Wandering Daze

A Surreally Mundane Day

2012-01-18T21:18:00.002-05:00

Classes have started and I can already anticipate that this semester will be much busier with a heavier workload. Well, there's nothing I can do about it except grit my teeth and just work really hard.

Today was just another day. Well, almost... I think.

I was the earliest to reach the professor's office where we have our classes. In the course of our chit-chat, I happened to mention that I was doing some exercises this morning at which the professor stood up to ask me if I can do certain stretches. And then, somehow the conversation progressed to me demonstrating basic martial arts movements and splits that I have not been doing for many years. (=_=)......

The professor gamely did the horse stance (马步) and forward stance (弓步) with me. After which, she excitedly went to call another professor next door to join us. And then, it became that the three of us were doing all kinds of stretching exercises together until the rest of the classmates entered the room. (-_-)......

After class, I went to replenish my missing stationary at the stationer's and then, I popped into the supermarket next door. As I strolled down an aisle contemplating about what to have for my luner (lunch+dinner), I was greeted by a loud explosion immediately in front of me.

A huge gallon of Coke had exploded and its brown liquid splattered all over the floor.

If I had taken a step earlier, I would have been drenched in the explosion of bubbly soft drink and be walking back to my apartment in sub-degree weather smelling like Diet Coke. The store worker who was about to load the bottles onto the shelves was not so fortunate and got blessed by the shower of sticky-sweet brown liquid.

I took a sympathetic look and then calmly turned to another aisle with cleaner floors to continue thinking about my luner.

And that was my afternoon today, mundane with some indescribable surreal moments.

The Start of Another Round of Bia-ing. Go, go, CP-小强!!!

2012-01-16T21:55:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow is the start of the semester.

Honestly, I had been feeling increasingly stressed since last week. The sense of dread became heavier as the new semester approaches and for the past few days, I was trying my best to convince myself that since I had survived last semester, I shouldn't have much problem with this coming school term.

But of course, saying that and being able to believe in that are two different matters. There are times when your mind just refuses to be hypnotised.

I really like my school, the people here and my classes. It's the workload and the return to the daily mad rush of assignments that was making me very stressed. A week's holiday break was just not enough to recuperate. My braincells haven't had the time to regenerate themselves and I still feel too mentally drained to go back to a daily 10++ hours 7-days weekly work routine.

And then while I was preparing for tomorrow's classes just now, I actually felt a sense of anticipation! (o_o)?!

Maybe I'm masochistic by nature, who knows. ;-P

It's like one of those epiphanic eureka moments where a flash of insight suddenly hit me: So what if it's going to be another crazy semester of never-ending assignments and long work hours. At most I'll just work really hard until I fall ill again. It's really nothing because I will always recover and be able to continue to work. It's not as if I'll die from it. :)

And with that comforting (?) thought in mind, I'm all prepared to face the new semester. :-D

The Voice of a Child

2012-01-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

Words written on the boarded-up windows of an old run-down building near 190th Street.

What do you do when you see this on the streets?

More than Just A Street Apart

2012-01-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

That day, I had a choice between the public bus which departs from The Cloisters museum and walking a short distance to the MTA train station.

I chose to walk because I wanted to see more of the area and I'm glad I did that.

New York is a fascinating place. You can turn down a street and encounter an entirely different neighborhood.

Each neighborhood has its own character and way of livelihood. Till now, I am still always surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere with a single step into another street, particularly by the highly obvious rich-poor divide.

To get to the train station, I went through the 190th street neighborhood in Washington Heights where majority of the population there is of Dominican descent.

It's a gritty place that was a world apart from the beautifully manicured area surrounding Fort Tryon Park. It may not look pretty or clean but I like this dynamic area more than the oppressively sterile atmosphere of the downtown financial district area.

Wandering Around NYC: The Cloisters

2012-01-12T21:34:00.161-05:00

Other than the fact that I was trying to avoid the tourist crowds and needed a quiet respite, another reason that I decided to head to The Cloisters was because there is a collection of Medieval art there by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I have never seen a large collection of medieval artifacts (5th-15th century European art) in the real before so it made perfect sense to go there for a trip and take a look, especially when I have free entrance into the place. Ah, the benefits of being a student~~

Stairway entrance into the museum

Just entering this entrance was enough to impress me with the museum's attempt to recreate the dark architectural aesthestics of the Middle Ages.

There are many beautiful corridors within the museum.

Doorway

France, Lorraine, early 16th century

Limestone

I was stunned to find out that this doorway was also part of the exhibit. In fact, there were numerous exhibits of antique doorway and portals, even part of a church chapel from Spain!

How in the world did they managed to get these doorways here without ruining the structure of their original places of belonging??

Portal

Italy, Tuscany, ca.1170-1180

Carrara marble

Fuentiduena Apse
Spain, Castile-Leon, Segovia, ca. 1175-1200
From the church of San Martin at Fuentiduena
Exchange loan from the Government of Spain




Exhibition hall of sarcophagus

The Lamentation

Central Spain, about 1480

Walnut with polychromy and gilding

Doesn't this look like a beautiful painting? But it is actually...

...... a sculptural piece!

Pascal Candle Holder

Spain, Castilla-Leon, about 1450-1500

This was the largest candle stand I have even seen! (o_o)!!!

Decorated with Old Testament prophets, saints and apostles, it was used during the Easter Festival.

Altar Predella and Socle

Spain, about 1456-58

From the chapel of the archbishop's palace at Zaragoza

Reliquaries for the Skulls of Female Saints

South Lowland, Brabant, early 16th century

Oak, polychromy, and oil gilding

Episode from The Story of the Redemption of Man: Christ is Born as Man's Redeemer

Huge tapestry from Southern Netherlands, 1500-1520

Saint Michael

Northern Spain, Castilla-Leon, about 1530

Salt cellar

Yeah, you read it right, it is a container for salt.

Lectern in the form of an eagle

From the church of Saint Peter at Louvain, about 1500.

To put it in simple terms, this is a very elaborate bookstand.

Souls Tormented in Hell

ca. 1500-1510

Justice

ca. 1510

Wandering Around NYC: Fort Tryon Park

2012-01-12T21:32:00.003-05:00

Just a few days and I already had enough of the city.

The tall looming buildings, the faceless mass of people, the stuffy dirty train carriages, the dull busy streets where loud advertisements scream into your eyes and car horns echo from everywhere...

Maybe the above sounds exciting and attractive to some people, but I prefer my peace. Sometimes I wonder why fate sent me to two of the busiest cities in the world. I know I should be more appreciative but... sigh.... nevermind. (-_-)...

Anyway, I was in desperate need of some recuperation from the mad city buzz. So on Tuesday, I decided to head to The Cloisters museum in Fort Tryon Park which I presumed would be a less popular tourist destination, aka quiet relaxing spot.

I knew I can get a good view of the Hudson River there. What I didn't expect was how beautiful the place was. (^ ^)

When you see such a sign, you already know you can expect to have a good time there. (^ ^)

These words are something that I think everyone should remember and always remind themselves of it.

Fort Tryon Park changed my impression of what a winter nature scene is like.

Despite being in need of nature, I didn't want to go to Central Park that day because the bare trees and dry yellow grounds will only make me more depressed about the winter season.

But I was really pleasantly surprised by the colorful grounds of Fort Tryon Park. The beautiful autumny, almost summery colors of the flora cheered me up greatly.

Hudson River

Common winter scene: Bare trees

Winter is not just about snow, you know ;-)

No wonder some say that trees are the veins and arteries of earth.

My destination for the day in the distance

My destination for the day: The Cloisters museum

When I saw this, I could imagine my niece and I having a lot of fun blowing the fuzz off this. (^ ^)

I want to let my kid niece and toddler nephew see and touch the soft velvet on these leaves. (^ ^)

Crow and its nest

Wandering Around NYC: Wall Street

2012-01-11T22:11:00.116-05:00

This was also an incidental discovery.

After a happy time exploring the museum, I decided to continue with my original plan of walking all the way down to Soho to see what the place was like.

I didn't think much about the large number of tourists around since the entire NYC itself is a movie spot.

And while I was strolling along, I saw the name of the nearest MTA station and suddenly realised that I'm right smack in the middle of the world-famous Wall Street financial district!

Ok, totally hadn't intended to see this area but since I was there, I might as well take a better look, right?

This was especially so when one sees something like the above photo. A barricaded area and swarms of people with cameras held high only indicate that there must be interesting stuff around, right?

And so I followed the line of people walking into the barricaded spot, which turned out to be the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall... cheh.

Unlike the chaotic vibrance of Hong Kong, Wall Street was an extremely orderly and neat place.

I felt like an ant among the skyscrapers.

Hmm... no, that's not very accurate. When among the tall Caucasians, I felt even smaller than an ant.

I felt like an aphid, LOL~

On the right side of the above photo is the Federal Hall where George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States.

You can see part of the Trinity Church in the far background between the space of the two skyscrapers.

Police on patrol in front of the building of the New York Stock Exchange

Title of photo: Police, Horses, Photographer and Horse Manure

This really caught my attention when I walked past it.

Why in the world were people queuing in the middle of the road? What's more, there was an NYPD patrol car among them. (0_o)?

It turned out that these people were queuing to take photos with the Wall Street Bull.

(I only found out later what this statue was when I spotted small replicas of it selling on tourist stands. I totally regretted not getting one for my brother at that time, why didn't it occur to me then?? Argh......)

Wandering Around NYC: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

2012-01-10T07:27:00.301-05:00

It was by accident that I came by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

After returning from Staten Island, I was feeling a bit feverish from heatstroke (yeah, can you believe it? Heatstroke in winter season (=_=)"') but I thought I could try walking to Soho to check out the scene.

Then, my attention was caught by a moving figure at the top of a building.....

