Life in Guangzhou

Today marks my 3rd day in Guangzhou. And also my 3rd trip here. 1st trip, I travelled with my aunt and her sister and brother-in-law. 2nd trip I came alone. This trip I am alone again.

I've been warned not to travel alone and not to carry too much cash around. I might get robbed, mugged, pushed and trampled over. But each time, God kept me safe. I go to the night spots alone. Trying to blend in with the crowd.

In Guangzhou, I heard from friends here that there is a road called Beijing Lu or Beijing Road. That is a hot spot for locals and tourists to come for shopping, food and more shopping.

So each time I travel here, I make a trip to this place. And yet each time I come here, I find nothing I can buy. Or should I say, nothing I like. This is a paradise for people like my daughters, my niece, Tricia, my sister, Wiu. But definitely not for me!





And possibly not a place for my dear hubby too. He hates crowds. Just look at the crowds here ..in every corner.

The food here is cheap..compared with Singapore. Unless you know where to order decent chinese food, its safer to eat fast food from McDonalds or KFC. There seems to be an endless queue for everything. From fruit juices to BBQ seafood on a skewer stick. You have to pay first, pick up a ticket and go and queue for a stick of BBQ squid!



Taxi are abundant here. Just watch for the "Empty Taxi" sign that is flash in bright red in the front driver's window. Then you just hail for it. It will stop, you hop in and tell the driver where you want to go. Half the time I couldn't get the right accent of the chinese roads, thankfully, my Guangzhou friends have written notes for me to show the driver.

You won't get lost here. As long as you can speak some Chinese. Even if you speak only English, most restaurants have English menu for you to pick and choose. And will have staff who can understand you and help you with the menu.

The only thing I wonder is Halal food. Almost every restaurant or food stall here sells pork in the menu. And I have seen Malay maciks shopping in Guangzhou. I wonder what they eat or where they go for food.

Eating at some restaurants here are cheap. Most of the times I just point at the picture they have on the banner. Half the time I couldn't figure out the fancy names they have given to the dishes. Whenever I come to Guangzhou, I will eat at this particular cafe near the hotel I was staying. Its cheap and good.

Some days I would ask for Beef noodles in soup and a side dish of vegetables. Other days I will order a Wanton noodle soup with vegetables too. And this only costs RMB 8 or S$1.60. That's a steal!



But tonight I wanna go for a double boil tonic soup..this is my favourite : Ginseng Chicken soup. And that's RMB 15 only.

no bags, no card!

The latest thing now in Guangzhou is No Bags. Means you go shopping with your back pack or your handbag and please bring along your own bag! In the effort to save the Earth, the shopping malls now sell their stuff without giving you a bag.

Yesterday I went to a supermarket and the cashier ask if I have a bag. I said NO coz I am a tourist here. Then she says "$1 please". I have to pay $1 for every bag I used. So I ask her to put all my stuff in one bag.

And just now, I was at Beijing Road(a favourite shopping area with the locals here). I bought a card reader and wanted to pay by Credit Card, then the cashier said "Sorry, no cards allowed"

Luckily I had brought enough cash out or I have leave the place empty handed.

Well, lesson learnt. Next time bring more Cash out and bring a large bag along too!

And look what I bought ...cookie jars. Which I loved to collect although I don't put any cookies in them! Well, if anyone wants this, write to me. I can get it for them. I hope to be able to sell this online at my KC store soon.

This kitty car cookie jar is so beautiful. Well, you don't have to put cookies for humans. You can use it to store your kitty's dry food.



Remember that old nursery rhyme we had to recite as a kid?
There was an old lady, who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't what to do..

I love this..its so cute!


And this..I know my mom would love it too. My mom loves giant cookie jars. I got her one years ago. And she used it to put cotton wool balls for make up!


oohhhh....I simply must buy this too. Topsy Turvy Cups Cookie Jar.


And these mini cups cookie jar. The supplier told me people buy this to put candies, chocolates for packaging. Wonderful idea


Lastly, a muffin like tray made of porcelain. Definitely not a cookie jar. But a wonderful way to serve cookies for a tea party with good friends!

impulsive buying

I was in Hong Kong last month..on holiday with the family and visiting my aunt and my uncle. We didn't do much shopping as expected. Until one of the days when my uncle brought us to Ladies Market. And I saw that there are stalls selling counterfeit Hello Kitty bakeware and also Pooh bear stuff. So I just bought a few to give to my friends in Singapore.

