Pine cones and holly berries...

It's the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

This year, it's simply marvelous celebrating with my family here. It seems like the whole UK side of the family is here. My cousin Yen Ling (who's only 2 days older than me), my aunt and uncle, and cousins Jade and Adam...

We had a lovely roast dinner for Christmas, then there was the dash for wrapping paper to wrap all the goodies and such. And we had a Chinese New Yeary feel to it as well, with a few rounds of mahjong. I won most of it! ^_^ What can I say? After all, I *am* Lady Luck's golden child. =P

The turkey is cooking in the oven, and everything is quiet this time of the night. I half expect Santa to creep stealthily down the chimney.

I'll be sad to see 2005 go. It's been a great year. A year of friendship and feasts, a year of endings and new beginnings. A year of laughter and tears, and most of all year of love and reunion.

It's probably been one of the happiest years of my life. This year is probably all my wishes and dreams come true and all my Christmas wishes/birthday presents put together. And for that I'm so very thankful.

And to all of you, thank you so much for sharing those joys, tears and laughter, championing my cooking feats, albeit vicariously, and perking me up by leaving little messages that somehow always bring a smile on the bleakest of days.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Feliz Navidad

There was a series of mishaps in Barcelona. We didn't get to do things as planned.

Doreen got her bag stolen on our first day there. My lost my hp and some money on our last day there while i was in La Ramblas trying to get some souvenirs at the very last minute. I didn't realise it till we got back and unpacked. By then, it was already too late to make a police report and claim insurance...

*sigh*

Sigh, I don't even want to think how much 350 euros is in MYR.

But despite all that, i believe my faith in human goodness has been strengthed. Because someone found Doreen's bag and actually took the trouble to locate our hostel and return it.

Bless him.

It taught me a valuable lesson on kindness. On compassion. On going the distance to help others. On not letting even the left hand know when the right hand does the giving.

Still, I absolutely LOVE Barcelona and plan to go again before i leave. It's a city totally unsuitable for one night stands - it has an addictive quality to it that makes you want more...

Anyway, wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a very happy new year!

Off to Germany for 6 days next week. Hopefully it wouldn't be too expensive, if not i'll have to end up eating maggi mee everyday and not going into any interesting places cos the money i budgeted for Germany is all gone now...

I wish people would give out angpows for Christmas...

if you are my friend...

you must like to eat because i cook to relax.

one sign that I'm seriously stressed? I cook like mad.

as soon as I got back from the exam (which, by the way, was horrible if you had to ask), I raided the fridge for something to cook. All I had was 3 beefburger patties and 15 eggs, milk, one onion and some garlic.

I ended up making meatballs. Mash up patties, crack some eggs and add milk. Crumble a box of Ritz crackers, chop onions and mince garlic. Blend all together until they reach the right consistency, shape into balls and then fry. Easy peasy.

For the sauce, I used up the milk, added some pepper, salt and mixed herbs. Called Doreen over for dinner. We had leftover sauce and she suggested making bread with that... so off I went, haphazardly adding flour, salt and sugar and yeast and then pouring the gravy in. Shaped them into balls again and then left them to rise.

I got bored and used some to make pretzels... multishaped ones. They turned out surprisingly allright...

And the buns... they were really, really yummy! Nice and crusty outside and soft and tender inside. Tasted a bit like potato bread for some reason... ate them with honey and gave some to Sally and her housemates who had them with jam.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've last baked bread, and how much I miss it. Perfect activity for venting out frustrations and anger. Punch and hit the dough and knead, knead, knead! So therapeutic. No wonder most bakers look so happy all the time. I want to be a baker.

Meatballs and gravy, pretzels, and buns... not bad for 6 hours, eh?

I'm totally knackered now.

I'll start on my 2 assignments tomorrow. Scary, considering the deadline for the both of them is this Friday.

I think I'll prolly cook up a whole feast on Saturday morning and force-feed anyone who is still on campus then!

wonder

sometimes I wonder...

wonder if I'll ever achieve anything

wonder if I'll make it

wonder if all these things i'm going through mean anything

wonder if I'm doing the right things


i wonder about so many things...

of hows, whens and whys -

but questions only lead to more questions

and some questions...

well some questions, you don't just want them answered.