Update #1

Guess I should begin re-blogging with what happened when I wasn't blogging. Though it may seem irrelevant to the here and now but they're still what I've been through and a part of what makes me, me. =)

First up: My attempt at making shepherd's pie! =D
I'll leave the end product picture for later... Gotta create a build-up right? Some suspense. So... Here's the process.

Firstly,boil some potatoes until soft enough for you to mash into a smooth and yummy texture.

 Then, (obviously) mash it up. 

Next, (sounds so much like those high school essays!) prepare the beef/whatever minced meat that's gonna be the core of your pie. Added carrots and a (very modified) mix of sauces, as well as peas for some greens!

 

After that (or if possible simultaneously while preparing the meat filling - depending on your ability in the kitchen), melt some butter in a pan and add in the mashed potatoes. Feel free to add whatever you think is needed to improve the recipe. Life without creativity = no life.

 

Find a baking tray or any container that would go into an oven without melting or exploding and fill it up with your meat + vege mixture. Then evenly spread out the super fragrant mash potatoes into layer on top of that like so.

 

In the spirit of creativity, I modified the knife designs on the potato surface. =D

So finally, here it is. End Product:

 Lessons learnt:

Too much potato, not enough other stuff.  

Baking tray was way too big (too wide of a surface area).

But boleh pass bah kan? Compared to this - what it's supposed to look like. 

Hmm. On second thoughts. Maybe I should have tried a few more times before I posted that picture up. Hahaha.

It honestly didn't taste bad though. Promise. =)

Will experiment more, when I'm in the mood.

So far..

Life since I came back from Sabah has been so full.
Full of
drama,
emotions,
travelling,
friends,
laughter,
activities,
love,
and plans.

Had a taste of God's presence. It overwhelms me with wonder and amazement, the fact that knows what He's doing, all the time. However it may seem like you feel you're abandoned or forgotten, know that you're not. Coz He's always there. Loving you. (Now, if only I could hug God....)

1. Thought that I was gonna be bored out of my wits back here but yeah, right! Hahaha.... He definitely saw to that. ;)
2. Thought my industrial training was gonna be a sad case but now, I can see that I'm so blessed to have such interesting colleagues, nice supervisors and such an amazing experience learning so much and getting a chance to have hands-on experience.
3. Thought that I was being put through so much unnecessary heartache and stress but can now grasp the reality that it has strengthened not only myself, but also my relationships with the people I care about. Never knew I had that strength. Now I do. Gotta keep challenging that boundary though. So I understand if/when more trials come. 
4. Though I'm not the most cekap, efficient, thoughtful, caring or sensitive of persons, but I am so so loved. And surrounded by the awesomest people in the world who understand me and accept me for who I am.  And I am so grateful for that. 

Can't exactly complain about anything now, can i? =)

Me = Floorball Goalie

It's just a one time experience lah. But wow.. Serious eye-opener.. Super cekap experience!
When I put the goalie helmet on, it felt like a whole new world!
Here are some pictures...

At the beginning, I was all hyped up... (But inside, I was super jelly-fied knees scared!) The other goalie in blue is Ann, my goalie ji-mui. Super cekap girl. And the guy at the back's Shawn - Nomad coach.

This is me being "attacked", but with lots of mercy from my attackers. Hehehe. With my 5 coaches constantly telling me how, when, where to stop those tiny lil white balls from getting pass me.

Me, every time I let a ball in. (which was pretty often. hehehe!)

To read more, check this out.

Mangifera spp. seeds

are my latest nighmare. Hahaha.
Coz that's the 'star' of my group's Scientific Writing course's assignment.
So for the past few weeks, life's been full of Mangifera pajang, Mangifera indica L, Mangifera this, Mangifera that. Extraction method this, extraction method that. Phew!

Mangifera indica L. (the common mango) and Mangifera pajang (bambangan)

But truly, I've learnt a LOT from this one assignment. Though it's a real pity it wasn't at a more appropriate time of the semester. Sigh. Now everyone's going crazy trying to juggle studying for finals, compiling the Post Harvest assignment, this one, and whatever other commitments they may have. The life of an SSMP student.

In fact, just the other day, a friend went to make a pair of new spectacles. Yay! Shopping! Sad to say, though a few shops were alright, most of the shops had really poor service. =( The last shop we entered was the best! Great sales rep. Scarily, she somehow mentioned that many SSMP students have been to the shop lately. All needing help to see better.

