ruruhoong

Splendid Illusions on the East Coast: Orlando ’12

Apologies for the delay; I had my second roll of Kodak developed just this last week. I really can’t stop marveling at the vibrant, saturated colors: they’re absolutely brilliant- the white streaks of cloud rippling across the startlingly blue sky- just perfect. Spending 5 days in theme parks was a tiring ordeal, although it wasContinue reading “Splendid Illusions on the East Coast: Orlando ’12”

Christmas of Frivolity: Frivolité Macarons

So how did I spend my Christmas, you ask? None other than with my trusty, crumb-stained whisk, my caramel-encrusted saucepan, and my warmly endearing Gaggenau oven. I decided to embark on the perfect macaron conquest as with hundreds of other fellow pastry-chef-or-baker wannabes; much to the delight of my friends, much to the horror of myContinue reading “Christmas of Frivolity: Frivolité Macarons”

Christmas lovin’

People bake for relaxation, but I think it may be quite the opposite for me. I don’t feel quite as relaxed as I do tanning with a strawberry milkshake in the swimming pool. I find baking to be liberating, not relaxing. My thoughts are often hard to control and always spiraling in different directions- andContinue reading “Christmas lovin’”

The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde

I had absolutely no intention of reading another book today (well, in this case, a script), but spending lunch alone inevitably results in excessive munching and extensive reading. It’s no help that the largest book shelf in the house is virtually two steps away from the kitchen, conveniently flaunting its alluring tomes for easy perusing.Continue reading “The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde”

Gray Skies, Blue Days- Rainy Adventures in San Francisco

Rain. The soft pitter-patter against the windowsill. The melodic splattering against the ground. The relentless drumming on the rooftop. I love the rain. The tingly touch of it on your tongue, the musty and distinctly earthy smell of the air, the grayish pensive skies. Most days I relish the short spells of heavy rain: itContinue reading “Gray Skies, Blue Days- Rainy Adventures in San Francisco”

The Time Machine, by H.G Wells

The title of this book brings back those fun-filled days spiritedly running through the meadows of blooming creativity and imagination, brimming with childish naivety and a profound love for the new and exciting. That’s right, there’s something charming in the foolish thought of exclusivity in a child’s wanderings- I had, at the raw age ofContinue reading “The Time Machine, by H.G Wells”

Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

I read two brilliant books in the last 24 hours, the first being a wonderfully simple and heartfelt book (which I will review later, it has become my favorite book of all time and hence deserves a second, third, fourth, or dozens of reads before I can review it objectively), and the latter being theContinue reading “Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury”

Time Must Have a Stop, by Aldous Huxley

I picked up this beautifully laminated paperback at Citylights in San Francisco- a rustic and sublimely homely book shop that contains shelves upon shelves of books. If I had the choice I would’ve willingly remained there for the rest of eternity. The comfortingly earthy smell of heavenly tomes blended right in with the roughly cutContinue reading “Time Must Have a Stop, by Aldous Huxley”

Dazzling Sundance on the West Coast

I love the brilliant shine and highly saturated colors of the Kodak Ektar 100. Pretty much all the photos turned out wonderfully (in the beautiful Nevada and Florida sunshine; San Francisco’s weather did not live up to expectation). Pretty proud of this first roll of Ektar on my grandpa’s Pentax MX, considering that the cameraContinue reading “Dazzling Sundance on the West Coast”

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Just finished reading The Scarlet Letter. I’d been looking forward to finishing it (I read three quarters of it during the IGCSE period), but although I found it an intriguing read I can say I was a little disappointed. Not that I thought it wasn’t a good book, on the contrary I thought it wasContinue reading “The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne”

Meatloaf Galore

I’m finally getting myself down to document my cooking/baking adventures as well. Seems like this months is the starter for many ‘firsts’, eh? New year, sixteen, new traditions. As mom was out yesterday, the cooking duties fell to me (and I quite willingly took charge of it). A simple meatloaf and the usual bread andContinue reading “Meatloaf Galore”

Those Barren Leaves, by Aldous Huxley

Starting with my first-ever book review on this blog! It seems rather apt to be reviewing this book, as Aldous Huxley is arguably my favorite author of all time-although that’s not much of a feat since I’m unfortunately not as well-read as I would like to be (due to time constraints). Prior to this I’veContinue reading “Those Barren Leaves, by Aldous Huxley”

Singapore’s Educational Reform.

Better late than never. Rebalancing the PSLE. Finally, seeing some change. Why didn’t Mr. Tharman suggest this while he was Minister for Education? I wonder. But it doesn’t matter, the crux of the matter is that things are changing, albeit 10 years late. However, I’m not sure if rebalancing the PSLE will change much. PerhapsContinue reading “Singapore’s Educational Reform.”

The End Of School As We Know It

Just because schooling is traditionally a teacher in front of the class doesn’t mean it’s the best way. I was intrigued by this article in this copy of the New Scientist (8 Sept) I picked up at our school library. I think we’ve all been unduly bashing the education system and pushing for educational reformContinue reading “The End Of School As We Know It”

Spain December 2011

Last winter’s escapade to Spain was one filled with delights, both in gastronomical terms (the food there was simply divine) and in architectural and cultural wonders. I loved Spain. The shopping opportunities and coastal views didn’t hurt, either. This roll was shot with my Diana F+, 120mm film (Can’t remember which type, but I thinkContinue reading “Spain December 2011”

Education.

I finally figured out to post my Prezi on wordpress. It requires a little bit of tweaking of the embed code that Prezi offers on its ‘Share’ function, but it’s rather simple and ingenious! Anyways, hope you like the Prezi. It’s very crudely put together, but since it is IGCSE period I couldn’t spare muchContinue reading “Education.”