GE Run

It was my first time volunteering for a sport event.. quite happy to hear about the lobang that time and just jumped into it because GE run had been one of those ladies run I had wanted to participate when I was in my previous job.

The day started early for the volunteers... and we had our free breakfast. As it was free, I shall not complain too much about the quality of it, because it is still edible nonetheless. Be grateful especially when you have transport provided, food given, reimbursement and goodies to get too. It really is a good deal.

Then we made our way to the various stops. Mine was the last water stop! For once I finally understood the drinks that I have been drinking, how it was being prepared and how it was being delivered in my hands (if I had been running). I would say seriously, I may think twice drinking the sports drink for my next marathon... but but.. I think my stomach is made of steel so should be alright...

Waited till all the participants ran past us before we start packing up. I realised there is a heap of wastage generated after the event. There are still recycling efforts being taken especially with the carbon boards and plastic bottles. But we also did generate quite a fair amount of rubbish sadly. All those paper cups that the sweeper has to sweep it up. Hmm sometimes such event isn't really healthy for earth I guess.

After that, the morning is gone and I went out with my friend. Oh I must say GE run goodies is just as good as Shape Run. Seriously I think I should just focus on ladies run, they really give me much more useful stuff.

World's Coolest Intern

World's coolest intern! That's what the contest is called.

Orgnanised by Standard Chartered.
And attracted a lot of applications.
I shall hereby post my brother's site in World's coolest intern!

Please support my brother..thanks in advance!

Random muse on 21st Oct 2010

Was clearing disk space and decided to watch Phoenix Quartet. Hmm I stopped my Yi Long 2 though because I thought of cramming some Cantonese phrases if I really visit HK in December. But nothing can be confirmed and I’m tired to try to fly and reach there by weekend just to suit Doc’s schedule. I realised travelling in December is always a frenzy issue. Last year, it was also a mad rush to suddenly buy a QF ticket to Frankfurt and be on the same plane as CL. This year is equally bad; I’m on waitlist for an SQ flight back to SG and the QF ticket will incur penalty charge should I change. For people like me who may be sent back anytime as my client is not convinced of my inexperience, buying a QF is a risk I am trying not to take. And with no confirmed tickets back to SG, I cannot proceed to buy a HK ticket.

But I do hope I get to visit HK since my friend stays in Stanley area which is a place I really wanted to visit after watching Nadia’s shipping show. As for whether I get to see Doc, I decided sometimes it is not worth forcing some stuff. After all I fear Doc might be sick of me. Women after all are troublesome creatures and I don’t wish to trouble Doc too much since she’s there for attachment and her precious free time should be spent with her family. I had thought of enjoying Christmas in HK but it is something that cannot be achieved already since my friend has to go back Canada too. I remember my last visit in HK was also during Winter time. And that I bought a Christmas hat then. Is been more than a decade after that, wonder how much has changed.

So I think Christmas is going to be a quiet affair this year. Don’t know why, I really dread to be in Singapore lately. Maybe is because I will lose the freedom which I wield like how I spent my Christmas last year in Brussels. I really like that a lot. Some will say all my friends are in SG, but so many years in SG, how many times do I go out with these people? Of course to look at another perspective, I can save money by staying at home haha (though I like to clarify I did not spend when I was in Brussels either.) Then probably the next Christmas, I can be in Nuremberg.

Anyway I was watching Phoenix Quartet and was thinking why girls in the ancient olden days can be so remarkable to accept arranged marriage and be the ideal wife, to the extent of having the useless husband's child. Sigh, can a couple really just survive on emotional support, minus all the physical contact? If so, then the great great grand mother will not have tried to reach out to her childhood lover at the brink of death. But then to abandon your family for the sake of love is also something that is a bit too extreme. I don't really want to abandon my family for anything. But it has come to a point that I don't want to be in a place which is not my destiny.

