The Expectant

Gawd I feel like a pregnant lady, feeling hungry all the time. At least, I think that's how a pregnant woman would feel.

In any case, I've been keeping this up enough to have enough weight around my belly to feel pregnant.

Sigh.

Beneath A Bent, Grey Sky

Sigh, the downside to having a big holiday to look forward to is having nothing much to look forward to when said holiday is over. Oh well, there's still Labour Day and Wesak, at least, so it's not too gloomy.

In the meantime, I'll just rummage through my photos, and remember what a fine time I had.

Oh and p/s... remember this raunchy reindeer? I have one now!

Hana For Sunday

Thuk.Thuk.Thuk.

I smiled to myself as I sliced through the mushrooms, thinking it's a tad bit indulgent to be doing this. I'd normally just make a standard instant noodle thing when eating alone at home, but I figured a little effort once in a while wouldn't hurt. Mummy would approve.

So there I was slicing mushrooms as the oil heated up in my saucepan. Chucking the slices in and threw in some chunks of canned salmon as well. I fried for a bit then poured it all out for later.

Filling the saucepan with boiling water, I threw in a pack of instant noodles, turned the fire low, then went off to brush my teeth. By the time my teeth were done, so were the noodles. Good. I drained off a good portion of the water in the saucepan, sprinkled in a little of the instant noodle seasoning (not too much, since I'm not using enough water for soup), then cracked in an egg. Off came the pan from the fire, and I mixed the eggs and seasoning into the noodles.

Noodles get slopped onto a plate, the salmon and mushrooms are thrown on top, then I sprinkled in pine nuts and flowers. Yes, flowers! I'm a fairy, no doubt about it.

So that's my breakfast for one on a Sunday morning. Who says eating alone is boring?

Hana Nissin - Noodles in seafood-flavored egg sauce,
served with sauteed salmon and mushroom, toasted pine nuts,
and a fresh floral salad

Games In The Dark

I had a dream, I had an awesome dream
People in the park, playing games in the dark
Lionel Ritchie : Say You, Say Me

Yeah, Ritchie definitely hit on a fun idea back then. And perhaps it's one idea you could adopt - trolling an unlit park and uh... make new friends, come Saturday night.

That's right. Saturday night. If you didn't know already, it's Earth Hour this 28th March from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. One hour where the lights go off in a vote for Earth.

Of course, one might wonder what one is to do with all the lights off. Personally, I'd like to think one can have quite a bit of fun, besides visiting the park. Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:

1. Get your neighbours to switch off their lights too, and everyone can bermesra down by the pool and barbeque pit with some candles and guitar.

2. Invite friends over to your place, light some candles and get drunk silly.

3. Get creative and take photos in the darkness.

4. Go to bed early. Preferably with some one.

5. Head to your local sauna and hang around in the dark room.

Haven't figured out what my plans for the night would be. Maybe look for some Earth Hour friendly establishment to chill out in. So, what will YOU be doing?

Three By Seven

If I've seemed to have a certain faraway look in my eyes these recent days, I apologise. I suppose I'm just that little bit preoccupied with petty, inconsequential thoughts. Like what sort of toiletries can be packed into 100ml bottles and how? Should I bring a sandwich bag? How many articles of clothing would fit into my backpack? And what sort of assortment shall I put in there? Or should I just get a bigger backpack?

Oh oh oh... should I bring Bob-bob along?

Twenty one, twenty one, twenty one.

And counting.

For Cold Days When One Needs To Stock Up On Insulation

The slab of Philadelphia Cream Cheese sat in the bowl, looking quite pleased with itself. Poor thing. It didn't know it was gonna get a rather severe beating.

I squeezed a little lime juice over it (the better to sting the cheese with), and got down to it. Whip whip whip. Philadelphia cream cheese cowered and slipped around the bowl, trying to escape. I stoically scraped the sides and carried on. Whip whip whip.

Finally the cheese smoothened out, though not as fluffy as I would have liked it. Maybe I wasn't harsh enough, didn't bruise it enough. Ah heck, I'm too nice, I guess. I would do anything for food, but I won't do that.

