My 2011 Great Finds (&Recommendations)

1. La Mer cream
Awesome for very dry skin.

2. Top Chef (reality TV show)
My favorite TV show, it is really impressive the creative dishes these professional chefs can whip up given short time limits.

3. Valencia, Spain (side trip destination in Spain)
I adore Spain, and I have been to some of the most popular cities. A business trip took me to Valencia, a relatively smaller city, and I loved how bohemian it was while still offering plenty of interesting architecture to admire.

4. Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo, conditioner, treatment and conditioning spray
Truly impressive results I had never experienced - my sun damaged hair became shiny and manageable. It was like miracle.

5. Shiseido Integrate swivel eyeliner/ shadow in golden brown color
My friend recommended this product to me in Japan drugstore. It glides on smoothlJy, no smearing for hours, and can be blended to work like an eye shadow. It's a beautiful product. My "HG".

6. Marks & Spenser thermo underwear line and heat-generating black leggings
Warm, nice looking and extremely comfortable, I cannot live without them in the winter. I wear them to sleep, and sometimes underneath my sweaters when I go out. As for the black leggings - they are soft like silk and very slimming. Suggest to buy one to two sizes larger than your normal size so the fabric stretches less and looks more black.

7. Sleepnaked.com for online bed linen
At such affordable prices, the bed linen is soft and smooth, of top hotel quality. Delivery is also extremely fast.

8. Boho-Betty.com for cute beaded wrap bracelets

9. Earl Grey martini at 001 Bar (Wellington Street x Graham Street)
It's one of my favorite hangouts, a quiet but quaint bar with a secret entrance in the wet market. No door sign. Just a black door. No photos allowed inside.

10. Gianicolo Trail in Rome
Very nice walk with a great view of Rome. Loved it.

11. Kiehl's original musk fragrance and body lotion
I feel so innocent when I have that scent on me!

12. Fragonard perfume, Paris
I was staying in this very charming boutique hotel where they supplied guests with the Fragonard fig scented toiletries. I fell in love with the scent, researched the brand, and dashed to the Fragonard museum to look for it - sacrificing a longer visit to the Louvre.

13. Crepes in Rue Montparnasse, Paris
Quite a few good creperies in this street.

14. Moka stovetop espresso machines
After making good coffee at home myself, I had trouble drinking bad coffee in restaurants.

15. Unforgettable brigadeiro made by my Brazilian friend, Marianne
It's a special Brazilian sweet made with condensed milk and cocoa powder. I love it way more than chocolate.

16. Amazing molten chocolate pudding in Sirocco restaurant, Soho

17. Po Toi Island for a nice island hike
Totally undeveloped island, it is a great way to spend a day away from the city.

18. A few true java outlets in Sheung Wan for a nice coffee in a quaint neighborhood
Honestly, I don't even remember the name of the place I went to. But, I read that Cafe Loisl is another special one.

19. Shore bone-in cowboy rib steak
Steak heaven!

20. Oolaa, best brunch restaurant / cafe in Hong Kong to spend a lazy afternoon
Love the all day brunch menu. Love the leather sofas. Love the space!

Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheesebread

The past weekend was such a lovely one with a dear friend in town, to just chill and enjoy doing nothing together.

One of the "nothings" that we did was baking pao de queijo (Brazilian cheesebread) with the mix I had at home.

It was such "saudade" (roughly means sweet nostalgia in this context) when we enjoyed the freshly baked pao de queijo - dry and slightly crispy crust,  slightly moist, soft, chewy inside with a mild cheese flavor.....  It wasn't exactly the same as the homemade ones in Brazil, but it was close enough for a packaged mix.  I loved eating it just plain, but adding some butter, sugar, and cinnamon to the center surprisingly turned it into a very delicious sweet treat!

I will try the next batch with some parmesan cheese mixed in for more cheese flavor and chewy texture.  If you ever happen to visit Brazil or can get hold of these packaged mixes in your local Brazilian grocery shop, do try it!

