Labels:
self reflection
Sunday, May 21, 2025
Silly me...
Tonight for dinner I made bakuteh...(yumz!)
I had overslept during my afternoon nap, and only woke up at 5.15PM. So I had to rush to prepare dinner because bakuteh takes a quite a long time to "tun".
At 6.40PM, the lovely Chinese herby smells were wafting through the kitchen... Hubby piped up happily "mmmm.... it smells yarmeeee!".
Yes, it certainly smelled lovely... THEN... I gasped in horror... because I suddenly realised...
"I FORGOT TO COOK THE RICE!!!"
Arrghhh... I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to cook the rice.
Now dinner will be delayed by another hour... humph!
I had overslept during my afternoon nap, and only woke up at 5.15PM. So I had to rush to prepare dinner because bakuteh takes a quite a long time to "tun".
At 6.40PM, the lovely Chinese herby smells were wafting through the kitchen... Hubby piped up happily "mmmm.... it smells yarmeeee!".
Yes, it certainly smelled lovely... THEN... I gasped in horror... because I suddenly realised...
"I FORGOT TO COOK THE RICE!!!"
Arrghhh... I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to cook the rice.
Now dinner will be delayed by another hour... humph!
Saturday, May 20, 2025
More on receipt errors... (in our favour)
On Saturday as usual, hubby and I went to do our usual weekly grocery shopping.
After we bought all the stuff we needed, I suggested that we buy a few bottles of bacardi breezers or similar cocktail-type drinks to enjoy (just felt like it). So we headed to the liquor store nearby.
Hubby picked up a 4-pack of bacardi breezer lime... while I scanned the rows of colourful bottles and caught sight of this 4-pack vodka caramel... very interesting... it was a couple of dollars more expensive than the breezers at close to $11.00... Hubby said what the heck, let's get 'em both.
After we paid for the drinks at the checkout... I looked over the receipt (standard process now) and saw that they had charged the vodka caramel at $4.40... WOw! No wonder I had a funny feeling just now that I was getting back too much change at the checkout...
By the time we realised this...we were already on the escalator going up to the exit on the next level... too much effort to go all the way back to the liquor store... I know... we are so evil.
WooHoo... we can partieeee tonite!!!
After we bought all the stuff we needed, I suggested that we buy a few bottles of bacardi breezers or similar cocktail-type drinks to enjoy (just felt like it). So we headed to the liquor store nearby.
Hubby picked up a 4-pack of bacardi breezer lime... while I scanned the rows of colourful bottles and caught sight of this 4-pack vodka caramel... very interesting... it was a couple of dollars more expensive than the breezers at close to $11.00... Hubby said what the heck, let's get 'em both.
After we paid for the drinks at the checkout... I looked over the receipt (standard process now) and saw that they had charged the vodka caramel at $4.40... WOw! No wonder I had a funny feeling just now that I was getting back too much change at the checkout...
By the time we realised this...we were already on the escalator going up to the exit on the next level... too much effort to go all the way back to the liquor store... I know... we are so evil.
WooHoo... we can partieeee tonite!!!
Labels:
adventures,
bargains and things
Friday, May 19, 2025
Ginger exasperation
Do you put ginger in your Chinese chicken soup/stock?
I do.
The other day, hubby told me that I should't always put ginger in chicken soup.
"Why?", I asked.
"Because it gets boring after a while", quoth he.
I was flabbergasted.
"But you're SUPPOSED to put ginger in... it's an essential ingredient!", said I (somewhat ruffled)
Hubby can be so exasperating.
I know hubby will read this. So just to prove my point, I Googled "Chinese Chicken Stock" to show him how essential ginger is in making this:
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldasian/asian218.html
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Chicken%20stock%20-%20chinese
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=21369
Ya I know... I can be so exasperating too.
I do.
The other day, hubby told me that I should't always put ginger in chicken soup.
"Why?", I asked.
"Because it gets boring after a while", quoth he.
I was flabbergasted.
"But you're SUPPOSED to put ginger in... it's an essential ingredient!", said I (somewhat ruffled)
Hubby can be so exasperating.
I know hubby will read this. So just to prove my point, I Googled "Chinese Chicken Stock" to show him how essential ginger is in making this:
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldasian/asian218.html
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Chicken%20stock%20-%20chinese
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=21369
Ya I know... I can be so exasperating too.
