The Emblem of Friendship

Just got this cute dolphin plush-toy from a Kalyana mitta of mine, Phoebe... =)

Thank you so much! and moreover, thank you for our friendship! I'll treasure it in the best way I can... :) Devi and Phoebe, may our friendship lasts... =) May the Triple Gems always guide your paths! May Buddha bless all sentient beings too! =)

"Dear Friend, Dear Friend,"
"Let me tell you how I feel,"
"You have given me such treasure,"
"I love you so... I love you so..."

~Song from Plumvillage Album~

"You, my trusted friend,"
"I'll walk with you 'till the end"
"On the path of freedom"
"Now and again"
"My happy beautiful friend,"
"I'll hold your hand in us we can depend..."
"Kalyana Mitra, please take care of me"
"We somehow share the same destiny"
"Kalyana Mitra, I'll take care of you"
"Beautiful friend, I truly love you..."

~My Beautiful Friend by i.gemz~

dv I vb

Sadhu...Sadhu...Sadhu... (Rejoice 3x!) =D

Fruit Sandwich Cake

My sister's boyfriend's birthday is drawing near. And what I admire and adore from this couple is that they always try their best to spend their times in some (many I guess... isn't that so sweet?? Aawwhh...*squeal*) special ways together whenever they have events to commemorate. =)

Learning that David dislikes sweet foods, this time, my sister prepares a handmade card and plans to make him sandwiches with his favorite half-boiled eggs. Speaking about sandwiches, I directly suggest her to make him a fruit sandwich cake instead, which I've read (and somehow wish to prepare it for a special bf later some time in my life... GG!!!... =P) from Delicious! - a comic by Yui Ayumi & Miyuki Kobayashi.

Okay, giving you a hint, Fruit Sandwich Cake is actually sandwich spread with whip cream all over its suraface area and inside filled with various pieces of well-cut fruits. Unlike the normal sandwiches, this fruit cake sandwich has piles of 6 or more bread/toast slices. So, it's a tall sandwich filled with fruit! =D

Here is the illustration of the sandwich:

Isn't that tantalizing??? Yummy! :D

Oh well, my sister asked me to try out the recipe that I've copied from the comic, and with very limited ingredients that I have... I... somehow... try it out... so, sister... wanna know how it turns out?? Just read out my blog! =D

Okay, I made it into like this:

But wait! I believe that yours is gonna be more attractive and tempting! This is because I ONLY prepare 3 slices, and I DON'T have any whip cream, and I ONLY have apples and papaya...


As the substitute of the whip cream, I use blue band margarine and let caster sugar spread and stick on the margarine layer.
And, I don't think I can finish all the 6 slices! that's why I only prepare 3 slices!
Also, too bad that the sandwich only filled with two kinds of fruit, with many colourful fruits! It will be more eye-catching! and of course tounge-catching! LOL! :D


Conclusions and Advices after trying this out:

1. Jie, if u don't wish to use thick whip cream to cover all the cake (it means that you still can see the sandwich, the surface of the bread slices), do cut more or less 3-5 mm (not too wide like in the pict) from the edge of each sides of the sandwich because it's much nicer to see the layers of colourful fruits instead of the plain bread slices.
2. But, if u choose to cover all the sandwich with whip cream... Do keep it a secret that it's actually a sandwich! Decorate it with cherry, chocolate chips, almonds (I think almonds or other types of nuts will do since he does not like sweets), sunflower seeds, crumbled cookies like oreo or anything that usually sit nicely on a birthday cake. While spreading the cream, spread it thick and naturally not too orderly, so it will blend with the nuts nicely. Do prepare candles! and wait until he cuts for the first cake (or maybe you should do it for him cause it's quite a fragile cake, use moist sharp knife!), he'll be surprised that it's no ordinary cake! It's fruit sandwich cake specially made by you, especially for him! =))))) Aaawwhh... co cuit.... :D ROTFL!
3. Do put it in the fridge for at least 30 mins before serving! There's no things worse than serving a fresh Fruit Sandwich Cake with NOT-fresh fruits inside it! And hey, it taste good! when it's cool! The fruits feel so fresh, and the cool sensation prevents the sweet whip cream causing you to become satiated and stuffed!
4. Don't cut the fruit too thin! you won't be able to taste it to the fullest! Well, not too thin, not too thick, just right. Maybe it's about 3mm thick?? or if you wanna make the cake looks taller, maybe 5mm thick? but when you arrange the fruits, arrange it in a packed position so that when you cut it, the sandwich won't tilt due to large-spacious holes between the fruits! Ooopps! :P
5. Try choosing fruits with different kinds of texture and taste. Like the soft watery papaya, and crispy sour apples combine very well. Or else, just choose his favorite fruit! and I think, do include watery type of fruit maybe like kiwi, etc. because moisture in a cake plays important role in indulging your appetite! and the best is, when the watery fruit is served cool, you will get the best freshness out of fruits! =D
6. About the bread, I'm not sure about using toast, because it will be difficult to cut it (I haven't tried it but it seems to be so...). If you insist on using the toast, maybe not too crispy and hard, just a light toast just to get the tasty colour! :D

Well, this is it! Fruit Sandwich Cake ala Chef Devi! (imitating Chef Farrah Queen... Kikiki... evil laugh... ;D)

~Good Luck! :)))))))))))))))))))) I'm waiting for the follow-up stories! :D~

Missing You

Missing You

In the middle of the night
when all melancholy feelings begin to rise

There's silence Duo from a Windancer...

