Ice cream

My Favourite Food <(^-^)>

Ice Cream

 
Ice cream is a frozen food usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners.

 
 In some cases, artificial flavourings and colourings are used in addition to, or instead of, the natural ingredients. The mixture of chosen ingredients is stirred slowly while cooling, in order to incorporate air and to prevent large ice crystals from forming. The result is a smoothly textured semi-solid foam that is malleable and can be scooped.

 
 The meaning of the phrase "ice cream" varies from one country to another. Phrases such as "frozen custard", "frozen yogurt", "sorbet", "gelato" and others are used to distinguish different varieties and styles.


You may have just gorged yourself to eruption point, but somehow there’s always room for a tooth-rotting, U.S.-style pile of ice cream with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate sauce.

 
Thank God for extra long spoons that allow you get at the real weight-gain stuff all mixed up and melted at the bottom of the glass.
-Kaito


More Pictures of Ice Cream

Chilli Crab

My Favourite Food <(^-^)>

Chilli Crab

Chilli crab is a seafood dish popular in Singapore. Mud crabs are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato and chilli based sauce. Despite its name, chilli crab is not a very spicy dish.


You can’t visit Singapore without trying its spicy, sloppy, meaty specialty. While there are dozens of ways to prepare crab (with black pepper, salted egg yolk, cheese-baked, etc) chili crab remains the local bestseller.


My mother knows how to cook chilli crab, which she cooked once every 2 week. Even though my father enjoyed eating chilli crab, I think I  enjoyed eating salted egg yolk crab more. Be it dry or creamy salted egg yolk crab, for me it's just the best.

 
 A kilo of chilli crab cost about $45 nowadays. Once in a while my family would meet up and eat in a restaurant.

 

Mantou buns

Chilli crab gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns. :)


Other Variations:

Black pepper crab

Black pepper crab is one of the two most popular ways that crab is served in Singapore. It is made with hard-shell crabs, and fried with black pepper. Unlike the other popular chilli crab dish, it is less heavy due to the absence of a sauce.

Salted egg yolk crab ( Creamy )

Salted egg yolk crab ( Dry )

This is a dish worth the calorie sin.

Enjoy!
-Kaito

Log Horizon

My Favourite Anime <(^-^)>

Log Horizon

 

By its eleventh expansion pack, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Elder Tale has become a global success, having a following of millions of players. However, during the release of its twelfth expansion pack: Novasphere Pioneers, thirty thousand Japanese gamers who are all logged on at the time of the update, suddenly find themselves transported inside the game world and donning their in-game avatars. In the midst of the event, a socially awkward gamer called Shiroe along with his friends Naotsugu and Akatsuki decide to team up so that they may face this world which has now become their reality along with the challenges which lie ahead.

What started off as what seemed to be a bland-version of Sword Art Online turned out to be one of the hidden gems of anime shows. Log Horizon starts off slow and has the usual setup of a badass main character, only in a slightly different way. It's the way the main character, Shiroe, strategically plans his and his friends' actions that makes it a much more exciting show than one would expect. Shiroe isn’t the typical shounen main character that powers up throughout the show and then subsequently overpowers his enemies. Instead, he’s the guy in the background, the “villain in glasses,” that controls the flow and direction of battle. Overall, Log Horizon is a genuinely fun show without all the pitfalls that shounen shows come with.

 

The story begins by introducing a set of typical MMORPG rules/restrictions that many viewers including myself are familiar with. But what's not so familiar is the way these rules are bent/bypassed which then becomes one of the most exciting parts of the show. These strict rules of a MMORPG end up leading the story of Log Horizon to new paths and really keeps you hooked. It’ll make you go: “Oh wow, that’s really cool,” and any show that can do that is certainly doing something right. Having played games like World of Warcraft, I and many other viewers understand how the core mechanics of questing, leveling, raiding and more work. That’s why when other possibilities, which I won’t say for the sake of not spoiling, are discovered in a way that makes you feel like it’s completely plausible, Log Horizon truly becomes an exciting show. It isn’t a “power of friendship that makes you able to defeat the main boss that was previously kicking your ass.” It’s actually fundamentally sound and it really becomes a fun “shounen-type” show without all the usual BS that we come to expect from it.

 

Although some people may disagree, I really thought that one of the show’s biggest strength is how the characters all have defined, unique roles. Where Shiroe is the leader in the shadows, Crusty is the leader in the spotlight. Where Akatsuki is loyal, quiet and small, Naotsugu is the loud, pervy and funny big guy. And you also have... Rundelhaus, who's in a category of his own when it comes to goofiness. These kinds of distinctions allow Log Horizon to have all kinds of interactions between characters and the possibilities become endless. Overall, the characters are one of the biggest strengths of the show.

