Colourful Saturday

"Miss, wake up!" called out my maid as she entered our room and annouced her wake up call. "It's already 12:30p.m. you said you want to bake." she reminded.

Our Macaroon

Immediately, or maybe almost immediately, my sister and I jerked out of our parent's bed and got ourselves ready.

It was Saturday!
and with both our parents out of town and our elder sister, who does not really like baking, also away to run some personal errands, we, the Chip and Dale as my mom used to call us when we were a child, decided that it will be a PERFECT TIME to CONQUER the kitchen (which mostly belong to my mom, the  BIG cook at home) with bakings! :9

Earlier my sister had looked out for macaroons recipe which she excitedly claimed to "try it this saturday" and I on the other hand who has always been fond of cupcakes, decided to bake one of those cutie.

Sweet cupcake cases 

So, on Friday Night, after we settled our personal meetings with our own friends and the movie night, we went to the supermarket and shop for baking needs! The only grocery chores I never find a bore.

Self-Raising flour (Checked)
Sugar (Checked)
Eggs( Checked)
Vanilla Extract (Checked)
Checked
Checked

And then, after happily checked and re-checked that all that we need is taken, we went home.

It was 1:30 plus plus plus, when we started to make our first trial of vanilla macaroon! :)

The colouful batter for macaroon

It was fun as we sifted, and grilled the almond ground, and icing sugar into one mixture, followed with the mixture of eggs and caster sugar, plus the food colouring which made us go crazy as the batter transformed into beautiful pastel pink and green. And last but not least, of course, the transfering of the batter into a pipping bag and the baking tray.

Freshly baked cupcakes

It took the macaroon about (I can't remember) 10 minutes/15 before it was fully set, and as we pulled it out of the oven, :DD :DD :DD!!!! a great fragrance of sweet vanilla filled the air. It was Amazing!

Then, after we filled it up with the filling, and had our first bite, (wooohhh) it was even more amazing! The feeling was just superb.

Follow up next, we got ourselves busy once again with the baking of my cupcakes.
As always, baking cupcake is a bliss! :) It was easy and quick.
So in a while, we are able to bake it, brought it out of the over, let it cool, and decorate the top of the cupcake with our beautiful cupcake frosting. 

Tat's my Cupcake!

It was a little troublesome using the pipping bag though it was fun and cute when the ic swirled in place. But, as we were not expert, there were times when we had to re-do the frosting decor just so that our cupcakes look sweet and appealling.

It was almost 9 p.m. when we finished with everything, and you won't believe it man, the moment we sat down on our comfortable sofa, our butt just seems to stick on it.

We were so tired!!!!!!!! we didnt even realize it until we sat on the sofa and like, woohhh the whole hair is down.

Overall, it was a Colourful Saturday with many laughters and good, colourful food to brighten up the Weekend.



 

He had made me glad

The Beginning 

A few weeks ago, when I looked at myself in front of the mirror, I got the biggest shock of my life!
I'M UGLY! like freaking ugly. with additional acnes around the temple of my face, and clogged up pores at my forehead, and...big big eye bags....it was horrible horrible.

 Then I began to think of the factors that lead to such horrible state of mine. At first I thought it was the food consumed, indeed, I had been crazily feeding myself with chocolates after not getting in contact with the sinful indulgence for God knows when. Then comes the sleepless night which I spent most of it on my knitting :p.

However, despite listing out the possible factors, I realized that there is really something missing in here.
Something that I still unable to figure out why.
Until, I sat down on night (after finally putting away my knitting materials) and as I was starring at the ceiling, a thought struck into mind *TING*

It was then when I realized that the main reason for all that pathetic state of mine is because of my anxieties.
All sorts of anxieties from the fact that I have not been spending time with God, praying, what am I suppose to do next, to how long do I have to wait till I get a call for an interview. (Earlier on I had sent out a few resumes, and after re-writing and re-writing my cover letter, but unfortunately, there's still no call from the respective companies. Sadded. Yes I am.

So, that night, I began to pray.
Even then, I realized that my prayer is filled with prayers for other people instead of my own needs.
Indeed, I've learned about some of my friends who had been troubled with one thing or another, and thinking that since I've not been doing much lately, i can share their burdens; only to realize that well, I am not that tough myself.

And so that night I ranted out all my 'secrets' to God. And as always, I feel so much better.
Very much.
 It was also during those time when I was reminded once again about how God knows our every needs and if only I take a time to listen to His calling, actually, He is everywhere around me, and there is no need for me to be afraid/ worried for He holds tomorrow. And just like father to his children, he knows when and what kind of things/ jobs that is going to come my way...if only I take a time to WAIT on His time instead of my own time.

