by Eileen 配仪

A Song Of Fire And Ice

I started reading this because I could not seem to follow the series on HBO. There were too many faces and names to remember so I took the Game Of Thrones out from the library. Then the next and soon I finished the series up to Dance Of Dragons.

What I really enjoy of this series is how random everything is – one day a king, dead the next day. One day pardoned, next thing you know the chap’s head is on a spike. The writer doesn’t seem to want us to be too attached to the characters because while I feel sorry that they are dead I don’t quite miss them. There is one exception: the dwarf Tyrion Lannister. The writer seems quite attached to Tyrion and he makes me want Tyrion to succeed and when the point of view shifts to some other character I wonder what Tyrion is doing.

I am rather disappointed the next book in the series will take a while. Having read on Wiki that Tolkien inspired Martins, I took out the Hobbit. It reads like a children’s book. I am finding it hard to finish.

by Eileen 配仪

No frills cake from cake mixes

Cake decorating has been the rage these two years. Generally I do not like frosting/icing/cream on my cake – it distracts one from the cake. This christmas, with lots of help, I’ve been testing out variations of the chocolate covered cherry cake recipe from cake mix doctor. I made chocolate covered strawberry and a yellow cake with peach pie filling using Betty Crocker’s Super Moist mixes.

As my cakes were gifts, I didn’t get to taste the cakes. I knew enough that cakes are generally improved after a day of rest. It was only after Mr TCM brought home two slices of leftover chocolate cake that I slathered a 2:1 ganache that I realised:
1. the cake is not as delicious as the reviewers made it out to be. Yes, it was moist but pie filling made it sugary sweet – I couldn’t taste chocolate.
2. not very good cakes require things on top as distraction. The cake alone was bleah. With the ganache and it was rich, moist and very chocolately. Rather delicious, I thought.

For the peach pie filling version, I chopped up a canned peaches, mixed it with bought whipped cream as filling and topping. The cake was extremely moist and extremely sugary. It was only saved by the cream and the peaches.

The second recipe I tried was Darn Good Chocolate cake. I used the recipe once last year with Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mix but wasn’t impressed by the lack of chocolate in the flavour. This year I used Duncan Hines German Chocolate cake mix and substitute coffee instead of water. I haven’t tasted it but Mr TCM did and he said it is quite good. I am hoping this is The mix to use.

by Eileen 配仪

On Erotic Capital

…Hakim also goes on to show that economic factors are the primary reason most women enter the sex trade. Over several pages she details just how much more women are able to make working in the sex industry than in other low-paid jobs available to them (it’s a lot!).

…If there’s one positive message to take from this book, it’s that we ought to stop moralising and belittling those who choose to pursue work in the sex industry. After all, in Hakim’s words, ‘The meritocratic capitalist values of the Western world invite us to admire people who exploit their human capital for personal gain. I can see no reason at all why people who exploit their erotic capital for its full value should not be equally admired.’

My objection about work in the sex industry is that the productive life of a sex worker is too short. The high earnings, which is suppose to compensate for the short life span and the health risk, doesn’t quite compensate enough. Courtesans of old know this and incorporate other skills (entertainment, hosting, management) to ensure that longer term income remains available to them.

by Eileen 配仪

Life of Pi

I think the book overreached itself. It began with a mock interview of this person who assures that the story will make the reader and the writer believe in God. I finished In the Beginning by Isaac Asimov which was good. Just a few chapters into Mary Roach’s Six Feet Over and slammed it shut. I didn’t mind a Christian religion book for a bit of flavour.

It was interesting how Pi spent 200 over days floating in the sea. I like that he took actions to ensure his own survival. The book occasionally becomes a laundry list but it wasn’t boring. It was like watching Bear Grylls on discovery except Pi didn’t like adventures.
His knowledge of the animals on the boat with him was surprising since he didn’t spend that much time helping out in the zoo. It was unbelievable though: being in danger could have brought out some knowledge he has forgotten. It was all very well until it ended with a revelation: he didn’t spend the days with the animals. He spent it with humans who have become animals. The real story was more arresting, more believable. There was a lot more action, suspense and drama.

by Eileen 配仪

Book Binding at the Society of the Physically Disabled

Ever since Rhodia paper ceased to become available in SG, I stopped using the one last A4 gridpad that I have. My intention is to have them bound into an A6 journal at the Society of the Physically Disabled. A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to do it on one of my leave days. (They do not work weekends.)

The sales officer Ruby and I chatted a little about paper and notebooks. She had trouble seeking fountain pen friendly paper. I mentioned to her the sample of Bagasse paper I got from someone on the FP yahoo group. While we chatted, I looked at the sample of the notebooks she has given me. The stitching on the sample is tight. The book does not open flat. It requires force to make it flat and even so, it springs back.

Doubtful, I asked to stitch four pages to a signature and to make 32 sheets each per notebook (about 64 pages). I wasn’t certain that it will be more flat because there are lesser pages. Ruby also mentioned that the papers will be trimmed. I had buyers remorse two days later, thinking I butchered those precious Rhodia paper.

It all ended happily. See how flat it opens!

 Society of the Physically Disabled
 Operating Hours: 8:30am to 6:00pm (Mon-Fri)
 Email Address: information@spd.org.sg
 Enquiry Hotline: +65 6579 0700
 2 Peng Nguan Street
 SPD Ability Centre
 Singapore 168955
by Eileen 配仪

Fountain Pens : Twsbi Diamond 530

Ink leaking into the piston - Diamond 530 I spoke too fast. While the leak doesn’t interfere with the writing, it would eventually clog the piston when the ink dries up. I wrote to the people at Twsbi to show them the leak and confess that I’ve lost the replacement parts after I moved homes. A nice chap told me he would sent it to me.

I also found the nib too dry for my liking. Luckily it is is springy enough to let me press it down to give a wetter and broader line. Now it is lovely and wet.

by Eileen 配仪

Fountain Pens : Twsbi Diamond 530

I clean forgot I own the Twsbi Diamond 530. A year back, someone on FPN singapore organised a bulk purchase when it was finally for sale. The ink leaked into the piston when the first time I filled it with water. The replacement part came. I’m not a fiddler – I had no idea how to fix it. The part eventually went missing. The pen went unused until I found it in my box yesterday, while cleaning up. I looked up FPN and was glad to find that “This leakage on line 1 is not going to cause any writing problem, or ink storage problem, but it looks un-pleasant.”

I filled it up with Noodler’s Cayenne Pepper. Size is great! I like the M800 size. The M nib is reasonably smooth – not butter, some feedback – and very clean for a demonstrator. (Ink tends to collect at the cap for the Pelikan demonstrator I own.) Pretty good for a cheapie!


I’m rather looking forward to the Twsbi Vacuum Filling System (Vac 700). It has been on the boards for ages with very uninteresting news. I wouldn’t rush out to buy the first batch but will buy them if reviews are good.