My Pet Peeve In The Ladies' Room

My pet peeve is to find a fellow co-worker chatting away on a cell phone in the ladies' room.  I happened to bump to one earlier this week. I suspect she may had forgotten to flush after she is done with her business. Sigh!

While I appreciate the convenience of modern technology, I deplore someone taking advantage of it in the restroom.  The intruder on the other side of the wireless device has somehow invaded the privacy of the temporary sanctuary, the public restroom.  It doesn't matter whether it is a tiny pop or a prolong machine gun like fart or even low thumper. The ladies' room is a shared private space where an individual could fart to her heart content  and is poised to create her own Pompeii in the privacy of the tiny cabins. Who cares whether the stream is flowing fast or slow or even just a squirt. I don't think someone beyond the four walls of this sanctuary should be allowed to tap into the happenings in here.

Perhaps, we have ourselves to blame as we do not confront these offenders face-to-face. I have co-workers that send a message by flushing incessantly to make conversation impossible. As for me, I typically take the path of least resistance and will retreat to a different restroom on a different floor.

Perhaps, it is alright to have a private phone conversation in public restroom for certain cultures. But it is still not acceptable to me.  Wait —technology has advanced way ahead of toilette etiquette. We have revolutionized the way we communicate and yet we are still catching up on simple toilette etiquette. Whose responsibility is it to renew the toilette etiquette for all to follow ? Video conference will be the next common medium of communication.  What is going to happen next ? Audio invasion might be a thing of the past and we would usher in the video era. Perhaps, the next best thing is to have sound proof cabin.  Just a thought.

Sonoma ... my casual plan

It is a known fact that most asian do not have the enzymes to breakdown alcohol quickly.  As I have very little tolerance to alcohol, it shows with a nice red hue all over my face whenever I consume a little alcohol. I would typically stick to one glass of wine or beer the entire night. Frugality is not at play here but self preservation as I am too shy to make the headlines among my friends.

Last Saturday, my friend ST has organized a wine tasting tour to Sonoma in celebration of her boyfriend's birthday.  It was a well thought out trip to the wine county. Besides wine tasting, she also included olive oil and chocolate tasting. My favorite part of the day was the food and wine pairing at Mayo Family Reserve Tasting Room.  I tried at least 12 tastings that day and enjoyed the over indulgence. Believe me it was hard work. 

If I were to plan a day trip to the wine tasting county and a trip that takes serious consideration on my low alcohol tolerance,  I would start of with an olive oil tasting. Why ? I want to put some oil in my stomach to dilute the effects of alcohol.  Then I would indulge in food and wine pairing. It was a fun experience at Mayo Family.  Although there were 7 courses, they were served in hors d'oeuvres style and there was sufficient time between courses to savor the wines and have lively conversation among friends. Then I will head to another tasting room to savor more wines and lastly end the day with chocolate tasting at the local artisanal chocolatier. While I may still end the day with a red hue on my face, I just might prevent a hangover the following day. All in all, it was a great experience.

Mayo Family: Winter Menu

The first 3 courses and wine pairing

The next 3 courses and wine pairing

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Being in love is amazing and must be reciprocal. Simple gestures make the occasion memorable and uniquely ours. Love fosters creativity and desires to make our significant other happy.Despite being physically apart, I feel emotionally whole in my relationship with a very charming dutchman. Since he does not observe Valentine's day, I am proud that he made an effort and romanticized the occasion to make me feel special.

From me to him:
I am probably the most economically savvy girlfriend this year. I sent him a Valentine's day card with 7 post-it notes: one for each day to tell him how much I appreciate and love him.

From him to me:
He sent me valentine's e-card the day before Valentine's day because I was going on a road trip with my girlfriend the very next day. On top of that, he translated a poem from Toons Herman to English as to declare his love for me. I returned on President's day morning to receive a bouquet of tulips at my door step.

Last but not least, we FaceTime-ed to wish each other Happy belated Cupid's day.  

I am sharing the full translation of the love poem by Toons Herman from Dutch to English courtesy of my dutchman.

