It’s been a lovely Sunday morning and I’m simply loving life. I just had a whiff of my favorite perfume – Petite Chérie. I write this post in tribute of this scent, which never fails to lift my spirits and transport me to a time when girlish giggles became less naïve and more self-aware of womanhood beckoning. It is a series of bittersweet moments of self-realization culminating into the ripe reality that, the sweetness of girlhood finds its fulfillment in the abandonment of  frivolous pursuits, and that in fact, one can fully appreciate the joys of girlhood should one willingly, and even joyfully, embrace the “bigger” responsibilities and roles that womanhood brings. This perfume starts off with easy floral and fruity notes of peach, fresh-cut grass and rose, and then opens into more complicated layers of vanilla and a hint of musk, finally finishing off with sophisticated and deeper notes.

In the US, Annick Goutal perfumes are usually available at big department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman. I also love window-shopping online at Beauty Habit.

“Nature and its wonder guide me,
Perfume is the dream that I carry.“

-Annick Goutal

More specifically, Singaporean. On a recent visit to Singapore, a friend recommended Toast Box, a chain cafe (not quite like your typical Starbucks, though–and I will tell you why) opened by its parent company, BreadTalk. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable meals to start the day with.

BreadTalk is a boutique bakery in Singapore offering fresh, local creations (like Pork Floss and Curry Dozo), as well as creative renditions of more typical western flavors (Cheddar Double and Blueberry Fluff). Toast Box doesn’t have quite as extensive a selection of bread, but it does offer  beverages (like Barley Tea, Milo) and meals. Here’s a snapshot of some items on their menu:

What really had me coming back to Toast Box were these three things:

1) The coffee, called Kopi O, or Kopi C. This is not your “typical” coffee from chains like Starbucks, despite Toast Box being a cafe chain itself. Oh, no. I am no coffee connoisseur, but the Kopi was bold, deep and infused with layers of flavor following through after your first sip. The secret? My guess is a bit of chicory, and the preparation of “pulling” the coffee.

This method of “pulling coffee” reflects Indian influence prevalent in Singapore. This is also done in parts of Malaysia. The coffee is poured back and forth in containers with very long spouts, with huge motions of the hand. This is supposed to settle the flavor and heat, and create a thick layer of froth. It was definitely worth all the pulling – the coffee tasted wonderful. Here’s a video from maritzachan on youtube, about pulled coffee in Penang, Malaysia:

2) The Traditional Kaya Toast, which is perfectly toasted sliced bread with even layers of coconut, butter and egg jam. The result was heavenly.

3) And finally, Laksa, which is a spicy vermicelli noodle soup with coconut-based curry flavor. It also came with tofu puffs, shrimp and some green herbs. It’s an adventurous alternative to grits or oats, for sure.

And here I sit with my Folgers coffee and plain toast…ahh, the fantasy was good while it lasted. I think I’ll attempt to look for some coconut jam to replicate the Kaya toast at home, at the very least. Have a great weekend, y’all!

Toast Box
VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk #B2-34
Singapore 098585

But no, this isn’t going to be one of those fridays. This will be a hearty, healthy one — full of greeny-licious organic booty. The happy hour is from 10am to 2pm, outdoors, in a patch of green right in the heart of downtown Tampa. The market first opened back in Ocotber 2008, and is set to run tentatively until May 2009.  I simply adore the logo, which makes you think of citrus-scented orange farms and sunny days in Florida:

The logo was enticing enough for me to brave the “cold” and ( at 66°F, it’s chilly by Florida standards) venture outdoors to explore. Florida, being the agricultural state that it is, has the temperate climate to grow a variety of crops pretty much all-year round. Yet I am puzzled as to why locally-grown crops is not more accessible to your average Joe, or Jane. Shouldn’t this be one of the perks of living in an agricultural state — to have relatively easy access to local produce? I can very much empathize with one Chowhounder’s frustrations on the availability of local mangoes, for instance. That being said, it was with a mixture of anxiety and excitement that I strolled towards the market, in anticipation of what it had to offer.