Then when I see myself, I also realized how mnay times have I been putting away all my hobbies, or doing them for the sake of doing/ stress relieves instead of an enjoyment?
And it is no wonder, I dont feel joy in doing it. and though my hands are kntting a beautiful piece of scarf, but my heart is all empty and dissatisfied.

Fortunately, I get the message pretty quickly and without further ado, had been trying to enjoy myself once again. (Dont get me wrong though, not saying as to take advantage of time being unemployed. but well, at least still learn to count my blessings.)

And to think that it's going to be April, there is an Israel Trip to look forward to. A trip which I hope not only enable me to see the world, but also an opportunity to learn more about Jesus's hometown. Then there is Good Friday and Easter that is coming in about two weeks times and being a choir member of the church, maybe I should see this as an opportunity to serve Him with the Heart of Worship. Afterall this is my first time singing for the church on Good Friday and Easter.

And maybe, just a maybe, this is also God way of letting me serve him without worrying/ bothering about earthly things. And when I see it that way, it really made me feel so glad.

Love and peace,
Yuliana :)

Titles Titles (For all book lovers!)

Hmmm..It's been sometime since I last visited a book store and bought myself a new book, LOL suddenly, all the book prices seems so frightening LOL. What to do? Been living a humble-cheapskate life-- whereby instead of buying I borrow it from the nearby library, haha yesterday I found myself, seriously having a difficult time in deciding whether or not to buy.

If it's not because the book is 'on loan' islandwide, maybe I will not even bought it.

Well hellow there! How r ya doing? Been sometime since the last time I updated my posts.
In fact for the time being I've been wondering what on earth have I been doing.
Not much I suppose, thus the reason why there's nothing special to post about-- or even if they do, facebook and twitter had already told them all.


Anyway, been busy, KNITTING!
as I've written previously, I had finally took up that skills from my aunt when I went back to Medan one happy January. And since then, had been finding myself spinning in the world of yarns and needles and knitting apparrels.


Thus far, I've been in 2 serious projects of making a shawl and a muffler. And had been shopping for yarns yarns yarns and more yarns, that at present, I've had about 10 or more yarns in my closet. (uh-oh! blame it on Spotlight who is having a great yarn sale till end of this week :p )


So engrossed was I in the world of knitting that for a moment when I stopped back and think about what have I been doing besides knitting, I realized that I have not been doing pretty much. Well, yeah...not much.


And one thing that I missed the most when I entered into Kinokuniya Bookstore yesterday, after finally getting rid of the knitting books fever at the Mandarin and Japanese section as well, is my passion for fiction books.


I was so happy when I was able to discover some new titles on the shelves. And this makes me want to bring them all home, and build myself a fort out of books and create a 'reading world'.


Some titles that I found interesting are:
1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran which had become a movie starring Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks. (and which I had found great interest and decided to bring it home)


2. Something of the Night by Ian Marchant which explores into the different lifestyles/ activites people do when the night came, and believe or not, "we all have something of the night about us." (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13366208-something-of-the-night) (hmmm..spooky!!!)


3. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which told a story about a mysterious night circus that came only at night and leaves without a trace the day after and what happened inside that black and white tent when two of their characters fall in love? (Seems pretty in a spooky way too...I'm expecting to see another great journey like the one I had with Water for Elephant)


4. Hector and the search for Happiness by French Author Francois Lelord which told a story about Hector, a psychiatrist who went on a journey all over the world in search of happiness and did he learnt in the end? The book had been regarded as a 'feelgood gem' and selling over two million copies. And for your information, the book is a psychological-effect of some sort genre as well, so for those of you who loves psychology, maybe you can try.  (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/hector-and-the-search-for-happiness-by-francois-lelord-1951338.html)  (Think I will give this one a try...never read a psychological related books before :) it will be a good exploration for the mind :) huuuhuuu...)


5. Books of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl which involved a selection of 14 ghost stories selected by Dahl himself after reading some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library (can you believe it? he read 700 over ghost stories...wow!! I wonder how haunted his mind can be? :p) Honestly when I saw this, I was overwhelmed. I never thought that Dahl is gonna come up with such haunting ideas remembering him as the author of such happy creations such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/ Fantastic Mr Fox. Anyway, maybe it's worth our time to read it! I'm prepared for the eerieness as after all, "spookiness is after all the real purpose of ghost story...It should gives you the creeps and disturb your thought." -- Dahl. 


Some other interesting titles are:


The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize. 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson and The Art of hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker. 


Well, so far these are what I've read (the reviews) yesterday when walking around Kinokuniya.
Seems like a good time to read read and read!!!!


Hee, for more titles, do check out Kinokuniya Bookstore and be their member too! (It's really worth it! especially when they have member's offer :))
http://www.kinokuniya.com/sg/index.php/fbs002 (can make book search from the following link too before you go to the store. see so convenient :p )


Anyway, do take up some time to read peeps afterall a good read serves a good knowledge :)


See yawl soon.


