3.24.2008
Yarn-a-licious
As promised in my previous post - gorgeous yarn and a summer shawl in the making. It's a beaute! (Yarn: Colinette Parisienne, 70% kid mohair)
3.19.2008
Randomness
Hubs was tinkering away on his laptop while we were watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He was thoughtful for a moment and said, if he had a blog, he would've written about how surreal (ed: and ironic) it is that the show was about stunting the development of AI and stopping robots from taking over the world, while he was doing... quite the opposite to that end. And since he does not have a blog, I'm obligated to document the moment. Note this, honey.
-------------------------------------------------
I have a new knitting project. Poking around my favorite knitting store, I was introduced to a gorgeous vivid blue-green mohair blend. Helloooo. It was love at first sight. Bought 3 skeins and turning them into a lacy shawl for the summer. Pics soon!
-------------------------------------------------
It's oddly reassuring to know that in a world of uncertainty, one thing I can always count on is the incubation of foreign elements in our refrigerator. We are so bad about keeping the fridge clean; gutting it of old leftovers and accumulated junk has become a ritual for us. It's a sensory experience - the colors, the speckling of white fuzzies and green stripes... and then the smell hits you (woof). Bags and boxes of unidentified goo are chucked into the trash.
We cleaned out the fridge last night. I can hear it humming happily, finally able to breathe easy again.
-------------------------------------------------
Going to Johnstown for Easter this weekend. I'll be making my Italian mother-in-law an Italian classic for the holiday: Easter pie. Apparently there are two versions, savory and sweet. Both involve something like 2 lbs of ricotta cheese; the question is whether pepperoni goes better than candied fruit. (I honestly wonder how this is going to turn out.)
Hubs is always funny about going home... I guess it's different. After 7 years of knowing each other, we still discover new and surprising things about each other's childhoods. For that matter, I am still discovering new and surprising things about my own childhood. The view is different from 20+ years later. Time is tricksy.
-------------------------------------------------
We walked past a candy store last weekend and just for kicks, I wanted to go inside. Looking at the buckets of gummies, I couldn't resist getting a little bag of each kind - worms, cola, regular bears. (Gummy bears, by the way, always make me think of those stop-motion videos on YouTube, like this one. And watching those videos always makes me want to eat gummies.)
Well... I don't eat candy. I only got them because I felt like it. Why do I do that? Now the bag's just sitting on the coffee table, adding to the clutter, picked at occasionally by Sweet Tooth Hubs. I'm terrible.
Okay, I guess I should go to bed so I won't be cranky tomorrow...
-------------------------------------------------
I have a new knitting project. Poking around my favorite knitting store, I was introduced to a gorgeous vivid blue-green mohair blend. Helloooo. It was love at first sight. Bought 3 skeins and turning them into a lacy shawl for the summer. Pics soon!
-------------------------------------------------
It's oddly reassuring to know that in a world of uncertainty, one thing I can always count on is the incubation of foreign elements in our refrigerator. We are so bad about keeping the fridge clean; gutting it of old leftovers and accumulated junk has become a ritual for us. It's a sensory experience - the colors, the speckling of white fuzzies and green stripes... and then the smell hits you (woof). Bags and boxes of unidentified goo are chucked into the trash.
We cleaned out the fridge last night. I can hear it humming happily, finally able to breathe easy again.
-------------------------------------------------
Going to Johnstown for Easter this weekend. I'll be making my Italian mother-in-law an Italian classic for the holiday: Easter pie. Apparently there are two versions, savory and sweet. Both involve something like 2 lbs of ricotta cheese; the question is whether pepperoni goes better than candied fruit. (I honestly wonder how this is going to turn out.)
Hubs is always funny about going home... I guess it's different. After 7 years of knowing each other, we still discover new and surprising things about each other's childhoods. For that matter, I am still discovering new and surprising things about my own childhood. The view is different from 20+ years later. Time is tricksy.
-------------------------------------------------
We walked past a candy store last weekend and just for kicks, I wanted to go inside. Looking at the buckets of gummies, I couldn't resist getting a little bag of each kind - worms, cola, regular bears. (Gummy bears, by the way, always make me think of those stop-motion videos on YouTube, like this one. And watching those videos always makes me want to eat gummies.)
