Web Layout for Print?

I've been seeing this Qatar ad on Today paper and I can't help but relate it to a webpage. A screen capture. Is it the layout? The little watermark patterns on the side?

Is there a need to design differently for print?

Mini Muffins

I just felt like making muffins. Plain ol' muffins. They were minis because I only have mini cupcakes baking tray and paper liners. Then I browsed the internet and got inspired/distracted so things got a bit more complicated:

First there was the apple cinnamon variety, then came the idea of putting buttery crumbs on top so it's like apple crumble muffins. 'Pink Lady' apples peeled and chopped, and Wendy (who's also my taster) let me use some of her freshly grounded cinnamon powder.



The second lot, I made chocolate almond version. Many almonds, not enough chocolates. Damn those Hersheys chips that went way past its expiry, I had to manually smash and break half a bar to get chocolate chunks but still not enough!

In a desperate attempt to make the third variety more chocolatey, I added extra cocoa powder to the remaining mixture and used them as toppings. They were dark so I sprinkled some instant oats to make them look cute.

These were made with 100% organic wholemeal flour for a healthier option and they should fill you up better. I'm a fan of wholemeal so the taste was fine for me. But I think they don't rise as well? Will try a mix to find out. Also, minis are tricky so I'll make large ones next time. The apple cinnamon lot turned out to be most popular.

Hungry? Sleepy?

You know the feeling when you are tired and meant to be sleeping, but just keep thinking about food? Then you suspect you're really hungry. Even channel surfing cannot distract the mind from items listed in the menu. After hours of futile resistence, I ordered room service - a Cajun Chicken Burger topped with what seemed like a WHOLE avocado, served with piping hot potato wedges.

It's bad because:

1) I had a Quarter-Pounder from McDonald's the same day;

2) It was 3am;

3) I'm AUD$28 poorer;

4) I fell asleep an hour later.

Saffi and Friend

Sometimes when she good mood, friend can sit on top.

Rain Outside, Relax Inside

Look, an IKEA doll bed she's lounging in ('lounging' is a nice word, isn't it). She doesn't use it very often, mostly to act cute in and during play. She'd let her mousy toy-friends sleep there, too.

That's because she much prefers my bed. Oops I mean, HER bed.

Palatable Penang

I visited Penang for the first time in February. Enough hearsay about the famous local food, and being told the assam laksa I'm having "is not the real thing", I decided to brace myself, sacrifice my waistline and embark on a Penang Foodie Tour.

True to its reputation as the makan paradise, I found myself immersed in Penang's street hawkers so much so that it's eating most of the time and I even demand 'repeat' for the favourites. Meals are usually washed down with jus timun (cucumber) or umbra (hog plum). I have put up a collection of photos here on facebook for a visual feast.



We made attempts to 'walk off' the calories by visiting Snake Temple, Khoo Khong Si, Penang Hill, Batu Ferringhi Night Market, etc. over the three days. It felt much warmer in Penang than Singapore, perhaps due to lesser greens and mostly low-rise buildings?

Overall it was an interesting and rewarding little holiday. Surely I will miss the local cuisine, and I can now ask "have you tried the real laksa in Penang?"

Missing Half a Year

*With a wave of the wand* This blog is now updated. Well, vaguely.

In summary, The New Job's definitely kicked in, I'm getting used to the new culture and schdeule, thankful for the fact that I've still a good job in this depressing climate however long it may last - both the job and the recession. That's about as much as I can speak about my job, really.

2008 was crap, basically. Falling out of the bath tub hitting the head on the first day HAS to be an ill omen. If it wasn't for happy thoughts (some of which I made up), it would be a year of misery indulgence. Anyhoo, that's all past. Over.

It's time to reap better luck the year of the ox promises, for us draconic types. Having survived last year, one would feel that peace, harmony, good health and erm, road safety are all that should be desired. It's also important to be good to yourself: don't feel like doing anything? Be lazy. Feel like having the occassional fried food? Have it. Someone says something offensive? Forget it. Eyes cannot see properly? Lasik.

Unlike the past where internet access was never a question, I now get to enjoy surfing only few days a month. Inevitably the blog gets neglected. But I will try and keep it going. It's like saving an old plant.