NZ model - Jenna Sauers - gives up secret identity, her blog and career

(Source: http://www.fashionologie.com/3545708)
There was a teaser a couple of days ago, but now it's been confirmed: New Zealander Jenna Sauers is the model who has been writing for Jezebel as "Tatiana Anymodel"; she says she quit modeling this Summer and plans to continue writing for Jezebel — and on her own blog — under her own name.

Sauers has been under suspicion of being Tatiana since at least a year ago, when fingers were pointed her way and her journalistic aspirations were uncovered. Sauers repeatedly denied that she was Tatiana, and posted a comment on her own blog last July: "I’m not the anonymous columnist . . . There are an awful lot of models who are smart and good-enough writers to do what the Jezebel blogger does, and plenty who are also low enough on the fashion food chain for their on-the-side efforts to go unnoticed." But a picture of Sauers with a Jezebel founding editor surfaced, grabbing even more attention.

Today, she reveals herself with an essay, "I Am The Anonymous Model," and more of her realist commentary on the industry:

"I often reflected on the fact that studies show that women, after looking at fashion magazines -- full of pictures of girls very much like me, sometimes even pictures of me -- feel bad about themselves.

"I also often wondered why it is, given this fact, that we buy the magazines again next month."
The model mole said she was done with the sneaking around and the furtive filing of her columns.
Sauers used her own case to illustrate the dire financial hardships many faced in the profession.

"How, exactly, I was supposed to make a living as a model never became entirely clear," she wrote in her final post. "When I worked (for) two months in Australia last year, after agency fees and the rent were deducted, nearly $A5000 ($NZ6359) worth of earnings became $A690.90.

"I didn't get my $A690.90 -- $A413.70, after wire transfer fees and currency conversion -- until this April. `At least,' said the agency accountant, `you worked!'."

She also noted the industry's subtle racism and a blind eye turned to sexual harassment: "There's potential for exploitation in any relationship which is based on a 14-year-old girl being photographed by a 47-year-old man".

"I'm coming out now because I figure I've got nothing to lose," she told The Guardian. "I lost heart in the industry; it's as simple as that."

The Weatherston trial: Stabbing someone 216 times is wrong. Culprit should be punished, but Otago University need not review its staff-student relationship policy...

The Clayton Weatherston trial has been the talk of the nation over the last few weeks...

Weatherston, 33, was found guilty in the High Court at Christchurch last week of murdering Sophie Elliott by stabbing her 216 times in January last year.

A brief summary of the recent developments:-

No. 1
"Weatherston admitted the killing, but said he was guilty of manslaughter, not murder, attempting to use the partial defence of provocation.

He blamed "the emotional pain that she has caused me over the past year", and said she had attacked him with a pair of scissors."

No. 2
Meanwhile, Otago University has said it would review its staff-student relationships policy following the case.

(Source: "Weatherston 'honest' and 'provoked' - parents", NZPA, available at: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5751396/weatherston-honest-and-provoked-parents/)


Well, in my humble opinion...
No. 1
it's wrong to kill an ex-lover on the basis of "emotional pain".
Stabbing someone 216 times makes the crime even more appalling *shudder*.

I mean... surely there are other better ways of neutralising the emotional pain?
You can read a book, watch a Lady Gaga MTV, indulge in some Whittaker dark chocs for an instant boost of endorphins... or just spend a night at the White House ;p lol
but, don't kill another human being!

No. 2
It is perhaps not necessary for Otago University to review its staff-student relationship policy.
If it is perfectly ok for a CEO and secretary to date each other in the corporate environment, I feel that it is also ok for a lecturer to date a student.
There are probably many other staff-student relationships that ended well.
Weatherston just happened to be someone who's mentally unstable... unfortunately

Do people cross streets diagonally everywhere in the world...or is it a Kiwi-thingy?

The first time I was at the Queen/Victoria intersection, I almost thought that there's an outdoor filming of a musical production :)
The pedestrians, cyclists and even BAXIs were crossing the street from all angles!!
- left, right, centre & diagonally.
Sounds chaotic, but it's not

If you're watching from a helicopter or from a tall office building, you can see the cute "X" shape forming at the intersection as people cross the roads.

(The above pic was taken at the Queen/ Wellesley Street intersection)

If I'm not mistaken, there's a total of two "criss-cross traffic lights" in Auckland City - both located on Queen Street.