On the last day, hours before we leave for the airport, we took a taxi to SOGO at Causeway Bay and did a bit of last minute shopping. This is what I called IMPULSIVE SHOPPING! I don't know why I buy these. I don't regret buying it. Just that I can't sell it. Maybe I will give some away to my loyal students who attends all my classes and never ask for discount!

And others I will probably wait for some birthday and give it away.

I will be going to Guangzhou this Thursday..I must restrain myself from this impulsive buying!!!!

Lilo and Stitch Cookie cutters and stamp
Winnie the pooh Pudding tin cups..3 different facial expressions


Honestly I have no idea which cartoon character this belongs to! I thought it looked cute and it was something I could bargain with so I bargain and bargain and just got one of each. I think it was the thrill of getting it at the price I wanted that made me buy it!



and all these silicone trays/moulds were just for me.! This is a diamond shape ice cube mould..


the beautiful silicone moulds for making chocolates or ice cubes


This was pure vanity! Pooh bear cake box with tray for a 7 inch cake. a Chocolate mould for making Tigger, Piglet, Pooh bear and Eeyore chocolates. Buy first, think later!


This is for Melody..she wanted this to make her own ice lolly on a stick. I showed this to my supplier for silicones in Singapore. They will try to source this for me to sell at KC online store! happiness~~

Cupcakes anyone?

These days you either hear someone going for classes on baking or know of someone teaching it. My students have emailed me and ask me to run a series of cupcake baking class with some basic decoration too. Here's what we did yesterday.



They chose what colours they like to have for fresh cream and they all wanted purple. While for buttercream, they wanted something pink.


Among the adults who came, I had a young boy and half way thru the class, a young girl join too. Pretty impressive for these young guns!


Packing up their creative cuppies and ready to go home!


We did a flat icing(spreading buttercream on a cupcake) and swirls which is the most commonly seen on cupcakes.

I used no artificial essence except flavoured oils for the cream as the creams are tasteless besides having all that fancy colours. Overall, the students loved the Tutti-Fruitti Cupcakes the most. It is by far, my best recipe I have used in all my classes. And the recipe I used for the Food and Travel Magazine 2 years ago.

While I heard on my side of town(near my home), there was also a Cupcake decorating demo at Hougang Mall by BIY or Bake It Yourself. Too bad I had class yesterday, or I would have gone down too, just to watch them do it the Wilton way!

Bountiful Harvest

My neighbour grows Starfruits in his little garden. During the hot months in Singapore, the tree bears much fruit. But the fruit is sour. If he is in a good mood, he would make juice with it. But the recent hot spells was just too much and he gave it all to me. And ask me to come and pluck it when I am free. So yesterday, I went to his little garden with a bag..and look at what I got:



A big bountiful supply of fresh green starfruits. I washed it, cleaned it and weigh it. That's 7.7 pounds or about 3.5 kilos! I sliced it up, 2 kilos went into making fruit wine, the balance were blended with maple syrup, water and lots of ice and made a lovely starfruit juice.

Here's an old photo of the starfruit in fermentation in a jar.


In 7 days, I will get my starfruit wine..which I will save a bottle for my thoughtful neighbour. Here's how the Starfruit wine looks like. Serve chilled, this is so good that I used it to pickled some ginger too.

Ding Dong the bells go ringing...

Today I had a private class at home where I taught 2 sisters how to bake a cake and decorated for their niece's wedding this Sunday, 6th July. I shared with them my favourite recipe which is the Cranberry Yogurt cake. But change the yogurt and added Bailey Cream instead.

So the bottom tier cake was made with Bailey Cream, Cranberries and it was rich and flavourful. The whole kitchen smells of sweet cranberries and bailey cream.




While waiting for the cake to cool, they also had a free lesson on how to cook the Guangzhou Fried Rice and got a tasting of my signature recipe for Nasi lemak sambal chilli with ikan bilis. I also cooked Sayur lodeh(curry vegetables) for them. It was the healthy version which I use fresh ingredients to make the rempah(curry paste) and only Evaporated milk to cook the curry gravy.

After lunch, we settled down to talk about dogs and life..Then I fed them with Pomerganate Soy Milk Ice Cream that was topped with strawberries, granola for desserts.



When their bellies are filled and happy..we started working on the fondant and picking the flavours and colours to mix. They wanted pink as their niece loved pink. Since we bake 3 cakes, the last cake was covered in fresh cream that was tinted in pastel blue.


This, they say, will be brought home and eaten straightaway..as evidence of the labour of love they have done for their niece.

I think they did a good job..because anything you done out of love for someone, is the best gift in the world. That no money can buy.

Congratulations to the happy couple(which I do not know their names!)