Kenny Rogers Corn Muffins

Ingredients needed:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen yellow corn

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, honey, eggs and salt in a large bowl. Add flour, cornmeal and baking powder and blend thoroughly. Add milk while mixing. Add corn to mixture and combine by hand until corn is worked in. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and fill each cup with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins begin to turn brown on top.

Note:

1. For Dry ingredients, 1 cup = 250ml, as for wet ingredients, 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces.
2. Brown sugar was used here as a healthier option. The amount of sugar and butter used can be reduced.
3. It is important to get a muffin pan for this. The paper alone is not strong enough to support the batter and will collapse, affecting the overall apperance of the muffins.

Spanish Flu

The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an influenza pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin of the virus. Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients. The flu pandemic has also been implicated in the sudden outbreak of Encephalitis lethargica in the 1920s.

The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide, or the approximate equivalent of one third of the population of Europe. An estimated 500 million people, one third of the world's population (approximately 1.6 billion at the time), became infected.

Scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce the virus for study. Given the strain's extreme virulence there has been controversy regarding the wisdom of such research. Among the conclusions of this research is that the virus kills via a cytokine storm (overreaction of the body's immune system) which explains its unusually severe nature and the concentrated age profile of its victims. The strong immune systems of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults caused fewer deaths.

Gelato!

The word gelato is derived from the Italian verb gelare, meaning "to freeze". It is no surprise that the Italians are most often credited with the invention of modern-day gelato, which traces its origins to the courts of the Medicis, and to Catherine de Medici in particular.

Borrowed a book on gelato to find out a little more on ice cream making and here are some notes that I have taken down.

What is Gelato?

-It is a mixture of milk and cream, sugar, eggs, and a flavour ingredient that is chilled and whipped while it is frozen.

-Gelato is essentially the same as ice cream, the major difference between the two being the amount of air and butterfat contained in each.

-Gelato contains between 6 to 8% butterfat, while American-style ice cream ranges from 10 to 16%.

-Because gelato contains less fat, less air is whipped into it giving it a slightly denser and softer consistency than ice cream.

The 5 basic components

-All basic mixes, either for gelato or ice cream, contain five major components: water, sugar, fat, solids and flavouring agents.

-A balanced gelato mix will have the following percentages: fats, 6 to 11%; sugar, 16 to 21%; solids, 30 to 38%; and water plus flavouring agents the remaining %.

Zürich

"Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. Zürich can be counted as one of the world's pre-eminent global cities. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2009, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. The Zürich metropolitan area has a population of about 1.68 million people."

First Lesson

Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals…

No matter what you do, you must always get your fundamentals correct. This is the important message that I got from my 1^st lesson for Chinese Calligraphy. Basically, there are 8 strokes in writing Chinese characters (横，竖，点，撇，捺，折，勾，挑), and I spent 2 hours just to “draw” out a proper 横! Besides that, I have to attain a proper posture for writing (sitting up straight, hands straight, eyes directly above the character you want to write), and it does require a fair bit of patience. Chinese calligraphy is truly a form of art that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and I would strongly recommend you to try it.

An Engineering Marvel: Singapore Marina Barrage

Was out on Saturday evening for supper with Xinda and Jiaan at Bukit Timah, after which we decided to drive down to Marina Barrage to check out the place a bit. The view and sea breeze was refreshing (given that the weather in Singapore has been terrible for the past month), but it was a little crowded even though it was already pass midnight. I spotted a group of young adults who had brought their own champagne bottle and glasses along...what a way to chill out by the sea.

"The Marina Barrage is a dam in Singapore built across the Marina Channel between the reclaimed lands of Marina East and Marina South. It was officially opened on 1 November 2008.

The Marina Barrage was conferred the Superior Achievement Award - the highest honour of the competition for the best project entry - at the AAEE Annual Awards Luncheon held in Washington, DC, USA on 6 May 2009. The Marina Barrage beat 33 other entries to take home the top prize in this year's competition organised by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE), becoming the second project outside of USA to win the award, in the last decade.

The S$226 million project turns Marina Bay and Kallang Basin into a new downtown freshwater Marina Reservoir. It provides water supply, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction. This structure will provide flood control by changing the tide flow into the barrage.

It is open for viewing 24/7. However, the information counter is only open from 10.00am to 6.00pm. Tours for a maximum capacity of 80 people to the Visitor Centre can be arranged prior to arrival."

Saturday Baking Lessons

Kianli, one of my oldest and best friend was over at my place to help me start with my long overdue Saturday baking lesson. On the menu for the day was Oatmeal cookies. Very simple and healthy ingredients were used for these cookies: olive oil butter, brown sugar, self raising flour, instant oatmeal, egg and water. The basic equipments needed are: hand whisk, measuring flask, lotsa pans to hold the ingredients, oven and some baking paper.

Whisking the brown sugar and olive oil butter.

Master Chef Leong

Baking wasn't hard, but because my oven was a little too small, we can only bake 9 cookies every 30mins. Production timing ate a little into Chef Sam's dinner time preparation and we had to make him happy by letting him have the honour of being the 1st person to taste our cookies.

Recollections

"You know it's funny what a young man recollects? 'Cause I don't remember bein' born. I don't recall what I got for my first Christmas and I don't know when I went on my first outdoor picnic. But I do remember the first time I heard the sweetest voice in the wide world."

-Forrest Gump

13 years on

From left: Quanyou, Weili, Izzahar, me, Boonlong, Ziqiang.

It’s amazing after more than a decade later when you meet up with some long lost friends, you still have so many things to say and everything was just like yesterday? Trust me, that’s a great feeling. Simply superb.