At the end of the day, I indulged in some Konapun videos to cheer myself up. Besides my data plan is expiring soon and I still have half of my data unused so I think I can youtube a fair bit. Hopefully I will be able to visit City Saver in Hong Kong this Decemeber. By the way, my SQ flight has been more or less confirmed already. But I will wait for tonight's meeting before deciding to book my HK tickets in case I cannot go.



The list of Konapun:
Konapun #1 - Curry and Rice

Konapun #2 - Doughnuts

Konapun #3 - Spaghetti

konapun #4 - Hamburger, French fries

Konapun #5 - プリン・アラモード

Konapun #6 - omelet, hamburg steak etc.

Konapun #7 - tartlets, ショートケーキ etc.

Konapun #8 - Pizza, Chicken Nuggets

Konapun #9 - crepes

Konapun #10 - sorbet

Konapun #11 - Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Taiyaki

Konapun #12 - soft cream

Konapun #13 - sushi

Konapun #14 - cookies

Konapun #15 - bento (Japanese boxed lunch)

Konapun #16 - フライランチセット

SATC2

A crappy movie! That was what my bro warned me. And told me not to watch. But how can I resist it? Probably the only English sitcom that I follow so faithfully. I cannot remember another English sitcom (nope, never watched Friends, nor Desperate Housewives, or Gossip Gals...) that I bother to invest my time on. Though believe me, CSI is always on my to-watch list but I still have not (and probably will not) allocate time for it.

And I do admit I did not like the fashion sense. I still cannot accept Carrie's purple fluffy skirt when meeting Aidan. Nor the part on latest spring collection by the Abu Dhabi lovely ladies though it is fascinating to really find out what these ladies really wore beneath their black robe. You know, while thinking about them, I suddenly thought of the bird world. I had recently asked a seasoned bird watcher why all the birds are named after the male birds and not the female. And he replied because if they were named after females, it will become boring flycatcher (and not pipe flycatcher), boring laughing thrush (and not Chestnut capped laughing thrush or Chestnut crowned laughing thrush) and etc. Females, I guess are supposedly always the boring species and thus all the ladies in Abu Dhabi have to be in black from head to toe.

The classic scene would be how these ladies eat their fries. And seriously I wonder how long it would take them to finish a meal if they have to keep lifting their veil slightly for each mouthful.

I don't know what attracted me to SATC. Was it the New York dreams? The freedom. The free flow of ideals and dreams. What exactly was the word for NY? Achieve. Reminds me of my Alma mata's motto - Aim and Achieve. And for these past years, I have indeed been trying to aim myself towards where my heart desires.. but still has not achieved it. Of course I know the journey matters and time is probably not ripe yet.

I might never have a chance to stay in NYC not that I want to either. NYC is like any typical city to me now.. like Mel.. like SG. I think the freedom I'm seeing from these SATC gals, I probably can indulge in them in Mel now, at least a certain percentage. I know I'm still sheltered especially as my accommodation is paid and it includes a weekly cleaning thus I can still be lazy and not clean up too much. But ya, a month here and I realised I wielded quite a lot of freedom suddenly. And I need to know, how much more can I wield without being embroiled in guilty games?

Ticket America

Was browsing around wondering which country sell performances tickets the cheapest and ended up in Ticket America.

For someone who love arts, the first category I look for is definitely the Theaters series. Gosh Nutcracker, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables.. all the famous classics which are my favourite.. ok I have not watched Mary Poppins but is something I always wanted to watch too I guess. And Mary Poppins is showing in Melbourne right now too. So tempted!

Then I saw one of my favourite singer - Carrie Underwood having a concert too in USA for these 3 months. Nice!

Lastly having been in Melbourne for a month, I think I have taken some interest in sports too and was seeing the NFL tickets and Basketball tickets in their Sports section. I wonder how enthusiastic are the fans in USA as compared to the fans in Melbourne.

Interesting website worth to browse when one is bored!