Saturday, May 13, 2025
Check your receipts!!!
Today hubby and I did our weekly grocery shopping at Burwood Plaza.
First stop was at Tong Li supermart, a newly opened Chinese grocery shop. They were having a 10% storewide sale, so we took advantage of the offer to stock up on various Chinese and Asian groceries and snacks... the checkout was very busy, the cashier had to work very quickly to scan and bag all our items.
As we walked out of the mart, I remembered this story which was featured recently on:
Channel 9's A Current Affair: Don't get ripped off at the checkout; and
Channel 7's Today Tonight: Scanner scandal
The two stories featured retailers ripping customers off because of scanning errors at the checkout, such as scanning the wrong price or wrong quantity etc. A survey revealed that over 80% of stores were found to have scanned items incorrectly. They didn't necessarily do it intentionally though, sometimes just computer glitches or human error. But we consumers all agree that it is their responsibility to ensure that such incidents are minimised... 80% is just too ridiculous!!!
So we decided to scrutinise the receipt to spot any errors... sure enough we saw a packet of agar-agar charged twice on the receipt. We went back to ask the cashier, and she nonchalantly told us, "It's a two for one offer", to which I replied, "But I only bought one packet". Without batting an eyelid she said, "Same price whether you buy one pack or two", "I didn't realise that, you should have told me", I said trying to keep the irritation out of my voice... "Sorry", was the curt reply, "just go in and get another pack".
After I returned from retrieving the extra pack of agar-agar, I was positively seething with irritation at their attitude. We went back home to drop off the Chinese groceries. As we unloaded the groceries, we realised that they had forgotten to charge us for a carton of eggs. Well, serves them right for their carelessness!
After that we went to Woolworths to pick up some other staples. And we encountered yet another scanning error. As we were returning the shopping trolley, we checked the receipt to spot any errors... and right there I saw that they had charged a 1kg pack of bacon at $7.99 instead of the marked price of $6.99. We went back to sort out the error. Here they were more polite and were very apologetic as we waited for them to send someone to double check the price. Apparently the price was actually $6.55 (Walau-eh!!! They even make errors in their price marking!!!). Then a staff member hurriedly thrust $8.00 into my hand, mumbled an apology and rushed away to attend to something else. I stood there for a moment, confused. After looking around, and unable to catch anyone's attention, we just walked off. I wondered if it was another careless mistake made in confusion for refunding us the whole amount instead of the difference overcharged to us, or it was gesture of apology in which case they should have explained it to us. Oh well, their loss is our gain.
Lesson for today: ALWAYS remember check your receipts.
First stop was at Tong Li supermart, a newly opened Chinese grocery shop. They were having a 10% storewide sale, so we took advantage of the offer to stock up on various Chinese and Asian groceries and snacks... the checkout was very busy, the cashier had to work very quickly to scan and bag all our items.
As we walked out of the mart, I remembered this story which was featured recently on:
Channel 9's A Current Affair: Don't get ripped off at the checkout; and
Channel 7's Today Tonight: Scanner scandal
The two stories featured retailers ripping customers off because of scanning errors at the checkout, such as scanning the wrong price or wrong quantity etc. A survey revealed that over 80% of stores were found to have scanned items incorrectly. They didn't necessarily do it intentionally though, sometimes just computer glitches or human error. But we consumers all agree that it is their responsibility to ensure that such incidents are minimised... 80% is just too ridiculous!!!
So we decided to scrutinise the receipt to spot any errors... sure enough we saw a packet of agar-agar charged twice on the receipt. We went back to ask the cashier, and she nonchalantly told us, "It's a two for one offer", to which I replied, "But I only bought one packet". Without batting an eyelid she said, "Same price whether you buy one pack or two", "I didn't realise that, you should have told me", I said trying to keep the irritation out of my voice... "Sorry", was the curt reply, "just go in and get another pack".
After I returned from retrieving the extra pack of agar-agar, I was positively seething with irritation at their attitude. We went back home to drop off the Chinese groceries. As we unloaded the groceries, we realised that they had forgotten to charge us for a carton of eggs. Well, serves them right for their carelessness!
