Smells just like Mom's

I spent the entire evening in the kitchen yesterday prepping up for a humble New Year's Eve dinner celebration at home, and on top of prepping up a Roast Turkey, I decided to give my Mom's rendang a go.

After a few hours of prepping, I got these stewing nicely on the stove of my kitchen. Suddenly it occured to me that the entire apartment smells just like our CCK home during the festive season! Sweet!

a. Festive Rice - Fragrant Nasi Minyak in the rice cooker

b. The must have Red Chicken Dish (Ayam Masak Merah) smokin' away

c. The long awaited beef rendang simmering on low heat for hours and hours!

Verdict: So far, so good. No major mishap and word has it that both the Rendang and Red Chicken are tasting pretty close to Mom's! I'm not convinced just yet, but it's a promising comment.

For me, I just love getting busy in the kitchen!

Quality Time

And they were having some alone time and probably in deep conversation, as they stared intensely into each other's eyes...

:

:

:

:

:

:

:

:

:

and then..."CLICK!" Haa haa haa!

Priceless moments!

Bummer for a weather

So far, the cool season had lasted not more than a mere 2 days sometime in early November. Since then, "winter" in Bangkok has yet to make a re-appearance.

There is something about the cool season in Bangkok towards the end of the year which contributes to that holiday feeling. It seems almost non-existent this month as it seems to be humid all around, which was completely unexpected. I even cautioned my parents who came for a visit recently to bring sweaters in anticipation for the shiokadoo cool season. What a shame though...they never did get to experience the cool season  we have been raving about here at this time of the year. The time of the year was perfect for a visit, but the weather  has gone bonkers!

Rather unusual for year end I must say.What a bummer of a weather this holiday season!

Peachyness

is knowing that today marked my last day in the office for 2009 and not having to go to work for the next 6 days!

While it is unfortunate that we had to cancel our plans of going out of Bangkok for New Year's due to the lack of the availability of accomodation to the nearby islands, as well as the exhorbitant "high-season" prices we have to pay when they are available, staying in Bangkok does not seem like a bad option after all.

I'm only hoping that Bangkok will be quieter in the next few days with lesser traffic on the road as the Thais generally travel back to their home-town in upcountry. Traffic has been nothing but a nightmare of late, so a quieter Bangkok would be a welcome sight indeed!

Peachyness

is when I get to indulge in the best tasting macaroons in town!

We stumbled upon these somewhere in Paragon Shopping Mall and have never looked back since.These treats comes in all different sorts of colours and exotic flavours, even lychee flavoured ones.

They are supremely fantabulous, and really are the bestest macaroons ever! My guess is they are probably made in heaven... ;D

Sadistic German

The sheer cruelty of human beings saddens me as reported in this article here.

I cannot comprehend how some people just lack the compassion for other living things and have no regard for the life of others.

They should tightened the laws of animal cruelty here in Thailand and that the the damn Sauerkraut gets arrested for his deeds. I also hope that someone would throw off the frigging Sauerkraut off a high building or smash him over the wall like he did the puppies. People like him don't deserve to live!

Funny Fudge

It is quite a normal habit for Fudge to come up to bed to check on me the moment the alarm on my phone goes off in the morning. As soon as I got out of bed, she would race me to the bathroom and then happily jumped up on my lap while I sleepily take the throne before I jumped into the shower.

One morning though, just after a few minutes in the shower, I heard her meowing non-stop; which isn’t quite a usual habit of hers as she would find other silly things to do once I get into the shower. At the same time, I also heard the faint sound of my alarm which I had callously put on “snooze’ rather than “off”. And, unless I press the “off” button, the alarm will go off for a few times more before it automatically switch itself off.

Despite my super “off” morning mode, I managed a huge chuckle as I exited the bathroom when I saw her sitting on the side of my bed, right next to my phone. She immediately looked up to me and meow the loudest meow she could muster while still sitting next to my phone, looking at me in disdain, as if making sure that it stays off!

I wonder what she was driving at...

Funny cat.

Nice try Tourist Coppers, but English please!

Massive crowds were forming as I walked thru the bridge adjoining Central World and the nearest BTS station on my way back to the office today. As I got closer to the crowd, this was what I noticed:

Apparently, some kind of awareness campaign for the Tourist Police in Bangkok was happening. The funny thing was, it was clear that the entire campaign was targeted at tourists. By tourists, I would think that these are the people who come to visit Thailand on a temporary basis to shop, sight-see and what nots. And by that, I believe >90% of the tourist here are likely to be non-Thai, and by that, they are rather unlikely to be speaking or understand Thai too

Yet, what do I hear while walking past the crowd? The key announcer with the microphone was actually rattling away in nothing but Thai. This, while campaigning for the T.O.U.R.I.S.T Police! Their logic defies me, really. Of course I could buffer for the fact that there’s a chance they could be targeting to non-Bangkok residents who happened to be Thais, who could easily be “tourists”, if that is their definition!

