Recipe: Dreamy Cotton Candy Ice Cream

This is a healthy version cotton candy inspired ice cream. It's so delicious, so perfect for a hot summer day. Once again you don't need to compromise taste to being healthy! 

Serves 2

What you need: 

1/3 frozen pineapple

1/3 frozen strawberries 

1 frozen banana 

1/3 Cup soya milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

What to do:

1) Cut your pineapples into chunks, unpeeled you banana and de-leaf your strawberries before putting them into the freezer (another option is to buy already prepared frozen pineapple chunks and strawberries. 

2) Take your frozen fruits out and put them into the blender along with your soya milk and vanilla extract 

3) Blend away!

4) Put them in cut bowls and garnish with strawberries. 

Note: If you want more of a creamy texture, put them into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy! 

Brazil: Wildlife

Hummingbird

Although I didn't get to visit the Amazon forest in Brazil, I was able to have a wildlife experience by visiting the Parque das Aves which is right next to the Iguaçu National Park in Brazil. Parque das Aves in english means Bird Park that exhibits mainly birds and a few other animals such as crocodiles, snakes and butterflies. Here are some images I took during my visit at the park. I am so in awe of the creation in this world. These photographs reminded me of the wonders and beauty of this world. 
All taken on 10th June, 2013. 

Toco Toucan

I am watching you!

Go away, I want to sleep. 

Brazilian Green-billed Toucan staring at me

All photographs are taken by Esther Mok.

Recipe: Ultra Green Smoothie

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1 banana

1 cup of fresh spinach 

1 kiwi

1 mango 

1 cup soya milk

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Directions: 

1) cut the fruits into cubes

2)Put all ingredients into blender and blend

3) pour it into cups then garnish with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Enjoy! 

Germany: Berlin Wall

A combination of the German and Israel Flag with the Jewish Star in the middle

It happened in November by Kani Alavi

Nathan the Batman and Will the Joker

I travelled to Berlin and some other countries in Europe with my friends during the Easter break this year.On our first day in Berlin, we went straight to the Berlin wall. The Berlin wall, once used to restrict people's freedom was transformed into colourful painted artworks now to represent liberation and freedom restored. The area of Berlin wall is vast and we chose the best part which is known as the East Side Gallery in the Friedrichshain area. To get to the East Side Gallery, we took the S-Bahn and got off at Ostbahnhof and walked towards the direction of U-/ S-Bahn of Warschauer Strasse. You could get off at either stop and walked in either direction. The Gallery was actually quite a distance away from the S-Bahn although in the map it looked quite close to each other so be prepared to walk a bit. I think it took us around twenty to twenty five minutes walk from the station (perhaps it is because we took our time taking photos of everything). The East Side Gallery is the world's largest open-air mural collection that is 1.3 km long so do be prepared to spend at least an hour or two to walk through the whole wall and take photographs along the way. There aren't many shops around the wall either so it's best to have a drink and snack with you while you admire the artworks. I would recommend if in summer to go there during mid-afternoon around 3-4 pm so you can get just enough daylight to take nice photos but not too much that you would be hot and sweaty. 

All photographs are taken by Esther Mok. 

Recipe: Strawberry Chia Seeds and Oats Pudding

Simple, quick and yummy! Perfect recipe to start your day. 

Serve 1

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup soya milk

1 tsp cinnamon 

4-6 cubed strawberries

Directions:

1) Mix chia seeds, oats, cinnamon and soya milk in a container and let it soak in the fridge overnight 

2) Top the pudding with strawberries before serving

Enjoy! 

Indonesia: Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot Temple 

Temple decorated with bright colours and flowers

'Standing near the shore is not recommended because the sea gods might swallow the people up when they get hungry.' a Balinese local told me.

I travelled to Bali last summer and here are some images of Tanah Lot temple. Tanah Lot temple is located right next to the shore because it is a temple that is dedicated to the sea gods. I was captured by the colours and fragrance of this temple. The view of the Tanah Lot temple was magnificent, the waves crashed onto shore with impressive heights. Because of that I did not dare venturing too close to the sea, and a Balinese local also warned me that a month before I visited, a family drowned from getting too close to the edge while taking photos. The Balinese locals uses flowers and incense as offerings for worshiping the sea gods. The sea gods is highly respected in Bali because Bali itself is an island therefore it is interpreted that when natural disasters come the gods of the sea is angry. 

All photographs are taken by Esther Mok.

Hong Kong: Another side of Hong Kong

Sun-dried salty fish

Here are some photographs I have taken in Hong Kong a few years back at an island call Tai O'. I wanted to share these images because it is not the typical images one might think of when one think of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a place rich in culture, there are so many things you can see and know that is not related to Hong Kong's image of being the famous international financial centre . 

Lazy cat lounging

A shop gate with calligraphy on it

  A road sign with a mountain in the background

Acrylic painted wall

An altar dedicated to ancestors

All photographs are taken by Esther Mok.