After that we went to Woolworths to pick up some other staples. And we encountered yet another scanning error. As we were returning the shopping trolley, we checked the receipt to spot any errors... and right there I saw that they had charged a 1kg pack of bacon at $7.99 instead of the marked price of $6.99. We went back to sort out the error. Here they were more polite and were very apologetic as we waited for them to send someone to double check the price. Apparently the price was actually $6.55 (Walau-eh!!! They even make errors in their price marking!!!). Then a staff member hurriedly thrust $8.00 into my hand, mumbled an apology and rushed away to attend to something else. I stood there for a moment, confused. After looking around, and unable to catch anyone's attention, we just walked off. I wondered if it was another careless mistake made in confusion for refunding us the whole amount instead of the difference overcharged to us, or it was gesture of apology in which case they should have explained it to us. Oh well, their loss is our gain.
Lesson for today: ALWAYS remember check your receipts.
Labels:
adventures,
bargains and things
Thursday, May 11, 2025
Wednesday, May 10, 2025
Games galore!!!
Recently, jQk asked me to get hold of the game Settlers of Catan for him at a VERY special price which I personally offer to close family members only... ahem ahem... *grin*
We talked briefly about other top games at our cafe...
I'm sure my family should remember Citadels which we brought back our personal set to play in KK over Chinese New Year.
Other games which we've shared with the family include: Robert Kiyosaki's classic Cashflow, and the funny little game Pick Picknic about the chickens, ducks and turkeys fighting for food with an evil fox sneaking up to eat them all up (you'll know what I mean once you've played this game).
Mum and dad should remember the tug-o-war battle they fought in Heave-Ho when they came to Singapore to visit our cafe and mum kept winning almost every round... "beginner's luck" dad said... hehehehe, it was a very funny sight to watch them play.
We realised that the top games that are favourites among our customers are always the EVIL ones. Everyone has an evil, scheming side which they like to let loose in play. People just love sabo-ing other people. Which is why games like Settlers of Catan and Citadels are so popular.
And if you like these games, you will also like these other favourites of mine: I'm The Boss - this will give you a feeling of living in Donald Trump's "it's nothing personal, just business" world; Betrayal at House on the Hill - where you explore a haunted mansion, I wrote about my experience in that game >>here<<. And I heard that this new game Saboteur is starting to become very popular among customers who enjoy evil/sabo-type-games... even the first 4 letters of the game title spell S.A.B.O.
And just to finish off my list of games I like... here are some other personal favourites which I always enjoy playing (all having sabo elements as well)...
Blokus: A Mensa accredited game to bring out the genius in you (you might like this game especially if you are a Tetris-addict)
Loco: I just find this game so intriguing because of its beautiful simplicity and yet holding so many hidden complexities... plus I have a weakness for colourful round things...
Bohnanza: A bean trading game... it's really not as silly as it looks
Mamma Mia: Nothing whatsoever to do with ABBA... it's a pizza-making game, and always leaves me craving for pizza at the end (in fact just thinking about it now makes me feel like eating pizza)
Oh ya, I think besides sabo-ing type games, people also enjoy playing games that are related to FOOD (like bird-food, beans, pizza etc). So finally before I end, I give you an old favourite: Halli Galli - because people just like looking at pictures of colourful fruits, and the game is easy enough for children, doofuses, SPGs and dumb-blondes to understand... hehehehe, that is a rather mean remark... but how can it be since I myself enjoy it too... maybe I am also a dumb-blonde?
We talked briefly about other top games at our cafe...
I'm sure my family should remember Citadels which we brought back our personal set to play in KK over Chinese New Year.
Other games which we've shared with the family include: Robert Kiyosaki's classic Cashflow, and the funny little game Pick Picknic about the chickens, ducks and turkeys fighting for food with an evil fox sneaking up to eat them all up (you'll know what I mean once you've played this game).
Mum and dad should remember the tug-o-war battle they fought in Heave-Ho when they came to Singapore to visit our cafe and mum kept winning almost every round... "beginner's luck" dad said... hehehehe, it was a very funny sight to watch them play.
We realised that the top games that are favourites among our customers are always the EVIL ones. Everyone has an evil, scheming side which they like to let loose in play. People just love sabo-ing other people. Which is why games like Settlers of Catan and Citadels are so popular.
