Judging a Book by its Cover

Remember the days back in school when studying literature meant reading lots of classical works? The common perception is that classics are boring and heavy. So ingrained are these notions that I find these books repulsive even before flipping the covers open. This is reinforced by the look of the book which often screams "dullsville". I am sure many of you agree with me on that. Being aesthetic people, we are not sorry to judge a book by its cover. Much as I love reading, I was always behind time in lit class with these books and sometimes resort to reading the simplified versions as the exam dates drew near.

Oh, but times sure have changed. I spotted these lovely book covers over at Penguin Classics. Aren't they inviting? I hear their calls to enjoy the British countryside.

More beautiful English journeys here. 

[images from Penguin Classics]

Liliy bouquets

I love lilies. I love them for the elegance, simplicity and purity they exude. What better flowers to have for a bride bouquet than lilies? They look classic on their own and pretty when accented with other flowers too. These are some of my favourite liliy bouquets from Martha Stewart Weddings (which I can't resist because of its many gorgeous dreamy images). See more liliy bouquets here. Too many. Too beautiful. But what's a girl to do since she can only one wedding? What's your ideal bride bouquet or what did you have for your wedding?

[images from Martha Stewart Weddings]

Death

An ad in the papers caught my eye recently. It occupied almost an entire page but all it featured was a picture of a flower with just 2 lines of text. I couldn’t quite tell what it was about but Lien Foundation was clearly indicated and there was an URL: http://www.lifebeforedeath.org.sg. I was intrigued but did not check out the website till I came across a similar ad again. “Life Before Death” is actually a campaign to raise awareness on end-of-life care (hospice and palliative) and to promote understanding of the needs of patients and their families, with the vision that quality end-of-life care should be made available to all who needs it.

I found the website very informative. Death is something we shun from thinking about because it screams of the fragility of life. And we feel that we can hide from it until old age, until illness comes courting or when confronted with death of a loved one. Maybe death needs to be always personified as Brad Pitt for us to find it more approachable (“Meet Joe Black”). Recently, I caught the Japanese film, Departures, winner of the Academy Award, Best Foreign Language Film. The movie tackled the subject matter of death in an interesting way and infuses it with humour. It shows how different people react to it, reminding us how we should treasure the present, live life to the fullest and most of all, it is a flim about love. On seeing the trailer earlier on, I smugly felt I already knew what the film is about. I was wrong and it way exceeded my expectations. Excellent mise-en-scene and the shots of inaka (country-side) Japan really made me miss the place.

The topic on death seems to be surrounding me recently. But I was reminded that the answer to the fear of death is what we marked last Friday and Sunday. Because of the first Good Friday years ago, death is but a transition zone.

“He hangs, by whom the world was made,

beneath the darkened sky;

the everlasting ransom paid

I see my Savior die.”

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend.

Uniqlo on local shores

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo has arrived in Singapore!! The popular clothing giant is known for its trendy and casual wear, for men, women and kids. Yay! I recall going quite crazy about Uniqlo when I was in Japan. It was good-looking clothes at affordable prices. What more could I ask for (we all know the cost of living is not exactly low in the land of the rising sun)? My basket was always full when I was in Uniqlo (yes, they provide baskets for you to carry the clothes you are intending to purchase while you continue to shop). And I always had big Uniqlo bags in the house for re-use.

[Images from Uniqlo].

Harumi's Japanese Cooking

I am one who is head over heels in love with Japanese food. I thought I was having good Japanese food in Singapore until I went to Japan. And boy, was I blown away! Everything is delicious. Everything. My words here only do it injustice.

The freshest ingredients are used and food is prepared in such a way that it retains its original taste. Condiments if any, are used to enhance the original taste. On top of that, the food is presented so well aesthetically. The Japanese takes pride in preparing food. A proper meal is a holistic experience, not simply eating per se.

Now that I am back home, unless I pay a premium, the lackluster Japanese food I get is hardly satisfying my craving. I came across this cooking book, Harumi's Japanese Cooking at Kinokuniya a while ago. Harumi is a household name in Japan and this is one of her two cook books that is translated into English. I simply love it because it showcases Japanese food that is healthy, home-like and simple to prepare. Now, I just have to discover the culinary skills in me.

I should also dig out some pictures of my food adventures for a future post.

Silhouette

I have been looking at some wedding photography. These shots of the silhouettes of the couple caught my eye. I like it because it speaks so much even without the details.

[Images from GreyMatter]

Simple Touches

Want to add a little baroque feel to your bedroom but have limited funds? A simple frame over the bed like this does the trick.

[Image from Home & Decor]