Second Visit: Akashi & Kobe, mostly Akashi

I am a tropical person. I feel cold all the time, even in the hot tropical city that I have been living. The maintenance guy in the office just can't stand me, I keep on asking him to adjust the air-con in the office, so that I will not be shivering in the office.

Of course, like most people, I always complain about the heat here. I also complain about the humidity. I think my boss heard me and decided to send me to another place, where it was winter. It was cold. It was not humid at all. He sent me for a business trip to Akashi, Japan so I could not complain about how hot and humid it was in Singapore. 

It was in late Jan 2008, it was cold. It was winter. And when the wind blew, the wind chill factor made me understand why my grandparents decided to leave China in search of a better living in warmer countries. Actually, I am exaggerating, the coldest temperature was only -1 degree celcius. But I live in a place where it's 30 degree celcius, all year round. And I have not experienced cold weather since I left Sydney, and that's almost like 10 years ago. So, it was still temperature shock for me.

So again, no blossoming sakura waiting for me in Japan as it was much too early. But, I've got to take the picture of plum blossom (ume). It's either plum blossom or peach blossom, they are of a family (I guess)

Let's digress a bit. For a fan of Jin Yong's The Legend of Condor Heroes, seeing the real peach blossom in front of me has answered my curiosity on how peach blossom island should look like. For those who never read or watch The Legend of Condor Heroes, peach blossom island is where Huang Rong, the female protagonist in the story, lived. 

Another thing that worth noted here, on my second day in Akashi, there was snowfall. I haven't seen snowfall for a long time. I got very excited when I saw it. Despite the cold, I still managed to walk around the hotel, just to experience the snow again.

However, business trip is business trip. My schedule in this trip was very very packed. I've got dinner invitation almost every night. And until the last day, I could not even spare some time  to visit  Kyoto. And Kyoto is only one hour and thirty minutes by train from Kobe/Akashi. How depressing.

Food wise, I have got no complaint. I was well fed during this trip. I enjoyed tepanyaki style kobe beef dinner twice. I had chinese food -- japanese stye. I've got enough of sashimi, sushi, tempura during this trip. I had shabu-shabu. But, where's the best omu-rice from the Lunch Queen?

Without doubt, my wagyu beef was still the best. It is just melt in the mouth. It's so tender, and it did not smell. Made me wonder why the beef that I cooked sometimes smell like beef(?) and tasted like rubber?

That should explain why all the pictures that I took are mostly food pictures from the dinners that I have had.

Boss, when can I visit Kyoto? 

Contemplating 2007

This is going to be my last post in 2007. In two days time, I'll be flying to my hometown and I'll be staying there for Christmas and New Year. Internet connection in my hometown sucks big time. So, I don't expect to post anything during my stay.

Okay, 2007 is almost over in a blink of an eye. But at one time, I could not wait for the year to be over. And I am so glad that it is almost over. Just a few more days to go.

Oh, right! This is going to be a long post. How I can sum up 365 days in a few sentences, well, more than a few, remains a challenge for me.

I think this year, our faith were fiercely tested when we found out about my mother's sickness. My mother has always been the pillar of strength in our family. She's our dragon lady. Yet, I can never forget her look when I picked her up in the airport and she looked at me in daze. The woman who brought me to this world could not recognize me, her own daughter. It was just so devastating.

And I just felt so helpless, for not being able to do anything for her for her! And I questioned myself, over and over again, how good a daughter I was. At one time, in her dazed and confused days, I just felt like asking her, if I had made her proud. If she's happy to have me as her daughter. The question never reached her, because I was afraid to hear the answer.

Health is truly the priceless gift in our life. And I am so grateful, that all of us in the family (Yohan and I, Ma & Pa, our children) are doing well. My mother is getting better everyday, and for it, I am more than grateful.

The big flood happened in Jakarta, and our children were there at that time. I learned about the true quality of my parents and how much they love their grandchildren. I also learned about some people who were not sincerely concerned about my children, despite their blood relation. No name is being mentioned here to protect the privacy of the accused.

