泰昌餅家與義順牛奶公司

As promised, on a rainy morning, I took the man to taste the famous Tai Cheong (泰昌餅家) egg tarts at Lyndhurst Terrace. No queues at the 11am timing that we went, and there were plenty of piping hot egg tarts on the shelves. Hahaha. We bought six tarts. I ate one tart. He inhaled five at a go. I blinked. He didn't realize how good the original tasted till today.

He also wanted his cold steamed milk pudding (雙皮奶) at Yee Shun Milk Company (義順牛奶公司). Okaaaay. Off we went to one of the many outlets in the city. We had to order two items because there were two of us, and the eatery imposed a minimum spend. So we also ordered the cold steamed milk+egg pudding (冰花燉雞蛋).

I took the courtesy two bites from each bowl. The man merrily slurpped up the rest. He was pleased as punch. I'm soooo NOT into them. I dunno, they're very nice meh? The man does like this sort of desserts. He would go on to have three more bowls of the steamed milk pudding over the rest of the week in Hong Kong. Zzzzz. Luckily for him, we've been walking loads in the city, and hitting the gym and the Megaformer studio. He could afford to up the intake of desserts, but he's still not allowed huge amounts of dairy, which are not conducive for his remaining salivary gland stones (that would require another minor removal surgery at some point).

Left: Steamed milk pudding served cold!
Right: The bowl of yellow pudding included egg, also served cold.

行龍脊；舒暢心情

The weather report predicted grey and rain for the week. The city isn’t as cold as I hoped for! It has been too warm for jeans and a jacket in the day. Hehehe. At the first opportunity, I made a date with M and we zoomed off for an early morning trek at Dragon’s Back. 21°C for the day, and it would be windy up on the hills, so a light windbreaker was necessary. We were glad for cloud cover. Walking along Dragon’s Back in summer is unbearable.

It was a week day, and the trails were not crowded. Grey as the skies were, it didn’t rain, and some blue and sun shone through for a bit. I always round up the distance on Dragon’s Back to 10km. I think I was a little sore (in the heart and head) and upset from the shock of losing the tote, and took it out on the trail, by running it as fast as I could on gravel, sand and steps. M wasn’t expecting me to really run; she was surprised that I didn’t whine at having to run more than 5km. She knows. Yah, I’m famous for that. Of course she paced me, easily. She’s a seasoned trail runner!

We didn’t roll on the sand or water at the beach. Ran straight to the car. We had lunch plans! And I was in dire need of coffee! We cleaned up at M's home and went out to Sham Shui Po. I was ravenous. Lunch was sooo good. Wonton noodles at Lau Sum Kee in Sham Shui Po (劉森記麵家、深水埗桂林街48號地下). The mad crowds have petered out and we didn't even have to share a table with anyone, and weren't chased out for dawdling over our food. I love the shop's dry noodles of 雲吞蝦子撈麵 and its tiny appetizer of pickled radish and chillies (酸蘿蔔)!

We had coffee in the area too, at a charming little place called Toolss. By the end of the afternoon, I felt like my usual self. Instead of a throbbing heartache, it has receded into a little sad knot. Light banter with M and a walk through nature was indeed the balm to my soul, easing the sting of stupidly losing the tote, taking away the feelings of annoyance and self-doubt.

Spices at BlackSalt

Everywhere in Hong Kong is now hip. Every ‘old’ area has been 'revitalized' with new and trendy shops and restaurants. Sai Ying Pun (西營盤) is no different. We went there not for its famous claypot rice (but there's a famous claypot rice stall in every district), but to BlackSalt for a dose of Indian and Himalayan flavors.

We won't survive without spices, and that doesn't mean just chilli oil, XO sauce or Sichuan pepper thingies. At BlackSalt, I raised my brows at 'ema datshi' on the menu. That is distinctly Bhutanese, not Indian. But the restaurant touts itself on 'Indian fusion food'. Okay. That would range from Sri Lankan to Nepalese, and perhaps just for trend's sake, Bhutanese. Apparently the menu is derived from the family heritage of Chef Taran Chadha and his wife Sheela, as well as their culinary inspirations.

The kitchen still gives out complimentary cute little papadums with dhal and a bit of yoghurt. The vegetarian smoked eggplant stew with kidney bean 'meatballs' and pistachio parmesan was on point. They also offered dumplings. OHHH. Momo! I love dumplings. Ordered two pork and two vegetarian. These jhol momos are so good; the ratio of skin and filling was perfect, and that jhol achar was really classic tangy. Loved it. Beer, wine and whisky here are pricey though. Singapore prices. Zzzzz. I had forgotten how pricey Hong Kong is when it comes to alcohol.

We opted for a main of spring chicken tikki masala (I did wonder why it wasn't spelt 'tikka'). When the restaurant first opened, people criticized this dish for the overly sweet flavors instead of spicy. Two years on, we found it to be evenly balanced. The masala was now more tangy than sweet, and the kitchen obviously went stronger on the spices. With dishes like this, we needed carbs. Opted for BlackSalt's house specialty of beer naan. It was tasty, and went great with all our food. Beer naan. Genius! I left most of the chicken for the man to clean up. I was full from the other food items, and was very happy with the tikka masala and naan.

蛋撻 Salve

Of course the hotel knew how upset I was over the lost tote. I realized it within two minutes of exiting the cab, and even before I was through the front doors of the hotel. I most certainly didn’t wail, cry or make a scene. But my facial expressions said it all. I was ushered straight to the room to sort out check-in details so that I didn’t have to be frazzled by the sounds of the busy main lobby. The concierge and front desk managers were concerned and helped me file a police report. But there was nothing more they could do. I felt bad because I gave them an extra administrative headache upon arrival. Ugh.