I remember you
when Pastorale from Song of a Secret Garden vibrates through the air

Your favorite classical music...

Like an old-opened diary
Our memories flow like a Serenade to Spring

Do you remember the Steps...?

The innocent Hymn to Hope which sometimes may end up In Our Tears
hoping it remember The Promise it made

...of The Rap in the Celebration?

I may be a Dreamcatcher
but you are my Dawn of a New Century

Could it be the Poeme of Moving that they're trying to say...?

The mist of the rain
flowing gently like Elan in the Chaconne story

...Passacaglia to Sigma...

Sona, is it just a sonnet or sonata?
Always, You Raise Me Up with all Earthsongs you know

and here - I blow a brand new breeze of missing you - only - for you...

29 Oct 2009

*this prose or u can say a poetry was inspired by all (I hope) songs from the Artists of "Secret Garden". These instrumental songs are very well played! For classical music lovers, I think it's a good thing to listen to. Though, I don't know the genre of these music. Sorry... :( Btw, the missing you part?? I don't know, the idea just popped up when I hear the music.. =P LoL*

Falling in Love with Classical Music

Listening to Chaconne by Vitali right now...
just realized how 'sugoi' it is... :)
I wanna play violin like that someday...
but the most important thing, I want to play music to enjoy it and make people enjoy 'the gift of music'! :D

Chaconne,
its dramatic melodies,
changed to be a very smooth tones of silent night, gentle dip of water,
telling a story of its own

Falling in love with classical music?
I guess it's not that bad..
just realized that classical music is like the other music which tells tales,
but it's just on its own way of..

variations... surprises... gentleness...singing tunes ...
just love how it is... :)

A note from my notepad.. I suppose it was written some time on 04th September 2009

My mother said...

My mother said,

"...be strong, yet gentle..."

"...be a doctor who can play piano!"

"...be quick as the brief wind yet careful as the consummate architect..."

"...be shrewd, yet kind..."

"...share the Dharma to others, practice the Dharma ourselves..."

"...gather lots of money, give lots of money..."

"...ask for the hard ways so that it will give you smooth way in the future..."

"...dream and work hard for it..."

"...expect more from ourselves than from others..."

"...dealing with people: befriend to all, forgive, and let go..."

"...when working for others, give the best..."

.
.
.
many more

"...be someone who can sit on BMW and also public buses..." :P

Books and Classes

I've just got this book from ii Ling2, my mother's friend...

The Miracle of Enzyme by Dr. Hiromi Shinya, very worth reading for they who long for long-healthy life! :)



Even though, I haven't read and devoured the whole pages of this book, I'll make sure that I'll do.

Just wanna share 'bout several classes that I'm in charge..
chem 1n5 : the students are just so sweetttttttt...... :D When I told them that I wudn't be teaching them again, they texted me 'farewell msg' ... Thank you dear... :D
P.S. in fact, I'll be teaching u again! :D

chem 2n5a: this is the most quiet class, and I can get such a serious atmosphere that I need. I love teaching this class, because it's very in order.. :D

chem 2n5b: I must say that this all-girl class is quite noisy, so the material needed to be explained is quite far behind. However, I'll do my best! :D

IELTS g1: So far, this class is my favorite among all other IELTS classes. It looked like that they enjoyed Insomnia by Craig David! And one of the students is so cute!!!!!! :D Tiffany knows who... hahaha... but over all these people are fun! :D Love this class! :D

IELTS g3: This is the toughest class, because it's the biggest class! Actually, I must say sorry to this class. "I'm sorry... " This is the first class for every materials that I teach, in other words, a very fresh and new experience. And because of that the teaching style is quite awkward sometimes... I'm so sorry guys... but thank you very much for trusting me... I'll do my very best then. Oh ya, in this class there's a guy who looks like William! Ah, they just give the same atm! :D

IELTS g4: Last class but no least... This class is all-boy class. My senior said that they were naughty boys.. but they've done pretty well. This class is enjoyable for such a small class. :D

I'm sorry, I must be off now.. gotta teach 1n5 in 2 mins...

Hello.. just wanna tell you that

...there are a lot of things that I want to write...
... but once I sat in front of the PC...

...I simply don't know what to write...
...Sometimes, I consider it's very unnecessary thing to tell...
...Sometimes, I think 'the desire' to brag the things in my mind has just gone away...
...Sometimes, maybe it's I who are too lazy to organize this train of thoughts into words...

...anyway, what do you think?...

Another skeptical mind of me