Career wise, I'd say that I was doing okay in 2007. Not too many days of staying back late in the office, which was more than I could ask for. I was coping well with my current job. And just recently, I was offered the opportunity to take up new responsibility that is outside my comfort zone. Um, actually "offered" was not really the good term to use here. I was politely pushed to take up the new responsibility. I've had my reservations about my new job, but, let's just wait and see. Anyway, the effective date of the job is only in 2008. And I am supposed to be whingeing about 2007 now.

I am also guilty of not spending enough time with my children, especially big N. To their credit, they have been doing well so far. My big N enjoys his school and teacher. Making friends and learning new things. My little N began to attend her toddler class in July 2007, and she was doing equally great. Health-wise, I have been hoping that they have better immune system and not falling ill that often. Especially for my big N. Let this be my hopes for year 2008.

Personally, in 2007, I feel that I have metamorphosed into a cynical person now. It did not happen overnight of course. I just realize that I do not see the world in the rose tinted glasses anymore. I have turned into a clean freak, nature-averse kind of person. That's so different than who I was--10 years ago.

Also, I realize that I have turned into a shopaholic. My husband can testify for this. Every month, whenever he shows me (my) credit card bills, I will widen my eyes as I look at him, to give him a damsel-in-distress look. When I speak to him, I will whimper my voice to mimic a 15 year-old and ask him nicely to settle my credit card bills. This damsel-in-distress tactic, I have learned, has a great impact in deciding whether or not my husband is going to pay for my credit card bills. Of course I can pay for the bills myself. But the cheap thrill is to get the HUSBAND pay for the credit card bills. That's what husband is for!

So, let's toast to my wonderful husband, who just settled my credit card bill for this month!!

To conclude this post, I will not say that 2007 is a bad year. It's just...more challenging for me!

On a positive note to end this year, a new little addition, has joined our family on 6 Dec 2007. My sister has given birth to a cute little girl on that day. Welcome to this world, little Chloe!

I put up the picture of Ariel jigsaw puzzle here, as I find that doing the 99-pieces (that belongs to little N) was a great bonding for me and my husband. We worked together to finish the puzzle, while little N was watching TV. And I guess, it just represents our teamwork, for year 2007. Well, fear not, as our xmas present for big N is a 300-pieces jigsaw puzzle. Yohan and I can do a lot of bonding together in early next year.

Chocolate Pudding, an Indonesian Dessert?

As we're saying goodbye to year of 2007, I've got many invitations to the Christmas/year end gathering. One gathering that I went to, was a pot luck BBQ with office colleagues. The host asked us to prepare one unique dish from we come from. That's tough. I need something that's easy to make, yet universally acceptable for the multi-nation guests' palate who attended the gathering.

After long thought, I decided to bring the chocolate pudding. Indonesian style. The pudding was made of agar-agar (seaweed) powder. That defined the Indonesian-ness of the pudding. Because usually people associate pudding with gelatine/Jello or cakey-like pudding. Not for this one. Unlike gelatine, agar-agar resulted in a light texture of the pudding. And as for chocolate, who could resist its omnipresence!

For the final touch, it was served with the custard sauce, spiked with lots of rum! That's how I grew up with, eating this kind of pudding in weddings, birthdays, family gatherings.

I presented the chocolate pudding in a lovely serving dish (not pictured here), courtesy of the wonderful host of the day. The pudding looked so decadently tempting and shiny. And it prompted the question from the guests, "is it an Indonesian dessert?".

I have no idea. But I think, it is.

A wife of Indonesian colleague commented, "This is just the pudding I have always known, made of agar-agar, eaten with custard sauce with rum!"

I guess, I did not make the wrong choice with this one.

Recipe was taken from Detikfood. As explained above, the custard sauce was not mocha, as specified in the recipe. I omitted the dark chocolate and coffee powder and replaced them with 2 tablespoon of jamaican rum.