World's Cleanest Countries

This is so ironic, our country raved that it is very clean and it is to a certain extent BUT we still didn't make the list here...haha...

See which countries make the list here.

Cactus Honey Powder

Not sure if I mentioned this before but I have been wanting to find this powder for a while and all along I thought it was a Korean brand because the brand sounds Korean and on top of that, I read on a blog and that person mentioned it is Korean too.

Anyway I passed by a Korean supermarket today and the last time I went I can't find it at all but I found it today although it is in a box form and not the packet form I was looking for. The box show it is a Product of USA..hmmm.

I tried it when I reached my office and the taste is like normal honey drink though it is not honey but neither is there a cactus taste. I wouldn't mind continue to try it, it is organic and natural. The box states that you can use the powder to make cakes and all, sounds a bit weird but if I want to make coffee or tea and need a sweetener I think this will be it.

Guess from now on, I will look out for it when I got US or when I pass by another Korean supermarket.

Long overdue

It has been a long time since I posted an entry and I have been meaning to upload my travel journals from my trips to India last week but hell, I got hit by fever and food poisoning and has been travelling just between my bed and the toilet and the doctor for the last 3 days.

All in all, it hit me so bad I am on medical leave for 4 days and feels only much better today but still too weak to head to the office although I logged in just to clear most of my emails.

Anyway, the entries are coming up in just a while.

Ice Cream

Yum yum I just love digging into a tub of ice cream especially the flavors from Ben and Jerry. It has been a long time since I eaten B&J ice cream and therefore when looking at these pictures, it just make me drool and want to take a big bite.

However, these are very unique flavors..nope..not from B&J but from David Lebovitz a food blogger and cookbook author.

Can you guess what flavor is this? It looks very chocolately to me but if you guess that..wrong answer...I already say these are unique flavors.

The above is Guinness Milke Ice Cream Flavor..yes the Guinness Stout we are familiar with.

And how about this? It looks fruity, I would have guess it looks like a mixture of fruits and vanilla ice-cream ala The Cold Stone Creamery style. To be honest it looks like the gummy bear with pineapple sorbet mix my dad ate when we were in Hawaii.

It's actually Carrot Cake Ice Cream flavor, you will never have guess it right?

I would think they taste as good as they look.

Someone's Gotta Go

I read in the papers and also in a blog about a new reality show by Fox called "Someone's Gotta Go".

The show goes to companies with about 15 to 20 employees. Each episode, instead of the boss decides who gets the pink slip, it will the employees who make the call.

Frankly I don't know whether all these reality shows are 'real' but when I was reading the article, all I can think of is who will be the first I will vote out of my company...and I bet this person is on the list of many others as well haha.

World's Strangest Laws

I read this article a few days ago on Yahoo news but save it without coming here to post but I should before I go AWOL next week due to my business travel.

It is a good to know read so you don't get into trouble with the law when you are in these countries and of cos my sunny island is in the list too, how can it not be when there are so many different laws here?

Don't say you have not been warned....here goes the strangest laws....

No Feeding Pigeons
Italy

Laws here are city-specific, and Venice takes issues with pigeons speckling their beloved buildings with pigeon poop. Likewise, officials don’t appreciate tourists adding to the crowd and mess in St. Marks Square by feeding said pigeons. They also don’t want visitors sitting around shirtless, climbing into fountains, or even sitting on the sidewalk eating a sandwich. In Rome, climbing into fountains to cool off causes similar stress.

Penalty: At first, just a warning; fines can reach up to $600, though probably no more than $50 or $60 if you pay quickly. “The local police are quite tolerant about tourists feeding pigeons just to take a picture,” says a Venice spokesman.

Stopping On the Autobahn
Germany

As though driving the autobahn in Germany weren’t daunting enough, the laws add other risks. Running out of gas on the legendary highway is illegal — and your troubles snowball from there. Say you do find the needle on “E” and have to pull over to hoof it, in pursuit of gas. Walking along the autobahn is illegal, too... not to mention terrifying.

Penalty: A little under $100 for endangering other drivers — once for running out of gas, and again for walking.

Driving Shirtless
Thailand

Don’t let the tropical weather tempt you to joy ride with your shirt off in Thailand. Police can (and do) hand out tickets if they spot you topless while driving a car or motorcycle.