Mad Scientist at Work

WHY AM I DOING OT ON A FRIDAY EVENING???

排骨面

Hidden in a sleepy corner of the old HDB flats along Commonwealth Drive is one of the most unique 排骨面 I have ever tried. For $2.50, you will get a generous serving of pork ribs (weak spot for pork lovers) and mushroom braised to perfection. This delicacy is available only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For people working in Biopolis, it is only a stone throw distance away, as you just have to cross the railway tracks across to the old HDB estates behind...

I Drink Your Milkshake!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FnB7nQulBs&feature=PlayList&p=064B8B0F99580397&index=11

In what must be one of the most riveting and sickening scene in movie history, Daniel Day-Lewis delivers yet another masterful performance. In the movie, Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview an oil-man on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The build up to the final scene takes the viewer through how Daniel becomes corrupted and twisted by his desires.

The scene begins with the visit of Eli (leader of the Church of the Third Revelation) in his private bowling alley in the cellar of his mansion. In the movie, Daniel harbours a strong hatred for Eli because of how he has constantly blocked his path for power. Eli now heads a large church and works on the radio. Eli explains that the grandson of Mr. Bandy (who has died) wishes to launch a film career, and Eli offers to broker a deal for the oil still untapped on Bandy's land. It is revealed in the course of the conversation that Eli is in dire financial straits, and desperately needs the money. Finally, Daniel agrees to the deal, on the condition that Eli says "I am a false prophet and God is a superstition." After some hesitation, he does, and Daniel orders him to repeat it several times, until Eli is shouting. Daniel then informs him that all the oil on Bandy's land is gone, depleted through drainage. He mercilessly taunts Eli (I driiiink your milkshake!), and then begins to attack him, throwing bowling balls at him and chasing him around the lanes. Finally, he beats him to death with a bowling pin.

Psychological Benefits of Jogging

This article is dedicated to Masa. =)

“Aside from the health benefits jogging or running imparts, there are also many psychological benefits to a regular running or jogging program. Some of these include the confidence and character that running builds, the stress relief, and the attitude boost. Oh, and let's not forget the runner's high.

Running builds confidence like few other individual sports can. It allows the runner to defeat trial after trial, growing stronger and more sure of themselves with each footstrike. It allows you to truly climb hills and clear obstacles. It provides a feeling of empowerment and freedom that comes with knowing that your legs and body are strong and capable. Confidence is even more a product of running for those who lose weight and gain a better self-image through running.

Stress relief is another huge benefit of jogging. Whether by allowing you the time to think about life's problems or time to escape them for awhile, tension easily flies by the wayside as you fly over the miles. Distance runs are great for solving problems that are nagging at you. What better than a 3 hour run all by yourself to clear your mind and allow you to pin down an answer? Speed runs are great for tearing through aggression and anger. Focus all that emotion into a few sprints and you'll feel better in no time.

Aside from just the stress relief, jogging has also been proven to improve attitude. Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that can cause euphoria (runner's high) or just a general sense of happiness. Running has been used for years to treat clinical depression and addictions of all kinds. Less tension, less depression, less fatigue, and less confusion are just a few of the changes that patient's have seen after beginning a regular running program. Running gives something for them to focus on, allowing them to see something besides their depressed state or addiction.

Along that line, running can help train the mind as much as it trains the body. By making yourself overcome the obstacles that running brings, you learn focus and determination. The will and strength that gets your body through long runs or those runs you'd much rather skip is what in turn strengthens your mind and gives you focus and determination in other areas of your life.”

French 101

I have only taken French 1 when I was in NTU, and there are two useful sentences that I have kept with me till today.

1: “Je ne comprend pas, vous pas anglais?”
Translation: I don’t understand, do you speak English?

2: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."
Translation: One only sees clearly with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.

Non Complainers

Many who have met me these days would know that I have been recommending “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. Indeed it has been a great source of inspiration for me lately, and I would gladly lend it to anyone who wants to read it.

One of the chapter I loved most was “Don’t complain, just work harder”. It sort of put me to shame of how I have been behaving at times when I met with adversities in life. Of the two characters that were mentioned in the chapter, Jackie Robinson caught my attention, and I did a small research on him.

Source: http://www.biography.com/articles/Jackie-Robinson-9460813?part=1

“Baseball player, civil rights activist. Born Jack Roosevelt Robinson on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in baseball's major leagues. The youngest of five children, Robinson was raised in relative poverty by a single mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.

Rickey knew there would be difficult times ahead for the young athlete, and made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism. From the beginning of his career with the Dodgers, Robinson's will was tested. Even some of his new teammates objected to having an African-American on their team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson, and he and his family received threats.

Despite the racial abuse, particularly at away games, Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage. His excellent year led to his promotion to the Dodgers. His debut game on April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major leagues.

The harassment continued, however, most notably by the Philadelphia Phillies and their manager Ben Chapman. During one infamous game, Chapman and his team shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. Even his teammates threatened to sit out. But Dodgers manager Leo Durocher informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team.”

Dawning of a New Day

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. "
- John Steinbeck


This is one of my favourite quotes from whom is believed is the greatest American writer of all times. It is true that we find it hard to control the direction in life sometimes. But I guess the important thing is to enjoy the process of the trips that we undertake. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, but we can definitely choose the way we want to play it out.

I wouldn't say that I have gone through a lot in life, but for someone who is experiencing a zillion transformations in his surroundings right now, I can safely say that I am learning and changing a lot. Hopefully through this random letters, I will be able to pass some lessons I have learnt and share some good things in life with you.