And if you like these games, you will also like these other favourites of mine: I'm The Boss - this will give you a feeling of living in Donald Trump's "it's nothing personal, just business" world; Betrayal at House on the Hill - where you explore a haunted mansion, I wrote about my experience in that game >>here<<. And I heard that this new game Saboteur is starting to become very popular among customers who enjoy evil/sabo-type-games... even the first 4 letters of the game title spell S.A.B.O.
And just to finish off my list of games I like... here are some other personal favourites which I always enjoy playing (all having sabo elements as well)...
Blokus: A Mensa accredited game to bring out the genius in you (you might like this game especially if you are a Tetris-addict)
Loco: I just find this game so intriguing because of its beautiful simplicity and yet holding so many hidden complexities... plus I have a weakness for colourful round things...
Bohnanza: A bean trading game... it's really not as silly as it looks
Mamma Mia: Nothing whatsoever to do with ABBA... it's a pizza-making game, and always leaves me craving for pizza at the end (in fact just thinking about it now makes me feel like eating pizza)
Oh ya, I think besides sabo-ing type games, people also enjoy playing games that are related to FOOD (like bird-food, beans, pizza etc). So finally before I end, I give you an old favourite: Halli Galli - because people just like looking at pictures of colourful fruits, and the game is easy enough for children, doofuses, SPGs and dumb-blondes to understand... hehehehe, that is a rather mean remark... but how can it be since I myself enjoy it too... maybe I am also a dumb-blonde?
Labels:
settlers cafe
Trust
Recently, our partner in Singapore discovered two problems:
The evidence all pointed to a particular female supervisor. A sweet girl, enthusiastic Christian who was a cell leader at our church in Singapore.
We decided to confront her about item 2, as we had the most blatant evidence in the second case to warrant the investigation. So our partner set up a meeting and sat down with her to clear up things with her. After all, perhaps there was a valid explanation for all this.
The culprit immediately confessed to item 2. The gist of what she told our partner was this: some of her cell members were having financial problems and could not afford to pay for the food, so she asked them not to worry about it, she herself fully intended to put back the money into the till later on... sob sob story indeed.
I was not moved at all... neither was MH... but our partner had a tendency to be more softhearted (probably because she related to the staff members on the ground level on a day-to-day basis, and could emphathise with them). MH believed that she should have been dismissed immediately... but in the end the penalty was 2 weeks suspension and the amount deducted from her pay. MH wanted to give her the option of giving a public apology to all her colleagues... but it's likely that she won't do it... which is a shame because rumours and whisperings can have much more worse consequences for her reputation.
Sad...
The worst thing is that she is supposedly a strong Christian, serving as a leader in one of the leading churches in Singapore. What kind of testimony is this? SHAMEFUL!!! In fact, some of our other non-Christian staff members are becoming even more disillusioned by the behaviour of their colleagues who are also from this church... and they starting to develop a deep impression that all Christians are hypocrites.
I started to wonder how come members of this church can behave this way? What happened to integrity and Christian values? I talked it over with MH one night, here are some of my own thoughts...
We told our supervisors... "trust is not given, but must be earned... when you lose someone's trust, you must work harder to get it back"
- A few hundred dollars missing from our petty cash
The earnings for some shifts did not tally with the orders sent to the kitchen (which means some of our customers were not being charged for their food)
The evidence all pointed to a particular female supervisor. A sweet girl, enthusiastic Christian who was a cell leader at our church in Singapore.
We decided to confront her about item 2, as we had the most blatant evidence in the second case to warrant the investigation. So our partner set up a meeting and sat down with her to clear up things with her. After all, perhaps there was a valid explanation for all this.
The culprit immediately confessed to item 2. The gist of what she told our partner was this: some of her cell members were having financial problems and could not afford to pay for the food, so she asked them not to worry about it, she herself fully intended to put back the money into the till later on... sob sob story indeed.
I was not moved at all... neither was MH... but our partner had a tendency to be more softhearted (probably because she related to the staff members on the ground level on a day-to-day basis, and could emphathise with them). MH believed that she should have been dismissed immediately... but in the end the penalty was 2 weeks suspension and the amount deducted from her pay. MH wanted to give her the option of giving a public apology to all her colleagues... but it's likely that she won't do it... which is a shame because rumours and whisperings can have much more worse consequences for her reputation.