Well... I don't eat candy. I only got them because I felt like it. Why do I do that? Now the bag's just sitting on the coffee table, adding to the clutter, picked at occasionally by Sweet Tooth Hubs. I'm terrible.
Okay, I guess I should go to bed so I won't be cranky tomorrow...
3.16.2008
Chinese New Year
Belated photo post of the trip home for New Year's.
Fancy red packets; peach blossoms for sale in bustling Chinatown
Kumquat plant at our apartment's entrance; homemade Yusheng salad
Giant pomelos, and the beautiful green rind of a 20 lb one my mum bought
Candies and snacks galore!
Trinkets and accessories too
Rows of steamed chicken at a hawker stall; abundance of lap cheung near People's Park
Hubs shaking the hand of a young God of Fortune (cai shen), in the produce section of Cold Storage (of all places) - we were milling around when a lion dance troupe came through the store to 'bless' it for Chinese New Year. The troupe graced every aisle of the grocery store, to the amusement of its patrons (with a good showing of foreign expats). Hubs waited in line with the little kids to get to the God of Fortune, and got a red packet and a piece of candy. :)
Fireworks by Singapore River
The hardest part about going home in the winter is coming back. I couldn't enjoy the last few days in Singapore just from the sheer dread of returning to Pittsburgh.
Two homes, a world apart
Winter has its charm and I think it's beautiful, but I simply prefer warmth and sunshine. Sigh.
Fancy red packets; peach blossoms for sale in bustling Chinatown
Kumquat plant at our apartment's entrance; homemade Yusheng salad
Giant pomelos, and the beautiful green rind of a 20 lb one my mum bought
Candies and snacks galore!
Trinkets and accessories too
Rows of steamed chicken at a hawker stall; abundance of lap cheung near People's Park
Hubs shaking the hand of a young God of Fortune (cai shen), in the produce section of Cold Storage (of all places) - we were milling around when a lion dance troupe came through the store to 'bless' it for Chinese New Year. The troupe graced every aisle of the grocery store, to the amusement of its patrons (with a good showing of foreign expats). Hubs waited in line with the little kids to get to the God of Fortune, and got a red packet and a piece of candy. :)
Fireworks by Singapore River
The hardest part about going home in the winter is coming back. I couldn't enjoy the last few days in Singapore just from the sheer dread of returning to Pittsburgh.
Two homes, a world apart
Winter has its charm and I think it's beautiful, but I simply prefer warmth and sunshine. Sigh.
3.14.2008
Interlude
Happy Pi Day!
I had lofty plans to write a long thought-provoking post, a masterpiece, but at 10.42pm this old kitty is sleepy. Now all I want to do is curl up in bed under the covers and knit. (My latest project is a giant heather grey bouclé blanket - it's great brainless activity, and now that it's big enough, I can even cuddle in it while knitting. Hurray!)
Sigh. Another rough week at work comes to a close, another slow lazy weekend begins. But this weekend is different; for one, the snow has turned to rain, signaling the beginning of spring. We saw a robin the other day. Thursday afternoon was a balmy 55 degrees F. It's known to snow even in May, but we're probably past the worst of it.
This weekend, I'll also be typing up my resignation letter. Yup, that's right! New job.
Inside, I'm still a little girl who's terrified at the idea of being a grownup. Responsibilities, expectations, consequences... I miss being a kid. You wake up, spend half the day immersing yourself in whatever fantasy world you dare to imagine, maybe do some chores and homework, and you almost always have someone to look out for you. If you wanted something, all you had to do was ask nicely.
Fast forward to today, as I'm hurtling towards the big three-oh. I wake up tired, spend half the day playing political games, work thanklessly, and nothing comes easily even if I ask nicely.
The only consolation I have is that everyone else goes through this rite of disorientation and disenchantment too, and we all learn from it.
Anyway. I'm excited and relieved - the on-again off-again job search was a learning experience. It was a lot of soul searching, and this new job still isn't the Dream Job... but it's one rung higher. The process made me realize how green I am - thank goodness for generous advice from mentors, new and old.