Letting the cheese take a breather, I reached for the saucepan and set it over a low, smouldering flame. Peanut butter, smooth smooth peanut butter went spooning into my saucepan. Slop, slop. Hmmm... maybe another slop. Just about as much as the cheese in the bowl. Waiting in the saucepan was a pool of sweetened condensed milk, hopefully enough to coax the peanut butter into a smooth, peanuty, milky liquid mixture. Stir stir stir. Looks like it worked.

The saucepan now hovered above the bowl, tipping, slowly tipping. And the peanut butter milk flowed. Swirl. Golden brown streaked the pale yellow of the subdued cheese. Swirl. The colors folded, the flavors unfolded. Swirl. Oh how it shines.

Out comes the whisk. The cream is waiting. Whisk whisk whisk. The cream frothens. Whisk some more. The cream thickens. Whisk again. Oh why the heck aren't those peaks forming? Forget it. I'm done, even if the cream is not.

In goes the cream, with the cream cheese that's been violated by the peanut butter that's been scalded by the condensed milk, and the whole abused lot gets folded together. Happiness.

Interlude: Check on the cookie base. Should be ready now. Two packs worth of Oreo crumbs (twisted, licked - well, scraped, to be honest - clean of cream, and crushed... totally crushed) glued together with butter and pressed to the bottom of a pan. Two hours in the fridge oughta do it. It did do it.

So the peanut butter and cheese goo gets poured over the cookie base and the whole gang gets to chill in the freezer overnight to set. Then it's down to the fridge so that it wouldn't come out like a brick when it's time to serve.

And so it is done. Hopefully an improvement over the peanut butter cheesecake I had tried before (two years back!). And I think it is - definitely the Oreo base was a better choice over chocolatised rice puffs. There are those who'd like it to be less cheesy. And there are those who'd like it to be less peanut buttery. For me, I like it any which way, as long as the cake gets eaten and I don't have too much leftover ingredients lying around.

And now to fatten up!

Getting Panned

I've been called many things in my lifetime - fat, skinny, short, hairy, quiet, shy, stubborn, snob, pondan, gay, Thai, Malay, and even Japanese. Well I gained another two labels just today in a single sitting.

Fella #1: Don't you think he looks Malay?
Me: (Here we go again)
Fella #2: Not really. He looks more like... like... like a Filipino!
Me: (Pinoy boy! Whoo!)
Fella #3: No no no... more like Myanmarese!
Me: ...

Talk about Pan-Asian... I've gained eligibility for half the Orient and almost all of South East Asia by now.

Yeah, You PMS

As it turns out, a little PMS once in a while isn't a bad thing. Especially when you're having friends over for lunch and you don't wanna worry too much about preparing food (especially when you've got a messy apartment to worry about as well).

So here's an idea for an easy to make standalone meal - Processed Meat Spaghetti, which is what I called my spaghetti served with sausage, ham and bacon with spinach and mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce. Which pretty much describes every ingredient in there :P

First up, heat olive oil in a pot then brown chopped garlic and onions in it. Throw in sausages, ham and bacon (all sliced) and fry till just about cooked. Add sliced mushrooms and fry a little more.

Pour in tomato puree or diced tomatoes (I used both) and bring to a boil. Throw in baby spinach leaves then reduce heat till it's simmering slowly.

Stir in cream, season with herbs and chilli flakes to taste, return the sauce to a simmer, then turn off the fire.

Boil some spaghetti, dish spag onto plate, slop on the processed meat sauce, and there you go - a not entirely healthy yet well-rounded meal.

Bon apetit!

An Idle Idyll

There I was having a simple, non-fussy lunch of chap fan, and I looked about myself. At the airy roadside shack I was in. At the grass and trees that grew all around. And the folks sitting at the other tables with their small talk.

And I thought to myself: How idyllic this is, really. To be away from the hustle and bustle. Away from the incessant traffic. Away from all the drama.

It lasted for all of one minute, then I remembered how bored I am without overpriced cafes, international cuisine and a perpetual internet connection.

Quiet Now

Oh but it's been a hectic week. And more hectic weeks to come.

But all is quiet now... I'm home, with a little vodka, and strains of bossa nova.

Tonight, I'm taking time out for myself. Being by myself, I celebrate being myself.

Life's beautiful, after all.