Chocolate Indulgence: VERO Lounge (Pictures)

I wrote about Vero Lounge (Chocolate Indulgence: VERO Lounge, Hong Kong) some time ago but that time my phone camera's flash was too weak to take any pictures.  I went again last night - still without my DSLR camera - and took a few cute snapshots of the beautiful hot chocolate and the little chocolate gallery.  Hope this can entice you to pay a visit in person and experience it yourself.  Please DO call (25595882) before going to make sure they are not closed for any private events.

                                                                                                                                                  

Singapore Fav Food, Shopping & Play

Spent a few days in Singapore to visit good friends.  It wasn't a typical touristy trip, as the intention was mostly to spend time with my friends there, rather than going to all the tourist spots.  Still, I managed to revisit a few of my all-time favourites in Singapore, and discover new ones.

FOOD

• My Little Spanish Place - as its name suggests it's a small Spanish restaurant with very nice tapas
• Three Wombats Cafe - a small cafe on Kim Keat Road serving nice coffee, good breakfast, wonderful ca.esar salad, and peach cheesecake
• Icecream waffle sandwich vendor on Orchard Road near TANGS
• 211 Roof Terrance Cafe in Holland Village.  Food is alright, but drinks not that great.  It is a nice oasis on the rooftop of Holland Village Shopping Center.
• Lau Pa Sat - for years I loved Fatman Satay (Stall #1 and 2) but this time I tried Traditional Satay (Stall #3 and 4) and I actually liked it better.  I think mutton and duck are both particularly good.
• PS.Cafe is a nice brunch restaurant set in a very green, park environment.  I loved the whole atmosphere even though the food is mediocre and overpriced.
• Newton Hawker Center is NOT my favourite.  I prefer Lau Pa Sat, East Coast, and Maxwell.  Regardless, I always love sugar cane juice with lemon.
• Founder Bakuteh was alright.  It's very peppery and I think I prefer the Malaysian herbal version of Bakuteh more.
• Ion Shopping Center's food court was pretty nice, with large variety of food choices and a clean environment.  I loved that they had a wash basin for customers to wash their hands in the middle of the food court.
• Bengawan Solo is always my favourite for Indonesian cakes and desserts.  I often buy pandan cake at the airport both on arrival and departure.

SHOPPING
I love shopping in Singapore (even more if the exchange rate is more favourable).  I just always manage to find things to buy there.  A few of my favourites:

• TANGS is always my first stop.  I love the earring and accessories brand, Metalli, and I often bought more than 3 or 4 pairs of earrings each time I visited their counter.

• TANGS also sometimes have pretty shoes at very affordable prices.  They may not be the most comfortable shoes though, so I rarely buy heels from them.  This time, I bought 4 pairs of ballerina flats cos they were really pretty.  I am still trying to find a way to make them softer and more comfortable as I do not believe in torturing my feet no matter how pretty a pair of shoes is.
• Holland Village is also a great place to look for trinkets, home decoration items, or ethnic wear.  In particular, I love Lim's and Creative Dimensions.  The former has plenty of home decoration products, mostly Asian style with a modern twist.  I bought cushion covers and a jewelry box there.  Creative Dimensions is heaven if you are into sequins and beaded bags, coasters, cushion covers, etc.  I got myself two little purses, some coasters and a small coin bag there.
• Another favourite shop of mine in Singapore is Island Shop.  It's great for beachwear and summer clothing.  I have a lot of clothes from there, accumulated from each of my Singapore visits.  This time I didn't buy anything as it wasn't on sale.

PLAY
Apart from Night Safari, I never had much idea what else to do for fun in Singapore.  Thanks to my friends, Janis, Pat and Gautam, I was taken to some new places this time.

• Night Safari has always been my favourite.  I love taking the park train to see different animals, and love the walk up and down the jungle in the dark even more.
• Peirce Reservoir was a really cool place my friends took me to, as I wanted to get away from all the traffic and crowds, and be near to nature.  It was a really lovely walk, with a very flat trail by the reservoir, and lots of greenery perfect for a picnic date.  I really loved it.  
• A new and chic rooftop, open-air bar/ lounge is Ying Yang.  We walked past Chinatown to get there.  It was really happening.
• We also spent time just chilling in Starbucks, Page One etc in the mall for some aircon (the humidity in Singapore was unbearable, even my clothes and bag were damp most of the time).