But again, logic tells me that it doesn’t quite make sense, especially if the victims of scams are usually the non-Thai tourists! I can’t help but laugh at the irony of it all. Nice try, but English for the 95% of non-Thai tourists (or residents for that matter) would really be helpful.

One quote that comes to mind:
"It is OK to let your mind go blank, but please turn off the sound"

Funny sign

Another one of those really wrong, but funny signs spotted at the elevator of our apartment just today:

The care-takers of our apartment are really nice people..but "cause smelly" is just too hilarious to ignore! bwahhhaahahahahaha! Simply classic!

Chit-Chat does it

For those who really know me, I don’t do chit-chats, and especially not over the phone! I would rather meet up over dinner and drinks to do the chit-chats. Chit-chats over the phone,unless necessary, is usually rather pointless.

So recently, a former subordinate gave me a holler out of the blue. In my usual fashion, I would ask “what’s up”.In essence, “what’s up” is my nicer way of putting “WTF do you want from me, just tell me and be done with it as I’m not really a big fan of inane chit chatting about nothing” over the phone. Doesn't anyone notice that holding the mobile phone to your ears can be rather tiring too?

To me, people usually call for a reason; especially those who ain’t close to you. I mean, whoever just call to “chat”? That’s my logic anyway, given the fact that the problem lies with me.  The fact remains that I just don’t do chit-chats over the phone. Not even with my husband, unless dire. (but I've gotten better at this...)

So anyway, her reply to my “what’s up” was, “oh I just wanna yak with you”, to which I promptly smacked my head and rolled my eyeballs. Being a hyper-speed talker, she went on and on for about 10 mins, almost non-stop updating me about her work life since she left the team after I got transferred to another team. To my credit, I actually did listen politely the whole time and asking questions along the way. What do you know - I was actually actively listening! Her rattling went for 10 minutes more before she finally get to the core of what she wanted to say. There and then, a bell went off  in my head that warned “Hah! I knew it! There must be something she needs from me”.

To my surprise  (and a pleasant one at that too), she spilled the beans saying that she called because she wanted to personally thank me. Thank me for all the things she picked up while working under me. She admitted in earnest that working with me was a tough road and a lot of hard work, but it also made her realise that she has indeed learnt a lot from me - more than what she has accomplished in her initial 2 years with the team before I joined in. That alone had given her such an edge and valuable experience in her next tenure which she remarked (in her words, by the way), she caught herself doing a me on occasions and even pondering on questions of “what would The Sleeping Dragon” would have done if she is in my situation.

I swear, I was grinning from ear to ear when I heard that. That’s the biggest compliment ever and I’m glad I made a difference to an appreciative subordinate.

It is definitely nice to know that I’m not such a bad boss and mentor after all! After a somewhat lousy meeting, the phonecall had made my day.

I guess chit-chats can sometimes be ok...*blush*

Saline doesn't work!

I officially hate my nose! It's been blocked on and off and while trying to be less dependent on nasal sprays, I decided to give the good, old saline solution a try. I tell you, they are crap solution. Saline solution to unblock the blocked nose just doesn't work!

I guess it would be back to the nasal sprays...tsk..tsk..tsk...I want to breathe normally! :(

Affectionate Ah-Nut

How could anyone say no to a cat who rarely would ever want a cuddle; and when he does, he is excruciatingly affectionate! Donut has been tugging my heart-strings lately and he would not leave me alone. He goes everywhere I go, and when he caught me lazing around, he'd look me up and promptly climbed up on my stomach, find a comfortable spot for HIM, purr and then nap away.

I only have got one thing to say: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Laughter is the best medicine

Aunty Antsy related the following conversation to me with the receptionist of a certain hotel in KL when she called them up to inquire on the rooms' ammenities recently:

Antz: No table or chair? No cupboard?
R: Don't have
Antz: Then where can I hang my clothes?
R: U hang on the metal rack under the TV
Antz: Then where can I put my luggage?
R: ..... Er ..... On the floor?
Antz: HUH?

Then, she started ranting to me:

Antz: After that, I said thanks and hung up.
Antz: I mean, WTH?????
Antz: Oh, I forgot, somewhere along the conversation, he said "Our room design is very zen".
Antz: ZEN???? That's not zen, that's POVERTY.

