Culinary creativity i.e. laziness

I would like to think that my culinary skill has improved. OK, so it's nothing fancy like what my flatmates would do...still, the food taste good. I think that's the most important factor to take into consideration. Today, I stir-fry some chinese leaf and sausages with oyster sauce. Then, I pour the dish into my dry noodles. Taste really good. Simple yet satisfying. And it took me about half an hour to prepare the ingredients and cook. More time taken relative to instant noodles but more nutritious.



Now I have to think of something to prepare for tomorrow's dinner party. Sigh...

Oh Oh, the purple thingy was brought by a friend all the way from Taiwan. Think it's made of yam but not so sure. Taste pretty good. And now I have a mini sewing kit :) ...made in Taiwan (hopefully)

Home sweet home

Finally back in my room. Although the place felt a bit deserted as no one seems to be around, I am glad to have some peaceful moments after the craziness of London. Tomorrow will have to do some grocery shopping and cleaning.

"Boxing" Day...literally

Weather: Sunny (as if Mother Nature gave her approval of boxing day sale)

Two innocent young ladies walked down to Oxford Street at 10.30am, new to the whole "Boxing Day" phenomena, ignorant of the terror awaiting them. And then it began. The "boxing" crowd grew larger and larger till they filled up every corner of the road. Traffic almost came to a standstill as these people dashed their way from street to street without a care of anything but their purpose - to buy, buy, buy! Our young heroines were almost squashed by the crowd too as they attempted to find some good bargains. It was tough business. Definitely not suitable for our heroines, who soon decided to end the day after some small purchases. Perhaps better luck tomorrow.

No mince pies...but was overdosed on bratwurst

It's Christmas today. My first time celebrating this day in London. Yet, I do not feel any excitement. Probably because I have been sick, along with my travel mates. We all needed ample rest after the 9-day tour. Cooked maggi with yesterday's soup for lunch. It does seem miserable but to be able to spend this day with my friends is good enough for me. Isn't that what festivals are all about? To spend time with people you care?

Time for a little rewinding back to day 1 of my first long trip.

Day 1 (Berlin)
After 2 hours of flight, arrived in Berlin flughafen in the evening. The weather was extremely cold. Took the extremely efficient transportation system of Germany (I miss their transport system) to our hostel, Generator Hostel, which is just about 5 minutes walk from the Landsberger Allee S-Bahn station. Having dropped our luggages, we proceeded to find our way to Kaiser Wilhelm Church to enjoy our very first German Christmas Market (apparently the best Christmas market in Berlin). Indeed we were not disappointed.

Day 2 (Berlin)
Joined a free walking tour, led by Avril. Went to some important landmarks. The city felt like a really cold place. Not just the weather but the environment too.

Day 3 (Berlin - Munich)
Took a night train to Munich. Really exciting although slept the whole journey.

Arrived early in the morning. After checking in, went to join another free walking tour, led by Travis. It was a good tour. Had a group pix which was posted on the New Munich Tours website ( http://www.newmunich.com/nm/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=90&page=view&catid=4&PageNo=3&key=17&hit=1)

Day 4 (Munich - Nuremberg)
Our original plan was to leave Munich at 3 plus but our sudden interest in joining the Dachau tour (EUR15 for student) caused us to delay our plan. It was not a tour to be regretted as we learned a lot about the history of Dachau through our guide, Matt. I can almost feel the pain of the prisoners as they worked and suffered in the cold, bare land of the concentration camp. The saddest part was learning how those who died, had their bodies burnt and their ashes thrown carelessly into the wood inside the camp. Today, although memorials had been set up to remember those who died in this camp, some of them were left out. Who are we to decide that those who were left out deserved to be treated the way they were during those hard times?

Day 5 (Nuremberg)
Visited the castle (EUR5 for student) and the dungeon (EUR1.50 for student). Wished there are more English-speaking guides. The guide at the castle was talking animatedly in German but when it came to English, it was just short summaries on the rooms we went into. But he is still better than the blur, small lady in the dungeon - "This is the dead cell"...the end. What happened to the long story she was narrating in German? Sigh.