Koh Samui Thai Cooking Class - Siam Kitchen

Siam Kitchen's Thai cooking class is a must-do in Koh Samui, if you enjoy cooking, good food, and want to get a taste of Thai culture.

Koh Samui is not the most exciting or romantic travel destination in Thailand.  For shopping I'd go for Bangkok, for culture Chiangmai, for sun and beach Phuket, for tranquility Koh Lanta, etc.  My short Koh Samui trip wouldn't have been half as interesting if I hadn't spent 3 hours at Siam Kitchen, learning Thai cooking from Sont, the instructor and founder of this local cooking "school".

The class starts with Sont taking you to the local farmer market to show you typical ingredients used in Thai cooking and how to pick the freshest herbs, seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables.....

You will then be taken back to Sont's kitchen where he'll brief you on the principles of Thai cooking.

Before cooking each dish, he will give you a quick briefing.  Then you are expected to start cooking the dish following his instructions.  Sounds easy - but the cooking time is usually within 10 minutes, so everything happens very quickly!  Add in three-quarters tablespoon of vinegar now!  Half a teaspoon of sugar!  Taste it!  Is it sour enough?  Is it sweet enough!  Adjust the taste so the sweetness doesn't cover the sourness!  Keep tasting!  ........

It was really exciting, like being on a reality cooking show, in a cooking contest!   The dishes turned out perfect, better than any Thai food I had had in any Thai restaurants.  I really enjoyed the class and felt like I learned a lot from Sont.

The dishes I cooked were:

Laab Gai, Moo/ Spicy minced chicken or pork

Thom Khaa Gai/ Coconut milk soup with chicken

Phad Thai/ Stir-fried rice noodle”Thai”style

Gaeng Kiew Waahn Gai/ Green curry with chicken

After each dish, you'd have time to enjoy the food at a table on the pavement.  It was quite a special, local and authentic way to enjoy such authentic Thai food - Sont teaches only authentic Thai dishes cooked the traditional way, so nothing Americanized or internationalized!

Don't forget to book in advance.   Go to the website and email Sont to arrange directly.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Indulgence: VERO Lounge, Hong Kong

No chocolate lover should live in or visit Hong Kong without indulging in a cup of decadent hot chocolate in VERO Lounge, a romantic chocolate lounge opened by a local premium chocolatier, VERO Chocolates, comparable to any world-class brands.

Located in Fenwick Pier Arcade by the harbour in Wanchai, this is a quiet location with a romantic ambience.  I am not a chocoholic, or chocolate junkie who eats all sorts of chocolates, but every once in a while I do enjoy fine chocolate.  

It is a must to try the hot chocolates in this lounge.  My friend and I shared three cups of dark and thick hot chocolate, each special in its own way:

Peru - Very refined, pure, with very understated sweetness and little acidity

Ecuador - Smooth, rich, sweet

Venezuela (Chuao) - Balanced taste, smooth and rich

Our favourite was Peru (blue one on the left - these pictures were newly added on Oct 22, 2010).  The Peru hot chocolate goes down so smoothly, and the delicate aroma was truly mesmerizing.  Each cup was also beautifully decorated with a colorful coating at the top.  Under the dim lighting, at first I thought it was a lid.  It was very pretty.  I did not expect such a lovely experience and did not bring my proper cameras to take pictures.  Next time I certainly will.  The experience left such an impression, we decided it should be preserved with only an occasional indulgence.  

The lounge also has chocolate cakes, brownies, and showcases of specially made chocolate display - such work of art - and their chocolate products.  They also serve alcohol, but I think the highlight is still the selection of hot chocolates.

I promise it will be a memorable experience.