I sing you, I refrain you
I sherry you, I wine you
I piano you and I flute you
I Rembrandt and I Monet you

I coffee and I tea you
I beach you and I ocean you
I spell you and I paper you
I mother you and I father you

But I so much want to ask you
Something much beyond a kiss
I so much want to request you
To do something for me:

Spring me, Summer me
September me and Winter me
Because I incessantly love you
Morning me, Midday me
Evening me and Night me
In other words;
Stay with me, hold on to me please

I want to see in your eyes again
the blossoming of the apple tree
And your summers I want to sense on my cheeks
I want to see leafs drop on my silent dream
And lights of Christmas dance on the wallpaper

Spring me, Summer me
September me and Winter me
Because I incessantly love you
Morning me, Midday me
Evening me and Night me
In other words;
Stay with me, hold on to me please!

My dutchman and I may be miles apart yet we found a way to make it a special occasion for us.  For folks who are in a long distance relationship, I hope you had a memorable V-day in spite of the distance and time zone differences. Happy belated V-day to all!

The Grand Canyon State

Finally, I made it to Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven natural wonders of the world!

I have planned for the road trip to visit Sedona, Flagstaff and South Rim of the Grand Canyon. My friend, PG came along with me and was my faithful driver throughout the trip.

Day 1:
We flew into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, rented a SUV, and started our journey late Thursday afternoon. We took 17 North from the airport then 179 North to Sedona, AZ.   There are beautiful red rock landscapes and shopping outlets along 179. The scenic beauty of Sedona just took my breath away.  The view was spectacular.

In the evening, we attended a flute presentation by Wolfs Robe at Los Abrigados Resort and Spa. He is a Native American Flute Maker/Player. He played with different kinds of flute: Finger Flute, Ancestor Pueblo Flute, Grandfather Flute and etc. He said that every performance is unique and is a gift to the listener. He doesn't know how to read music notes yet he played beautifully and mystically too.

Day 2:

View from Mather Point

We continued our journey on 89A North then 180 West. Along this scenic route, we stopped at Midgley Bridge, Slide Rock State Park and Native American Craft Market in Oak Creek Canyon.  Then we  continued on 64 North to the South Entrance of Grand Canyon. We took in our first canyon view at Mather Point, a short walking distance from Grand Canyon Visitor Center. The pastel-streaked skies and the hazy silhouette of the canyon is just magnificent.

The goal was to soak in the vistas along the Desert View Drive, a 25-mile east bound drive. Either we were totally immersed in our conversation or the signage is non-existant until Moran Point. We came to realized that we have missed 4 recommended viewpoints and then decided to go to Watchtower next, turned back to Moran Point then end the day at Lipan Point as it is a magnificent spot to watch the sunset. It is free to climb the Desert View Watchtower so check out the 360° east view of the canyon and Colorado River.

View from Lipan Point shortly before sunset

Day 3:
Our first stop was Yavapai Point. There we popped into the Yavapai Geology Museum and Observation Station then headed on to the second scenic route Hermit Road Drive on the west end of South Rim.  Our timing was impeccable as we were there when Hermit Road Drive is accessible to private vehicles which is from December to February. This time, we stopped at almost every overlook/vista and feast our eyes with the exceptional views along this drive. My favorite was Mohave Point because the Mohave Desert seemed to be visible from a distance on the west side.

In the afternoon, we left Grand Canyon and headed south via 64 South then the scenic route 180 east. Since we are facing San Francisco Peaks as we headed east, in my opinion, the view was much prettier when I compared to the journey heading west. I had the intention to hike inside River Lava Cave which is 10 miles north of Flagstaff however the route FR245 was closed to traffic. It is a pity, I did not get to experience hiking in a lava cave. We stayed in Flagstaff and had dinner at Alpine Pizza which is a local joint for the NAU students.

Day 4:
We went back to Sedona, the scenic red rock beauty and the spiritual town. We promenaded along Sedona Uptown,  took an old-time portrait at "Pistols & Petticoats" then hiked Bell Rock Pathway.
I got to see these famous monuments: Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and Courthouse Rock from different angles and at the end of the day, I am thrilled that I could easily distinguished them.

