I am doing an Angeline

Doing an Angeline means blogging about food in her trademark chirpy style. The techniques to doing it are:

a) Describe as if it is the best thing available on earth and that you would rather saw off your leg or go for lobotomy than to miss it.

b) Add as many "yummy(s)" as you can into a single sentence. For emphasis, add loads of exclamation marks. Do also repeat your punctuation marks.

c) Always pose with a "peace" sign. Preferably pose in front of your food.

And lastly...

d) Always end a post with a satisfied picture of one's self enjoying the food. Ignore people around you. Lick the plate clean if you must. Don't be shy.

Yesterday I went to a very famous tea house in Kyoto called Ippodo. It was a very, very old traditional tea house selling their trademark japanese green tea. Their green tea was divided into 4 groups: Matcha, Gyokuro, Sencha and Houjicha. Oh I was soooo excited and was dying to try them!!!!



Raving about this place simply leaves me so tired so I have decided to try their Matcha! I decided to try the koicha which is the stronger version of matcha and it is said to contain more Vitamin C than 1kg of oranges!



Konatsu had accompanied me to this tea house. Isn't it ironic it was me who brought her here despite her being japanese? I am such a shiawase!!!



Ok. This is a close-up of Matcha. The green stuff in the bowl is matcha, powdered green tea. The matcha is at first stirred into a paste using the "brush" provided at the side. When it reaches the consistency of glue, slowly sip and enjoy the natural sweetness of the tea. I was so happy and I loved it!!

After that, pour more water into the bowl with the remaining matcha paste and whisk up a storm until it is frothy. Yummy!!!!!!!! Enjoy the remaining tea by sipping slowly. At this stage, this tea is called usucha, which means a lighter and less strong version of koicha.

And.... the colourful looking cake at the side was a special Kyoto sweet! Its meant to be enjoyed together with the tea. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Finally, see how happy I was? I would definitely come again!!!!!!! Yummy!!!!!!!!!!

I have to admit its really hard trying to do an Angeline.

Girl, you are irreplaceable.

Listen to Marge, and you'll never go wrong!

Many, many years ago (I was 14 years old then) I was a hard core "The Simpsons" fan. I am still one now.

I remember vividly an episode from Season 4 called "A Streetcar Named Marge". I forgot precisely how the story went, but it was about Marge wanting to fulfill her dream as a Broadway actress but was met with indifference by Homer. Anyway, the main point was not about that.

In that episode, Marge was cast as Blanche DuBois in "Oh! Streetcar", the musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by the flamboyant Llewellyn Sinclair at the Springfield Community Center. In that musical, there was a song called "The Kindness of Strangers" which goes like this....

Marge [spoken]:
Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers...

Cast:
You can always depend on the kindness of strangers,
To pluck up your spirits, and shield you from dangers!

Marge:
Now here's a tip from Blanche you won't regret:

Cast:
A stranger's just a friend you haven't met!
You haven't met!
STREETCAR

How true.....



Konat-chan, thanks for visiting me!


Risye and Wei-bin




Nozomi-san and Sasaki-san at Kamogawa


(Most) Friendly folks at GES:




Hey girl!


Ladies! Please take your pick..


2nd round party at a local izakaya

Life is sweet.

Losing my religion

I am losing my religion.

Sakura madness has diverted my faith. The faith that I have held onto for as long as I can remember. The faith that I have vowed never to let go regardless of anything.

I have betrayed the spirit of Minimalism.

I have betrayed Rationalism. I have betrayed Order. I have betrayed Stability, Purity, Modernism, Function.








Kyoto Imperial Palace Park



Maruyama Koen


Kamogawa

Ornaments are a sin against humanity. As a practicing landscape architect sometime ago, I (as influenced by my mentor, alanis) was a reductionist and had believed that anything excessive is a sin. Simplicity is the rule. Industrial is beauty. Identity is an unneeded luxury. De-personalization is the ultimate goal.

I have sinned.

News!

Dear all,

Helloooo... I have safely arrived in Kyoto and is now settling down in Ohbaku, one hour away from the main campus in downtown Kyoto.

This is downtown Kyoto area around the new Kyoto Station building, which boasts a futuristic glass and steel structure with a 7-storey high elevator. I can't imagine that, so I am going to go check it out and will post some pictures soon. The station is the bluish grey building at the vanishing point of this pic.



Ohbaku where I am staying at the moment is a bit different from downtown Kyoto. It is a quaint little town surrounded by hills and bamboo groves. Its is very quiet here, the streets are narrow and buildings are only up to 3 storey high at most (or I haven't seen a taller one). It's a charming place and there are lots of cosy little restaurants which I have yet to try. Its awfully expensive to eat out here so as a result, I have only frequented the campus shokudo (canteen) or done my own cooking. I desperately need a rice cooker.



Cherry blossoms are blooming all over the place! Its hard to miss. It is just the beginning of the o-hanami season (cherry blossom viewing) and I'll be visiting Gion (home of the geishas) this weekend and Osaka the next.



Well, this is how my room in Ohbaku looks like. Its fully equipped with a little kitchen and bath tub to soak in, air-con, heater, 24 hours internet access, phone, refridgerator and other furnitures. Thank god for the heater and hot tub. I would have been dead......



As I live in the outskirts, the view from the balcony is not bad at all! Its great to escape from the fumes of KL to fresh, cold countryside air.





This is Kyoto University campus ground. Very lush and green.





Everyone here speaks japanese, and I had to depend on my instinct to guess what they are trying to relay to me. It does take a lot of patience so I hope that I won't run thin on it. As of now I feel great here and do not mind the language barrier. People here are very courteous and do go the extra mile to help when I can't find the way.

I MISS:

a) Little white cat


b) Miss Cat





anddddd.... ALL OF YOU!!