A somewhat obsessive compulsive disorderly period recently.
I.
I've been calling Singapore Airlines to no end, trying to confirm that I can indeed redeem my return flight to NYC using my flyer miles. I'd call every day and ask for status updates. Alas, to cut the long story short, I had to top up my miles to ensure that I get a seat on the flights. It had been most unproductive waiting especially when I have to make US domestic flight and hotel booking. Now that I've got the airtickets confirmed, I'm busy confirming the meetings and making arrangements for accommodation.
II.
Watching television series. I've been doing that a lot recently. And I realise there are some programmes that I enjoyed. The Mentalist, Leverage, Surviving Suburbia, Harper's Island, among others, have helped me cope with withdrawal symptoms after the usual series I watch complete their season finales. I now have The Legend of the Seekers and The Cleaner waiting to be watched. Thank god for these shows, for they restore some good balance in life. Some TV can be rational educational and fun sometimes.
III.
Cleaning up the house. I've cleared out about 20% of my books after a rather extended period of sorting them. Thankfully, a friend came over with her son and nephew and the three of them took away about 70% of what I had intended to junk. It's always good to pass books to other book lovers. At least you know they are going to good homes.
IV.
The basil plants are getting infested with bugs. This is no fault of mine but the OCD neighbour with a botanic garden outside its apartment one level up has been trimming its plants to no end. Those bugs, yes you're right, came from the plants upstairs. My basil plants are stripped leafless and I bought pesticide to spray on the plants. Now these plants cannot be eaten for at least a week. I hope the pestilence issue clears up soon or I might be driven to pour concentrated pesticide... Oh, I should not be so evil.
V.
Just got a new Wii in the house. I spent 4 hours whacking on the machine today. Now I can't lift my hand up. I even had problems trying to soap up my back because my arms are stiff from the repetitive movements playing games on the Wii.
VII.
Not getting enough sleep. This is more a case of having no time to sleep, not because it is intentional. However, with the many other OCD activities that I have, I am left with not much choice but to stay awake a little longer to clear up the backlog of work.
I shall stop here for the moment before this becomes an OCD-like post.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Apologies are in order
Now, before you read the following, I'm sorry. I had to write them and I believe I am entitled to my opinions, especially on my blog. There is no malice intended and if you are likely to be offended, please do not read this.
1. I wonder if inhabitants of a certain continent have extremely good reflexes when killing houseflies because they are often, if not perpetually, surrounded by these vectors. I ask, because I was amazed by how a particular president of such descent effortlessly killed a housefly on his country's national TV. And what's worse. I now have a nagging suspicion that killing the housefly might be the only thing he can do well and nothing much else.
2. With the advancements in technology, email, viruses, malicious computer bugs, trojans and what have you, why is it not possible to screw with a particular northern neighbour's computers so that, instead of official nuclear tests, their uranium enriching facilities simply cause spontaneous fission reactions to occur. This would lay to waste their nuclear talent and effectively stop their illegal activities. So, what are people waiting for? Or is the iron curtain too hard to penetrate...?
3. A recent advertisement on national TV has a few kids spouting irrational wishes such as "In my world, there would be a dinosaur that likes to eat trash so as to keep the ocean clean", "In my world, we can clean the sky so that the sky will always be blue", and "In my world, people would want to save the world." I haven't heard such rubbish for a long time. My vision is simpler: "In my world, you will eat trash so as to keep the ocean clean", "you will be ... (too sadistic to write in words)", and "nobody will want to save the world." Sad to say, my belief of science is that global warming is not our doing. And I don't want to write any more justifications here. It's just wishful thinking to think we can save the world.
4. The AH1N1 virus has mutated. Today's news showed that the strain has mutated and no one knows if the mutatant virus is more deadly. If it is, it would be a big fat slap on the worlds' government. A pandemic is best dealt with by getting as many people infected with the virus as possible. Imagine, when everyone is in the same room waiting to be gifted with the virus, all of them will be getting from the SAME source. If anyone develops severe symptoms, quickly isolate them for treatment. This way you get an upperhand over the virus. Do not allow the virus to spead on its volition. Ah, but these will fall on deaf ears.
Send in the clowns...
1. I wonder if inhabitants of a certain continent have extremely good reflexes when killing houseflies because they are often, if not perpetually, surrounded by these vectors. I ask, because I was amazed by how a particular president of such descent effortlessly killed a housefly on his country's national TV. And what's worse. I now have a nagging suspicion that killing the housefly might be the only thing he can do well and nothing much else.
