If you go to Sid’s you’ll notice they have a banner up for a drink that is not very well known to us…
It’s for Newcastle Brown Ale, that’s originally from well, Newcastle.
I know very few people who have any bond with Newcastle upon Tyne,
a grey flat city in North East England.
But incidentally i used to live there when my dad was doing his Masters in 1990.
So that made me seven or eight years old in case you were wondering.
My mom used to walk my brother and i over the fields to school,
where we had a massive field for sports (i never got used to tiny school fields after that!)
and affectionate teachers who would give us hugs and kisses (which i never got in KL 0_o).
I really loved school, i loved dinner time, i loved play time,
i loved Postman Pat time (which only happened when the teachers had meetings).
I loved P.E. and remember i wore a bright yellow shirt which accidentally attracted some insects, and made me cry.
But it was okay cos i got a big hug from the teacher after that.
We were so spoilt with affection!
It was nice
An old picture of my friends and i.
As you can see, Newcastle is really flat…
and i remember it had a lot of factories around.
Which is why i wasn’t surprised to read that Newcastle is the first place in Britain to brew beer commercially.
Newcastle has 5 founding breweries which is represented by the 5 points of the blue star on its brown ale bottle.
At least now you know what it stands for!
The bridge in the middle of the blue star represents the bridge over the Tyne river,
which was built at almost the same time Newcastle Brown Ale was invented.
The ale was first brewed in 1927.
The bridge was built in 1928.
Since then, the ale has been the No. 1 selling premium bottle ale in the UK
and available in more than 40 countries.
That’s definitely more countries than i’ve been to!
I must say i’ve taken a fancy to trying ales and brands i haven’t heard of since i spent last summer in UK,
it’s awesome to drink in the afternoons (festivals!), lie around in the sunshine and grass,
and more pleasant than sharp beers.
I had a few bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale that day,
and find that it’s something in between a normal beer and a heavy dark stout.
It’s sweeter than normal beer, and not as heavy as stout – really in between!
It’s also got a caramel-ish taste to its full flavour, which i love, and a slightly nutty aftertaste.
Jess + Clem
Yeah, drinking at a pub on a Monday evening helps prepare us for the rest of the week!
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You can try Newcastle Brown Ale at Sid’s, Finnegan’s, Jarrod & Rawlins, The Apartment, Malones, Delaney’s, Bulldog and more.
Some pieces by Ivan Lam are currently on display for an exhibition called Together Alone
Entitled: “You Are Being Missed, Dear.”
I thought that was kinda funny.
Entitled: “For a lark i will eat a crow.”
So don’t get that… and i won’t pretend to!
Mixed media on canvas by Choy Chun Wei
Gerald said he could envision it in his kitchen.
For an art gallery opening, we got pretty tipsy on Absolut cocktails.
They hit stronger than they taste!
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If you’re in Gardens, take a walk in the gallery and have a look.
I think some people are scared of walking into a gallery cos the room is so bare,
they feel like a deer caught in headlights.
But really… once you’re in there it’s not so bad.
And at least you’re trying something new especially if you don’t consider yourself an artsy person.
Art is for everyone, and is completely subjective, like food or music!
So check it out when you’re there
I have heaps of great memories in Singapore!
I love how it’s so close, yet you get such a different vibe from Malaysia once you’re there.
Entertainment is definitely on an international level,
and the interest in fashion, music and the arts there is extremely energetic,
i can’t help catching the virus when i’m there and getting excited!
Below are some awesome events i’ve gone to in Singapore:
Taking part in Flea Titan, that was held at the Singapore Flyer in Jan 2010
(i can’t believe it was only last year… it felt ages ago! Guess cos i’ve been traveling so much!)
Partying with superheroes at Avalon during F1 weekend!
So happy i managed to catch Empire of the Sun, such great performers!
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The thing about going to Singapore is it takes a fair bit of cash to have some fun…
Concert tickets, accomodation, and entry to places tend to suck up the majority of the holiday budget,
so it can be a bit *ouch* sometimes.
But we might not have to worry about that so much anymore.
Singapore Tourism Board is about to push off a slew of discounts and promotions especially for Malaysians!
And hey, there’s nothing we like more than special discounts
For instance, i stayed at the gorgeous Studio M boutique hotel last year,
which had high glass windows and 2 floors in a loft style.
(i took this picture without even trying to make it look nice!)
The bed was soft and luxurious… and it felt great to be able to wake up to a huge window.