Top Gear (UK)

Top Gear - UK version is highly hilarious. I remember watching it the first time with Thai gal and the invited guest was so humourous. For the second picture, I did not had the chance to watch that episode but reading it was just as interesting. It had Stig looking incredulous annoyed while the team took out everything (unnecessary in their definition including Stig too) just to make the car as light as possible. Imagine sitting on a plastic chair instead of a leather chair just to lessen the weight. Haha. And for a guy like Stig that is covered up from head to toe, being able to emit emotions via his posture was something I find remarkable. I certainly prefer Stig to Mr. Bean 100 times better.

The third picture is on Maserati. I remember seeing my first Maserati in SG at my ISS mate's wedding. And I did not know what was a Maserati then. Just that the car really stood out. And I thought it was his wedding car (sadly no). Then the guys with me keep saying, Maserati.. and I was like, what's that. Haha. I don't think I took a good photo of it though as it was nighttime and I did not bring my camera then either.

I still don't know how good a Maserati is. I just know I like it when I first saw it and I will never be able to afford it so I can forget about it haha.

Sigh I'm going to miss the UK version as starting this week, it is replaced by the OZ version (no surprise since this is where I am now.. hmm can I switch place with CL?? hahahahha)

Fake cigarettes

Katherine Heigl has tried everything to quit smoking, especially since becoming a mom last year, but had little success until she discovered the Smoke Stik.

The SmokeStik is an electronic cigarette that enables the user to absorb nicotine into their body but is free of carbon monoxide, tar, and the chemical carcinogens found in cigarettes and cigars.

"You blow out water vapor so you're not harming anyone around you and you're not harming yourself," Heigl, 31, told David Letterman Sept. 27, 2010. "I'm essentially humidifying the space."

Source:
Examiner.com

And yupz I happen to catch that show on TV too on one of those late nights where I stayed up stoning. I do that sometimes haha. Maybe I was doing the laundry, cannot remember. But I remember how fascinated David Letterman was on the SmokeStik too.

Image source: SmokeStik Online Shop

After that, I did not bother to do any research till French lady emailed me and mentioned that she is quitting smoking. Hurray! I do worry for her health as I was only with her for a short period in Manila but I saw her puffing way too much. She said her health is cleared for now but she is having difficulty in trying to quit completely still. I wonder if SmokeStik could help that.

Which reminds me of my ex-colleague W. He's going to be a father of 4, but since day 1 when I knew him, even before he is a father, he has not managed to quit smoking. Sometimes I really hope someone can ban smoking in the world. But I know it is impossible so I sincerely wonder, if maybe a new product like SmokeStik could at least lessen the impact on this environment?

Dedicated to all my smoker friends.

Faulpelz Cooking - Make pasta soup

I did a lazy way to cook my pasta.

I used the instant cream of chicken as my soup base so that I do not need to figure out the seasonings. Ok I know people complain MSG is high in such instant stuff but eh.. it used to be my staple in SSPL days too haha. At least this time round, I bother to put in pastas and chicken meat. I forgot to put in my carrots though haha.

Faulpelz Cooking - Make hollandaise sauce

Actually I have no idea what is Hollandaise sauce. I just wanted to eat my asparagus. From wiki, it says

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter, usually seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and a little white pepper or cayenne pepper. In appearance it is light yellow and opaque, smooth and creamy. The flavor is rich and buttery, with a mild tang added by the seasonings, yet not so strong as to overpower mildly-flavored foods.
Source: Wiki

So I tried to make something that I have no idea at all.. and well I failed haha. It wasn't creamy enough.. too watery. I don't feel like replicating it again though because too much egg and butter (I used margarine by the way) is in the ingredient list. I have to watch my weight as I am quite lazy to go gym at times.. especially when the weather is cold and I don't wish to go gym cos gym can be too boring for me.

I still wonder though, how does hollandaise sauce taste like? Hmm.. maybe I should try to order an eggs benedict the next time to find out how the hollandaise sauce really taste.

