Where the wild things are

Call me a deprived child, but I did not read "Where the wild things are" as a kid. Come to think of it, I've only read modern children's classics in my teenage/adult years...that's what happens when you grow up in francophone Montreal, I suppose.

After seeing this spectacular trailer - I wanted to make sure I read the book, and a friend kindly got it for my birthday.

The trailer and the book alike made me feel like everything was possible - that if only I recognize that deep inside me is this uncontrollable imagination just wiggling to get out...the world would be ok. at least for a little while.

cattle cafe - food porn

snerk, this one's for you! I've been hearing such great things about cattle cafe that I just had to go - and did so for the first time for lunch on my bday. I had the original fish soup with vermicelli, beef brisket, and mushrooms. I forgot to take photos of their chili oil here, but that was nom nom delicious. there's something pickled in the chili oil that I don't quite know - but it kicks arse.

Anyways, I subsequently returned four days later with someone who has also never been. I had the laksa this time, with "rice spaghetti", beef brisket and chicken balls. oh that laksa was gosh darn delicious - especially with the tofu puffs.

Moving on, I started feeling guilty that I hadn't brought my sister...so, last thursday, after early dismissal, we went. And here is the photographic evidence. :)


steaming still!


laksa with "rice spaghetti", beef brisket, and fish fillet


original fish soup with "rice spaghetti", sliced beef, and fish tofu

school's out...forever?

(Ok - this is my second attempt at this blog entry. I accidentally deleted the first one.)

This September marks the first time I'm not going back to school. And to be honest, I miss it quite a bit. School always served as such a great excuse to not have it all together, you know. It was ok that life was kinda a mess (both literally and metaphorically) because as a student, I'm still learning and searching for what I want to do with my time.

Now, things are a little different.

To be frank, I'm in career limbo right now. I don't have full-time work but I'm also getting enough work to not have to worry too much about finding another job (it makes it difficult to fully throw myself into job searching). I'm however questioning if this is what I want to do - as much as I'm being challenged and stretched, I'm not sure whether I should continue to devote personal time and effort to growing in this particular area.

With the amount of work I'm getting presently, I'm also being tested on how to spend my spare time. For the first time ever, I'm getting a really harsh lesson in discipline. In order to not waste my free days, I lay out what I need to do - whether that's writing, resume pimping, chores, house finances, working out...but sometimes, it's hard to not fall into the temptation of curling up in my bed for a few more hours. I've never quite had so much "free" time before - and I realize how this is such a great test of character for me. Would I be able to spend my time meaningfully even when I'm not working/studying? Am I spending my time in a godly manner?

With a steady job/studies, it's easy to define who we are...but it gets a bit harder when that gets taken away. For right now though, I'm enjoying this mini identity test :)

ten hachi - food porn

mackerel teishoku set with a super loaded miso soup (full of veggie goodies!)


a close-up of the mackerel


my sister's katsu don


honestly the best black sesame ice cream I have ever had - extra delicious because of the kinako (soybean) powder. It also made our teeth extra attractive!

birthday resolution

I have a very simple birthday resolution this year: Smile more.

Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances...

as fast as she can

Watching this exchange between Ted and Stella on How I Met Your Mother just resonated with me the other night. It was an emotional lightbulb moment. :)

Ted: Okay, I'm going to say something out loud that I've been doing a pretty good job of not saying out loud lately. What you and Tony have, what I thought for a second you and I had, what I know that Marshall and Lily have, I want that. I do. I keep waiting for it to happen. I'm waiting for it to happen and I guess I'm just tired of waiting. And that is all I'm going to say on that subject.

Stella: You know how I talked my way out of a speeding ticket?

Ted: Really?

Stella: I was heading upstate with my parents, I was doing 90 on the country roads. I got pulled over. So this cop, gets out of his car, swaggers over and he says, 'Lady, I've been waiting for you all day.' And I said, 'Sorry Officer, I got here as fast as I could.'

Ted: For real?