My favourite one is at the spot where I saw the cabbage-clad girls

How to make a low fat Strawberry-Pumpkin-Potato-Tomato-Onion-Cheddar Cheese-Beetroot-Broccoli Quiche

After having sampled the delicious quiches at Fat Dog Cafe (Rotorua) and Ronnie's Bakery (Quay St, Auckland City), I realised that you can include just about anything that you love in your own homemade quiches :)
- including strawberries!!
(that is, if berries are in season) :P))

That's a pic of Fat Dog's yummy vege quiche with fresh cranberry sauce
Oh, I love cranberries!! :)) 
Cranberries are so nutritious, flavourful + low in calories. 
Do you also know that cranberries prevent urinary tract infection? (Info source: wikipedia)

Quiches are so easy to make :)

You can make a low-fat one too!

Just use bread as the quiche base instead of puff pastry or shortcrust pastry :)) *grin*

You can make quiches while surfing net & watching TV or making love with your hubby (Oops, I gotta watch what I write cuz Dad just emailed & told me that Mum almost fainted after seeing a nude pic that I published on my blog even though that's not my pic;p)

Just pop the vege into the microwave for 6 mins:)
You don't even have to peel the skin beforehand
The skin comes off more easily after you've micrawaved the pumpkin/potatoes, etc etc

Cut the vege into small cubes & lay them evenly on top of the bread base

 

Put the onions & tomatoes at the very top layer of the quiche

(Quiches taste yummier if the tomatoes/berries juice seep into the middle layers of the vege)

 

I used lotttsss of onions for the quiche :)

& pure fresh Kiwi cheddar cheese :))
don't buy shredded cheese
Use block cheese

The best part of it all:-
YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A RECIPE!

Happy experimenting! ;)
I have confidence that you can all make even better tasting quiches :)))

You see, cook shows and cook books sometimes make cooking seem a lot more intimidating than it actually is.
But cooking is essentially a very fun & easy process
- a great way to show love to your family & friends

My eldest nephew's birthday

I learnt how to cook when I was ten, started baking bread at 14 - my Dad's a diabetic since he was in his late 20s & so, we try to bake cakes, brownies, cookies, etc as often as possible for family birthdays so that we can all enjoy guiltfree goodies :)

A "Streep" Bar Named White House... (the seedier side of US politics?)

I've always wondered what goes on in the White House...

No,... not the White House in Washington D.C.
but the White House Entertainment Centre - No. 371 Queen Street, Auckland City ;p ;p ;p hehehe

I've always felt sorry for former US President Bill Clinton... and wondered why he and Monica Lewinsky had their play session in the White House instead of somewhere else...

Perhaps they got the inspiration from the White House strip club in Auckland City?

 

Omg... *cringe* what an insult of the Statue of Liberty ;p

(but I seriously find the satire amusing. I just wonder if former President George W. Bush would have been offended)

Ok... I have never had any interests in strip clubs before I came to Auckland. It's because I just am not curious about Asian girls. After all, I grew up being used to seeing my girlfriends naked when we went bra shopping. (oops... that's too personal)

I'm more curious about kiwi girls - like,... do they really have pink colour nipples? do they smell & taste like strawberries? will they let me touch them? ;p;p;p hehe

Here's a photo of a caucasian girl with pink nipples
(Image source: http://www.end-erectile-dysfunction-now.com/treatment1.html)

If that girl has pink nipples, how come the Caucasian guy in the pic have brown nipples?
Hmm... penises seem to look like "sea cucumbers" (known as "hoi sum" in Cantonese)

Colourful Brazillian sweets made by Emilia - Queen Street, Auckland City

Up next....

Maori language: an avenue for a "ladylike" use of the 'F' word ;) *winks* Whakatane (Fuck-a-tane)

I've always had a love for languages since I was a child.
In the recent weeks, I've discovered a new-found love for the Maori language.

Why?
Well, the main reason :))) is because it provides a socially legitimate license for women to use the "F" words - and yet come across as perfectly "cultured" and "ladylike".


The syllable "Wha" is pronounced as "Fuck".

Hence, "Whakatane"- a beautiful district situated in the Eastern Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) - is pronounced as 'Fuck- a - taa -nee"

In the Maori language, "Tane" (pronounced as "taa-nee") means a "man"


So, "Whakatane" literally means.... ;) haha, go figure!

Would like to share a Whaking beautiful photo of Whakatane... :)))

Image source: http://www.whakatane.com

Hare Krishna recitation on Queen Street, Auckland City

I was quite amused to have come across a Hare Krishna performance by the kiwis :)
Hare Krishna is a Hindu ritual, you see

So, I wasn't expecting to see these-

(Source: Wikipedia)
The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra"), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra which appears within many traditions of Hinduism and is believed by practitioners to bring about a higher state of consciousness when heard, spoken, meditated upon, or sung out loud.

"Hare Krishna" in popular culture

(Source: Wikepedia)

The Hare Krishna mantra appears in a number of famous songs, notably those sung by The Beatles, with the lyrics of John Lennon, and after the break up those of George Harrison and Ringo Starr and has been at the number-one spot in the UK singles charts on more than one occasion within songs such as My Sweet Lord.

