I’ll be posting the question and my reply as a short post once every fortnight. Here’s the first one from a reader not too long ago.

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DEAR RENZZE QUESTION

Hello,

I am wondering if you have problems with boots turning moldy if unused and kept for too long? I’ve used charcoal and some other moisture absorber but most of my boots can’t seem to last longer than 2 years. Recently I noticed the man-made leather on my Aldo boots flaking off and I was rather ‘devastated’ because that was the most expensive pair I’ve ever bought. I didn’t apply any protection coat though.

I don’t travel to cold countries as much as you do but I have a habit of collecting boots so that I can have them ready when I need to travel. Now it turns out that I can only buy when the need arises and I worry might not be able to find designs I like on last minute shopping.

Please let me know if you have any methods to save me from losing my beloved boots~~
Thanks!

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Warmest Regards,
Cheryann

RENZZE REPLY

Hi Cheryann,

With Singapore’s humidity it’s not surprising that boots turns moldy. Man-made leather would also tend to flake off as it’s not exactly meant to last.

It would help by keeping your boots in a cool dry place away from sunlight. I put a couple of thirsty hippos to be changed monthly and an electrical humidifier in my wardrobe. If you intend to collect your boots and maintain them for several years then it’ll help to clean them with a damp cloth to remove all the dirt and grime then dry it with another dry cloth, adding a very light tinge of Vaseline to coat the boots before storage. Do not put them in plastic bags as these would trap moisture. And it’s also good to air out or put them outdoors away with mild but not direct sunlight every once in awhile to prevent mold from forming.

Cheers,

Renzze

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I’m definitely no expert but I do hope all my readers who have similar concerns would benefit from my personal experience

Now for my usual food and outfit updates!

Had delicious ayam penyet at East Wood! Which reminds me that I’ve yet to try out the Indonesian place at Lucky Plaza that Regina recommended!

Here’s my outfit.

I’m letting this printed dress (without belt) go at $16 with normal mail so leave a comment or email if interested. Also, I’m letting go of the white lace romper I posted previously at $16 with normal mail. I’ve include the photos of the romper below for convenience.

Please note that both dress and romper is already sold. Thanks for your interest.

Lots of goodies and really cheap prices. We have clothes, accessories, shoes and nail polishes and for the boys… there will be lots of electronics and games for sale!

So if you missed it the last time… don’t miss it again! Remember it’s 23rd January 2010 (Saturday) from 12 noon to 7pm at 11 Lorong Siglap, Singapore 456805.

If you need a map click here.

These photos were taken when baby Arielle was less then a month old. Went to visit my dearest bestie Bernice and spend some time with her. Being a mother (especially for the 1st time) is so challenging!

I bought this outfit for her simply cause it was cute!

Peek-a-boo!

I spent the whole afternoon there with Bernice, Kelvin and Arielle and time sure passed really quickly. Between putting Arielle to sleep, changing diapers, feeding and burping… time simply flies! Now I know why all mothers seem so busy! But Arielle is also such an angel and she’s gonna grow up pretty and lovely. One thing’s for sure, this is one extremely lucky baby to have parents like Bernice and Kelvin.

I still have Bernice’s and Arielle’s Christmas prezzies with me! I haven’t had time to meet them during the hectic holiday season. But I’m sure I’ll see them soon enough!

My outfit for that day.

This time  I took my parents to a Hong Kong Cafe at Katong. We all haven’t been there before and my parents were craving some good Hong Kong cuisine that evening.

Here’s mum giving the menu a look through.

And here are some of the stuff we decided on…

I’ll give the food a general 6/10 but I did like the noodles more then the rest. The place had a lot of newspaper cuttings and raves but maybe my expectation was too high cause compared to the food I had in Hong Kong… these paled in comparison.

I was due to leave town a couple of days later and had some issues I needed to sort out regarding my flight so we headed down to the airport.

Greedy me wanted more food and ordered wanton soup!

My friends are always amazed at how much I can eat while my mother always says how I’m not eating enough cause she claims I haven’t put on enough weight! How contradictory! I think it’s because my parents can really eat a lot!

Truth is I do eat a lot but I also do gain weight… just not as much. But I’ve compared my current photos to those taken about 5-6 years back and the difference is stark clear! I guess people are just used to me being small and that label stuck even though I’ve gained quite a bit through the years. I’m about my ideal weight now which is great… now I’ve to worry about not over eating!