Are we all really staring at our laptops/reading journals/releasing stress by playing computer games so hard?

The most expensive lesson I've learnt, so far...

I will NOT ever reverse a car without looking into the rear-view mirror again.
I will NOT ever reverse a car without looking into the rear-view mirror again.
I will NOT ever reverse a car without looking into the rear-view mirror again.

Hmm. I think I'll spare myself the next 47 lines. =P But know that I did NOT copy & paste the previous 3 ok???

I smacked right into my neighbour's Wira with Eeleen's Viva. Sigh. All because I was in a rush, and I assumed that there wasn't any car blocking me when I turned. And my neighbour assumed that the person reversing the car from his neighbour's place would look properly before stepping on the accelerate pedal.
I guess to ASSUME really makes an ASS of U and ME.

And the damages are costing me a nice hefty sum... =] But like a friend said, accidents make people better drivers. Not too sure if that's true but I'm optimistic that I've learnt from this one lesson. =) It would be a super huge waste of money if I didn't. Hahaha.
And praise God I smashed into an empty car coz if there were any casualties........ GULP!

Breathing

Something many, many, many of us take for granted,
even though it is something so vital in our lives...

~Andrea Boydston~

Didn't really think about it much too, until I was forced forced myself to really push my limits when I went jogging for the past few days. I just can't seem to breathe properly while undergoing physical strain. =( My diaphragm would start hurting and then came the numbness in my hands. After awhile, I would begin to see little white lights. Next would probably be me sprawled unconscious on the ground but no, I didn't push that hard... =P

Honestly? I freaked out at first. Hahahaha. Wouldn't you?
It all started last saturday evening, during the Sutera Harbour organised 7km charity run. (which ended up as more of a 3 km run +4 km walk for me)
I was enlightened on the breathing thing by the ever caring E, who stayed by my side the whole time even though she must have probably been thinking "aiyo, so slow...". Sorry E! Anyways, she said she used to have breathing probs too. And it really slowed her down. Apparently, the trick was to control my breathing from the beginning, and not only when I was beginning to feel like I'd die of asphyxiation.
But hey, we made it! I made it through the entire 7000 metres of toe-torture! =D

Then the very next day, But then we were supposed to be jogging in a group around the lake and it got pretty obvious that I couldn't catch up. I finally told Shawn my hands were numb. And he said, "lower them awhile, let the blood flow." =)
Conclusion: My blood circulation's really bad.

So in a sudden fitness frenzy, E n I have been jogging (Well, E's doing most of the jogging. I just try hard to catch up) almost everyday. Maybe today's going to be an exception since it's getting dark and the blue-coloured lump is still fast asleep on the floor behind me. Hehehe.

Before signing off, (probably for another very long spell) here's a cekap quote related to breathing:

Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life.
~Giovanni Papini~

Muff-muffs

Muffins, muffins and more muffins.
Then there were the muff-kies (thanks to Haziq) and scone-fins. ;)

8 days of pure muffin baking and packaging was, for me:
-(as expected) repetitious
- insightful
- fun
- thought-provoking

Weird huh? Hahaha. I do know that I never want to end up working in a factory line. But I have also learnt that having the right attitude can make the most monotonous job a super enjoyable one.

I experienced that fatigue one gets when working your arse off at that time of the month. Guess I've always used it as an excuse to slack once every month. Haha. Tired was an understatement.

And boy, I think I got a glimpse of what Mel felt last year. It's not only the physical strain but also the mental pressure...
*Salutes* To everyone who's been in charge of any project involving a dateline, the efficiency of your team to succeed, and a target result that was not confirmed until the last minute. (That's you too Deb!)

Pressure is not something I work very well with. But I truly praise the Lord for giving me a wonderful team of people, nay, friends to help push me up every time I felt down.
The worst was when we got negative feedback... Thanks Deb for convincing me and helping me feel better,and not just give up. (Though it was just SO tempting)

I got to know many beautiful souls, and I got so much closer to many of them in my team.
Thanks for spending all your time and energy with me for the past one week.
Thanks for the encouraging smiles and the perseverance.
Thanks for all the ideas, both accepting and giving.
Thanks for sharing a little bit of yourselves with me. =)

It has been a super, super tiring week, and an even more super memorable one.
3 cheers for the Muffin Team!

