More Than Meets the Eye....

My new Kenwood mixer being 10 times heavier than my old Faber mixer, now sits permanently on the counter in my kitchen.  It's just too much work packing and unpacking it each time I want to use it due to its size and weight.  I asked my sister, who had recently been experimenting with her creativity on her ancient sewing machine, to make me a dust cover for my precious, very expensive mixer.  And this is what she gave me.

I love it!  Thanks a bunch, sis.

A New Door Opens....

Ok, I failed. I got sucked into the routine of work, housework and the usual errands, and totally neglected this blog. Since T1, bless her heart, actually asked for more blog postings, I am actually flattered enough to get off my butt and post something. Besides work, I actually did have a couple of interesting things happen in the past 3 months. The most interesting being that....I am actually a certified PADI open water diver now! Bwah ha ha ha....another notch on my bedpost and more bragging rights....Actually, it still seems a little surreal that I actually passed the training....

It was always with a mix of envy and admiration when I see or hear people talk about diving. It had always seemed one of those things that seem so difficult to learn or need a lot of guts to do. After all, you are entering one of the last unexplored frontiers on earth. A frontier without ready supply and availability of oxygen - the critical ingredient you need to live. The home of extremely scary predators like Great White Sharks. And unknown monsters of the deep like giant octopuses or ugly prehistoric fishes. A pretty daunting world indeed to the uninitiated.

Well, the boss came up with a grand plan of a company/diving trip. And we all went along for the ride. We had to do our pool sessions over the weekend - I was in the last group before the actual trip to Tioman. Going into my pool sessions, my head was already spinning with stories of how my colleagues in other groups had fared. Exhaustion, nearly drowning, puking, cramping... not a very rosy picture. I also had to put in some last minute cramming of the materials and hoped fervently I remembered enough for the multiple choices to trigger some correct answers during the exam. It was with some relief that the pool sessions didn't turn out so bad - I actually had a good time and there were lots of funny moments for the group. My previous stints at swimming and being relatively comfortable in the water helped. The most embarrasing thing for me just turned out to be the struggle I had to put up getting into the wet suit. Those things are pretty darn unforgiving you know.

But the week leading up to the actual dive trip to Tioman, I was a little anxious. It was all fine and dandy in a relatively shallow pool where you could always kick yourself up to the surface if you panic or cling to the sides if you're tired. But open sea? Unfathomable depths? Salt water? Currents and waves? Not to mention those scary predators and unknown monsters? Should I make my will before I go?? After an overnight journey in a freezing bus, we arrived bleary-eyed for the ferry at Mersing. Finally reaching the resort, we thought we'd have rooms to check into but no such luck. The resort was full and we had to wait another couple of hours before we could get to our beds. And we had to start our first 2 open water dives that very afternoon - I pondered on whether it is possible to drown by falling asleep underwater.....

The beach at the resort

After getting a scant hour's nap, we had our lunch and soon enough, it was time for our first dive. I pushed all doubts and anxiety to the back of my mind and focused on the activities at hand....And you know what, except for the fact that my body fats made descending to the bottom an excruciatingly slow process, it all turned out pretty smoothly. Weather was good, water was pretty calm and the salt water didn't sting much when I had to practise filling up and clearing my mask underwater. The first dive was pretty boring in terms of things to see but it was just cool to be actually under the sea and learning to be comfortable with our skills. Time just passed so quickly that all too soon, we were back at the surface and making our way to our second dive spot. Which turned out more interesting as there were lots more beautiful corals and variety of fishes to admire. I am however confessing to the fact that I probably killed some thousand-year coral when I was learning how to control my buoyancy - a fact that I deeply regret and will try to make up for. After the second dive, we had to do some exercises on the surface, which was actually a lot more tiring than being underwater....That night, I was in a zombie-like state due to the lack of sleep from the bus ride the night before and all the physical exertion for the day. But I was happy how things turned out. We enjoyed a nice sunset, chit-chat, and retired early to catch up on our sleep.

