C'est LA viE

The wonderful snow made my day, but the highlight of the night is my soba dinner!

At the end, I did not manage to prepare a hot soba, as I discovered the cold and chewy soba is so attractive to me!

Love the color, love the wheat, love the mentsuyu, love their combination!!

SO this is my first soba, and I am very happy with it!

here is how I match my soba, chinese pak choy with pre-fried tofu and mushroom, and of cz not leave out the wonderful mentsuyu!

when the cold soba was dipped into my pre-heat mentsuyu sauce, emmmmm, taste delicious and refreshing! Love the texture, and the wonderfully made mentsuyu!

well, I bought not much of chocolate, but they did cost me a lot! luckily I have a job now...

believe me, this is a necklace, see how distinct they are!

here's the proof! so cute right!? although this is not edible, but they did sell them....the price is about the same as those necklace u got from Diva <3

so back to the topic, this is the chocolates I bought home...=)

and this is the macadamia butter toffee crunch from Makana, Auckland store, it is so delicious, is a MUST EAT! Find out more here: https://secure.makana.co.nz/confections.aspx/NaturallyNutty/ToffeeCrunch

the love shaped chocolate is in jasmine green tea (if I am not mistakened) flavor, and the muffin-like dark chocolate is actually in sea salt caramel flavor! Check out their website: http://www.criollochocolates.com/home.html. Their chocolates are so elegant, because the maker is swedish! =D

And the chocolate rolled fijian cacao beans from She chocolat, felt the natural and earthy taste!

here's the website: http://www.shechocolat.com/shop/BUYCHOCOLATE/CACAO+BEANS.html

Chocolate mode: UPPPPPP!!!

Finally, I have make my first move to welly after staying Palmy for a month!

Last friday, well, I wore differently as usual, with my new black girly laced dress and legging, and cool boots to office...

and well, with my bulky tiny backpack too, as I am heading to the bus depart to welly straight away after my office hours... WEEE =P

I was so happy, haha, and left around 5pm and take the public bus back to square, and well was abit struggling to find a dinner option....hmmm....

then I eventually dined in sushi house at broadway avenue, with superb speed, haha, I think the cook is shocked with my ugly eating look =O

but thumbs up for his ultimate fast cooking speed with a delicious taste and appealling dish!

Then, I gone into the naked bus, and discovered that the seat is not adjustable.....darn, I was so tired, but still, able to sleep....

met paya at Wakefield st 2 hours later, and had my second dinner, phew.....the rojak at that Malaysian restaurant is not really great tho....

So the main reason why I am in welly was because of the first chocolate festival in NZ, I was super excited...

so now I will talk about this chocolate fest, so I spent 20 dollars for the entry, and well, I am confident to say: it is very worthy!

There were nearly 30 stalls, and most fancy and unique chocolates were displayed, we had the opportunity to taste approximately 2 pieces in every stall, and we did, as Nicole (a penang gal who I just met) said: we paid for this! True! why not?

here are some photos, but not much as we thought we were not allowed to take photos at first, then when I realized, it was too late....

entry to the chocolate festival (paya was not focused! haha)

the chocolate fest was actually held at inter-continetal hotel function room....suit the way fancy chocolate is...Elegant!

this was how the chocolate displayed, and now u know what i meant, is not just simple commercial chocolate, is all about fancy!

believe me, this is all chocolate!!! wooah!

If you think we were only tasting chocolate at different shop's stall, then you were totally wrong, you wont know how much did you miss out...hehe

There was a chocolate fountain which allowed us to dip in our mashmallow into, and there was chocolate tasting section, the special cook taught us how to taste 5 different types of chocolate in his authentical French accent...now I have learnt, even chocolate has it special way to be tasted.....This give me a great lesson: everything has it unique way to be learnt and appreciated....wooah!

the chocolate fountain!!

and this is 5 pieces of different chocolate given during tasting section, imagine how many times the demonstrator need to eat in order to show the audience the correct way to taste the chocolates...??

