domingo, diciembre 31, 2006
London!
My suitcase weighed like 25kg and I had to lug it and a handcarry from Heathrow to Canary Wharf and up and down escalators that weren't in operation at like 7am in the morning. FUCK. I really could've died - shows how unfit I am now bleargh.
Having a little NYE countdown thingy at Leon's place! Curry for dinner woohoo. 2007 here I commmmeeeeee. On second thoughts - damn it I hate 2007 I just KNOW it's gonna be the downhill part of my sinecurve.
Vanessa Lim 5:32 p. m.
sábado, diciembre 30, 2006
Ugh, my internet connection is a BITCH. It's taking forever to load pages cos of the taiwan earthquake thing. never mind. flying tonight!
SQ322 taking off at 2320 from Terminal 2 - which is basically the same details as the time I first flew.
People still owe me photos! Ahh and my camera is repaired so please expect lotsa London photos yeah :) I HAVE to visit the Tate Modern when I'm there this time!
Ahh it's almost 2007. So I've decided to make resolutions this time..
- Study. Like REALLY study.
- Shop less
- Do volunteer work
- Be more positive (the glass is half-full, van)
- Write in a paper journal every day if possible
- Take more photos
- Concentrate more on art
- Go to the gym. FREQUENTLY.
- Smile more
- Travel!!
You'll see a new me returning back from York :) Till July 2007! Will miss everyone to bits. xxx
Vanessa Lim 8:32 a. m.
martes, diciembre 26, 2006
Updated schedule: (You know you're really jampacked when you have to start squeezing in people for breakfast and tea)
27th - Lunch+shopping: Zurong. Dinner: TEAM!
28th - Lunch: CPT Aaron. Tea: Angwei, Yeemeng. Dinner: artsfac girls (??)
29th - Breakfast: IJ girls. Lunch+Movie: Howe. Dinner: Airwing officers
30th - Lunch: Family. Dinner: EMPTY (flight is at 2320)
Watched Night at the Museum with Zurong and Yunhui. (With my sister coincidentally also watching the same thing and sitting behind me too) It actually wasn't as bad as I'd expected it to be. At least it had a PLOT. (Unlike some movies like TokyoDrift) Though it was corny at times at least it wasn't predictable. Had me at the edge of my seat actually. Ah and Yunhui can drive, and he's one of the very few people I can sit in a car with and feel really really safe on the roads - like I know that he knows what he's doing.
I promise. Really.
Vanessa Lim 3:44 p. m.
lunes, diciembre 25, 2006
Change.
The car changed. BMW 3-series now. Don'tlikeit. Orchard changed. Stupid wisma underpass closed - irritating. People changed. Justin updated me yesterday on so many things about people that totally shocked me. The weather in uk changed. subzero, they say.
I hate change.
I know people who read this blog think that I'm damn lucky. I've got it all. Scholarship, career, opportunity to study in a top university.. but you know if I had the chance I'd rather work for it step by step. Climb the ladder slowly but surely, NO SHORT CUTS. I'd trade it all to be more in touch with myself, to be more sensible and more...
human. I don't look for much success in life.. I don't see how being a topgrade careerwoman will ever atone for a lack of character. I just wish I were a better person -
I know you do too. I know we both don't like the people we are now and we wish to change for the better. To put the past behind us and to just embrace the present.
We'll still be there for each other.
"Shine on, you were meant to."
Vanessa Lim 10:05 a. m.
sábado, diciembre 23, 2006
I suppose to some people, it's easier to let their emotions show - but I'm just not like that. I cover everything up. You say I live a lie. I say I just don't wear my heart on my sleeve like a freaking brevet. I don't think covering up my emotions is LYING. I just don't see the point in being moody around people and affecting their moods so I just try my best to bottle it all up. Is that a bad thing? Does that make me a worse person? IS IT WRONG? It's just how I do things, my own prerogative. I choose not to publicly display what I feel deep down because I just don't wanna affect the people around me. I don't open up to people easily - tell me is that WRONG?
