Fun, nonexistent.

An old friend flew in from Chicago, and we arranged to have lunch today. We've had to postpone to dinner.
Waiting is not fun, but I suppose he's worth it. Hah. Despite my mother's belief that every single boy I mention is someone I'm dating (Newsflash: Just because dad&you are high school sweethearts, doesn't mean that I have to succumb to that notion as well.), we are not romantically linked.

Trying to have fun is difficult, even for me at this age (I should be living my life to the fullest, no?).
I'm antsy when people don't call, and my eyes constantly dart over the screen waiting for the next text message. I can't relax unless something is on a set schedule - which is quite ironic really, because I never know what the future has in store for me even when I plan things out in advance. Sigh*.

In other news,
My diet is successful thus far, but there are definitely times when I feel like pulling out a bucket of ice cream and finishing it in one sitting while watching Season 1 of Top Chef (again). The workload has put quite a stress on my body, and it seems that I have fallen ill again(this is probably the third time in this quarter).
The death of an acquaintance certainly doesn't help the cause. Though I wasn't particular close to him, we did share some interesting experiences - prom, ASB, journalism... and it's enough to leave a mark. There are some friends of mine that were rather close with him, and seeing them in such pain makes my heart hurt. I met the young man's parents yesterday at a candlelight vigil, and shared my condolences.

I don't understand how one can have fun under such circumstances, but I'll try?
I need someone to whisk me away.

Or bring me a hot bowl of Vietnamese noodles.

Birthday Traditions

So today was my mother's birthday - I know not if it be an odd household tradition, but there was sushi on the table.
Great.
Because I definitely needed another reminder of all the mistakes I've made in my life.

Thus, I open the fridge and scrounge around for other foods to eat.
Only to find fish, in one of those Phoenix boxes ... ugh.
It was good when it was fresh, but now it just looks like one of those congealed pork blood clot-blocks at your local 99Ranch.
I didn't even want to smell the fish. It's been there in the box for over a week, untouched.
As for the sushi, I gratefully took a bite and went off on my merry path to the disgusting workload that I have.
It's already three, and I have a paper to write?
Ridiculous.

Burn

Too much spicy food burns off your taste buds.

And then the other day I happened to spill scalding hot water onto my foot when draining macaroni.
Bah, I should really get a strainer.

So for now, I think I need some of that burn cream for my foot (so I don't blister) and a large dosage of cold foods (sushi would be nice) :P

Didn't go to work on Thursday, woke up with a massive headache and urge to throw up (I called Mother, she advised that I stay home, she thought I felt feverish)
I decided to treat myself to a nice meal - honest to blog I was contemplating it, but then someone put shrimp on my plate the other day -frown-
They should know better.

This just isn't my week, eh?

Batman and Hello Kitty

I took a quiz that told me I would be Batman if I were a superhero.

Sounds about right.

In other news,

Dobson's choice! - the spicy food of Szechuan (which I can't seem to forget)　and the Americanized sushi a la A'Float. Spicy food isn't all too great for you. Sore throat, chili oil everywhere.. on the other hand, it is SO amazing when you're eating it. I'm smitten.

But with sushi, too much normally ends with a tummyache. Too much raw food, or something, and then food poisoning, and the outcome isn't always happy. Yeeah :\ As much as I like sushi, I think I'm going to have to lay off for the sake of both myself, and my palate. Maybe even for Fish, hah. Wow, I'm so punny.

As for now, maybe a bowl of noodles will do. Ramen requires nothing but 3 minutes.

This looks delish, btdubs.

Relapse, recap.

Overindulgence is indeed a sin. But morely so, playing this game of push-and-pull. There's this weird sense of guilt, like I'm committing a crime.
It's just sort of taboo and strange - unless you're Japanese? Lol.
Raw eggs, raw beef, raw fish, raw chicken? How very barbaric of me.
Honest, there's never been a time where I've questioned myself as much as this.
When I first delved into the world of culinary arts, everything was exciting and new, but I was a picky and brutal critic.
When the first dish arrived, I welcomed it with open arms, forever there will remain a spot in my stomach dedicated to such a delight.
The second and third - I would say, were spur-of-the-moment, impatient choices. Ones that resulted in either a burnt tongue, or an upset stomach.
And lastly, the fourth. Something that I would have never considered. Ever.
There's just some sort of magnetism that attracts me to it. I mean, it's not as if someone has stuck a fork into my soul, and a magnet on the edge of the table so I lurch forward towards it.
The steps are slow, and I'm carefully analyzing whether or not to even take the first bite. I'm being observant (or ignorant).

On another note, they discontinued the fishy crackers at that one place in Causeway Bay ):
Apparently, they felt that the custard filling was not a hot buy, so they changed it to red bean. Boo.
I'd much rather they only make the custard one, and discontinue everything else. Hrmph.

Sometimes I think I just need to stop and breathe.

In.
Out.

Raw

Would sashimi be considered undercooked food?
The chef just pulled out a little plastic tray and cut a few pieces of salmon onto the plate.
Enough for me to get a taste of the fish, but not enough to truly savor the flavor.
There's wasabi and ginger, soy sauce available for me on the side, but I'm not quite sure I want to do anything about it yet.
I've been provided for quite generously for the past week or so, eating more would just be overstuffing myself.
The 5th deadly sin is gluttony, no?
(superbia, avaritia, luxuria, invidia, gula, ira, acedia)

And I am certain right now that my judgment is clouded, but I believe it best that I do nothing for a while, and just sit.
Enjoy the show.