2. With the advancements in technology, email, viruses, malicious computer bugs, trojans and what have you, why is it not possible to screw with a particular northern neighbour's computers so that, instead of official nuclear tests, their uranium enriching facilities simply cause spontaneous fission reactions to occur. This would lay to waste their nuclear talent and effectively stop their illegal activities. So, what are people waiting for? Or is the iron curtain too hard to penetrate...?
3. A recent advertisement on national TV has a few kids spouting irrational wishes such as "In my world, there would be a dinosaur that likes to eat trash so as to keep the ocean clean", "In my world, we can clean the sky so that the sky will always be blue", and "In my world, people would want to save the world." I haven't heard such rubbish for a long time. My vision is simpler: "In my world, you will eat trash so as to keep the ocean clean", "you will be ... (too sadistic to write in words)", and "nobody will want to save the world." Sad to say, my belief of science is that global warming is not our doing. And I don't want to write any more justifications here. It's just wishful thinking to think we can save the world.
4. The AH1N1 virus has mutated. Today's news showed that the strain has mutated and no one knows if the mutatant virus is more deadly. If it is, it would be a big fat slap on the worlds' government. A pandemic is best dealt with by getting as many people infected with the virus as possible. Imagine, when everyone is in the same room waiting to be gifted with the virus, all of them will be getting from the SAME source. If anyone develops severe symptoms, quickly isolate them for treatment. This way you get an upperhand over the virus. Do not allow the virus to spead on its volition. Ah, but these will fall on deaf ears.
Send in the clowns...
Quasi big balls
Tackled the tree top walk today with a PE teacher friend. Here are some facts and true occurrences.
1. We walked a total of 7.6 km, mainly on forest trek, for a 250 m tree top suspension bridge walk. We've decided that a huge amount of persuasion will be required to get us to go there again. For example, a new car park built along the road at about the 2.5 km mark of the trail could be a start.
2. There is a free public carpark for trail visitors so you can park your cars at the start point and then walk your way in. And perhaps have a couple of water coolers and a small toilet/changing room at the car park. The water source and changing room will be well appreciated.
3. Signages at some of the points could be clearer and more pronunced. We had to make a few guesses along the way. And good for me, my sense of direction, even in the forest, served me well.
4. National Parks should consider a one-way hourly bus ride out from the start of the trails to the car park. Folks with jelly legs after traversing the roof top walk would really appreciate the gesture.
5. There is a steep tarmac-ed part of the trail which precedes the tree top walk. Wow, that was a prelude to jello your legs before your fear of heights do you in on the one-man wide suspension bridge.
Personally:
6, I got abrasions on my palms twisting dry my little towel, which was frequently soaked wet with my sweat. If I don't wring it dry, I can't get it to clean any more sweat off me.
7. My inner thighs are abraded. Man, they hurt when I walk and I had to work around the pain by walking somewhat bow-legged. Thereby, the title of this post.
Perhaps there was too much anticipation and too much expectation from the two of us at the onset of the trip. In the end, we had some sun (fortunately much less than feared) and too much walking. The walk wasn't all that fun, cos there were many up and down slopes and the need to retrace our steps back to the starting point dragged out the experience. The lack of anything really fresh on the way out added to the boredom of the walk.
Durian, rambutan, and jackfruit trees were fruiting like crazy. There were monkeys, squirrels, birds, butterflies, moths, salamanders, and whatever else saw us but we may not have seen them. There were surprisingly few, or no, mosquitoes and bugs.
For people undaunted still, my advice would be as follows:
1. Bring a towel for wiping sweat, especially if you perspire a lot.
2. Dry fit or no go. My dry fit shirt was fine but my cotton bermudas were so laden with sweat midway into the journey, I couldn't wait to get out of them.
3. Bring clothes to change out after the trip. Toilet and changing room or not, you'll appreciate this.
4. Forget the camera or any bags. If you can, travel light.
5. You'll reach the Ranger Station twice (and man, would I love a posting there! One of the guys there had an autographed Timberland boot. Hot!) and each time, use the facilities. Drink some water the first time around and drink up as much as you need before you make your way out. You tend to lose more water out than in, especially if you visit in the morning. The sun simply gets hotter and you sweat more.
6. Don't eat or drink on your walk. The monkeys we saw were observing us for food. I think they are still rather reliant on human offerings (it's illegal to feed them), especially during meal times.
