iamthewitch.com |
- Basic Elegant Catwalk at Amber Chia Academy
- Cajun Cuisine at Secret of Louisiana
- Double Celebration at Jade Pot Steamboat
- Advanced Modeling: Different Types of Gown
- An Intimate Evening with Stephen Twining
- New Age Vegetarian Cuisine at Kechara Oasis
- Angie’s Wedding Dinner in Muar
- Smoky Eyes – Unveiled!
- Taal Volcano – A Volcano within a Volcano
- Touch Down in Manila!
| Basic Elegant Catwalk at Amber Chia Academy Posted: 20 Sep 2011 06:15 PM PDT  It’s time for another post on my modeling lessons!
Kit Leu – professional model The first thing we were taught was the elegant pose. Compared to the basic catwalk pose, the elegant pose requires both our feet to form a ‘T’ shape. One leg is bent, while the other straight, and the body should be curved in such a way that is sexy and slim. It’s not easy to maintain this pose for long – it’s tiring!
Doing the elegant pose Check out some of my fellow classmates attempting the elegant pose.
Carmen doing her pose
Stephy in elegant pose
Trying the elegant pose After learning the pose, we were asked to strut the catwalk in a slower and more graceful manner, as demonstrated by Kit Leu in this video below. Each of her step was sure, confident and oozed with sex appeal. Oh how I wish I could walk like her!
Kit Leu doing the elegant walk Of course, a beginner student like me is nothing compared to her. This was my first few attempts of doing the elegant walk in the first lesson. Don’t laugh!
witch doing the elegant walk One of the comments I have always received from fellow classmates and instructor is that I have stiff shoulders. I was asked to always relax my shoulders while walking, but I have never been able to do that. I thought my shoulders were relaxed but they still look rigid from the video. Why am I so robotic? *sigh* This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cajun Cuisine at Secret of Louisiana Posted: 18 Sep 2011 07:23 PM PDT  I have heard so much about Cajun cuisine from dining in American restaurants but little did I know that Cajuns actually refer to an ethnic Acadian group who spoke French and were immigrants deported by the British from Canada to Louisiana, USA. These Acadian refugees or Cajuns, have since adapted their French cuisine to the locally available ingredients such as rice, seafood and corn. As the saying goes, “food makes the world go round”, and Secret of Louisiana proudly claims to be the only restaurant in Malaysia that specializes in real Cajun cooking, bringing the best of Louisiana to our humble country.
Dinner by the lake Nestled in the quiet end of Kelana Jaya, this restaurant faces the calm lake with romantic bulbs that lit up to make the night warm and cozy, perfect for a comfortable night out with friends or family. I was happy to be there for dinner last week with a group of close friends, and after a long day at work, the atmosphere was just relaxed enough for us to kick back, have a good chat and a great laugh. We started dinner with Seafood Gumbo, a thick and creamy concoction of sauteed assorted seafood mixed with herbs and mozzarella cheese, served with a few slices of garlic toasts. They say food tastes better when one is hungry, but mark my words, this was heavenly! The creamy sauce that was thickened by the use of okra (Ladies’ fingers) was decadent to say the least – rich, flavourful and filled with seafood goodness, I simply could not have enough of it. Dip it with the crispy garlic toasts or just scoop it up with a spoon, it’s good either way. I lost count on how many spoonfuls I had, and sinful as it was, it’s worth the inches.
Seafood Gumbo (RM20.90) Next came the Hawaiian Pizza that paled in comparison compared to the stellar performance by the gumbo. It was a thin-crusted pizza, oven-baked with mozzarella cheese, diced pineapples and turkey ham over marinara sauce and later topped with more cheese. Even though the crust was thin, I felt it to be a tad too hard instead of the crispy texture that you would find from wood-fired pizzas.
Hawaiian Pizza (RM25.90) For a taste of real Cajun cooking, we tried the Blackened Red Fish with Cajun Vegetables, served with a sizable piece of snapper generously seasoned and spiced with Cajun spices, served with corn and vegetables just the way Cajun dishes are. The fish was flaky and fresh, and the blend of Cajun spices was absorbed nicely within, giving it a delicious burst of sour and savoury flavour to an otherwise simple dish.