By Day 2, I felt like a pro. Gearing up, back-rolling into the water, doing my skills - eat your heart out Jacques Cousteau! My body fats were still a problem for my descent, and I couldn't control my buoyancy resulting in my floating up all the way to the surface on Dive 4, but hey, why sweat the small stuff? We did one extra dive after the final mandatory Dive 4. Now, Dive 5 turned out more challenging as the waves were choppy and the current was strong. We were OK going down and underwater, but surfacing and getting back to the boat was tiring. The boat couldn't pick us up as we were in a shallow area near the corals and rocks, so we had to swim our way for quite a bit through pretty big waves to get near the boat. Man, that was tiring. No matter how much I kicked, the boat just didn't seem to get any nearer! Being swung back and forth as I was clinging on to the ladder to get up the boat was not too fun either.

My dive buddies

At the end of Day 2, I could finally sit back and have a beer, revelling in the knowledge that I had actually completed the course. So, that's basically the gist of my Open water course experience. If anyone is considering it and had doubts, I'd say go for it. It really is not too hard if you are already comfortable with water and have a reasonable fitness level. I'm not sure how much diving I'd actually end up doing as I've always had more affinity with mountains that I did with the sea. But I certainly am going to give it a few more go-s as I think the enjoyment increases as you get better at it. A new door to underwater adventures and experiences have now been opened to me. Now if only I had more time and money.....

The Art of Bibimbap

Footnote : In a nutshell, you can put anything you want into bibimbap.  It is mixed rice after all.  The secret ingredient is the sauce - gojuchang aka red pepper sauce.  And you can put anything you want into that too! 

My Old Thingamajigs....

After my post on my new FM modulator, I received a lot of flak from friends about how archaic I was.  Even my "aunty" friend, WL, claimed that she bought this device many moons ago for her daugther.  She concluded that I was even more of an "aunty" than her since I only discovered this gadget recently. Wow, that stung.  And with Information Technology being my rice bowl, this called for drastic measures.  So, I decided I needed to do a proper review of my stuff to see whether it really is time to ditch some.

1. My cassette player

This is a no brainer.  The technology may be irrelevant but I have too many good cassettes invested to throw this away.... I mean, come on....can I throw away my Def Leppard, my Pretty Woman soundtrack and my Jackie Cheung??  That's my whole secondary school, college and university-related nostalgia right there.  Verdict : KEEPER!

2. My TV

Technically, this TV is not mine but my Mum's.  Though it's heavy and not very "sexy", at least the people on screen don't look like they've been squished and stretched out like how they appear on plasmas and LCDs.  And since Mum is not a fan of watching squished Korean actors in her favourite serials, this is another no-brainer.  Verdict : KEEPER!

3. My phone

My wonderful Nokia has served me well in it's ten years of service.  It has survived numerous crashes where its body parts have ended up in pieces across the floor.  And yet, all I had to do was plug it all back together and it still worked like a charm (let's see you to do that with your "smart" phones....) It keeps me connected, and yet protects me from the horrible fate of being online all the time, being expected to attend to email, video calls and to work endlessly on Microsoft Office meeting crazier and crazier deadlines.  Sure, there are inconveniences.  Like when I travel, I don't have the internet and all its information at my fingertips.  And I can't play music.  But hey, that's all part of the travel experience anyway - getting away from it all.  I guess you can tell where this is heading.  Verdict : KEEPER!

4. My car

They don't make them like this anymore.  Seriously.  The Proton is nearly 20 years old and still going strong.  Of course, there were times when I really did think I may have to dump a fortune on a new car.  Like that time when the radiator kept heating up and had to be replaced.  Or the time when the air conditioning bombed out and had me sweating buckets (which was pretty embarassing when I had to turn up at meetings looking like I just ran a marathon).  Or the time when the rust holes went straight through the roof and I had to contemplate sticking an umbrella through it everytime it rained.  But in the end, a little maintenance, a still affordable amount of money, and one accident (which resulted in me having very new-looking passenger side doors and no rust holes!) is all it took to get it back up fit and fighting.  The only grouse is that I can't drive it out of town for fear the engine will finally run its course.  So,.... verdict ?  KEEPER!  (at least till I strike my Big Sweep millions!)

Now, before anyone gets the idea that all I have are OLD things....I do have a nifty little digital Panasonic Lumix camera, AND a pretty decent laptop AND of course, my state of the art Kenwood mixer.  AND I'm even thinking of investing in a digital scale for my baking and cooking.  So, not THAT aunty after all right??

My New Thingamajig....

This is my new thingamajig. 