Man carefully sweeping the ledge of the building

Don't worry, he was wearing a construction helmet and attached to a safety harness.

And then, my eyes were attracted by the designs on the surface of the building......

The busts above the windows actually had different ethnic features!

I was so impressed by the amount of thought that went into the architectural design of the back of the building that I became curious about what the front would have.

Main entrance of the museum

And it didn't disappoint.

I was stunned by the magnificent Roman-Grecian sculptures that dominated the museum entrance and the monumental Roman columns looming above.

What stunned me even more was that there was free entry into the museum! LOL~ what a lovely surprise (^ ^)Y

Rotunda of the museum

Another breathtaking place of beauty

Actually, I was puzzled by one question while touring the area:

If it is meant to be a museum for the American Indians, why are the exhibits housed in such a building that is so strongly Corinthian in design? (0_o)?

Just a question that popped up in my mind, nothing intended.

Inside the Infinity of Nations exhibition hall

There were four main exhibition halls in the museum.

My first instinctive move was to enter the Infinity of Nations hall which showcased the arts and history of the American Indians.

I highly recommend this museum because other than the fact that it has free entry, there are many amazing works of art there which would change your mind about the culture and lifestyle of the American Indians.

Ok, you might not learn much about the complex history of the numerous tribes of American Indians but you will definitely have a great time looking at all the artifacts and photos.

I spent around two hours slowly touring the museum and ooh-ing at all the marvelous exhibits.

Hand-carved and decorated gourd, 1925

This is an ancient Andean art form which is rarely in practice now.

Pueblo pottery, 1965

Very impressive intricate geometric design which is extremely hard to create on a curved surface.

Mi'kmaq box

Birchbark, porcupine quill, spruce root, dye, ca.1860

Yup'ik hunting hat

Wood, ivory, baleen, iron alloy, cordage, ca.1870

Inupiaq box

Wood and ivory, 1880-1900

It's different from the delicate exquisiteness of Japanese lacquer boxes or the complex intricacy of Chinese wooden boxes.

But it definitely has its own character and charming beauty.

I spent time trying to figure out how they managed to curve the thick wood into such a smooth shape for the sides of the box. I like the unusual oblong shape of this particular wooden box.

Moccasins

Deer hide, glass beads, cotton thread, 1880

Beautiful beadwork on this pair of moccasins.

The stunning beauty of some of the footwear display reminded me of the elaborate beadwork of the Peranakans.

Tepanec Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent), god of life and creation

Basalt, A.D. 1325-1521

It was sad to look at this.

When I first saw it, I couldn't understand what it was used for and mistook it to be some kind of huge stone mortar.

Apparently, it used to be an elaborate sculpture of the creation god of American Indian myths but its head was cut off and its body was drilled to create a base for a Christian cross during the Spanish colonial rule... It's sad to see such destructive ways of religious intolerance, sigh.......

Tepanec Ehecatl, the wind god

Basalt statue, A.D. 1325-1521

"Ehecatl, the wind god 'swept the path for the gods of water,' bringing forth life and fertility. The changing movement of the wind is reflected in the deity's twisted body."

Doesn't the tilting head remind you of the cute kodama (木魂, wood spirit) in the Studio Ghibli anime, Princess Mononoke? (^ ^)

Maybe Studio Ghibli got its inspiration from this?

Manteno seat

Stone, A.D. 500-1500

A grand piece that was carved from a single block of stone. (0_0)!

Maya bas relief depicting a ball player

Limestone, A.D. 600-750

Muisca tunjo

Gold alloy, A.D. 1000-1500

Votive piece used as offerings in temples, caves and other sacred places.

Kwakwaka'wakw mechanical mask

Wood, paint, fur, cordage, ca.1900

This large fish mask was worn on the back of a ceremonial dancer. It probably represents Namxilagiyu, a halibut-like sea monster.

Buffalo Bladder

Buffalo bladders are waterproof and used as containers or pouches to hold sharp objects like porcupine quills.

This is what I call making full use of every natural resource (^ ^)

Inka khipu

Cotton and dye, A.D.1425-1532

I read about this a long time ago but I didn't expect to finally see one. It was quite something to see something from a book appear in front of my eyes. (^ ^)

The Inka used this simple device for record-keeping such as tax records and inventories. Amazing, right?

The old with the new

Marital bliss

Exhibition of dolls of the American Indians

There's a certain rustic charm to these dolls.

Doll and its cradleboard which was used to carry the doll around

Wandering Around NYC: American Saint

2012-01-09T22:00:00.004-05:00

I actually didn't take much notice of this place until I saw what was written on the lower part of the sign, "First American born saint."

Religion and nationalism embodied in one single short sentence.

One thing that I find it hard to understand is how is it that there are so many saints in Catholism?

Is there some kind of criteria that once a person fulfills, that person is automatically named a saint?

Doesn't it make you curious about what that criteria is...? (0_o)??

Wandering Around NYC: Art in the City

2012-01-09T21:59:00.007-05:00

When I walked past this installation near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, my only thought was that it was such a vulgar piece of art.

The reason being that it looked to me like a taller person ramming his knee into the groin area of the smaller person who was leaping up in shock...

....... and the taller person was laughing gleefully at the smaller person's pain.

................ (=_=)""""

Keith Haring

Untitled (Figure Balancing on Dog), 1986

Painted steel 12 x 10 x 10 feet

The Lever House Art Collection

That misunderstanding lasted until I went to look at the title of the work which described it as "Figure Balancing on Dog."

Ah...... now the design made sense, haha.

And that is modern art for you, it allows you to have multiple "interpretations". ;-P

Wandering Around NYC: Staten Island

2012-01-09T07:47:00.000-05:00

Although I'm more of a mountain person, I recently felt like getting in touch with my sea side.

So on Saturday, I headed to South Ferry to take the free ferry ride to Staten Island for a short day trip.

I didn't have any plans for the day. My only intention was to take a ride on a boat and feel the sea breeze. (^ ^)

On the lower deck

The ferry was HUGE.

I took the ferry named Liberty of America which had about 4 decks when I headed to the island. Each deck can seat more than 2000 people.

The port side of the ferry on my return trip

It had glass windows with fabulous views, though I prefer the Liberty of America which was much bigger and had open sides.

Part of Manhattan with Brooklyn Bridge on the right

Manhattan

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Statue of Liberty

I think whoever designed this was ingenious in choosing green color for the statue.

The color was really prominent in the distance.

A sign in the restroom at the St George Ferry Terminal

This was hilarious. I don't know how useful this prohibition sign was because...

... it was displayed at such a high height. I wonder who can see it? LOL!

The Postcards 9/11 Memorial

It's designed to look like postcards that were sent to the Sept 9/11 victims.

Names of some of the Sept 9/11 victims

Somehow, this reminded me a lot of what I had seen in Hiroshima where many memorials were constructed for the victims of the atomic bomb.

A tiny gift left for the deceased

Detail of memorial

Can you see that they were designed to resemble the silhouette of the side profile of faces?

Something in front of the memorial

I don't know what it was for... there's a lot of interesting graffiti on it though.

View from the memorial

My lunch at Staten Island: Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel

Sounds interesting but it was just ok. Anyway, what mattered was that I was feeling weak from hunger and it did its job. (^ ^)"'

Besides, I have never seen this flavor before so it was worth a try :-)

I wish there were more jalapeno peppers in it to up the spicy factor. I eat my Carl's Junior Burger with loads of the hottest jalapeno peppers so you can imagine how I was looking forward to this bagel spicing up my day. Sigh... what a pity.

Something interesting about the history of Staten Island

I was really intrigued by these flocks of wild ducks by the sea.

Only saw such sea ducks on Discovery Channel so it was quite something to see them for real. (^ ^)

The area near the St George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island was a very quiet small town.

Most buildings weren't higher than six levels so you can imagine that the entire area was pretty open and bright.

But it was a very hilly place so there was a lot of walking up and down slopes. Very good exercise. (^ ^)"'

The temperature for that day suddenly went up from the -11 to 2 degrees range to a weird -1 to 14 degrees range. I got a bit of heatstroke on that day.

The place was very quiet with few people around. I guess most of the residents had gone for work in the main city area of Manhattan.

If it weren't for the numerous cars around, I wouldn't have imagined anyone living in this ghost-town-like place.

Nice quiet place to check out the quaint architecture

A house with great "character"

My attention was caught by a sign on the glass window of this door.

Sign on the glass window

LOL, what an "appropriate" advice for burglers, LOL~~~

I wanted to check out the opulent interior of the St George Theatre but it was closed.

I actually walked past it without knowing that it was the place I was looking for and had to later detour back, haha.

Guess what the yellow-circled item is?

This was something that I thought only happened in the past and in the movies.

I never thought I'll see a real example of it in this small quiet town. (-_-).................

Shoes in the trees... (=_=)..............

It was by accident that I caught sight of these sports shoes dangling among the bare tree branches and overhead electricity wires.

I was just checking out the street to determine my location when something bright up in the tree caught my attention.

I was speechless when I saw what they were. Honestly, I don't think I was amused or liked seeing this because it only meant that some kid was bullied pretty badly.

Wandering Around NYC: Peace Fountain

2012-01-08T08:34:00.115-05:00

If you do go to The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, you must stop by the Peace Fountain which is located beside the cathedral.

It's a tiny park where this dramatic metal sculpture will immediately catch your eye.

The theme of the sculpture is the triumph of good over evil which is symbolised by... well, a lot of things. You can read the descriptions below ;-P

Giraffes, symbols of peace, nestling up to the Archangel Michael...

...... who had just decapitated Satan. (-_-)...

Peace and murderous violence in one scene.....

......... and immediately outside a church too... (-_-)............

Anyway, can you make out the corpse of Satan under Michael's sword?

Satan's decapitated head in the claw of a giant crab, which symbolises "Life's origins in sea and struggle."....