Blackened Red Fish with Cajun Vegetables (RM36.90) Apart from the seafood gumbo, my next favourite dish of the night was the Rack of Lamb, made from specially selected New Zealand lamb racks with cajun seasoning and honey mustard sauce, char grilled until medium well. The whiff of aroma from this dish was salivating to say the least, and the combination of various spices and herbs gave it a multitude of flavours which was nothing less than outstanding. Impressively, the meat retained its moisture and juices, giving it extra plus points in addition to its amazing flavours. The only drawback, I have to shamefully admit, was having to share this out with the rest.
Rack of Lamb (RM42.90) Another star dish that night was the Louisiana Famous Shrimps Scampi, a pasta dish served with char grilled Sabahan prawns sauteed with cajun spice, tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic and parsley. The shrimps were huge and succulent, and the pasta was al dente with a delicious infusion of cajun spices. The flavour was tangy and savoury, and it was definitely a slurp-ilicious affair!
Louisiana Famous Shrimps Scampi (RM28.90) Last but not least, we shared a portion of the Original American Cheese Burger, consisting of a thick and juicy patty of pure ground beef served on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum and cheddar cheese. What makes this different from the other burgers I’ve tried was the cajun seasonings and flavours found within the beef patty and on the bun, making it soaked and soggy from all the juices, but in a good way.
Original American Cheese Burger (RM23.90)
Thick and juicy beef patty
Real Cajun Cooking The meal was not only fulfilling but also very educational. I learnt this much about Cajun cooking, and a whole lot more about American cuisine. Best of all, the wonderful company and the serene by-the-lake environment made this place ideal for great food and after-work drinks.
Secret of Louisiana Restaurant Secret of Louisiana Restaurant |
| Double Celebration at Jade Pot Steamboat Posted: 14 Sep 2011 06:27 PM PDT  Ever since last year, my fellow Twitter friends and I would gather to have a Moon cake Tweetup to share the joy of eating moon cakes. Each of us would bring one moon cake of any variety, and it would then be cut and shared with the rest such that each of us could have a piece of all the moon cakes brought. This year, it was made even more special because we decided to throw a surprise birthday celebration for Saucer. He, of course, had no idea about it because we only brought out the cake at the end of the dinner.
Variety of raw food for steamboat Last week, we had the gathering at Jade Pot Steamboat restaurant after hearing so many recommendations about it. What I love about Jade Pot is the ample parking space in the basement that is free. Besides, the environment of the restaurant was comfortable, air-conditioned and not very smoky.
Complete utensils for steamboat We opted for 2 sets of the set menu for 4 persons at RM89.90 since there were 8 of us. The first dish that came was also the only cooked dish in the set – deep-fried dumplings filled with minced meat and shrimps. These were gobbled up in a jiffy due to our hungry stomachs while waiting for the soup to boil.
Deep-fried dumplings The set came with many other raw items as well including fresh prawns, fish balls, sotong balls, pork slices, mushrooms, squid, stuffed bean curd, noodles and eggs. There were a few choices of soups available, namely ABC, Fish head with Yam or Tom Yam. Each table was only allowed one choice of soup but an additional choice could be added with a charge of RM8. We chose the Tom Yam soup and Fish Head with Yam – best decision ever!
Tom Yam and Fish Head with Yam soups
Deep fried beancurd skin What we enjoyed the most were the fish balls made from fresh and translucent fish meat. They were bouncy, firm and smooth, unlike the pre-made fish balls that we usually get from most steamboat restaurants.
Fresh fish balls
Stuffed bean curd
Sotong balls Another of my favourite was the ‘sui kow’ or dumplings filled with minced meat and shrimps. Dump them into the boiling hot soup for a minute or two and they would turn out to be succulent, juicy and flavourful. Too bad we were only allocated one piece each.
Raw dumplings
Squid, mushrooms and pork slices
Eggs, noodles and vegetables To be honest, comparing this set with steamboat buffet that is so commonly found nowadays would make it seem like very little food. Obviously, this is the case of quality vs. quantity. At Jade Pot, even though the quantity was limited, all the raw food used were fresh, and most importantly, their soups were extremely delicious.
