化妝水面膜
I read 美肌有道 by 佐伯千津 after I heard my relatives talking about it during Chinese New Year. It’s a Japanese comic book about beauty tips.
The craziest thing is to tear a piece of cotton pad into 5 pieces in order to cover the whole face as a facial mask. My cousin tried it. Obviously it takes some practice to tear cotton pads into five pieces. So she split hers into 3 pieces which failed to cover the whole face. The uncovered parts of the face appeared darker after 3 minutes. It proved that the facial mask worked – just for the parts that’s covered though…
I plucked up my courage to try this trick today. To ensure I wouldn’t commit the same mistake of my cousin, I bought some cheap cheap large cotton pads from Mannings. I tore each piece into 2 – that’s all I managed to do. I used a few cotton pads for my facial mask and waited for the mandatory 3 minutes.
It worked!!!! My face was glowing, feeling more hydrated and bright afterwards. I’d keep trying for a few days until I find myself too pretty… : ) That may take more than a few days, or may never happen…
So I decide to scan the page and share with you on this blog. Give it a try.
As a lawyer, I need to include the disclaimer below:
“The writer of this blog takes no responsibility for the contents of this
blog, makes no representation as to its accuracy or completeness
and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever
arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of
this blog.”
… For those normal people who don’t know and for those extremely sad people who know, the above disclaimer is taken from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Rules!
Nigella Express
This is one of the best recipe books I have ever bought. I have tried quite a few recipes in it, and all have proven to be utterly successful. Easy and quick to make, and very tasty!
I tried one recipe tonight, and here it is (with my own adaptation):
Spaghetti with Prawns and Chili
(Serve 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course)
Ingredients:
200g prawns, peeled
30 ml oil
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
8 hot chillies, finely chopped
200g sunblush tomatoes (see tips below)
125 ml white wine
50g rocket leaves
- Cook pasta according to packet instruction.
- Fry garlic, spring onion and chillies for a few minutes.
- Tip in the tomatoes and the prawns, fry for about 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and let it bubble up. Add the rocket leaves and stir until wilted a little.
- Drain the pasta when ready, toss in the chilli-prawn pan.
Tips:
- I added the heads of the prawns to the sauce for extra flavour.
- 8 hot chillies are quite a lot. Use less if you don’t like spicy food. Chillies and prawns go very well together.
- Chopping up chillies can make your fingers feel very hot. Either chop up very quickly, or protect your fingers with gloves or plastic film. (I did none of the above then I stupidly took out my contact lenses – it really stung my eyes!!!! Don’t try it!)
- Sunblush tomatoes are made in this way: Preheat the oven to 220C. Cut cherry tomatoes into half and sit them cut side up in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 30 ml olive oil. Put tomatoes in the oven, immediately turn off oven. Leave them in the oven overnight or for a day without opening the oven door. This intensifies the tomato flavour. I totally fall in love with it!
The dish smelt so good that I couldn’t wait to eat. I forgot to take a picture of the dish. Anyway, I will make it again and I will upload a photo of the dish when I make it next time. : )
If you are interested in other recipes in the Nigella Lawson recipe book, just go the library and borrow it. After all, we pay taxes and public library is one of the few public facilities that we actually use!
How to stay happy in a relationship (3)：Be Loyal
虎年忌木。Tiger + Woods，對配偶不忠，定必身敗名裂，大凶！
It seems so obvious that loyalty is the backbone of a relationship。個個人結婚時都立誓要從一而終，只願一生愛一人。但事實上，不忠的男女又真的有千千萬萬。每年都不知有多少段婚姻是因為有第三四五者而破裂。Why?
我估要解答why，可先從why not想起。
不知道大家有没有同感，尋覓對象是一個很費勁的過程，又要make sure自己attractive，又要去social，務求可以在最優質的環境吸引到最高水準的perfect match。拍拖分手再拍拖，都幾傷心傷神。千辛萬苦找到了Mr/Mrs Right，settle down就不用再出去覓食，可以將energy focus on other things。Why bother to find other people outside of the relationship?
