Flash back - Are you an emo?

Yes, we know that "emo-es" are another type of people

When you are sad and you complain about how wrong things are around you, people around you may call you an "emo".

To those who does not know the real term, it is not the abbreviation of "emotional".

E = mo squared. An overworked Einstein resorts to be an "emo"

Emo: Punk music on estrogen and a reason for boys to act like girls

I would not really explain the historical and politically correct usage of "emo", but what rather interests me is the fashion and stereotypes of people branded as "emo-es".

The word "emo" is associated with males and females who:

• Wears tight jeans (preferably dark)

• Have long fringes brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes

Emo hairstyles for guys. Never fails to attract "emo" chicks

• Dyed black and straight hair

Emo hairstyles for girls. Into it?

Think rimmed glasses.

Yes sir! Black = Emo

In the recent year, "emo" according to the eyes of the media, has been associated with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy and introverted.

They are even sometimes compared with mental anxieties and disorders such as depression, self-injury and suicide.

Emos hate themselves

Goths hate everyone

Emos want to kill themselves

Goths want to kill everyone

Quoted by Chelsea Lewis

"Emo-es" are know for being sad all the time

*Dude, I'm sad, I feel like cutting myself*

I hope that I have at least cleared up the meaning of "emo". It is a popular trend nowadays, which may be detrimental to the society (due to the mental disorders and anxieties).

However, if you just want to dress as one I really do hope that the above pictures and examples could be useful.

The most common definition of the word "EMO" is....

• When everything seems to go wrong, they will spend a lot of time unneccessarily picking about their mistakes, other people's mistakes, how the world can be a better place, how they could have changed that world, how other people can change their world, etc etc etc. The list goes on.

Don't be a little pussy! Meow!

• Honestly speaking, I can be an emo myself? When my results are bad or when I just wake up from the wrong side of the bed, I will just be a glum the whole entire day.
  

• The best solution that I have found? Grow up! I have become matured (slightly more matured, if you think I am boasting) in my thoughts. I don't have a STD - Self Transmitted Depression. I get over things fast. Follow the Joker guys! Why so SerIouSsssSsss?

Life may not be a joke, but why so serious?

So fellas out there, do you think you're an emo? If so, which type are you - A fashionistic self styler as an emo punk rocker? Or a glum sour grape who moans all day long?

You decide. As for now, I'm drinking some eno, the best solution to dissolve extra "emo-ness" left in my stomach.

Eno : Available at your nearest pharmacist. A cure all of emo-ness

For the original post, please visit http://amandagene.blogspot.com/2008/01/todays-feature-are-you-emo.html

Blogging stops here - For the mean time

This blog is temporarily out of order due to maintenance.

For the readers who frequent my blog, I am sorry to say there won't me any posts from the 15th to the 22nd of April as Amanda and myself will be in Melbourne.

BUT - We'll definitely be back with more pictures, stories and news! So stay TUNED!

P.S - But if Eddie (our kind friend who is willing to let us crash over his place) allows us to use his computer, we'll definitely upload some stuffs if we can.

My Life - In Pictures

Family

With the presence of my family, everything is provided for. Life is like a straight smooth road ahead of me where the directions were already planned. I can just choose to sit back and relax.

With them around, I am but a child. I fear naught a single thing when they hold my hand, not even in the face of danger or waves of troubles to come. For they are my parents and my whole world lives because of them.

Troublesome thoughts of a young adult - ME

I used to be a lonely individual. Standing in the open space watching crowds of people pass by as time flies. The world is cloudy and gloomy and compared to everyone, I was just a tiny being with no potential.

I used to think that I was just a normal person, an average, a mediocre. Life is like a coffee bean, where I was not unique. I seem to be like many others, trying to fit in becoming what others want me to become.

Life, back then was like an eternal sun-set. Everything was cold and becoming dark with not much ahead of me. No hope. No dreams. No life.

A new hope

The power of prayers never cease to amaze me. It gave me courage. It gave me strength. It gave me hope. All I had to do is to believe, try and fight for things that matters to me.