Shrimps
Pork slices
Various types of sauces At the end of the meal, I couldn’t stop myself from slurping their delicious tom yam soup. I assure you it is pretty addictive!
Free refills
Boiling pot of goodness It was such an enjoyable and satisfying meal, not to mention the amazing company that made the night so much more fun! We were also there to celebrate Saucer’s birthday, so I reserved a Durian Cheesecake from PJ Hilton, which was collected discreetly with Caroline‘s help so as not to raise suspicion to Saucer.
Durian Cheesecake
The happy birthday boy The durian cheesecake was coincidentally the cake of the month at PJ Hilton, so it was a steal at only RM35nett! And it was sinfully good! We had nods of approval from everyone at the table, including those who didn’t even like durian.
Fluffy durian cheese cake Of course, how could we forget the other purpose of the dinner? Each of us brought out our moon cake and cut it into 8 pieces. Since we were too full to stomach the moon cakes, we each took a small piece of all the moon cakes and packed them home.
Variety of moon cakes
Funny Group picture! At the end of the evening, all of us left with happy smiles and heavier tummies, but it was all so worth it. So here’s wishing everyone a belated Happy Moon Cake Festival and Happy Birthday to dear Saucer! P/S: A few of us felt thirsty after dinner though, perhaps a sign of MSG? Jade Pot Dim Sum & Steamboat Restaurant (opposite Pearl International Hotel) |
| Advanced Modeling: Different Types of Gown Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:15 PM PDT  After completing 6 weeks of the Modeling Pro course at Amber Chia Academy, it was time to move on to the next level – Advanced Modeling course. The Advanced Modeling course is only offered to those who have completed the Modeling Pro course, and takes 4 weeks to complete. I have just started the advanced classes last week, and the first lesson taught us about the 3 main types of gown which are common in the modeling world.
Mermaid gown (Source)
Mermaid gown from Keith Kee The Mermaid Gown is a dress that shapes according to the contours of the body from the chest to the knees, then flares out to the hems. Needless to say, to wear such a dress one has to be very comfortable and confident with her body since it will highlight the curves and/or flaws. Most of the mermaid dresses also come with a tail at the back, in which case as a model, she will have to show the detail of dress during the catwalk.
Example of mermaid gown In order to present this gown, a model has to know how to kick the dress during posing so that the tail of the dress flares nicely on the floor, displaying the full design of the gown. Just look at the sample mermaid gown below, the details are amazing! The hemline and the tail area are so intricate that a model owes it to the designer to showcase them correctly or these details would be hidden from the audience.
Back view of the mermaid gown with tail The second most common type of gown is the A-Line Gown, where the dress fits the bust and flows out downwards to the ground, resembling the letter ‘A’. This is a very elegant gown and sometimes comes with a slit at the side or back of the dress. Similar to the mermaid gown, the A-line gown may also have a tail that needs to be presented to the audience. Since this gown has a slit, it is not advisable to kick the dress during posing. In this case, a model is required to use her hands to swing her dress such that it would present the tail to the audience.
An example of A-line gown Finally, the third most common gown is the Can-Can Gown, where it has a fitted bodice, defined waist and a full skirt. The skirt is usually lined with a stiff petticoat known as can-can or crinoline. The addition of can-can under the skirt means that the model would be wearing two layers of skirt and sometimes the overlapping of one over another could cause her to trip while walking.
A sample of can-can gown To present the can-can gown, a model has to use her hands to swing the dress while walking and while posing, to give life to the dress.
Back view of can-can gown Of course, what we were taught that day was all theory. Our instructor Ben informed us that we would have the chance to wear the gowns during one of our classes to put the knowledge to practical use. We’re excited! |
| An Intimate Evening with Stephen Twining Posted: 11 Sep 2011 09:08 PM PDT  Twinings, the world-famous English tea company, is no stranger to anyone who drinks tea in the world. The unmistakable tea bag and packaging is a branding on its own, making English tea accessible from every corner of the world since 1706. Stephen Twining, the 10th generation of the Twining family, was in in town for an intimate evening with tea-lovers while sharing his passion and knowledge in the art of tea blending and brewing last week.
