I EAT: Snacking at Piccolino

Just a couple random shots from my late "dinner" at Piccolino a couple nights ago. I tend to overorder on any given occasion, and this night was no exception. Only shame was that my camera ran out of battery before I could snap shots of my two desserts- limoncello cheesecake and vanilla mousse with berries compote. Pictured here: calamari and melon with prosciutto. The latter being my all-time favorite snack next to Sour Patch Kids.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: IceBar London

I'm the biggest sucker in the world for novelty nightspots- a passion probably borne from my owl-like sleeping habits and perpetual chase for interesting morning-after stories. So despite the £16 entry fee and 40 minute entry-time limitation, I just had to pay the IceBar in Mayfair a visit. The infamous IceHotel's little sister, the IceBar is a small room built from imported Swedish ice and awash with neon lighting. Due to the subzero temperature, you'll have to don a chunky blue plastic monstrosity to avoid hypothermia, but it's all part of the fun. Arrange for good company, and go for the delicious drinks and great photo ops. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: Evensong

One of the things on my London bucket list was to attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey. Lack of religious faith or not, the sound of a heavenly choir reverberating throughout one of the world's grandest cathedrals is a truly magnificent thing to experience. This was my interpretation of "Sunday dress", but I suppose sheer Wolford tights and towering suede wedges aren't altogether the most modest wardrobe choices. Oh well, at least this post is punny.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I WEAR: Year of the Dragon

A tad bit late but finally a new outfit post! I need to be better about these. Really. This was my outfit for Chinese New Year's dinner. Appropriate red and gold color palette, as you can see. 

One last note: COMMENTS ARE NOW UP AND RUNNING. They won't be for previous posts, but you all sent the nicest e-mails. So I thought it was about time I made it easier for us to interact by enabling comments on all posts from here on out. So here's hoping you all keep commenting! There's nothing sadder than a neglected blogger. Just a pinch of sarcasm intended.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Chinese New Year Dinner

I hope you all had a wonderful Chinese New Years filled with food, good company, and hong baos. Seeing as how I'm here in London, far away from my family, my lovely friends and I decided to have our own mini celebration. The Four Seasons Restaurant has been featured on this blog once before, but tonight, it makes an encore appearance!

Enjoy the photoreel of my CNY meal. If it seems like a lot of food, just imagine. The only pictures chosen were of the meal's heavyhitters.

I GO: University of Oxford (Or Should I Say Hogwarts?)

After leaving Stratford-upon-Avon, we drove through the Cotswolds and arrived in Oxford, home to the many colleges that constitute the one and only University of Oxford. Though I'm glad I chose to study abroad smack dab in the middle of London, I couldn't help but fall in love with how poetically old the campus felt, how the structures memorialized the school's history and traditions, and how the scent of wisdom past and present hung heavy.

For example, Christ Church College's dining hall (yes, the one that inspired Hogwarts') is lined with portraits, many of which depict illustrious former pupils. Imagine dining in their presence. Inspiring? Intimidating? Both?

Understandably but regrettably, visitors are only allowed to tour certain areas. I guess I'll just have to come back and get one of my Oxford friends to shuttle me around. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's Home)

Sorry for the recent absence of posts. It's been quite a hectic couple of weeks. But it's been a while since Stonehenge, Bath, or Cumberland Lodge, so I felt it was due time for another English adventure. The first stop? Stratford-upon-Avon. 

If you've never heard of Stratford-upon-Avon, you've definitely heard of its most famous former resident: the one and only William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born, bred, and buried in Stratford, making the quaint town a mecca for literary junkies and cookie-cutter tourists alike. As a mega fan of some of Shakespeare's plays and almost all of his sonnets, I found the experience of "walking in Shakespeare's footsteps" quite awe-inspiring. But I suppose, given the hokey exhibits, you've got to want to see the poetry to find it.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I GO: Leaving Singalingapore Behind

On my last night in Singapore, I finally made it to the Marina Bay Sands Skypark to take in the sweeping view. In terms of calling any given location my home, Singapore is as close as it gets. It saw me fall in love, graduate from high school, and just this January 6th, turn the big 21. Yet nowadays, as the physical markers of my childhood yield to fresh replacements, visits to Singapore read like jarring walks down a vanishing memory lane. 

There's an old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." I suppose if you fight it, change can collapse you. Certainly, the feeling that this Singapore is no longer mine has been weighing heavy. But, nostalgia aside, I've always been a fan of what's next. Tomorrow, next month, after graduation. And so on so forth.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump. And keep an eye out for that new section of the blog I'm launching soon! I can't wait to show it to you all. :)

I GO: Universal Studios Singapore

Yes, it's a giant tourist trap. But having explored Singapore to death already while living there, I had to pay the relatively new Universal Studios in Sentosa a visit. It's not half as exciting as the California version, but compared to Hong Kong Disneyland, the park was well executed. 

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!

I EAT: Hawker (and Food Court) Heaven

Whenever I go home to Singapore, I tend to eat way too many meals in a day. The problem is, compared to London, the food is a gajillion times more delicious and just as many times cheaper. In many ways, local cuisine is just a potpourri of other countries/regions' local cuisines. Like eating your way through Epcot... but again, so much tastier and so much cheaper.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump! In my eating frenzy, I didn't take pictures of many of my favorite hawkers or food items (like satay from Lau Pa Sat, Tanjong Rhu char siew bao, and McDonald's curry sauce), but in order these pictures feature: Hainanese chicken rice, Milo dinosaur, sugar cane, carrot cake, roti prata, and mee pok. 

I WEAR: Singapore Sun

Welcome to the first post of 2012! Sorry it's a bit late, but being lazy while at home in Singapore turned out to be quite the full time job. But now that I'm back in London I promise to return to a more regular posting schedule. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures almost as much as I enjoyed being able to go outside bare-legged.

The first few were taken on Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping street. Think mall after mall after mall, many of which are connected by underground walkways so as to minimize the amount of time spent in the sweltering humidity. Ingenious really. In true Singaporean fashion, since the last time I was in town, Orchard Road had changed immensely. Shiny new structures, freshly-opened stores, and creatively-painted fiberglass elephants seemed to have popped up everywhere. But the one thing I'm thankful stayed constant? The cornucopia of lesser-known (and cheaper) regional brands mixed in with the global household brands. 

Hope 2012 is treating you all well. Make sure to check out the pictures after the jump!