We did some shopping and I took my usual outfit of the day shots…

I wore a lace jacket with a belt over a tube dress that day.

I just realized it was a monochrome outfit! The thing is, I never plan my outfits… I rarely have the time for that… so it’s grab and go in the mornings. But I guess I already have a distinct idea of what I like so the outfits usually works for me. That’s probably one of the reasons why I like dresses… they don’t need much co-ordinating!

Anyhow I had to send them home before midnight cause dad had a soccer match to catch that night. He’s one of those die hard soccer fans.

PS- I’m letting go of the black and white printed tube dress for $18 inclusive of normal mail. It’ll fit S size girls.

If you are interested email me at renzze@gmail.com or drop me a comment.

Was talking with AC about the famous chicken rice ball in Malacca and he generously offered to drive me from KL to Malacca for lunch and back! So it was a short one day trip for me.

Malacca looks pretty much the same with its outstanding red historical buildings in the heart of the city. It’s been a long time since I last visited Malacca.  If I don’t recall wrongly, that was during my class trip when I was in JC.

Malacca is extremely popular for their food. With a wide range of Malay, Chinese and Nyonya cuisine, I was spoilt for choice! Too bad it was only a day trip so I decided to save the large bulk of my tummy space for the famous chicken rice balls.

There are many stalls of chicken rice balls in Malacca but I was told that the most famous and authentic one is located at the circle of Jonker Stree (the residential heart of Old Malacca just west of the Malacca River, with its narrow winding streets, beautifully decorated houses, tiny shops, temples and mosques). The queue outside the famous stall was also a tell tale sign to its location.

Despite the drizzle, the queue for a seat in this Chop Chung Wah Chicken Ball Rice coffeeshop was still pretty long. Luckily the turnover rate was pretty high so we got ourselves a seat in no time.

The chicken rice balls were delicious! I had all 5 balls and would have easily gobbled down another plate if not for the fact that I wanted to grab dessert as well. The origins of chicken rice balls was that rice shaped into balls helped kept them warm from the time it was cooked until mealtime. The rice balls when stored in wooden containers also made them portable and were easier for laborers working on plantations to transport from home.

AC then took me to a little store on Jonker Street for the famous Malacca Chendol as dessert!

I had both the the normal Nyonya Chendol as well as the durain version and they are equally yummy! The secret lies in the home made famous gula melaka (palm sugar) used. The gula melaka found in Malacca seems sweeter and richer than the ones we find in the stores in Singapore. Gula melaka is made by making several slits into the bud of a coconut tree and collecting the sap. Then, the sap is boiled until it thickens after which, in the traditional way, it is poured into bamboo tubes between 3-5 inches in length, and left to solidify to form cylindrical cake blocks.

I bought both the gula melaka in the original form as well as the modern syrup form and hope that my home made desserts would taste as good too!

The streets are filled with many traditional antique stores and old toy stores… it makes for such an interesting walk!

The historic centre of Malacca was inscribed on the World Heritage List on 7 July 2008. The Malays who are the original settlers of Malacca since 1400, form the largest community. The Malaccan Malays are rich in culture from their daily life to the building arts. The famous Malacca Steps or Tangga Melaka are common in front of many Malay houses in Malacca.

The trishaws available for hire at 40RM/ hour comes with fake flowers and pop music. But the drivers are really friendly and knowledgeable about Malacca’s history though.

Malacca is a center of Peranakan culture. When Chinese settlers originally came to Malacca as miners, traders and coolies, they took local brides (of Javanese, Batak, Achenese, etc descent) and adopted many local customs. The result of this is an interesting mix of local and Chinese cultures.

The Stadthuys with it’s clock tower is one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the east.

It’s one of the rare places in the world where canons and old fortifications are still visible in the center of town alongside newer modern buildings. In fact, archeological excavations are still going on!

Of course other than the historical area, there are many other things to explore in Malacca. I shall end this post with a short video combining most of my KL and Malacca trip.

PS- for those who are interested, I’m selling the grey belted dress I wore in this post for $15 inclusive of normal mail. Do leave me a comment or email me at renzze@gmail.com if you’re interested.

PSS – If you’re viewing my fb, video is only available at www.renzze.com