Drink some water, smell some roses.

Falling Leaflets

I was cleaning out the cupboards today, and a bunch of papers from a loose-leaf notebook fluttered down.

Hrm.

We'll have to take a look at those, won't we?

Old recipes, some telephone numbers jotted down - maybe my parent's friends? Some of the numbers aren't even legible.

I think I'm going to take a trip back into time and try out some of these old recipes.

They don't deserve to be placed on a backburner just because it's been a while, and my skills are rusty (insert a slight chuckle here)

Maybe over the summer I'll be able to perfect them.

It's good to keep things simple once in a while.

Simple is best.

1300 Degrees

After an especially tiring week of work, I lay at that ever-familiar table in the corner of the restaurant.
The atmosphere was kind of strange, it was almost as if something was drifting away.
Maybe I pushed it to the edge, but as I began to drift asleep, I dropped another plate on the floor.
It crushed into a million pieces.
It was kind of my favorite one.


In the words of the famous potter So Yi Jeong,
"Turned upside down, stepped on, cut over and over again, withstanding 1300 degrees of heat. That's not the end. And when you go through all of that and it still can't be yours, you need to completely give it up. What I'm trying to say is that in order to become strong and find what truly belongs to you, there must be a process that you must overcome."
Perhaps this is the beginning of that process.


And I thought Corelle didn't break (hearts).

Tables Turned

Literally.
As much as I love the cat-and-mouse chase that was the restaurant business, it's great to know that the roles have been switched.
I believe that at this point in time, (though I still feel like a mouse), that I am indeed the cat.
Perhaps I will emerge to be a perfect counterpart to Jerry, of the timeless duo Tom and Jerry.
Perhaps, perhaps.
But a girl can always dream, no?

Who knew that gummy bears and wonton wrappers could make a nice dessert?
Expect the unexpected.

Chilly Weather

Though I previously stated that I hate chocolate in all forms ...
The truth of the matter is this: I would like a cup of hot chocolate.
All you can hear is the swishing and sloshing of ski pants rubbing against one another.
It's cold and dreary, and a nice steaming cup ..
That'd be nice.
To keep me company, to warm my soul.

--
Side note:
(The story spawns from a recent encounter between me, a Happy Meal, and a certain toy that required a pull string)
I've realized that I'm "all-grown-up" now.
I don't mind being childish once in a while, but I guess the time has come to drop that mentality and move on with my life.

iHop, iFly.

The realization that I have lost my ability to wake up in the morning with bursts of energy is quite depressing, the buttermilk pancakes that I got at iHop providing nothing but a bitter memory.
I feel like watching The Sound of Music again, just so that I could sing along with the "I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly .. " part of So Long, Farewell.
So Long, Farewell, my life.
So Long, Farewell, the love of my life.
Sometimes I ponder why I do the things I do - why I use a spoon to eat muffins, why I enjoy eating ice cream with a fork.
Why I still believe that certain dishes are still a delight to eat, despite the fact that I know it's unhealthy for me.
(i.e, Filet-O-ShitFish)
Thank God I have people to keep me in check.

Anywho, I've reverted back to the ways of the past, where I would plate my own dishes and stick with refined dining.
I hope fast food hasn't corrupted my palate.

Chocolat

There's a love-hate relationship between myself and chocolate.
Though many praise its wonders, and question why I do not worship the ground upon which it [drips?] treads, I can't bring myself to love it.

I can't, and I won't.

Cold Fish

The Filet-O-Fish I ordered came cold.
I poked at it with a fork, hoping that steam would rise up from the pathetic little cardboard box that they give you .. to no avail.
This is the order in which I eat my Filet-O-Fishies:

1) Remove the bottom layer of bread, in which there should be a piece of cheese, freshly melted, on top.
2) Fold and eat, like a grilled cheese sandwich.
3) Remove the top layer of bread, and proceed to eat it.
4) Chew thoroughly.
5) Rip apart the fish part of the Filet-O-Fish into little fish-stick like chunks, and bite.

However, since I chose to open the bag when I was already halfway towards my house, I didn't want to return and complain. My loss, maybe.

January 1st.

January 1st, the first date of the calendar year.
Perhaps a date to be taken advantage of, one in which we can use to reflect upon the thoughts that we still have up in the air in regards to the year past, or one that we can use to plan our futures.
With a baguette-like object in one hand, and my cellular phone in the other, I continued my trek across the city to grab a bite.
To the local McDonalds.
To others dismay (and partly my own), I have become fond of this .. brand of fast food.
Honestly, I don't know how to go on about it.
I've tried dissecting the food in an attempt to learn more about it, but I failed.
The taste of lettuce and tomato meshing together create a salad medley in my mouth, but somehow the bread just sort of clogs my throat from getting any further.
Maybe I should try again.
Start a new leaf.
After all, it is a new year.
I do promise that I won't start anything new until I finish.

The apple pies are still as appealing as ever.