To me, prayers are like bridges, where it will bring you across troubled waters and to places where you can never imagine to be. And if you work hard enough, it will be and expressway bridge. (=P)

A dreamer. A fighter. An achiever.

People say dreams give you the idea, hope to give you strength and courage the wings to fly. It is true. My dreams and goals in life will one day come true and with the support of my family and friends, I am already sailing through the clouds.

I believe I can leave footprints in the lives of many. I believe that every thing I put my hands in, my earnest effort and solid strength in it will be achieved. I want to be a history maker where any mark I left behind will be always there.

People say rainbows are meant to be up in the sky but if I can touch them within my bare hands, then I SAY that rainbows can be made and dreams can be a reality. I am a fighter, I am believer, I am an achiever with the right goals and motivation in my life.

How I deal with a bad day

1. Smile. The most affectionate gesture that a human can offer to another in almost every circumstances - in grief, joy, sympathy, romance, etc. It lifts the day of another while it brightens yours. So why not put on a smiling face today?

2. Love - I do not hate the hardships I face, nor the people who are difficult to handle. I try to learn and understand the things that I do not understand. And if all fails, well, at least I tried my best.

3. Persevere - Like the wood-chopper, a goal can never be reached without perseverance. Tumultuous times call for the right balance of effort, self esteem and hard-work. All of these - to be at the top.

P.S - 1) Dear mum and dad, I miss you guys very much. Hope you guys are doing well back home. Thank you for the support although I may complain to you guys a LOT.

2) Dearest Amanda - thank you for the times where you stood by me when I am weak or to cheer for me when I am strong. You are one of my prayers answered - a lover, a girl-friend, a best-friend.

Orange creme caramel

Orange creme caramel - Note the different shades of it due to the caramel. Splendid!

This is a refreshing and elegant dessert that can be prepared a day before if you wish. It is perfect in making an ideal sweet finish to a dinner party.

Preparation time : 25 minutes + 4 hours chilling
Total cooking time : 55 minutes

Makes 6 (when using 125 ml ramekins or 2 when using 400 ml ramekins)

Ingredients:

220 g caster sugar
500 ml milk
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthways
grated rind of 1 orange
3 eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp of orange essence (or 1 tsp orange flower water)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 C

Always have another pan of cold water at the side of the stove to prevent the caramel from overcooking.

When the caramel is boiling, remove it and dip the pot into the cold water. This is to prevent the caramel from drying up and crystallising.

2. Prepare caramel using 90 g of the sugar and a tablespoon of water. After the caramel has stopped cooking, pour into six 125 ml ramekins. Tip a little to coat the sides and bottom of the ramekins.

3. Bring the milk, vanilla pod and orange rind to boil slowly in a small pan.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar and the orange essence until creamy.

5. Whisk in the boiling milk and pour through a sieve into a jug, discarding the vanilla pod and orange rind.

The ramekins made it easy to gauge the level of water need to filled in.

5. Pour the mixture onto the caramel in the ramekins and place them in a roasting tin. Fill the tin with hot water a third of the way up the ramekins.

In the oven at 150 C. Fan bake option.

6. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes (until it is not jiggly or no liquid comes out when you poke it with a wooden stick). If you are using large ramekins bake for 50 - 55 minutes.

7. Remove the ramekins from the roasting tin and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

8. To serve, run the blade of a palette knife around the edge of each orange creme, then place the center of a dessert plate over the ramekin and invert onto the plate. When you lift the ramekins off, the liquid caramel will run over the dessert beautifully. (Do it very carefully)

I miss Malaysia [Part II] - S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G!!!!!

Although Canberra is not a pretty bad place to live in (to some, it's almost synonymous to the word - BORING), one could feel that it is not quite like home - MALAYSIA!

The highway - on the way to Pavilion.

I need to feel the busy-bustling city life sometimes! Even Malacca feels livelier than Canberra! I really miss the part where cars love speeding on the highways (especially when they highlight you from the rear or show "interesting" hand language)

I guess being in a more civilized place (not implying that all Malaysians are uncivilized) means less interesting scenes can be experience when you are traveling on the roads.