besides, there are different demonstration seminar, ya, although is 5 seminar continuously, the topics were totally different!

we actually went to 1 and a half, hehe, cz we missed the begining of the last demonstration, about how to make chocolate dessert with traditional old fashion way vs. with modern speedy way~ and ya, we got the chance to taste all output from the demonstration, yeah!

oooh....nitrogen dioxide? or wat? shit, my chemistry gone worst.....=P well, this is from the demonstration section, and below is the outcome! hehe, homemade raspberries sorbet, with chocolate mousse and chocolate! 

you wont know how much chocolate we had in total, until we were so full that we were not able to get dinner, so what a special day, chocolate had filled into my dinner plate

so, i met janis after my "dinner", and yes, even the pricey slices at Starbuck were not able to appetite me...haha

Captain America in the cinema theater was a very bad decision, cz that movie, indeed, SUCKSSS

well, this called balance ey, life is imperfect, so that we could understand, and appreciate and move forward to our life!

The nite was great at Janis house, we had abit of chat before we slept (dont get me wrong, in different bed!) Janis is a good treater! haha, and we had dimsum (finally) after so DAYS....and I am so falling to it, but actually the food there was not that good, and I still unable to eat alot...guest we need more ppl~

So, this time, I did not manage to get my lovely macarons, but able to buy many chocolates!! (You wont guest how much I spent...=P), and also thanks to janis, bought over 50 dollars grocerries at the Asian stores, the difference between Palmy and welly was so obvious!

Can't wait until the next trip to welly!

"when innovation shine"

This is the slogan of this year Fonterra superb event, an event which all the latest new product, technology or plans are exhibited~

at first, I thought I might not have a chance to attend, as someone said: " I don't think u can go tho, cz u are student...." yeah, I was tired to excuse I am no longer student anymore, and indeed I am not employed by Fonterra, so that's is no point to go...

However, when I was giving a chance by Alison, why not??

so, ok, let's go then...Although I was abit uncomfortable and lonely when I arrived at the race course, where the event was held. And I was also felt bored with the inspiring speech given by some "big person". However, I am still very impressed by the new products!!

Finally I realized, my passion, is still towards new product development! Woah, I am so impressed, and my curiousity just flow, so I asked questions, but not really get very well reply..The confidentiality somehow...ya....

But I am kinda unpleased by someone, yea, I might be the minority of panel that found the weird aftertaste on the new cheese product, but that doesn't mean that u can ignore my feeling!! And yet, u are very unprofessional to say that infront of me: We really dont like to have these group of panels..."

WHAT!? Don't you think you are unfair, and very bullshit??

Ya, there is the little negative part of my feeling through out this event, and I left earlier as well via hui's car

Although I am not lucky enough to be able to attend the night event, but I am happy that I am able to leave and take a break today without going back to work =P

I am heading to welly tomorrow, can't wait!! =)

Tamarillo, a cool name right? Not until you try the fruit....yes, it is a fruit, an unique NZ made fruit! Not sure if it is originally from NZ but, the season is here!

The fruit appearance is more like something not edible, well to me, it seems like....as it looks like some thing at Malaysia which always fell from the trees and no one seems like willing to pick them up...which equal to: not edible? probably is toxic?

However, Tamarillo is fruit and is edible, and is not cheap too! Regardless of the price, I decided to give them a try, and I bought 2 of them with the similar price for a kilo of kiwi fruit.....unbelievable!

I am happy with my decision, because it's worthy to eat...I would say it was kinda similar as passion fruit, but different from passion fruit. Not mentioned that it's unique purple red skin nearly dyed my fingers...wooah...

texture, hmmmm, firm to soft, kinda sour sweet taste, and with edible seeds like passion fruit....mayb just the passion is not that much...=P

I mixed them with my yogurt....perfect match!

check out more from the website! http://www.tamarillo.com/

looked like a red egg we eat during birthday, haha, with my dewinkel yogurt

a close look after the skin removed, well, actually we can eat it like kiwi fruit too, which u just need a spoon~