Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Hahaha..today I'm going to share with you readers the food that I've been eating for the past two days..
As you all may know, I've finished my exams and so have my housemate (OC)..
and so we decided to let our creative mind wander around in search of perfect cuisines for dinner..
He told me the other day that he is actually bored of eating the same thing over and over again...
And so we thought that now is the best time to do these things..
We had lengthy discussion before we finally produced 3 exquisite dishes for 2 nights in a row!!!
First stop, we have lemon chicken!!!
This superbly delicious dish was prepared by the one and only Osbert Chai who had been referred to as OC in my previous entries!!!
He actually made the batter for the fried chicken and the lemon sauce from scratch!!!
Believe me, the sauce and the chicken were not bought from some cheap supermarket...
so credits to him for this lovely and wonderful dish!!! Two thumbs up!!!
The other dish for yesterday night was Chicken Bulgogi..Yes, it is the Korean Bulgogi..it was supposed to be beef, but since I have some strict diet requirement, we have to change it to chicken..All and all, it was an awesome and sumptuous meal..Job well done!!!! By the way, the Chicken Bulgogi is highlighted in light blue colour..I know it's hard to see...hehehehe..
Tonight is even better..
Boosted by our previous night success, we decided to build upon it and create another extraordinary dish...Satay!!!!
Yes, it is the satay that we have always known and seen in the eating place in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc..
The same satay is reproduced tonight with the delicate touch of our professional chefs (Osbert and me!) and the result is this...
It has almost the same taste of the normal satay I tried in Medan..so this can be considered another success!!!
Another job well done!!!
I am so excited about cooking now and the next dish we are going to prepare is Sushi!!!!
I'm so looking forward to it and I will definitely post the pictures here once we have finished making it!!!!
Oh, by the way, this is the face of our proud chef Osbert Chai...
Monday, January 28, 2008
Today, Indonesia was shocked by the news of the departure of one of the finest leading figures in Indonesia's history..
Former President Suharto was announced dead today after suffering multiple organ failures..
In my opinion, he was the finest Indonesian's leader so far..
Even though he adopted authoritarian approach, Indonesia was a safe and secure place back then..
The economy was very stable and life was great even if there is little or even no freedom of speech..
Compare to the condition now, I actually prefer the good old times..
I still remember clearly..
Before 1998, 1USD was equivalent to Rp.2000..
and Rp.100,000 was a huge amount of money back then..
But now, 1USD is equivalent to Rp.9300!!!
The value of the currency has depreciated by so many times!!!
The money is really worthless now..
Rp.100,000 is now a common nominal used in the daily trade..
You go to cafe to have a meal, it will surely hit Rp.100,000 mark unlike the old times..
Everytime I really wonder..
Why did 1998 revolution have to happen?
If not, we would have a way much better living condition now..
After the revolution, safety was one of the aspects that really changed the most..
It is now not safe anymore to go out until late at night unless you have a car and someone to help you watch around while you park your car..
So, we basically exchanged safety with freedom of speech..
Sometimes I wonder..
Is it worth the effort?
Is freedom of speech really more important safety?
The condition is much better now after President Yudhoyono installed General Sutanto as the Head of Police Chief..
but to overturn what has been done for 32 years would require at least that same amount of time..
But, what is done is done..there's no turning back now...
I just hope the people will support the government..
I have confidence that they can make things right but they need time and patience..
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Exam is over!!!
So, the topic of discussion for today is Post-Exam Syndrome (PES)..
Post-Exam Syndrome is a type of emotional imbalance which usually occurs in people who have just finished their exams..
The major cause of PES is not known but there are ample theories that try to explain this abnormal mental condition..
As I mentioned on my previous entries, people who are having exams are very prone to extreme mental pressures..
This happen when the mind realises that the individual needs to cope with something beyond his capacity..
The body then pumps loads of Adrenaline through the blood vessels which causes anxiety..
Extreme anxiety will, then cause the person to force himself awake so as to accomplish the task he is doing and this results in probable reverse biological clock..
This poses stress on both the mind and body and causes mood swing..
PES is mainly an extension of this condition..
After exams, the body is still not able to revert to its original state due to the sudden change in normal routine..
As a result, even though the burden is off, your body is still weary after constant stress exposure..