.......Yeah, I don't get the symbolism either but the sculpture was dramatic enough to keep my attention. (^ ^)

More giraffes on the moon that "reflects the tranquility from a joyous sun smiling to the East."

There's more about the swirling primordial chaos of Earth and DNA and such.

........ (=_=).........

...... Is it me or am I really slow in understanding the symbolism intended in all these??

I think the problem with modern art is that it tries too hard to put too many meanings into one thing in an attempt to make it look sophisticated and complex.

But in the end, it forgets itself and becomes a mess that totally loses its original intention.

I get very distressed whenever this happens.

Children's Sculpture Garden

Art about freedom by students of lower and upper schools.

Noah's Ark

I was very taken by this extremely imaginative and cute metal sculpture of a two-headed dino beast.

Aren't the lively imagination of children simply amazing? (^ ^)

Gandhi

Confucius

Wandering Around NYC: The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine

2012-01-07T08:11:00.026-05:00

During my early days in New York, I was on a bus when it went by a huge cathedral that was absolutely stunning in its darkly solemn grandeur.

I told myself then that I have to return there one day to see it, which of course, I did.

One of the entrances into the cathedral

The heavy metal doors were roughly twice the height of an average Caucasian man.

The cathedral was extremely big. (o_o)

As I was admiring it, I overhead a walking tour guide telling some people that this is the largest gothic church in the world.

I don't know how true this is but it was undeniably breathtaking to see looming above.

I am used to seeing Chinese, Hindu and Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, mosques,and modern churches. And I think I can say with confidence that I have already visited nearly 100 temples and shrines, if not more.

Though I have to admit that I never thought of going to churches since they don't seem to have as much architectural interest as temples and shrines.

But the beautifully intricate and expressive sculptural designs of this large cathedral won me over.

I'm a Renaissance art lover, particularly that of the sculptural aesthestics of Michelangelo and the perspectival realism of Lorenzo Ghiberti (Check out his stunningly impressive bronze relief panels: Gates of Paradise).

I truly think that nothing can beat the vision, the technique, the artistry and the experimental spirit of the Renaissance period.

So you can imagine how happy I was to see such amazing works of art here that brought back fond memories of my art studies.

Ah, those were the wonderful days of staying back in school with my cohort till late at night twiddling with all kinds of tools and machinery....

....... and being forced to climb over the school gate to get home because it was locked once night falls, LOL~

Don't you just love how individualistically expressive each sculptural piece is? (^ ^)

It was spellbounding to see the atmosphere change when varying shades of sunlight fall on them in different angles. There's an ethereal, almost eerie feel to them.

This is a very atmospheric place to go to when the sun is setting. Hmm... would people stone me if I recommend this as a nice dating place? Highly recommend to those couples who are looking for otherwordly romantic places to hang out ;-)

Wandering Around NYC: Chinatown

2012-01-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

Actually, I had not planned for Chinatown to be the first place to start off my wandering adventures.

But since my long-time friend suggested having dim sum there and I needed to stock up on my supply of herbs, and most importantly I am FREED from any work at the moment, it was a very good place and time to meet up. (^ ^)Y

Part of Chinatown near Little Italy

This is something in New York that I am always very intrigued by: Store spaces under the street.

If you don't watch your step while walking, you might just fall down the stairs (if there are any) because the entrance is just under the pavement.

Some of these underground spaces are used for storage purposes or kitchen area for the tiny restaurants above them. They usually have metal flap doors for the entrance which transform into flat ground when closed.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

It was by accident that another friend, 'Sister' Kure and I came by this place a few months ago.

We went in to check it out after seeing a sign which declared that it is voted one of the best ice creams in NY.

Custard and Black Sesame ice cream

At that time, it was mid-autumn when the weather was still cool. I remember wanting another flavor but it was sold out. So I opted for Custard instead.

Highly recommend this place because the gelato-like texture of this ice cream is just fabulous. Very smooth and creamy but not overwhelmingly rich or sweet.

Although I personally don't find the flavors there interesting, you'll still get some exotically nice flavors, like Lychee and Yam. (In case you're wondering, my idea of "interesting" ice cream runs in the flavors of bacon, fish, wasabi, flowers, miso, bovril, unagi, beef, leek, carrot, etc. So don't be too caught up by my opinion ;-P )

Zen Butter ice cream

This time round, I asked for Pumpkin Pie and again, the flavor I wanted was sold out. (=_=)...

So I opted for Zen Butter, which was a mix of peanut butter and sesame ice cream. Honestly, I didn't know what it was when I ordered it. I was too intrigued by its name to think about its flavor, haha

I was very impressed when my friends went to get themselves Bubble Milk Tea and was asking them if they felt cold drinking that iced beverage in this weather. The temperature yesterday was -1 to 4 degrees.

And to think that a few minutes after my friends left to run their errands, I actually had an ice cream in my hand, LOL~~

Till now, I still can't decide if it was a ridiculous thing to be eating ice cream in freezing weather conditions. My lips were numbed even before I finished half of the ice cream and I couldn't taste much of the flavor.

But one thing's for sure, it was quite an experience (^ ^)"'

My favorite aisle: Tea on the right and Chinese herbs on the left (^ ^)

After my friends left, I stumbled upon the Hong Kong Supermarket while exploring Chinatown on my own.

It's a huge 2-level supermarket stocked with an immense amount of foodstuffs. I was really pleased to be able to find so much Asian foodstuffs in one place.

I think I spent around 1.5 hours browsing the area. You absolutely can't drag me out of any supermarkets, I'm a supermarket shopaholic, LOL.

In any case, the first place I normally explore in any country that I travel to is the local market since it is the best place to learn about the people's living habits. You'll be surprised at what you'll find in such places. I know I had much fun and learnt a lot there. (^ ^)

My Purchases:

Black fungus, Chinese barley, Dried red dates, Huai shan herb, Lotus seeds, Dried laver, Prepacked herbal soup ingredients.

My dad advised me to get this 8 Treasure herbal soup to revive my energy

Thin egg noodles and flour vermicelli

I'm more of a noodle than a rice or bread kind of person.

Man tou (steamed buns)

One of the purchases that I'm very pleased with: Man tou.

There are more than 10 varieties available but there was only one that I could buy.

Reason: Because the rest uses soy bean oil in them!!! (> <*)

Why, why, why? Why do they use soy bean oil or soy flour in all the breads here?! I can't even eat a bagel without my skin breaking out due to food allergies. (> <*)***

Anyway, luckily this particular brand of mantou used corn oil instead. whew...

I love man tou. I don't know why, I just love it.

It's such a simple, fuss-free, filling and yet versatile food. There's always something very nostalgic about it...

You can steam it and eat it on its own, or deep-fry it till its golden brown and crispy on the surface or slice and fry it.

It is often eaten with a side or main dish, like chilli crab, stir-fried minced meat or vegetables, curries, chowders, etc. As I've mentioned earlier, it is a very versatile food.

I like it plain on its own.

The ones in Singapore have sugar added in them so they are sweeter and more flavorful. In comparison, this version is plain and almost tasteless. But I still like it.

How I store my supply of dried herbs and foodstuffs.

Good way to recycle my containers.

Finally Released!!!

2012-01-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

...... Well, at least released from work for the time being until I start on my research proposals later this week... (-_-).......

Argh, don't think about it, don't think about it. Just enjoy the moment now. (^ ^)Y

It is a GREAT feeling to no longer have deadlines biting up my back and breathing down my neck.

The past four months had been a very tense period where every week was truly a mad scramble to finish all the assigned readings and writings.

I don't even recall feeling such an amount of stress when I was rushing my MA thesis. (=_=)...

Anyway, when I printed out my paper and submitted it this morning, the feeling of relief was indescribable. Like I can finally yell "Sayonara~~" to this school term and get ready for the new semester with no burden, whew.......

The first thing I did was to make myself a big pot of White Radish Soup. If there is one dish that I cannot live without, it will be soups, particularly the Cantonese-style type.

And it has been a long time since I have had the time to do slow cooking. So instead of going out to wander around, I did another of my favorite activity as reward for all the hard work: Cooking soups. o(^ ^)o

And then for the rest of the afternoon, I went to:

1. Tidy my bills and update my bookkeeping records.

2. Settle stuff that I had promised to help my family with.

3. Reply emails.

Ah yes, what a mundanely practical afternoon I had.

Seriously, if there is one thing that I know for sure and what the past semester here had embossed into my mind, it is that no matter how tired or sianz you feel, settle your tasks as soon as possible.

Because there will always be more tasks popping up and the last thing you want is to have all of them collapsing down on you at the same time. *shiver*

So that's how I passed the bulk of my long-awaited afternoon of freedom: Settling mundane stuff. まぁね... (^ ^)"""

But of course, I also have my ways of brightening up my hardworking afternoon. And that is to be really gungho and just order from the internet the item that I have been wanting to get for the past few years but can never find a suitable design that I like.

Today happened to be a really lucky day where I actually managed to get two that I like. (^ ^)Y

And they are... Asian parasols.

Yep, I have been searching for one that I like for the past 3 years and today I finally found them.

Oh don't worry, I will use them, I even intend to bring one back to Singapore to carry around as sunshade. That's why I bought them in the first place. I never buy things just for decorative purposes, it goes against my practical instincts, haha~

Once you reach a certain age, you never cook yourself under the sun anymore. Since I always wear a cap whenever I head out or carry an umbrella (especially in super-sunny Singapore), it makes little difference to switch to carrying a parasol. *shrug*

Natural Paper Parasol with Butterflies & Flowers

I absolutely love the Gothic style which gives a modern vibe to this Asian design.

Nylon and Bamboo Parasol

Weird combi, isn't it? A synthetic and a natural material...