Re:牛年

Reunion. That's what it's all about isn't it? Already, the lunar new year is drawing to a close, and somehow it feels to have gone by with the fleetness of a speeding bullock cart. Maybe it's been a quiet celebration this year. Not that it's a bad thing - managed to avoid the temple throngs and the terrible traffic.

But I'm glad the spirit of reunion is still unmistakably there. It was good being able to take time out and just reconnect. Over the past two weeks I've been home with my family, catching up with old friends, getting to know new faces... and even for those who couldn't be back, my thoughts were with them as well.

Because that's what reunion is - the reaffirmation of ties. Even if we aren't together, it is the union of our hearts that matter. And so, even if the coming year proves to be a challenging one as it quite certainly will be, it'll be alright - because we know we'll be there for each other.

For the last time this year, happy new year!

Much-a Emo?

Leave me out with the waste, this is not what I do
It's the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you
It's the wrong time for somebody new
It's a small crime and I've got no excuse
Damien Rice : 9 Crimes

You. What are you doing here? No, you shouldn't even be near.

You, who are cruel temptation of bittersweet temptation.
You are hot and you're cold, you're subtle and you're bold.
You have me caught, you intoxicate my thoughts.
You're so wrong for me yet how I long for thee.

You... you are... fried premium air-flown Japanese sweet potatoes with soft-serve ice cream, topped with green tea sauce and red beans.

You are Matcha Imo, at MOF.

OISHI!
*thumbs up*

Pili Pala Pa Lampa

Well, the Chinese New Year is nigh, and everybody's in a holiday moo-d. Exciting as it is right now, I know I'll just wind up sitting around at home with nothing much to do, apart for whatever housework that still needs to be done (and knowing mum, that won't be much), and those tired CNY programmes on the telly. Oh and swatting mosquitoes.

At least I've brought a book with me. And some mags. And a laptop. With a copy of Spore to play (thanks to Wingedman who totally understands the need for something like that to keep one occupied all those lonely nights away).

And if all else fails, I still have my *ahem* new 3G/Wifi/GPS touchscreen phone to fiddle with.
*Big grin*

I'll get through the new year, one way or another.

Happy 牛 Year, folks! May the ox bring you better things than just the usual bullshit.

New Year Must Wear Red!

So say de ol' folks ad home. So say olso de radio ad.

Well, bugger I have no red shirt, red shoes, red undergear nor (thankfully) red pants. But I did get myself this little red firecracker to carry about:

Gosh, can't stop playing, sharing, touching. On and on! Looks like my hands will be full this CNY.

Let's go, beep beep, gotta get up outta your seat
Get down, beep beep, gotta get up outta your seat
On and on... the beat goes
On and on... the beat goes
On and on
Madonna : The Beat Goes On

Rubbery Buggery Bonk

OMG. Saw the cutest ad over at Queer Rant and it just made me laugh and laugh. Too good not to be shared!

Watch the video over at Queer Ranter's or head straight to YouTube. Not quite kid-friendly, but I'm sure you've gathered as much :-)

The Warm Winds of Spring Shall Awaken The Wide Earth

The Lunar New Year is just two weeks away now, but you'd be forgiven if you thought it's still two months away. Despite the red-boxed cookies, and the even redder decorations being sold everywhere, the usual air of urgency normally connected with an impending major festival is simply not there.

Barely anyone stops to check out the decorations and gift stalls, there's no queue at the bak kua shops, there's still crates and crates of mandarin oranges everywhere, and heck, was that a Christmas song still playing in FF?

Times are tough indeed and it would seem that everyone's already spent their last dimes celebrating the end of 2008. Looks like it'll be hard to get anyone to spend lavishly on the Chinese New Year preparations, though we hope that's all for the sake of conserving money for those all-important ang paos. Yes, we Chinese are ever practical and keep our priorities where our wallets are.

In a way, it's a not a bad thing to forego the glitzy and the gaudy, and get back to the true spirit of the celebration - reunion.

And economic woes aside, it seems everyone's flying back to the homeland from all continents (well, maybe not Antartica). Perhaps it's that bad times bring people together (it could also be said that bad times push airfares down).

Well, old schoolmates are coming back from Oz. Wandernut is already back from China, reuniting with her family (present and future!). JT is scheduled to be home from the UK by the end of the week. And I do hear there'll be a special appearance from... the Cute Cousin!