Love and Peace,
Yuliana ;)


"The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade." Anthony Trollope

Great Man, You will always be miss

It's going to be five years since the last time you left us.
But everything about you just seems so unforgetable.
And every now and then, we continue to talk about you.
Each time we do, we miss you.

Everytime we are reminded about how, 'empty' the house without you, or how I was reminded of the long alley that lead to the small provision shop behind our house, or the way you greeted us warmly each time we banged on the metal door, how I wish you were still around.

Sometimes, I still wonder why did you left so fast that day.
And though I know the reason why, but, sometimes I wonder if I have not prayed hard enough.
Sincere enough.

It was such a pity that when you were alive, we hardly had a one on one time talk together.
And that time, I hardly went back to see you too.
The next thing I know, I got to wait for a very long time before we finally meet.

I wonder what do you think when you see us from up above?

Have you seen him? Your youngest grand son?

Everybody has grown up and I hope you are proud of us.

Hopefully by the time we meet, you will be able to recognize us still.
And yes, hopefully we will going to meet in the same place.
I'll do my part.

And if you are watching, do help me.

And well, maybe I never said this, and in fact, I can't really write it down here, but all I know the reason why Medan seems so dear to me, though I never really lived there for long, is because you used to be there. And the love and warm welcome that you had given to me had influenced me so much that Jalan Asia has becomes such a memorable place for me.

A place where I can always find myself at home whenever I go back to Medan.

Thank you for your love for us.

Great Man, you will always be miss.

Love and Peace,
Yu

The joy of Knitting

There is always something to look forward to whenever I went back to Medan.
Either it is about a celebration of some sort, or something to learn about.

And this year, I went back for both.

Not only am I able to spent some Chinese New Year celebration with my maternal family, going around visiting their homes, exchange greetings and blessings for this dragon year, I was also able to learn something that I have been wanting to learn all these while, and which my aunties are very good at---Knitting!

And though I will very much say that I am not a very artistic sort of person, but I do love needle craft, which to some extend is considered as a form of art too, except that it is in a form of fabric, thread and needles instead of paint oil, canvas and brushes. And to my surprise, I'm able to absorb the skills pretty quickly (and of course with the help of a good teacher too,my aunt) that in within 5 days of learning and practicing, now I'm able to knit myself a simple- pattern-shawl (HAPPY!)

Anyway, here is a picture of my first knit, which involves two forms of knitting skills, the knit stitch needle, and purl stitch needle :) Enjoy!















Aeromeal

I have always like the food on the aeroplane, although sometimes,well, it was not as appetising as the other.
Nevertheless, I continue to like it despite the fact that I have not been eating above the ground for so long---due to the short distance travelled.

I guess is because each time I ate it, it reminds me of the time when I was a little girl and I boarded the airplane for the first time--seeing the little cutesy cutleries and tray that was placed before me, it just makes me feel so happy. Even until now.

And usually, the food are good!
Like the Risoles  (Indonesian chicken pie) that I ate earlier on, or the simple bread and butter that I took when I boarded on Air France's business class one lucky day with my cousins, to the western food that was served by SIA on my trip to the US, and not forgetting the Haagen Dasz ice cream!

Delicious!

And I had great fun eating them all.

Been sometime since the last time I travelled, and fortunately, my Airplane table manners is still with me :)

Anyway, been a good experience so far--what's not right when one is serve with good food, good service, good flight, good weather, and finally, from my part, a "Good Night".

The time now is 2:11 a.m.
Gotta go...

Love and Peace,
Yuliana :)

To Love and Be Love (The Hardest Thing)

A fiction

Under the rain a woman collapsed to the ground as her world turned upside down.

With the little strength she has with her, she looked at the figure that was walking further and further way from her.
The figure was moving so slow, yet it seems so fast that underneath the heavy rain, it seems like a blurry image in her eyes.


She stared and continues to stare even after the figure already become a little thin line among the crowds.

With her thin wet hands she hid her face.


As she closed her eyes in between her tears, traces of memories of how good they were once before all these things happened came to mind.

“I love you” he had said many times.


Unfortunately, her heart which belongs to someone else, could not accept his feeling and this made her to make the hardest thing in life- to hurt the man who loves her.



They’ve met long before he met that other girl.
It was love at first sight for him.
And ever since then, he had spent using all his time, mind, efforts, strengths and even days thinking about her. Hoping he will meet her again.

Sadly, time was cruel.
They hardly met.
So he waited.
And he waited longer.
Until one day, after all the hopeless waits he decided to let her out of his mind.

But then she came back.
She recognizes him.
She called him by name.
They talked like an old friend.
They laughed like best friends.
And some people even think that they got together.