Sad...
The worst thing is that she is supposedly a strong Christian, serving as a leader in one of the leading churches in Singapore. What kind of testimony is this? SHAMEFUL!!! In fact, some of our other non-Christian staff members are becoming even more disillusioned by the behaviour of their colleagues who are also from this church... and they starting to develop a deep impression that all Christians are hypocrites.
I started to wonder how come members of this church can behave this way? What happened to integrity and Christian values? I talked it over with MH one night, here are some of my own thoughts...
- Percentage of new first time Christians very high, many still very young believers, fruit still growing and haven't matured enough to have full value system in place
Information overload on biblical teachings (loads of great teaching, but possibly too much for some to stomach it all?)
- Not enough resources for discipleship to put biblical principles into action (all churches are always in need of more leaders, the faster you grow, the more leaders you need)
But it's wrong of me to stereotype this way. There are plenty of fantastic Christians and leaders from this church as well. So I'll stop all this before it becomes too one-sided.
The mystery of the missing petty cash is still unsolved. We've put in place more stringent rules and systems already. But the sting is not at all in the financial loss... but more painful in the loss of trust.We told our supervisors... "trust is not given, but must be earned... when you lose someone's trust, you must work harder to get it back"
Labels:
settlers cafe
Monday, May 08, 2025
Swirly thoughts...
Lotsandlots of thoughts swirling around in my head...
Have a job interview tomorrow with a Sydney-based company at 2pm.
Am also in the midst of sending out applications to Perth companies.
Need to step around this very carefully. Wonder why things always never seem to work out neatly and cleanly... but almost always need so much twiddling and juggling and "handle with care" for it to all come together.
Have a job interview tomorrow with a Sydney-based company at 2pm.
Am also in the midst of sending out applications to Perth companies.
Need to step around this very carefully. Wonder why things always never seem to work out neatly and cleanly... but almost always need so much twiddling and juggling and "handle with care" for it to all come together.
Labels:
work
Wednesday, May 03, 2025
"Failure to Launch"
Went to out last night to watch "Failure to Launch" (Sort of to celebrate MH's birthday).
It's a romantic comedy. I was sadly a bit disappointed. I expected more from Matthew McConaughey... especially after his hilarious performance in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days".
There are funny moments in the movie... and I did spout some genuine laughs (but no side-splitters). The problem for me was I think that the movie is just a wannabe... it lacked some of it's own originality... somewhat bland... predictable plot and all.
For one thing... the story started out very well, with a good potrayal of McConaughey's self-centred character, his parents' resignment to their failure to "launch" their son to independence, and introduction of his funny buddies. But then halfway through the movie, I felt I was being rushed through the scenes... as if the director was saying "okay, see this? yup, and this? got it? here's the conclusion, tadaa."
Another thing was the mini-themes in the movie... there was one theme about McConaughey's character being unnatural as he was still dependent on his parents and so was rejected by nature... hence all the animals he encountered had to attack him to demonstrate their rejection of him. It's a great idea, really. But at the end of it... I just say "uh huh... I understand what you're trying to say, but it just doesn't grab me".
It's not all bad though. Like I said, there are laughs in the movie. Sarah Jessica Parker is okay... not great, but nice. And the romantic development of Zooey Deschanel's character is especially funny to watch. I would recommend it for a night when you are just feeling brain-dead, and you just need some light-hearted entertainment and don't want to waste energy twisting your brain in some deep, dark, mystery movie.
3.5 stars (out of 5) from me.
Looking forward to catching M:I:3 and DaVinci Code.
It's a romantic comedy. I was sadly a bit disappointed. I expected more from Matthew McConaughey... especially after his hilarious performance in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days".
There are funny moments in the movie... and I did spout some genuine laughs (but no side-splitters). The problem for me was I think that the movie is just a wannabe... it lacked some of it's own originality... somewhat bland... predictable plot and all.
For one thing... the story started out very well, with a good potrayal of McConaughey's self-centred character, his parents' resignment to their failure to "launch" their son to independence, and introduction of his funny buddies. But then halfway through the movie, I felt I was being rushed through the scenes... as if the director was saying "okay, see this? yup, and this? got it? here's the conclusion, tadaa."