Must try: Elisen lebkruchen (gingerbread). Bought 6 big pieces for EUR6.99 from a really nice lady who wished us a nice day. Go for the chocolate-coated ones.

Day 6 (Nuremberg - Brussels)
The bus ride was a long, long one with many, many stops - Frankfurt, Koln, Liege etc. But the scenery were really beautiful, different from the palm oil scene in Malaysia. We passed a road, lined by trees, stripped of their leaves amid a white background. The "wood" reminds me of Snow White.

Day 7 (Brussels)
Important things to do in Brussels - see Manneken Piss, eat mussels and waffles, buy chocolates and lace. We managed to do it all but was disappointed to see Manneken Piss dressed up beyond recognition in a Santa costume. The European Christmas Market was a let-down too.

Tips: Do not buy chocolates or lace in Brussels. Buy elsewhere because it's cheaper (in our case, Brugge).

Day 8 (Brugge)
Brugge is truly a lovely town with its canal and distinctive architecture. However, I must say that this place is overcommercialised. We had to pay EUR0.50 for a city map (no wonder we couldn't find a free map of this town back in the hostel)!

Day 9 (Brussels Airport)
Having been worn out by our sickness and the freezing temperature, we checked out promptly at 10am and arrived in the Brussels airport 45 minutes later. We were told at check in that our flight might be delayed. Groan. Already we had to wait like 4 hours to board our flight. A delay would lengthen the waiting. We tried killing our time by going into every single shop in the airport. Finally we settled for lunch (two pieces of overcharged (EUR5) pizzas each) before heading to the waiting area. We waited, moved waiting area, waited, moved again, waited, moved...probably after moving 6 times that flight 395 comes back into the radar. Our plane had finally left Heathrow. Woohoo! After a 4-hour delay, we managed to board our plane and headed for London. Home sweet home.

We reached "home" at about 10.30pm. It felt so good to be back in a "normal temperature" place. Funny how we find that London no longer felt cold relatively.

The trip would have been great if not because of my sickness in which I lost two of my senses - inability to taste and smell.

I love Nuremberg!

Arrived in Nuremberg this evening, having departed late from Munich. Immediately fell in love with the town. Felt like living a fairy tale with castle, churches, christmas princess and cobblerstone pavements. Went for a walk at night in search of food. Ended up in McD because most shops were closed, even the Christmas Market. Will be a long day tomorrow. Cold getting worse. Lost my sense of taste and smell.

Teary time

The past week had been really tense and shall remain so till the end of this week.

The normally crowded kitchen is mostly empty now. Wtih 50% of the occupants having exams and the other half struggling to complete their assignments before the holiday break, laughters have also become scarce. Every faces I see reflected fatigue, disappointment, pressure and some with tears. (Every morning, I can hear my neighbour, talking to her parents over the phone, while suppressing her tears and anger)

Today, I had completed a test for two courses (it's a 2-in-1 module in which we study two courses simultaneously and take a combined exam). Two hours were spent on flipping through pages of questions, attempting to locate familiarity. Sometimes with success but most of the time in frustration. Two weeks of preparation and this is the outcome. What better way to break a student's spirit than this?

With the completion of this first test of the term, questions begin to sprout. Should we have tests at the end of the term (while still being obligated to attend lectures and seminars) or should we have all the tests at the beginning of next term when everyone is assumed to be more prepared having studied during the holiday? Should the courses be 100% exam-based or should there be assignments (in which students became selfish and started outdoing members of their team, straining relationships)? At a more personal level, am I here to memorise pages and pages of formulas or am I here to learn how to apply the theories?

Mystery solved

4.51pm: Pitched dark outside...sigh

Today I discovered the source of an irritating music which I often hear lately (probably cause I have been spending a lot of time in my room). It's from Wall's ice-cream truck! And to think that each time I heard it, I felt like hitting the person who did that. Shows how easily irritated I am now due to the stress from exam.