If you can overlook its slightly obscene shape which brings to mind a certain part of the male anatomy, it really is a nifty little gadget.  Technically, it is called an FM modulator.  I got introduced to its existence one fine day while getting a ride in a colleague's car.  Noticing this curious looking object sticking out of the dashboard, I naturally asked the owner what it was for.  Whaddya know?  The FM modulator can bascially play MP3 files off your thumb drive or SD card via the car radio when you tune it to one of the available radio frequecies!  To say that I was gob-smacked that such technology existed does not adequately express how amazed and excited I was.  OK, OK.  I admit.  I work in the IT line but I am not exactly the most tech savvy person around.  My phone is a Nokia antique from 10 years ago (that's another story), I still have a cassette player in my room and there is nary an X-box or PS3 in sight in my house.

Anyway, let me put into perspective why I was so excited.  I drive a Proton Saga that rolled out of the assembly line more than 15 years ago and it does not exactly come equipped with fancy accessories.  Though I love the Proton (again, another story here), I had to live with a crackly radio, spoilt cassette deck and no CD or MP3 player for quite a while.  So, the discovery of the FM modulator opened a whole new world of music for me when I drive.  Not too long after that Eureka moment, I got my gagdet at the Jusco store.  Please also let me state clearly here that in my defence, I didn't notice the obscenity while it was in its packaging.

Though it didn't come with any instructions, it was simple enough to set up.  All I had to do was plug in the SD card containing my music files into the slot. 

Then, I started up the car, pulled out that cigarette ligher thingy from the plug where you can charge your handphones, and plugged in the modulator.  Next was to select a radio channel, check the frequency, and tune the modulator to the same frequency.  My car was soon filled with my favourite sounds from Aerosmith, Matchbox Twenty and Annie Lennox.  Heaven!

Now, my fine friends who have been relentlessly telling me to ditch my car, since the Proton is now further upgraded with this latest add-on, why in the world would I ever need to buy a new car???!

You Know It's CNY When...

You know it's Chinese New Year when...
1. The rainy days stop and the blistering hot sunny days start
2. Your days become an orgy of pineapple tarts, peanut biscuits and mandarin oranges
3. Your waistline starts expanding at an alarming exponential rate of growth
4. Your eardrums are filled with the incessant chatter of relatives and kids, peppered by the occasional explosions of firecrackers
5. You forego washing your hair and sweeping the floor for fear that you will wash away all your prosperity and luck
6. You start calculating the net profit or loss for all the angpows you have given out compared to all the angpows you received and wondering whether it is ever going to even out (applicable for the married)
7. You start calculating the net profit for the angpows you have received compared to the net profit for the angpows you received last year and wondering whether it is ever going to cover the inflation rate (applicable for the singles)
8. Your fingers start itching for the feel of mahjong or cards and your mind is obsessed with whether the new red underwear this year is going to help you get revenge from your friends for the losses incurred last year....

Happy New Year everyone!  May you be bouncing with health, hopping with happiness, and multiplying your wealth like rabbits!

Meet Mr. Basil....

Mr. Basil came into my life about 4 weeks ago.  He was a gorgeous little thing, full of beautiful green leaves.  I got Mr. B in my on and off resolve to be more kind to my environment and, not to mention my pocket.  The nobler cause for cultivating more plants would mean being more self sufficent, intoducing more greens and reducing commercial consumption.   Which in turn also means less spending at the supermarket.  There were also very encouraging visions of me and my family in the pink of health, being able to pluck herbs for cooking from our own garden, free of pesticides and chemicals.

I know nuts about gardening.  The only thing I have ever tried to grow myself were the bean sprouts I had to cultivate for a Biology experiment in school.  Mr. B had a small little pot when I brought him back.  I transplated him to a slightly bigger pot and added more soil.  I kept him in a very nicely shaded spot in the little garden area behind the kitchen and made sure I watered him twice a day. 

Mr. B when he first arrived....

However, in the following week, he started to turn a sickly yellow.  I knew I should have googled about how to plant basil even before getting him, but procrastination was always the Devil in my playground....Apparently, Mr. B was not originally from temperate climates like Europe or America (like what I thought), but instead came from hot humid places like India!  He needed lots of sunshine as well as rich, moist soil - not waterlogged, mind you, but moist.  But I also had to make sure I kept him sheltered from stong winds since Mr. B had really tender stems.  It was a real challenge looking for the perfect spot that meets all the criteria.  In the end, I had to rope in my Mum to help make sure that Mr. B is moved about in accordance to the weather!  Sheltered spot if heavy rains and wind, open spot on nice sunshiny days.  Mr. B started to prosper in all his green glory.  I was already planning to add more to the family....

