About Perfection

How to be happy? That is the big question. Somehow it seems not to be as simple as it sounds. There are just so many reasons not to be happy, or satisfied, with life. In the society of today, we are all living a life surrounded by media - sometimes to the extend that we don't recognize anymore what is real and what looks real. People start comparing themselves to others; to Facebook friends, to celebrities, to photos in magazines, even to bloggers. Yet none of it is real, there are always two sides of a coin and perfection neither exists nor is something anyone should aim at. Think about it, are the people you love the most perfect? If not, why should you be.

I see the aim for perfection linked to another issue. The fact that we can't have everything, and the disappointment that follows when realizing it. The constant want for something we don't have isn't making us happier. People tend to think that once they have succeeded in that something, then they will be happy. Once they have a good job. Once they are married. Once they get that that luxurious item. Then it magically happens. Unfortunately, this is not true. The things we have, have accomplished or own do not make us happy. The reality is also, not all of us ever get what we want. Happiness is an attitude, thus the only solution is to change that. Happiness is being grateful for what we have right now. It's being satisfied with our lives as they are. Not richer, not more beautiful, not with someone else, not any better. Just as it is. It's about noticing the small things that are absolutely free and that everyone has, equally. It's about giving yourself a hug to say; it's good enough, you're good enough. And you have a right to be happy, right now.

Happy weekend! <3

X Ang Moh Chick

Happy New Year 2014 + a Restaurant Review

Happy New Year!! Better later than never right? ;)

I'm planning on a post about the highlights of my year 2013 but before that I will tell you how I spent my New Year's Eve! This is also my first time doing a proper restaurant review so please tell me if you like it and if you would like to read more reviews!

In the "morning", we had a buffet lunch at Swiss hotel's restaurant Equinox. I had pretty high expectations because I've heard good things about their brunches - also the fact that Swiss hotel is the tallest building in Singapore is not a bad thing at all (imagine the view)!

However, I was positively surprised about the service as well as the quality and variety of the food. Having food allergies makes it sometimes very difficult to dine out but this brunch exceeded all my expectations and unlike usually, this time I didn't feel like I missed out on anything that non-allergic people can have. Almost everything was something I could take :)

You could choose from soup, selection of breads and filling salads, seafood, sashimi (at least five different types of salmon!!) and sushi. Main course is selected from the menu. For dessert there was an amazing selection of cheeses, fruits, cakes, mousses, ice cream... I'm getting hungry writing this (luckily I'm eating at the same time :D) I I must warn you about the photos!

It's so difficult to choose a favourite but I LOVED the chilli salmon sashimi, seafood salad and the amazing cheeses (a definite plus for having so many of them made from goat's or sheep's milk too!!). My favourite sweets were the crème brûlée and a mint chocolate ice cream with chuncks of chocolate :) Yummy!!

I can't even remember how many platefuls of salmon and all the goodness I took, probably close to a kilo :D haha. As  it was New Year, we had some drinks that were not included in the price ;) 

A happy girl with lotsa good food and some champagne :) For main courses we chose boracay fillet and tenderloin steak. I must say that at least the fish was a disappointment. I would rather save my stomach for all the other amazing food! My husband liked his steak though.

For desserts....

If you haven't figured out yet I'm actually on a fattening diet, and it's working pretty well so far! ;) As I predicted, the view was breathtaking!

At night we watched the fireworks with dear friends of ours who recently got married. You can read about their wedding here.

I hope you all happiness and joy for the coming year - remember to be kind and respectful not only to others but yourself too!


Dress: Mphosis   Cardigan: GG5   Necklace: Chanel

X Ang Moh Chick

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things

I was thinking of introducing a new Instagram-like sequel where I share a few photos of the things that have recently made me happy. The idea of this The Sound of Music (what a wonderful happy film!) sequel is to inspire also you readers to, if not shoot, at least write down or really pay attention to those small beautiful things in life. Our mood is what we decide it to be - and I'm saying this even though I'm not the best example of a person who can simply decide to be happy on a day when you wake up and 1. You decide to make a cappuchino since you slept very poorly and there isn't any milk in the fridge. 2. You look at the sky in the morning and you're SURE it won't rain today and don't take un umbrella (ah, I'm Singaporean enough to know this by now!) and voilà, it's raining not cats and dogs but little uncles when you head out. 3. You pour coconut water over your laptop while blogging and it stops working... I could go on, and yes, all this has happened to me! 