But ah, what the heck, at least this can be used in the rain (^ ^)

I was deliberately among the white, purple and this mint color. Finally decided on the mint because I like its unusual color and coolly refreshing vibe.

Clean Beginnings to a New Year

2011-12-31T17:38:00.043-05:00

Horrible is the word to describe how I felt this morning.

I had a restless night trying to battle my feverish state and struggling to get some oxygen through a blocked nose.

One thing I learnt from years of experience is that when one falls ill, one of the first things to do is to clean up your immediate living environment, especially the area that you'll be recuperating in.

Considering that loads of readings and assignments have taken up all my time and energy, I have been neglecting my housework for a long time.

A very very very... long time.

Which was utterly inconceivable in my mind because my sinus problems and sensitive skin can never tolerate a dusty living environment. But when you're crushed by heavy workload on a daily basis, I guess the weight of dust is too light to be felt at all.

But I felt so miserable sneezing and coughing through the night that I decided that I have to take some active measures. And so this morning without even having any breakfast, I immediately got down to cleaning my entire apartment once I woke up.

From the kitchen to the main area to my bathroom, I cleaned every visible corner of my small apartment. And I was absolutely stunned by the amount of dust that had accummulated on my apartment floor.

It actually took me 6 rounds of wiping before the floor reached a tolerable state of cleanliness. (=_=)..............

How could I have ever not notice this amount of dirt around me? 难道我已经到达了“心中无一物，何处惹尘埃” 的境界? 这也太神了吧... (=_=)......

Where's the Light at the End of My Tunnel...? m(T^T)m

2011-12-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling miserable now.

Stuffed nose, slight fever, heavy head, aching muscles and most importantly, a still unfinished paper.

I only stepped out yesterday afternoon for a short while to replenish my food supplies and in the middle of last night, I was awoken by the early symptoms of an oncoming flu.

After bravely surviving the hardest part of the semester without falling ill, here I am coming down with flu nearing the end of my study battle?! What the hell is this...?

Unbelievable, not to mention, rather infuriatingly distressing.

I am dying to finish my paper and forget all about any research and just rest. I'm not greedy, just let me concuss for one full week.

Don't bother dragging me out of bed during that entire period.

A Very Fruitful Xmas Day (^ ^)

2011-12-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

I finally saw real holly! o(^ ^)o

This year, I had a really wonderful Christmas Day.

It was blissful to have a full day away from work and just enjoy the sights. What made it even better was to have great company and interesting conversations. (^ ^)

That day, a good friend and I walked all the way from 11am to around 6pm without much rest.

Even without doing any form of planning for that day, we unconsciously covered nearly all the well-known places in NYC: Central Park, 5th Avenue, East Village, Chinatown, Union Square, etc.

It's been a long time since I did that much walking. I loved it. (^ ^)

Ah... back to nature in Central Park

The Literary Walk in Central Park

Shakespeare, the Bard

How can we not have a statue dedicated to him on the Literary Walk?

Inside the Trump Building

What? You didn't know that Donald Trump actually had a building dedicated to himself and furnished with stands selling souvenirs of him?

I didn't know either, haha~ ;-P

We just happened to stroll past this building on 5th Avenue and since it was open to the public, we decided to pop in for a look.

A lot of gold mirrors and red decorations in it. A lot of tourists.

That's about it.

It had a very obstentatious feel to it, as if the building is meant to be a tribute to Trump's Midas touch.

I think they overdid it on the gold mirrors and warm lighting, I felt like we were in a gold vault which was quite an interesting experience.

Food stands on 5th Avenue

DON'T buy food from these food stands here.

They didn't display their prices and arbitrarily charged a high price for their food.

Spicy hotdog and potato knish

which cost an exorbitant USD$10

My first experience buying food from a food stand in New York and I had to get ripped off.

I didn't know the price and assumed it to be standard like the ones near campus.

Imagine my surprise when I heard how expensive it was as the stall owners handed me the items.

Well, it was still an experience. ;-)

At least now I know I have to be careful of food stands that don't declare their prices. Take it as payment for knowledge gained, haha~

Knish

To put it in more comprehensible terms, it is actually a mashed potato fritter.

I was intrigued by the very foreign sounding name and decided to get one to try. Despite the expensive price, I didn't exactly regret getting it.

Piping hot and delicious on a chilly winter day. Very filling and satisfying.

I think they added a bit of spice, such as cumin in it.

Ground Zero

One of the places that I wanted to visit.

Statue of Liberty

Yes, I finally saw the Statue of Liberty after nearly 5 months here. (^ ^)

Food Therapy for Over-Studying

2011-12-23T23:15:00.110-05:00

Isn't it a great comfort to see such wonderfully bright and cheerful colors of fresh food?

I really love how fresh produce is displayed on the supermarket shelves like a color palette. It just makes the heart very joyful to see these beautiful colors of nature.

One thing that took me a bit of getting used to is how everything is sold by weight.

In the supermarkets in Singapore and Japan, nearly all the fruits and vegetables have already been pre-weighed and packed into bags with a fixed price (of course, the wet markets of Singapore still operates by selling by weight.)

But I can see the advantage of this because you can choose what you want and decide on how much you need.

My snack area

Yeah, I keep my pantry very well-stocked with food.

It's necessary for survival here because the intense workload requires loads of energy. You literally feel faint and sapped of energy if you don't fuel yourself up regularly.

Must-have items in my snack area : White tea and camomile tea (they are a MUST), raw wildflower honey, fresh fruits, nuts and rye biscuits.

I took my dad's advice and went to get a bottle of B-Complex vitamin supplements. It really works wonders, now I don't feel as tired as before. (^ ^)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a good thing that the supermarkets here sell seasonal fresh produce because I have a bad habit with regards to food.

I always go overboard with certain foods that I like, such as eating boxes of cherries for days on end. If the supermarket doesn't replenish its shelves with a different seasonal fruit, I can go on with the same food everyday for weeks.

Which is not a very healthy habit if you think about it, too nutritionally-unbalanced.

So after my grape phase, it was time for blueberries and blackberries, then it was time for cherries, then tangerines, clementines and mandarins, now it's strawberries, apples and bananas.

Cherries were sold at USD$3.99 per box of 500g when it was in season (^ ^)

I helped to empty the supermarket shelf of its supply of cherries, haha~

The big advantage of buying fruits in season: There's always a promotional price for them. It is very worthwhile to buy them in bulk when they're in season.

Mandarins and Clementines

The tiny Clementine versus the big Apple

Retail Therapy for Over-Studying

2011-12-22T21:34:00.001-05:00

Remember the Ralph Lauren long jacket that I mentioned in a previous post which costs an absurd USD$20,000?

Immediately after my exams on Tuesday, I headed to T.J. Maxx for some retail therapy and incidentally came upon the same jacket hidden in the discount racks.

So here're the photos for it, just to let you see the intricacy of the embroidery.

Front

A very well-cut, form-fitting jacket with bell-sleeves.

Back with a diamond cut cape

I was a little stunned to spot this extravagent jacket with the same mind-blowing discounted price stucked in a messy rack of clothes.

I literally had to dig it out and hang it on a separate clothes rack in order to take these photos.

It really does goes to show that designer clothes are still trash if no one wants them. *shrug*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, I went out with the grand intent to get some gifts but it is not a good idea to let a person who has been stucked in study for the past few weeks, especially one who was going insane over her research-writing, out into a fashion outlet.

And you'll soon see the consequence below...

You know how sometimes you spot an item and you immediately know that you want it?

It is not often that I have such epiphanic moments, which is why it drives my mum insane to go shopping with me. Usually, it ends up that my hands are filled with her own purchases instead, haha~

I have a certain barometer for what I'll buy: I only buy what I really like and what is within my accepted price range.

Sounds simple but it is really not that easy at all.

But I was either in the mood for shopping or the outlet had some really good stocks on that day. Either way, I actually managed to get some stuff that I really like and in a price range that I love. (^ ^)Y

Steve Madden Metal Stretch Belt

This was the item that even if I had to forgo the other purchases, I must get this.

It is a statement piece that can punk up any simple tunic or toga outfit and even a plain long shirt.

I simply adore the belt's design, very to my taste. Extremely happy purchase, very pleased with it. (^ ^)

ZeroExposur Boarding Co. Jacket

Another happy purchase, a snug warm jacket with a very flattering cut that is designed for snowboarding activities.

Its prints were the first thing that attracted my eyes.

One thing that I like about shopping overseas, especially in America and Australia, is not just the fact that I can get unusual fashion pieces, it is also the fact that I can buy S-size clothes, wah-hahahahahaha~~~

I'm actually a size 4 here, how encouraging is that? heh heh~~

Anyway, this jacket is in size S. I was initially a bit crushed when I saw the size because I really like its design and pattern.

But I thought that it won't hurt to just try it.

And that's when I found out that I can actually wear small-size clothes... wow....... (o_o)

Hazel Empire-cut Short Jacket

This is good for when I am in the mood to do period fashion.

I was very taken by its Victorian-esque design and unusual purplish-grey hue.

I Know I'm Strange. But What are You?

2011-12-16T23:58:00.000-05:00

A gift for me that is now protecting my iPhone ^^

The caption on it, "I Know I'm Strange. But What are You?" is just so appropriate.

Thanks for this sweet present!

"怪胎。" (Weirdo.)

"怪伽。" (Strange person.)

"変わっているね。" (You are odd, aren't you?)

"你真的很怪哪!!" (You are really weird!!)

"おかしいよ。" (You're funny.)

"変だなぁ..." (You're so strange...)

"Because it's Carol......"

From my personality, behaviour, interests, fashion style to even my food preferences, I often get these comments from my friends who say with different intonations of humor, disbelief, exasperation, and resignation.