I immediately burst out into laughter right there and then at my desk, shocking the people around me. Obviously they thought I had gone cuckoo! The truth is, if you KNOW her, you'll laugh so hard while imagining the expressions she'd have on her face, her tone of voice and accompanied by her speed-talk of 1000 words per minute while hyper-ventilating all at the same time and walking up and down like a gummy bear! Despite us chatting on MSN, I really couldn't help but picture all of those expressions and reactions in my head, which is, incidentally, just so her! It is too comical and it would be a crime not to laugh!

I did think that it is quite weird for a hotel (not a guest-house, by the way!) to not have such basic ammenities. I actually wondered if they have beds! Anyhow, it was the last bits of what were being said that sent me into bouts of plentiful laughter.

I just thought that was funny. Stories like this always made up for a dreary, uneventful day.

Freshly Squeezed!

One of the sweetest, cheapest and freshest orange juice in Bangkok can easily be found in the street-vendor culture here along the roadsides of Bangkok.

For only 20 baht per bottle, these things are likely to be the best tasting juices you will ever taste in your life! No preservatives used and are indeed being freshly squeezed, by hand, by the independent vendors and being put straight into the plastic bottles!

Trust me when I say they are good! They are usually so refreshing that I can easily sip the whole bottle in less than 2 minutes. An immediate thirst quencher; definitely beat the taste of those you buy from the supermarkets!

Today in history #2

Sometime today last year, I stopped procrastinating and decided to start a blog; thanks to the encouragement of Silver Bullet and Barcajax.

As it stands, today marks my very 1st anniversary of blogging! For that, I 'm going to shamelessly give myself a tiny, little pat on my back. :D

One year on, and I could hardly believe that I have managed to keep this up rather religiously. To be honest, I was worried when I embarked on this. What if I run out of things to say? What if I don't have any materials for weeks or months on end? What if I just cannot think of anything to write? What am I gonna do with a blog that has nothing? What if my posts sucks? What if what I wrote isn't intellectual enough?

Then I realised, my worries are unfounded, and true to being me, I usually tend to over analyse things in my head. In terms of materials, I'm glad I haven't run out of things to say just yet! Sometimes, I just can't write enough as somehow, along the way, I keep stumbling upon the strange, the weird, the funny, the frustrations and the everyday mundane things that could contribute to a decent post.

I also realise my post doesn't have to be intellectual or overtly analytical as it takes too much effort from my end, considering that I'm a mostly self-deprecating smart-ass-wannabe rather than a true-born intellect (obviously not a geniuslah!) . Rather, I quite enjoy keeping it honest, writing it like it is from my own perspective and taking the piss out of myself once in a while. The good thing is, it really is my blog and I can write whatever I want, the way I want. Essentially, I realise that I'm mostly writing for me and I don't really give a rats' ass about what other people think; which is why I'm occasionally (pleasantly) surprised if suddenly I have a new follower or getting comments from strangers or friends telling me they like the contents of my blog.

That being said, it is nice to know that I do have a handful of readers, with the dearest husband being my biggest fan. I thought it is funny, but at the same time, also feel honoured to know that there are people who actually enjoyed my useless ramblings. (*you people seow ah! but thanks ah!*)

To those who have been following my blog even if it is intermittent, a big thank you to all; for every comments that I receive, know that they always fuel me up in ways you cannot imagine! :D

Thanks for reading.

Today in history #1

Sometime this date round about 35 years ago, my folks tied the knot...so here goes:

"Happy Belated Anniversary, Mom & Dad! May there be many more good and loving years to come!"

35 years..wow! Ain't that such a long time! And, truth be told, it's always nice to hear of marriages lasting that long...somehow, in these days and age, young couple doesn't seem to stick it out for more than a decade.

I hope we won't be like those young couples. I would only want our marriage to last as long as we are alive, come what may. I would want to be like one of those retired folks who still hold each other's hands while strolling in the park or whenever they are walking side by side. Even when they are old, grey and walking slow, they are still affectionate, brushing away dirt with their saliva or whatever left of their straying grey hairs away from the wrinkled faces of their partners. How so very endearing...

Such sights always melt my heart. I want to be one of those silly old, greying couple who still walks hand-in-hand in our twilight days; and still think that despite the flabs and wrinkles, we are still the happiest and most beautiful people in each other's eyes.

Sigh! I think I'm getting a bit sappy.

Quote of the day

"There are some days I practice positive thinking. And other days I'm not positive, I am thinking"

Today happens to be one of those days where I appear to be thinking. A lot.

Not normal

Today is just A.B.normal.