I got lost in my thoughts... Anyways, so after all the stuff that makes you think that things can't possibly go any more wrong (they usually will), you can stop for a moment and think. Think what happy, nice or positive has happened today. It can be a very simple thing, or perhaps something larger. You have a part to play in this game too - you have a chance to save someone else's miserable day. Just a small compliment, a helping hand, or simply a smile can have a huge influence on a stranger's mood. And as that person becomes a tiny bit happier, he/she is more likely to spread the joy... And so on. Well, you know what I mean.

Here are a Few of My Favourite Things recently.

I slept poorly but woke up to a beautiful morning and thought to myself how grateful I am to experience living so high up that I can take panoramic shots from my bedroom window.

I love enjoying tea from a pretty pot and especially from a small Japanese cup. The flavor is so much better this way. Just like drinking coke from the bottle isn't even nearly as good compared to coke from a can! ;)

For me the best way to empty my mind before an important day, or to relax after a long day, is to read magazines. My favourites are food, fashion and wellness magazines and I could read recipes and interviews and look at beautiful pictures for hours...

When I got home it was so windly that the curtains were swaying horizontally and all the papers from the bedroom table were on the floor. But what a perfect weather for a cup of hot chocolate! You can find my recipe here.

I heard that my interview appears at www.expatsblog.com frontpage! I was very happy about this :) Please go and take a look here!

What made you happy today? :)

X Ang Moh Chick

The Best Hot Chocolate Ever!

Okay, so I live in Singapore, a country with non-stop 30ºC around the year and humidity that makes your hair decide it wants to look like bird's nest. Still, I'm a fan of chocolate ;) You can find my all-time most popular home-made simple chocolate recipe here. This drink can be enjoyed cold or warm but I actually enjoy it hot on those days when it's pouring heavily and the thunder is just right on top of me (which happens quite often here). That's when I feel GREAT! :D I've always loved thunder. My dad says when I was younger I always wanted to go outside when it's the worst possible weather and just stand there, with a raincoat on, and listen to the nature playing its loudest performance. I can still remember that... 

Anyways, back to Singapore and the recipe! What you need is your favourite milk (I don't recommend anything 'light' because the cacao power will not mix well and.. it just doesn't taste that good :D), 1 tablespoon of cacao powder, cinnamon, honey/agave syrup to sweeten (if your milk isn't sweet already), 1 teaspoon of maca powder (optional) and your favourite mug! Cacao powder includes lots of antioxidants and minerals such as magnesium, nitrogen, zinc and iron that have good effects for example on blood pressure and the immune system and that can help in headache, anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They don't say chocolate is good for you for nothing! ;)

Finally, a short anecdote. My husband made us two mugs with our pictures on them when we first took time apart. One for me, one for him. I had just been to Singapore for an exchange and had to leave to Finland. We had been dating for two months. But we survived the long distance thanks to skype, watsapp and lots of great memories, just like the ones I get to re-live every time I enjoy my cup of hot chocolate!

Next post will be about something completely other than food, promised ;)

X Ang Moh Chick

My Weekend in Photos

Hello lovelies!

I hope you had a chance to unwind during the weekend. As they say, pictures say more than a thousand words, so here is my weekend in photos! Lots of food (I love Marche!), relaxation, drinks, walking around and a couple of drinks. That's a good weekend to me :) If you would like to test a great tapas-type restaurant/bar at a more affordable price, take part in the contest of the previous post to win discount vouchers to Bartini Kitchen! You might run into me as I'm planning to return to the place any day now! 

My outfit was ballet-inspired this time - a ballerina-skirt, wearing ballerinas... I've actually done ballet for years when I was younger, wish I could start taking some classes again!

I have something exciting happening on Friday, related to fashion - more about that later on ;)

Have a great rest of the week! :)

Skirt: Imso   Top: H&M   Shoes: Pretty Ballerinas   Necklace: Kalevala/Finland

X Ang Moh Chick