I always take it that they all say it with great fondness for me, LOL~

Let me just state that I really don't think I'm weird and I don't understand why some of my friends, erm.. actually nearly all of them... and even my family thinks that way.... eh..... hmm...... nevermind.

But the point here is not to discuss about whether I'm odd or not (For the record, I am not weird. I just have character. ;-P).

So let me explain why I decided to pick this topic of being strange.

Some time ago, a friend was describing to me after class about how sad she felt when she went to have a project discussion with a professor and he blurted out that she is very strange to be pursuing such a research topic.

I thought she was joking until she explained about her sensitive character and how the thoughtless remark was quite unexpected from the professor.

I was honestly surprised that she was sincerely hurt by the comment.

I thought that to have a professor think that the research topic is strange is better than to get the comment, "Oh, that's interesting..." (which we all know "interesting" is just a nice way of giving neutral, non-committed comments).

The worst response will probably be, "Oh, that's nice." (which in clear terms only means b.o.r.i.n.g.)

To me, to be called odd is quite a complement since it only shows that you must have some intriguing qualities to earn such a description.

After I explained my rationale to my friend, I smilingly asked her,

"Would you rather be boring... or strange?"

On another occasion, I was chatting with a classmate who revealed that he was often described as weird.

After a while I realised that some of the people that I have befriended here have been described as odd in some way or another back in their own countries or previous schools.

Whether it is because of their fashion sense, behavior or research topic, they had been called strange.

But here, they are just seen as normal people. I am also seen as just another normal person here to the point of being boring.

And I came to the cosmic realisation that it is not that we are weird. It was the environment that we were in that thinks we are weird.

Isn't it strange how things work in this world?

So now you know why I seriously think that I'm not weird. It's you guys who are weird. ;-P

Living a Boring Existence in an Exciting City... How Tragic can this Be? m(T^T)m

2011-12-15T23:26:00.004-05:00

I want to head out to the Met museum to check out that new exhibition.
I want to take a ride on the 100-year old carousel in Central Park.
I want to hop onto the ferry and wander around Straten Island.
I want to explore various farmers' markets and antique stores around NYC.
I want to see the dino fossils in the Museum of Natural History.
I want to step into the UN headquarters.
I want to go snowboarding in Upper State NY.
I want to try sky-diving and bungee-jumping.
I want to stroll and poke around hidden stores in Greenwich Village.
I want to check out the vintage boutiques in the East Village.

But I have to finish all my assignments and exams first... m(T^T)m

Get-Togethers in a Time of Stress

2011-12-14T17:01:00.002-05:00

After facing the computer for extended hours for the past week, it was probably a bad idea to be drinking eggnog topped with a big dash of rum.

I'm feeling slightly light-headed now.

Yesterday, I had a gathering with my profs and cohort at a nearby cafe and today, I went for a department holiday party.

Honestly, I wasn't exactly keen to go for any of them since the time can be used to rush my papers.

But I'm glad I did. (^ ^)

It was great to do something outside of work once in a while. Good food, nice company, fun conversation and laughter.

One of my friends even joked that we are finally seeing live humans instead of computer screens and book pages, haha

I think all of us are really overwhelmed by our papers and exam preparations. We're all counting down to the time that we can finally finish our papers.

I'm just hoping that I can finish mine quickly and have at least a few days' break before the new semester starts.

This is My Life Right Now

2011-12-12T23:06:00.002-05:00

Christmas will be here in 13 days and this is what I am going through now...

...... and will continue to the end of this month until I submit my second final paper. (=_=)......

A final paper due this Friday and two exams next week...

I really can't feel any holiday cheer at all. (_ _)~~

Living a very monastic existence of studying, reading, writing and typing and this will continue for the next few weeks.

No wonder my previous advisor told me that working through the holidays will be like entering a nunnery or a monastery. (-_-).........

I Needed to Cheer Myself Up (^ ^)

2011-12-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

Small things in life bring great joy.

And I only needed a black marker to bring me some entertainment, haha~~

I Need My Kryptonite

2011-11-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

Less than three weeks left and I have not even started on my exam preparations and one of my two final papers.

The final paper that I finally began to work on last week needs a lot more materials and I still have a Japanese report and two 1500 word reading memos to do...

My eyes and brains are burning up right now.

I don't think I can survive continuing to be a super-multi-tasking machine... (_ _)~~~

累啊啊啊!!!!!! o(T^T)o

Time of Many Thanks

2011-11-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

As part of my attempt to experience the festivities of Thanksgiving, I went to get a slice of pumpkin pie and a whole pecan pie after class yesterday afternoon.

Bad mistake. Now I'm having sugar overload...

How many times must I do these sort of things before I learn not to overdo it on food? (><)??

Can you see how sticky and sickly sweet the corn syrup filling is? urgh... (_ _)~~~

On Monday afternoon, I went to look for a professor to discuss about a research paper.

As part of the usual conversation, he asked me how I'm doing right now. I told him that I'm having a good time and it's fun being here.

When he heard that, he looked rather bemused that I still seem pretty cheerful and energetic.

In a slow contemplative tone, he remarked,

"You are different from the other graduate students..."

I was initially puzzled by this unexpected comment.

Different? In what way? Is it so obvious that I have weaker theorectical background and less academic training? Is my research idea so bad...?

How am I different? m(T_T)m.....???

Seeing my puzzled expression that was bordering on anxiety, he quickly explained,

"Oh no, no, it's just that most graduate students now are usually homesick or stressed or depressed. You don't seem to have that problem."

Ah... okay, it was a compliment, whew!

I told him that I naturally have my depressed moments but I have ways of dealing with it, such as jogging. I get depressed knowing that I know so little and am so behind others but I'm also happy to realise that I can learn more stuff.

It's always a thin balancing act between being depressed and becoming inspired to learn more. I just have to force myself pass that depressed moment to move on.

And what's the use of staying depressed? It won't get me anywhere. (^ ^)

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

Later that evening, I looked back on what I had said and was struck by my own unconscious thinking.

Yeah, how is it that I can get myself to move on after each depressing period? (0_o)???

I'm not that strong-willed or enlightened. I also get lazy and often whine about my situations. It's not always a fun thing to go overseas to start all anew, re-adjust to a new environment, spend energy establishing relations with people, and deal with unfamiliar administrative and bureaucratic systems.

There are many times that I really feel very tired and want to cry and just give up.

But I finally realised that I really have nothing to be depressed about.

Afterall, I have a roof over my head, I am able to sleep with a full belly in a warm bed at night, and I am doing something that I love. So why should I ever feel down or defeated? (^ ^)

And coincidentally, since today is Thanksgiving, let me just remind myself of how thankful I am for all that I have now. (^ ^)

Ice on Ice

2011-11-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

I know you don't know what to say about this image. I don't know how to describe it either, it's just a lot of ice on ice. (-_-)......

Meaning: I need to de-frost my fridge soon. ;-P

But that's not the main focus of this blog-post. The important point is the tub of ice-cream here!

And what's so important about it?

It is the first tub of ice-cream that I bought just for myself.

Yep, for all my years of adulthood, I have never gotten a tub of ice-cream for my own personal consumption before. Even I was stunned to realise this fact on the morning that I decided to get this one pint tub of Sicilian Pistachio Gelato. (o_o)!

I just don't see myself as a Bridget Jones kind of person where ice-cream is a constant fixture in the fridge.

Ice-cream, to me, is just a lot of empty sugars with no discernable nutrients, so I don't particularly crave for it. To buy a whole tub to eat is the ultimate level of decadence that I can think of.

And why is that so?

Eh... yeah, why is that so, I wonder...? (0_o)???

Nevermind~~ (^ ^)

So back to this nice tub of Sicilian Pistachio Gelato.

My main criteria for judging a good gelato artisan is to go for the Vanilla or Dark Chocolate flavors (On a side note, I have already tried wasabi, miso, soy sauce, lavender, yam, soybean, durian, snake, etc etc and even fish flavored ice-cream).

I personally think that these two basic flavors are the ultimate test of the artisan's skills and seriousness in using good quality ingredients to create ice-cream. Nothing can conceal the taste and texture if inferior ingredients or artificial flavorings were used.

Then one day, I was educated by the Travel Discovery Channel that a serious Italian gelato maker would pride himself on the quality of his pistachio gelato. A gelato aficionado in Italy would judge a gelato store based on this particular flavor.

And I can fully agree with that.

There is something about the flavor of pistachio that you can never re-create using artificial flavorings without it turning out to taste like almond.

Pistachio nut chunks in the gelato! (^ ^)

I always like my ice-cream to be covered by loads of nuts.

So when I saw this tub of gelato in the supermarket freezer, my eyes were fixed by it. I was particularly attracted by its simple but elegant design.

After two months (yeah, I took that long to decide), I finally bought it on a whim one early Friday morning two weeks ago.

And ate a third of it for breakfast that morning.

Since it's already decadent to get a whole tub of ice-cream, might as well go all the way by having it for breakfast, right? ;-P

Anyway, I finally finished it last week and now I'm happily keeping its container for food storage purposes.

It's so good that I am really tempted to get another tub but decadence is only decadent when it doesn't take place so often.

So I shall wait for special times before I go ahead and get one. (^ ^)

The less ingredients the better. I like it to be as natural as possible.

You can already tell that I am no Ben&Jerry's fan. ;-P

I never knew that even an ice-cream has so many dietary labels. (=_=)......

Food Adventure Backfired

2011-11-21T23:00:00.001-05:00

Undeniably, I always prefer home-cooked food, particularly meals prepared by my family and of course, myself.

However, there are times that I enjoy having outside food because I get to try new flavors and have fun trying to figure out ways to recreate the dishes at home.

So last week, I decided to give the deli at a supermarket that I frequent a go.

I have been eyeing the numerous types of lasagna and savory pies at this deli for the past two months but I have never felt tempted enough to splurge on the food there (By my calculations, I can always create healthier and tastier versions with the same amount of money ;-P).