While the toiletries bag was intact in the suitcase, the items within are insufficient for the week. I had to zoom out to get supplies. I needed cables, chargers and facial moisturizers, eyebrow pencils and such. I didn't feel like toddling down to Causeway Bay or Central to get what I needed. I didn’t want to hit a mall, so I went to the nearest Sasa to sort it out. There's a Sasa everywhere. In contrast, Watsons and Mannings were crazy expensive (as compared to their prices in Singapore) and didn't stock all that I wanted. There's a Body Shop next to this Sasa I hopped into. Perfect. Nothing fancy was needed and everything basic was smoothly procured.

Sasa to the rescue!

When I returned, there was a tray with a warmer basket waiting on the dining table. Awww, it wasn't a welcome tray thing. When we checked in, there was already a welcome platter of fruits, chocolates and wine. The hotel had cleverly estimated my time of return and kindly sent up piping hot egg tarts to the room, along with a handwritten little note, ‘May these tarts make you feel better.’ They actually bothered. Wow, how awesome.

The man loves egg tarts more than I do. But I don’t mind some egg tarts if the custard isn’t too sweet. The hotel’s Chinese restaurant does good ones. The man was out for the day at work, then some dunno-what drinks and dinner. I most certainly wasn’t saving any egg tart for him. I ate both. Hahahaha. (I’d take him to Tai Cheong Bakery at Central lah. Those egg tarts are quite lovely and taste very different from what their Singapore outlets trot out.) Honestly, I felt better after that, and still had appetite to eat when I went out later for dinner with the friends.

Lost A Bag Upon Arrival In Hong Kong

It finally happened. Between the cab stand at the airport and arrival at the hotel, I turned into a 大頭蝦 and lost a tote bag. It didn’t sit with me in the backseat. It’s likely to be in the corner of the boot of the cab, but since I didn’t have eyeballs on it, I couldn’t be sure.

I was super flustered. The hotel concierge were absolutely helpful. They expedited check-in, took the cab receipts and sorted out a police report for me. I disliked that aunty Longchamp bag (it was a gift), but the contents were items which I hated to lose. The pouches and such were gifts from dear friends and I liked them. I have no illusions about seeing the contents of the bag again. That tote bag contained the electronics (cables, adaptors, earphones, chargers, etc), my cosmetics (also skin cream from the dermatologist, pills, moisturizer, etc), keycards (dammit, but I can still go home fine, no issues) and... my darling Leica Q.

I’m really sad. The keycards are a little bothersome to replace, but not too bad. Although there is a name tagged to my skin cream, there isn’t an address in the bag, so the security risks are minimal. My heart aches for my four-year-old point-and-shoot Leica Q. It’s the easiest grab-and-go camera (fixed lens) among my Leicas, so I’m rather fond of it. I am sentimental over cameras. I hope whoever has it now takes care of it and uses it well. May it bring the new owner joy the same way it brought me. 😖😢 N helpfully sent me a link to the rumored new Leica Q 2.0 that would likely be weatherproofed (my main gripe about the first model) and launching in March. Damn, not really helping, girl!

Before this, I’ve never lost anything major on trips and even thwarted many pickpocketing and swiping attempts. Haizzz. That a bag is lost through my own absentmindedness is hard to stomach. I could think of worse ways to begin a trip. It could have been the precious Leica M10 (my favorite) lost since I almost brought that instead. While the heart is a little heavy, and I miss my camera, I’ll still enjoy the week in Hong Kong. I’m thankful to have the essentials intact—my phone, macbook, iPad, credit cards and passport. Losing those in one fell swoop would be an epic administrative nightmare.

Foggy Victoria Harbor.

Strength Training FTW

I cheered my friends on at the aquathlon last week. Nope, I didn't sign up for it. Hahahah. This one seemed a lot more popular because it was crazy crowded. I would have wilted. It was way more fun and exciting watching the friends race. I’m not consciously training for races since I’m not into them. I train to be ready for all situations, so that trained instincts can take over if and when necessary. Back to my usual exercise regime. I’ve kept up the intensity for two years, and it doesn’t feel like a chore yet. It still gives me much happiness and joy. Weights really help, and muscles gotta be built as we age!

That day, someone expressed surprise at my physique, considering that I do weights. That was said at the weights corner of the gym. Again. Aiyoh. Myths! Starting a weights program and carrying some weights would make you look like a professional bodybuilder? Please. You won't have the strength or core muscles to carry those weights required, and importantly, you'll never be able to be so disciplined when it comes to controlling your diet so that you don't bloat. At least I, as an average non-athlete, am not as disciplined about my food as a professional athlete is.

I don’t just lift heavy during a HIIT class. Outside of a LES MILLS GRIT™ Strength class, I lift with a standard Olympic bar once a week for a short 20-minute session, and yes, by now, I can lift my body weight. Squats, deadlifts, easy. I'll say this again, and say it as often as people need to hear it. Weights do not bulk you up. Strength training doesn't bulk me up. It reduced the percentage of fats in my body and built more muscles. It pushed the body fats over the last plateau and built the lean muscles I wanted, and can now finally see. It only took two years to reshape the physique. Haha.

By the way, even as my physique leans out, my weight remains at 50kg, the same as it has been for two years since I upped the intensity of the exercise regime. I’ve never wanted to lose weight. Losing weight doesn’t change your natural and genetically-determined body shape. Fats don’t turn into muscles. Fats are burnt, and muscles are built. I exercise to get stronger and stay nimble. It’s a fallacy that doing only cardio without strength training will make you lose weight and get stronger.

Oh, dump the 1kg barbells. They’re useless.
Do planks and press-ups.