7. Keep an eye for freshly dropped durians. You might just get a free fruit.
Have fun!
1. We walked a total of 7.6 km, mainly on forest trek, for a 250 m tree top suspension bridge walk. We've decided that a huge amount of persuasion will be required to get us to go there again. For example, a new car park built along the road at about the 2.5 km mark of the trail could be a start.
2. There is a free public carpark for trail visitors so you can park your cars at the start point and then walk your way in. And perhaps have a couple of water coolers and a small toilet/changing room at the car park. The water source and changing room will be well appreciated.
3. Signages at some of the points could be clearer and more pronunced. We had to make a few guesses along the way. And good for me, my sense of direction, even in the forest, served me well.
4. National Parks should consider a one-way hourly bus ride out from the start of the trails to the car park. Folks with jelly legs after traversing the roof top walk would really appreciate the gesture.
5. There is a steep tarmac-ed part of the trail which precedes the tree top walk. Wow, that was a prelude to jello your legs before your fear of heights do you in on the one-man wide suspension bridge.
Personally:
6, I got abrasions on my palms twisting dry my little towel, which was frequently soaked wet with my sweat. If I don't wring it dry, I can't get it to clean any more sweat off me.
7. My inner thighs are abraded. Man, they hurt when I walk and I had to work around the pain by walking somewhat bow-legged. Thereby, the title of this post.
Perhaps there was too much anticipation and too much expectation from the two of us at the onset of the trip. In the end, we had some sun (fortunately much less than feared) and too much walking. The walk wasn't all that fun, cos there were many up and down slopes and the need to retrace our steps back to the starting point dragged out the experience. The lack of anything really fresh on the way out added to the boredom of the walk.
Durian, rambutan, and jackfruit trees were fruiting like crazy. There were monkeys, squirrels, birds, butterflies, moths, salamanders, and whatever else saw us but we may not have seen them. There were surprisingly few, or no, mosquitoes and bugs.
For people undaunted still, my advice would be as follows:
1. Bring a towel for wiping sweat, especially if you perspire a lot.
2. Dry fit or no go. My dry fit shirt was fine but my cotton bermudas were so laden with sweat midway into the journey, I couldn't wait to get out of them.
3. Bring clothes to change out after the trip. Toilet and changing room or not, you'll appreciate this.
4. Forget the camera or any bags. If you can, travel light.
5. You'll reach the Ranger Station twice (and man, would I love a posting there! One of the guys there had an autographed Timberland boot. Hot!) and each time, use the facilities. Drink some water the first time around and drink up as much as you need before you make your way out. You tend to lose more water out than in, especially if you visit in the morning. The sun simply gets hotter and you sweat more.
6. Don't eat or drink on your walk. The monkeys we saw were observing us for food. I think they are still rather reliant on human offerings (it's illegal to feed them), especially during meal times.
7. Keep an eye for freshly dropped durians. You might just get a free fruit.
Have fun!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Run and hide!
I can't believe it. I am looking forward to tackling the MacRitchie tree top walk tomorrow.
Watch out, you green trees! This lard lump from Pasir Ris is coming over to trample on you.
Of course, I'm choosing the wimp option. I'm going to take the short cut to the tree top walk. I'll park at Venus Drive and then do the 7 km round trip. Doing a round trip beginning MacRitchie car park will require more than 10 km of walking.
I am not so sure I'm going to make my foot masseurs work that hard on Friday.
Tree top walk, here I come!
Watch out, you green trees! This lard lump from Pasir Ris is coming over to trample on you.
Of course, I'm choosing the wimp option. I'm going to take the short cut to the tree top walk. I'll park at Venus Drive and then do the 7 km round trip. Doing a round trip beginning MacRitchie car park will require more than 10 km of walking.
I am not so sure I'm going to make my foot masseurs work that hard on Friday.
Tree top walk, here I come!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Milestone
I'm about to hit my 1 000th post. In fact, the next post will be my thousandth. To someone who writes on and off, it is not much of a milestone.
My writing habits are erratic, just like the way I think. I see life as a single event with simultaneous occurrences which do not make much sense in general. I'm not an illogical person but I prefer to see it that way.
Another reason for avoiding linear sequencing is to avoid the "blame game." It is often easy to say that we are going to look forward and forget the past but few people actually manage to.
Allow me to share a little story that I've read some time back.