Another constellation dies
Do what you want 'cause it's your own sky
Just call me when the phone stops ringing
Thanks for coming by
I'm just glad I'm on your good side
Where it's smoldering or freezing
It's never all that easy to decide
This is the land of a thousand words
But it seems so few are worth the breath to say
Except I'll be looking after my own world
And you just keep on saving the day
I'll try to stay but it's in vain when you're far
I'm on the run to wherever you are
Vanessa Lim 4:56 p. m.
viernes, diciembre 22, 2006
I wouldn't want you to want
To be wanted by me
I wouldn't want you to worry
you'd be drowned within my sea
I only wanted to be wonderful
And wonderful is true
And truth I only really wanted
To be wanted by you
So go play with your piano
Write a mediocre song
Out the shell of mediocrity
And pretend there's nothing wrong.
Vanessa Lim 3:00 p. m.
Well. We get idealistic even impractical at times. 2006 is drawing to a close - and i just think it's been one big blur. I shant even bother to summarise it because I think I could write a whole bloody novel just on this year itself. I'm in the midst of shifting the blog - it's getting a bit overwhelming having 2 years of intense archives and well I suppose next year is an entirely new start for me. 2007 sounds really intimidating since year by year, it just seems to get exponentially hectic and eventful. I'm a bit scared.
UPDATED SCHEDULE:
23rd - Lunch: Sam & artsfac guys. Dinner: Jish & LTA Peter
24th - Lunch: Family.
Dinner: EMPTY. Post dinner: Justin/Szewei/anyone else interested.
25th - Xmas (howe??)
26th - Lunch: Zurong & Yunhui. Dinner: tentatively reserved
27th -
Lunch: EMPTY. Dinner: TEAM!
28th -
Lunch: EMPTY. Dinner: artsfac girls (??)
29th -
Lunch: CPT Aaron. Dinner: tentatively reserved
30th - Lunch: Family. Dinner: EMPTY (flight is at 2320)
Vanessa Lim 1:43 p. m.
miércoles, diciembre 20, 2006
First day back. Hmm. Cut my hair finally. Wahoo. I like how it looks this time. Now I can go out and face the world.
Ok so far here's the schedule
21st - Lunch: Lings/Huimin. Dinner: Howe
22nd - Lunch/movie/dinner: Howe (?)
23rd - Morning: Gym w howeee. Lunch: Sam & artsfac guys. Dinner: EMPTY
24th - Sentosa? Dinner: xmas thingy w howe's class
25th - Xmas (howe??)
26th - Lunch/movie: Tom. Dinner: EMPTY
27th - Lunch: EMPTY. Dinner: TEAM!
28th - Lunch: EMPTY. Dinner: artsfac girls (??)
29th - EMPTY
30th - Lunch: Family.
hahahaha. limited slots available.. :)
Anyway, town's changed quite a bit. I hate the stupid blocked up Wisma-OrchardMRT underpass. Poop.
Vanessa Lim 1:13 p. m.
martes, diciembre 19, 2006
I'M HOMEEE.
Not jetlagged. Very sleepy nowww. Blah. I called everyone and nobody picked up! Huiying! Leepeng! Mindy! GROWL. :(((
Eh you all better start chope-ing dates ok. My 21st evening, 23rd noon, 27th evening are full. Possibly 24th whole day too. I should be going back on 30th.. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE OGAY :)))))
Vanessa Lim 3:11 p. m.
domingo, diciembre 17, 2006
Sam & I outside Ziggys, moments before I dropped my camera :(
Very bad photo of Kate and I and someone's huge xmas hat.
Dan, me, Kate, Charlotte.
Charlotte!
This was at snowball. Kate & Emma
MORE PHOTOS! In case you all forget what I look like heeheeheeeee. Yes I know my hair is very long now I promise I'll cut it when I get back. I loooove how my makeup stays on in the UK weather. Unlike in singapore - it's soooo humid that everything melts off and your face gets sticky and disgusting.