Penalty: A mere slap on the wrist (or sun-burned shoulders). Tickets go for a few hundred baht (about $10).

Paying in Pennies
Canada

Canada’s Currency Act of 1985 sets out the guidelines for how coins should be used, including reasonable limits for the shelling out of endless coins. What’s reasonable? Don’t try using all coins to buy something that costs $10, or even using all one-dollar coins (sometimes called “loonies”) to pay for an item that costs more than $25. But then, what kind of loonie wants to carry so many coins anyway?

Penalty: If the seller actually wants to take all your pennies, he can, but by law he can also tell you to scram.

No Kissing at Train Stations
France and England

By some accounts, April 5, 1910 was the day romance died on French railways: Kissing was reportedly banned to help deter lover-induced rail delays. But the law seems to be unheard of today. “Are you sure this isn’t a law in Great Britain?” a French spokeswoman at the consulate asked us. What a coincidence: It turns out that Virgin Trains has recently posted “No Kissing” signs at its station in Warrington Bank Quay, in northwest England.

Penalty: While there’s no penalty now for train-related kissing in France, the folks at Warrington Bank Quay will politely ask you to move your smooching to the designated “kissing zone” near the car park.

Driving a Dirty Car
Moscow

Some say this is just an excuse for Moscow police to over-ticket drivers, but you should still watch the filth factor on your rental car. How dirty is dirty? That’s unclear. A recent newspaper survey explored the idea of how to even define “dirty” — almost half said a car was too filthy if you couldn’t read the license plate, while 9 percent said the determining factor was if you couldn’t see the driver.

Penalty: You can get a ticket. Fines might be, shall we say, open to interpretation. Here is a case where you might politely offer to pay the officer up front — $100 should cover it — and be on your way.

Strolling in a Bathing Suit
Grenada

Visiting cruise-ship passengers have gotten under the skin of the local police in Grenada, who cringe at tourists walking off the beach during their shore excursions and into town wearing nothing but their swimsuits. The police chief instituted a fine, and supposedly has also expressed interest in fining folks who wear their jeans too low.

Penalty: In theory, a $270 ticket, though the tourist board assures us that they don’t think it has really been enforced.

Driving With Headlights Off
Denmark

Renting a car? You must always drive with headlights on, says the law in Denmark, to distinguish you from a parked car. Do the Danes really drive so slow that there’d be any confusion? Actually, studies have found that other drivers are more aware of surrounding vehicles when other cars’ lights are on, thus reducing accidents. The law may get adopted across the European Union.

Penalty: Driving without headlights will get you a fine of a little under $100.

Chewing Gum
Singapore

Feeding birds, spitting, and not flushing public toilets will also get you in trouble. Singapore’s most quirky-seeming laws stem from the government’s well-meaning desire to keep things tidy — and let’s face it, gum wads, pigeon droppings, and unflushed toilets aren’t pretty. The infamous gum law actually loosened up in 2004, and Nicorette is now legal (though you have to get it through a doctor and they take down names). Selling regular gum is more of a problem than just casually chewing it, a spokesman says. And more changes are on the way: Gambling will become legal later in 2009, and you can now legally dance on top of bars.

Penalty: About $100 a ticket, especially for leaving a toilet un-flushed; many public loos auto-flush, we learned, but it’s wise to double-check on your way out.

Happy Easter!

I really haven't been writing for a while because I am so bog down by work these days. However I will still want to wish everyone a Happy Easter.

Whether you are going egg hunting, church or just simply lazing at home, you can never doubt it is a good time to rest and relax.

But before the holiday starts, let me show you some goodies for Easter.

As it is the tradition, you can never give Easter eggs a miss and these are actually not real eggs but Rice Krispies made into egg shape with many different flavors by Bouchon Bakery

Can you tell this is a butter lamb or you think this is just a lump of foam? Looks like it, isn't it? This is a butter lamb made for Easter by the Polish Catholics. If you want to learn this, get the recipe here.

And last but not least, isn't this a pretty cupcake? I don't really like cupcakes and I think it is too much work to create the chrysanthemum icing on top of this cupcake. But if you like, you can learn to make this from Martha Stewart. Check out the recipe.