I was already out and about at 4.20 am on a Sunday morning and by 9 am, I had:

...cleaned up the fridge (Silver Bullet thought I was mad doing that at 7 am!)
...fed the cats
...done 3 cycles of laundry
...thrown out the trash
...cleaned up my wardrobe
as well as fold and set aside old clothes to be given away...

By 10.30 am , I was already out of the house for a quick grocery shopping and was home before noon to be a couch potato while nursing my super annoying stuffed-up nose.

The only reason I got out of bed early besides having a blocked nose was because I wanted to send Barcajax and Silver Bullet off to their respective taxi rides to the airport. I had every intention to go back to bed as I usually do, but for some reason, I was not sleepy and started to get really active in such ungodly hour of the day. It felt strange even for me, although the day was rather productive!

I assure you, however, that today is just one of those days where it is, just, erm...not normal.

Annoying Nose

I think I am about to master the art of gracefully breathing through my mouth. Hell! I might even grow myself a pair of gills if my blocked nose refuses to go away!

It has been about a week now since my nose decided to act up, putting me through sleepless and fidgety nights. Accompanied by those annoying sneezes, I'm telling you though that it's not funny!

My blocked nose is driving me crazy! If only I can detach my current nose and replace it with a brand new one for an all-new "plumbing" system! Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

In case you are wondering - no, I have not been kissing the cats!

Inglourious Basterds

If I remember correctly, this movie came out round about the time of the International Film Festival in Bangkok. I had missed the screening of this movie when it first came out as the run of the film was cut short rather unexpectedly. It felt like such a long time before I finally managed to get my hands on the DVD last week.

Verdict: True to Quentin's style, the movie is simply just brilliant! The gore was extreme, the storyline super cool. I love it. A definite add-on to our collection of a classic.

Water Ploof

A point of purchase poster seen at a knick-knack store in downtown Bangkok:



I think they forgot to ploof-lead the thing...

Easily pleased!

A couple of my many favourites from Singapore courtesy of Barcajax. These are not available in Bangkok and I really couldn't help asking him to tar pao food from Singapore for me when he decided to come over!

It feels like it's been ages since I tasted these savouries! They are so heavenly yummy.  Food like these always make my day and yes! I'm not
that hard to please! :)

Thanks dude!

Calvin & Hobbes

Another one of those snowmen series. Always makes for a good chuckle!

In pursuit of happiness

2 is the number of days I'm working this week.

3 is the number of days I'll be working next week.

4 is the number of days I'll be turning up for work the week after next

and

another 2 is the number of work days left in the very last week of this year before 2010 makes its grand appearance.

(and oh! only 4 work day in the 1st week of Jan 2010 for me!) :D

The countdown has begun! So exciting. I love December.

My December

There's something about December...

The weather is cooler and there's always this festive feeling lingering about. December is the nicest time of the year for me. It is usually the time of the year to slack just that little bit, and take in all the holiday mood for all that festive and holiday-ish feeling I could get!

Peachyness

is me being held captive in the wanderlust of a baking Speculaas in the oven which Silver Bullet decided to make while I get busy doing nothing, but blogging away on the couch with my feet up.

I heart the aroma of baking. It's like incense firing up the senses to your soul - a spiced eu de parfum of the home!

The "Bin-Head"

I was greeted with this when I came home the other day:

The hilarity of it all, I tell you! Honestly, I was half amused and half worried when I saw Fudge stuck to the lid of the bin.

Amused because I'm bewildered as to how she managed to get herself in such a situation, as I wondered how long she has been stuck since the morning we left for work. Worried because I'm concerned if she'd hurt herself or if I'm able to get her out of the darn thing. Good thing was the flap to the lid of the bin was detachable. As soon as I finished snapping a picture of her, she was released from that in no time at all.

She didn't look all that concerned or frazzled when I found her. Maybe she was just trying to get comfortable. The darn cat!

Panda Crazy

The whole of Thailand has been into this panda craze for months on end now. As far as I'm concerned, everyone has been talking about it non-stop and Chiangmai Zoo has been rather popular with visitors since then.

What amazes me further is that this craze has taken to a brand new height where even the local cable channel, True, has decided to have a dedicated channel to broadcast the Panda live 24/7! Don't believe me? Here are a couple of snapshots which I captured from the TV recently:

Even an animal lover like me thinks that this is sheer insanity, especially when there is no voice-over or anything remotely educational about it since it is broadcasted in silence. The intent of having this channel is really for voyeurs to gawk at those pandas and coo how cute they are. After watching it for about a minute, I swear I could fall asleep... You wait for a whole lot to just see the panda twitch! Boh-liao!