A young Buddhist monk walked with an elder monk on their way back to their temple after several days of travel. On the way, they came to a creek bed, the banks of which had softened to a wet, slushy mess. At the edge of the creek stood an attractive young woman dressed in traditional gowns, who was obviously wanting to cross the water but had no idea how to contend with the mud. If she attempted to traverse it, her legs would surely sink shin-deep into the muck.
As they approached the young lady, the younger monk averted his eyes and looked down, for theirs was a stern discipline, and monks were not allowed to gaze upon a woman, let alone speak to or interact with her, particularly when the woman was as fetching and young as this one. To his horror, however, the older monk walked straight toward the woman and asked her if she needed to cross. The woman shyly said yes, and without another word, he hoisted her piggy-style onto his back and carried the woman across the creek. The younger monk followed them across the creek, stunned. Once on the other side, the woman profusely thanked her new friend, shook his hand, and resumed her journey, disappearing into the trees.
The young man was aghast, but respectful of his elder, he held his tongue. For three hours they walked side by side, all the while the student confused as to how his companion could so flagrantly violate one of the cardinal rules of their temple. The older one had, after all, not only engaged the woman, he had spoken to her, and then not only did he touch her, he carried her on his back! How could such a thing be justified?!
For another hour they walked in total silence, and finally came the point when the young man could stand it no longer. He stepped forward two paces and then whirled on his walking companion to face him in anger. "How could you do that?!" he shouted.
"Do what?" asked the older monk, looking at him.
He rolled his eyes. "It is a sin to touch a woman, a violation to even gaze upon her, and yet you spoke with her. You...you...shook her hand!" He sputtered in his anger. "You carried her across the creek! YOU CARRIED HER!!"
"And you still carry her," said his older friend, smiling the faintest of smiles and bowing slightly. "I left her back at the river."
Many of us carry things in our hearts and to let these things down can be really very hard. However, I had a pleasant surprise at a little gathering recently when a friend reminded me that a colleague actually offended me a lot some time ago and I went, "What? I don't remember. What did he do?" And the friend had to remind me.
This was interesting because I used to think I would forgive but never forget. These days, I am so lazy to even remember. Ok, I admit: I'm finding that taking offense requires too much work. So, I'm just letting a lot of crap slide off my back once the issue is resolved.
And there is another thing I realized. When one is unhappy with the situation, one can either tackle the situation or change one's attitude. I'm leaning more towards the former. If a situation sucks, then work towards changing the situation. No point trying to be the nice guy and tolerate the unreasonable.
Even if it means some toes will have to be chopped off, a diplomatic retaliation is far superior to staying mum about things. I'm past the point where I can tolerate any more nonsense. Like I've blogged before, I am now unwilling to suffer any fools. If my hitting back hurts you, how about YOU change the situation or your attitude for a change? It takes two hands to clap and if you are just out to take advantage of the situation, then you've really got to hope that the person you're messing with have IQ lower than yours. And mostly, I doubt you can find someone like that.
That is why I am eternally thankful to those I call my friends. These are the only people in my life where I'll let them remind me if I need to change my attitude. Hey, these advisors are just about the best people I have in my life and I treasure them a lot.
So, so much is written. But what do I really want? I am wondering if I should begin a new blog or should I carry on over here. It's nice to have an ever growing blog but it gets a little predictable after a while. This is the Aquarius side of me talking - there is nothing I embrace and resist more than change. And let me think about it. Perhaps I might just start another blog.
I'll keep you all informed.
My writing habits are erratic, just like the way I think. I see life as a single event with simultaneous occurrences which do not make much sense in general. I'm not an illogical person but I prefer to see it that way.
Another reason for avoiding linear sequencing is to avoid the "blame game." It is often easy to say that we are going to look forward and forget the past but few people actually manage to.
Allow me to share a little story that I've read some time back.
A young Buddhist monk walked with an elder monk on their way back to their temple after several days of travel. On the way, they came to a creek bed, the banks of which had softened to a wet, slushy mess. At the edge of the creek stood an attractive young woman dressed in traditional gowns, who was obviously wanting to cross the water but had no idea how to contend with the mud. If she attempted to traverse it, her legs would surely sink shin-deep into the muck.
