Premiered today (or yesterday in Taiwan). After all the 'chink-out' style, he's finally back to the classical! Well, at least for this song. Still don't really like the "Xi Chu Dong Fang". Like listening to the chinese opera only lah.
王力宏 - 落葉歸根 (Falling Leaf Returning To Its Roots)
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Fennel
Know what is that? Don't know leh. Don't think M'sia has it. Or if got also is very rare because Ping has never seen it until now.
It was the first Friday without Steph. Jen, Kristi and Ping went to Horrocks (that's because Ping wanted to go so Ping actually made a decision for our Friday night activity!!) so that Ping can get cheese curds. Since we were then, we also wanted to get some stuff for dinner - easiest is salad! Bought some romaine lettuce and then Jen suggested getting this vege thing that looks like grass with a huge round root - FENNEL. That was the first time Ping saw it. If Ping had seen it without Jen suggesting to get it, Ping wouldn't have bought or even tried it. It looks like grass. Like some kind of 'chang' that Ping wouldn't like. It is also know as 小茴香 (xiao3 hui2 xiang1) or pokok adas.
How to eat it leh? First have to separate the 'grass' part. This part taste a bit like 'anice' and seems to be the taste of ulam.
The bottom part looks like an onion but it is very hard and had to be sliced. It is very garing and almost tasteless. Jen says that it can also be roasted.
Both parts can be eaten. Ping don't know what else is the fennel used for but it taste really good with as part of salad, especially the green part. Now that Ping tried it, Ping likes it a lot. Makes Ping think of nasi ulam but cannot find any 'long kalui' to make it. Maybe can make it with the fennel....hmmmm....
It was the first Friday without Steph. Jen, Kristi and Ping went to Horrocks (that's because Ping wanted to go so Ping actually made a decision for our Friday night activity!!) so that Ping can get cheese curds. Since we were then, we also wanted to get some stuff for dinner - easiest is salad! Bought some romaine lettuce and then Jen suggested getting this vege thing that looks like grass with a huge round root - FENNEL. That was the first time Ping saw it. If Ping had seen it without Jen suggesting to get it, Ping wouldn't have bought or even tried it. It looks like grass. Like some kind of 'chang' that Ping wouldn't like. It is also know as 小茴香 (xiao3 hui2 xiang1) or pokok adas.
How to eat it leh? First have to separate the 'grass' part. This part taste a bit like 'anice' and seems to be the taste of ulam.
The bottom part looks like an onion but it is very hard and had to be sliced. It is very garing and almost tasteless. Jen says that it can also be roasted.
Both parts can be eaten. Ping don't know what else is the fennel used for but it taste really good with as part of salad, especially the green part. Now that Ping tried it, Ping likes it a lot. Makes Ping think of nasi ulam but cannot find any 'long kalui' to make it. Maybe can make it with the fennel....hmmmm....
Chilli plant
Ping's chilli plant is now pretty tall! But then still got no 'huan chio'. Don't know if it will even flower.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
smoothie
After strawberry picking, got so much strawberry want to do what leh? Strawberry smoothie!!
Mix 3/4 cup of strawberries with a cup of blueberry yogurt. If Ping want it to be more 'cheng', add water or soymilk. Prefer the soymilk because it doesn't dilute the taste of the strawberry too much.
Adding orange is also pretty good. Lots of fiber!
And with the Magic Bullet, it is as fast as adding milk to cereal!!
That's Ping's breakfast for the week. Still got one more tupperware of strawberries. Wanted to try making strawberry pie but then Ping don't really like to eat them and there's no one else to eat so will just stick to smoothie. :P
Mix 3/4 cup of strawberries with a cup of blueberry yogurt. If Ping want it to be more 'cheng', add water or soymilk. Prefer the soymilk because it doesn't dilute the taste of the strawberry too much.
Adding orange is also pretty good. Lots of fiber!
And with the Magic Bullet, it is as fast as adding milk to cereal!!