While waiting...

The upside of being a guest at a client's place and having to wait  to be "fetched"  by someone (for security reasons) and then wait idly around in an empty meeting room while waiting for other attendees to come in, is being able to snap a couple of pictures with my mobile phone.

The view around this particular office building never ceased to amaze me.

Children nowadays..Sigh!

Virtually no one was around when I walked into the office this morning. Not until after 11.30 a.m.

With no courtesy phone calls to inform their superiors as to why they were late, I decided to call my one-half month old subordinate, a direct report to me to ask their whereabouts. As I found out, the other team and along with 7 other junior subordinates including my direct reports stayed back in the office till the ridiculous hours of 5am from the day before to help the other team with their impending presentation on Friday afternoon. I was appalled when I heard that.

5 a.m., 1 team leader and 7 subordinates to work on a presentation.

I know presentation could be hard work, but I also know the contents to that presentation may not need 7 dwarfs to work on. How unproductive can a team get? Don’t get me wrong. I have no issues of my subordinates turning up late for work if they work late the night before or if there are other valid reasons or helping the other team even though they are from a different team, in the spirit of teamwork. However, “helping” should not be at the expense of their own work which was expected to get done by the end of the week. Talk about priorities!

Musing on the facts I now know and thought how ridiculous the entire thing was, I decided to leave my one-half month old subordinate to her own devices when she finally walked into the office at about 11-ish. I know she has pending work that was assigned to her 10 days ago. I have been quite silent in the last few days and decided to wait till after lunch to see if she is going to update me on the status of the work. She sat across from me, and any responsible employee would update their bosses on status of pending work, whether they are done or not. (At least, I know I would!) I waited for about 15 minutes before impatience got the better of me. I asked ever so subtly and gently if she is doing ok with the work.

All I said was this:“Hey there, how is it going with the ABC work?” in a bright and cheery tone. I even asked with a smile!

As soon as I opened my mouth, she snapped at me and said that she’s already done the first bit and it is in the network drive. Immediately, my thoughts floated to: "If she has done it yesterday she does have plenty of time from the time she walked in to the time she came back from lunch. She has more than ample time to update me ia email or even verbally to let me know that she has done it. What's her reason for not telling me and begging for me to ask? Is she just trying to find fault with me"

To which I replied, "Well…if you have done it, I think you should just let me know and I’ll give it a run through."

 Unable to contain her patience, she snapped again telling me that she just finished the bit last night (only the bit…apparently, she’d rather help the other team finishing their work when she’s not able to finish hers!)

My next question to her, still asking ever so gently while I’m starting to boil inside was this “So, when do you think you are able to complete the work so that we can commit to a presentation date with the client?” I left it open as I want to give her some leeway to be able to gauge her own timeline which she’s comfortable with. Immediately, I was met with a hostile and snappy answer that she is doing another thing now and if I wanted that, she can stop whatever she is doing and go through it with me now because if I wait for her to have time, she doesn’t know when. Those are word for word as I remember them.

“WTF?!” was flashing in my head and I swear I wanted to strangle her till her eyes popped. But, I kept my cool and repeated the question twice more and she answered me with the same. Finally, in a slightly stern tone, I told her I think she does NOT understand my question and repeated what I said again. She kept quiet for a second and then said that she has to wait for more information, which is probably next week. Honestly, that was all I wanted to know…the expected timeline; but she decided that for some reason, her boss is her enemy. I left a gentle parting remark to her thereafter telling her that she does not need to be defensive because I’m only concern on timeline and to how she is coping. That and nothing more! Falling short of doing her work myself I thought I was being nice!

I have no idea why my questions provoked such a reaction from her. What the $%@#$ did I do?

My guess is she’s still very young and probably too confident for her own good. She also probably decided that her boss (i.e. me) is far too inferior for her and doesn’t know any better. Maybe that’s because I’m not Thai and ‘don’t understand Thai culture’. This is also not the first time she has done it to me. She can be quite stubborn and would most of the time, refuses to listen to my input. Granted, she’s a good worker and I like the fact that she’s not a yes ma’am employee. Her attitude to me, however, is less than desirable. I respect different views, but one that seems to think highly of herself at such a junior level and refuses to listen to input does not fit very well in my books. This one, while trying to proof herself, has somewhat intentionally stepped on my little toes. Why she did what she did, I have absolutely no idea! I hope she realises that she’s still on probation.

Kids nowadays. Most have a psyche I probably will never understand in my lifetime.

Good for laughs!

The expression on this little kitten is just priceless! Excuse me while I shit myself silly from contagious laughter...