I am glad to experience a little piece of Grand Canyon and learn a little bit about Arizona.
I feel positive and calm. Perhaps the vortex energy in Sedona has energized me. Thank you!

Happy Amateur Baking!

I brought a banana home from work which I took on Tuesday and did not have to chance to eat it. I know myself that if I don't make something with it, it will end up in the trash.  Voila, I made walnut banana chocolate cake. My roommate loved it and I told him to have as many pieces as he wants as I derived more joy from making than from eating.

Like eating seasonal vegetable, I have a seasonal dessert list:— cranberry pistachio biscotti, orange chiffon cake and crème brûlée in winter, blueberry buttermilk cake in spring, mango soufflé in summer, tiramisu and chocolate pear pudding in autumn. I learn new recipes though many do not make it to my repertoire.  I can't possible consume these dessert all on my own so I bring them to work. Over time , I have developed quite a reputation as a baker to my friends at work and little do they know that they are the best support system for me to continue my interest in dessert making.

To take different ingredients and turn them into something delicious—that's the end results we all hope for. I enjoy the creation process more than the end results. My faithful sous chef, the KitchenAid stand mixer is my partner in crime in baking. While my sous chef is busy beating butter and sugar or sugar and egg yolks, I will check in from time to time to make sure that the mixture becomes pale yellow, thick and fluffy.  My sous chef also does a great job in beating egg whites until it is firm peak. The onerous is on me to tell it to stop.  I had over beaten egg whites before and learnt never to do that again.  When folding beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture and see it slowly transformed into chocolate soufflé , the experience is priceless.

I have made many mistakes while testing out recipes and will share some here. When making Crème Anglaise, I had poured hot whipping cream into egg yolks and the egg yolks curdled. From then on, I will always remember that egg curdled at approx. 170º and to check the temperature of the hot cream before combining with egg yolks. When making cupcakes, never over beat the batter unless you want rock solid cupcakes which are perfect replacement for base balls . In winter, when melting chocolate chips in the microwave, do it right before adding to the batter otherwise the melted chocolate will cool off and there will be chunks of chocolate in the cake. These mistakes enriched my experience and served as a reminder to self as I try out new recipes.

I am a Chinese Malaysian and Chinese New Year(CNY) is a big event for my family. Since I moved to the States, it has become less significant to me. I do not practice the traditions here:  reunion dinner on the eve,  can't use a broom on CNY otherwise I will chase away good luck and prosperity (hmm..come to think about it, I do not have a broom in the house), receiving red packets, exchanging mandarin oranges and etc. Instead, I do two things to remind me of my chinese roots— I call my family and friends in Scotland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia on their eve evening and I make pineapple tarts to reign in the new lunar year.

I have almost forgotten about the pineapple tarts until late yesterday evening. Despite, there were a lot of CNY cookies on display at the Vietnamese Supermarket yesterday, it only donned to me much later of the day or after making the walnut banana chocolate cake that I have not even started with the tarts. Since I make everything from scratch, I typically make the pineapple jam weeks in advance. It has a special meaning to me to make the pineapple tarts before the actual CNY on 10th Feb. Now, I have to put a rush on the jam in order to keep doing the few things I do to remind me of my chinese roots.

To all amateur bakers, happy baking!

Today is Super Bowl, Go Niners!

Just hang in there a little longer

I learned from LR the difference between an introvert and a loner. An introvert is at ease among close knit friends whereas a loner prefers being alone. I spend quality time bonding with LR where she shared her insecurity in her relationship with a loner type of guy. We went for a long walk on Ocean Beach, watch the sunset then went for dinner in Japan Town.

LR is one of my most gregarious buddies. Everyone loves to talk to her. She organizes gatherings so that all her friends get to keep in touch regularly. I enjoy dining with her and she is one of my few friends who loves to pig-out. We don't have a care in the world when we eat. Waistline and calories do not exist in our gastronomy literature. 