That's Ping's breakfast for the week. Still got one more tupperware of strawberries. Wanted to try making strawberry pie but then Ping don't really like to eat them and there's no one else to eat so will just stick to smoothie. :P
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Strawberry picking
Summertime is when all the tasty fruits 'bloom' and are cheap. Ping have always wanted to go berries picking (well since no berry plant can grow in M'sia), especially strawberries. Ping loves blueberries too but don't really know what to do with it besides eating it with cereal. Raspberry is so so only because most of the time they are sour.
So this weekend, a bunch of us drove down to Sturgis, which is about an hour south of Lansing, to a fruit farm - Nottawa Fruit Farm. The strawberries picking season is only about 3 weeks. They are pretty fragile fruit as we also saw lots of 'chau' strawberries. Strawberry plant is a bushy plant that is only about 1 feet tall. According to Wiki, the strawberry fruit that we're eating is actually not the fruit but an accessory fruit. The real fruit of the strawberry plant is actually the small biji that is inside the strawberry.
We got there close to closing time so we only spent about 30 mins there, which was good enough because Ping got tons of strawberries!! When you get there, they give you a basket made out of a box and guide you to a patch where it has not been picked. The plants are arranged in neat parallel rows and they'll tell you where to start and where's your limit. Since they are low on the ground, it can get pretty messy but we were lucky because it hasn't been raining for a few days and it was hot enough that the ground was dry. The strawberries are usually not obvious. You have to move the leaves around and look inside the bushes for the strawberries. They are much smaller than the ones we can buy from Meijer but as long as it is sweet, how small also never mind ler.
Pick pick pick....Guess how much this costs...
USD2.30 only ar!!! It is 50cents a pound!! Usually for that price, can only get 1 lb from Meijer. Bigger and looks prettier lah but size and look does not matter when it will eventually be eaten right???
Justin Timberlake vs. Jay Chou
The song choice for aerobics can be pretty important because it makes working out much more fun. On Thursday, the song the instructor picked was Justin Timberlake's SexyBack!!!! Ping thought that when Steph left, there's going to be no more SexyBack but no! Ping gets it twice within an hour's workout session! But guess what....
It actually is a really good workout song! (This is going to get Ping into so much trouble if Steph is around since Ping always gets annoyed when Steph plays the song out loud in the office...but she'll forget bout this post when she's back..kekeke!!) The chorus part blends really well for alternate or direction steps. It is long enough for about three sets of around the world.
BUT! Ping has not come to the stage of getting the song into Ping's workout playlist. The best workout song is still Jay's 同一種調調 (The Same Tune). This is the best song if wanna do footballers pace or a basketball squat and jump. However, the heart rate goes up pretty fast with this song too because the pace is much faster than JT's SexyBack. Gotta alternate it with a slower pace for basics or medium level grapevine.
It actually is a really good workout song! (This is going to get Ping into so much trouble if Steph is around since Ping always gets annoyed when Steph plays the song out loud in the office...but she'll forget bout this post when she's back..kekeke!!) The chorus part blends really well for alternate or direction steps. It is long enough for about three sets of around the world.
BUT! Ping has not come to the stage of getting the song into Ping's workout playlist. The best workout song is still Jay's 同一種調調 (The Same Tune). This is the best song if wanna do footballers pace or a basketball squat and jump. However, the heart rate goes up pretty fast with this song too because the pace is much faster than JT's SexyBack. Gotta alternate it with a slower pace for basics or medium level grapevine.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Macaroni and cheese
Now that's a typical American food. Almost everyone have their own version of mum's macaroni and cheese. There's also the Kraft 50 cents one up to the ones in the classy restaurant that costs USD8-9. Ping used to like them quite a bit until Ping started working in Burnham Hall. Everyday see until sien edi. Somemore they like to flood it with cheese and the pans are so hard to clean!!!
But every once in a while, Ping would get them from Meijer. Each box comes with macaroni and a packet of cheddar cheese (seems to be the favorite cheese here because they use it for almost everything, including a dip for broccoli!!! AND a topping for white rice!!! Gila right?).