Kuala Lumpur - Petronas Twin Towers. Home is where the heart is (excluding the hot-humid weather there)

I miss the tall building in Kuala Lumpur. The sight of tall buildings around you just makes you feel that "Yes, there is some life going on here. It's not a dead town" when you are a third year student in Canberra.

I really wonder (along with everyone else here in ANU) why the Australian Government made Canberra as the Capital of the whole country and the tallest building in the whole state is no taller than the Equatorial Hotel in Malacca.

But most of all (although it may sound politically incorrect as I am a guy), I miss shopping! Canberra Mall is no where near to the shopping malls in Malaysia. Now I know why Aussies flock all the way to Singapore and Malaysia to shop.

Here are some mega-malls that I really miss.

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

The deco in Pavilion - Elegant, classy and sophisticated

The podium set up for the Christmas celebration.

Malaysian shopaholics are jumping in the air with joy when this baby was built. The whole building was built on the ground of the ex-Bukit Bintang Girls School.

1 million sq. feet of land = pure shopping pleasure. It was a RM 3 billion project that consist of luxury residences, offices, a 6-star boutique hotel, a business class hotel along with a retail frontage.

One can tell how well the building is designed by having a glimpse of how the escalators are arranged.

The top floor of the shopping area - look at how big and wide the whole place is.

Here, Esprit has a store spreading over 3 levels. Other famous names that can be found here are Hermes, Montblanc, Escada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Coach, Burberry and Versace.

One thing important. The prices here are extravagant to the average consumer like myself. I went in one outlet to look at the price of a suit (as I needed one) Guess how much it is? RM 9999! Even the shop assistant was shocked reading that price to me.

So if you are pretty rich or just want to splurge, this place is certainly the place for you. If you are like me, well, there is a term called "window-shopping". =)

One-Utama

The view of the Christmas deco here in 1-U

The multi-story building is the place where you want to be.

With over 5 million sq ft of land, 1 Utama is definitely an international shopping and entertainment ground. Besides having designer clothing, it has other brand names that are more affordable. (Compared to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, a lot CHEAPER!)

This place is the mecca for events and lifestyle shopping. The shops here (in my opinion) mostly revolves around fashion, i.e. clothing, make-up, accessories, etc. They do have home-living shops as well where one can find nice furniture, home sound-stereos and D-I-Y equipment.

A close up shot on the deco - I like this shot a lot

The bird's eye view of the main area of 1-U where the Christmas deco was voted as the best for year 2007 (I think)

Among all the shopping centers up in KL, 1-Utama is my favourite. Why? It has a simple name: 1-U. Even cool shopping advertisements can be put up. U-1 go shopping? Go to 1-U! (I know I am lame sometimes..)

Mid-Valley Megamall & the Gardens

Dating in Mid-Valley - One thing I like best about Malaysia, NO UNI = NO STRESS!

The Christmas deco in the Center Court of Mid Valley.

Last but not least, Mid Valley is one of my favorite shopping places in Malaysia. With 4.5 million sq feet of land, it holds more than 450 stores in its five floors. Like 1-Utama, it caters to the mid-high income group although they do have expensive brands as well.

The best part about Mid-Valley is that our friendly KTM has a stop there as well, which is good for students. Other than that, it is a good hang out place as it is near residential areas like Bangsar.

One of the "Chimneys" in the Gardens.

Again, the complexity of the design of walk-ways between isles is one thing I love.

My darling - along the isle of the new Gardens.

The Gardens is an extension of Mid-Valley, where it is connected through a bridge and an underground passage way (from the basement floor where all the fast-food joints are).

It is like Pavilion Kuala Lumpur where it caters to the higher-income consumers. You can really see the contrast between the shoppers in the Garden and in Mid-Valley, in their fashion sense, attire and spending power.

I guess that's all for now, for those who are in Malaysia, LUCKY YOU! For those who are not or visitors to my country, this would be a good place for you to shop =)

Toodles~