Happy New Year from Singapore, everyone!

by Alec Ee on www.photo.net

Review: Reif & James

Always on the trail of a good steak, we (mum, dad, bro and yours truly) discovered Reif & James today. Actually, it was the outcome of a series of coincidences. We were actually on a different trail, following Chubby Hubby's review of Sage, The Restaurant, at Robertson Walk. But Sage is only opened for dinner. So we walked around and finally decided on Yoyogi Japanese Restaurant, because bro had been wanting to try that for some time. Bro stepped in to get us a table, and I lingered on outside to peruse the next door restaurant's menu with dad. We were just about to join bro, when a man suddenly burst out of said next door restaurant and called after dad. Lo and behold, turns out that he used to work at one of dad's favourite steak joints and has just left with former head chef to set up shop on his own.

So, to cut a long story short, we end up at Reif & James.

It's a pretty simple brunch menu on weekends. Eggs Benedict, crab pasta, steak sandwich, Reif hamburger, mee siam, lontong, nasi lemak etc. Apparently fusion of sorts. Dad enquired after the steak (which is not on their lunch menu). No problem. We ended up with three steaks, all medium, all served with a mash and a chinese mushroom/vegetable stir-fry (the fusion element). I had the crab pasta, and some of mum's steak.

Crab pasta - definitely fusion. The pasta was done to al dente perfection. Smells like maggi mee, bro and I said in unison when it arrived. Unusually, the pasta was served with a rich crab-infused stock, rather than a sauce, giving it an Asian feel immediately. It was scattered with parsley, chilli padi and pine nuts - again, quite fusion. Nothing to fault here, but I still prefer my pasta with a sauce. Not very experimental in that department, I'm afraid. But saying that, pine nuts, with their bursts of sweetness, certainly jazz up any good ol' stir-fry - am going to experiment with that combination the next time I cook.

Steak - definitely the highlight. Medium rare, done to perfection. Reif & James use Kobe beef imported from a Japanese family in Australia - only one of five restaurants in Singapore that carry it. With all the hype about Wagyu beef nowadays, it is worth pointing out that Kobe beef is Wagyu beef. "Wagyu" is a generic term for a type of Japanese cattle originating from Kobe. There are four types of Wagyu cattle, one from which Kobe beef is derived. Wagyu beef is reknowned for its tenderness, juiciness, flavour and marbled texture - enhanced apparently by massaging the cow and feeding it a special diet. Needless to say, the steak today was all of the above.

Reif & James use the rib-eye cut, served finely chargrilled and plain (the purist way). We enquired what sort of grill they use. Electric? Wood? Charcoal? It's a charcoal grill, we were informed. That's pretty impressive, given that so many new restaurants nowadays have capitulated to the convenience of electric grills, which somehow just. don't. taste. the. same. Pim has a more professional opinion on grills here - as she puts it, "The ultimate quality of a great cook... is hardly in the chemistry or intricate sauces. It is in the ability to master the fire."

I just know what I like - a good chunk of medium rare steak, grilled just the right amount on the outside to give it a smoky (but not burnt) overtone, and great company to eat it with.

Will be back to try the Eggs Benedict (another obsession). Desserts are ok - we had coconut pannacotta with caramelised pineapple, and chocolate fondant (need you ask?). It goes without saying, the steak is highly recommended.

Reif & James
80 Mohammed Sultan Road
#01-03 The Pier
Singapore 239103
tel: +65 6238 8817

Recipe: Christmas roast pork with crackling

One of my favourite roasts is pork with crackling. I started making roast pork with crackling because it's the quintessential "fusion" dish - both my Asian and English friends love it. Plus, I love crackling. As a child, I remember sneaking more onto my plate whenver mum's disapproving eyes were diverted, and being forced to cut away the fatty layers when I was discovered (sob!). Making full use of my independence in London in the early years, I used to ask the lady at Four Seasons to add roast pork (siu yoke) to my roast duck rice all the time - very very yummy on a cold winter's night (sorry mum!).

This is, ironically, mum's recipe. In the past, I used pork belly, which is the cut the Chinese use to make roast pork (siu yoke). Recently, however, my butcher in London persuaded me to switch to the loin, which is less fatty and appeals more to non-Chinese palates. Get your butcher to score the skin deeply, and to string it into a roll (alternatively, the meat can be roasted flat). In Singapore, the friendly butchers at the Swiss Butchery on Greenwood Avenue will do it for you - ask nicely. In London, the friendly butchers at the Ginger Pig in Borough Market will do it as a matter of course. Five spice powder adds an "Asian" touch to an otherwise universally-enjoyed dish.

