Some months ago, I went nuts and spent $70 on a bunch of fake mini pastries.

Yes, I know, it’s really nuts how much these things cost! But Fancy Pocket had a 35% discount that day, and I had long been drawn to these cuties, always tempted to buy them.

I had planned to zhng my DS Lite with them because my Hello Kitty bling case broke. I know what I bought was probably excessive but I just couldn’t help myself. They’re all so cute!

Okay, there’s a point to this and I’m coming to it.

(But side-track first: I still haven’t zhnged my DS after months cos I just keep getting distracted by other stuff. Plus I have no idea how I’m going to do it. Story of my life. Okay end of side-track.)

As you might know, recently, I’ve been playing this board game called Agricola. (Try it! Even people who’re not into board games love it!)

The game involves the use of tiny game pieces which we call meeples. (Technically, meeples refer only to humanoid pieces but for the sake of simplicity, I’ll just use the term generally.)

They’re tiny wooden blocks and discs and strips, used to represent people, farm animals, vegetables, resources, stables and fences.

(Agricola is a farming game.)

If you feel rich, you can pay extra to get third-party meeples that are more accurately shaped.

We bought these and were so pleased with ourselves!

But, today, while surfing the net, I found the most amazing thing. This guy had used polymer clay to make his own meeples!

>> Click here to see the rest of his awesome creations < <

They look so much better do they not?!!

After seeing this, I felt a burning itch to make my own! So I went and did a bit of research and then realised that the mini pastries I had brought are probably made of polymer clay, too.

That means if I learn how to work with polymer clay, I will be able to make as many cute pastries as I want to!!!!

OMG.

I’ve always loved miniatures, especially food miniatures. I can stare at them for hours in toy shops!

I also love doing craftwork. See this felt strawberry I made!

It’s part of this DIY cake set I bought.

Um… I have finished making all the fruits but not the cake. I kinda put the project aside for a while and forgot about it until today. =P

Oh, am now chatting with the Goonfather, who is also very enthusiastic about making miniatures. He reminded me that I’ve always wanted to buy those burger-making Play-Doh sets but never did because they’re, like, so juvenile!

BUT I HAVE DISCOVERED PLAY-DOH FOR ADULTS!!!

Wahahaha I am so happy phear meh!!!!!

I want to take polymer clay-making lessons and am considering a few places I found online. But I would like to hear personal recommendations if there are any.

Okay, okay?! Let’s talk about clay!!

Two months ago, I booked a China shopping trip for Jan 28. I told myself to stop shopping, save money for the trip. Stuff would be cheaper there.

I didn’t do a good job. Did tons of shopping in the last two months. As the date draws nearer, I’m shopping more!

It’s aways when I’m outside trying to kill time waiting for friends or between meetings. It’s also all those darned online ads. That compulsive clickety.

The need to surround myself with pretty clothes and accessories gets stronger. I think I’m growing vainer.

LOL. Don’t they have stamps of bigger denominations in Hong Kong?

Total postage is HK$21.70.

Some cosmetic stuff I bought from eBay.

The last time I blogged about Ramen Santouka, I received recommendations for two outlets that are supposedly better — Tampopo and Marutama.

I tried Tampopo. I think Santouka is still better.

I tried Marutama. I think Santouka is still better!

Still, I was impressed by Marutama for its free-flow fried garlic.

I am very embarrased to say that our guys finished the whole container and then some. We had to ask for another.

People told me I had to try the chashu if I ever ate there, so I ordered the Marutama Ramen (non-spicy chicken broth with basic ingredients) and added extra toppings of chashu and seasoned boiled egg.

The chashu is, indeed, very good, comparable to Santouka’s. Melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, utterly sinful.

But the soup and ramen are terrible.

The soup has a thick, frothy texture, which makes you feel like the inside of your mouth is bubbling all the time. The taste is mediocre, quite salty, and I wouldn’t want to have it again.

The ramen texture is really blah.

It doesn’t have the firm QQ-ness that I love in ramen but I suppose it’s still edible. It’s mainly the soup that spoils it for me.

Oh, and there’s all that dodgy green stringy stuff which really spoils it. I don’t know what it is! It has the colour of spinach, the texture of seaweed and the taste of slop.

If I were to visit Marutama again, I’d order the grilled chashu. It’s good! But it’s quite salty so eating it by itself is not advisable.

We shared a bunch of other side dishes but nothing did it for me. Probably my favourite thing that night was the seasoned boiled egg. Haha. I love boiled eggs in Japanese restaurants. They always do it so well!

Stewed pork leg (or something):

Mediocre. The chashu is definitely better.

Stewed radish:

I didn’t like it because I found that the sauce tasted weird. But Minou loved it.

Sweet omelette:

Doesn’t have the fragrant eggy taste I love in tamago. It doesn’t taste bad but doesn’t taste too good, either. Texture fail, because it feels like the egg has been folded onto itself layer by layer and each layer is kinda thin and dry.

People:

LOL. Just trying to show how popular the place is. The queue was neverending. I really dunno why. The ramen not very nice leh? All my friends agreed that Santouka is much better.

The queue:

Despite our visit to Marutama not being too satisfactory, I don’t regret eating there. It’s good to be able to say you’ve tried it, especially when people won’t stop raving about it!

Everyone says the logo looks like a basketball. It’s a stylised Japanese character, pronounced “tama”, which has a zillion definitions but mainly meaning ball or jewel.

(It’s also the Chinese word for jade.)

And here are the addresses cos I know people sure ask!!

Marutama Ra-Men
#03-09/91 The Central

Ramen Santouka
#02-76 The Central

Minou treated me to a basic manicure using her nail spa package and I chose a glittery pearly white colour. I’m so in love with it! I’ve never been a nails person but I shall want to do more professional manicures now.