Few weeks back when Ping was busy preparing for committee meeting, didn't have time to cook so Ping got a box of mac and cheese. Chopped some tomatoes and sliced some sausage (or as they call it here, hot dog). Bought some sliced carrots too (too lazy to slice it *bleh*).
Boiled the macaroni, drain the water, heat up a pan and stir fry the macaroni, tomato, sausage and carrot until it is slightly soft and there's some juice from the tomato. Then dissolve the cheese powder in the 'juice' and fry until it is partially dry ---> that's 3 day's punya lunch!!
But every once in a while, Ping would get them from Meijer. Each box comes with macaroni and a packet of cheddar cheese (seems to be the favorite cheese here because they use it for almost everything, including a dip for broccoli!!! AND a topping for white rice!!! Gila right?).
Few weeks back when Ping was busy preparing for committee meeting, didn't have time to cook so Ping got a box of mac and cheese. Chopped some tomatoes and sliced some sausage (or as they call it here, hot dog). Bought some sliced carrots too (too lazy to slice it *bleh*).
Boiled the macaroni, drain the water, heat up a pan and stir fry the macaroni, tomato, sausage and carrot until it is slightly soft and there's some juice from the tomato. Then dissolve the cheese powder in the 'juice' and fry until it is partially dry ---> that's 3 day's punya lunch!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
South Haven's North Beach
The best thing about summer - Saturday can be an offday! Don't need to do homework! Of course not every Saturday lah..but Ping was glad to go somewhere for a while. Michigan so boring, where to go leh? It's sunny out, it's warm, we've got M'sians who misses the beach - go beach lor!
Went to South Haven's North Beach. It's been a while since Ping went to Michigan beach too...exactly 4 years ago actually. That was when BK brought Ping there to see the sunset...that was the most spontaneous trip we've ever made! Ping came home, he said let's go, bring you go somewhere. :) One of the best trip though! Thanks, dear!
Drove a bunch of M'sians, a Hong Kongnese, and a Canadian. With such a mix, Ping really miss the feeling of being with friends back home. All kinds of language - malay, hokkien, cantonese, mandarin, english - like rojak only. They are definitely a nice bunch to have in the car ride. Pretty 'chin chai' ppl also.
When we got to the beach, everyone are like so jakun. Like never see beach before. Haha...the feeling was just awesome!!! The sand, the water, the wind, the sun...too bad got no leng chai to kap only. *bleh* But Ping wasn't really looking either ler. We were too busy building sandcastle as LP has never built a sandcastle (even though she's from Penang!!!). The sand is much finer than the one in Penang, kind of like the one in Redang/Perhentian (err...whichever one that Ping went before..with Yong, Mei and Emily). Because of the heat from the sun, it is hard to walk barefooted because the sand gets really hot (although according to Joe, it is pretty cold deeper inside). The water though, is cool and would actually be really nice to swim in but none of us brought our suits. Oh, Ping also found a cute little beetle!!
Once we did the sandcastle, we buried Joe in the sand! (That's how he know that it's cooler deeper into the ground). That's what happens when one guy goes to the beach with 5 girls. We thought of stuff and he has to go along with it. Pretty sporting guy so it was fun! (haha! ahboy, maybe we should do this to you next time I go home..keke).
The beaches here a bit weird. Most of them are privately owned. There are only very limited space for 'public'. Gotta be careful where we set up otherwise can kena halau. The parking lots have an interesting way of collecting money - honest system. There's no pondok or no ah pek to jaga your car. They have a yellow box where you just put the money in. If this is in M'sia, for sure nobody pay wan.
After all the messing around in the sand, we got ice-cream, hang around the beach and lepak. 好放松, 好開心, 好好玩哦!
Went to South Haven's North Beach. It's been a while since Ping went to Michigan beach too...exactly 4 years ago actually. That was when BK brought Ping there to see the sunset...that was the most spontaneous trip we've ever made! Ping came home, he said let's go, bring you go somewhere. :) One of the best trip though! Thanks, dear!
