Rescue Ops: Hiking Accident

Sandy, I've been watching too much news.



I dreamt that a search op had been called to find someone who had went missing after a hiking adventure. A bunch of us including myself were amassed to execute the search and rescue.

It was after the heavy rain that we set out in our knee-high roots with our torch-lights and raincoats, divided into groups of two each. After we pushed through those tall grass and similarly looking trees, we found the victim barely conscious under the little hut, trembling and visibly shaken but with superficial injuries.

While the paramedics attended to the victim, my companion walked towards the hill and for no apparent reasons asked if there were people stuck in the jungle and needed help.

The answer that came froze us at our spots into silence. I stared at the companion, fear evident in my eyes. It was a ghostly voice and even though none of us mentioned it, we knew what it meant. One thing led to another and a body wrapped in plastic was found buried in the dirt with the ME carefully carrying the corpse out, giving it his utmost respect.

Perishable

This is a short, vague dream.

I dreamt that we browsed the shopping mall and entered this upscale grocery store, where a lot of the products in real life were being sold. Slid through the aisles, snatched some items from the shelves and paid for it.

There was a crowd gathered in front of this kiosk a little further from the store. Seeing that the menu suited my taste, I joined the queue and bought myself buns and a milkshake.

Which almost happened in real life.

I dropped almost 100 bucks on a week’s worth of grocery at Justlife last Monday. Between organic vegetables and products, it was well-spent.

Not only that.

On my way back from the store, I swung by The Loaf to catch 5 buns and 1 chocolate brownie. The only exception is that I didn’t purchase any milkshake.

Food Review: Organic Freshmart Restaurant, Subang Jaya

I didn't take pictures of the restaurant and of the dinner crowd because I was seated at the table closest to the boss. Let's just say I wasn't keen on him spotting me with the camera.

I know my review may not be perfect or up to par with food bloggers, but there's a first to everything. Allow me some more practice lessons and I'm sure I'll be better as the time passes us by.


Basil Fried Beehoon, RM8.90

Had requested the waitress to pass the message to the chef that I wanted the dish to be cooked with less, less oil.

Sure, it was still a little oily but what surprised me was that it was less salty than before.


Mini Hawaiian Pizza (with a thick crust), RM8.90

The only difference to this dish is that it contains less oil than its commercial siblings. The taste and the presentation are still there, with only different varieties of vegetables used - pineapple, green bell peppers (to UK and Asian readers, that would be green capsicum), tomatoes and more.

Address: Organic Freshmart,
17 & 19, SS 18/1B,
47500 Subang Jaya

Business Hours: 10am to 9.30pm

The Rare Weekend

On those Sundays when I don’t attend Mass, I’m usually sprawled on the bed catching up on the previous episodes of my favorite shows on TV.

But today was an exception.



I took a break from the idiot box and baked another batch of the banana cake recipe that I posted yesterday to accompany the mango fruit smoothie.

It's really easy; throw in the diced mango in the blender, pour in the yoghurt and blend it away. If you are however like me, you can use Breville's smoothie mixer instead.

Banana Cake (Umpteenth Attempt)

Wet Ingredients
1 cup milk
4 tali bananas, roughly mashed
1 tsp Bourbon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, room temperature

Dry Ingredients
120g flour
1 tbsp molasses sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Grease a square baking dish (I'm using Pyrex, but non-stick should be an okay substitute) with butter or oil.
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Mix all the wet ingredients in one bowl.*
Carefully combine the dry ingredients with the wet.**
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish.
Whack it into for 40 minutes (10 minutes on the upper rack, 30 minutes on the lower rack) or until an inserted stick comes out clean.



*If you fancy a salty cake, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt. If you fancy a sweet cake, add another tablespoon of sugar.

10/26/2012

It’s such a pity that I’m no longer that fervent moviegoer who’d scream for joy and beg Papa Carrie whenever a movie of her choice has premiered. Nay, like the rest of the childhood in me, I’ve grown out of that stage; it’s mostly a pick-and-choose method for me nowadays.

Credits to New Perfect Two (新天生一對) | Chinese Wikipedia for the image

I might’ve bought the DVD in secret – well, not exactly since the two friends I was with were pretty much aware of the intention – but I’d still rather purchase the movie ticket and bawl with my movie companion over the emotional scenes – if I can make it. Truth be told, it’s not for the plot that I’m watching it, it’s not even for Ella (from SHE) or Zai Zai (F4). It’s more for the little Xiao Xiao Bing.

The trailer has burnt my eyes more than once. So yeah, it did tug at the heart of the viewer in me.

Right now, nobody seems to know when it will arrive at our shores. Maybe it didn’t do that well in Taiwan. Maybe the local movie franchiser hasn’t bought the licensing rights. All I can say is that those folks in China and Taiwan are really, really lucky to have caught the movie for the Chinese New Year period.

I’ll play it by ear; if the movie and I have no fate, only then will I remove the DVD from its hiding place and whack it into the player, sacrificing one afternoon watching it.

And write a movie review on it.

Sure, the occasional trips to the cinema with friends may be relieving on my part since it allows me to get away from the neighborhood stress but it doesn’t work all the time.

Ms. N’s right; you can choose anyone but your family and neighbors. This kind of stress is new; I’m not adapting to it very well especially when it involves a mixture of kindergartens, noisy children, quirky pets and the many colors of certain neighbors.

*shoots glances here and there*

Methinks the permanent solution would be for me to pack my bags and call it a day, which will be coming soon, that I can tell you. But it brings me a set of petty issues. A part of me wants to leave unnoticed but the other part is reminded of the idiom – out of sight, out of mind – and doesn’t want the past to repeat itself.

I’ll figure that one out when the time comes.



Accepting and burying the past with the key thrown into the straits was tough but it was for the best. I had the feeling that if I had continued wallowing in the past, it’d be a downward spiral to the dark world of depression.

Believe me when I say that my past contained a whole load of messy, complicated matters because it really was that. 

One Outlandish Weekend

Smell the refreshing air, inhale the fresh air.



Ban Zai, I'm really surprised to see you. Care to guide me to the restaurant? =D



Make a guess. What do you think it is?



The table waiting for us to amass the countless plates of food - empty and full.