Basque Cheesecake

Because all the supermarkets have stocked up their cream cheese and I was craving for some cake and I have nothing to do during my break so...

Burnt cheesecake with a molten center.

How to lose weight like that.

New computer!

During the stay home/CB period I was watching a lot of shows and doing a lot of shit online using my laptop and somehow the lag started to annoy me, like my shows would be laggy and the websites were laggy. I thought it was a good time to change my laptop.

I still love my Asus laptop, it has been 8 year and it has been through Shanghai with me. When I came back to SG, I took out the battery and it has been on my table ever since. I have no need to bring with me outside (unless I move overseas again) so I've decided to replace my main computer with a desktop - which is more powerful and probably cheaper and bigger screen. My laptop could be my backup - it is still working fine.

So long story short and many visits to Funan and many nights of surfing Carousell, I settled on either a all-in-one desktop or building my own. But building my own I have to get my own monitor and stuff so it's a hassle, and I was already enquiring this AIO lenovo desktop from somebody in Carousell so I decided to just stick to the AIO. It's either the $1300 brand new Lenovo AIO or the $980 AIO from Carousell which I'm quite satisfied but not satisfied with no SSD. Turns out, she reduced the price to $780 and it comes with a 3 year warranty - so I thought ok I can make do without the SSD since it's so cheap and I wouldn't get the one with SSD for another $600.

Apparently she was selling on behalf of her company because the company closed an office and were trying to get rid of assets, so I negotiated the price down to $700 and went to collect it. I just finished setting it up and transferring my files from laptop yesterday and found out: it came with SSD!!! Woohoo. I got a really good deal yayness.

I love the big screen, I love the fast response and I love the 24inch touch screen! One of my proudest buys from Carousell. One word for the big screen - SHIOK.

Last day, massage, Sentosa

21 July was my last working day in my current company. After replying a few emails and having a call with my boss, I passed the laptop to my team mate and dropped my staff pass and clearance form in office, cleared out my desk a little and went for brunch with Brian. The start of a 2-weeks break.

I feel:

relieved - I am cleared of all my work responsibilities and I don't have to work for 2 weeks but I'm getting paid from my untaken leaves.

anxious - I couldn't sleep because it's a jobless mode and I'm nervous about my next company and they didn't advise me what to do on my first day. 

clueless - what can I do for 2 weeks without going overseas?

So after brunch I already booked a massage session. My first massage in Singapore which LJ introduced.

It was the chinese kinda massage where they used their arm bones and knuckles and rub against your bones/spine. My masseur was a chinese lady and I was glad she was chatty all the way if not I would have been very bored and awkward because she was massaging my butt. She was strong too, and when she did my hip and waist it was so painful. She said it was because we have been sitting down too much for work and my butt needs work lol. No happy ending because this is a clean place.
Overall for $64.20, good, clean and strong massage for Singapore standards. No pushy packages too.

The next day, I had to go to the beach. Nigel just came back from Shanghai and we had a lot to catch up on. To be honest, I hadn't chilled at Sentosa beach for the longest time. The last time was Secondary school, some 18-20 years back. I have only been to TBC to eat something but not chill. I'm totally not a beach person but Nigel and I had a day bed. Together with truffle fries and a bottle of moscato, the amazing weather, it was really wonderful.

Oh well. The things you can do in Singapore when you can't go overseas. Spending the travelling budget in Singapore and being a tourist in Singapore.

Chocolate cake achievement

I saw Lace's chocolate cake on instagram one day and I was really craving for it but I didn't want to wait (or pay) for the chocolate cake so I decided to look for the recipe and try it out myself. I also found out that I have chocolates in the fridge which had expired by 3 years but it was expensive chocolate and I didn't feel any discomfort after eating one that day so...

I posted the whole baking process on IG and somebody forwarded it to Lace and then my IG messages were bursting. Just look at that beautiful chocolate cake - made with premium Belgium chocolate (55% cacao), multi-texture with a molten center.