Stephen Twining South-East Asia Tour 2011 The event was held at the beautiful Senja Restaurant, serving authentic Italian food with a gorgeous lake view outdoors.
Twinings tea and mugs The event started with Stephen giving a 20-minute presentation on the history of tea, the starting of tea room, tea library and finally, the tricks to the perfect cup of tea. It was amusing to know that coffee used to be a man’s drink while tea catered mostly to women back in the olden days. He went on to share with us the different blends of tea and how the flavour is replicated to be exactly the same no matter which part of the world you get it from.
Stephen Twining sharing his passion for tea Before he ended his speech, he shared with us some tips on preparing the Perfect Cup of Tea. One interesting scenario is how the tea pot usually ends up getting stained after numerous times of brewing tea. The common misconception is using soap to scrub the insides of the teapot to remove the stains but this will actually lead to your tea being infused with soap, hence destroying the natural flavour of the tea. What Stephen suggested was to clean it with baking soda and hot boiling water for 3 hours to get rid of the stains. Also, it was important to note that most of the English teas require 100 degrees C of boiling hot water for the perfect brew, hence we have to pour in the hot water just at the moment when it comes to boil, for it will not remain at 100C for long. This, however, does not apply for Green, Oolong and White Teas which require about 95 degrees C of hot water.
The Perfect Cup of Tea After listening to all the stories and history of Twinings tea, we were all hyped up to try one of their signature blend of Earl Grey tea. I am used to drinking Chamomile tea so the Earl Grey was a refreshing start for me. It had a distinctive aroma that could be distinguished even before drinking – almost citrusy with a tint of ginger-like finish. Needless to say, it became my favourite that night.
Pouring of Earl Grey tea
Earl Grey tea
Honey if you prefer it sweet – Sugar is a big no-no Stephen suggested the Earl Grey tea to be paired with the sweet and smooth Mini Creme Brulee, giving it a nice balance of flavours that brought out the contrast of sweet dessert and slightly sour tea even more.
Mini Creme Brulee Our second cup was the Jasmine Green Tea, which was refreshing and light with a delicate jasmine fragrance. This was paired with a trio of afternoon tea snacks which I loved! The scones were especially soft and crumbly, absolutely perfect with the strawberry jam. The tiramisu was delightfully creamy without being overly sweet, and had a base infused with Kahlua.
Afternoon tea food
Absolutely loved the scones
Perfect with Strawberry jam Our last cup of tea was Strawberry & Mango blend, which was technically not a type of tea since there was no tea leaf involved. It was fragrant from the strawberries, with a sour finish and was served icy cold for a refreshing twist. This is definitely for the health-conscious since it’s caffeine- and sugar-free.
Strawberry & Mango blend No points for guessing that the strawberry drink was paired with strawberry tarts for the perfect match!
Strawberry tarts After trying the different blends of tea, it was time for dinner. Senja prepared a 3-course meal for us, starting with Adriatic Seafood Soup – a hearty combination of mussels, fish and various other seafood in a delicious tomato-based broth.
Adriatic Seafood Soup There were two choices for the mains, either the chicken or seafood, and I picked the chicken. It was a dish of Chicken Breast with Cheese and Roast Potato, presented elegantly with asparagus on top. The cheese was half-melted, giving it a gooey and soft texture to the otherwise bland chicken. I personally thought the chicken breast was a tad too dry especially towards to the thicker middle part, so that’s where the cheese and gravy came in handy to balance it out.
Chicken Breast with Cheese and Roast Potato Finally, dessert was Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit Coulis. I loved this! The panna cotta was creamy, silky smooth and had a little bouncy texture. The thick paste on the side (coulis) was sweet and sour, making this dessert less rich and easy on the palate.
Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit Coulis
Selection of Twinings tea I have to say the tea-pairing event was a wonderful one, together with the knowledgeable and down-to-earth Stephen Twining. It was an experience that I will always remember, especially whenever I see the famous Twinings tea bag packaging! Thanks to Sue Lynn and Jeamie for the kind invite.
with Stephen Twining
Senja Restaurant
Stephen Twining SEA Tour 2011 at Senja Restaurant Senja Restaurant, The Saujana Kuala Lumpur |
| New Age Vegetarian Cuisine at Kechara Oasis Posted: 08 Sep 2011 09:12 PM PDT  Every once in a while, I’d like to detox and clean my body off from meat. This is when a vegetarian meal comes to mind. As much as I enjoy the occasional vegetarian food, I find it hard to find those that are not overloaded with gluten or flour, in their effort of making vegetarian food look like meat. In the quest to search for nice vegetarian food, my colleagues and I ended up in Kechara Oasis restaurant one afternoon for lunch. The restaurant had a comfortable and cozy ambience, with statues of deities (Tibetan?) decorating the place, giving it a calming and soothing feeling.
Vegetarian skewers? We chose the set lunch for 10 persons that came with 8 courses including one dish of dessert. The first course was the Mandala of 5 Prosperity, a platter of 5 mini dishes including vegetarian skewers, deep-fried Vietnamese spring rolls, stir-fried artificial meat and walnuts. I found the skewers to be pretty tasty with each piece coated with a dark, sticky and slightly sweet sauce. I believe it was made from gluten or seitan, since I found it to have a chewy texture that was quite similar to meat. The Vietnamese spring rolls were especially crispy with fillings of mushroom in a savoury gravy.
Mandala of 5 Prosperity The second course was Yam Basket with Kong Po Chicken, which was, unfortunately, made from gluten again. The gravy was flavourful and slightly spicy, while the yam basket was fluffy with a crispy skin. But I did not want to overdose myself with another dish of gluten so I only had a piece of it to try.
Yam Basket with Kong Po Chicken The next dish of soup was not in our set menu, but came highly recommended by the waitress. The Kechara Treasure Pot was a pot of miso soup with shitake mushroom, carrot, romaine, broccoli and round momos. What are momos, you ask? These cute dumplings that looked like ‘Xiao Long Bao’ were wrapped with potatoes, vegetables, herbs and cheese within. I found the soup to be light and refreshing, with a pleasant mixture of flavours from the mushrooms and vegetables. I definitely could have more than a bowl of this!
Kechara Treasure Pot
Momo – potatoes, vegetables, herbs and cheese The next dish surprised us for it did not look vegetarian at all – Miso Cod Fish came in the unmistakable shape of a fish fillet, complete with the fish skin on the sides. Don’t be alarmed, for this dish was actually largely made from soya and tofu, resulting in the white colour and soft texture. Apart from its deceiving look, this was just a dish of beancurd soaked with miso soup. It turned out to be lightly flavoured bordering bland, but this was to be expected for a dish of just tofu I guess.
Miso Cod Fish My favourite dish of the day was, in fact, the Mushroom Kai Lan. Yes, this is what I would love from a vegetarian restaurant – nothing pretentious, but just delicious and authentic vegetables cooked in the most traditional manner. This was done perfectly with big and juicy mushrooms mixed with young and green kai lan. The burst of flavours in every bite of mushroom was simply the highlight of my meal.
Mushroom Kai Lan Another dish with vegetables was the Golden Pocket Broccoli, served with pieces of deep fried mini dumplings filled with what I thought was potatoes, vegetables and some herbs. I loved the taste of the gravy which complemented the broccoli very well, but I thought the fillings in the dumplings were a little too starchy.
Golden Pocket Broccoli
Golden pocket? Lotus Root with White Fungus was another of my favourite that day, with a combination of vegetables and nuts that made this a crunchy and enjoyable dish. I loved the addition of macadamia nuts that also gave it a nutty taste!
Lotus Root with White Fungus At this point, we were all full to the brim but we still had the dish of Longevity Noodles to go. Most of us only had half a bowl of this and had to pack half of it home. Nothing really impressive with this noodle but nothing to complain as well. It’s just at after so many dishes, I came to realize that most of their gravy tasted quite the same? Maybe it’s just me.
Longevity Noodles Finally, dessert was Longan Sea Coconut served icy cold. Totally loved longan for its sweet and juicy texture. Perfect as a finishing dish indeed.