ROAST PORK WITH CRACKLING

Roasting time: 2hours

Pork loin or belly (approx. 200g per person)
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp five spice powder
1 tbsp ground white pepper
(Note: The amount of dry marinade can be increased or decreased proportionately, depending on the size of your roast. This is the recommended amount for 800g of meat.)

1. Dry fry the marinade ingredients together, mixing thoroughly, for one or two minutes until fragrant. Leave aside.

2. Preparing the meat: In order to produce truly crispy crackling, there are two factors of utmost importance -
i) Firstly, make sure that the skin is scored deeply, almost touching the fatty layer.
ii) Secondly, make sure that the skin is very very very dry.

In order to ensure that the skin is as dry as possible, take the meat out of its plastic wrap immediately when you get home and pat it with some kitchen towels until all the moisture is absorbed. Then, rub the marinade into the meat, pushing it into the scores, until the whole slab is covered. The salt will draw out whatever moisture is left. Leave overnight in the fridge, uncovered. (I never felt comfortable with hanging meat out to air dry...)

3. When ready to roast, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Roast the pork for 10 minutes at this temperature. This kills any bacteria on the surface and seals the juices in.

4. Turn the temperature down to 160 degrees Celcius and roast for 1 hour. The meat will cook during this time.

5. Turn the temperature up to 250 degrees Celcius. Using a spoon, spread some cooking oil over the meat, covering the whole top surface. When the temperature reaches 250 degrees Celcius, roast for 15 minutes. This is the most crucial stage, when the crackling is produced.

6. Check the meat. (Warning: A lot of smoke will be emitted when the oven door is opened.) If the skin is blistered and crackling, it is a successful roast. If the skin is still smooth, this is bad news, and the most likely reason is that the oven was not hot enough.

7. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes. Serve with crispy roast potatoes and some greens.

SUMMARY
200 degrees celcius - 10 minutes
160 degrees celcius - 1 hour
Spread oil (I usually put a roasting pan of oil in to heat at this stage, for the potatoes)
250 degrees celcius - 15 minutes
Rest - 30 minutes
TOTAL: 2 hours

Review: Foliage

It was supposed to be a surprise. I was led, down into the bowels of the tube, along the blue Piccadallian line, and then surfacing back up into the cool winter's night of Knightsbridge. Oh, that's the Mandarin Oriental Hotel over there. Are we having dinner at... *squeal*. Yes, the boy said with a grin. It's my favourite... *squeal again*. Yes, the boy said. Now how shall we cross the road? With brute force, I answered determinedly over my excitement. And so we ran hand-in-hand towards the beckoning christmassy lights and into the ushered halls of my favourite restaurant in the whole of London.

Dinner was, what's the word?, sublime. Sublime, I tell you.

The menu:
~ Pan fried West coast scallops, ceps, walnuts and pickled pears ~
~ Duo of foie gras, 'Bavarois' in apple jelly, salt cured carpaccio, pain d'epice, apple and celery salad ~
~ Pan fried fillet of line-caught sea bass, toasted almond puree, butternut and chorizo, sweet and sour Ruby endive ~
~ Fillet of Yorkshire venison, wild mushroom 'Pain Perdu', braised red cabbage, smoked artichoke puree ~ **
~ Mango and basil salad, natural yoghurt mousse, white chocolate and passion fruit sorbet ~

** I substituted this with White Alba truffle risotto, which was absolutely my favourite dish of the evening. Unlike some, I'm not obsessive-compulsive about truffles nor do I go around sniffing at its provenance. But, once in a while, its pungent heady aroma gets my heart racing. Plus, I love risotto, well done.

The amuse bouche was made up of a trio of hummus, artichoke(?) foam and various flavoured breadsticks. I thought sea bass and chorizo was an interesting and bold pairing, otherwise it was a pretty straightforward menu. Surprisingly, Aa liked the foie gras (although after having foie gras with peking duck at the New Majestic restaurant, that would be hard to surpass for me). I enjoyed the way the richness of the foie gras was balanced by the light fruitiness of the jelly and salad, the shrinking saltiness of the carpaccio, and the crunchy texture of the pain d'epice - a playful variety on the tongue. The scallops were done to perfection, nothing to fault here. Oh, and did I mention? I loved my white truffle risotto.