But that day, my brain was too over-loaded by a long day of research consultations and I needed a break from thinking about how to settle my dinner.

So I gave in to the tempting convenience of the deli and went to get myself a slice each of the Artichoke Cheese Pie and Spinach Lasagna.

Yeah, I know, don't they sound interesting? Artichoke with baked cheese and lasagna made with spinach.

How wrong can anything go with cheese... right?

Spinach Lasagna and Artichoke Cheese Pie

VERY wrong, apparently.

I had a hard time eating these oily, nasty-tasting dishes and had to leave half for the next day when my stomach could take it again. (_ _)~~~

Maybe I'm being too fussy but how is it possible to ruin lasagna and baked cheese???

It's almost like how wrong can anyone go with Japanese curry or oden? Once you have the right sauce (usually pre-made and sold in supermarkets), fresh ingredients and pay some attention to the cooking time, that's it. Very simple.

And cheese! I'm not even referring to the more exotic types, just the basic cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella or parmesan are already enough to make any carb-based dishes taste good.

But the Artichoke Cheese Pie and Spinach Lasagna... these... they... they..... how is it that they... they...... Can you feel my anguish at how the deli managed to trash ingredients that have so much potential??? Especially when I so enjoy artichokes...

I had thought that I would get inspired about how to incorporate spinach and artichokes into lasagna but the deli... (=_=)......

Well, in a positive way, I am inspired. After eating such nasty examples, I have already figured out a better way to make better tasting ones with the same ingredients.

Basically, start by choosing the right type of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, using much less oil, flavoring with the right herbs and making sure that the pasta is not overcooked. (><)*

I was so traumatised that I went to comfort myself with a bowl of blackberries after that.

It's the berry season and they are really cheap now!

Blackberries are going for 4 boxes at USD$5 now so I went bonkers and stockpiled my fridge with them.

Having a blissful time popping them down for the past few days. (^ ^)

Spot the Differences

2011-11-19T23:01:00.056-05:00

This was very interesting. I bought a new tube of Neutrogena hand cream from an American drugstore when I finished the tube that I had gotten in Singapore.

And I realised that despite being the same brand of hand cream, their designs are very different. See how many differences you can spot.

Left: Bought in America

Right: Bought in Singapore

I find this brand of handcream better than the much hyped-about Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream.

Just like how the 8-hr Cream works, a small dab of this Neutrogena handcream goes a long way and you can apply it to any dry parts of your body (hands, elbows, knees, face, lips and even your hair).

The reason why I find this much better is that:

1. It doesn't have that strong petroleum smell which the 8-hr Cream has.

2. It works exactly like the 8-hr Cream but it is more easily absorbed by the skin.

3. It is very easy to apply unlike the thick, sticky texture of the 8-hr Cream. The 8-hr Cream actually became frozen-hard the last time I used it in the cold Boston weather. (=_=)...

4. Its price is much more reasonable.

It may not be as famous but it is a very good value-for-money product.

Egg "Shell"

2011-11-18T23:24:00.000-05:00

The first time I bought eggs in America, I was really impressed by the packaging.

I have never seen egg cartons that come with two top covers which layer over each other. The eggs seemed really well-protected by this double shell-cover. (^ ^)

Remember this Simple Remedy, It Might Save Your Life

2011-11-16T22:15:00.164-05:00

This morning, I was nearly done in by some brussel sprouts and all I could think of at that moment was,

"No... not now, I have a major language exam in the afternoon... m(T^T)m......"

To say that I was nearly killed by some tiny round veggies is probably putting it too strongly but this was the first time in my life that I seriously felt that I needed to quickly search for some cure for chemical poisoning.

Yes, chemical poisoning.

It was highly unfortunate that somehow my recently purchased brussels sprouts contained a high percentage of pesticide that was more than what my body could bear.

I knew something was wrong when I bit into one of the brussel sprouts that I had boiled for my breakfast.

Unlike its usual sweetness, it tasted very bitter with an acrid unpleasant taste (From personal experiences, I know that pesticides always cause vegetables to taste bitter).

I didn't think it will matter much since I have already carefully washed the brussel sprouts and boiled them for some time.

Besides, I didn't have any previous problems with such vegetables.

A few short minutes after finishing my meal, I started feeling nauseous, almost a bit feverishly sick in the stomach.

Then I could feel tension and stiffness starting from the back of my neck that extended from my back shoulders to my head.

Okay, not a good sign...

Then the tip of my tongue started going numb......

By then, I was pretty sure that all these added up to a sure sign of chemical poisoning.

So I whatsapp my family, hoping that they will have a solution for this (If not, I was going to force-vomit everything up since I could not imagine going to the hospital at all)

Thankfully, my dad had a very simple but extremely effective remedy:

Put two teaspoons of salt into half a cup of water and sip it slowly

(Note: This might cause you to vomit instead as it is meant to purge your body of any toxins)

Although the intense salinity of this seawater-like solution was enough to make my tongue go fully numb, the effect was really fast and effective.

I stopped feeling nauseous, my tongue no longer felt numb and the tight tension around my head disappeared.

And I could continue my preparations for my afternoon exam with a clear-headed mind. Thank goodness......

Note: My dad explained that the sodium and chloride ions in salt gets rid of any toxins which is why it'll mostly work if you accidentally ingest any poisonous chemical (chloride is used as a chemical indication for water contamination in sewerage and swimming pools).

As for the rest of the brussel sprouts, I threw out them out.

I have eaten many unusual stuff, such as scorpions and raw horsemeat but it was really no joke to go through such an unpleasant poisoning experience.

My main priority is to stay alive and finish my studies in a healthy state. (^ ^)

Fast Recovery Rate: Living up to my CP-小强 name

2011-11-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

There's nothing that a hot cup of rich chocolate, a small piece of pecan brownie and an intense round of kick-boxing can't solve.

Yes, I'm tired, very tired.

But so what, I'm back in action and ready to continue my fight again. (^ ^)Y

No... not those words again.....

2011-11-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

Did I even mention that I hate the phrase, "You can do it" ?

I'm already trying my best but there are circumstances where it just doesn't work.

Try working for 14+hrs for 7 days a week for 2 months then think about if a person is able to continue to do it.

So stop telling me that I can do it. (><)***

The Cycle Keeps Repeating Itself

2011-11-13T22:27:00.017-05:00

This afternoon, I discovered prominent dark shadows under my eyes.

I always take good care of myself so this is the first time that I have dark eye circles.

I'm tired.

I'm tired of being tired.

I'm tired of complaining that I'm tired.

But I still have a pile of work to complete for this week. And after finishing the assignments for this week, it's time to start on the work for next week.

The cycle never ends, argh.......! o(><)o

Good Songs should be a Secret or Shared..?

2011-11-09T23:36:00.000-05:00

Two of my favorite songs from Christina Perri.

And that's why I like to watch Glee (ok, watched, since I don't have TV or cable now. (T^T) ).

Other than MTV channel, it's through Glee that I learnt about amazing musicians like Adele and Christina Perri. :)

Don't be fooled by her punk-rock image, the lyrics of her music have a poignant, sweet feel to it. After listening to it, there's a lingering sense of loss and hope (depending on which song you listen to).

Added plus: her music videos are really amazing, very imaginative and surreal.

"Arms"

Very sweet lyrics, really makes me miss home and all those that I hold dear to my heart...

You put your arms around me

And I believed that it's easier for you to let me go

You put your arms around me and I'm home.

"Jar of Hearts"

This is the song from Glee that had me searching for her music. I love the lyrics here, very illustrative.

And who do you think you are,

running 'round leaving scars.

Collecting your jar of hearts and tearing love apart.

You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul.

So don't come back for me

Who do you think you are?

I happened to be listening to her music on Youtube a moment ago when I found out (to my horror) that one of her songs is the theme song for the new Twilight movie (horrors of horrors)...

I love her music and to have it as part of a sappy movie saga (which is part of a money-sucking franchise) is just too much for me to bear, argh... Although the song does fit perfectly to the movie plot... dilemma.......

Brand 'Bargains'

2011-11-08T22:14:00.001-05:00

After working continuously since Thursday on a take-home exam, a language essay, Foucault readings, research proposal draft and writing assignments, I finally managed to complete all of them by early afternoon today.

So I decided to reward myself by taking a walk. Afterall, today is a public holiday (Election Day), so why not take a short break?

Along my walk, I stopped by a nearby T.J.Maxx. The wonderful thing about shopping in America is that there are numerous outlets with great discounts. (^ ^)

As I wandered along the Runway section (featuring designer collection pieces), my eye was caught by a black long jacket hanging on a rack.

It's a very dramatic Ralph Lauren piece with extremely intricate embroidery and beading, the type that you can imagine Goth Lolitas wearing on the streets of Harajuku.

Its USD$3999.99 price-tag after discount caused me to raise an eyebrow.

That's more than enough for me to go on a luxurious 2-week tour around Hokkaido or even around Europe.

(-_-)......

Seeing that the discounted price is already so steep, it made me curious about what its store retail value is, so I searched around for its original price-tag.

Original price: USD$20,000.

Not INR, RMB, CNY or even JPY.

It's USD $20,000.

I calmly put down the price tag, took a second look at the jacket and... put it on.

Of course I did!! It's a jacket with the value of a down payment for a HDB apartment in Singapore!!! What else did you expect me to do, trembly put it down in trepidation and walk away?!

I must at least wear it to know what is so special about it to justify that outlandish price.

Admittedly, its cut and finish are flawless with a snug fit to the shoulders and waist and fantasy-like long sleeves that flare out at the ends.

The opulent baroque design and heavy brocade-like texture of this Switzerland-made 100% silk long jacket made me feel like some Pirate Lord or 魔教教主, especially with the unexpected diamond-cut cape-like design behind the shoulders.