Mood swing is even more common in PES as the mind and the body contradicts with each other with the mind trying to relax but the body refuses to..
This causes the individual to be even more distressed as he cannot comprehend why he still feels so weary even though his burden is gone...
PES is normally uncommon in our daily life because humans have what the experts called Emotional Quotient (EQ) which is basically a measure of people's adaptability to their surroundings...
People with EQ find it very easy to blend in to the surrounding and vice versa..
EQ is not like Intelligence Quotient (IQ) where there is a value to indicate your intelligence level...
EQ is just more like a standard invented to relate human's psychological behaviour with their surroundings..
With that definition in mind, EQ is related to something that we experienced rather than something we learnt..
If you have a lot of experience of staying in different places in a certain period, then most likely you will have a high EQ..
This may not be obvious to certain people but you will surely find it increasingly easy to adapt to new environments once you have had that much experience under your belt...
So, in short, PES occurs mainly because of our inability to cope with changes in our surroundings which in turn, causes severe effects to our mental and physical condition...
There is no way to avoid it, we can only learn from experience...
Btw, I'm not sure if there is such thing called PES in the first place..I just created it out of the blue..and the theory is of course, my own theory...If you have read all the way until here, I'm sorry to say that I have wasted your time...Cheers..
Sunday, January 20, 2008
I had this conversation with my housemate(OC) yesterday..
*WP*:Eh eh, I have some interesting news..
*OC*:What?
*WP*:Today HM went crazy and offended JH. I think something is really wrong with him.It seems that he likes to offend people now..
*OC*:What did he do?
-----Flashback-----
It was after our paper on Friday, we went to pub to have our lunch. We were talking about anime when he suddenly popped this question.
*HM*:JH, do you like your "kareshi" because he's a Jap?
*JH*:No..
*HM*:If you like anime, surely you're dreaming to have a Jap girlfriend or boyfriend
(At this point, everyone just became silent)
*WP*:No!!Who said that? (Obiviously him..Im just being redundant here)
*HM*:I'm sure you do but maybe subconsciously
*WP*:So, if I like a girl who is not a Japanese, would that mean I have to stop watching anime?
(Feeling that he was at disadvantage, he stopped his effort.)
(Then we talked about MSN when he went berserk and harassed JH (not literally though))
*WP*:Do you like to update your MSN personal message?
*JH*:No..I rarely put anything there..just recently I put Nanami-chan and that's all.
*WP*:Hmm..there are a lot of people I know who update their personal message regularly you know..
*JH*:Yeah..like HM lar!!
*HM*:What?
*JH*:You like to update your personal message right?
(Then HM suddenly went mad and scolded JH like she was his daughter who has blemished the family's reputation)
*JH*:Wait..w're only talking about..
HM ignored JH and continued harrasing her..
*WP*:Stop man!!We did not say anything bad about you..we were only talking about people updating their MSN..that's all..don't get any wrong idea..
(JH looked at me with a resentful gaze indicating she was really pissed. Then we continue to talk about the day when we went to Nando's without HM so I told him the funny things happened there..)
*WP*:Hey, you know I took a video of us bullying her at Nandos's
(I didn't know what he was thinking but surely something dirty..)
*HM*:Hmm..you know you should give girls some personal space
(SSSSSSiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggggg.....)
*WP*:(What the hell is this guy talking about?)
*HM*:Yeah..you should be decent
(Me and JH looked at each other with puzzled expression)
*WP*:Hold on dude!!! I need to make things clear..we didn't touch her at all..we verbally bully her not PHYSICALLY!!!
-----End of Flashback-----
*OC*:Confirm something wrong with him..The other day he just scolded ET..
*WP*:Woohoo..he thinks he is ET's father?
*OC*:I think because of that she doesn't really talk to him anymore..
*WP*:Maybe..no wonder she came to ask me about how to go to London from here? I was a bit surprised. HM should know all these things no?
*OC*:Yeah..maybe because of that..and you know, when he called me one day, I told him I am with JH..then he said, "Oh..now you're with JH" and another time I told him I am with NB and he went,"Oh..now you're with NB". He seems to be jealous?
(I shuddered)
*WP*:Yeah..it happens to me as well..One time, JH called me to ask about process design , after that HM called me and asked why I talked to JH but never talked to him. My mind goes "EEErrr..."