Everyone fusses over you at the Foliage, without being too fussy. I like friendly but professional service, unlike the European snootiness of places like La Gavoroche. There's a lightness in Foliage - maybe it's the lighting, or the garden leaves brought in every morning by the staff. But on a cold winter's night, to be in yellow warmth, with the tinkly sound of crystal and cutlery soothing one into a state of complete peace like a lullaby, eating with someone I love and respect - I looked through the rose-tinted glass of my kir royale, and my heart was suddenly warmed. I realised how very lucky I am. Dinner with Aa is always lovely. Tonight, it was especially magical.

Blessed christmas, my darling.

Persis -ting, blog update from London

is back... (sans sandwiches)

Autumn's last goodbye

Winter's here. Very soon it will be Christmas. The leaves are falling, and it's raining in London - lots. Darkness befalls mid-afternoon, but there's much to be joyful and give thanks for.

Visiting Anna in Hertfordshire

It's been a busy term - Hertfordshire, then Sheffield for a conference, then Newcastle for another conference, then Cardiff with Cat to visit Caroline. In 7 days, I'll be stepping into the warm humid sanctuary of Singapore. My first Christmas back home in a long while. Aa will be flying back to the US of A for Christmas, oceans away. So we're going to have our own little season's celebration tomorrow night, before we both leave. A sneak preview of my Christmas prezzies from Aa:

???

India

OKAY, I know I've been elusive for like... 12 days... but I have very good excuses. Anyways, preeeeesenting... *drum roll*... my India Wetfoot 2006 pics! Enjoy!

Breakfast economics

How is it that a healthy full breakfast, consisting of

- 1x OJ

- 1x coffee

- 1x sandwich
costs a whopping £6.95?

Only in London...

On the other hand, why is it that I would happily pay the same amount if eating breakfast at Paul's on a weekend????

Choosing God's Best (Raunikar)

Read this years and years ago - given to me by the esteemable SB - recently revisited. I still remember SB rhapsodizing about the book while we were queuing to eat in Borders cafe with my ex-ex-boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend, so much so that he nipped out of the queue to buy the book for me (Borders cafe being, well, in Borders)!

Was quite amused to read own comments scribbled years and years ago in margin. Was not aware self was quite so mature when young.

Probably the best Christian relationship book I've ever read, but as always, take selectively with Biblical discernment and applied mind.

Virtual quips on real life

In the spirit of non-emo posts and keeping things lighthearted...

I remember watching My Best Friend's Wedding years and years ago and thinking: funny movie (remember the ice sculpture?), but what a silly selfish girl.

Well, you know what?

Yesterday, I was that silly selfish girl.

Searched my heart after a conversation with ex-suitor-turned-best-friend (who lovingly reassured me that I was overreacting) yesterday, and felt terrible - particularly for saying anything about unnamed-other-girl (since it's none of my business). Basically, was being Julia Roberts in the film, and in these situations, you say all the things girls say when they love and are afraid of losing their best friend's love.

Angst about it the whole night... Was secretly hoping that the second-last scene in the movie would come true. Remember? Dermot Mulroney is walking out of the chapel with his new bride, Cameron Diaz, and suddenly he nips back and hugs Julia Roberts and whispers to her: Thank you for loving me so much...

Actually, that is a few scenes back, when he discovers what she has done:

Julia: I'm pond scum.

Julia: Well, lower actually. I'm like the fungus that feeds on pond scum.

Michael: Lower. The pus that infects the mucus that cruds up the fungus that feeds on the pond scum...

(*drum roll* - the big line that made every single girl in the audience heave a sigh)

Michael: On the other hand, thank you for loving me that much, that way.

Oh well, I liked the line, and the fact that he nips back, so I combined the two scenes into one. Ahem.

It is a romantic comedy, ladies and gentlemen. So this morning, post-angst, and with a bit of help from a girlfriend, who totally burst out laughing when I told her and confessed that she had done the same thing (i.e. do dumb things to keep guy) only a week before - I saw the funny side and laughed as well. Silly girls.

P.S. Confession: I totally relate to the egg scene in Runaway Bride (another Julia Roberts flick... eeek) as well, but that's another blog post.

Musings about the simple things in life

Right. I think I've reached my quota for emo posts this year. Either that I should quit while I'm ahed. My life's not that soap-dramatic anyway (I wish!).