So what of the lack of crackling ang pao (red crackers) and the is-that-all-that's-in-it ang pao (red packet)? There'll be still be food, family and friends, and that's what festivities are all about.

冬天一到尽头
真是好的消息
温暖的春风
就要吹醒大地

恭喜恭喜

Work Bag In Hand, I Leave Home In The Early Morning

And the year is off to a slow start. Project schedule's been revised yet again so it looks like I'm gonna be hanging around the prawny river for a little while more, yet. Ah heck, gives me a little more time to plan my holiday...

Yeah, we're knuckling the dreams of new year parties from our sleepy eyes and finally getting back into the rhythm of day-to-day work, yet it's not quite full-steam ahead. No, not with the Lunar New Year just a waning moon away.

But it's not quite that that I've my sights set on. Weekends and festivals are good, but they're just fillers till it's time to take off.

Three months. And counting...

Time
I've been passing time watching trains go by
All of my life
Lying on the sand watching seabirds fly
It Might Be You : Stephen Bishop

Friday Night, And The Lights Are Low

Sitting in the dim, with waves of blue light playing on the curtain before us, and strains of familar music washing over us. And then we were greeted with a sweet, pure voice, singing of her dream, as the curtains raise to reveal a simple yet picturesquely beautiful Mediterranean set. And there sat Miria Parvin (playing Sophie), on the steps.

Certainly not a dramatic way to begin a show, but soft and lovely is fine by me, too. Besides, there was plenty of drama as well as fun being served up through the rest of the sellout show that was Mamma Mia... live in Kuala Lumpur. Who woulda thought we'd see such a quality stage performance here!

And oh mamma mia... and so much there was to love about it. My, my, how can I resist...

The sight of hot, hunky guys prancing about in flesh on the stage right in front of my eyes!

Of course, the girls were great as well. Ms. Parvin, for one, carried her songs beautifully. I could tell Jackie Clune (who played Donna) had a really good voice too, though she probably wasn't feeling too good cause her voice faltered every now and then, and she was constantly drowned out when singing with others. Or maybe it was the sound engineer's fault, but I should have liked to have beheld her in full prowess. Still, it was quite impressive.

It was as impressive as the sight of hot, hunky guys flapping about in wet suits!

I wonder how they do it night after night after night. Mamma mia, here I go again... and yet they do it repeatedly with unflagging energy and enthusiasm. All thumbs up to Leigh McDonald and Geraldine Fitzgerald, with their roles of Rosie and Tanya (the Dynamos), for their high spirits, great showmanship and bawdy behaviour ("Blow, don't suck" is such a classic line).

They easily out-bawdied the hot, hunky guys wickedly dirty dancing!

The rest of the principals all had their moments to shine as well. I particularly liked the sequences for Thank You For The Music, Our Last Summer, Take A Chance On Me, and the comic takes on Chiquitita and Dancing Queen (oh my back!). The Winner Takes It All, of course, is now a classic "talk to the hand" theme. And the ensemble pieces! Voulez-Vous was fantastic, what with all the Vogue-esque speedup/stop/slowmo-dancing in the shadows in time to each a-hah...

Gives one time to appreciate all those hot, hunky guys posing in various stages of undress!

Sigh, it's definitely worth more than every penny I could've spent on it. Hollwood rarely gets it right with their remakes, and I'm glad the stage show came here to set this right and make sense of the script, cause the movie was oh so wrong.

Except for their gratuitious use of hot, hunky guys!

Boy, I certainly had no need for a jacket in that theater, the heat from the stage was simply sizzling!

And yay, to the best closing for a musical, for when the show ended, the performance went on! The encores were so great and lively, I just wished our local audience would be less prim and proper (though I do believe a large number could have been simply clueless), and got up and danced and sung along as we were meant to do. But the cast had enough energy to pack the halls anyway. A standing ovation to you guys!

Oh, and a special shoutout goes to a particular dynamo in the ensemble/swing - the petite yet powerfully muscled hottie with a bald pate and razor sharp dance moves; well, whoever it was, I'M A FAN!!!

So I say thank you for the music, for giving me such a wonderful start to the new year!

Mamma mia, here I go again!