Quote of the day

"Generation X and Generation Y moms/housewives use the internet much, much less even when they are working and they tend to be not very technology savvy. Living in up-country, they don't have access to internet"

The above is in the context of Thailand obviously, a "matter-of-fact" statement made by a few individuals in the communication/marketing/research industry. I wonder which marketing academic did they graduate from or if they interview the right Gen Xs & Gen Ys. I can't help but roll my eyeballs in my head each time I hear things like that. Any attempt to refute their thinking will be met by a curved ball in my direction, attached with splinters!

Obviously, I am not native to this country, and probably don't know any better. However, against my better judgement and knowledge, most Gen X-ers and  Gen Y-ers who are essentially about my age by now, plus minus 5 years more or less, and in Thailand, DO have access to the internet ever so often regardless where they are. They may not be a tech-geek, but boy!oh!boy!, I'm sure they do know how to use Google Search, already  involved in social networking sites, chat via MSN, play online games and  read a blog or two. God forbid if they are bloggers themselves. These people grew up in the digital era, even accessing internet via mobile phone since they grew up with it. Not being technology savvy does not make them technology idiots. There may not be as many of them as compared to other neighbouring modernised cities, but their numbers are certainly not getting any lesser!

Wake up and smell the roses people. The internet is here to stay!

Scary Shit

More and more appalling and bizarre news of happenings in Thailand:

1. Couple drugged and raped in Koh Chang (moral of the story: never leave your drinks unattended!)
2. Tourist scammed and jailed (moral of the story: if you think you are not guilty, think again as you might as well just be...shit can happen anytime even if you are innocent)
3. Thai Airways charged >2K USD for excess baggage (moral of the story: screw Thai Airways!)

The irony is that such stories only seems to appear in the foreign press and they don't really make a big headline in the local newspapers.

Is it any wonder if foreigners living in Thailand can get a little delusional?

Yin & Yang

The cats were posing away in their sleep and I can't help but think that they are the cutest and most innocent rascals ever!

These two can be the most convincing pair of best friends when they are not chasing each other and knocking things around the apartment They actually chased Silver Bullet out of his usual seat and kept this up for quite awhile, oblivious to the world around them while napping in harmony, in a yin & yang-like position. Silver Bullet had to relent and parked his ass somewhere else..hehe!

You have to admit though that the images are really quite sweet! So sweet that it warms by heart just by looking at it.

Orange Chiffon Success

Well, I said I would try again and so I did! It turned out so well that I literally jumped for joy the moment I took the cake out from the mould. I could not contain my smile for hours on end! Silver Bullet loves it. Even the neighbours love it! I love it when they love it!

The taste was awesome, it was springy, super soft, really light and not too dry. No butter, too. Just perfect! Come to think of it, it wasn't that difficult to make. My initial suspicion of just too much mixture in the mould resulting in my cake being half-baked the other time seemed to be true. This time, I halved the portions of the ingredients below just to confirm my theory. Besides, I only have a small oven, so adjusting the temperature down a little did help for it to bake and brown quite nicely.

Honestly, all this started as I got was inspired by another blogger, and since then I have this annoying little craving at the back of my mind. Thanks for the nudge, Boo! Now I'm hooked and Strawberry Chiffon Cake will be next on my list!

Here's the full portion recipe of the Orange Chiffon Cake (taken somewhere off the internet and I honestly can't remember where!) if you ever wanna give it a go:

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, separated plus 1 additional egg white
• 2 1/4 cups (225 grams) sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) superfine white (castor) sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or safflower oil
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (2 - 3 large Navel Oranges)
• 2 tablespoons (10 grams) orange zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (use to stabilisr whipping of egg whites and allow them to reach maximum volume)

Note: To make superfine sugar, process 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) of granulated white sugar in your food processor for about 30 seconds or until finely ground. Superfine sugar is used as it dissolves easier in the batter.

Method:

1. Separate the eggs and place the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover with plastic wrap and bring them to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
2. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (for a small oven like mine, I dialled it down to 150-140 degree C) and have ready a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece tube pan (ungreased).
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour, sugar (minus 3 tablespoons (42 grams)), baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Beat about one minute or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons (42 grams) of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter).
5. Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (When lightly pressed the cake will spring back).
6. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the pan and place on a bottle or flat surface so it is suspended over the counter. Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours).
7. To remove the cake from the pan, run a long metal spatula around the inside of the tube pan and center core. Invert onto a greased wire rack. ( I used an already detacheable mould for easy removal of the cake)
8. Can store in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or for about a week in the refrigerator. This cake can also be frozen for a couple of months.
   

Enjoy!

The award goes to...