He knows in that instant that they will never part.

But he was wrong.

Despite her physical presence, her heart belongs to somewhere he can never reach.
So he tried to win it back.
But sadly it never went towards his direction.

He was not convinced.
He gave it another try.
Harder this time. And even more deeply he tried to go, into understanding the depth of her heart and yet what he found was nothing but a saddening truth.

Her heart had gone too far.

And to make it worst, it had found its resting place.
And it had lies itself comfortably in the heart of another man.

Broken and tired his heart rested behind his fatigue ribs.
The man’s breath took its turn to function, making him to breathe faster than he should.
Soon, the man found himself gasping as tears rolled down his cheeks.

From the distance, he looked at her.
The woman who broke his heart, but surprisingly, despite the hurtful event, he has not the heart to hate her.
He loved her too much to hate her.

So he decided to keep his love to himself.

Unfortunately his love continues to stir in its place.
Seeking for a challenge.
Looking for a competition.

The man tried to brush it aside and focus all his attention to the other girl whom he had met two years later.

Unfortunately, she was nothing like that girl.
Not even in the shades of her hair or a tint of her characters.
Then he began to battle with himself.
He knows his love still longs for that girl.
His heart still skips its beats for her.

In the end, he did the unthinkable.

Though his brain permits him to say, his heart and his tongue push the words forward to the tip of his tongue and soon to the centre of his lip. Making him to say the words he had almost forgotten how to say the day he decided to keep his love to himself.

“I love you.” He said for the seventh time (if he did not remember wrongly) when they met again one day.

The girl looked at him shocked before she changed her gaze with tenderness.
She smiled a gentle smile.

“Thank you.” She replied gently.

He looked at her without moving a muscle. “I really love you.” He continued.

Another smile.

“I love you very much.” He suggested.

The girl smiled and shrugged. “Thank you. But I can’t.” she said slowly.

“Why?” he demanded.

“You know the reason why.” she replied gently, cautiously.

He looked at her speechless.
“Look, I really thank you for loving me and I’m sorry, I ca…” before she could finish, he pulled her to his side and sealed her lip with his kiss.

He does not want her to continue.
He knows the reason.
Of course he does. And it makes the more reason why he does not want her to remind him with that fact on his face.

He pressed his lip closer, she feels so good that he does not want to let her go.
He pulled her in.
And soon, he found his hands holding onto her back and down to her waist as he pulled her even closer to him.
She tried to set herself free off his arms.

“Please…” she pleaded.
He grabbed her face and stared into her frightened eyes.
“Please…” she pleaded pushing him away.

He releases his fingers from her pale face.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “Are you okay?’ he asked trying to brush a hair from her face. She responded quickly with a hand “I can do it myself.” She said moving away from him.

She walked away from him without turning back.
In her rush she had forgotten to take her bag with her.
“Wait!” he called out rushing for her.
She pretended she did not hear him and quickened her pace.
“Fiona wait up!” he called out running faster. Then when she did not stop, he rushed forward and stood in front of her.

“What do you want from me?” Fiona asked irritated.
The man looked at her angered expression.
He was ashamed of himself.
“I’m sorry.” He apologized again.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You are attached aren’t you?’ she asked licking her dried lips.
“Aren’t you?” She asked when he didn’t say a word.

He nodded.

“Then what’s that for?”
He could not give her an answer.
“What happen to you?” She asked then finding that there’s no reason for her to stay, she took her bag from him and began to walk away.

“I love you!” he shouted behind her. “I just want you to know that I love you. Even all these while, I still love you.”
“Do you ever think about what your girlfriend is gonna think if she knows that you are saying all these to me?” she asked screaming at him. “You are horrible, Darren.”
“Then tell me what can I do to forget about you?”
She stared at him speechless.

Then after a moment’s thought, “don’t ever look for me again.” She said coldly.

There was a tremble in her voice when she said those words.

She didn’t mean to hurt him but maybe it is for the better.

He stood motionless as she walked with her hands clutching tightly to her bag.
He waited for her turn around.
She didn’t.
He waited a little more.
But still she continued to walk forward.
Dejected and hurtful, he began to move his numb feet, still with his eyes fix on her back.

Then as his eyes went into a blur, he turned his back to where she was walking and began to walk.


In a distance she turned, walking back a little to the place she had just left a few minutes ago.
She stared as his figure moved slowly, lifelessly.
She raised a finger to her lip to prevent herself from making a sound that will make him turned back to see her.
And then in the middle of the rain that had poured as if it knows what had happened between them and let out its natural cry, she collapses on the ground and cried.

In between her tears she tried to search a glimpse of him which has become a thin line among the crowds and wished with all her heart that he will be alright.


Yuliana :)
16/Jan/2011