End of a chapter, beginning of a new one... and all that. Onward!
I had lofty plans to write a long thought-provoking post, a masterpiece, but at 10.42pm this old kitty is sleepy. Now all I want to do is curl up in bed under the covers and knit. (My latest project is a giant heather grey bouclé blanket - it's great brainless activity, and now that it's big enough, I can even cuddle in it while knitting. Hurray!)
Sigh. Another rough week at work comes to a close, another slow lazy weekend begins. But this weekend is different; for one, the snow has turned to rain, signaling the beginning of spring. We saw a robin the other day. Thursday afternoon was a balmy 55 degrees F. It's known to snow even in May, but we're probably past the worst of it.
This weekend, I'll also be typing up my resignation letter. Yup, that's right! New job.
Inside, I'm still a little girl who's terrified at the idea of being a grownup. Responsibilities, expectations, consequences... I miss being a kid. You wake up, spend half the day immersing yourself in whatever fantasy world you dare to imagine, maybe do some chores and homework, and you almost always have someone to look out for you. If you wanted something, all you had to do was ask nicely.
Fast forward to today, as I'm hurtling towards the big three-oh. I wake up tired, spend half the day playing political games, work thanklessly, and nothing comes easily even if I ask nicely.
The only consolation I have is that everyone else goes through this rite of disorientation and disenchantment too, and we all learn from it.
Anyway. I'm excited and relieved - the on-again off-again job search was a learning experience. It was a lot of soul searching, and this new job still isn't the Dream Job... but it's one rung higher. The process made me realize how green I am - thank goodness for generous advice from mentors, new and old.
End of a chapter, beginning of a new one... and all that. Onward!
2.29.2008
Breakfast as it should be
Toastbox breakfast: Pork floss thick toast, soft boiled eggs, strong java
Yakun breakfast: Kaya butter toast, soft boiled eggs, strong java too
I miss breakfast in Singapore.
We used to live fairly close to Killiney Kopitiam (the original, the one on Killiney Rd), and that was my first introduction to kaya toast and the classic Singaporean breakfast combo. Then we moved last year, and Toastbox just happens to be literally across the street. I only discovered Yakun during this last trip - I felt like a traitor to Toastbox. The eggs and coffee are superb at both, and I guess it depends on whether I'm in the mood for buttery thick toast or buttery pieces of kaya toast.
Oh, eggs and coffee, how I love thee. Soft boiled eggs, half boiled eggs, runny eggs... In Pittsburgh, it's called 'dippy eggs'. I don't know what they do with the coffee, but nobody makes it quite the same.
At Yakun
How does the sock do it?
Sigh. Let's not even go into all the wonderful hawker fare (yes, for breakfast!) - chwee kway, hot rice porridge, yong tau fu, nasi lemak... Now I'm back to Cheerios and 1% milk, and spoiling myself with granola and plain yogurt on weekends.
Can't wait to go home again...
2.20.2008
V-Day in Singapore
Back from Singapore! Spent the last 2.5 weeks at home celebrating Chinese New Year with the folks and regressing to my teenage years again. Hubs saw the Real Deal - lion dance performances, street markets, fresh flowers galore, the mad swapping of mandarin oranges, red and gold banners and decorations everywhere...
Lots of pictures, but first, a quick recap of Valentine's Day. (Yes, I know it's a manufactured holiday and a piss-poor reason to get sappy and cutesy for one day, but it was the first time ever that I had a Valentine in Singapore. Tells ya something, dunnit?)