Faulpelz Cooking - Make Tang Yuan Dessert

I was missing tang yuan badly after visiting so many asian supermarkets and kept seeing tang yuan. Plus I might miss the Winter Solstice if I am coming back here Melbourne again. So when I first visited my now all-time favourite Asian supermarket - Laguna with Chef K, and she suggested tang yuan for dessert, I nodded without a moment's hesitation.

So how did we made our tang yuan dessert?
1. Buy microwaveable quick meal dumplings dessert.

2. Buy a packet of ginko.
3. Pour the contents and the ginkgo into microwaveable bowl.
4. Make hot.
5. Serve.

Haha. Simple right? Is faulpelz cooking afterall.
But I might try a more elaborate way of cooking the next round with ginger drink minus the ginkgo as it can be quite bitter if not chosen correctly.

Faulpelz Cooking - Make Poached Egg

A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked by poaching, that is, in water. No oil or fat is used in its preparation. Perfect for a lazy person like me.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The water should be at least five or six inches deep (the deeper the better).
2. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. When the water boils, add about a tbsp. vinegar for every pint or so of water. Taste to make sure the level is right. The vinegar should be barely noticeable.
4. Carefully crack one egg into a teacup or large ladle.
5. Twirl the water with your spoon as fast as you can to make a whirlpool.
6. Lower the teacup or ladle into the water and pour the egg into the eye of the whirlpool.
7. The egg white will coagulate in the water and turn white. Most eggs will take between two and three minutes for the white to cook but leave the yolk still runny. Remove the egg at this point with a slotted spoon or strainer.

Poached eggs are used in Eggs Benedict (a dish that consists of a half of an English muffin, topped with bacon or ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce). Or you can just topped it on toast.

Acknowledgments:  Thanks to Thai gal for her guidance.

A Slice of Life - Creating Beauty

I like this article very much. Creating a beauty that you self-appreciated.
Lately xL was saying cooking is troublesome when you cook for more than one person and need to cater for that person's tastebuds. Which I totally agree that it is easier to just cook for yourself and whether it is nice or not nice, you will just dump it into your stomach. So that is self-appreciated beauty.

I'm currently quite moody as I cannot believed 45 days have passed and my Thai lady has flew back to Thailand. Sigh I miss her.. and her cooking.. and her touring.. :(
But oh well, I know it is time for her to go back and visit her mum too. 2 more weeks and I'm back too!

p/s: memories of her apartment etched in my memory...

BBQ in Spring time

Spring time is best for BBQ session!

And the yummiest stuff to BBQ in Melbourne spring is none other than Asparagus! Just wash it clean, remove the bottom, placed nicely on the BBQ pit, sprinkle some authentic Italian sea salt, grilled it till it has that BBQ texture and voila, it is ready for your taste buds!

BBQ session also include ready made salad like the tomato salad shown here made of the most delicious dressing comprising of olive oil, red wine, balsamic vinegar and a list of other ingredients that I cannot rattle any longer haha.

Daylight Savings Time

Many years ago, Doc tried to explain to me about DST too as she adjusted the clock. At that time, though I was curious why would people need to manually adjust the clock, I did not do any research.

But now that I'm in Melbourne and this is going to affect me, I start wondering how does this impacts me. My initial response was, that means I'm now 3 hours ahead of SG. Gosh... that suddenly sounds even further.

Then a friend said I get to sleep an hour more. But I kept thinking the logic, if I'm adding an hour, aren't I losing a hour instead. So I should sleep now right instead of blog. Cos I'm seriously lack of sleep already and am now suffering from a runny nose.

And then CL tells me that she is not affected. Then I realized DST affects not only specific countries but at different dates and times too. Oh and I asked her a stupid question on GMT and then remembered we visited Greenwich together and her GMT should be zero hahah.

And while reading http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/g.html, I found out a list of countries affected and how even the same country could implement DST on different time. Interesting...

p/s: Many days later, I realised the good thing about DST... I finally could leave office in daylight and slot in an evening jog, admiring the beautiful sunset along the way...