There is also a reference to singing kirtan of Hare Krishna mantra in I Am The Walrus (Elementary penguins singing Hare Krishna). Ringo's song containing the words "Hare Krishna!" was written with the help of George.

Later Paul McCartney produced a single with a picture of Krishna riding on a swan on the cover, although there wasn't any chanting of Krishna's names inside. 

Of the four Beatles members, only Harrison was actually Hindu, and after he posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, his son Dhani Harrison uttered out the phrase Hare Krishna during the ceremony.


At the 2008 VMA Awards, the host, English Comedian Russell Brand ended the ceremony by saying Hare Krishna.

The Washington D.C. Production duo Thievery Corporation Releases a track on the 2008 album entitled, "Hare Krishna".

In the Seinfeld episode The Subway, a patron in Monk's restaurant yells, "Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!" when he sees George walk in wearing only a towel.

Condom-like stationery?

I've finally found the answer to the decades-long mystery of "why guys think about sex 7 times a day - even when they're at work". If you have a stationery that looks like a condom lying around on your work desk, you'll inevitably think about sex, of course!

Well, if office stationery manufacturers start making something similar that's longer & thicker that looks like a dildo, women are probably gonna think about sex more often than guys!

But that's a dangerous stationery to have at a workplace...
you'll probably find your female employees hiding in the toilet every 1/2 hour
Very unproductive, eh?

Eves Pantry finger food review - spinach feta muffin, sausage rolls, choclocate brownies,...

Pigged out...

There were at least 10 boxes Eves Pantry's snacks at the office 

- Michele and I went to grab some of the goodies for the rest of our team and she suggested,"Great! Let's cut these up into "bite sizes"

 Mini spinach feta roll - yummiest Eve Catering finger food. The rest of the stuff are mediocre...
But the spinach roll is a must-have!:) The crunchy cheddar cheese on top of the pastry is simply heavenly :)))))))) *thumbs up*

My jaw almost dropped when I heard that. I mean, those 2" x 2" x 1" tapas-like thingy were already "bite sizes". I could eat the entire thing! - ...or so I thought.

Before I managed to respond, she cut the mini brownies, muffins into four each

 

Mini fruit tart

Well, it turned out that Michele's idea was absolutely brilliant because I had greatly overestimated my stomach capacity. After my 4th piece of the cut-up candy-size morsels, I felt so stuffed that I could hardly walk

 Savoury ham muffin -"underbaked", dry & too salty. It's like...eating polystyrene dipped in oil & brine;p But I shouldn't be complaining, eh? After all, it's free ;)

I wonder why my appetite always seem a bit uncooperative when there's plenty of food available

(or maybe I was just greedy) 

but I'm inclined to blame my appetite shrinkage on that good cup of hot chocolate from Gravity's that I had earlier

 

Sausage roll.

Eww... that thingy tasted like minced dog food & SPAM wrapped in soggy puff pastry. Don't touch it!

If you're still in the mood to try Eves Pantry's finger food, here's the address:-

Cnr Elliott & Darby Sts
Auckland Central City
Phone: 09 354 4528
Email: elliotstreet@eves-pantry.co.nz This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fax: 09 354 4593

Monday to Friday: 7.00am - 5.00pm
Saturday: 10.30am - 4.00pm
Closed Sunday

Almost killed by a 10-day-old Home Choice fan heater

My beloved Home Choice fan heater malfunctioned and turned into a fiery "bread toaster" within 10 days of use :((

I switched on the heater, about to leave my room for a quicke shower...but was fortunate enough to notice a strong odour of burnt plastic emitting from my heater.

I was aghast when I saw the usually fine filaments swelled and turned bright red in colour. If I had not checked the fan heater before leaving for a shower, my room would have caught fire!

I'm extremely lucky to have avery sensitive nose.
Can't bear to imagine the consequences if this were to happen to someone else - especially the elderly & the young kids!

Istanbul Kebab & Pizza, Queen Street, Auckland City

 I had to hold my bowel throughout my very first experience trying a "middle eastern pizza" ... *gulp*

because there's "NO TOILET" at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza

(Yeah right... I'm sure there's a toilet somewhere in the shop. You just don't want me to use it! :( *sulk* that's so mean )
Anyway,... the temporary torture's worth it :)... for no where else in Auckland is there a kebab shop that sells "middle eastern" pizza 

Being a good cook, the woodfire pizzas are probably something that I can easily make at home, but I have a soft spot for good food presentation. The pizzas, baklava, falafel + other food items at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza are just too appealing that I couldn't resist the temptation to try them :)

The only item that I wouldn't buy is the Turkish Delight candies, which have way too much carbs + sugar. Bad, bad, bad for your waistline!