So, what did I do today?
- read very nice email from blog penpal (you know who you are!)
- lunch meeting
- emo moment
- prayed, emailed best girlfriend, talked to best girlfriend in London
- decided to fight one battle at a time, by faith
- went for a brief walk
- came back to office, wrote 1000 words of new chapter - hoohah!
- cared for a friend, remembering Romans 2:7
- did full workout at the gym - hoohah!
- came home, made dinner - my own version of huevos rancheros
- watched Newsnight and The Apprentice USA
- currently editing India photos
- general mood: holding tightly onto the Cross of Christ

(edited) My psalm

An old-suitor-turned-best-friend didn't pick up my call today, because (as it turns out) he was out on a date with someone else. [Edit: He says that he didn't pick up because he was in an art gallery...] Just surprised at the gamut of feelings that ran through me, especially given that I was the one who wanted to remain just friends in the first instance. Would I have done the same thing in his shoes? I don't know, but it hurt a little, and I felt very un-grownup about it indeed. Grownups know how to be mature about such things, how to let go, how to trust God; they are rational and self-controlled, and their emotions don't go haywire for no apparent reason like so. I guess, as a woman, you always want to know that you are a priority in somebody else's life, and when that is taken away from you, a lot of old feelings are dredged up. Unlike a blog, the past can't be erased - suck it up, or let it suck you up. So you decide, c'est la vie, remember what's important, move on. At this point, you have a choice: either you seek validation in someone/something else, or you go to God. Of course, being a good Christian girl, you go to God, but there's always a little place at the back of your heart where you still wish, just wish, that there was someone. You could have everything going for you and all the friends in the world, and yet it's still there, that space in your heart, reserved for God's best. You cry because you're afraid. And then you reach a point when there is nothing else to do but offer that up to God as well, because you fear Him more.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." ~ Hebrews 11:6

To a beautiful woman

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

~ Elizabeth Stone

Dear mum,

You have been my example of a gentle and quiet spirit through the years - thank you. Blessed Birthday!

Me xx

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.

They have clung to me all my life."

~ Abraham Lincoln

(edited) It's good to be home!

Hello everyone. Sorry for the blog silence. I've been in India for the last two weeks!

Touched down at Heathrow on Sunday afternoon and promptly fell asleep. It's good to be back. India was an amazing experience, and my team was the best team I've ever worked with - pics soon! Miss the children already, although cannot say the same about sanding and plastering.

I made some good friends, came to understand and love some old ones more.

These last two weeks were also about spiritual growth and knowing God better. He answered many prayers - I really shouldn't be surprised - and yet others.

I feel ready to move on now, to begin the last year of my PhD, to forgive. The thought that perhaps everything that happened this year happened because it was necessary for me to come back to Him. For the first time, I am able to give thanks.

I'm back now, back in London, back in His presence.

I've come home.

Seafood lasagna I made for last night's Fellowship Group - the blackish bits aren't burnt; it's garlic spinach

The celebrated ribeye. I hate cooking for one.

I've been hitting the gym every single day for two weeks now. Ahem!

Recipe: Guõ Tiē (potstickers)

the pot-sticker on the far left is American

It's a simple fact. I love dumplings, in all shapes, flavours and sizes... My mum will tell you, I love dumplings. It's the first thing I request for when I'm back in Singapore. Dumplings. Even the word 'dumplings' connotes in my sleepy mind juicily wrapped mini-parcels, pork broth, pastry with a toothsome bite, and cute chubby cheeks. Dumplings dumplings dumplings - guo tie, xiao long bao, jiao zi, won ton and my favourite dim sum item, jiu cai jiao (chive dumplings). Last year, I went on a quest to find the best xiao long bao in the world. Verdict:

Singapore: Ming Jiang Restaurant, Goodwood Park Hotel;

London: The Chinese Experience, Shaftsbury Avenue, and the reverent Hakkasan.

I've been meaning to make a batch for the longest time - one of my planned culinary projects. So, on Saturday, with a free afternoon at hand and an extra pair of deft dough kneading hands, I thought it was time.

Guo Tie

Filling

A - MEAT

300g pork belly

300g prawns

B - INGREDIENTS

7 leaves of chinese big cabbage, finely julienned and parboiled - drain drain drain, no excess water please!