Spicy Penne all'Arrabiata

Regular dinners at home also means food for the man and something less meaty for me. One such compromise is a piece of braised beef rump (in an oven bag) and spicy pasta all'arrabiata. It takes less than an hour to do, and with minimal fuss.

The man found the beef rump in the supermarket. The meat came marinated in an oven bag and it's meant to be placed sealed into the oven. It's perfect because it keeps everything so neat. There isn't any mess to sort out after marinating and I don't have to scrub that oven tray like crazy. My counter-top is almost streak-free after dinner prep. Wheeeee!

I kinda need carbs, yes, at dinner. I'm not on any type of diet and my body likes a bit of carbs now and then. I like this pasta to be spicy, so it's two chilli padi and chilli flakes. The secret to good spicy penne all'arrabiata is adding anchovies and white wine to the tomato base. Meatballs or sausages could be added to the pasta too. It'll be a fantastic one-dish meal. But today, we didn't need that. We already had the beef as extra protein. Of course there was an extra portion of penne for my lunch the next day. I love having it cold too.

Sugar At Breakfast!

It's not like I completely avoid sugar. I'm not fond of it, but it seems as though that my preferred choice of breakfast often ends up being sweet and quite high in sugar- in the form of granola, fruits, yoghurt, smoothies and such. I can't do all of them together though. It's either this or that, otherwise it's too much food for the stomach to handle in the morning. And...jeng jeng jeng, as organic as they can be, they're mostly processed food!

Yoghurt with fruits is my default breakfast on most days. Natural or Greek-style yoghurt can be sweetened with honey if necessary, but often, fruits would do in the usual blackberries, blueberries or strawberries. Figs and persimmon too, when they're in season. But once in a while, I ignore the sugar content and go for broke with Beillevaire fig yoghurt.

Currently I have an additional breakfast option of bread and dark chocolate spread. L got me a lovely Belgian dark chocolate spread from Le Pain Quotiden. That works great with a cold glass of full-cream milk. It's very filling, and while I would love to quaff two slices of bread, one is usually sufficient for my needs. One slice provides all the energy needed to rock up to the gym for HIIT classes.

I can't quite do without granola. Love that crunch. I'm not keen on baking granola at home, so I still end up buying them, and the ones from Marks & Spencer are surprisingly decent, and low on sugar. Chocolates with granola at breakfast is such a luxury, and I will indulge in it. Since I usually do milk with granola, I figured that it would be all healthy. HAHAHA. I can easily nibble on 90% cacao, but since Christmas wrought a windfall of dark chocolates as gifts which included a few slabs of delicious 70% dark chocolates from Lemuel, those would do too. I opened up the one from Chiang Mai to go with the granola and muesli. Mmmm. 70% ain't too bad. Makes my breakfast taste quite divine.

Casual Chats & Pilates

You know how unfriendly I am, but I do get the occasional friendly smile sent my way, and if the vibes are right, I reciprocate. After all many of us wish to keep our privacy, but don't mind extended chats as long as they stay at a level below superficiality and above genuine effort. :P

Between R and V, A, N, W and I, we have this acquaintanceship. We've only known one another for three years through a shared love of pilates, regular practice and a rather frequent exchange of opinions. These exchanges are done in a safe space, and slowly allows us to find out that we're all on the same thought frequency and share common points and outlook. Whewww.

Of course we have a WhatsApp chat group. It's filled with hilarious stuff, videos and lots of comments about... pilates. Hurhurhur. It's especially helpful when I get strains and aches that I can't quite diagnose via the internet and I just ask if anyone else has experienced the same pains. Oof. We don't specially meet outside of this sphere, unless we're randomly grabbing coffee or food after class or heading to specific pilates workshops.

We arranged lunch that afternoon after class because V is relocating to Hong Kong, and we wanted to say farewell properly, outside of the studio. It's enjoyable because while these bonds are warm, and we do extend help when we can, there isn't an expectation of 'must' or 'obligation'. We know enough of one another to be comfortable with other topics of conversation. It was really lovely to sit down for a long lunch, and linger on over smoothies and coffees. 

元宵節 :: 狗守太平歲、豬牽富裕年

The man kept monopolizing the kitchen to cook on the weekends. Obviously his foods lean towards meats, pasta and Indian, which can be heavy. And I really wanted to do a Japanese-Chinese fusion meal for J and L. Finally found a chance to do so one weekend for the dearest friends.

Since it was still the first fifteen days of the lunar new year, I went for broke and made Chinese dumplings- 白菜碎肉餃子. These aren't supposed to be gyoza or shumai, so I made them round and fat. The BFF demanded her portion. She said she could eat 40 at one sitting. Well, my small kitchen set-up and limited patience meant that I could only make about 50 at a go. And these weren't for her! Kekekekeke. She showed me a photo of the dumplings she BOUGHT. Wah, do jiaozi have this standard shape? They look like mine! Hurhurhur.

This is a test batch. It's the first time I made jiaozi. I can do gyoza and shumai, so I suppose jiaozi aren't very different.The sheer volume meant that I wasn't going to pound anything. Took out the micro food processor to mince up the filling. Goodness. It was soooo messy! Luckily I was clever and made the 49 dumplings on a day when the part-time helper was due. Hurhurhur. She blinked at the giant mess I made, tsk-ed at me and cleaned it up. #ImpieCooks2019

The jiaozi went into the freezer to await the final test- our tastebuds. The friends came over for dinner. The jiaozi went into a light soup topped with ebi and bok choi. Fried up tofu and vegetables, seared two small fillets of grouper, and uhh added my easy strange non-crispy sweet and sour pork. I hoped the friends were okay with the simple dinner! They brought wine, ever-generous in sharing their stash. Excellent choices of red as usual.