It looks very similar to your typical weekend market with the nice white vendor tents. The atmosphere was very welcoming and laidback:

Colorful banners with my favorite logo were in the front, setting a casual yet festive mood:

There was a good variety of vendors. About a fifth of the enitre place was devoted to fresh produce — most of which looks to be locally grown, like the strawberries from Plant City. There’s a stall selling kettlecorn and boiled peanuts. Another selling british pies; One specializing in keylime sweets (yummy and tarty!) There was an Amish butter and German bread stand; A chocolate stand; A vegan stand selling oat patties, veggie burgers and other vegan treats; An ooh-la-la French patisserie; A sleek-looking spice booth, and there was even a booth selling healthy treats for your four-legged friend! There was a small corner for arts and crafts – like candles, ceramics and eco-friendly bags. Overall a great variety of vendors, I should say. I’d like to keep coming in the future and see the market grow to have more local produce. Below are some pictures I took. Enjoy!

Delightfully damn awesome — so to speak, is the Dubrovnik experience. 

I started on a journey around the world not in 80 days, but luckily, a little over that. My humble journey of sorts began in a place also known as the land of the rising sun, Japan. A group of young people and eternal young-at-hearts  boarded a ship called the Peaceboat, and found themselves amidst a hearty, friendly crew of Ukrainians and Russians, a lot of Japanese volunteers and a lot of young folks from all sorts of backgrounds all with a common vision – to understand and embrace the differences and similarities of our cultures and values, and to rejoice in the diverse circumstances we have all become so privileged to be a part of.

Dubrovnik from outside the walls

Certainly not the first, but one of the many stops made by this humble ship with a mission was a magical place called Dubrovnik. My first impressions of this town resting in the heart of the Mediterranean, were nothing short of spectacularly breathtaking. The grandeur of man-made edifices that have stood the test of time and history, stand erect against the soft haze created by the mountains behind the lovely Old City of Dubrovnik. It also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A View from the top of the Old City walls

Enthralling indeed, is this walled-city that has aged gracefully. It is a fascinating walk  through the maze of stone alleys lit with quaint shops, cafes and houses. But for the more zealous explorers, nothing compares to the walking the path right on the 2 km. wall encircling the Old City with a bird’s eye-view of the city-within-the-walls merging with the Adriatic shoreline. The wall runs from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. It is actually wider than one would think, and a lot safer than what you picture in your head when people tell you that you can walk on the top of the wall. At first, I was sceptical about climbing onto the top of the fort and turrets, but it was well worth the climb and the walk around the city. I recall vaguely that there was also a minimal fee to go up on the walls.

The city within the wall viewed from the top of the wall

And if you fancy the chilly waters of the Adriatic Sea, there are plenty of paths through the walls that open right onto the cliffs from where you can dive into the turquoise sea, or find yourself sunset-watching on a cafe that’s literally hanging on a cliff while you enjoy some coffee or if you’re feeling adventurous, some rakija.

It will be tough to leave the charming Old Town of Dubrovnik, but there are other places to explore, like Split, which is further into Croatia and a just a few hours drive away. Neighbouring Bosnia & Herzegovina has some beautiful, quaint little towns like Mostar, a favorite of mine. Montenegro is another place out there I continue to obssess about…

Ciao, Dubrovnik..

I find it quite the opposite. I’ve been feeling this constant, nagging guilt from neglected pictures that sit in my digital camera’s SD card from the year before last. That’s right, circa 2007.  So, I finally decided to pull up a comfortable chair, get my tea ready (and get another pot going–yes, it is a long task ahead), and finally dig through the thousand-or-so pictures.

Voila! What a pleasant find — pictures of the wedding program my husband and I designed and made from scratch, for my sister in law. She was one of those lucky people who had two weddings at-a-time, a Hindu wedding, and the other one, a Catholic wedding. Both were equally beautiful. Theirs was a fall wedding, with plenty of vibrant oranges, scarlets and gold highlights.

The programs were laid out on the reception table for the Hindu ceremony.We used paper roses and red-dyed raffia to hold the programs together. Every single one was hand-tied and knotted.

..every single one was hand-knotted and assembled by hand..

Heavy cream textured cardstock was used for the inside pages of the program.