Home tomorrow! Flight's at 2215 UK time - 0615 SG time. Gonna make a trip to Oxford Street for some last minute shopping before I go back. Gonna buy daddy's tea and mom's M&S shirt if it's available. I'm quite scared of big cities now I think I might hyperventilate in sg :(
Vanessa Lim 11:19 p. m.
borough market was heaven!!!!! omg i'm sooo making another trip there when i go back in jan. we were walking around trying not to spend money but then we saw them selling FATASS SCALLOPS!! three fat scallops plus bacon & stirfry for FOUR QUID and we relented. aaaah it was so juicy and succulent and just sooo amazing. THEN we stumbled across this jam shop and we were tasting every kind of jam and then we fell in love with the LAVENDER JAM. omg it was the most heavenly, exquisite and special jam i've ever tasted. but the worst thing - only one bottle left :(((( so i bought it, cos leon and wanling live there and the woman would come back anyway.. aahhh that jam. amazing. plus the woman only makes it when lavender is in season - which makes it even more special :)))
Then wandered around.. found ourselves at millenium bridge and to my absolute delight found myself standing outside the legendary TATE MODERN. No time to visit, but will do that next year. Thennnn there was the bankside crafts fair thing and we strolled through that - saw the most beautiful paper-star lamps but didn't buyyyy :( walked to somewhere near leicester square and there was a FUNFAIR wheeeee. Leon tried to win us that huge teddybear with the rifle game (he's a marksman). The card was filled with white stars w red borders and you're supp to hit 3 separate stars without touching the red borders. We spent like 15quid there and there was one where leon hit two smack in the middle but hit the border for the rest, and another where he hit the border by like ONE MILLIMETRE but the man was so rarrgh about it and refused to give us the big brown bear. BOOOOO :(
Thennn wanling went off for dinner with the RJ people. Met Jinfeng Edwin Bertram!! Been ages since I last saw them. aaand leon brought me to some friedchicken place near Holburn. CHERYL - you MUST go. their chicken is real good. it's near the sainsburys we went into to buy your muller corners and it's called cottage chicken. :))
Am having soooo much fun. End of term feels soooo good!
Vanessa Lim 12:02 a. m.
sábado, diciembre 16, 2006
am in london! last night leon brought us to some posh chinese restaurant and paid for everything. he's mad! their place is like a freaking palace compared to my room :( We're heading to borough market later - some hugeass food place! am real relieved that term is over - really hyper and bouncy and happy that i'm coming hooome!
rarrgh anyway i'm a CRIME SUSPECT! they're gonna interrogate all of us regarding sam's laptop omg omg so exciting right!
Vanessa Lim 1:22 p. m.
jueves, diciembre 14, 2006
SHIT. Last night kate managed to persuade me to go out to usher in my 19th. SOOO. I relented and ended up drinking like nobody's business. Long Island Ice Tea, Lemon Drop shot, Vodka Coke treble & Tia Maria Orange treble at the same time, K2 Orange, 1.5 Vodka lemon lime. AARGH not good. THEN I dropped my camera on Micklegate and the lens is horrendously ruptured. Thank god I'll be able to go home and get it fixed.
Woke up with a terrible hangover and basically just slept my whole 19th birthday away. Thanks to everyone who wished me. Thong and Chit - I did get your msgs thank youuu :) And to the approx 20 people on facebook who left messages on my wall. To my housemates for the cards and the smoothie recipe book!! And the Singsoc people for the mini celebration.
ARGH then came home to drama.. Sam got his laptop nicked from his room and the culprits ripped the whole socket off the wall while sticking their hands in through a gap in the window. The police are arriving soon. gahhh. This sucks.
Vanessa Lim 11:52 p. m.
miércoles, diciembre 13, 2006
I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
True, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home
They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,' but we'll stay...
I tried my best to leave this all on your
Machine but the persistent beat it sounded
Thin upon listening
That frankly will not fly. you will hear
The shrillest highs and lowest lows with
The windows down when this is guiding you home
Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
Vanessa Lim 5:00 p. m.
ASOS dress. 18quid. Lousy camera phone.
I'M BOREDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Vanessa Lim 2:31 p. m.
martes, diciembre 12, 2006
I'M FINALLY DONE WITH POLITICS!
The exam was shit. utter bollocks - like what the english would say. But I'm sure my answers are worth more than the pass rate of 40% so it should be all right. I answered the most obscure question - "Votes are money, elections the market, parties the businesses - assess the credibility of this statement" and was basically making my own stuff up about how in a market you can get your money back if you're not satisfied with the outcome of your products but votes are irrevocable. hahahhaa oh dear me. but WHATEVER. no more politics!!!!!!