Fudge has successfully claimed her title of world's most affectionate lap cat (at least by my standard!). She's just the sweetest when it comes to snuggling up. I have honestly never seen or known such a lovely cat who could never get enough snuggling with her humans at any time of the day.



That's just Fudge in her usual routine of settling into any small spaces or "holes" she could climb into. She's too damn cute that I just cannot stand it! makes me want to ruffle the fur on her face and pinch her cheeks. :D She really is just too cute!

Is it or is it not?

I'm sad. My heart breaks into pieces when I see animals being chained up in people's home. Especially if they look like house pets to me.

You see, every morning I walk past rows of houses on the way to the office. There's this one house at the corner of my street where everytime I walked past it, I see 2 dogs hanging out at the front porch. One is a husky, the other looked like a mutt. The mutt is being caged up and the husky is being chained-up. Both are really huge dogs. From what I can tell, the space of the front porch ain't really that spacious, with all sorts of other junk being dumped in there. By the looks of it, the front porch is a mess!

Recently, I caught a glimpse of the husky up-close. I had to do a double take as I thought the husky didn't look right for a husky. A proper-bred husky usually looks majestic, alert and oh-so-handsome. This one though was rather skinny, his eyes were red, and his coat, unflaterring. He has the saddest eyes and the most defeated look I have ever seen in a husky. I was about to "talk" to him while standing on the outside of the gate, but as soon as I did that, a man of about 50 year old of age came by and gave me quite the stare. I assume he is the owner and probably doesn't quite appreciate strangers looking into his home. I had to walk away.

Honestly I haven't seen the dogs being walked or be allowed to wander freely on their porch. Each time I pass by that house, which is everyday, I see the same dogs in the same positions. It saddens me, esepcially after noticing that the husky doesn't look very healthy. However, I also do realise that I probably don't know any better. Perhaps the owners do take very good care of their pets and that I just happened to see the part where they have to be caged up because of behavioral problems.

It saddens me...if what I see and think it's true, it does border on animal abuse. Whatever it is, I hope I am wrong.

I'm thinking that perhaps we should make a report. To whom, I have yet to figure that out...

Rush rush

It's almost year end with November seeing the last of its few days as December creeps in. So far, it has been nothing but a hectic work schedule for me which shows no probable signs of slowing down anytime soon. The rush and insane demands at work has literally suck the strength and life out of me that I feel so drained at the end of the week. I'm hoping that things will slow down in a couple of weeks. I hate being busy especially when the December holiday mood starts creeping in.

Absolute Lamp

Say what you will, but I wouldn't mind one or a few of these cool looking illuminators which I discovered at one of the newer night-spots at Thonglor, in my living room.

At least they do look much nicer than all of the lamps we have ever seen at the stores here while trying to look  for a couple of decent-looking corner lamps for our living room.

Ok. I half lied.  I actually want it in my living room mostly because of it's cult status. But it's true that for the longest time, we have not been able to find a decent looking lamp around here...probably a matter of taste. And this lamp is just so absolutely cool. Cult cool.

From the inbox

[WARNING: A RATHER LENGTHY  POST]

Finally finding time to clear my inbox again, I came across a forwarded mail from Vicvanvinkle and decided to read it thoroughly. I have no idea how true this story is, or if it's true at all...but it is a humbling story. It did occur to me that we do live in a selfish world. Social graciousness almost non-existent as we get pre-occupied, even obsessed with getting ahead in the quest for material acquisition that we may just forget to live for the moment.

"It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.


Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.


Said in another words:
1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo , a state in Brazil
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants
3. Stockholm has 500,000 people
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA


The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the
entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot."

To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door.. Don't you think? Imagine my face.


Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.


Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British.


Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%.. This slow attitude has brought forth the US 's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".


This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time.


Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.


It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.


In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.


Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment.

As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".  (that's what I said on my blog title too! :p)
Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world."

In my world,  the no rush rule can be written on a piece of paper and be flushed down the toilet without remorse.In my world, social graciousness too, might just happen when pigs learn to fly.

But, but, but..in my own little frenzied world, I think appreciating the small moments in life is not too much to ask and it is something that I have, over the years, learn to value.

The lioness wants a ride too!

If I was the one in the car experiencing this while on a safari, I wonder if I would piss in my pants or try to pat the big, fluffy cat and make friends with her...

Half-Baked Chiffon

My attempt at the orange chiffon cake I raved about almost went well! The dough looked right just before it went into the oven. In fact, it was browning and rising nicely, until I realised that the baking mould I used was probably too small for the amount of mixture I had.