春節過年包餃子吃餃子，不全是‘招財進寶’的意義。我親手揉麵粉弄餡料包餃子，都是希望大家在新的農曆年裡事業順利、生活過得充實美滿健康。

📷: L.

Punching Up

I don't suppose this article is of interest to anyone who has no interest in this genre of music. 'Heavy Metal Confronts Its Nazi Problem' by Colin Moynihan, published in The New Yorker on 16 February 2019.

This article was a lot to digest. It was in part a comment inspired by a weekend metal festival Black Flags Over Brooklyn, organized by Kim Kelly. It's not a review of the festival, it's tracing the link of how music and politics are now more closely tied than ever.

Held over 25-26 January 2019, Black Flags "... was organized as probably New York City’s first anti-Fascist extreme-metal show. It was planned partly as a celebration of an underground form of music that has traditionally thrived on images of drama and danger, and partly as a response to a subgenre known as National Socialist black metal, which espouses neo-Nazi views and has been described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as aiming to recruit youth to white-supremacist causes."

I love doom metal. Metal soothed the angst of my youth, it calms my adult aggression. Did I know what I was listening to? Of course? I went to school, I could read and discern between what lyrics read and what adults said in criticisms or reviews. Back then, I was told that it was Satanic and unholy and it's the occult's doorway to hell and such. Duhhh. Now the danger isn't the sanctity of my eternal soul. Of late, the term NSBM has been trending. National Socialist Black Metal. Far right metal. To me, this is not a good thing.

The festival, he said, could be seen as part of an effort to reassert the spirit of metal, which has a history of challenging power and giving people who don’t feel connected to the world around them a place to belong. “The promise of the underground, regardless of the style, whether it’s metal or punk or hardcore or grindcore or whatever, is one of subversion and resistance,” he said. “Danger isn’t about punching down. It’s about punching up.”

The New Hashida Sushi

Stepped into Hashida Sushi for the first time at their new home. What a lovely gorgeous two-storey space. It was quiet and inviting. It almost felt like stepping into a sushi restaurant in Japan. I hope the Mohd Sultan Road fengshui benefits it. So many shops along that stretch have come and gone.

Choices of sake were on point, and since we didn't drive, we went to town with it. By the end of the night, we probably drank two liters of sake.😂 As usual, I requested for no maguro or hon maguro, and absolutely no meiji maguro. No akami, toro, otoro or chutoro. I also skipped ebi. Didn't feel like having it that night. They know my preferred tastes, so at a sushi restaurant of this calibre, they know how to feed me well still. All the hikarimono sushi please. ひかりもの寿司を全部お願いします!

I couldn't stop laughing at the dessert platter. There were some manju and yokan thingies, and dunno what else. I didn't touch it beyond two courtesy nibbles. While the restaurant has never been known for their desserts (let's not quibble about fruits) and mochi, pastries and such, but tonight, A MERLION. REALLY?! You decided to give me a Merlion pastry for the additional birthday touch for 2019. You should have seen how I cracked up.

コノシロ | konoshiro | gizzard shad
(otherwise known as 'kohada' コハダ, which isn't quite accurate)

Sangria & Tapas

Burst out laughing when the girlfriend said we could have an early Valentine's dinner. Hahahahha. She was away and now that she's back in town, she wanted to take me out for my birthday meal. I was like, I'm free on Valentine's Day, take me out! She didn't want to date me on 14 February. Chehhhhh. 😬

Off we went for an easy dinner at The Tapas Club. Of course they would have a Valentine's Day menu. At least this isn't a set menu whereby we're restricted to some stupid pricing and horrible 'special' food items. We could simply pick our preferred tapas and paella from the usual menu. Okaaaay. That sounded fine. Grilled Padron peppers, quail egg and chorizo on toast, and a squid ink paella. I was a happy girl. The paella portions are small, but sufficient for two persons if you also order tapas. At S$26, it wasn't that big a pile of carbs to plough through. Since we weren't allowed to replace dessert with an extra tapas, we picked the standard churros with chocolate sauce. The churros came heart-shaped. 🤨

I was really there for the red sangria. One jug. Woooohoo. I wanted a light cold drink. It had been a long, annoying and searing hot day. Sangria is such a refreshing drink at any time of the day. Tonight, it answered my desires, and the wonderful company soothed away the stress of the day.

A Slice of Blackforest Cake

Before the BFF flew out (again), she wanted to have a 'birthday dinner' with me. I asked to eat at Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique Cafe. She was a little stunned because she couldn't figure out what on earth I wanted from the menu since the cafe is known for their meats, and well, pork knuckle, and I'm not the biggest fan of meats.

Well, I had the bigger surprise for her—I wanted to eat blackforest cake. HAHAHAHAHA. It's not often that I have a craving for cake. I like a well-made strawberry shortcake, but they always lean sweet. Haizzz. I wanted this particular blackforest cake because it contains loads of alcohol and a salted caramel base. I’m well aware that alcohol masks the ‘sweet’ profile, and the sugar level isn’t lower than other cakes. There’re a few online bakeries that do a good blackforest cake, but I couldn't be bothered to order a whole cake. I wanted one slice, not many slices. Since it was supposed to be dinner, I might as well find a restaurant with decent food which also offers slices of okay-enough blackforest cake.

The table ordered a platter of meat. Sausages, roast pork belly and such. They skipped the pork knuckle and chose the main meat as a whole small spring chicken. Hahaha. As if that made it healthier. I ordered more sides to nibble on- fries, mash and coleslaw. Picked at bits of meat and that was it. German food is honestly not my favorite thing, and yes I know the cuisine isn't represented by sauerkraut and pork knuckle. The spätzle here still couldn't make it. Spätzle at most restaurants in Singapore kinda suck.