Lace even said mine looks more like the Tokyo version than hers and totally nice for a first try. And it taste differently when it's cold - like a chocolate truffle cake.
Another of my proud baking achievement. I have friends texting me, 2 orders coming in and a cousin to teach and ingredients to buy.

tummy

Honestly why is my tummy still there??? Argh!!!!

I mean my arms looks great, my shoulders looks great, why is there still a layer of fat around my tummy??? I have put some effort in my meals, albeit cheating just a little bit like eating a gummy worm during tea break but I have also been going to the gym for a few years but my tummy is still there!!! Why!!!

This is so unfair. Some people just go to the gym for less than a year and they got like a six pac but mine is still one whole pac. I can't believe this. Why can't I get rid of my tummy?? What's wrong with my body!!

CB over, stay home or not?

CB is over.

On one hand I wish to wear my nice clothes and go out with my friends, go for a nice meal/cafe/drink and catch up with them.
On the other hand I just want to stay at home and not spend any money and just leech on my parents and stay out of contact from the world.

Sigh such a dilemma. I really like not having to spend any money, not having to waste money and time travelling. One tap on the ezlink card is easily $1.50 already and going out would cost at least $20, including travelling. It's not that I can't afford, it's just... the feeling of saving that $10 for something that I need (all the heavy stuff that I mentioned earlier) is much more satisfactory than one meal.

Last weekend I just spent $70 on a Saturday from dim sum with LJ and Reika and Caleb the cutie, and some Japanese coffee with Paeng and grocery shopping. That's almost what I spent for entire 2 weeks during CB. And also, I wonder if it's the anti-social me talking. Going out to socialise is so tiring. I'd rather stay at home or go to a cafe to read a book or watching a movie and not talk to anyone lol.

Many things to buy

The most exciting news for me in phase 2 is the re-opening of the library!! I can't believe I am saying this but I miss the library so much. The day before CB I specially went to borrow 6 books but I finished them all by end of May and I had to resort to opening Becky's unsold books and also e-books. I was thinking of getting a tablet or ebook for reading but nah, I prefer physical books and turning the pages. I rushed to the library on the first day of re-opening (1 July) during lunchtime because I was still "working from home" and borrowed 7 books immediately. I am so relieved the library is opened.

On another matter, I really have so many heavy things to buy now.

1. Ski Jacket. Yes I have been using mine for 3 years already - total of 4 trips and earlier this year I posted my snowboarding photo and Alan asked if I took the photo last year and pretended I was in Japan -_-. Yes I need a new one to alternate. And Viv also encouraged me. So yeah. I have shortlisted 3, but 2 of them I have to collect in Japan. I don't know when I will be in Japan again.

2 Computer. My laptop has lasted me for 8 years. It has been working well actually, just super laggy and it affects me watching my shows. I decided I don't need another laptop and have also shortlisted some all-in-ones and a mini computer. Now I just need to order and collect but I'm just hesitant which one to get. I'm so used to my current Asus laptop. I need to decide and collect it when my work from home arrangement ends.

3. Work bag. My trusty Jack Spade Messager bag has been with me for more than 5 years and never failed me at the workplace. I mean it's still good, just a bit dirty and limited edition now coz Jack Spade is closed, and now I have new requirements for my work because I want to bring lunch to work. That means I need a work bag that can accommodate my lunchbox. Well I'm not in a hurry for this though. I'll need to go to my new work place and have a look.

4. That pair of white sneakers. Ok it's a want not a need.

Shows

Over this stay home period I have finished watching:

1 season of Locke and Key
3 seasons of The Leftovers
4 seasons of Star Wars Rebels
1 season of Star Trek Discovery
2 seasons of Fleabag
3 seasons of Killing Eve
2 seasons of Succession
2 seasons of Downton Abbey
Crash landing on you
Descendants of the Sun

Wow. TV watching galore during CB.