Another thing was the mini-themes in the movie... there was one theme about McConaughey's character being unnatural as he was still dependent on his parents and so was rejected by nature... hence all the animals he encountered had to attack him to demonstrate their rejection of him. It's a great idea, really. But at the end of it... I just say "uh huh... I understand what you're trying to say, but it just doesn't grab me".
It's not all bad though. Like I said, there are laughs in the movie. Sarah Jessica Parker is okay... not great, but nice. And the romantic development of Zooey Deschanel's character is especially funny to watch. I would recommend it for a night when you are just feeling brain-dead, and you just need some light-hearted entertainment and don't want to waste energy twisting your brain in some deep, dark, mystery movie.
3.5 stars (out of 5) from me.
Looking forward to catching M:I:3 and DaVinci Code.
Labels:
movies music books
Monday, May 01, 2025
Baker woes
Over the weekend, I had a baking frenzy... mainly because we had a special guest to feed. The guest also proved very useful as a mixing and whipping machine... aaahhh, managed to save myself some muscle work there...
I tried my hand at concocting my own version of honey and spice cake. Basically I added some mixed spice (which consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) and honey to a basic cake mix. The cake tasted beautiful but the crust was little burnt... possibly due to the honey?
Next, I tried making this supposedly beautiful ricotta cheesecake. It was so pretty the first time I made it >>here<<. Sadly this time it fell to pieces when I tried to turn it out. It still tasted alright. I think it was because I forgot to grease the baking tin.
I tried my hand at concocting my own version of honey and spice cake. Basically I added some mixed spice (which consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) and honey to a basic cake mix. The cake tasted beautiful but the crust was little burnt... possibly due to the honey?
Next, I tried making this supposedly beautiful ricotta cheesecake. It was so pretty the first time I made it >>here<<. Sadly this time it fell to pieces when I tried to turn it out. It still tasted alright. I think it was because I forgot to grease the baking tin.
Labels:
food
NSW south coast trip cont'd... Day 2
Highlights of the second day of our NSW southern coast self-drive holiday comprised mainly of...
Seeing a lot of rocks... Cathedral Rock, Hanging Rock, Big Rock... and all sorts of other little rocks, weird rocks, interesting rocks, and some rather uninteresting rocks also
Exploring the quaint little shops around Berry Village... some very amusing indeed
More photos from Day 1 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 2
Seeing a lot of rocks... Cathedral Rock, Hanging Rock, Big Rock... and all sorts of other little rocks, weird rocks, interesting rocks, and some rather uninteresting rocks also
Exploring the quaint little shops around Berry Village... some very amusing indeed
More photos from Day 1 of NSW southern coast trip found at:
Trip NSW South Coast Apr-06 Day 2
Labels:
adventures,
movies music books,
travel and outings
Isn't good to have a big sister?
lil' bro Paul has been having a blissful week being pampered here... after the tragic stories of how he's had to fend for himself and cook his own very very simple meals for the past four weeks... I thought we'd give him a nice culinary treat while he's here...
So for the past week... we've been enjoying:
01. Pasta with homemade tomato sauce
02. Pork cooked in black sauce with hard boiled eggs
03. Yong tau foo
04. Fried rice
05. Hainanese chicken rice
06. Chee cheong fun
07. Pancakes
08. Honey and spice cake
09. Ricotta cheesecake
10. Hot chococino
And I also gave him a small farewell token of a jar of homemade peach jam, a jar of homemade chilli sauce, and a slice of honey&spice; cake to munch on his journey.
Hopefully, we got him well-rested and fattened enough to survive the remainder of his semester.
I wish I had a big sister to pamper me too!
So for the past week... we've been enjoying:
01. Pasta with homemade tomato sauce
02. Pork cooked in black sauce with hard boiled eggs
03. Yong tau foo
04. Fried rice
05. Hainanese chicken rice
06. Chee cheong fun
07. Pancakes
08. Honey and spice cake
09. Ricotta cheesecake
10. Hot chococino
And I also gave him a small farewell token of a jar of homemade peach jam, a jar of homemade chilli sauce, and a slice of honey&spice; cake to munch on his journey.
Hopefully, we got him well-rested and fattened enough to survive the remainder of his semester.
I wish I had a big sister to pamper me too!
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