I had earlier called the restaurant to ensure that they reserved three slices of cake for us. I was thrilled to finally get to dessert. LOL After protesting that she couldn't eat one by herself, the BFF ate it anyway. She's the one with the serious sweet tooth. The slice of blackforest cake was absolutely satisfying. Yes, this would do fine. I wouldn't have another craving for this till...next year.

Lo-Hei At The Chengs

Hopped over the make some noise to huat the Chengs' new home. It wasn't exactly a housewarming party, and half of us have visited, but it was nice to gather at the Chengs to send out happy sounds to all corners. We did a lo-hei; the Chengs said this was their first lo-hei in the home. Awesome. All auspicious vibes!

Dinner was potluck and full of choices for the various palates- mee goreng, prawn pancake, la la (clams) with white beehoon done zi char style and chye sim with garlic; we brought chicken dhansak (no yoghurt, no coconut milk, no other milk) with basmati rice. J and L brought wines. There was a light Gewürztraminer (I think) that went surprisingly well with the spicy food. It was such a breezy night that we didn't need to turn on the air-conditioning till much later.

Then I got diverted away on a 'house tour' while the people downstairs fiddled with champagne and trotted out a fancy-pants-delish strawberry shortcake. For me. WOW. And they blasted a Cantonese birthday song at top volume like we were at an old-school Chinese restaurant. 😂

My birthday always lurks around the lunar new year. It's not a good thing, depending on how you see it. I try to keep it really quiet. This is a bunch of friends I see often, and during the lunar new year, we seem to always be able to do a lo-hei together at some point within the fifteen days. Oof! They seem to be able to keep catching me with a birthday song and a cake. I've managed to celebrate birthdays with them for years, and many of which are impromptu gatherings. So much love lah.

As much as I don't like being in photos, obviously I still appear in some group photos and such. Photos aren't so bad if we don't blast them all over social media and such. The photos (and videos) I have of this bunch are so heartwarming. I am nothing without the bonds of friendship. If I want good things to happen to myself, then I want even better things to occur in the friends' lives. When I blew out my birthday candle, I made a little prayer and wished for these friends' good health and strength, and for us to ride through 2019 with fortitude and grace.

A Beautiful Lunch Table

I was soooo happy to be able to make Fri-YAY Fri-Date with Y and Missy. It was a school day and while we could sit at a cafe, it wouldn't be as comfortable in terms of ambience and timing. It would be the best for me to shamelessly ask Y to whip up lunch for me and Missy. I literally did that, and simply turned up. HAHAHAHA.

I was stunned when I stepped into Y's home. She made a birthday lunch for me! She laid out the table so beautifully. All the little touches. OH MY. That made me feel so loved! A party at home is really the best since we could make noise and hang out without being kicked out of any venue. 😃

I was given an entire induction into the world of Nintendo Switch. Very brainless and fun games. Goodness. It really induces you to sit there for hours playing with the television screen! It is something to do, but I didn't want to sit there for too long. This is why I cannot have video games or computer games at home. They're time vampires and I have an insane need to unlock the games' algorithm and not just win, but clearing the final levels. :P

Y knows the size of all our stomachs. A hearty salad of kale, prawns, mango and eggs was so satisfying on this hot day. Homemade dressing of lime, olive oil, pepper and salt. Loved it. A light meal was perfect for us three. It was accompanied by a gorgeous glass of chilled watermelon juice and fruits.

Y had considered making carbs, but I told her not to. I wouldn't be having much unless she wanted them and was meal-planning. The long loaf of ciabatta I brought over would do. I had it cut into half so that we could take out half first. We knew Missy would finish off most of the bread. Hahahah. An active growing girl needs her carbs. Y also sent me home with a homebaked loaf of the most gorgeous fig bread. Wow. This loaf sorted out my breakfast for the week.

I've been so blessed by this friendship, first with Y, then her husband, and of course Missy, whom I always have the most hilarious conversations with. They're such good people and have brought so much joy to my life too, and taught me how to appreciate humans and relationships in the best of ways.

'Cream' by Haruki Murakami

I know, I've said countless times that I'm no fan of Haruki Murakami, and yet I still read his stuff here and there. Read his new short story, 'Cream', published in The New Yorker, January 28 2019, and translated from Japanese to English by Philip Gabriel.

In an interview with Deborah Treisman for the same journal, and this was also translated by Philip Gabriel, Murakami suggested that he might make this "into a series (or a full length novel)."

Although the narrator never solved the mystery of what happened that day, he did learn something that stayed with him ever since. Did having no answer become an answer in itself? 

Sometimes asking the right question is better than getting the right answer. I’ve always kept that in mind in my life, and as I’ve written my stories. 

The story is set in Kobe, where you grew up. What made you choose that as the location for “Cream”?   

It was because the scenery that this eighteen-year-old man sees and the scenery in Kobe blend together within me.

Obviously a sad 'Murakami man' is the protagonist in 'Cream'. He was telling a story to his youth to a friend. The then young eighteen-year-old said yes to an old schoolmate's invitation to a piano recital on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere on a mountain in Kobe. He got the address right, but the steel gates to the venue remained locked, and there weren't anyone else in the vicinity. No cars were parked outside either. It was all very quiet for an event that was supposedly to start soon.

He wondered why did the schoolmate (a girl, obviously) pranked him with such an invitation to a non-event. He went to a nearby park to think it through. An old man spoke to him, and opened the conversation with an obscure statement, "A circle with many centers." It was a line that the young man didn't understand, and the old man continued to literally speak in circles. 