找個對象難，找到了，要經營維繫一段關係更難。兩個人相處時，總會有不同的意見和處事方法，要一段時間去互相了解，互相磿合。有些couple天生一對，可能花less effort，但很多couple都會要一段頗長的時間互相遷就，繼而慢慢改變，可能會改變到習慣了對方的方式而忘記了自己正在遷就。這個過程，不是每一對都可以pass，未能過關的會break up，然後又返回尋覓對象的stage。所以找到一個可以快樂地一齊生活的人，就不應輕易放手，心思思去試下外面還有没有更好的人選。
兩個人一齊長久了，總會遇上風浪挫折。我們就是從這些難關中成長起來，感情因而變得成熟。一段成熟的關係，有過去，有將來。反之，婚外情没有過去，没有將來。
Morally人類是mate for life。當然現今社會mating與lifetime commitment已不完全有關係。但大致上，我們還是相信一夫一妻制度，婚姻是不容許第三者介入。因此，如果你要容許有第三者，你就要接受你的老婆或老公有權walk away。為了一時之快而放棄花了無限心思和時間去經營的關係，計落好唔抵。咁蝕底的事，理智的人又點會做呢？
所以想來想去，我想不到disloyal的好處，就不如stay loyal啦。Put it this way聽落好passive，但就是這麼簡單的公程式。Loyalty = Stability，達到 equilibrium state，最平衡最安心的境界。
我不相信所有對配偶不忠的人都是喪心病狂失去常性的蠢人。我估總會有一些理性的聰明人，想過計過之後會覺得不忠好，選擇不忠。暫時我都未試過有一刻有這樣的conclusion，所以不能理解。有時有些事想不明白，對我，對我的marriage，未嘗不是一個blessing呀。
Brunei – Practical Information
Planning a trip to Brunei is easy. I share with you in this blog some practical tips when planning a trip to Brunei.
Travel books
Brunei is not big in tourism, there is only limited tourist information on the country. I bought a pdf version of the Brunei chapter on the Lonely Planet website, which costs me only US$1.75. It provides sufficient information to plan the trip so I didn’t read the Borneo Lonely Planet guide.
Flight
Royal Brunei Airline codeshares with Dragonair and flies direct to Bangar Seri Begawan. I booked my ticket on Royal Brunei Airline’s website, which mysteriously costs less than the Dragonair flight, even though they actually are the same codeshare flight. It costs me only $1800 for the air ticket (including taxes and charges), while it uusally costs more than $3000. Just keep checking until you find dates that have cheaper flights if you are flexible. Flight duration is 3 hours, but flight times are not that good. Departure flight leaves HK around 3pm. Return flight leaves BSB around 11am. So there is not much you can do on the first and last days of the trip apart from flying.
Hotel
MUST STAY at the Empire Hotel. I stayed in Sheration and went to visit another 5-star hotel Rizqun Hotel. Empire Hotel is so much better than the other two 5 star hotels, but doesn’t cost much more. Empire Hotel is further away from the city centre, but it is served by public bus. It is worth spending the extra time to travel to the Empire Hotel. The sheer extravagance of the hotel makes it a tourist attraction in its own right.
For budget travelers, 3-star hotel costs around HK$400 a night. However, smoking is very common in Brunei, so don’t be too upset if your room smells of cigarette. You get what you pay for. [click title for more......]
汶萊(2010年2月4日)
最後一個full day in Brunei，由Empire Hotel搬去市中心的Sheraton，the only international five star hotel in Brunei。我之前住過世界各地不少Sheraton，所以都知what to expect，但我真的taken by surprise，這是我住過最醜樣的Sheraton，都不知何來五星級！個泳池細到似魚缸，都幾失望。香港有不少平一點的旅行團不住Empire Hotel而住Sheraton，真是天淵之別，千萬不要揀不住Empire Hotel的旅行團呀！
BSB是一個很unique 的亞洲首都，没有大城市的感覺。因為蘇丹不准許有高樓高過清真寺，所以最高的buildings都只是十幾層。我們熟悉的銀行都exist in BSB, Standard Chartered, HSBC, Citibank,全部都有亞拉伯文名，都幾得意。
走在街上，是感受不到汶萊的財富。街上的車都很舊，是舊到不會在香港見到的。人們衣著十分樸素，我没有見到人穿名牌。街上的人我看不出他們富有，但就感受到大部份人都生活安定，個個人都面帶笑容。去了幾日，未見過beggar or poor people，是少有的Asian city。地方sanitise到似Sinagpore，但比Sinagpore有character。
在city行下映下相，主要interest是水上村Kampong Ayer。對岸看來似木屋的urban slump，居然住有很多原居民，他們不是窮人，而是真的喜歡住在那環境的水上人家。政府甚至會在水上興建新的公共房屋去滿足本地人的taste。來往Kampong Ayer靠小小的木船，條河very busy。我們一走到去河邊已經有很多船夫來叫我們去對岸參觀，asking price 我相信是local price 的十倍。但好在他們一點都不煩，會take no as an answer。我覺得汶萊人都幾laidback and friendly。[click title for more......]