A piece of advice:  When trying the hot chocolate, drink it from the cup instead of trying with the small spoon.  Like tasting wine, let the hot chocolate spread across your tongue to fully taste the true flavor.  If you only take small sips from the little spoon, likely you'll only concentrate on the tip of your tongue and the chocolate may taste much sweeter than it actually is.  Enjoy!

For more pictures, please refer to the new posting on Oct 22, 2010: Chocolate Indulgence: VERO Lounge (Pictures)

VERO 

Address: 1/F, Fenwick Pier Arcade, 1 Lung King Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 

Phone: (852) 25595882

Sunday to Wednesday: 10am to 10pm

Thursday to Saturday: 10am to midnight

They sometimes close for private functions.  Do call in advance to check before visiting.

Brazilian Milk Pudding / Pudim de Leite

After years of having a sweet tooth, I am generally not crazy about desserts.  Pudim de Leite does remain a favourite of mine, and I'd like to share the recipe here with you.  

I found the recipe on netcooks.com, and it is more or less similar to the recipe my Brazilian friends have.  It is super easy to follow.  I did make some small adjustments to this recipe to fit my taste and my small oven:

1 cup sugar (for the caramel)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Equal volume of regular milk (use the can to measure)
3 eggs
1 8-inch ring mold for large ovens OR small ramekins if you have small counter top ovens

Place 1-2 inches of water in a roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F or 163 degrees C.

Traditional way: Put the sugar in the ring mold. Place the mold directly over medium heat. Keep turning the mold until the sugar melts into a golden brown caramel and spoon it up the sides of the mold. Be careful not to burn the sugar and yourself.

Alternative Way (My Way, tested): If you are using ramekins instead of a large ring mold, you can alternatively melt the sugar - preferably white sugar - in a saucepan.  You may wish to use a little bit more sugar because there will be some wastage.  So melt the sugar over medium heat, once it turns into golden brown caramel, immediately pour the sugar into the ramekins CAREFULLY but QUICKLY (the sugar solidifies in no time) and turn the ramekins to try and coat the bottom evenly as much as possible.  My experience is that you don't really need to coat it perfectly, because when you finally put the pudding in the oven to bake, the sugar naturally melts again and will evenly coat by itself.

Combine the condensed milk, regular milk, and eggs in a blender. Whip until smooth. Pour this mixture into the mold and place it in the center of the roasting pan with water. Bake the pudim for about 1 hour for large oven OR 30 minutes for small counter top oven using ramekins. It will turn golden brown on top and start separating from the sides of the mold. You can also use a toothpick or a fork to poke into the pudding and check if it comes out clean.  Let it cool to room temperature and place in refrigerator, preferably overnight (at least 6 hours).

Just before serving, run the tip of a knife around the inside of the mold. Place a deep platter over the mold and invert. The pudim should slide out easily. If not, give the mold a firm but careful shake. Spoon the caramel sauce on top and serve. 

Enjoy!

Things which make me happy: Simple Wholesome Food

I love food, and I appreciate good food.  It's not always the more expensive, the more complex the better.  In fact, some of my best meals were the most simple dishes.

I remember going to a wine tasting dinner once, and had the opportunity to hang out with the chef from Australia.  My friend and I took him to dim sum lunch, and I was shocked to see the chef dip shrimp dumplings (hargow) in soy sauce, and commented that Chinese dim sum lacked flavor.  How can a chef not appreciate the natural flavor of vegetables, seafood, meat, etc.?  After tasting his multi-course dinner at the wine tasting, I learned that he liked using a lot of sauces and strong flavors in his dishes (mostly European), but to me often times the natural flavor was outshone, with the exception of fresh oysters dipped in lemon sorbet, which was sensational.

Martinelli's Sparkling Cider (available in Hong Kong)

**Dec 31 Note:  This is now selling in Citysuper at around $3x only, and in 價真棧 at around $24.  Much cheaper than in Americome.**

I highly recommend this sparkling cider made with carbonated pasteurized apple juice.  No preservatives, sugar or coloring added.  When attending meetings in Vienna earlier this year, I was offered a lot of sparkling cider during meetings everyday.  My clients would mix sparkling water with apple juice.  Was very refreshing, even for someone like me who normally did not drink any fizzy drinks.  I came across this one in Americome sold at around HKD 40 per bottle.  Love this!