And to those who haven't been here physically but have been keeping us in thought and prayers,
mom, dad, eeleen, whee, mel, sue, and all you others... A huge thank you too... =)
I wouldn't have managed to retain what little sanity I had left without your concern and care. Hugs.. Thanks for the prayers..

I'm so proud of the SSMP Muffin Baking Team 2009/2010!

What I've learnt in the past 1 month

1. I never want to end up jobless and bored out of my wits after graduation. Even if it means being unpaid and unappreciated under-appreciated.

2. Real friendship lasts a lifetime. Even if it takes a few month/year break, it seems almost effortless to pick up where you left off. And they're always there for you.

3. Always be aware of priorities, all the things that matter in life. Because one can easily forget what's truly important in life and make so many wrong decisions that would cause much regret in the future.

4. I love my family. =)

5. Therefore, it super sucks when there's trouble within. And I realised that I deal with it very poorly. =S

6. God is the one solution that works for every type of problem. =) Too bad so many of us only turn to Him as a last resort...

7. And last but definitely not least,
My dad's a pretty sporting guy!





(It was rather dark - thus less embarrassing, when the local mall experienced a blackout)

Daddy, you're the best! Happy Fathers' Day!
(Mommy, you rawk too! I couldn't ever go clothes shopping with dad so don't be jealous...)

Well, I'm pretty sure there were other lessons learnt and other facts of life reinforced within this one month but well, these are pretty much the most prominent ones. =)

Go Away... PLEASE!

It is an open sore inside the oral cavity.
Once formed, it may be maintained by inflammation and/or secondary infection.
The ominous oral ulcer.

Symptoms

The symptoms preceding it may vary according to the cause of the ulcerative process.

Some oral ulcers may begin with a sharp stinging or burning sensation at the site of the future mouth ulcer. In a few days, they often progress to form a red spot or bump, followed by an open ulcer. Sometimes this takes a little bit longer, depending on the cause of the ulcer.

The oral ulcer appears as a white or yellow oval with an inflamed red border. Sometimes a white circle or halo around the lesion can be observed. The grey, white, or yellow coloured area within the red boundary is due to the formation of layers of fibrin, a protein involved in the clotting of blood. The ulcer, which itself is often extremely painful, especially when agitated, may be accompanied by a painful swelling of the lymph nodes below the jaw, which can be mistaken for toothache.

Causes

There are many processes which can lead to ulceration of the oral tissues. In some cases they are caused by an overreaction by the body's own immune system.

Factors that appear to provoke mouth ulcers include:

• stress
• fatigue
• illness
• injury from accidental biting
• hormonal changes
• menstruation
• sudden weight loss
• food allergies
• deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron and folic acid.

I think my current condition fulfills almost half of the listed factors.. =(

Treatment

Treatments based on antibiotics and steroids are reserved for severe cases, and should be used only under medical supervision.

Some doctors may also prescribe a local anaesthetic, such as lidocaine, for cases of multiple or severe oral ulcers.

Some people benefit from using the over-the-counter topical gel Bonjela, which contains choline salicylate -- choline salicylate is a local analgesic that helps to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with oral ulcers.

But personally, I recommend SANJIN Watermelon Frost in powder form. Significantly less painful than Bonjela and direct salt applications. =)

Much thanks to a friend who introduced this to me when I really couldn't take the pain anymore...

Stupid = ME

I'm sorry I hurt you over and over again.
I'm sorry I don't think.
I'm sorry I disappoint you so much.
Especially in the last few days...

I know 'sorry's are not enough.
But all I can do now is try to make you see I'll try to make it all stop.
Then maybe I won't have to hurt you so much anymore.
And not hurt myself.

Tribute to 2008

It's the new year.
Time to say goodbye to 2008 and look forward to the coming year but before that...
A little flashback to remember and be thankful for the blessings of love and lessons in life.

=)

January: School. Uni Friends. Teddy. La Noche de Espanol. PAP.
February: Valentine's. Chinese New Year. Mid-term exams.
March: More mid-terms. Birthdays.
April: Finals!
May: Home. Friends. Teddy-lessness.
June: Home Friends. Muffins. New room. New life.
July: Responsibilities. 21.
August: Family Day. Pann's visit. 6 months!
September: Life.
October: AIM Night.
November: Finals! Home...
December: Penang. KL. Lata Kinjang. Car sandwich.

But through it all, God and love abound. =)