(Errm... since when did "Wedges, Sour Cream & Hot Chips" became dessert items?)

What I like most is the busy atmosphere of that little kebab shop on Queen St. You can go there anytime (it's open 24 hours) and the staff will still greet you with a cheerful smile
.

Even when you're queuing up or waiting for your meal to be prepared, there's enough entertainment to keep you amused.
The little kebab shop has its very own photo library!
While waiting for my pizza, I had to try hard not to giggle at the photo of a fat semi nude man sitting on a motorbike, wearing nothing else but a pair of sunglasses (see pic above)
(I didn't want to be seen as rude,...just in case it could be a pic of the shop owner, you see ;p lol. I was also worried that if I were to giggle, it'll increase my urge to urinate, which would have been disastrous since they claimed that there are no toilets in the shop)

The sight of woodfire oven is very comforting:)

(No Carbo meals?? You must be kidding! Falafil or falafel & Turkish bread have loads of carbo, my dear)

 While munching on the mayonnaise-free, MSG-free but oily middle eastern pizza upstairs I was entertained by the amusing sight of the staff giving each other a good massage. Ah... how caring!:)

I will go back to Istanbul Kebab & Pizza to try every single item on the menu...and after that I probably will never return again. The items are slightly overprices compared to other kebab shops, and the meat quality aren't half as good as Noora's Mediterranean Kitchen at SkyCity Metro (Noora's probably the most authentic middle eastern place in Auckland City)

Istanbul Kebab and Pizza

96 Queen Street, Auckland Central, Auckland City

Tel. (09) 337 0518 

Comments by other reviewers:

by André Taber

(Source: http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/review_3127.html)

3 out of 5

Turkish pop music blaring, Brylcreemed man in a bold soccer jersey behind the till; from the Queen-Street footpath Istanbul Kebab & Pizza can, depending on your preferences, look either like a riotous good time or an intimidating ethnic experience.

Don’t worry about either of those scenarios, and taste the food instead.

What lifts Istanbul a notch or three above any other kebab house in Auckland is its bread.
Shaped at the counter continuously throughout the day and night, and baked in a wood-burning oven till the crust has a few burnt spots here and there, it’s fluffy and oh-so-tasty.

This bread saves what, in any other wrapping, would be very average fillings. For example, a small portion of dull meat and salad in the lamb doner kebab ($7.50):

The guy in the soccer jersey waved for his assistant to start making the kebab before I even finished ordering it and then made a genuine attempt at small talk to fill the minute or two before it was bagged and I was out the door.

The Turkish pizzas ($7) are faultless: a single-serve size, made with that same bread dough which is stretched to a lozenge shape and then topped with a restrained portion of lamb mince, chicken, mushroom, cheese or spinach.

If you want to eat in, there are two small tables on the footpath, or if you want to retreat from the madding crowd, head past the bread oven, up the rickety stairs to a small, yet oddly comfortable, mezzanine.

Weber Bros Circus

Have you ever seen a "Chinese clown" before? ;)

I was still very impressed with the refreshing novelty of "Chinese clowns" despite being a 25-going-on-26 adult - & having seen many good Chinese acrobatic acts throughout my life.
So, if you have young kids at home who are 10-20 years my junior, I bet they'll just love the goofy "Chinese clowns" at the Weber Bros' Chinese-theme circus! :) :) :)
The audience interaction is very good!
Members of the crowd are given a hands on Tai Chi & Wushu lesson :)

& of course... there are the usual gravity-defying stunts by very well-trained Chinese acrobats

 

There weren't any mattress, trampolines... *gulp*

I probably have mellowed a lot over the years. I used to watch scarier stuff on television & while visiting China with my parents, but didn't bat an eyelid.

Yet, I found the acrobatic stunts at Weber Bros Circus (which are apparently mediocre by Chinese standards) to be too much for my weak heart - & I was praying hard that the girl wouldn't fall.

In one of the dance acts, the beautiful girls dressed in elegant red colour Ching Dynasty palace silk costumes, along with elaborate flower adorned headgears and 5-inch high wooden clogs, carrying red Chinese lanterns. Took a snapshot of my favourite girl

The "Fairy Dance" is my favourite :)
Girl danced in white, soothing music in the background...

 

I was quite amused with the stage deco:) - which reminds me of the fictional singer Cora Corman (a parody of Britney Spears and Madonna) in the film Music & Lyrics

 

The show lasts for 2 hours, with a plenty of entertainment throughout the 1/2 hour mid-show break

  

Bumper car

  

Game stalls:)

  

The Chinese acrobats interacted with the crowd at the food stall - serving popcorns, ice creams, drinks and hotdog

  

  Tea cups!:)

 

For more information on booking information : http://www.weberbroscircus.co.nz