As they approached the young lady, the younger monk averted his eyes and looked down, for theirs was a stern discipline, and monks were not allowed to gaze upon a woman, let alone speak to or interact with her, particularly when the woman was as fetching and young as this one. To his horror, however, the older monk walked straight toward the woman and asked her if she needed to cross. The woman shyly said yes, and without another word, he hoisted her piggy-style onto his back and carried the woman across the creek. The younger monk followed them across the creek, stunned. Once on the other side, the woman profusely thanked her new friend, shook his hand, and resumed her journey, disappearing into the trees.
The young man was aghast, but respectful of his elder, he held his tongue. For three hours they walked side by side, all the while the student confused as to how his companion could so flagrantly violate one of the cardinal rules of their temple. The older one had, after all, not only engaged the woman, he had spoken to her, and then not only did he touch her, he carried her on his back! How could such a thing be justified?!
For another hour they walked in total silence, and finally came the point when the young man could stand it no longer. He stepped forward two paces and then whirled on his walking companion to face him in anger. "How could you do that?!" he shouted.
"Do what?" asked the older monk, looking at him.
He rolled his eyes. "It is a sin to touch a woman, a violation to even gaze upon her, and yet you spoke with her. You...you...shook her hand!" He sputtered in his anger. "You carried her across the creek! YOU CARRIED HER!!"
"And you still carry her," said his older friend, smiling the faintest of smiles and bowing slightly. "I left her back at the river."
Many of us carry things in our hearts and to let these things down can be really very hard. However, I had a pleasant surprise at a little gathering recently when a friend reminded me that a colleague actually offended me a lot some time ago and I went, "What? I don't remember. What did he do?" And the friend had to remind me.
This was interesting because I used to think I would forgive but never forget. These days, I am so lazy to even remember. Ok, I admit: I'm finding that taking offense requires too much work. So, I'm just letting a lot of crap slide off my back once the issue is resolved.
And there is another thing I realized. When one is unhappy with the situation, one can either tackle the situation or change one's attitude. I'm leaning more towards the former. If a situation sucks, then work towards changing the situation. No point trying to be the nice guy and tolerate the unreasonable.
Even if it means some toes will have to be chopped off, a diplomatic retaliation is far superior to staying mum about things. I'm past the point where I can tolerate any more nonsense. Like I've blogged before, I am now unwilling to suffer any fools. If my hitting back hurts you, how about YOU change the situation or your attitude for a change? It takes two hands to clap and if you are just out to take advantage of the situation, then you've really got to hope that the person you're messing with have IQ lower than yours. And mostly, I doubt you can find someone like that.
That is why I am eternally thankful to those I call my friends. These are the only people in my life where I'll let them remind me if I need to change my attitude. Hey, these advisors are just about the best people I have in my life and I treasure them a lot.
So, so much is written. But what do I really want? I am wondering if I should begin a new blog or should I carry on over here. It's nice to have an ever growing blog but it gets a little predictable after a while. This is the Aquarius side of me talking - there is nothing I embrace and resist more than change. And let me think about it. Perhaps I might just start another blog.
I'll keep you all informed.
Yay! There's a pandemic!
Yeah, what's wrong with it?
Flu pandemics are part and parcel of evolution. It's nature's way of cleaning out the gene pool.
Take it easy. Stay clean and be hygienic. If you're genetically endowed to survive this, you will. Otherwise, you'll face extinction.
It is life. C'est la vie.
Live life as per normal and stay illness free. Get enough rest and don't over-exert yourself unnecessarily. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. And say your prayers if you have a religion. Otherwise, tell your loved ones how much you love them.
It isn't and won't be the end of the world. When the virus becomes part of future flu vaccines, life will be back to normal. The world will be leaner and nicer. And perhaps less crowded.
Flu pandemics are part and parcel of evolution. It's nature's way of cleaning out the gene pool.
Take it easy. Stay clean and be hygienic. If you're genetically endowed to survive this, you will. Otherwise, you'll face extinction.
It is life. C'est la vie.
Live life as per normal and stay illness free. Get enough rest and don't over-exert yourself unnecessarily. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. And say your prayers if you have a religion. Otherwise, tell your loved ones how much you love them.
It isn't and won't be the end of the world. When the virus becomes part of future flu vaccines, life will be back to normal. The world will be leaner and nicer. And perhaps less crowded.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Recuperation
It's week 2 of being officially off all work. During this period, I have gone swimming, gone for long walks, cooked up one storm, watched a lot of television, slept a lot.