Ahhh anyway snowball last night was ok. Will wait for kate and emma to upload the photos! Was really tired for most of the night though - but the food was amazing. Cream of leek soup, a proper xmas turkey roast with potatoes, some chocolate mousse for dessert. Then they played swing music which was soooo refreshing but I was just so sleepy for some strange reason.
THEN woke up at an ungodly hour of 0845 in anticipation of the painters. Spent the day with kate and emma barricaded in the kitchen watching like 9852858758 OC episodes on emma's computer. My room was in a STATE, but I must say the painters covered my stuff with the sheets really well so everything was immaculate after they were done so wahooooo :) Now I'm self-declaring the end of term even though I still have English lectures but I'm gonna pretend they don't exist.
YAYYY
Vanessa Lim 4:27 p. m.
domingo, diciembre 10, 2006
So I just got my year end bonus. It's a massive sum of money that I don't deserve. Plus there was the Comms parade yesterday that I couldn't attend.
You know, I'd rather they not give me my salary. I'm literally getting paid to soak up british culture, enjoy life and attend a smattering of lessons here and there. WHY? I just don't know what I did to deserve the 2LT rank. Don't know what I've done to warrant them paying me so much. I'd rather they take it back. Compared to the men and women (MY 41st WOCC, MY 6306 OCC, MY 6306 AFST) on the parade square, I'm NOTHING. I don't even have the required grades for the scholarship - it makes me think that everything is just a fluke. They braved the elements to get that sword and that rank. They survived a hell lot of trials and tests of character. They stuck it out.
But me? Seems to me that all I've done is BMT, fired a few army weapons that I will never need, had too much admin time for my own good, a short CWC stint, BRUNEI JST.. got firstclass treatment at airbases.. that's all. I know that on paper I'm a scholar so my career path will just skyrocket yadayada but you know what, I don't freaking care about all these practical and material concerns. I just want to EARN whatever I'm getting now. I want to stand on that parade square, sing the songs, march leftrightleftright, hormat senjata and throw my peakcap/strange-ladies-hat. That's all I want. Compared to a CEREMONY with no marching followed by a LUNCH. AAAARGHHHH.
Where's my freaking pride.
Vanessa Lim 4:34 p. m.
Photos from PIRATES VS NINJAS. really long ago. This was where I got real tipsy after antibiotics + alcohol. Funny how the alcohol never hits you till you sit down.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!Vanessa Lim 12:39 p. m.
jueves, diciembre 07, 2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOOO :P
Florence
16:03
normally either you whisk the egg yolk with the sugar or with egg white read your receipe. just by looking at it you can see if its fluffy its kind like thicken cream
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:04
egg white
16:04
w sugar
16:04
i'm trying to make a meringue
16:04
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=210
Florence
16:04
If its meringue than you beat with sugar
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:05
yaa
16:05
i know
16:05
but what do u mean when its stiff
Florence
16:06
for cakes normally you beat eggs yolk with sugar and beat the whites separately than you have to fold in the flour with your hands with upward mixing
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:07
i'm not baking a CAKE technically
16:07
i'm making a MERINGUE
16:07
GRR
16:07
how do u know when it's STIFF
Florence
16:07
i know am telling you i
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:07
haha ur not answering my qn!!!
16:07
hahahah what on earth is upward mixing
Florence
16:09
i told you can see when its stiff it very fluffy and it doesnt drip off from the whisk didnt i tell you that? when you turn the whisk the tip has to form a curl mah
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:09
that is soft peaks!!
16:10
then how does it become stiff??
Florence
16:11
when its stiff the whole mixing bowl would be full dont overbeat
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:11
WHAT?
16:11
the bowl will be full.
Florence
16:11
ya
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:11
means it's stiff??
Florence
16:11
ha nah (OMG this is priceless. HA NAH!!)
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:12
?? what if my bowl is too small
16:12
and it overflows
16:12
??