Longan Sea Coconut
Dining environment at Kechara Oasis The cost of the set menu was RM388++ for 10 persons, while the cost of the soup was around ~RM40. To be honest, this was definitely not cheap considering it’s vegetarian. Some of the dishes were executed perfectly, while I still have my reservations over gluten-inspired meat-like food. Perhaps I might just go for a la carte order if I return next time.
Kechara Oasis Restaurant at Jaya One Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine |
| Angie’s Wedding Dinner in Muar Posted: 06 Sep 2011 09:05 PM PDT  Let me introduce you to a lovely person, her name is Angie. She came into my younger brother’s life about 4 years ago, and eventually to our lives when she started visiting our family with him. Together, they have survived years of long distance relationship, from Perak-KL at first, to Perak-Germany, to KL-Terengganu and even Singapore-Terengganu. For 3 out of that 4 years, it was long-distance relationship, until recently when both of them moved to Singapore together. Finally, just last year, my brother popped the question and there they are now, together as husband and wife – after years of surviving the distance and time. And I cannot be happier to be part of this memorable occasion.
Choon Hoong & Angie It was last week that I attended their wedding dinner in Star’s Restaurant, Muar, which is Angie’s hometown. According to the Chinese custom, there will usually be a dinner for the bride’s family and another for the groom’s family. If they happen to be from the same hometown, the dinner could be merged. In this case though, both of them come from different parts of the country so there would be two wedding dinners to attend.
Pre-wedding slide show on the projector As with most wedding dinners, there was a projector set up with a recurring slideshow of their pre-wedding photo shoot.
Waiting for the couple to enter Pretty soon, the emcee announced the arrival of the bride, together with her parents. My brother, on the other hand, was standing at the middle of the aisle, waiting for them patiently.
Waiting for the bride
Entrance of the bride and her parents It was quite a touching moment to watch when Angie’s parents gave her away to my brother.
Parents giving away Angie They proceeded to walk the rest of the aisle together up to the stage, for a short cake-cutting ceremony.
Cake-cutting ceremony Then dinner was served! Some of the dishes we had that night included the Four Seasons Platter, the Seafood Soup (no shark’s fin) and Roasted Suckling Pig. Food generally was above average, with quite generous portions to go around. The most memorable one was the second final dish of Lotus Leaf Rice, which was extremely fragrant and nice, but too bad I did not have a picture of that.
Four Seasons Platter
Seafood Soup
Roasted Suckling Pig While enjoying our dinner, we were entertained with a very interesting group of musicians. Instead of the common 3-piece band singing love songs, Angie arranged for a traditional Chinese band to entertain us! It was really something I experienced for the first time in a wedding. Watch the video below to get what I mean. Traditional Chinese band playing ‘Oh Susanna!’
Even the emcee was a talented Erhu player After the first few dishes, Angie had a change of outfit and came back with a bright red evening gown. Look at how radiant she was!
Second gown of the night
Champagne pouring ceremony As usual, Chinese weddings would come with a toasting ceremony from the host’s family to the rest of the relatives and friends. Instead of saying ‘Cheers’, the common term to use is ‘Yam Seng’ in Chinese.
Toasting ceremony – Yam Seng!
Short speech from the newly-weds After dinner, we took some time to take photos of each other. Many have requested a full-length shot of me in Cheongsam, so here it is!
In white Cheongsam
witch & Saucer By 10.30pm, the dinner was over and guests started leaving the restaurant. As the hosts, Angie’s parents together with the newly-weds would thank everyone at the entrance for being there to share their joyous occasion.
Guests leaving the restaurant Before we left, a picture with the newest family member.
One for the album! I am looking forward to the wedding and tea ceremony that will be held in Kampar next week. Last but not least, CONGRATULATIONS to both the newly-weds! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 Sep 2011 08:12 PM PDT  Can’t believe a week of holiday just FLEW passed! Time does fly when one is having fun, doesn’t it?
Hair up in a bun Smoky eyes make-up required all the basic steps of nude make-up, except that extra steps were added for the eyes. The previous technique of applying make up base, foundation, loose powder, blusher, bronzer (shading powder) and mascara were all used in this make up.