Fleece Flower Root Herbal Tea for Hair Growth 黑棗首烏茶

**Reminder (Oct 18, 2010): This is not a medical blog so for this and similar health food recommendations, please do your own research and check with medication professionals if needed.  As mentioned below in the original post, fleece flower root is reather "heaty" according to Chinese medicine and should not be taken if your body is heaty at the time.  According to the old man at the medicine shop, if a person is heaty, usually he/she finds his/her mouth dry and bitter during the day (not just in the morning), in which case one should have some cooling food or drinks (e.g. winter melon soup, sweet herbal tea like Chrysanthemum tea, etc.) to cool down the body.  He said that drinking Fleece Flower Root tea while one's body is heaty would make the person feel unwell.**

I've heard about 首烏 (fleece flower root) and its medical benefits to hair growth and shiny hair for years but never had the time to make this tea each week.

I've cooked this tea before and it tasted quite okay.  Supposedly you can feel the benefits if you drink it every week. 

The original recipe used red dates instead of black dates.  I was at the Chinese medicine shop where the staff, an old man, told me black dates would be better than red, because not only do they have the same blood replenishing (補血) benefit, it also could 去濕.  After some googling, I also read that fleece flower root is good for the liver, bladder, sperms (!!! yes!  ha), and improves sex drive.   This tea also will also improve blood circulation and give you a nice natural blush.

This soup can be slightly heaty.  Not suitable if you are menstruating or having stomach problems.

So here's the recipe:

Fleece Flower Root 首烏 - 1 兩
Dried Black Dates 黑棗 - 5 pieces  OR Dried Red Dates without Pits 去核紅棗 15 pieces
Sweet Dried Dates 蜜棗 - 5 pieces
Water - 8 bowls

Wash the ingredients.  Bring the water into a boil in a pot.  Put all ingredients into the pot, cover with lid, and boil over medium flame for roughly 1.5 hours to 2 hours, until water is reduced by half or a little more. 

Enjoy!

Moroccan Mint Tea

My local colleague spent an hour briefing me on how to prepare a good pot of Moroccan mint tea.
What is needed?
1. Silver or metal Moroccan tea pot
2. Small glass tea cups
3. Chinese tea leaves - my colleague recommended this brand sold in Morocco from Mainlaind China which says "gunpowder" on the box
4. Handful of mint leaves and stalk, preferably large leaves with rough surface
5. White sugar
6. Kettle, quicker if electric one available
How to prepare?
1. Boil water in an electric kettle, ensure it stays boiling hot while you are preparing the tea.
2. For a tea pot which serves 8 small cups of tea, put in 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Chinese black tea powder/ leaves.
3. Pour half a small tea cup of boiling hot water into the pot. Do not move the pot. Wait for 30 seconds before pouring the water into a tea cup to keep for later use.
4. Pour another half tea cup of boiling hot water into the pot. Hold the pot by the handle and swirl the pot for about 15 seconds then pour the water out and down the drain.
5. Pour the small cup of tea water set aside earlier back into the pot.
6. Fill up the pot with boiling hot water until 1.5 inches from the top.
Place the pot over small flame and wait till the tea comes to a boil and about to foam.
7. Remove from heat, put in mint leaves and about 8 teaspoons of sugar. Close the lid. Do not stir.
8. To serve, pour the tea into small cup. Then pour it back into the pot. Repeat once more. This procedure mixes the sugar and mint flavor with the tea.
9. Pour a little tea into a cup to taste. Add more sugar as needed.
When pouring mint tea, lift the pot high up so that the tea forms a foam. Good mint tea should have a little foam on the surface.
Enjoy!