6 chinese mushrooms, soaked in boiling water (30 mins)

1 tbsp spring onions, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 bunch of chives, minced (optional)

C- DRY SEASONING

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp chicken stock powder

pepper to taste

D - WET SEASONING

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp chinese cooking wine

2 tbsp sesame oil

E - OTHERS

1 egg

A - Mince the meat. Using a knife/chopper to mince produces lovely fluffy filling, rather than the mushy lump you get from a foor processor - but sometimes I am lazy... Set aside.

B - Prepare the filling ingredients. In addition to the dough, the secret to good filling is to mince everything as miniscule and as consistently as possible.

C - Add to A.

D - Add to C. Always add the sesame oil last as the oil "seals" the seasoning in. Leave aside for 30 mins.

E - Add to D to "bind" the filling.

Wrappers

I'm usually lazy and buy store-bought wrappers (note: guo tie/jiaozi wrappers are different from won ton wrappers, which have egg in them and are square). They are too thick and too big for genuinely good dumplings, since the consistency of the dough is the single most important consideration in good dumplings, but sometimes time is valuable.

I was taught to make dough with cold water, but recently came across an interesting method by the esteemable kuidaore (trackback Friday 4 August 2006) - looking at her beautiful pictures alone makes one hungry. From her blog, here is someone who is truly dedicated to perfection in food.

Wrapping the dumplings is a matter of the way you were taught. Kuiadore has great pictures of the process. My method is similar - I started writing it down here, but realised that no one was going to get it without pictures. Do not worry, it will happen soon. Promise!

Dip

Chinese black vinegar

Ginger, finely julienned

I am always reminded how refined and clever Chinese culture is when I see people pick a small brush of julienned ginger and literally use it as a brush to brush their dumpling with vinegar. Then there are those for whom chopsticks are a new thing, and for these poor souls, it is eminently excusable to poke your chopsticks through the dumpling (unless it contains broth, like xiao long baos) and dunk them into the vinegar.

Enjoy! This is truly my favourite comfort food of all time.

The simple things in life: Chocolate truffles

My midnight dark chocolate truffles

Was feeling tearful earlier. But then I thought about the simple things in life that make me happy, and I thought about these chocolate truffles. Of course, life isn't as simple as that, but that's how it is, isn't it? Life's like that. I couldn't imagine going through it without being lifted up on wings of eagles each day... or without chocolate.

Thanks to greedy goose and kuidaore, who are immaculate domestic goddesses in my book, I was introduced to Alice Medrich's Bittersweet and her glorious truffles au chocolat. Here's proudly presenting my first foray into truffles. This has been a long thought-about project, and the winetasting gave me the perfect excuse. All I will say is, I never knew chocolate is so temperamental, and from now onwards, I have a new respect for truffle-makers, who have to work with such a moody ingredient. But practice makes perfect - I only got it after two batches, chucked down the bin!

No recipe here. I would encourage all chocolate lovers to meet Alice Medrich personally - she's truly the expert in the science and creativity of chocolate. One thing I will say here though: keep all your utensils and bowls very very very clean and very very very dry, and pour hot liquid into chocolate very very very slowly.

Will definitely venture into more complex truffle-making pastures after this, ganache and all. Watch this post!

Wetfoot Winetasting Fundraiser

Wetfoot India 2006 Winetasting Fundraiser @casa de Aaron

So many glasses. I'd never seen so many glasses. It was so pretty, the rows and rows of glasses. The friendly wine delivery man asked, so is your friend having a very big party? Urm, no, not really. So he likes wine? Er, yes, although he's just a humble boy from Kansas trying to make his way in the white man's world. And the wine is because he likes helping orphans in India who've been affected by the tsunami. In other words, to summarise in a nutshell, he's a friendly almost teetotaller with a big heart and a big apartment, and what do you do when you have a big heart and a big apartment? Why, you bring the two together and let your friends use it to throw a winetasting fundraiser, of course!

Our speaker, (soon to be Dr) Sujith Kumar

So we had 23 people, 1 speaker, 2 cheeses, 3 tables, 6 wines, 42 bottles and of course, the 156 wineglasses. A very laid back affair it was, "so unpretentious" quote one guest, "edifying - I learned a lot" quote another guest. (There was also "bbqed chicked wings - what a great idea!", but we'll let that slip.) Sujith did a great job, and very soon he had people swirling their wines, observing the speed it took to slide down the glass, the colour of the meniscule, sinking their noses in to take in the different bouquets - leather? chlorine? citrus? berries? pepper?, and of course, drinking. Nobody spit, despite the buckets, so there was a lot of wine being drunk that night, I tell you. Imagine tottering in black satin Burberry heels with a bottle of red wine in your hands and plenty more in your system trying to serve your guests without spilling. A walk in the park, ahem. It was a good selection of wines. The Kabinett was a hit, and so was the burgundy.