After abnout 40 minutes of baking, it overflowed and finally sank... |:'(

So my story goes at my almost successful attempt of baking a chiffon cake. The bottom half turned out half-baked, so I had to cut-off that bit and then decided to salvage the top half of the cake which  looked soft, fluffy and quite edible. The taste was there, but presentation wise? Big, fat red cross. F.A.I.L.

Look closely at the picture above and you can see the moist, half-baked bit at the bottom. So in the end, after cutting off that bit, my chiffon cake was only about 5cm wide! It was still edible, but I had to laugh. Who am I kidding right? It wasn't almost successful, it was, in fact an unsuccessful attempt!

The result, however, did not dampen by enthusiasm. I'll definitely have a go at this again next time!

Public Enemy #1

This thing which can be found in all BTS stations in Bangkok, is nothing but a big, fat hazard to commuters alike. For those who, unsuspectingly ever got caught in-between the orange 'slammers' while trying to get across this barricade, will surely know what I mean.

In the last month or so, I have had those things slammed right onto my pelvis twice!  I know I was not careless, and was in fact in a high state of alertness when I approached it, ensuringthat I was quick enough to get through it without being caught. But sometimes, the sensors in these things have a habit of not being too accurate as soon as you tap your card. It was so darn painful that I stopped walking and had a tear or two in my eye from the pain. I swear I had the wind knocked out of me!

I wonder how many commuters have ever been injured by these things. And if they were injured, I wonder if anyone has ever dared to sue the relevant party here for creating such a hazard for commuters. Given this is Thailand, I'm also skeptical if suing the relevant authorities for injury sustained by the orange monsters will be legit.

I really hate taking the BTS because of this nasty entrance. Someone ought to do something about the safety of commuters. Those things can really hurt!

High Climber

Fudge has recently discovered a new hobby where she finds it absolutely necessary to climb up a 2 metre cupboard whenever I open the cupboard door to get dressed.

 

I could hardly reach her if she climbs up that high and it's probably too high for her to jump down , especially when her balance is a little precarious up there. She simply loves to get herself into a pickle.  I smply love to watch to see what she would do! :p

Fluffy head

I suddenly have a sudden and the strongest urge to bake. The problem is, while the mind and the heart is ever willing, the body isn't as I am struggling to stay awake after a long day at work.

In my head though, I'm seeing soft, fluffy orange chiffon cake, a moist, chocolatey brownie and a banana chocolate chip muffin. I can even smell the fragrance of baking in my head...

Right now, my head is just full of fluff...

There is now a pressing need to get the ingredients for my baking mission. Can't wait for the working week to be over!

Home-made chicken wings

...when deep fried can be so darn good. There is so much satisfaction in this home-made deep fried chicken likened to that of my mom's; marinated overnight in a blend of herbs and spices before tossing them into the deep fryer. The subtle taste of cumin can be so addictive.

These are just great as appetizers or for when you have the nibbles!

View from the top

Bangkok, as far as we know has always been a crowded city; but I never realised how crowded and tight-spaced everything is, until I absent-mindedly peer out of the window from the 43rd floor at my client's office building while waiting for a meeting to start.

From the top, it appears there's really no room for anything else. I'm astounded as to how every inch of the space is being taken up. There is literally no space left, yet new buildings are sprouting out everywhere like wild mushrooms. You really have to squint to find a decent space between the buildings.





These 180-degree view were taken from my Sony Ericsson mobile phone. Cool, eh!

There are of course parks and all, but the greens are rather far and between. It makes me miss the greenery back in Singapore.The plants make it much more easier on the eyes!

Snapple Facts

Real fact #10 from a Snapple bottle cap: "Mosquitoes are attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas"

Now, THAT cracked me up big time. I wonder why they are attracted to bananas?

Banana or no bananas, unfortunately for me, those pesky mossies will flock to me no matter what. By now, I've resigned to the fact that mossies have choosen me as their favourite human being no matter where I am in the world.

Up

I heart Up.

Besides the fact that I'm generally a sucker for anything Pixar or animated cartoon movie (Think the likes of Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, Nemo and Ratatouille. Japanese Anime not included, thank you very much!), Up is simply delightful.

There's an element of comedy, adventure, imagination and heart-felt emotions that sent a lump to my throat several times, all held together by a very strong and innovative storyline. The devotion depicted in this film between 2 people seems so real. So real that it seems endearing but sad at the same time...

It definitely is a brilliant Pixar movie; so brilliant that I think words and applause cannot do any justice to this well-crafted animated film.

Things you can do

...with leftover meatballs:

a) Meatball Sandwich

b) Meatball Pasta

Just the kind of variety I like!