16:12
then
16:12
wont it be premature stiffness
Florence
16:12
no lah how big is your mixer? as big as my kitchen aid
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:13
no
16:13
i am
16:13
mixing it by hand
Florence
16:13
OMG you have to whisk a very long time till you hand gets tired
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:13
i know hahaha
Florence
16:13
keep on whisking then
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:14
hahahahha
Florence
16:14
you should be studying why are you at the pantry
vanessa (: I HATE POLITICS
16:15
i am not at the pantry!
OMG my MOM cracks me up. This is her maiden MSN experience lol.
EDIT: 3 HOURS LATER.
The meringue didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked it to though.. meringues are supposed to be crispy but well it was crisp on the outside but squishy inside. Pretty strange stodgy texture but yummy nonetheless. Oh well. I shouldn't have gotten tinned raspberries cos they came in juice and were kinda mushy (I dropped one on the floor and it literally SMASHED). I really don't see where I went wrong - followed the recipe perfectly but yet it's still a bit squidgy. Gahhh. At least I didn't kill anyone. Ahh anyway,
Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova, everyone.
Vanessa Lim 4:11 p. m.
miércoles, diciembre 06, 2006
Hi Chris,
I'm the resident of St Lawrence J14 and my room is scheduled to be painted on Thursday 7th December. I would really appreciate it if this could be rescheduled as I have an important politics exam coming up on the 11th and the painting would be of immense disruption to my revision. Furthermore, I have a visitor coming on that day, and I worked his visit around the fact that painting would be done next week instead of this week. Could you please arrange for a rescheduling of the painting? I do hope this is a valid enough reason. Also, could you please explain why painting is being undergone even though the walls are perfectly fine? I do think the funding for this paint job could be better used on other things. Should the paint job be but a yearly routine - would it not be prudent to assess the state of the rooms before deciding if painting is necessary? If it is really necessary then why isn't the painting undertaken during the long summer vacation where all the rooms are properly vacated? I believe a lot of inconvenience can be avoided this way.
Also, I have recently reported that the water coming out from the taps in the sink in my room - especially the cold tap - is chalky. In the whole of House J, only my taps are affected, and it would be nice if someone came to have a look at that.
Thank you for your time!
Regards,
Vanessa Lim
I managed to reschedule it in the end with the writing of this email. Like what my dad says, if you don't ask, you never get lol.
I'm gonna try to bake my pavlova later methinks. I love Nigella Lawson.
Vanessa Lim 4:11 p. m.
martes, diciembre 05, 2006
It's been raining a lot lately and I love how the raindrops tap periodically against my window. It's a therapeutic, rhythmic kinda sound that's nice to study to. I mean I don't like studying for politics but I'd rather study it with the sound of rain that without. ha.
The painters are coming to paint our rooms on Thursday. Which means I have to take off all the stuff from my wall and remove everything from my shelves cos they're gonna varnish the shelves as well. This is really a prime case of shit timing. Firstly, Guofeng's coming up to celebrate my birthday on Thurs and he's gonna see my room in a tip. Secondly, I can't study in a horrendously cluttered room since all my stuff's gonna be piled up. Thirdly, our rooms don't need painting! mmmmffghh.
As usual not much progress on the studying bit. Am becoming a lazy arse. COME ON VAN. STOP WATCHING GREY'S.
Vanessa Lim 10:40 p. m.
Snippet of email from my mom:
Dad is contemplating changing his car. We went to test drive quite a number of makes like BMW, Audi and Lexus. Price of audi A4 is the cheapest at $123K. For the bmw the 523i is at $163000 and 323i is at 145000. Lexus IS250 at $145888. Dad have worked out the cost and but we are still unable to decide.
Happy birthday Shumin!!!!!!!!
Vanessa Lim 3:15 p. m.
lunes, diciembre 04, 2006
I need:
- a haircut
- a long coat. (ahhh been looking at asos again)
- to satisfy my tweed obsession
- to start studying
- to wake up on time for my tutorials
- to do laundry
- to paint my nails
- flat-soled boots
Vanessa Lim 4:11 p. m.
QUIT GOOGLING ME ALREADY!
I think I know what I want. I thinkk. Like Yeemeng said, no second guessing anymore. Have to be decisive for once even if it means being brutal.