She has a positive disposition in life. A few years back, I got a call from her where she had informed me that she had a brain tumor and had scheduled for surgery in a few days. She just wanted me to know that she was out of reach for 2 weeks. I worried for her while her main focus was to ensure that she called up her friends so that we knew that she was out of reach temporary. Our call was short because she had a list of friends to call.  Instead of being consume with the surgery, she was on a mission or perhaps it was her distraction to the issue at hand. My point is only a positive forward thinking person would do what she did.

She met someone through internet dating after she had recovered from her surgery. I have seen JG a few occasions during LR's gatherings at a local irish pub. Though I hardly talked to him nor took the time to get to know him better, I had the impression that he is a good person for LR. When a couple is in love, there is something special in the air— the loving gaze, stealing kisses and the natural intimacy between two people. Sadly, I saw none of that. I saw a cordial friendship between a man and a woman. Perhaps, they have mastered the art of delayed gratification which is the essence of their relationship.

They had broken up in March last year and the reason given by JG was that they were not compatible. Yet, JG had introduced LR to his family during Thanksgiving and they had spent new year eve together.  LR shared that JG is a loner. His actions were conflicting and non-committal. All LR is asking for is acknowledgement from him and the very least to know where she stands in their relationship. 

Like any normal female, LR sought out her girlfriends for support, comfort and validation. One friend told her to give JG an ultimatum because this method worked for her friend. LR knows that this is not the way to get her man to commit. Since he is a loner,  she runs the risk of losing him prematurely. Another friend advised her to stay close to him and don't let another woman come into the picture. This is what her friend employed to ensure her husband is hers only.  LR's insecurity had triggered her need to inspect him therefore she had secretly checked his call history and scoured his home for any trace of another woman. She is somewhat relieved that she found no suspicious calls or female items in his home.

I knew from speaking to her that she was leaning towards working things out with JG. She was looking for support to continue her quest. She had compared guys that she had met after JG and none exceeded her expectation.  She knows best what she needs. I gave her my support to hang in this limbo relationship because that is what she wanted. I pray she does not confuse his kindness and empathy as love. She is an intelligent lady and she needs to recognized that when it is time to call it quits she has the courage to make the tough call.  

I am no expert in relationship and all I can do for her is be a good listener. Follow your heart, my dear friend. What don't break you makes you stronger, LR! 

Enjoy motherhood, my friend!

Baby K's mummy hung up her Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin and opted for Nike or whatever walking shoes that are popular in Scotland instead. Seriously, Baby K's mummy had put her career on hold and decided to concentrate all her energy and attention on Baby K.  Baby K is so adorable, energetic and a very precocious baby. I can understand why it is difficult to leave Baby K with someone else while my dear friend has a career.   

This is the right decision and a tough one. 

This is right because she followed her heart. Having made up her mind, she does not have to make a choice between her job and being a mum. She does not need to feel guilty when she is compelled to choose her job over her child.  She does not need to adjust her schedule so she can make work and baby pickup times work and perhaps avoid traffic during peak hours too.  

She is guaranteed to witness almost all of Baby K's transformation during her formative years. She will be around for the many first — the first "I love you, mummy",  the first alphabet, the first number and many first phrases and imitations on mummy and daddy.  Both of them will make a lot of memorable moments such as baking cookies and making arts and crafts. 

I know it is important for  her that Baby K knows her relatives and cousins in Singapore and Malaysia. My dear friend is in a better position to make this a reality. She can plan for trips back to Asia and her only consideration is to workaround school holiday schedules.  

It is a tough because career is an important part of her life and mine too. I cannot imagine myself making a decision to stay home for a child. To me, it is like loosing a piece of myself and my identify because my job defines me.I guess motherhood trumps everything else in life. I want to remind her that she made the right decision. She can always build a career later. She plays many roles in life — a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law and etc... It is ok to put her job role on hold. When she is ready, she will find a beautiful pair of Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin to welcome her back to the workforce. Enjoy motherhood and make the best of it!