Make up brush set
Eye shadow palette Sharon would teach me by applying eye shadow for smoky eyes effect on one of my eyes. Then, I was to repeat what she did on the second eye, which usually looked easier than done.
Before make up Everyone has different shape of eye lid and for my case, I had to put on the double eye-lid sticker to make my eyes bigger.
Smoky eyes It was also important to note that the edges of the black eye shadow should be as soft as possible. This means no hard line in between the shaded and non-shaded area. For me, the challenge was making the colour look evenly blended from the bottom to the top. Since this was black colour, any unevenness was very obvious and it was easy to risk looking untidy. If you look at the picture below, I’m sure you could tell which was side of eye was done by a professional and which was done by me!
Can you guess which was eye was done by Sharon and which was by me? The next step was applying liquid eye-liner along the edges of the eye lids, from inner eye outwards. Then, a light dab of white eye shadow just below the eye brow to create the deep-set eyes effect, before finishing with a layer of black eye shadow just beneath the lower eye lashes. That’s it!
Smoky eyes – first trial Last but not least, for a more dramatic effect, apply fake eye lashes to make the eyes even bigger. This is quite a troublesome process for me as I find it hard to stick the lashes at the correct place. But practice makes perfect, and I think I’m getting more comfortable with it now.
With false eye lashes During my fourth and final class, I was given a free hand to do my own make-up from the beginning to the end, without any guidance from Sharon. I was supposed to apply all that I’d learnt from the previous classes and demonstrate to her in a complete smoky eyes make-up. Thankfully, I managed to do a better job at blending the black eye shadow during my second try.
Smoky eyes all by myself!
Final smoky eyes make up If you’re wondering, the whole make-up process took me about 30 minutes, with more than 10 minutes on the eye make-up alone. *gasp* I believe it can be done in a shorter time especially after learning how to blend the eye shadow better. What do you think?
with Sharon, the make up instructor Note: This is Part 12 of a series of my experience being a modeling student at Amber Chia Academy. Check out the remaining parts here. |
| Taal Volcano – A Volcano within a Volcano Posted: 01 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT  One thing that makes the biggest difference when we are traveling overseas is to have someone local to show us around. This time, we are indeed lucky to have two exceptionally kind and generous souls, Anson and Aubrey, who brought us to several amazing places while we’re in Manila. After touching down, they picked us up from the hotel and told us that we would be heading towards a volcano – an active one, to be precise. We were, in fact, going to Tagaytay, a place with a slightly higher altitude that would provide a gorgeous view of the Taal Volcano within Lake Taal.
Gorgeous place for a cuppa From the city to Tagaytay, the drive took about 1.5 hours without traffic jam. Once we reached Tagaytay, I could immediately feel the temperature getting cooler. There were many places in Tagaytay that provided a gorgeous view of the lake but we ended up at Taal Vista Hotel instead. Located behind the hotel was a stretch of al-fresco dining area set amidst one of the most breath-taking views around. The greens, the blues and the cool breeze just made the environment perfect for an afternoon coffee.
Coffee by the garden It just stopped raining when we reached, so the air was still humid, windy and cooling. The temperature must have hovered around 24 degrees Celsius, which was absolutely soothing. The view from our table was pretty amazing, we could see the Lake Taal from afar, not to mention being surrounded by lush plants and greenery.
Lush greenery
Popular spot for photography
One side of the view Without much ado, I took the chance to snap some pictures of the Taal Volcano before the sky got darker. Taal Volcano is an active complex volcano located in the island of Luzon, Philippines. Within the Taal Volcano is a crater, which is also the world’s the largest lake within an island (Volcano island) within a lake (Lake Taal) within an island (Luzon island). Are you confused?
Spot Taal Volcano in the middle! Surrounding the Taal Volcano is Taal Lake, which was formed by eruptions between 500,000 to 100,000 years ago. This lake is now home to some of the freshwater fish species, which explains the numerous fishing activities and traps found on the shores of the lake. The Taal Lake, on the other hand, is situated on a larger island called Luzon in the Philippines. Therefore, the crater in the Taal Volcano becomes a lake within an island on a lake within an island.
