1108. topokki

Rant of the day: Hate Sunday nights...

Do you like topokki (Korean rice cake)? It's now one of our favourite food and both dear and I find the hot and spicy flavour the best! You know what? You can actually home cook it in just a few simple steps!

Step 1: Buy the necessary ingredients. Prepare the following items...

1 packet of topokki (600gm - 1000gm)

2 packets of topokki sauce

1 onion (diced)

1 carrot (sliced thinly)

Salt

Step 2: Cook the topokki quickly in a pot of boiling water to remove the layer of oil. Add some salt to pot. Pour away the boiling water and fill it up with ice water or running tap water. This is to maintain it's chewy state.

Step 3: Add some cooking oil and stir fry the diced onions and sliced carrots in a non-stick pan.

Step 4: Drain the water from the pot of topokki and add in them into the pan of onions and carrots only when the onions are turning brown. Cook for about 5min - 10min. Constantly stir the ingredients to prevent the topokki from sticking together.

Step 5: Add in the topokki sauce. If the mixture is too thick, add some water to dilute. Cook for another 5min - 10min. Ensure the sauce are evenly spread around the pan and all topokki are glazed with the them.

Step 6: Once the sauce boils, your topokki are now ready to serve.

1kg of topokki and 2 packets of sauce serves 6 - 8 pax. You can also add in diced beef/chicken/fish cake. If you want to make it more appetizing, sprinkle some white sesame. Perfect for small gatherings or potluck sessions or even CNY!!!

My girl can cook. Can yours too?

1107. technology advancements

Rant of the day: I am so looking forward to Friday... Haha...

After conducting numerous workshops for the public, it sometimes saddens me when you literally see the fear in people when technology advances at the speed of light. Coming to my third year conducting workshops, I'd seen aunties and uncles trying so hard to understand how to use the mouse, where to click to minimise the screen or even where is start button.

I'm listening to complains almost every lessons that some attendees are IT illiterate. I really sympathise with them but honestly, I can only help this much. While we put the blame on them that they are not making enough efforts to adapt, think it this way... one day, we will be in their shoes really.

Now that my mum got herself a laptop, I'm feeling even more of these. Literally everyday, my mum will come up with questions and questions for things like how to copy the images from the digital camera to her thumb drive, where to view photos that were copied out and even how to use MSN!

Sooner or later, she will want me to teach her how to create PowerPoint presentation slides... But first, still on the basics of transferring files to and fro an external device.

But at least, my mum is not that bad. She knows what is Youtube.com and Tudou.com! And even more amazing, she managed to locate where to watch those Taiwan variety shows in Tudou.com!!! Steady pom pi pi ok... Haha...

At the speed of all these technology advancements, we (as in our generation) might find it hard to catch up one day. Probably talking directly to the PC to get words being typed out automatically? Snapping the fingers to change the TV channels? Or just by mere thoughts to navigate the mobile phones?!?!? Scary... I hope I will not find myself not knowing how to switch on my TV in the future.

So while we can start to worry for ourselves, perhaps I shall continue to teach my mum on how to use her laptop (or at least how to surf the Net). Facebook for her? Maybe...

1106. trying things out

Rant of the day: Have the feel of visiting Zirca... It's been ages...

I am going to try out something that's totally alien to me and is extremely high risk... securities trading or to most known as "buy shares"! Not sure if I should be doing it but looking at the prospects of the fund that dear is recommending and also, too get more returns in order to fund my future, I should do it but probably at a much smaller scale.

It's a risk but take it slow and steady. Pray that the returns will jump in folds come the near future.

Back on office stuff, workload is still hell lots... Is like never-ending flow of emails!!! But besides that, still have to conduct classes and that takes up at least half a day! Gawd, please slow things down a lil will ya? It's getting on my nerves everyday looking at the number of emails piling and hitting the edges of the service level deadline. FML!!!

I'm like staying back after my office hours longer and longer each day. Though I'm telling myself "please go home now" but I can't just leave for I know doing that will result in undesirable consequences, i.e. answer to my boss.

My leave indicated for early November is also not approved yet even though we are coming very much soon to the end of October and my boss is on leave next week. Luckily, dear and I did not plan for the Phuket trip else, WE ARE SO SCREWED!!!

*phew*

On the bright side, even if the leave is not approved, it means I will have more days in December off from work because these are my last year leave and by hook or by crook, it must be cleared by this year. Hahaha...

Nevertheless, 2010 is coming to an end... SOON!!!

1105. coming back

Rant of the day: Work work work...

Dear and I make it a point that we visit Bintan once every year, regardless whether to use office subsidized bungalow or to book a room ourselves. We need to slow down the pace and in Bintan, we can find that kinda peace, quiet and space.

And not forgetting the aromatherapy massages. Total relaxation.

But of course, spending in Bintan ain't cheap. A simple meal and easily chalk to S$40 for two! And if you are intending to do some sea sports, get ready more cash as well. But for dear and I, is mainly to chill by the pool and get some tan... Hang out by the beach and pick sea shells... Sit by the balcony at night and savour some light alcohol.

Ahhhhh... That's life!!!

Admiring the view from my room... If only I have sea view everyday now in Singapore. Hahaha...

Hanging out by the beach. Picking sea shells...

Breakfast buffet is ridiculously good! Eat till you drop!

We probably be going to Phuket next year but this plan is besides the annual Bintan visit. Haha... Which resort is good and affordable at Phuket? Any experienced visitors? Share your experience...

But on the day of coming back Singapore was miserable. Don't wanna be back. At least not so soon. We were there at Bintan for only 3D2N... Even though there's nothing much to do, we can pretty well not do anything very proficiently... Haha...

1104. 上吐下泻

Rant of the day: Ran rain go away. You're making me sleepy all day...

这两天请了病假。似乎是感染了病毒。肚子一直翻滚个不停、上吐下泻、发烧发冷，简直是难过极了。就连喝开水都吐！就算肚子饿了，也完全没胃口吃。昨天一整天也只不过吃了一粒苹果和一片面包。

辛苦啊！！！

老板的sms也没让我好过一点。写到好像我故意没照顾好身体似的。不是我要生病的ok。难道我想让自己上吐下泻吗？我也知道自从Ah Pee走了之后，我们人手就不够了。但生病又不是我要的。我也很尽量保持健康了。

*叹*

今天虽然已经没吐没泻了，但是仍然没什么胃口。也因为没吃什么东西，现在全身没力气。我好像吃鱼粥或皮蛋瘦肉粥哦……老板，cheng teng热的一碗！！！