I guess I'm servicing a debt of some sort. Few people can imagine how tired their bodies are until they can finally take a breather (without money worries). Retirement is way too late. By the time one waits for retirement, one's body is crippled; it is ravaged beyond repair, waiting to be condemned.
I begin to see the wonders of a time out half way into a person's career. Many people wait for something tragic to take stock of their lives. I take stock every day. Especially when you live a somewhat tragic life anyhow.
Ok, I'm a drama-mama but hey, I've a right to live my kind of life. I'm not a pest to society. In fact, I contribute by passing on knowledge. I share my joys and over here, I talk about my life and how things should be lived.
One of the bloggers I read, BHD, talks about his life and each and every one of his blog posts end with some kind of urging to tell people life is short, do something they should or deserve. He is a well-balanced man. Many other people whose blogs I read also have this trait except that they have been unconsciously or subconsciously tacit about it.
Writing a blog is an exercise where one uses or abuses words to restore balance in their lives. Logophiles or wordsmiths, you call them. Just like people swim, paint, dress up, go to high teas or even go for retail therapy, they are doing something that they hope can restore balance in their lives. Some people I know do more than one of those activities.
Alas, there could be adverse effects: some people shop too much, for instance. But such extremes also suggest that these people's lives are much worse than they would admit. Neither would we cut them the slack they need to find a balance. So, in their own time and space, they need to find their means of restoring that balance.
While work and money are important, keeping oneself sane is of a higher priority.
Life is short: Live it like my bud, BHD.
I guess I'm servicing a debt of some sort. Few people can imagine how tired their bodies are until they can finally take a breather (without money worries). Retirement is way too late. By the time one waits for retirement, one's body is crippled; it is ravaged beyond repair, waiting to be condemned.
I begin to see the wonders of a time out half way into a person's career. Many people wait for something tragic to take stock of their lives. I take stock every day. Especially when you live a somewhat tragic life anyhow.
Ok, I'm a drama-mama but hey, I've a right to live my kind of life. I'm not a pest to society. In fact, I contribute by passing on knowledge. I share my joys and over here, I talk about my life and how things should be lived.
One of the bloggers I read, BHD, talks about his life and each and every one of his blog posts end with some kind of urging to tell people life is short, do something they should or deserve. He is a well-balanced man. Many other people whose blogs I read also have this trait except that they have been unconsciously or subconsciously tacit about it.
Writing a blog is an exercise where one uses or abuses words to restore balance in their lives. Logophiles or wordsmiths, you call them. Just like people swim, paint, dress up, go to high teas or even go for retail therapy, they are doing something that they hope can restore balance in their lives. Some people I know do more than one of those activities.
Alas, there could be adverse effects: some people shop too much, for instance. But such extremes also suggest that these people's lives are much worse than they would admit. Neither would we cut them the slack they need to find a balance. So, in their own time and space, they need to find their means of restoring that balance.
While work and money are important, keeping oneself sane is of a higher priority.
Life is short: Live it like my bud, BHD.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Sweet Sour Pork Ribs
An easy piece-y recipe which yielded me excellent success, succulent ribs and an immediate offer to take-away the leftovers by a friend who couldn't decide if she liked the rib or the sweet and sour sauce better. In the end, she cleaned out the container, raw romaine leaf bottom and all, without missing a single drop of the dipping sauce.
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
1 kg pork ribs cut into 4 cm pieces
1 lime/lemon juiced
Seasoning A (mix together)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon corn flour
1.5 tablespoon soya sauce
1.5 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 large egg
water, if needed
Seasoning B (mix together, when doing step 2 below)
2 tablespoon white sugar (Brown sugar will NOT do.)
1.5 tablespoon Chinese dark vinegar or malt vinegar (chemical "white" vinegar is not good)
2 tablespoon tomato ketchup (Del Monte is recommended for its tartness.)
1. Wash ribs, pat dry and season the ribs with seasoning A. The ribs should be coated with a lush layer of the seasoning. If too dry, add water half a tablespoon at a time. You should not need more than two tablespoons. Season for at least 2 hours. Better, if seasoned overnight.
2. Heat 1 litre of oil in a large wok. When oil is beginning to bubble, add ribs and turn down the fire to medium. Deep fry till golden brown. Do not go high heat all the way or you risk having golden coloured but bloody, undercooked ribs.
3. Remove ribs from oil and drain away the oil and leave about 2 tablespoons in the wok.
4. Add seasoning B to the wok and stir the mixture over a medium flame for about 2 minutes or till it begins to boil and thicken slightly.