All my life and especially for the past 3 years I've been outward-looking. What with canoeing and getting heavily involved in all sorts of stuff. Then came army and scholarship stuff. Tea sessions with important people. Talking to the Chief of Army. Having a sit-down in the Chief of Air Force's office. Being referred to in emails as "an SMS(W) scholar". It's all about me and how the world perceives me.
Maybe it's time to delve deep within myself for these 4 precious years I have before I enter the realm of the SAF again. Search and dig deep and perhaps I'll find something I never knew existed. I've gotta start thinking about myself and myself. Yes, not myself in relation to the people around me. Live my own life, be not selfish but more sensible. Love myself and know that whatever I do, it's because I'm doing it for my own good - not the good of others. A less eventful uni life would be ideal.
Impossible, maybe, but I'm trying to focus.
Vanessa Lim 2:14 a. m.
domingo, diciembre 03, 2006
Hmm. Just realised that we've gotta start house-hunting soon. By Feb all the good houses will be gone. I know I'm an international student and I can stay on campus if I wanted to, but the thing is, the courtyards/corridors get REALLY NOISY in the wee hours of the night and I don't really wanna start all over again. My housemates are godsent, really. We know how to have fun but yet we control ourselves and don't make noise at night - unlike the other occupants of St Lawrence. The thing with living off campus is that you get peace and quiet and you won't be woken up by Beyonce playing at 3am in the morning.
I suppose there's good&bad for both options, but I'm seriously considering off-campus. Not because I don't like my fellow Singaporeans - I love them, but just cos I hate the noise. Plus it'd be nice having your own house. It's such a going-out-into-the-real-world kinda thing. Sweet.
Vanessa Lim 4:34 p. m.
viernes, diciembre 01, 2006
Sometimes we're faced with too many choices to deal with. When you've got a bevy of options available for you, how do you judge? Is it as easy as weighing the pros and cons? How can everything be classified as pure black or pure white?
For me, I think about others first. I think about how my actions, words, thoughts, feelings might impact the people around me. Life is one big sacrifice for the people you care about cos you don't wanna hurt them. Sometimes this whole benevolence thing drives me crazy. I think about people too much - and I sometimes tend to neglect my OWN inner emotions clawing to break out. Selflessness they call it - so I can go to heaven.
Sometimes it's not as easy as making a list of good&bad and then seeing which is longer. You've got to look far, envision the consequences of your actions and consider how each consequence will impact on whom. It's like a never-ending mindmap. A concatenated spiderweb. I wish life were like a waterfall. You know, just cascading down in freefall, and just going with the flow - with the assurance that there's only ONE way you can go, no turning back. Lie back and just float. But it's not that simple.
Yet we know that despite all the selflessness, sometimes it can be exhausting. Exhausting to pretend that everything is okay when it's not. Life here is not a bed of roses - I can assure you. I'm having fun, but yet I have to keep in mind that everyone here is as smart and more often smarter than I am. I have to juggle so many things. Obligation to do well and maintain a high percentile so I can show off that stellar report card to the scholarship centre back home. Obligation to my family, so they don't have to bear the consequences should I fuck up. It's stressful, and on top of that there's so many other things to worry about. My dad says that there's a rope around his neck and I'm the one holding on to the end. That's just stressful.
So, we have to make our choices and know our priorities. How do we balance these choices? Based on what we WANT? That would be too selfish. Based on how these choices will affect others? That would be too herculean a task. I don't know. For now I'll go with my gut and hope I'll get the right support.
Vanessa Lim 1:53 p. m.
Sam & I outside Ziggys, moments before I dropped my camera :(
Very bad photo of Kate and I and someone's huge xmas hat.
Dan, me, Kate, Charlotte.
Charlotte!
This was at snowball. Kate & Emma
ASOS dress. 18quid. Lousy camera phone.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The meringue didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked it to though.. meringues are supposed to be crispy but well it was crisp on the outside but squishy inside. Pretty strange stodgy texture but yummy nonetheless. Oh well. I shouldn't have gotten tinned raspberries cos they came in juice and were kinda mushy (I dropped one on the floor and it literally SMASHED). I really don't see where I went wrong - followed the recipe perfectly but yet it's still a bit squidgy. Gahhh. At least I didn't kill anyone. Ahh anyway, Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova, everyone.