Rapt attention

Then there was the post-winetasting party. A bit hit! People were starving, so we started laying out the antipastas and cheeses, Aaron's salsa, my chocolate truffles (recipe coming up!), and of course, Tesco's bbqed chicken wings (it's so weird but so practical). There was plenty of wine leftover to go around. The piano tinkling in the background, the girls curled up on the leather couch, the boys mingling around the kitchen island (and food), the evening followed the lilies in the breeze and time stood still.

The boys putting the projector to good use - if you look carefully, you might just spy me in the right corner loading the dishwasher, ahem

We raised 575.78 pounds for the orphans in India. Praise God!

Finally, I just wanted to end an exhilarating weekend with this:

Swan Lake, presented by Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House

Just a quick post to say that I will DEFINITELY blog about

a) Wetfoot winetasting fundraiser (which was a blast!)
b) Bolshoi / Swan Lake (exquisite!)
c) New gym project (am addicted to endorphins!)
d) Planned project (time unspecified though) to make kaya, durian jam and other Singaporean goodies
e) India india india

very very soon...

But meanwhile, I have a thesis to write. Don't worry, I have a thermos of Italian coffee extracted from beans lovingly carried from Tazza d'Oro in Rome and carefully brewed atop my kitchen stove this morning to tide me through.

Orbituary

My dog died peacefully this morning. His name was Lance, and I loved him very much. His twin brother, Leon, died four years ago.

Lance, 26th September 1991 - 1st August 2006
Leon, 26th September 1991 - May 2002

Borough Market on a bright Saturday morning

I should have brought my camera. But then again, my shopping basket -- really a dark blue backpack with "UBS Financial Services Group" printed on it (how do you differentiate the real shoppers from the posers with their straw and wicker baskets?... like so.) -- was more important, no?

Then there were oh so summery fruits and veg, crispy asian pears, huge bananas, scallions, and my favourite rocket from my favourite stall. Check. Which of course took me past the chorizo, and to my surprise(!) I found some in my bag together with those cute little black pudding sausages. Check. Then there was pork belly and prawns to mince and wrap into little wonton ingots. Weren't the prawns expensive - Saudi Arabian, Madagascan, king prawns, tiger prawns, whatever don't make a difference when you are going to mince mince all of them up (should have got those huge bags of frozen prawns for 5 pounds in Chinatown, dang). Check. There was also comte for my favourite boy, just because he had asked nicely over the phone. So it was his fault entirely that I walked casually past the preserves stall, as casual as can be with those rows and rows of jars one simply had to stop to taste. Spicy gooseberry jam with fresh coriander, hm, that would go well with the wontons, wouldn't it? Check. Beef shank and brisket for Saturday's beef rendang. Check. Oh and there was that naughty and marvellously marbled ribeye I slipped in with the rest of the meat, we mustn't forget.

Well, other than the ribeye, you must admit, this trip was rather tame. Relatively. Strolling out of the market, my now heavy backpack on my shoulders, the sun shining on my face, past the winking flowers in the flower stall, pretty in my cherry print summer dress, I felt positively... healthy.

Fellowship Group outing

Sunset "cruise" on the river taxi from Embankment to Greenwich.

I was wearing my floating blue dress with white polka dots - the perfect dress in a breeze.

Turner wannabe

Recipe: Raspberry&Rum jam / Fruitpicking!

Raspberries

Dirty fingers after picking blackberries

No strawberries, because it started raining. =(

My first attempt at the English institute of jam making

Cook raspberries in their own juice

This is what they look like after 20 minutes

Add equal amount of sugar in

Cook for a further 20 minutes

My genius touch

Just a small political rant

Why do so many Americans think that they are the saviours of the world and that this licences them to do as they please? Anodyne of the tourists from China and Singaporean uncles and aunties who think that their country is the best place in the world and everything else can never match up. Oh, but don't be fooled. Europeans are proud too. They just do it more cleverly, basking in humility and idealism. One could never boast of being the ones holding together world unity by a shoestring and the only ones fighting for real inclusiveness. No no, it would simply not be proper.