Stella: No, it's just a joke. [pause] I know that you're tired of waiting. And you may have to wait a little while more but, she's on her way, Ted. And she's getting here as fast as she can.

hk food porn - the classics

curry fishballs. CLASSIC. this variation was spicy and sweet too...almost similar to a japanese curry sauce. we got it at kwai chung plaza in kwai fong (which we went to a gazillion times)...and you could smell this on the entire mall level. too enticing while attempting to buy shoes/clothes.


cherng fun and siu mai - this was $10HKD...I have such fond memories of eating cherng fun in wax paper as a kid...slathering the sesame and hoisin sauce on top of course. the siu mai is fish paste siu mai...which I occasionally buy frozen here and steam it myself to recreate nostalgic food memories.


yu dan fun (fishball noodle - I also ordered beef stomach with mine) - the rice noodles in HK are much thinner and more delicious. That green onion mixture in the soup spoon KILLED. oh my...tummy growling now. this is comfort food!

perfect time of day

I was thinking about my favourite time of day last week - for no particular reason. (It must have been a chat between my sister and I...we always have very "unique" conversations about what we like - case in point, the topic of "favourite fingernail" came up just yesterday)

I think the 6pm hour has got to be my favourite. It's when the sun is just setting and there's just enough daylight to go without your car lights for a little longer. There's almost always a slight non-aggressive breeze. It's just enough for the leaves to swoosh oh so tenderly - moving like kids slow dancing for the first time. Steady and shy, back and forth, left and right...without really moving at all.

The best part of the hour is that it signals the end of the day - darkness is beckoning but the daylight isn't about to give up just yet...and time is stuck in tension - just for a little while.

delicious engrish

in rememberance

I still remember being taken out of class and sent to the library so that we could all watch what was happening on the television. It all played out like a tragic scene in your typical Hollywood blockbuster - except this time it was real and not so far from our national backyard.

Violence to this degree has never hit so close to home - unlike those who live in Africa, the Middle East, and many parts of Asia or Eastern Europe - we North Americans never quite experience man-made disaster on such a tangible level. For a few moments in time, the world felt like it was upside down and inside out.

I guess the question is...how does this tragedy affect how we live? Having witnessed this kind of blatant and senseless violence...will we also be more aware of the unjust suffering that still occurs today due to terrorism?

On a slight tangent, I found out about a really neat online project today - and perhaps it's appropriate to end this entry as such. Rather than focusing on those who perpetrated the killings on September 11th, 2001, this project is working on remembering those who lost their lives. Check out Project 2,996 here.

Wee for Glee!

"Glee, by its very definition, is about opening yourself up to joy."

Last night's premiere of Glee wasn't as jaw-droppingly awesome as I'd hope it would be - but again, that's because I expected it to be jaw-droppingly awesome. The pilot was such a brilliant and succinct introduction to the show - establishing character quirks and motivations - that the premiere just felt lacking in punch.

One big problem I have with the show is the lip-syncing. Yes, the voices belong to the people singing it...but it's pre-recorded and the effect can often be distracting. to not have the singing be live also means adding on a thick layer of artifice to the show - which is sad because the show does so well at building these genuine and sympathetic characters that you are dying to root for. this was particularly obvious in the "say a little prayer" and "golddigger" sequences last night. As much as Will Shuester was uber hunky rapping a la Kanye, I couldn't help but notice how fabricated it sounded.

Despite all its shortcomings, Glee is just a joy to watch. It's upbeat and perky in the best of ways...and painfully honest in others. I love that the writers didn't create a bunch of pretentious teenagers who don't even talk like teenagers (remember dawson's creek, everyone?) - but are just letting the show's teens be teens. Heartbreak, blind jealousy, lack of foresight and all...

cheung chau (the island!) - hk food porn

due to some unfortunate niki chow/kevin cheng TVB drama - I have wanted to eat seafood by the pier for quite a few years. I love the idea of picking what you want and then having it cooked for you...as fresh as it gets in hong kong :)







pickled onions and salted peanuts


"peeing" shrimp stir-fried with salt and pepper


long shell clams cooked in black bean sauce


steamed fish - excuse the shrimp carcusses

blindness

Objectivity is a tricky thing. Whether it actually exists is another story, but assuming that it does; how do you obtain it in a situation where your emotional radar is seriously out of whack?

I'm starting to believe that objectivity is gained by the sheer willingness to set your personal feelings and selfish desires aside. There's no way to fully gain objectivity, but you can try, and in trying...you're bound to find some emotional redemption.

Over the last few days, I've also realized that objectivity may not be something that I seek out for and find. Sometimes, God has a way to surprise you and enlighten you - without you having to try at all.

I'm so thankful for the God-blessed ability to see love in a more objective light - and in the meantime, feel the kind of warmth, joy, and butterflies that have come along with it.

note: is this a super confusing entry?

ode to a sandwich

corned beef, spam, and white bread
humble ingredients, to say the least
but you add some perfectly fluffy egg
cut off that nagging brown crust
and what you have is pure indulgent bliss

the way hong kong folks appreciate the simple egg+canned meat sandwich is comparable to the western hot dog...but who am I kidding? when paired with a cup of "stocking (see mut) milk tea", which requires the perfect ratio of evaporated milk and strong black tea, the HK sandwich will always reign supreme in my heart.