131: i ♥ tokyo — part 2

For many, the Eiffel Tower is the pinnacle of romance, the exact venue where some would imagine to be the perfect location for their ideal marriage proposal. And then there is me, whose romanticised view of a lighted tower comes in the form of its Tokyo counterpart, all thanks to the numerous J-dorama this cold steel picture-perfect structure has bore witness to. I remember while planning the itinerary, the mister had asked for places I wished to visit, and Tokyo Tower was the first to come up, sending the acrophobic me to scamper off wildly. Coming out of the metro, it was easy to spot it from the distance, and whilst I was lamenting about how it was not lit up yet, the long walk saw us witnessing the tower come to life, much to my glee.

We got the combination ticket which allowed us to go up the tower, as well as visit the wax museum in the building. Whilst the view from above was quite a sight, the symphony of orderly lights scraping the evening horizon seemed much too familiar to what we see at home for me to actually be blown away. The music from the live band performing was an attempt at creating a romantic and tranquil ambiance, which would have otherwise proved to be a winner if there had not been a group of international school teenagers / tweens running about, cackling beneath their Bieber-esque mops.

Tokyo Tower is a heaven for souvenirs, that much I must accede. The souvenir shop from within the Tokyo Tower viewing floor offered pricey tower-related knick-knacks, but the other souvenir shops from within the building were the ones to steal the show. We got a whole stash of food (think the yummylicious kasutera aka castella, the quirky banana-shaped chiffon cake filled with banana creme, and its strawberry-printed chiffon cake counterpart), and soon after traipsed our way to a makeshift portrait artiste we saw earlier.

My very first portrait done, and it certainly allayed some of my i-can’t-look-people-straight-in-the-eye fears, for I just laughed my way through the session, looking at the super talented lady (love her beret plus round glasses!) only when she waved at me to. And it most certainly helped that she made me look prettier and kawaii-er than I actually am. Haha!

113: i think happy thoughts … #16

Some of the patterns that have been on my permanent lovelist that I never seem to get tired of;– stripes, floral, and bows (lace and polkadot not pictured). And by the looks of it, the mister doesn’t seem to get tired of these either. He’s developed a keen eye for any shoes with ribbon bows, and showing the way, says “Go forth, my child.” Best shopping partner ever!

Question: Smaller (500px) pics — yay or nay?

108: doing that thing you do

Today was one of the many times a client asked if I was “doing this full-time” i.e. baking, and while it was perfectly fine, somehow I got reminded of nosy relatives asking what I do for a living, and how quickly the question would be swept aside without a definite answer. And that’s simply because apparently having a degree and a non-stable job is a huge no-no. That it negates having spent four years in a local university, and ending up “buat kuih” (loosely translated as ‘making cakes’).

With all the naysayers around, why do I still obstinately stick to this line? Well, here are the reasons I can safely say why I love my job!

1: It combines two of my loves; baking and craft.

2: It allows me to have my me-time in the mornings.

3: I get to play with my food, so to speak.
Or in this case, the mister gets to play with whatever leftover fondant I have.

4: I get to create, and see something go from pencil to frosting, from paper to cup.

5: I get an almost instant gratification from all the smiles, the exclamations, the sms and mail feedback, and of course, the little kids whose pretty dresses and chubby cheeks get smeared silly by my frosting.

106: if you go down to the zoo today

You’ll find yourself learning something new succinctly written on a wooden board, and learn that a zoo trip is never complete without a map, and plenty of directional signages;