one.fine.sunday

you hardly believe it's already end of june.  the weather is still spring like.  you didn't go to church today as you still try to refrain from crowded places to aid your recovery....

 you had your spacious moment at the lake nearby you.you stop briefly at the horse farm

 saying a quick hi to the horses

 the weather is getting better, still spring though despite it's already the last day of june.

nonetheless you enjoy the colors and your brief moment under the sun. it does make you feel better.

have a blessed sunday!

a.fine.day.in.maastricht

these were taken a few weekends ago... on a fine but windy spring saturday.

 you made a quick trip to maastricht, a city located at the south tip of lowland for a museum visit. the current exhibition is about russian arts which you find interesting

 the muted spring

 the colorful spring

 and a yellowish greenish late spring early summer scenery of yellow westeria...

 a totally different theme of grayish, mystery and dark canal and boat scene

 they are many paintings, most of the artists are new to you besides kadinsky

 and a few almost 3-d paintings that really intrigued you to observe to every details...

 and you started to see faces, bodies

and the feet, the toes

and discover faces too, heavy but interesting!

::mushipan::

you're officially "sick" now, it's amazing how your will power can control your body to remain focus on your never ending work.  and the blow came at the right time because you do cough a lot and the fact that the incident in the office put a reality check to you and your management.
sorting out your errands, rebooking your hotel and air ticket for next week, you whisked up these mushipan (japanese style cake/bread).

now you do admit that you're a little weak even though the cough has reduced as you're now on your third day of antibiotic cycle.  you just want to rest and not making yourself too tired.

you make use of the left over char siew in the freezer, and whisk up just enough for four cupcake size mushipan.  it's quick and easy, in no time your mushipan with char siew are ready

 love the sight of them, you improvised based on a basic mushipan recipe, the dill is just a decorative touch up since you do have ample in your herb patch...

and the fact that the char siew oozing out made it delicious just by sight.  they do taste like the char siew pao, except these are really quick and easy to make without proofing time.  you can make do with these

::lick::

 you just have crave for gelato lately, it must be the weather....

 despite of your cough, you stilll **ahem**

 choose your choice of 2 flavors

 although the rum raisin is the one that you wanted to try but it's already sold out... so you decided on...

thumb up for chocolate caramel, bleh for the match green tea...

===
p/s: you're back to lowland safe and sound
===

chest.infection

anyway, you have been coughing for a few nights now and that has distorted your sleep.  this morning just 35 min before your meeting, your client sent you an email with a slide deck and imposing you to take up the idea.  you already told him the day before this is not the right approach but to cut the story short, you burst into anger and experience discomfort...

the hotel connects you to nhs hotline which eventually refuse to help or take you to any general practitioner for further diagnosis after the initial conversation. you finally called international sos, the official partner from your work and within 2 hours you're here.  you're worried about your blood pressure but it turned out the blood pressure is normal but you have a minor chest infection.

that said, you're okay now, you don't feel as sick as the actual state of the situation but you're leaving for home early tomorrow morning.

::carnaby::

a quick glimpse of london today.

kolo.mee

kolo mee. home made.

 not exactly the same but pretty close. the char siew (bbq pork) is not in distinct red color

 you didn't have pickled green or red chili to go with it

 but you do have a pack of kuching kolo mee. the dry version that you picked up during your home trip. and that makes all the different

you went to the extend to harvest the lard by flying the strips of fat and minced pork.  you must say, besides the chili, the taste and in fact the texture of the noodle is almost the same.
you probably won't recreate this dish if not because you have noodles in your possession.  you probably will not go to the same extend with the lard (hard fat) the next time.

===
i am back to london. still coughing like no body's business occasionally.  it's not continuously but when it get started i just cannot stop the cough. it's officially summer but the weather is taking a deep punch, back to autumn.  work life is getting busy again as i am approaching another round of workshop in july.  thanked God i do have two junior resources to help me preparing everything. at this stage, i need the strength of God, only He can carry me through!
===

roses.overflow

you don't have much spring flowers in your garden but you do have abundance of roses

 red roses and pink roses too

 the weather has been bad, rainy and windy, so instead of letting the roses withered and fallen out there, you just cut a bunch of them and bring them indoor. that brightens your home for sure. and you just love the texture and the pattern of this rose.  it's eden rose breed that you picked up last spring, now they are growing steadily and produce lots of flowers...

 meantime, a friend who came over for dinner last night brought you another two pot of roses... the leonardo da vinci breed

and a aladdin breed... hmmm... thank you and roses overflow!

you didn't make it to church today because of your cough, as you know you probably will cough throughout the sermon that makes no point to be present at church.  you took a nap instead and that ease you from coughing.  let's pray it will get better tomorrow as you make your journey to london again.

::kaiserschmarrn::

the king's pancake - kaiserschmarrn.  an austrian pulled pancake...

with boozy raisins that you soaked a night before and the freshly made blueberry compote to go with the pancake...  first time making this from start, not difficult and taste exactly the same as the package flour.  so you will make this yourself from now on, after all it's not easy to get the package flour in lowland.  you may try the meringue version if the opportunity comes again :)

and a small portion for your sunday breakfast with other berry fruit.

brunching this way  is weekend to you.  it's been a long and very berry weekend only your cough is getting worst!

peng.kueh

after your recent home trip, you are determined to get your hands dirty on some of the kuih-muih that you love but have always refrain from (at least try) making them yourself.  with a comprehensive recipe book and the moulds at hand... you started your journey of exploring the world of kuih-muih... these are classified as snacks as they are usually savory, some could be sweet but still they are not dessert.

 teochew peng kueh (潮州饭桃) a savory snack of the teochew clan....

 it's rather easy to make if you have the right ingredients and most importantly the mould

and after a very short 8 min steaming, you had one for tea, the asian way, just the way you like and used to do in the past....

 the innard is glutinous rice with dried shrimps, mushroom, minced pork and other goodies, you improvised based on your childhood taste, just the way your mum used to make them...

and cheers to the longest day of the year 2013, temperature wise it has gone down to autumn again...

home.coming

home coming to a bed garden of roses.

you mean lots and lots of roses, in clusters and overflow!

 the eden roses also blooming

 and your heart overflow too, with thrills and joy. because these flowers are rewards of hard labor and the hours and time you spent in the garden....

surprises from the seeds you sowed about a month ago...

excited!!

p/s: photos taken in low light at around 10.30pm

summer.sales

it's soon to be summer...

 and you know it's true when you start craving for ice cream, gelati. and this one was your dinner, 3 flavors chocolate, pistachio and cappuccino

 mean time the summer sales has started... and it's dangerous time in london

where everything is 50% off or above...

hmmm, gotta watch out!

 mean time you have the privilege to acquire something, not for yourself but a friend of yours had asked you to buy on her behalf

and a lovely opportunity to carry this lovely cherry pink back from london to lowland for another friend.
you don't own any of these, but it thrilled you to touch them and have them in transit before going to the owner...