Beautifully Creative Restaurant - Maison du Gourmet, Casablanca

Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco - as appeared in the movie

Recommendation: Healthy Chinese Soup Blog

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, soup plays an important role in Chinese families/ culture.  It is not just any other dish in a meal, but an expression of love and care - because almost all varieties of Chinese soup require a combination of many ingredients for their unique health benefits and Chinese soup requires at least 2 hours of slow boiling.  When you cook soup for someone, you genuinely believe that the soup will bring about the health benefits intended.

I was searching for the health benefits of a vegetable I wanted to cook soup with, and came across this website which I find very helpful.  For those of you who care about your health, and have the time to cook soup, check out this website:

http://www.healthy-food.hk/

Things which make me happy - Cooking Food I Like

I've always enjoyed cooking.  I used to make breakfast and dinner for him and I every now and then, and I enjoyed it a lot because he really appreciated it.  I'm very traditional Chinese in this sense - cooking to me is an expression of care and love especially Chinese soup. 

Well, now that I have no one to cook for, I sometimes cook soup for myself.  I don't really cook dishes anymore as there's too much work for just myself, so I usually just boil some frozen dumplings.

A few days ago, using the Tom Yum Gung ingredient pack from my masseuse, I cooked the soup for the first time even though I rarely order it in restaurants.  It was great working with new ingredients I hadn't even heard of before.  I love cooking because I love food and specifically the taste of certain dishes - and cooking allows me to make my food taste exactly the way I like.

Things which make me happy - 幸福飯 (Heartwarming Rice Dish)

I was once known for my addiction to this rice dish I used to call 幸福飯 (Heartwarming Rice Dish).
It's actually 叉燒煎蛋飯加火腿,1/3飯,少油多汁 - Roast Pork with Fried Eggs, Ham, 1/3 Steamed Rice, Less Oil, More Soy Sauce.

Each time I order this, the staff would ask if I'd prefer half the normal portion of rice instead and I'd say,"no, one-third is fine. I can't finish it anyways and there's a lot of people who are starving each day so I don't want to waste food." They still end up giving me half portion though.

 

 -----------
I posted these on facebook as well, and surprisingly quite a few friends found the idea interesting - making an album of things which make one happy.

I really think it helps to consciously remind ourselves what makes our lives interesting and meaningful, what brings smiles to our faces.

I'm sure my list of things could be very different from yours. What matters is we don't take things and people for granted. I figured that by actively making a point to take pictures of these things that touched me/ made me smile to myself, I would appreciate life more.

Hope this inspires you all too.

Add a caption

(Not procrastinating, it's my lunch break) I was once known for my addiction to this rice dish I used to call 幸福飯 (Heartwarming Rice Dish). It's actually 叉燒煎蛋飯加火腿,1/3飯,少油多汁 - Roast Pork with Fried Eggs, Ham, 1/3 Steamed Rice, Less Oil, More Soy Sauce. Each time I order this, the staff would ask if I'd prefer half the normal portion of rice instead and I'd say,"no, one-third is fine. I can't finish it anyways and there's a lot of people who are starving each day so I don't want to waste food." They still end up giving me half portion though.

This is Not an Icecream/ Gelato Sandwich

XTC in Hong Kong launched its gelato sandwich which I wrongly assumed to be like the North American icecream sandwich I grew up having at least one per day.

I was wrong.  Those XTC people clearly never had a proper icecream sandwich.

The gelato was so watery, the whole sandwich collapsed the moment I bit into the biscuit.  Then, it started dripping gelato water everywhere.  The whole thing just melted.

So disappointing.  I should just buy normal icecream sandwiches instead.  Like these I used to eat:

IF I can find them in Hong Kong.

Groceries from US - Americome

Yesterday when walking down Sing Woo Road, I decided to check out this US grocery shop with my friend.  It was called Americome (try to pronounce it, sounds so......).  I had noticed this shop a few months ago, but thought it was probably like these few other shops in Happy Valley which only had two little IKEA shelves of goods to sell in the store, or sold only mushrooms or something.  To my surprise, this little mart has a good selection of drinks (I found my favourite Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey in can and gallon bottle), cereal (I found my favourite honey oats), brownie mix, cookies, personal care products and even candies (Nerds, Certs, etc etc.).  In particular, if you are looking for certain American candies, this is the place to check out.  I found different flavors of Certs mints (Certs "mints" aren't really mints), but not the original assorted fruit flavor that I wanted since it was only sold in Canada but not US.