 

The story is what makes Log Horizon quite different from a typical shounen show. It has heavy political/economical themes that tie well into one of the show’s biggest points: building a world. In fact, there are a few episodes where the dialogue gets quite heavy and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. With that being said, I genuinely enjoyed the dialogue and found the story to be engaging and something that I can relate to. Log Horizon also executes its' story quite well. I found the pacing and structure of the arcs to be satisfactory and enjoyable. 

 

Art is good, not UFOtable amazing, but not terrible either. It's consistently pretty decent and not "inconsistent" like some other shows, *cough* Shinsekai Yori *cough*. Nothing else to be said here.

 

Sound is decent as well, the opening and ending songs are quite good, but take time to get used to. The background music is not bad, although it is overused a tad bit. You'll know what I mean when you get halfway through the season.

 

With all that being said, Log Horizon is not a perfect show. For example, why does no one care about what's happening to their bodies in the real world? You'll find yourself asking this question as you watch the show. It's almost as if the topic of what's going on in the real world is completely forgotten. Also, some people may find that the interactions between the characters become quite repetitive, especially with Henrietta, who has a loli fetish for Akatsuki. Her interactions with Akatsuki are incredibly repetitive and gets boring very quickly. It seems that Akatsuki's character is reduced to just loli humor later in the show. This is mostly my nit-picking and other people may actually enjoy these interactions.

 

On a side note, I really feel that it's important to point out that Log Horizon is not a combat-heavy show. That in itself already distinguishes itself from other shounen shows. But what's really important is how the show focuses on actual strategy and manipulating the rules within the game world that the characters live in. If Log Horizon's story did not have any elements of its manipulation of the rules within the game, I really do not think that Log Horizon would be an exciting show to watch, it would just be another "OK" show.

 

Overall, Log Horizon is not your typical show. It has firm grounded roots of realism in a world of fantasy that is genuinely exciting to watch. From diverse characters, to bending the rules in a world most of us are accustomed to, Log Horizon is a good show and is worth your time. With that being said, it is by no means a perfect show. It's a rather simple show in terms of concepts, as well as having plot holes in the overall story. But Log Horizon more than makes up for it in terms of its pure enjoyability (isn't that why we watch anime in the first place?) and execution of its story.

Rating: 9 / 10
-Kaito

No Game No Life

My Favourite Anime <(^-^)>

No Game No Life

 
The story of No Game, No Life centers around Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister whose reputations as brilliant NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) hikikomori (shut-in) gamers have spawned urban legends all over the Internet. These two gamers even consider the real world as just another "crappy game."

 
One day, they are summoned by a boy named "God" to an alternate world. There, God has prohibited war and declared this to be a world where "everything is decided by games"—even national borders. Humanity has been driven back into one remaining city by the other races. Will Sora and Shiro, the good-for-nothing brother and sister, become the "Saviors of Humanity" on this alternate world? "Well, let's start playing."

No Game No Life is yet another anime about games, but this one is different, and in a lot of good ways, the world created is a charming yet surprisingly deep land of politics and interesting characters all around.

Instead of writing an essay about this I'm going to create a list of Positives and Negatives, I know when you're just looking to see if an anime is worth watching you usually don't want to read all that much.

Positives

- The story always seems to be moving forwards and never seems to slow down always introducing new and interesting characters to meet.

- The art style is beautiful, the world in general is extremely bright and colourful and everything is outline with more of a red tone than most anime's, this helps to differentiate its style from the crowd and really makes it a pleasure to view.

 

 - The characters are all interesting and I always found myself wanting to learn more about them and their origins.

 

 - The relationship between Sora and Shiro is great.

 

Negatives

 
- The relationship between Sora and Shiro might turn off some viewers.

 

 - The 'Blank Never Loses' dynamic is interesting in some areas but it does get rid of some of the tension from certain battles.

 

 - The series ends on an extreme cliffhanger

I would recommend No Game Life to most people if only because it is extremely short at this stage, it won't take you long to power through the 12 episodes, however if you don't like cliffhangers you should definitely hold off on watching No Game No Life.

My Reaction after season 1

Rating: 9 / 10
-Kaito

Shingeki no Kyojin

My Favourite Anime <(^-^)>

Shingeki no Kyojin

Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of titans.


 

Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a colossal titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller titans flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single titan and take revenge for all of mankind.

Oh dear Shingeki no Kyojin, where do I even begin. If you've talked with your friends about anime, then the couple anime that everyone talks about are Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and... Shingeki no Kyojin. What's the difference between Shingeki and the rest? Shingeki only has 25 episodes so far yet it's on par in popularity with the other super long anime. Why is it popular? Well that's simply because it's stunningly amazing. Those people that call Shingeki no Kyojin "overrated" may not have the same taste as me, and that's perfectly fine, but in my honest opinion, Shingeki no Kyojin is one of if not the greatest anime to be made. It's not popular for no reason.