Something i’d like for my future home *nudge nudge Clem*
Now there’s a promo for a bunch of hotels in Singapore including the one above.
As long as you make your reservations from now till 31st May 2011,
you get late check outs, breakfast, and 20% off Best Available Rate and F&B outlets!
Hey 20% can add up to additional shopping money okay.
There are also discounts for Accor Singapore Hotels,
where you can get 15% off your room rate,
free buffet breakfast, 1-Day City Tour, 24-Hour Internet Access,
and a chance to ‘Spin & Win’. Click *here*
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I was checking out the newly improved YourSingapore.Com website,
and got completely OVERWHELMED by the number of things i haven’t done there…
and really want to do…
And this is going to sound kinda sad, but i’ve never been to the Night Safari there…
and i know everyone else and a gazillion other people have.
I dunno, guess i always spent my Singapore nights partying or at events,
that i never took the time for it!
I made up a dream timetable of all the things i’d like to do in Singapore *here*.
You can try doing the same, or even if you don’t,
try cyber-leafing through the list of things to do and you’ll be amazed at the number of places to visit i bet you didn’t know about!
Click on *this link* and go to Be Inspired – See All Guides.
You’ll see what i mean.
This event was a week ago but i’m trying to catch up on my blogposts!
I dragged Chelle along with me to the event, as we were going to meet our seamstress together after.
Someone caught a picture of us giggling at the spread.
Not surprised.
If we’re not talking about fashion/Leftblock, we’re screaming about food.
There was once we went fabric-hunting without eating first and we were the grouchiest mofos ever.
The patterns on the fabric were making us dizzy and we left after an hour.
Quite fail.
I love me some proper scones and cream! *squeal*
Ok i know this is supposed to be a fashion post…
but a girl can’t function without her food.
Chelle and i even ordered a steak tartare to share.
We love steak tartare (amongst many other dishes…)
so we were happily digging in while the fashion show was going on :p
Back to business!
The event was a collaboration between online Malaysian shopping website FashionValet.Net and local accessories design brand Minz.
If you didn’t already know, Fashion Valet stocks pieces from various Malaysian designers/brands, so it’s a great one-stop portal for anyone in the world.
Vivy Yusof from Fashion Valet, with her sidekick/manager(?) Asma.
I was staring and staring at the picture of Vivy thinking daymn so prettyyyy Just wanna cubit her cheeks
Sisters Nicole and Adeline Tan of Minz
Nicole and i go kinda way back… when i was in college and we used to party in the same group night after night.
Where has that energy gone…
Now, I drink one night and i die at yoga the next day.
Nicole watching me check out her Minz pieces
Sorry i look kinda crap.
‘Twas the first day i was falling sick and i just about managed to slap minimal make up on and get myself out of the house.
Insanely long post ahead with heaps of runway shots!
I went to Gallo yesterday afternoon,
to judge a styling competition conducted by Gallo by Thian in their store.
Managed to be one of the first to see the SS11 pieces they just put out that day as well.
The new collection has a completely different colour palette compared to previous collections.
This one is all girly+ sugary sweet + pastel, while still sticking to the strong ‘Gallo’ style.
The first person that popped into my mind when i saw all the sheer polka dot pinks, sweet yellow ruffles and heart shapes was… Jezmine Blossom!
It’s SO HER STYLE.
And that’s branding for you!
I see cute animal prints, i think of Jezmine.
I see little hearts and pleats, i think of Jezmine.
Steph emceeing the styling competition, with one of the contestants by her side accompanied by her model (Tinie!)
I was one of the judges along with Teresa (designer + owner of Gallo) and Steph.
Miss Malaysia World/Universe Deborah Henry on right
Victor, Teresa’s husband giving her flowers while she holds their daughter.
Awww
Some peeps:
Nicole, Aaron, me
Josh + Janet
me + Chelsia
Victor looking lost with the flowers
Teresa with her daughter. Tried to make her pose. Tak jadi in time for camera.
Then she happily posed with balloons… haha.
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i wore >
frayed white top; bangkok
scarf; completely forgot where it’s from… prollie a flea market
sheer pink pants; leftblock
shoes; carvela
The sheer pants are from Leftblock’s 2nd collection which will be out in a few weeks’ time.
It’s super comfy and flowy… i love itttttt
Will be custom made-to-order in many colours 😀
Enquiries pls email joycethefairy@gmail.com
Price: RM170