Americome
http://www.americome.com.hk/main.php

65A, Sing Woo Road,
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Tel : (852) 2893-2626
Trading Hours: Monday to Sunday
10:30am - 9:00pm

Marrakech - Strange Adventure (Day 2)

Today was more of a shopping than sight-seeing itinerary.  After listening to a deeply emotional song, I really felt like taking it easy for the day.

I started my adventure today trying to walk to the main square, Jemaa El Fna.  This is the most popular site in Marrakech.  During the day, there are street vendors selling orange juice and dried fruits, henna-painting women and fortune tellers.  Approaching sunset and evening, this square becomes filled up with outdoor food stalls (serving hot dishes), story-tellers, magicians, snake-charmers, transvestite dancers, and African street musicians.  It is a chaotic place, yet it is unique because it is as much a local Moroccan hangout as it is a tourist attraction, and it is exactly the sort of scene in Arabic tales.  Tourists are wildly fascinated by this place, but I have to admit that I felt very scared walking in the square, being Chinese + single + female + with a huge DSLR camera + one extra film camera + young-looking (to them at least).  Everything about me screams ATTENTION, while everything going on in the square is so surreal (come on, snake charmers!!) and all vendors always try to get your attention (and your money).  I walk around the city trying my best to avoid any eye contact, and ignoring anyone who try to get my attention ("konichiwa?" "speak English?"  "are you from England?"  "Japan?" "hey lady please see this"), unless they start to sound angry/ offended/ aggressive - that is when I politely say in French "non merci" (no, thank you), "pas japonaise" (not Japanese) and keep walking fast.    I didn't take too many pictures, because the whole atmostphere was so intimidating, and I really wanted to avoid attention as much as I could.  Here's a few pictures taken during the day and in early evening:

Think he was a fortune teller telling this other man's fortune... He lowered the parasol when he saw me trying to take pictures...

Dried fruit stalls selling dates, apricots, nuts, etc.  One stall owner insisted on giving me an apricot to try - I did and had very bad stomach pain from late afternoon till 10pm when I finally could eat again.

Notice the passerby dressed in the cloak?  It's a very traditional Moroccan "cloak" with a pointy hood, and it totally reminds me Harry Potter type of magician cloak. 

Jemaa El Fna during the day:

During the early evening:
Food stalls

Local men gathering around some transvestite dancing-boys (far left, the men with pony tail and colorful dresses).

 











In between my early afternoon and early evening visits to the square, I spent a few hours at the tourist-popular and super chic (Bali-Seminyak type of chic... think Ku De Ta but more chilled) cafe restaurant called Terrace des Epices.  I was there initially to buy some expensive necklaces at Stephanie's Jewels right below the terrace cafe, but the man who worked at the sister restaurant, Cafe des Epices, walked me to Terrace des Epices, so I decided to have a cup of espresso and a light lunch there.  It was super charming terrace cafe in the middle of some busy souks, but it was so relaxed there you could sit there for hours and think you are far away from the city.  I also stayed there for much longer than I had planned because one of the owners came over and kept me company, later joined by 2 other friends of his.  I rarely talked to complete strangers like that for hours, but they seemed to be genuinely friendly and cool.  The owner of the restaurants was a young man about my age (or perhaps even younger).  Was really lovely chilling in such a charming cafe and having a great time talking to some interesting people on various topics.  A few pictures of Terrace des Epices and views from this beautiful rooftop terrace:

 Notice the snow mountains far away in the background. Yes, Morocco is not just desert, the climate and landscape varies greatly across the country.