Then it happened.  The savage attack on Mr. B.  In the middle of the night, something came and ate up part of Mr. B!!  I chanced upon the scene of the crime the next morning, horrified.  I suspected there were mice about, wreaking havoc on the nice fragrant leaves of Mr. B.  Since then, Mr. B's logistics arrangements included spending nights in my own bedroom!  Thinking that all would be well after this, I tended to Mr. B and checked on him daily.  Then it happened AGAIN!  This time, the crime was perpetrated in full daylight!  After moving Mr. B out from my bedroom to the garden one morning, I went about my own errands.  Upon my return, I discovered Mr. B, ravaged with broken stems and half chewed leaves.  What was the world coming to when even plants cannot be left alone to grow safely??!  I showed my Mum the evidence of the half chewed leaves as she initially didn't believe the first attack was due to mice.  Short of putting Mr. B in a fully covered electrical fence, I was running out of ideas.  Trapping the mice would have been another option, but these guys multiply as fast as rabbits....

My desperate attempt to ensure Mr. B's safety now includes moving him out to the front of the garden under the watchful eyes of my 12 year old German Shepherd, Roby.  At least while Roby isn't napping (which at his age is about 90% of the time), he can still help to keep the mice at bay.  All thoughts of getting other edible plants and herbs have been abandoned now till I get Mr. B healthy and strong.  Mr. B himself is bravely soldiering on, still sprouting new leaves and showing signs of recovery despite being attacked not once, but twice. 

It goes to show we should all thank our lucky stars for the power and resilience of Mother Nature, else we would all be starving by now!  By the way, any suggestion on how to keep Mr. B safe is most welcomed!

The Day the Dough Hooks Stood Still....

Gritting my teeth and flexing my arms, I held on tightly to the rumbling, groaning machine.  It was only a 250Watt mixer but I was determined to get it to knead my 500g of dough, no matter the consequences.  After all, I spent all of RM120 to get this machine.  It protested under the tremendous force of pushing and melding the flour, water and yeast mixture.  Jingling and jangling, it popped up from its stand a couple of times due to the extreme pressures.  But I pushed on.  I was relentless in my pursuit of well-developed gluten in my bread dough.  

Suddenly, there was a loud snap amidst the whirring of the motor.  I flicked the off switch quickly and stared in horror into the mixing bowl.  One of the dough hooks had shaken loose and got entangled in the other hook.  It had broken off clean into two.....There was a blinding flash of light.  I shut my eyes to shield myself from the glare.  A humming sound came to my ears and I slowly blinked away the spots of light floating across my vision.  A face came into focus...Hey, what was Keanu Reeves doing in my kitchen????  Did my hair look all right??? I hurriedly flicked my bangs into presentable chic-ness.  Standing besides Keanu, there was a giant Cylon - the kind that fought Apollo and Starbucks in Battlestar Galactica in the 1978 TV series

"My name is Kaayu" The Keanue Reeves lookalike droned. "This is my robot, myFART (Malaysian Foreign-workers Assembled Redundant Technology). I come from an alien race of bakers.  I am sent here to determine if you are deserving to be owner of this mixer.  If you are not, myFART will destroy your mixer and you will never bake again."

"WHAT???" I screamed, all thoughts of hooking up with Kaayu flew out of my head.
"We aliens go around the universe poking into other bakers' business and making judgements.  Today, you have been deemed unworthy." intoned Kaayu in his monotone voice, his deadpan eyes looking straight at me.  myFART hummed menacingly as his Cylon eye beam swung furiously from left to right.
"But I AM worthy!!!" I whined. "Look at all the stuff I made before!"

"Can't you feel the love?? It hurt me more than it hurt my mixer when the dough hooks broke.  I deserve a second chance!" I whined further.

Kaayu bent his handsome head down and consulted with myFART in a few hurried whispers.  Finally, he turned to me.  "You have only 3 days to do redeem yourself.  There's a Kenwood promotion where you can trade in your old mixer AND get a new one at a discounted price.  Do this, and myFART may not explode in your face...."