I didn’t think that the old man was off, mentally. And I didn’t think that he was teasing me. He wanted to convey something important. So I tried again to understand, but my mind just spun around and around, making no progress. How could a circle that had many (or perhaps an infinite number of) centers exist as a circle? Was this some advanced philosophical metaphor? I gave up and opened my eyes. I needed more clues. 

But the old man wasn’t there anymore. I looked all around, but there was no sign of anyone in the park. It was as if he’d never existed. Was I imagining things? No, of course it wasn’t some fantasy. He’d been right there in front of me, tightly gripping his umbrella, speaking quietly, posing a strange question, and then he’d left.

I'm not sure if how this short story can be expanded. I'm only a little curious as to why the girl pranked him back then. He only recalled that the girl wasn't too impressed by his piano-playing skills, and wasn't too pleased about having to practice with him for a four-hands recital because he kept hitting the wrong notes. Surely, that's not enough to hold a grudge? But one never knows what teenagers are thinking.

The ending is as obfuscating as any other Murakami story. A circle without centers. I paused rather long to consider that. I imagined the young boy seated on a bench on that afternoon, wondering why, and how that would be the most major issue in his young life. That made my head hurt. The story ends in a question mark, and seemingly concludes that complicated issues will always be looped into an infinite pain if one keeps dwelling on them. I can never understand the author.

“Yeah, of course. Back then, it bothered me, too. A lot. It hurt me, too. But thinking about it later, from a distance, after time had passed, it came to feel insignificant, not worth getting upset about. I felt as though it had nothing at all to do with the cream of life.”  

“The cream of life,” he repeated.   

“Things like this happen sometimes,” I told him. “Inexplicable, illogical events that nevertheless are deeply disturbing. I guess we need to not think about them, just close our eyes and get through them. As if we were passing under a huge wave.”

Turned 41

While I like the idea of the get-up being separates, with its top easy and its wide-legged voluminous pants keeping me mobile, I was highly skeptical of the red swirls. However, the large swathes of white keep it rather palatable.

I would also have to wear heels with it since I didn't want the pants to be altered. The pants could be matched with other white tops, and the blouse would match jeans. I could wear this set a few times; they would also be useful separate. I stood in front of the mirror for a long time. I would also have to comb my hair. Hmmm. But Ying convinced me to give the ensemble a go. So I did.

Ying The Label named the separates 'Simple Joy Top' and 'Free your Mind Pants'. These clothes are well-stitched and the fabric falls nicely around the bust and hips. I felt rather floaty in it. If I'm obligated to turn up at events, and somehow new clothes are needed, I tend to buy clothes from Singapore designers. Our local designers will always have that few pieces that I can wear and carry it off without looking like a clown.

The set sat in my wardrobe for seven months. I finally wore this top and pants this year to a lo-hei tea thingy, and later on dinner. The red makes it super appropriate for the festive season, and white balances out my need for simplicity. The girlfriends laughed like crazy and said I could wear this out to the usual National Day events, and in fact, I could wear it every year since it's such a classic, and it would then justify the purchase. Ha. Ha. Ha. 🙄

Today I turned forty-one. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I always seek peace in my heart, and pray for strength and wisdom in understanding God's hand in my life. Come what may, this feels wonderful.

A Floral Romper

My wardrobe is made up of whites, blacks and blues; I'm not into any sort of fashion aesthetics beyond checking out their utilitarian value. To be honest, I've never understood how a new dress would make me happy. I find dresses cumbersome because they're absolutely impractical for a street brawl. I'm pretty much a jeans and tee girl.

I don't quite like buying clothes just for an occasion or to attend an event. I'd rather not go. Hahaha. New clothes are bought when they're needed (say I tear a hole in a top or when it's too worn), not for their aesthetic value. There's literally nothing to pare down in my wardrobe since it's still standing at half empty. Yes, the space includes all the bags I now own (pared down from all the unnecessary ones) and will use regularly. I'm not having bags sit on the shelves so that they're taken out only once or twice a year. All my wardrobes in the various homes lived in have always been half empty since I was a teen; I have no problems keeping it that way. 

Wearing cheongsams for lunar new year really isn't my thing. Modern cheongsams are refreshing, but often I'm not into the cut or the fabric prints. Cheongsams are literally worn once or twice a year. They're just not very me. So I tend to give them away after a few months. I learn not to buy them anymore. I keep some (namely those in grey, black, white and blue), but I think they'll disintegrate before they see the light of day again. 

This lunar new year, at the last house visit, it just happened that we girls were dressed in complementary designs and colors. For the festive season lor! Since we managed to catch one another in time, of course a group photo was in order. Always lovely to see these familiar faces and big smiles.

I've worn Dorothy's clothes for many years. Her old rompers didn't fit me. (Too short and ridiculously tight at the crouch, and no pockets.) But her new romper design does- she pulled the crouch longer, and made pockets. So I bought one, in this most unlikely fabric swirl from Dotted Line. Honestly, I'm not sure I'll wear it again. LOL I tend to shy away from florals and such. But I suppose it doesn't hurt to have them. Although I do chuck them out after two  or three wears because I just can't stand the florals and colors. (I don't even like cut flowers or potted plants.) My dresses tend not to have many embellishments, folds or frills. I cannot deal with extras. 

The romper made me a little dizzy. I felt damn awkward in it, but at least I didn't look like a walking angpow. I couldn't deal with the entire block of florals and decided that a swathe of black was needed to break it up. I put a belt across the waist. It was great- movement isn't restricted at all. The romper's fabric is thin and didn't induce buckets of perspiration in this sweltering heat and humidity.