Pride is first irritating. Then sad. Because so much more could be done for the world's worst off if we respected each others virtues and acknowledged our own faults more. No wonder, of all the things God hates, He hates pride most.

Breakfast

My brekkie

I had a very fruity breakfast today - mango/passionfruit muffin with a banana caramel coffee frap.

No, I do not have shares in Starbucks. =)

Sale!

I'm selling my notebook and switching to Mac!

If anyone is interested in a Toshiba Tecra 9100 with upgraded 256MB RAM, email me!

Details
£440, open to email offers (list price £2199). V gd condition + clean. Purchased 2003. Original documentation, disks, cables & accessories intact. Notes: i) runs Win XP Pro, ii) upgraded RAM 256MB, iii) requires external USB sound card (no audio device). Includes free goodwill Toshiba Deluxe carrier case + Cisco wireless LAN card. Excellent deal with bundle.

As you know, the Tecra range is absolutely top-of-the-line. The Creative Audigy Soundblaster works great on it, but unfortunately am not selling! tee hee. See review here.

“If God sees that my spiritual life will be furthered by giving me the things for which I ask, then He will give them, but that is not the end of prayer. The end of prayer is that I come to know God himself.”

~ Oswald Chambers

The 3 things I believe in fundamentally

1) Jesus Christ
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

2) Love and church unity
"Love your neighbor as yourself."

3) Social justice
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Wetfoot Quiz Night!

Indian curry and saffron rice. Lots of it. About 200 portions of the dang thing. Me waitress.
Quiz with an impossible football round. Me team Delhi Belly - I love my friends!
Cake auction. Me cake model. Someone paid 118 pounds for Renee's amazing meringue construction!
Break. Me fruit touter.
Clear up. Me dishwasher.
Bed. Me very tired. Need to get up for church the next day.
Me happy. Raising money for a good cause.

Shakespeare in Regents Park

Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent's Park

There were fairy lights dancing in the trees and shrubs. The smell of bbq in the air and a light summer breeze. The sun winked through the leaves, and everywhere there was magic and laughter. I got lost in Regents Park and we were hungry. The three of us foodies shared hamburgers and wine and conversation, a new winning combination. Plus, I managed to flog the other two tickets to an old couple... who paid me the entire sum in coins! Check out my biceps!

Shakespeare. Taming of the Shrew. It was a refreshingly modern performance. But, as the night turned dark and the breeze blew more ominously, we only wished Katarina would be tamed quickly so that we could go to Chinatown for some of those cute little dumplings and hot tea. I smell a Singaporean food feste coming up soon!

First pics from the Emerald Isle (complete)

Some quiet time on my own in Dublin after conference, St Stephen's Green

I've been so very lazy updating. Days since I was suddenly transported from the lush plains of Ireland to train-delayed London have been filled with one bye-bye to American boy, one lamb xacutti with Lulu, one beautiful church wedding with a stomping Ceilidh to boot (I was asked to dance three dances!), fundraising plans for India and lots of post-trip catching up. I was glad for the chance to take my short floaty yellow dress and black taffeta skirt for an outing on Saturday. Last night, I had dinner with a group of older ladies from church - it was nice just sitting amidst their chatter about the weather, church going-ons, stories about 'darling, you know that pastor in Shannon who was at the wedding last week, his wife is something Moore' etc. I was just sitting there, and suddenly, it struck me how admirable their steadfastness and positivism was - in their case, it derived from an enduring Englishness and an unshakeable faith in God. And, when they start thinking of nice boys in church to introduce to you, you know you've been adopted...

Exploring Temple Bar with my backpack

The conference in Dublin was just what I needed. To be inspired by academics who are not content to stay in their ivory towers, but who are practitioners in their own right getting their hands dirty in issues of global justice, basic income, disability, workfare, environmentalism, security, reconciliation etc. I was very much challenged to rethink some aspects of my own work and to refine the questions I was asking, especially by one professor in particular who was on my panel (and also pretty hot!). On the social side, I found academics pleasant enough to get on with after a few drinks. But it's an existence of solitude when you're alone and not famous. There was a very nice boy, however, who first caught me with his pudgy smile and soon became my best conference friend - everyone needs one, you know, the person you look for when everyone else has cliqued, to eat lunch/dinner/coffee (you can't eat coffee, I know) etc., to pretend to talk serious talk when all you want to do is laugh crazily and tell Irish jokes. In my case, he also turned out to be the one who introduced me to absolutely everybody fun at the conference (being one of the conference organisers' best friend), and the one who walked in the rain with me looking for a cash machine so that I could take a taxi back to the university, which is out of Dublin city centre somewhere tres ulu. Ah, Irish chivalry... but then again, he's Scottish living in England. hm.