I was reeling....Give up my old mixer?? My trusty Faber which has seen me through all my successes as well as failures?  My 250W machine who has unflinchingly attacked all dough at the flick of the switch, even though it was way beyond it's capacity?  And a new Kenwood mixer?  That is going to blow a major hole in my pocket - even with a discount...I did a hurried calculation...it was going to cost me a whopping RM1800!!

"You have 3 days..." Kaayu repeated.  myFART emitted one last menacing hum and they both disappeared in a ball of light.  It was a heart-wrenching decision.  On D-Day, I packed up the Faber, my heart heavy with reluctance. 

Before making my way to the store for THE exchange, I had to get it off my chest and decided to get moral support from Ultraman.  With his usual cunning, Ultraman casually suggested "Aiya, don't bring your old mixer in.  Just go in and pay for the Kenwood.  Chances are, they may not even ask for your old mixer".  "Really? Can that happen??" My heart lightened with the possibility.  I walked into the store, glancing around to make sure Kaayu was not there to mess things up.  My adrenaline pumping with anxiety, the salesman went through the procedures of checking through the Kenwood package, and making sure everything is in order with the warranty.  I handed over my credit card...and the salesman turned to me and smiled......

There was a blinding flash of light and the incessant humming from myFART's cylon eye filled the air of my kitchen.  I blinked and Kaayu's wooden face came into focus.

"Did you get the Kenwood?" Kaayu intoned. I hesitated.

"Do not forget what will happen with myFART...." Kaayu warned.  myFART started huffing and puffing, building up momentum for the imminent explosion... An explosion that would put an end to my baking days...."

"Stop! Stop! I got the Kenwood mixer!!" I shouted.  I stepped aside to show them the proof.

"And you know what?  I didn't have to trade in my old mixer.  Faber is still with me!  Now, I'm going to have two mixers and there's not a thing you can about it!  So, there's going to more breads, more cakes, more pastries for everyone!" I continued defiantly.

"And here's what I think of your robot!" My sambal petai dinner rose to the occasion as I clenched my muscles and let out a giant explosion of my own.  Kaayu and myFART staggered about, gagging and choking..."myFART, we gotta get out of here!!" Kaayu screamed.  There was another loud flash....and suddenly, I was alone in my kitchen.  I turned to my mixers and lovingly traced the gleaming metal hooks.  The future is looking bright.....

THE END

Footnote : A loose adaptation of the remake for "The Day the Earth Stood Still".  Movie rights still up for grabs....

Keeping the Flame Alive.....Happy 2011

I've been neglecting this blog.  Shame on me.  When I started this way back in January of 2010, I told myself however busy I got, I would still find time to write and not let it fizzle out by year end.  Fizzling out is something I am frequently guilty of....

When I was much much younger, I had a foray into ballet - before you can say "Tu Tu", my swan lake ended before it even began.  It signalled the beginning of many unfinished ventures.  Piano died at Grade 6.  In my own defense, I did sort of get tricked into it.  My sister and brother started taking lessons and silly old me got lured by the tinkling of the ivory keys...No one said anything about the torturous exams I had to take!  Theory exams came with migraines and oral exams nearly induced heart-attacks.  Practicing scales was excruciating and my confused mind could only remember "Andante" and "Allegro" - don't ask me anything else....please.

Life after secondary school was filled with fleeting "romances" of the same kind.....Tai Chi?  Yup - swooping crane and all... Yoga?  Check! No one could surpass the perfection of my Corpse pose.... Latin dancing?  Even managed to complete 3 exams, but there just weren't enough tall, dark handsome Latino partners to keep the enthusiasm up.  My paper crafting hobby burned brightly for a while, and then died a natural death.  Determined to learn Mandarin, I invested in a huge dictionary and several children's workbooks, only to have them sit in my bookshelf gathering dust....the list goes on but I guess you get the picture by now.

This analysis of my pitiful history has made me renew my determination - especially to work at the original goals of my quest to find purpose, passion and pleasure.  So I'm going keep at it - this blog, my baking and cooking, my erhu, my fitness, my reading, my time with family and friends... anything and everything that will keep me optimistic and happy for my future.  And here's wishing you would be able to keep your flame alive too - it's a little late into the year, but have a amazing 2011 everyone!