 

The story is one of the most captivating stories I've ever seen. 100 years prior to the start of the anime, humanity has been on the bridge of extinction due to the monstrous humanoid Titans that devour humans. Now, present day in the anime, the remaining small population of mankind lives confined within 3 "heavenly" walls that are so tall and sturdy that even the titans can't break in. The most outward wall was named, Wall Maria, the middle wall was named Wall Rose, and the most outward wall named Wall Sina. Unfortunately for mankind, a colossal titan, one that is even bigger than the 50 meter heavenly walls, breaks Wall Maria, allowing the other titans to rampage the city, thus leading to another massacre of mankind.
 
 
 During this massacre, our main characters, Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman watch in horror as a horrifying titan rips their mother's head off, then gobbles her up whole. Vowing that he'd one day avenge mankind and exterminate all the titans, Eren Yeager trains to become a survey corp, brave heroic soldiers who go outside the walls, into the plains in order to fight the titans. But we soon find out, that Eren is much more special than he seems, not only is he a brave warrior, but he's also something else that could be the key to humanity's survival, but could also be humanity's destruction.

 

My 3-word thoughts on the anime: Epic, Dynamic, Masterpiece. The suspense build-up was absolutely amazing, yet there was still room for improvement; that shows just how epic this anime can get. The anime not only includes epic fights, but lots of dialogue, and for those of you that hate dialogue, I feel sorry for you people whom only watch for action. The anime includes lots of other things as well: there's lots of half-hearted, hilarious scenes, as well as sad, tragic scenes. The anime certainly has a good amount of gore, and will break your heart frequently (if you get attached to the characters). Many characters end up getting gobbled up mercilessly while trying to protect humanity in ways that are quite *shivers*. Have I teared up in the anime? As a matter of fact, I have.

 

Characters was another area (alongside every area) that was Shingeki's strongpoint. There's a diverse variety of characters that fight for humanity for all different reasons. There's trust, friendship, along with betrayals, and pains. There's comedy relief among many characters, especially Sasha "Potato Girl" Blouse. There are characters that people can definitely relate with, such as Armin Arlert, who wants to do the right thing and protect his friends, but can't seem to do much because of fear. Fear is something that haunts us all, and prevents us from doing things in life. Another character that people can somewhat relate with is Annie Leonhardt, who fights alongside humanity, yet fights opposed to humanity.

 
 What does that mean? Watch the anime. Why is she doing this? Because of her past scars, "scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real" (watch to find out more). There were too many characters to development fully, but certainly the main characters were developed to their max. Levi is certainly a fan-favorite character, because of the fact that he's cool, overpowered, badass, kind-in-the-heart, smart, straight-to-the-point, and most of all, hilarious with all his neat-freakiness. 

 
The main character, Eren Yeager is strong-hearted, and "special", but he's still not strong enough to defeat the titans. How he develops is one of the most interesting things, in this interesting-things-packed anime. 


The art and music can be described in one word: WOW! The art drawings were absolutely stunning! From the characters/titans to the setting of the story to all the equipment used in battle. The characters all had a unique aspect to them. The settings of the anime were beautiful. The cities, and walls looked realistic, the plains that characters dreamed of seeing made me want to run outside to see for myself how beautiful nature really is, and how humans under appreciate the naturality of nature.

 
 The 3-D gear was something that really caught my eye, and will certainly catch other people's eyes as well. A new form of action that's never been seen before. The characters would literally fly from rooftop to rooftop slicing their swords at the titans at high-speeds that keep the viewers eyes locked onto the screen at all times.

 

  The soundtrack in the anime was epic as shit. The openings speak for themselves, they do the anime justice. The openings were epic and certainly set the mood of what was to come from the anime. "They're the prey, and we are the hunters!" The rest of the soundtrack in the anime was as AMAZING. How can one describe how amazing those German OSTs were. They fit in perfectly with the epicness of the anime, and certianly added tons of suspense to the 3-D maneuver gear action. 

   

Of course, I may be over-thinking things, but the anime certainly included some themes while creating this masterpiece of an anime. The aspect of being confined in an area, doing the same daily routine every day. People seek to be free, and to seek adventure. Watch for this. Another theme that the anime incorporated was that of the cycle of life. Humans, we steal animals away from their families, we kill them, we eat them. What's so different from us, and the titans? The feelings of not being at the top of the food chain... Anyways, if you haven't already watched this anime and you're reading this review, then you've clearly been living under a rock all this time, and I definitely encourage you to watch this show even if it isn't your style of anime.

Rating: 10 / 10
-Kaito