With friends outside the Dublin Film Institute the next day,

waiting to watch the deeply moving and beautiful film, Wah Wah

Spent the rest of Saturday after the conference wandering the streets of Dublin, then it was Sunday morning and time to rendezvous with Anna on the banks of the Liffey! I spotted her first. Waving and weaving frantically through the traffic (human and vehicular) that is O'Connell bridge, we hugged and gave a whoop of joy. Dublin, here we come! Bags dumped in hostel, picked up Mina, and we were off to lunch in Temple Bar. A tour of the fascinating Book of Kells at Trinity College, shopping and chocolates, and a chance film at the Dublin Institute of Film later, we found ourselves in the warm Italian bosom of Baccaro, a candlelit cellar restaurant we had spied in Anna's guide book. We were very silent at first, something not quite right after the film. Had it touched us? Brought out our inner fears? Make us laugh sadly? A thorough dissection was called for. Then, much much later, plied with one glass of Venezia, another glass of red with my tagliatelle, and yet another glass of vin Santo, I was quite happy to walk back down the pulsating streets of Temple Bar to the quiet of my bed, my heart light to be reminded of the indomitableness of the human spirit, and gladdened by the absolute necessity of girlfriends.

Stopping in Cashel on the drive from Dublin to Cork

Faint fresco of a Viking ship on the ruins of Cashel Castle

Next morning was an early start. Collected our rental car and off we were. Bye bye Dublin! Five hours of high roads and byroads it took us to get to the remotest of remotest Cork (although we did admittedly stop in Cashel to have lunch and tea and explore the castle ruins). Part of the directions included "turn into the forestry patch", so you get the idea... But Ireland is (quote Anna) "beeeauuuutiful!". So lush, and green, and well, wet. There was a hot stew awaiting us, and a homemade sign to welcome us - I felt very special indeed. After dinner, Anna taught all of us the absolutely evil game called the Black Mariah. And then to bath in the cute turquoise tub (no shower!) with Abi's rubber duckies and sharkies, and to bed.

In beautiful Tullagh at last

Abi checking our supper

Picnic lunch on the card table the next day

Ireland is incredibly green, in all senses of the word. The Elias-Corello team recycle absolutely everything, and have a compost bin with rotting stuff in it in their garden - you have to pay for any disposable rubbish that you don't recycle, you see. Dublin was afterall the first city in Europe to ban smoking in all public spaces - with the result that everybody smokes outside, hence making the streets quite unbearable at times. But my grouses aside, I think it's wonderful that my groceries are put in paper bags, that people recycle so much, that the water from the tap comes from an underground spring, that the vegetables I eat come from the garden outside, that I need to clean the old-fashioned way because there's no shower, that an argo heats the house, that life is just so healthy here! But also that there're two electric guitars and one bass sitting in the living room, that the house is equipped to the ends of the earth with every sound engineering possible, that the kichen has a microwave and a kicking coffee machine, and that we have cars in plural. haha. Life is good.

Horseriding with the girls - picture by Paul Corello

picture by Paul Corello

Over the next few days, we covered the country roads between Tullagh, Glengarriff, Bantry (which I kept calling Balti) and Dunmanway lazily, or crazily if Paul's driving was anything to go by. There was their church fellowship in Bantry, poking around the shops in Bantry while the others visited Bantry House (I found my bedside lamp at last!), glancing through the craft shops in Glengariff, the expedition up a very very long and uphill road (in heels!) to see a very very small stone circle, and of course, horse-riding in Dunmanway thanks to Anna's persistence - boy, were our bums hurting the next day! My horse, Boyz, was the laziest horse ever! The nights were filled with warmth and fellowship and home-cooked food, including pizzas, roast lamb, and Paul's ever addictive chocolate bars. Mm... nothing better on a cold summer's night.

So, to sum up the trip, we didn't get to snog the Blarney stone (that gives the gift of the gab, as legend goes), but we did go horse-riding and eat a lot, and I learned how to suck the nectar off honeysuckle blossoms! And most importantly, we spent precious time together - I love my girlfriends!

My impression of the beautiful Irish countryside:

pretty foxgloves, delicious honeysuckle, and a lot of heather