5. Add ribs to the boiling mixture and coat them evenly with the sauce. Taste to add more sugar, salt or vinegar if necessary.
6. Add the lime/lemon juice just before turning off the flame.
7. Serve on a few leaves of any leafy salad green, raw. Garnish with parsley and top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
This dish is good with rice, or, as a replacement for BBQ ribs at beer chugging sessions.
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
1 kg pork ribs cut into 4 cm pieces
1 lime/lemon juiced
Seasoning A (mix together)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon corn flour
1.5 tablespoon soya sauce
1.5 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 large egg
water, if needed
Seasoning B (mix together, when doing step 2 below)
2 tablespoon white sugar (Brown sugar will NOT do.)
1.5 tablespoon Chinese dark vinegar or malt vinegar (chemical "white" vinegar is not good)
2 tablespoon tomato ketchup (Del Monte is recommended for its tartness.)
1. Wash ribs, pat dry and season the ribs with seasoning A. The ribs should be coated with a lush layer of the seasoning. If too dry, add water half a tablespoon at a time. You should not need more than two tablespoons. Season for at least 2 hours. Better, if seasoned overnight.
2. Heat 1 litre of oil in a large wok. When oil is beginning to bubble, add ribs and turn down the fire to medium. Deep fry till golden brown. Do not go high heat all the way or you risk having golden coloured but bloody, undercooked ribs.
3. Remove ribs from oil and drain away the oil and leave about 2 tablespoons in the wok.
4. Add seasoning B to the wok and stir the mixture over a medium flame for about 2 minutes or till it begins to boil and thicken slightly.
5. Add ribs to the boiling mixture and coat them evenly with the sauce. Taste to add more sugar, salt or vinegar if necessary.
6. Add the lime/lemon juice just before turning off the flame.
7. Serve on a few leaves of any leafy salad green, raw. Garnish with parsley and top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
This dish is good with rice, or, as a replacement for BBQ ribs at beer chugging sessions.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
It hits so suddenly...
I had what seemed like a very bad bout of flu after my Monday morning walk and thinking it was merely muscle aches, went to swim on Tuesday. And right after the swim, I shivered, suffered such bad body aches, headaches and muscle soreness I thought it was the dengue again. But there was no fever. I took painkillers and muscle relaxants and was much better on Wednesday. It felt just so odd.
Air France AF447 (the Cantonese will tell you that 447 means "die die go") simply disappeared after encountering severe turbulence and losing power. Brazilian authorities have confirmed that the plane has crashed.
I bought two pots of thai basil on impulse on Sunday. And a 5 foot Dracaena Massangeana. We had the plants for a song. At least by my standards. Each pot of basil cost me $4 ($5 before bargaining) and the dracaena cane was sold to us for $38 ($48 before). Wow! I had no such luck bargaining for a pot of local rosemary to replace my dead Malaysian ones. Apparently, the rosemary I had bought earlier was from Malaysia and they die in less than a month. Damn!
Never knew sleep can feel so good, especially when you don't have nothing to do the next day. For once, it's fully restful sleep. The last time was when I spent a week in Bangkok, where the first night, I spent 18 hours sleeping. I'm officially servicing my sleep debt. And mark my words - Singapore will soon overtake the Japanese in terms of the number of people dying of overwork (all kinds, including too much gaming and internet-ing).
Freedom.
Air France AF447 (the Cantonese will tell you that 447 means "die die go") simply disappeared after encountering severe turbulence and losing power. Brazilian authorities have confirmed that the plane has crashed.
I bought two pots of thai basil on impulse on Sunday. And a 5 foot Dracaena Massangeana. We had the plants for a song. At least by my standards. Each pot of basil cost me $4 ($5 before bargaining) and the dracaena cane was sold to us for $38 ($48 before). Wow! I had no such luck bargaining for a pot of local rosemary to replace my dead Malaysian ones. Apparently, the rosemary I had bought earlier was from Malaysia and they die in less than a month. Damn!
Never knew sleep can feel so good, especially when you don't have nothing to do the next day. For once, it's fully restful sleep. The last time was when I spent a week in Bangkok, where the first night, I spent 18 hours sleeping. I'm officially servicing my sleep debt. And mark my words - Singapore will soon overtake the Japanese in terms of the number of people dying of overwork (all kinds, including too much gaming and internet-ing).
Freedom.
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