拜年 :: 亥時春入戶、豬歲喜盈門！

農曆年初二是‘解放日’，去我想去的地方拜年。初二見的朋友都是我熟悉的面孔，精神一點兒都不緊繃、一年見十多次，哪裡陌生。這‘陌生’或‘不陌生’的概念對我來說很重要。‘親戚’二字壓不了我。若是親戚，但和你不投緣、又不認同你的所有作風看法，那我得跟你friend嗎？🙄

不知道老公是否有同感，但我每次都會提醒他的確有選擇權，沒必要隨伴。今年初二他還是跟著我去拜年。他人緣關係比我佳。這幾家，他都認識、不會太生疏也不會覺得太無聊。況且悶的時候通常都會自己找time-out，躲在一旁回覆texts和emails。

各家各戶都預備了各式各樣的菜餚招待客人。雖然我不吃甜，但有鹹的美味佳餚喲！早上喝了杯酸奶就出門拜年了。午餐高高興興蹦到朋友家享用她們親手預備的馬來飯。有我最喜歡的begedil和paru！啊，肚子開心極了！沒有sambal我是維持不了多久的。Carbs？不管它，照吃。

最後一站到洪家吃碗美味可口的粥，也喝了人家好多杯香檳紅酒。去這麽多家拜年，只有洪家為客人呈上粥。（當然他們擺出了其他食物如prata和各類的咖喱。）而我呢，就很喜歡很喜歡粵式粥，很不客氣地把桌上的青蔥炸蔥皮蛋鹹蛋掃光。洪家年年為我留一大碗，我也慶幸有福氣年年吃、所以這碗粥特別有意義。

今年我很淘氣-- 帶出去的橘子都留在他人家了。嘻嘻。我不在乎回禮習俗。我都不吃橘子，家裏疊著一大盤最終也是扔掉浪費了。在safe zone裏有種安全感...... 吃著、聊著、旁人熱鬧卻不逼我參與，讓我自在。還真有過農曆新年的滋味。

祝長輩們在豬年裡享有活力健康快樂。🍊🍊🧧

年初一 :: 義犬守門戶、良豕報歲華！

不太重視農曆新年習俗，更不認同某些禮儀。對炸年糕肉乾黃梨撻等等新年糕點沒興趣。最怕嗆耳的新年歌和紅金金的裝飾品、所以家裡也沒擺什麼新年裝飾、平時不喜歡花和盆栽之類的植物於是不買年花。就借用お正月(oshōgatsu) 挂的裝飾品加幾粒橘子草草了事。自己看得順眼就足夠了。

我對所謂‘親戚親情’看得很淡，也不願意接近任何親戚。一年見你一次（還是被逼的），能有多親？最憎恨人家說，是親戚所以要親。那你自己去親好了，別來搞我。我一向來都不健談，極端不喜歡寒暄、更沒興趣聽八卦。都十多年了，終於人人皆知。也無人逼我坐下來寒酸幾句。但性格內向的我對農曆新年初一的恐懼是有增無減。

意想不到......... 初一拜年的義務在兩小時內完成，連第二家都很狠地決定不去，第一時間閃人。哇，今年初一竟然這麽容易度過？簡直是速戰速決！（是老公那邊的親戚，上不上他們家拜年全全由他做主。他今年有工作纏身，沒心情做多餘無味的事，管他誰說什麼，寧願回家和電腦好好溝通。）我也悄悄的鬆了一大口氣，把面具栽下、高高興興回家煮晚飯。嘻嘻。

原本想弄個餐蛋飯了事。現在多了幾個小時，心情特佳，慢慢準備晚餐。烤了兩小塊鰤魚、再來一碗熱騰騰的娃娃菜福州魚丸湯麵。（超級棒的QQ福州魚丸是好友親手弄的。她送了一盒二十粒！）簡簡單單的晚餐帶給我們無窮的喜悅。能靜靜地吃頓開年飯是多麼安逸。

祝您吉慶有餘、福享新春。🈵🍊🍊㊗️🧧🎏

年夜飯 :: 亥來四季美、豬獻滿身肥

這一家的年夜飯慣例九時開席、對我和老公來說，時間上是太遲了。人家習慣吃超級晚的晚餐，我們的肚子可受不了、老公的肚子更是頂不順。我們早已學聰明，先買飯盒吃了填飽肚子。至少不需要餓了三小時才真正吃晚餐。酒店餐館一頓飯吃三小時，我等得幸苦，廚房和服務員更幸苦、近午夜才上甜品。這幾年來我們眼睛都睜不開了，不等甜品就離席。反正我們都不懂得欣賞這類的甜湯。

今年很開心的在自己廚房備食物。老公六點喊餓、咱們就六點九坐下來吃飯。還切了個蠻爽口的芝士蛋糕。簡單溫馨的晚餐。不寄人籬下的感覺實在舒服。束縛，立即減少了七成。能躲到自己的空間是多麼的幸福。

我很清楚出席這年夜飯不是為了吃、更不是為了品嘗山珍海味。年夜飯去哪裡吃我不care。最重要的是不是主家或什麼親戚煮的就行了。我那麼挑吃，不能在別人家撒野說不吃這個不吃那個。這年夜飯終究是為了滿足他人團團圓圓的理念，我吃了一口菠菜算交差。反正酒樓菜單set往往沒有一道是合口味的，尤其是响螺魚翅雞湯。我也費事多說，只速速敷衍一句 “噢，我來之前已經吃晚餐了！謝謝！” 每一年九點的這一餐我都沒吃什麼，過了十多年，都不以為奇啦。今年九點這餐有兩瓶紅酒舒暢心情、挺OK的。

The Eastrail 177 Trilogy

M. Night Shyamalan's shows tend to be a hit and miss for me. The hits are brilliant, and the misses are pathetic. Grinned when I read the review of the film written by Anthony Lane in January 28 issue of The New Yorker. Titled '“Glass,” the Last Piece of M. Night Shyamalan’s Superhero Puzzle', it accurately reflected what I thought of the final installment in this film trilogy of 'Eastrail 177'. Hurhurhur.

