I am going back to work tomorrow. It's been 2 weeks on holiday staying at home. I have quite some leave days to clear so it wasn't difficult to decide when to put the application in for. The end of 2013 like the end of the last several eyes hasn't been terribly eventful. There's something to do around Christmas, maybe presents to buy, some to receive, and perhaps something to do around New Year's. Usually there's a lot eating. I told myself though that I would try to do something interesting every day if I could. Let's run down that list to the best of my memory.
1. I went for yoga class four times I think. One class was a Pilates class where the instructor used me to demonstrate how not to do a push-up. I took it magnanimously, an instruction to the wider partly clueless audience. I still didn't get what the instructor was getting at. Was I not squeezing my ass enough? Were my hips too high? Was my chest not hovering above the ground low enough? It was an hour of pain. My core sucks.
2. I had coffee crab at Majestic Restaurant at Gardens By The Bay. I keep mistaking the name of the place as Masterbay. It's a terrible misnomer. The crab is divine. It comes red and smothered with a light brown sauce. The server pours over a shot of liquor and sets the crustacean ablaze before salivating guests. The alcohol enhances the coffee taste and adds a lingering palate pleaser when licking the sauce. It is very very good. My friends also ordered the one other dish that is only served three times an evening, the seafood baked rice. In fact it has to be pre-ordered, reserved for discerning guests. Ahem. I know seafood baked rice sounds like something on the Swensen's menu but this is wonderful gargantuan re-invention. The dish arrived in a large metal pan, rice flavoured with curry spices chockful of scallops, prawns, mussels and baby abalone, all enveloped in a melted cheese crust. It was delish, the kind of cooking that warms you up inside. The whole thing was apparently enough for 4 to 6 people but it sufficed us hungry 3.
3. I took my nephew to the office for him to play and meet people. He likes meeting adults and he loves the view of the city. Given the season, almost every one of my colleagues he met gave him a sweet or chocolate. Much to my detriment of course. I ended up lugging a bag of confectionary home.
4. I baked for the first time. I mean I have put in stuff into my oven to defrost and cook, like frozen pizzas. This time I had to prepare food for a Christmas potluck party and I decided to do too much - a pumpkin pie and two vegetarian lasagnes, eggplant and spinach. My mum of course frowned at this expression of free will in 'her' kitchen. I nonetheless had to pull my weight and venture forth into the gastronomic unknown. I have watched many many cooking shows, Jamie Oliver, Rachel Allen, Anna Olson, Gordon Always Angryface, the Italian dude, the 30 minute meal lady. What could go wrong? I managed to surprise myself. With some help from the Internet, the food turned out not bad. The pumpkin pie could have done with a thicker crust and more sugar but it was alright. The lasagnes perhaps could have done with a bit more salt and a little more time in the oven. I bought square sheets for a rectangular pan. So that was a time waster. And I put cheese at the top when I shouldn't have. But it was a lesson in experimentation and planning. The results were edible and didn't induce hospitalization. Well done.
5. Following item 4, I baked chocolate cake yesterday. Not too bad either. I wanted to follow the pound cake recipe, ratio of 1:1 for everything. Problem was I didn't have a scale at home so I eyeballed everything by using a bowl. My mum reminded me to add vanilla and I forgot the salt. I added coffee because the Barefoot Contessa lady said I should and I added some brown sugar for 'character'. I also didn't quite do the wet before the dry, a mistake that would give my cakes a not unappetising partly caramelised crust. My mum was worried that I'd splatter the mix everywhere when I used the electric beater. I didn't. The results were interesting. The cakes were fudgy rather than spongy. I shared them with friends over mahjong and they finished everything. An above average success.
6. I played mahjong twice. It's fun because we eat, talk, drink, laugh, watch TV and joke throughout the whole affair. There was a baby present on both occasions and we took turns to entertain the little tyke.
7. I saw The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug and American Hustle. Both good films. I caught the first Hobbit film so I had to catch this one to continue the story. American Hustle was interesting. Christian Bale should get an award for pulling off the 1970s pudgy look.
8. A bunch of us had a roast pig for dinner. Not quite the Hawaiian or Balinese pig on a spit. Ours came in a cardboard box. It wasn't bad. We accompany the meat with zhichar offerings from a nearby coffeeshop. There was a chye poh tofu dish and a 4 vegetable fry named "4 heavenly kings" that impressed greatly. Yum yum. There was much intoxicating beverage drunk and also frozen durian eating. A Singaporean Christmas dinner to remember.
Over the two weeks I had meals with three groups of friends. I am grateful I have these friends, a diverse bunch from different stages in my life.
On the not so good side, my MacBook has decided to not cooperate. Second time this year. What's going on dear Apple? I may have lost all my Korea holiday pictures!
Also, Schumacher hurt his head and his now in a critical state. May he and anyone else who's hurt be ok.
Happy new year everyone.
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