On V-Day eve, hubs came home from the 'gym' with a bunch of flowers in one hand, and dou hua (soy beancurd) in the other. Love! I had spent the last few days nursing a horrid cold, but felt much better by then. On the 14th, he took me out to a fancy Indian dinner at Rang Mahal in the Pan Pacific. (Alright, I found the place, but he bought dinner.) We splurged on the V-day menu (inspired by the Kama Sutra - wooo!); it was a 10-course meal, each plated elaborately and creatively, and came with a glass of rosé sparkling wine. The foodie was thrilled. Here it is:
Welcome drink - Passionfruit Kiss
Amuse Bouche
Enigmatic Masala Puri
Soup: Pumpkin and Pine Nut Shorba Ecstasy
Clove and basil spiced pumpkin broth with roasted pine nuts
Sensuous Casanova Oyster
Juicy tawa seared oyster caressed with light cashew gravy, crowned with precious saffron and a dash of nutmeg
Sorbet: Adam & Eve Sorbet
A refreshing lime sorbet on betel leaf with luscious honey drizzle
Main Course: Desirous Nahari Gosht
Tender lamb shanks slow simmered in a rich stock of Indian spices including fennel, clove, cinnamon, mace and black cardamom to ignite the senses - Royal Nawabi way
Fragrant pulao of juicy green peas and pomegranate jewels
Kukuri rosemary carrot
Accompanied with Sesame Chili Olive Naan (from the bread bar, made fresh)
Boorani raita - Garlic and cumin flavored yoghurt
Dal meloni - Combination of urad, channa & moong lentils
Dessert: Gulkand rasmalai
A romantic pairing of homemade cottage cheese dumplings in reduced flavored milk and Indian rose marmalade
Tea
Kashmiri kahwa with fragrant saffron & almonds
Petit Four
Date & chocolate kulfi lollipop in ice igloo
Everything tasted divine. (The ice igloo was rad.) Some of the descriptions were over-the-top and gave you goosebumps(!); we were even seated in a private booth with rose petals around a candle centerpiece. Towards the end of the meal, we got a gift from the restaurant - a list of aphrodisiacs, most of them found in our dinner, and a little bottle of 'liquid love' (body chocolate). Everything was very well done, I'd love to go back some time.
More later...
Lots of pictures, but first, a quick recap of Valentine's Day. (Yes, I know it's a manufactured holiday and a piss-poor reason to get sappy and cutesy for one day, but it was the first time ever that I had a Valentine in Singapore. Tells ya something, dunnit?)
On V-Day eve, hubs came home from the 'gym' with a bunch of flowers in one hand, and dou hua (soy beancurd) in the other. Love! I had spent the last few days nursing a horrid cold, but felt much better by then. On the 14th, he took me out to a fancy Indian dinner at Rang Mahal in the Pan Pacific. (Alright, I found the place, but he bought dinner.) We splurged on the V-day menu (inspired by the Kama Sutra - wooo!); it was a 10-course meal, each plated elaborately and creatively, and came with a glass of rosé sparkling wine. The foodie was thrilled. Here it is:
Welcome drink - Passionfruit Kiss
Amuse Bouche
Enigmatic Masala Puri
Soup: Pumpkin and Pine Nut Shorba Ecstasy
Clove and basil spiced pumpkin broth with roasted pine nuts
Sensuous Casanova Oyster
Juicy tawa seared oyster caressed with light cashew gravy, crowned with precious saffron and a dash of nutmeg
Sorbet: Adam & Eve Sorbet
A refreshing lime sorbet on betel leaf with luscious honey drizzle
Main Course: Desirous Nahari Gosht
Tender lamb shanks slow simmered in a rich stock of Indian spices including fennel, clove, cinnamon, mace and black cardamom to ignite the senses - Royal Nawabi way
Fragrant pulao of juicy green peas and pomegranate jewels
Kukuri rosemary carrot
Accompanied with Sesame Chili Olive Naan (from the bread bar, made fresh)
Boorani raita - Garlic and cumin flavored yoghurt
Dal meloni - Combination of urad, channa & moong lentils
Dessert: Gulkand rasmalai
A romantic pairing of homemade cottage cheese dumplings in reduced flavored milk and Indian rose marmalade
Tea
Kashmiri kahwa with fragrant saffron & almonds
Petit Four
Date & chocolate kulfi lollipop in ice igloo
Everything tasted divine. (The ice igloo was rad.) Some of the descriptions were over-the-top and gave you goosebumps(!); we were even seated in a private booth with rose petals around a candle centerpiece. Towards the end of the meal, we got a gift from the restaurant - a list of aphrodisiacs, most of them found in our dinner, and a little bottle of 'liquid love' (body chocolate). Everything was very well done, I'd love to go back some time.
More later...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