*OC*:He's jealous about all these small things
*WP*:Yeah..and you know when NY came to our house the other day to ask about thermo..he messaged me afterwards saying why I helped NY but not him..It's a bit creepy you know..
*OC*:Yeah..
"Exams are driving me crazy"..
I've heard that quote very often throughout my whole period as a student..
but I didn't know that exams can really drive someone crazy..
I've always thought it was just an exaggeration..
a way to start a conversation..
but this is apparently not the case for my friend who shall be referred to as "HM" for convenience..
This semester exams have been surprisingly a lot!!!
For the past 2 semesters, we always had 5 papers maximum..
but this time we had 7 papers!!
So, I can really understand the extra pressure felt by all fellow students including me!!!
but if you think about it,
you have almost a month of holiday before your exams..
If you think you won't have enough time to revise,
then you should start doing it during the holz..
You don't have to spend the whole day sitting on your table revising..
Just 2 to 3 hours would be enough a day..
If you choose to go on a trip, you do it at your own risk..
you know yourself more than anyone do..
so you should know your limit as to whether you can manage it or not..
but my dear friend "HM", unfortunately, always thinks he is better than anyone else in the world..
I'll just state a famous Chinese proverb, "When you feel that you know more than others, you know nothing."
Humans are God's most extraordinary creation because of our seemingly unlimited intelligence..
so there will always be someone better than you..
maybe not in this country but other parts of the world..
So, what causes HM's behaviour deviation?
I can only think of two reasons..
First, you feel the overwhelming pressure and you started to sleep at an awkward hours..
It is very common for people to have reverse biological clocks during exams..
Because of that, you'll constantly feel tired as the body needs time to adjust to the sudden change..
When people are tired due to lack of sleep, they tend to have mood swing..
I've been through it a few times so I can be called a 'veteran' in this matter..hahaha..
but again, you brought all this upon yourself on your own will even if it is unintentional and you should not drag the others into your own problem..
What I normally do when I'm tired is to just keep quiet..
It's always better to be safe than sorry..
Secondly, HM needs a girlfriend!!! Normally if you are in stressful situation like this, it would be great to have someone to comfort you and give you motivation..
An encouragement from a girlfriend saying, "If you do well for exams, let's go for a trip or I'll come and visit you" would be great..
so I think I need to launch a campaign to find HM a "kanojo"..
I am definitely confident that HM would be a totally different person after that!!!
My part-time hobby is to observe my surroundings and the people within it..
and experience has taught me that once you're attached, you'll never be the same again..
People changes with time..no matter how small that change is, it is still a change!!
Hehehe..blogging is really a good way to waste time and to relieve stress..
Friday, January 18, 2008
I've seen the tears and the heartache
And I 've felt the pain
I've seen the hatred
And so many lives lost in vain
And yet through this darkness
There's always a light that shines through
And takes me back home, takes me back home
All of the promises broken
And all of the songs left unsung
Seem so far away
As I make my way back to you
You gave me faith
And you gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
And feeling this love
I can rise up above
And be strong, and be whole once again
I know that dreams we hold on to
Can just fade away
And I know that words can be wasted
with so much to say
And when I feel helpless
There's always a hope that shines through
And makes me believe
And makes me believe
And I see for one fleeting moment
A paradise under the sun
I drift away
And I make my way back to you
You gave me faith
And you gave me a world to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
And feeling this love
I can rise up above
And be strong
And be strong, and be whole once again
Life goes on
Can leave us with sorrow and pain
And I hold on
To all that you are
To all that we'll be
And I can go on once again
You gave me a love to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
And feeling this love I can rise up above
And be strong
And be whole
Once again
You gave me a love to believe in
You gave me a love to believe in
And feeling this love
I can rise up above
And be strong
And be whole
Once again
'Cause your love
Heals my soul
Once again
I can live I can dream
Once again
'Cause you made me believe
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Japanese pop princess Ayumi Hamasaki has revealed she has gone deaf in her left ear, but has vowed to continue her career and go ahead with an upcoming tour of Asia.
The 29-year old, who is Japan's top-selling singer with 28 number-one hits and nearly 50 million albums sold, wrote on her blog that her left ear "doesn't work anymore" and that it was inoperable. She has known of her condition since going in for an ear check last year, according to her website.