I also spent my day walking inside the old medina, in and out of different souks (in fact they are all mixed together, there's not really any "in" or "out" at all and I never really knew where I was) trying to haggle but not too successful - either my prices were too low and the sellers were pissed off (they refused to even negotiate and just let me leave) or the haggling process was too quick which probably meant my counter offer was not low enough.  I also learned to tell sellers that I was from China - China gave them the impression I was poorer (than if I had said Hong Kong) and I'd be in a better position to negotiate lower prices.  In fact, one show seller said,"I know you are not from Japan and do not have as much money in China.  I will give you a better price..."   Em... Sure!!

In Marrakech, there is also plenty of pharmacies selling herbal and "natural" medicines.  By natural, that includes herbs, spices as well as incense, amber and other crystal like stones used for medical reasons.  This is a culture which really believes in the magical healing power of different natural ingredients.  Many alleys are lined with pharmacies, each with jars stacked on huge shelves, containing some unknown but colorful medical ingredients.

I've also walked past stores with zebra skin hanging down the ceiling...  That really freaked me out.  I felt so sick I didn't even bother taking pictures of them.

Anyways, enjoy my pictures taken during the day:

Super Powers

A few years ago I remember a friend of mine, Brian Wong, told me a stupid joke about the stupidest super power - the ability to fly but ridiculously slowly.  I still laugh when I think about it.


I am now in Casablanca for work, and it is one of most boring cities in the most exciting countries in the world - if that makes sense to you.  I had dinner in an ultra cool restaurant alone, and had too much time to think (and be sad - I almost started crying during dinner when I had the world's most amazing Pastilla with duck confit and foie gras filling yet no one to share with), which led me to think about some random stuff like - my dream Super Powers.


There's two that top my list and I am very serious about wanting them.  Totally unrelated:
1. Power to make someone think positive and be brave
If you know me well enough, you'll know that I'm characterized by the desire to inspire and cheer up people who are lost, depressed, disillusioned.  I often hope I can do something to help people I care about see things in a positive way, and give them the courage to deal with issues.
I don't know much about past lives, but for some bizarre reason I have always felt that my mission in this current life was to bring hope and light to people's lives.  


2.  Natural shield against jelly fish in the sea
I'm embarrassed, but I am equally serious about this one.  I just wish I could live by the sea and swim freely without worrying about jelly fish stings.


I have also thought about the power of teletransporting myself and a loved one anywhere anytime, so that I could:
wake up in my own bed in Happy Valley,
have pastry and cappuccino in Il Pirate Cafe in Vernazza for breakfast,
swim in the South Pacific Ocean near Nadi, Fiji for an hour,
have awesome muesli pancake in Koh Lanta, Thailand by the beach,
swim some more in Koh Lanta, Thailand,
have sushi lunch (without the 2-hour queuing) in Sushi Dai near Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo,
after-lunch cappuccino in Venice,
shopping in Florence,
pina colada by White Beach in Boracay followed by Havainas shopping in Boracay,

pistachio gelato in Rome sitting outside Pantheon / Trevi Fountain,
half hour nap in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, and munch on Globo biscuits sold on the beach,
half hour stroll from Santa Margherita to Portfofino in Italy,
buying super fragrant soup from Khan Al Saboun in Dubai,
watch sunset on pontoon at South Bay, Hong Kong / in Vernazza by the pier / in Ku De Ta bar in Bali,
have an elaborate but cozy numerous-course Japanese dinner in hot spring hotel room in Hakone, Japan,
(take a break during the long dinner to watch Disney fireworks in Magic Kingdom, Disney, Florida)
dip in private hot spring (onsen) after dinner,
smoke a deadly Gudang Garam clove cigarette and drink beer in a beer joint in Rio,
followed by the world's BEST steak sandwich as midnight snack in Cervantes, Rio,
smoke chicha in Marrakech, Morocco, with a few shots of cachaca (um.. yeah, I don't know how to find cachaca in Morocco),
have a late night boat ride in Perhentian in Malaysia looking at the starry sky,
sleep in a beautiful riad in Marrakech.


And I am now sipping Moroccan mint tea in hotel room alone in Casablanca at midnight.