汶萊(2010年2月3日)
天未光，guesthouse 就被對面清真寺好大聲的prayer broadcast嘈醒。洗唔洗呀？真的有需要未天光就咁大聲祈禱嗎？一點都没有照顧到非回教徒的感受！
我們坐船回到首都，然後就去參觀Royal Regalia Museum， 我是第一次入museum要除鞋！ 裏面收藏蘇丹從世界各國收到的禮物和他在登基和出巡時用過的物品。展館頗大，display得好好。在未有Microsoft之前，汶萊蘇丹是全世界最有錢的人，所以展品中有不少奢華的真金的衣服和用具。眾多由外國送給蘇丹的禮物中，没有發現由Ireland送的。難怪，蘇丹是回敎徒，不飲酒，不會去pub，how to talk over a pint?
之後我們回到第一晚住的酒店拿取我們left behind没有帶去Bangar的行李，再去曾志偉介紹的七星級酒店Empire Hotel。 我們問酒店個staff how to get to Empire Hotel，她說没有public bus，連去附近的巴士都没有，只可以坐taxi，然後很快就幫我們call taxi。來到的車是一個private local tour的車，收費B$30，巴士只是B$1一個人咋。後來我們去到Empire Hotel，人地大大隻字列出public bus schedule，正正在hotel門口落車。Very not impressed那個幫我們call車的hotel staff講大話。雖然是石油有錢國家，人民生活無憂，但都一樣有貪心人揾遊客笨。防不勝防！[click title for more......]
汶萊(2010年2月2日)
汶萊天氣比香港熱，大約３０度，我們去的那幾天好好彩地miss了之前一個星期的non-stop rain，我們天天都有non-stop的藍天白雲，個太陽晒下來會有燙的感覺。BSB又不pedestrian friendly，没有樹蔭或任何摭陰的地方，走在街上乾晒都幾熱。但因為汶箂是回敎國家，對衣著都比較保守，所以出發之前我已check過女仕的dress code，不可以太暴露。我就唯有大熱天時流晒汗都不穿小背心或短褲。當地女回敎徒都要帶head dress，有些要穿長袖衫褲，看見她們我都覺得熱。做香港女人多麼自由平等！
早上再去那個landmark清真寺，天氣是picture perfect的blue sky fluffy white cloud，襯出清真寺金頂的閃亮。日間看清真寺更加impressive。所要入寺的內部，男人必須穿長褲，我不知道女人應著甚麼，因為security一見到我就叫我穿上掛在門口的黑色長袍。所有人入寺都要除鞋。[click title for more......]
汶萊(2010年2月1日)
好細個的時候，我在電視看過汶萊的熱帶雨林和清真寺，覺得那個國家很特別，已經想去旅行。幾年前曾志偉那一輯「向世界出發」介紹Empire Hotel的浮誇，又再一次喚起我去汶萊的興趣。不過，一直都覺得有比汶萊更好玩的地方，所以最終等到今年才成行。
今次決定去汶萊的原因很簡單，就是Royal Brunei Airlines機票的promotion。機票連稅才2000元，再加上check了港龍codeshare的同一班機奇怪地要貴成千多元，所以特別顯得Royal Brunei Airlines抵坐。
很多人都不知道汶萊的英文是Brunei，亦很多人不知道汶萊這個石油國家不是在中東，而是在馬來西亞沙巴附近，距離香港只是三個小時的機程。
汶萊與沙巴在地理環境都屬於熱帶雨林，文化上都是回敎國家。但令汶萊與所有其它東南亞國家截然不同的，就是它的石油蘊藏。豐富的石油生產使這個國家富裕到國民可以享受免費的敎育，醫療等等公共設施，國家不設入息稅，國民都熱愛蘇丹國皇。
出發之前我不知expect汶萊是怎麼樣，因為我認識去過汶萊的人不多，去過的都只stay in resort，對於當地文化我不甚了解。這令我更加好奇和興奮。[click title for more......]