Hamasaki, better known as "Ayu" with a large fanbase in Asia, is believed to be suffering tinnitus, which involves a ringing in the ear that can be caused by constant exposure to sound.
Tinnitus is the same condition that afflicted Ludwig van Beethoven, the famously deaf German composer.
"Nevertheless, I would like to continue as a singer. That's why I would like to continue singing until I reach the limit with my remaining right ear," she said on the members-only fansite, as quoted by Japanese media.
"I won't stop. I won't make excuses. As a professional, I would like to deliver the best performance for everyone," she wrote over the weekend.
Her agency declined comment on her hearing, other than to say that she would go ahead with her second tour of Asia starting in April.
"She will continue her activity as scheduled," said a spokesman for the agency, Avex.
Hamasaki released her ninth album, "Guilty," on January 1. She is due to launch a tour on April 5 to mark her 10th anniversary as a performer.
"It makes me cry to think that even if she's the only one who knows that she can't hear with her left ear, she has continued to sing and showed us her smiling face. That's what I love about Ayumi Hamasaki," wrote a fan on a webpage.
Hamasaki performed last month on the widely watched annual New Year's Eve television song contest broadcast by public network NHK.My deepest sympathy for Ayumi. I will continue to support her!!!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
I'm bored..
so I have decided to update my blog again..
This time I'll share with you readers the wacky photos I took during my trip..
As you can see, I actually vandalized the wall in Barcelona.Well, just kidding of course.I happened to pass by this graffiti and decided to snap it together with that pose.Hehehe..What do you think?
Next, I try to break open a museum's gate..It was a cool and funky gate and the way you open it is a bit unusual..
Oh..I actually found my beloved yellow cat in Barcelona!!!
Anyone remembers Chicken Little? I took this picture in Chocolate Museum in Barcelona and yes, the Chicken is made of chocolate.
A bleeding buoy
I, then, decided to meditate to clear my mind after quite a hectic trip.Hehehe..
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Halo halo!!!
I'm finally back from my holiday to Europe...
It had been a hectic 2 weeks but it was fun!!!
I traveled to Barcelona, Maastricht, Brussel, Amsterdam and Groningen..
Even though the destinations were not as much as my friend's,
I am confident to say that I've seen more than my friend...
The one week time I spent in Barcelona was really interesting!!
I get to feel how it is like to be a Catalan..
Barcelona, as everyone might be aware of, is a metropolitan city..
but being metropolitan does not mean that all the people would understand English...
This is what makes the whole trip very meaningful..
We were forced to learn basic Spanish or rather Catalan in order to communicate with the locals...
We found out that "Proper Tren" in Catalan does not mean "Proper Train" as one might expect, but rather it means "Next Train"...
The same goes with "Proper Client" when you are Q-ing in the supermarket..
The city itself can be described as "The City of Art"..
I feel that the people in Barcelona finds it awkward if something is built plain..
So they have fancy decorations or rather architecture for almost everything that you can see in the streets including street lights..
The above is not public drinking point as you might guess but rather, it is an extension of a street light!
And below are some of the fancy houses in Barcelona. The first is Casa Battlo and the second is called Casa Mila.
But the main attraction is the Sagrada Familia Cathedral which construction is still ongoing ever since 1896 if I'm not mistaken. The whole cathedral is so massive and it's not possible to capture it in full with camera.
Not to forget Estadio de Nou Camp, home to FC Barcelona which may be the biggest and richest club in the world since it does not rely on sponsorship ever since it was established.
After Barcelona, I went to Maastricht (The Netherlands), visited the Wintermarket and tried the Harring and Gluhwein which is just heated German wine.
In Brussel, Belgium, we just visited the city center and tried the best waffle in world!!
Surprisingly, the symbol of Belgium is this peeing statue.I do not know the significance of it.
I still have a lot of pictures to share but I guess it's time for me to get back to my revision. I am finding a good place to upload my photos..somewhere linkable and only certain people can see it and of course, unlimited upload!!! Let me know if any of you readers have any ideas!!!
Thanks to all the blogs i referred to (countless) for html code help :) (esp. cyn' and sixseven)
Adobe Photoshop Elements for supernatural abilities