The film trilogy began almost two decades ago in 2000 with 'Unbreakable', then 'Split' (2016), and now finally in 2018, 'Glass'. This is some crazy wait for a trilogy to be completed. Well, not that I was waiting. The individual shows could be watched on their own, but to watch it again in its entirety, one begins to pick at the details and draw them out, like how the director is fixated with origin stories and sometimes, I really don't care. (Reviews contain spoilers here, here and here.) 


[SPOILERS AHEAD.]

From the outset of the trilogy, Shyamalan has been obsessed with how and why people become superheroes, and the new film is stiff with origin stories; as kryptonite is to Superman, for instance, water is to Dunn, because he once nearly drowned as a kid. What’s more perplexing about superheroism, though, and what Shyamalan barely touches upon, is the mad persistence of our communal craving for it—movie after movie, on an ever-vaster scale. Indeed, viewers weaned on the “Avengers” saga will consider the feats of the heroes in “Glass” to be distinctly non-super. Near the end, as footage of the Beast lifting up one side of a van goes viral, we see ordinary citizens gazing at their phones in wonder. Really? Wouldn’t they assume that the image was digitally tweaked, or taken from an old show called “Philly’s Strongest Man”? Wouldn’t they shrug and move on, without so much as a WTF?

I like the actors- Samuel L Jackson (as Elijah Price, 'Mr Glass'), Bruce Willis (as David Dunn) and the brilliant James McAvoy (as Kevin Wendell, 'the Beast'). The first two films were quite brilliant, and I enjoyed it very much. I felt that 'Glass' didn't match up to what I expect of a finale. Sure, it is what it is, and it's conclusively the end, but I still don't like it. There're superhero moments and superhero strength, and everything was done subtly- no big budget explosions, world destruction and such. Also, this entire finale can be re-titled 'Prison Break: the Superhero Edition'.

You have to admire Shyamalan’s efforts to deconstruct a genre that he evidently loves, yet there is just so little to haunt or to fool us in the result, and a few sharp laughs might have helped his cause. To be honest, I would trade the whole trilogy for the Beast—not McAvoy’s but another one, which prowls through “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014), spoken of with fear and trembling. At last the Beast appears, in dreadful majesty, and turns out to be someone’s ex-girlfriend, named Pauline. Aaargh.

シュマイを作った!

I must have been out of my mind to even contemplate making shumai (シュマイ). Yup, from scratch. It's not difficult; it's just...tiresome. It's not like I can't buy it at the supermarkets or get good Chinese dumplings from the restaurants. But well, here goes nothing. Yes, I'm re-creating something from my childhood. Had to roll out the dough to make the skin for ten cute tiny seafood shumai. That's not dinner per se, it meant to be part of the meal.

Minced up the filling of scallops and prawns, and for authenticity, I added a little pork to it. (Since Japanese shumai is usually all pork compared to the Chinese shaomai or siewmai which hold a mix of shrimp and pork.) Didn't even need anything special since the fridge held stocks. Hahaha. The minced pork came from the portion needed for the takikomi gohan. While shaping the filling and pressing out the shumai was uncomplicated and not too time-consuming, OMG, the flour, dough and all made the kitchen sooooo messy!!! #ImpieCooks2019

The shumai would only be blanched, and it would be properly pan-seared after. The cabbage and prawn soup would need to be topped with pan-seared shumai for that umami. Kombu and cabbage stems result in a fairly sweet and clear dashi. Used that combination this round too for a light soup. The prawns would finish it beautifully. I used amaebi; even when lightly blanched, they do lend loads of flavor to the broth.

Now that I understand both the textures of the brand of Japanese brown rice, and the nature of the rice cooker, I can stop second-guessing how the rice would turn out. Takikomi gohan can now be done safely in the rice cooker. This batch turned out fine. Soup and rice would suffice for me, but the man always need something extra. Like animal protein. Thawed out a fillet of frozen salmon and seared it skin-crisp. There, herb-crusted salmon for protein.

Back At Pilates

Back at work with the pilates instructor, and we're glad that the year begins injury-free for us both. While we're always conscious to work on side bends (lateral flexion) to strengthen the obliques, she decided to revisit back bends in earnest for this quarter. There're so many variations of back bends that can be done on the reformer as each variation is a different movement utilizing different sets of muscles. That's the beauty of pilates- re-visiting movements to nail that perfect form will always be an addiction for me. Hurhurhur.

She's also put me on the Chair loads to train the core. There's a handstand move on the Chair (which is not the usual free-standing handstand in the air) that's simply more of a plank. But when done slow, it's quite a torture. We want to ultimately progress to doing lots of controlled tucks (or flips) on the Cadillac. Tucks are something I can do, but the instructor wants me to up the reps and do it a lot slower with greater control. Now, that is scary. It requires a truckload of upper arm strength, a lot more than doing the inverted split plus walkover on the Cadillac. I'm not sure I'm there yet.

At the end of that first class, I knew I was gonna wake up with aching obliques, lats and rhomboids the next day. The pilates instructor grinned and said, "This is going to be such a fun year!" She's signed up for the MetaSprint Series, and also training for Ironman. Erm, in her jargon and in this context, I think I should be worried! 😂 I've largely ignored her 'encouragement' to do the aquathlon thingies. I might be competitive, but not that into races.