A very grand, very luxurious, very dramatic piece.

After a short while of admiring the jacket in the full-length mirror, I concluded that I look as if I'm wearing a black Turkish carpet.

So much for that sky-high price. *shrug*

I can't find the original design at all so here is another Ralph Lauren jacket from his Blue Label collection just to give an idea of what I'm talking about.

This is a much tamer and softer piece than the one I had tried on. The one here has a thinner material, is less elaborate with a less structured cut.

And it comes with a price-tag of "only" USD$1298.00. (-_-).........

Resetting Time Back

2011-11-06T08:44:00.002-05:00

Before I went to bed last night, I told myself that I will wake up at 7am to do my usual weight-training and toning morning exercises.

When the alarm went off this morning, I comforted myself that I should throw in an extra 5-10 minutes snooze time considering that I have been up till long past midnight for the past few days trying to finish my assignments.

The next time my brains started functioning, I realized that it was already nearing 8am, which is the time for me to move on to the next part of my schedule for the day (Meaning: I have accidentally missed my work-out time (><)*)

I was really disgusted at my lack of discipline.

Then I realized that today is Daylight Saving Time, which means I got an extra hour!

If I had woken up at 7am, it would have been 6am instead...

In the end, I managed to do my usual morning exercises and is now trying to keep to my schedule for today.

What an interesting turn of events... (^ ^)

Time Passes Slowly Fast

2011-11-05T23:26:00.004-04:00

It is not scary to meet smart people.

It is scary to meet smart people who are very hardworking.

When you meet intelligence coupled with hard effort, you get the sinking feeling like you'll never be able to catch up.

I'm not afraid to keep playing the catch-up game, it is just very tiring to keep doing so...

It has only been two months since I started my studies here but it feels as if it has already been a year.

Yet, time seems to pass too fast.

The deadlines of my term papers are due in a couple of weeks and I have yet to settle my research topics.

It's like I can't wait for the coming of winter break and yet, I am dreading the approaching end of the school term.

Having very conflicting feelings about the passing of time right now. (-_-)~~

Honey Hobby

2011-11-04T08:35:00.001-04:00

Just like how some people like to experiment with various brands of eyeshadow, lipgloss or nail polish while some indulge in all kinds of skincare products, I like to try different brands of specific foods.

The reason is very simple: Don't you find the descriptions of foods very intriguing?

Like how its country of origin, season of harvesting and place of production can affect its fragrance and taste. Or its flavor and texture is suitable for what purpose. How and why do chefs and food connoisseurs know what type of food from where is the best for a certain cuisine?

Food is a very fascinating enterprise to me.

This hobby (or craze) of mine has already gone through (but I am still interested in them :) ) certain varieties of teas, kitchen salts, mineral water, cheeses, and fruits.

And now, I'm into honey, specifically raw honey from wildflowers.

You might ask, "But why not the other types of honey as well?"

Well... are you crazy? I don't have so much cash to burn. ;-P

Anyway, I have a rather biased taste with regards to things I like. Take honey for example, I always zoom in on wildflower or rainforest honey.

There are other types of honey like manuka, orange blossom, alfalfa, lavender, etc but they just don't seem to appeal to me.

Maybe because they seem too tame and weak when compared to wildflower and rainforest honey? LOL~

Recently, thanks to the anniversary promotional discounts at a store that I frequent, I managed to acquire some new varieties of raw honey. :-D

From left:

1. Raw Honey: My almost empty bottle of raw wildflower honey from Pennsylvania

2. Rain Flower: Raw wild rainforest flower honey from Brazil

3. White Himalayan: Raw multi-floral honey from Himalaya

4. Wild Forest: Raw wild forest honey from India

I wanted to get a bottle of raw honey that was harvested from killer bee hives (o_o)! but had to resist since I have a weekly food budget to keep to, plus I have to finish all these honey on my own.

1. Raw Honey: "contains the healing ingredients of propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen and natural enzymes."

2. Rain Flower: "Collected by small communities of bee keepers through varying flowering seasons. Enjoy this rich and aromatic honey, merticulously gathered and blended from a variety of beautiful wild rainforest flowers in Brazil."

3. White Himalayan: "Rare Himalayan Honey originates in the isolated valleys of the Gangotri region of the Himalayan Mountains. This region is famous for its health-promoting plants and flowers. This extremely rare, mult-floral honey is hand-harvested using eco-friendly, natural methods that protect the bees and preserve the natural pollen, vitamins, and enzymes of the honey. [It] slowly opens your sense to a mltitude of exotic flowers as it lingers on the palette. White in color, rich and creamy in texture and has a smooth, sweet, gourmet taste. Excellent for spreading on toast, fresh baked breads, muffins, and scones."

4. Wild Forest: "Wild Forest Honey is collected by traditional bee hunters from wild bee hives found deep within the virgin forestlands of central India. Our bee-friendly collection methods have prevented forest fires and supports the biodiversity of the forests by increasing the number of wild bee hives. This honey has unique and health-promoting properties owing to the blooming neem flowers. [It] has a full robust flavor with subtle licorice overtones making it a favorite among connoisseurs. Many prefer to just eat it out of the jar and it can be drizzled over warm grain cereals, nuts or paired with blue cheeses."

Just the descriptions and their places of origin are enough to make me very interested in their flavor.

I'm particularly excited about the White Himalayan and Wild Forest honey. :)

Yellow-circled areas: Tags to look out for when making purchases :)

Sometimes these socially responsible (eg. fair-trade, organic) items cost much more than their usual counterparts.

As much as I can, especially when the prices are comparable, I always try to buy the fair-trade, organic versions. :)

Jog + Food Shopping = Happy Carol

2011-11-02T20:32:00.002-04:00

I finally couldn't take it anymore and went for a nice long jog after my classes at the school gym and around the neighborhood.

Well, "long" is a relative term, I don't think I ran for more than 20 minutes in total. I didn't feel any strain in my muscles or tiredness which is usually the case. Either my stamina is becoming incredibly good or I'm just too stressed to feel any difference... (-_-)......

In either case, the jog was still a good break, a nice "long" rest away from my work. I love jogging, sigh.... :)

Thank goodness my shipment of winter clothes and cold-weather jogging gear finally arrived on Sunday. Very timely, especially with the weather getting chilly. :)

After my jog, I went to get groceries because it's nearing the weekend again... which means I'll be holed up in my apartment or library rushing my weekly reading and writing assignments again. (_ _)~~~

Most of my money is spent on housing rent and food.

Undeniably, I want to get new clothes to update my wardrobe but each time after balancing the costs, I always direct my cash-flow towards more practical daily necessities.

I rather spend more money buying nutritious food since nothing beats the health benefits from a good diet.

In my mindset, one naturally looks glowingly good when one eats healthily. :)

As for clothes and fashion... well... hmm... I just brainwash myself into thinking that I look cool even if I wear a gunny sack (yes, that's the spirit of ultimate shamelessness. Try it, you'll find it very liberating, LOL~~) ;-P

Anyway, these big asparagus, brussel sprouts, peaches and strawberries only cost a fraction of their Singapore prices.

That's the wonderful thing about supporting local products, very good value for money. :)

Apple Harvest

2011-11-01T20:56:00.000-04:00

If it weren't for the farmers' market here, I would not have realized that there are so many varieties of apples.

In my limited understanding of apples, there are only green, red and redder apples.

The most I can do is identify the names of Fuji, Gala and Granny Smith.

But there are actually so many different types of apples with all kinds of names: Bramley, Braeburn, Cameo, Cripps Pink, Empire, Golden Delicious, Golden Russet, Honeycrisp, Idared, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Spartan, Zestar, etc etc.

And they each have their individual flavors, textures and consumption purposes (for eating, baking, cooking, making cider, etc).

At a stall that I frequent at the farmers' market, there are at least 17 different species. (0_0)!!!

I have been buying different varieties to try each time I visit that stall (maybe I'm paranoid but I avoid species that have been genetically modified or engineered).

Conclusion: My favorites are Fuji (very sweet and juicy), Honeycrisp (just like what its name says, sweet and crispy) and finally, the ultimate revelationary apple (at least it was a revelation to me): Ashmead's Kernel.

Ashmead's Kernel

It is said to be an antique variety that was first grown in England in the 1700's.

When I first saw it at the stall, I was surprised that they actually displayed apples that look like they're growing mould.

I decided to give it a go after reading the descriptions (the stall-owners have made little signs describing the background information and characteristics of each apple species).

It was the idea that it is an "antique" variety that intrigued me.

There must be something about it to make it last so long and remain as popular as the newer apple species despite its unattractive appearance.

And I understood what that "something" was when I took my first bite of an Ashmead's Kernel.

Don't be deceived by its mottled and rough appearance.

This is one superbly delicious apple that is sweet like a Fuji but has an acidic tang to it, almost like a solid form of apple cider. It is a great relief to bite into this apple when the sweetness of a Fuji or Honeycrisp gets too cloying.

Very wine-like, complex taste that is probably more suited for the mature, discerning palates.

No wonder the stall description said that it is popular with apple connoisseurs...

I am no connoisseur but I definitely love this apple. :)

Fuji and Ashmead's Kernel

The Ashmead's Kernel is smaller in size as compared to most apple species and looks really dull and rough.

Due to the colorful and more cheerful appearances of other apples at the stall, it is easy to overlook this dull and insignificant-looking apple.

But I like to support the underdogs and I'm glad that I did it because I found something that I can become a fan of. :)

Summer Remains but Early Snow Came in Autumn

2011-10-30T08:59:00.052-04:00

We are not the only ones suffering from the weirdly fickle weather changes.

I was really sad to see these poor flowers crushed under the heavy blanket of snow.

Sunflowers struggling with the cold

I didn't expect to see such a heavy coat of snow. It didn't seem like such heavy snowfall yesterday...