Taal Lake
Fishing activities around the banks of Taal Lake We were there at about 5+pm and realized that the sun actually started to set at 5.45pm, much earlier than the Malaysian sun set time.
A closer look at Taal Volcano Sitting on the edge of the hotel, looking towards the Volcano and the lake on a calm and cool evening while sipping my hot Mocha was more than I could ask for on my first day in Manila. If only the sky was less hazy/foggy that evening, the view would have been more spectacular. Still, I was contented just to be there witnessing the amazing work of nature.
Cafe Mocha (~90peso)
San Mig Light (100peso or 188 peso for all-you-can-drink during happy hours!)
with the lovely couple from Manila I could not get enough of the crisp and clean air that I wished I could stay on longer, but it was time for dinner! And Anson brought us to the this exquisite and charming French restaurant nearby that I could not stop raving about until now. But that is certainly another story for another time!
Saucer and with with the Taal Volcano
The magnificent Taal Volcano on Lake Taal The only drawback about this place is the transportation getting there. There is apparently no public transport going to Tagaytay so it would seem that the only way getting there is by a taxi? Correct me if I’m wrong though.
Entrance to Taal Vista Hotel For more information about the hotel: www.taalvistahotel.com |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:18 PM PDT  First of all, Selamat Hari Merdeka or Happy Independence Day to Malaysia! This year marks a special double celebration for those of us in Malaysia since our Independence day coincides with the Hari Raya celebration, which meant a longer stretch of holiday, not to mention the multitude of lemang and rendang as well. As for me, to enjoy my week-long break, I am now in Manila! We just arrived yesterday and boy, was it a long day! Flight was at 7.55am, which meant we had to wake up by 5am to go to the airport. Since we took the Air Asia flight which landed in Clark, we had to endure a 2-hour ride to Manila. *yawn* Along the way, look what I saw – Mexico! Little did I know that there was a Mexico in Philippines as well.
Mexico in 1km?
Exit to Mexico On the way to Manila, we stopped by for lunch since I was famished. We only saw fast food outlets in the nearby shopping mall, so we settled for Kenny Rogers which was supposed to be a healthier option. I was surprised to find out that they serve Pork Ribs here, along with their Rotisserie chicken.
Crowded Kenny Rogers The serving of pork ribs was pretty generous, and the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. Saucer thought it was a tad too dry though, but nothing some gravy can’t fix!
Chicken and pork ribs combo Another hour or so drive towards Manila and we’ve reached our hotel! We are staying at the Edsa Shangrila, located just next to the Shangrila Plaza and across the street from Megamall (both of which I intend to visit soon!).
Our room Our room was relatively spacious, with a large King-sized bed with 4 plush pillows and comfortable sheets.
King-sized bed I was surprised to find that they are still using CRT TV in the room instead of LCD or Plasma. Not a major complaint since I won’t be spending much time watching TV in the room.
Spacious double room
Lazy chair by the window
Study desk
Coffee/tea making facilities Coffee and tea are provided, together with 2 small bottles of water daily. The snack bar is well-equipped together with a section with mini liquors, but everything comes with a price of course!
Complimentary water
Snack bar
Mini bar price list (Current conversion rate: 100peso = RM7.02) As with other Shangrila hotels, bathrobes are provided together with comfortable bedroom slippers. Shoe-shining service is complimentary as well!
Bath robes
Bedroom slippers and complimentary shoe-shining service The bathroom is spacious with a full-sized bathtub within, complete with hot and cold shower. My only gripe is that they don’t have a proper toilet stall for the WC.
Shower and bath tub
Wash basin and WC
Toiletries provided Our room faces the city, which meant seeing cars and buildings every day when we wake up. Perhaps a better choice would be the garden view or the pool view, don’t you think so? I wouldn’t want to get stressed by looking at the Manila traffic jam every morning
View from the room We went out right after checking in yesterday, and came back only around 10pm to find our bed nicely turned down for the night, together with warm lights switched on. Such a thoughtful gesture by the housekeeping staff. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should get myself ready to explore the shopping malls nearby! Update soon!
Time for bed! *P/S: Let’s hope I have the courage to eat a balut while I’m out! |
It was my second class for the 
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