Snow, Pecan Brownie and Stack of Assignments

2011-10-29T11:50:00.041-04:00

And that is what I shall name my impressionistic still-life photo, hahaa

Snow, Pecan Brownie and Stack of Assignments
(Time is Ticking Away...)

Impressionism with a touch of pop art humor ;-P

It's snowing outside now.

I have forgotten the excitement of seeing delicate white snow-flakes falling from the sky. Today, I realized that snow is really pretty when it is seen from inside a heated room (I never had central heating back in Japan so you can imagine how cold it was).

What makes the experience even better is that I have a hot cup of chrysanthemum tea and pecan brownie (my rare treat for the month! :D I know my skin will definitely break out from allergies but... sigh...... nevermind, at least I won't die from it.)

Mad Weather and Marathon Mentality

2011-10-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

And there's another good thing about the winter season: You only need to concentrate on moisturising your skin. :)

Undeniably, the skin gets dry. Very dry. Too dry, in fact.

But at least we don't have to worry, like we do in summer, about oil-control, clogged pores and for some people, melting makeup.

I really feel like going for an outdoor onsen trip now... sigh......

Erratic is the word to describe NY's weather.

The weather forecast said that it will actually snow tomorrow, and I had initially planned to head to the library to get my readings done. (-___-)

Just yesterday, the temperature was pleasantly cool at 9-16 degrees and tomorrow, it'll dip to 0 - 7 degrees.

Can the weather please make up its mind about what it wants to be? The poor trees here are trying to catch up and decide what to do with their still-partially-summer-but-turning-autumn foliage.

And the weather here is really taking a toil on the student population at my school.

Sounds of coughing and sniffing resonates throughout my classes and most of my classmates are starting to look really drained. Cups of coffee are permanently in their hands.

In a way, I feel kind of relieved, like my classmates are finally starting to look and behave like humans.

And why do I feel this way?

Well, let me explain my current situation: On top of my daily language assignments and translations, I have to finish reading two assigned books with supplementary readings and write two 1500-word reading memo every week.

That's about a weekly 3000-word essay.

And it's required that we prepare for class discussions by reading all our classmates' essays before we head for lessons... so you can imagine the total amount of readings to do. (_ _)~~ Everyday is a mad rush to complete all the assignments on time and I have to keep to a strict daily schedule or the work will snowball into an avalanche.

Whenever I read my classmates' essays, I'll be struck by their writing.

We are all reading the same materials and have the same amount of time to work on it but why are they able to have such insightful comments and write such brilliant essays?

And during class discussions, they really know what they are talking about.

These are not students who blurt out bombastic ideas and words just to show-off their knowledge but are speechless when asked to explain the meaning and how it relates to the topic of discussion.

These are people who really do know what they are saying. (o_o)......

Considering the high calibre of my classmates, it is a constant struggle to keep reminding myself that the only person that I am battling against here is not my classmates but myself.

Yes, they are brilliant but I have my strengths too (I better keep this in mind. *nod nod*)

Anyway, there was a time when I thought my classmates seemed un-human, in the way that they seemed to be able to go through so much readings and immediately understand the complexities and chiem ideas.

It always takes me several readings before I can comprehend the ideas in the books and there is no luxury of time to always do that. (_ _)~~

And when some of my classmates started falling ill and cups of coffee became a constant decoration on our discussion table, it occurred to me that my classmates put in as much effort as I do for our assignments, maybe even more than I do.

They are not such brainiacs who can smoothly churn out brilliant essays on the spot (well, maybe some of them are. Argh, don't want to think about that) but they are smart humans who have to put in effort to produce great work too.

And it is quite a relief to realize that. :-)

Little note-tags from my camomile tea bags

I stuck them on the edge of my computer monitor as a reminder to myself of some of the more important things in life. :)

Flying Winter Food

2011-10-26T20:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I may say I dislike winter but there are some good things about it.

Such as outdoor onsen (hotsprings), hotpots/steamboats, yakiniku, piping hot yuzu teas, etc

And the animals in winter are really cute, like for example, the pigeons and sparrows.

The sparrows are starting to look really cute and fluffy and round... and ready to be skewered and grilled.

LOL~~! I can't help it, their tight roundness always reminds me of how meaty they are. ;-P

Especially the yellow-circled sparrow, doesn't it look delectably round??

Wet Solution for a Dry Time

2011-10-25T07:59:00.160-04:00

One morning, I woke up feeling as if the rims of my eyes were burning.

I assumed it was because of my long hours of reading stacks of materials.

Then when my comb ran through my hair and it started flying in many directions as static electricity animated it, I realised that it was that dry time of the year again: Autumn.

(I like autumn but I absolutely dislike winter: very dry, extremely cold, snow-covered dirty sodden grounds with little sunlight... it's a miserable season. Whoever thinks that this is a romantic season, try living overseas for one winter. It'll change your mindset)

So I started placing small bowls of water around my apartment in the vain hope that it might help to humidify the air.

The water level in the bowls started to disappear rather rapidly.

So did the water in the soil of my aloe vera plant.

What's more, my kitchen sink, bathroom floor and towels were always dry in less than 2 hours. (=_=)......

When the central heating system came into operation and the rims of my eyes continued to burn while I started getting blood streaks on the tissue whenever I clear my nose, I knew it was time for me to get a humidfier.

Air-O-Swiss AOS7146 Travel Ultrasonic

I first came upon this Air-O-Swiss humidifier back in Singapore when I was flipping through a fashion magazine, 女友 (Yep, other than newspapers, I do keep myself updated on the latest fashion and beauty trends as well. I read all kinds of stuff. ;-P).

Its small size and portability was highly attractive since I can see myself frequently zipping to different regions for travel and work. Just pop a 500ml bottle of water that you can get from any convenience store onto it and it's ready to operate.

With the excuse that my bleeding nose urgently needs a humidifying remedy, I placed an order for it through the internet last week and it arrived on Sunday (ah, the wonders of internet-shopping~~).

Admittedly, its price is very steep at USD$49.99 but I believe in paying for quality. Since I will be using it for the next few years, hopefully its price will even out by then. :)

NYPD Rides

2011-10-24T08:04:00.045-04:00

When I first saw this small, narrow, one-man NYPD vehicle on the streets, I was rather taken-aback.

It just seemed too... erm.. cute to be a police car.

I was literally speechless when I saw a young policewoman maneuvering it round the streets.

Okay, so it is narrow enough to zip between tight spaces (eg. between cars) but it still doesn't change the fact that it looks too adorable to be a law-enforcement car... (-_-)......

The "usual" NYPD patrol car is parked behind this mini-vehicle.

Funny how we never see this tiny cute vehicle in movies, only the big macho one behind it is featured.

Another "vehicle" of the NYPD force.

Photo taken at Times Square during my first trip there last month :)

Said to be faster and more effective in going between cars and around tight spaces to chase down law-breakers.

I liked how the horse looked so calm and bored inspite of the busy traffic behind it.

Slowly But Surely Approaching My Limits

2011-10-23T22:03:00.007-04:00

My neighbour upstairs is now vacuuming his (or maybe it's a her) floor.

At 10.00pm. I wonder why... (-_-)...?

Maybe people here do become weird when they are stuck indoors for long periods of time. (=_=)"""

I tried my best to keep to my schedule and managed to complete most of the work for the early part of next week but I don't think I made very efficient progress during the past three days.

Two months.

Nearly two full months.

That's sixty days = 1440 hours = 86,400 minutes = 5,184,000 seconds.

Imagine studying and working everyday, even on weekends and public holidays.

I'm slowly reaching the limits of my tolerance.

I need to go out and wander around somewhere full of nature for at least a few hours. I wanna go hiking or climb a mountain......

再不让我出去野地森林晃，我就要得大自然缺乏症了... 我要脑死了........... o(T^T)o

Food Experiment: Korean Goji Tea

2011-10-23T08:07:00.002-04:00

Korean Goji Tea, an interesting purchase that I made last month before I met my advisor from Japan for dinner in Korean Town near 34th street. (^ ^)

Due to my allergies, I'm always very careful about checking the ingredients on any product before I use it.

This time round, I was stumped by the Korean language (Now I know how my relatives and friends felt when they were in Japan and couldn't understand the language...)

I went around the supermarket, hoping to find someone who can translate Korean into a language I know.

As a matter of fact, I asked six persons in total... and none of them had the answers. (=_=).....

A young lady declined by saying she's Japanese. I responded by saying that I understand Japanese, it's the Korean language that I was having trouble with... (^ ^;)

When even the Korean store manager and young cashiers could not translate the words into understandable English, I gave up and decided to be experimental.

So I bought the box of tea.

Lesson learnt here: Don't expect everyone to be able to speak English, even if they are in the United States.

In the end, I resorted to the internet and managed to decipher some of the ingredients.

It consists of mugi (roasted barley) and some dried goji (I think it's the leaves because there is absolutely no taste of goji berries in it. Probably because the taste of the roasted barley was too over-powering.)

It is not only the Japanese who are creative with the English language. (^ ^;)

Food on the Move

2011-10-22T08:21:00.054-04:00

If there is something that I would really like to eat in America, it's food from these food trucks.

There is something inexplicably tantilizing about these convenient mobile food, maybe because they seem so... erm, unestablished?

They're not like our usual fastfood joints or restaurants or supermarket deli which are fixed to their store locations.

These trucks are guerilla food warriors on the move. You might catch them on the streets one day and the next day, they're gone.

I have to admit that it's actually very fun to spot them and to check and see what kind of food each truck is selling. You can look out for different trucks that sell hotdogs, gyros, falafel, sandwiches, grilled meat on rice, pizza, bagels, ice-cream, cookies, donuts, gyoza, dumplings, and other ethnic foods, etc etc.