Drove a bunch of M'sians, a Hong Kongnese, and a Canadian. With such a mix, Ping really miss the feeling of being with friends back home. All kinds of language - malay, hokkien, cantonese, mandarin, english - like rojak only. They are definitely a nice bunch to have in the car ride. Pretty 'chin chai' ppl also.
When we got to the beach, everyone are like so jakun. Like never see beach before. Haha...the feeling was just awesome!!! The sand, the water, the wind, the sun...too bad got no leng chai to kap only. *bleh* But Ping wasn't really looking either ler. We were too busy building sandcastle as LP has never built a sandcastle (even though she's from Penang!!!). The sand is much finer than the one in Penang, kind of like the one in Redang/Perhentian (err...whichever one that Ping went before..with Yong, Mei and Emily). Because of the heat from the sun, it is hard to walk barefooted because the sand gets really hot (although according to Joe, it is pretty cold deeper inside). The water though, is cool and would actually be really nice to swim in but none of us brought our suits. Oh, Ping also found a cute little beetle!!
Once we did the sandcastle, we buried Joe in the sand! (That's how he know that it's cooler deeper into the ground). That's what happens when one guy goes to the beach with 5 girls. We thought of stuff and he has to go along with it. Pretty sporting guy so it was fun! (haha! ahboy, maybe we should do this to you next time I go home..keke).
The beaches here a bit weird. Most of them are privately owned. There are only very limited space for 'public'. Gotta be careful where we set up otherwise can kena halau. The parking lots have an interesting way of collecting money - honest system. There's no pondok or no ah pek to jaga your car. They have a yellow box where you just put the money in. If this is in M'sia, for sure nobody pay wan.
After all the messing around in the sand, we got ice-cream, hang around the beach and lepak. 好放松, 好開心, 好好玩哦!
Saturday, June 02, 2007
蝸牛
Phew...committee meeting is done! Ping was super worried the night before because that was Ping's 'conditional pass' - to have a committee meeting in 6 months. Ping spent almost the entire night going through all of Ping's experiments to make sure that she can justify why she did what she did. It turned out to be okay. Got some really good suggestions and it seems like the sun is shining again.
This is the first weekend that Ping brought her guitar out again after a long time of having the guitar collecting dust. Wanted to play something slow and was googling around for chords and found the chords for Jay's 蝸牛. It sounds much better with piano than guitar but now Ping can't get rid of that song! It is a very positive song though. Jay had dedicated it to the Tsunami victims, encouraging them to stay strong.
蝸牛 (Snail) (Haha..Ping just realized that she doesn't know what is snail in Hokkien..hmmmm)
我要一步一步往上爬
Wo yao yi bu yi bu wang shang pa
I need to climb step by step
等待陽光靜靜看者他的臉
deng dai yang guang jing jing kan zhe ta de lian
Wait for the sun to show its face
小小的天有大大的夢想
xiao xiao de tian you da da de meng xiang
Small sky but with big dreams
重重的殼掛著輕輕的仰望
zhong zhong de ke gua zhe jing jing de yang wang
With a heavy shell, quietly look forward
我要一步一步往上爬
Wo yao yi bu yi bu wang shang pa
I need to climb up step by step
在最高點撐著夜片往前飛
zai zui gao dian cheng zhe ye pian wang qian fei
Errr...at the highest point, endure the night and fly ahead
小小的天有流過淚和汗
xiao xiao de tian you liu guo de lei he han
Small sky with past tears and sweat
總有一天我有屬於我的天
zhong you yi tian wo you shu yu wo de tian.
There will finally be a sky for me.
Err..it probably doesn't make sense in English but that is due to Ping not very good at translating it into English. Basically, what it means is that I have to work my way up step by step, enduring all the challenges that comes by and not letting go of my dream just because of a small challenge (small sky). In the end, I will finally find a place of my own (a sky for me).
*If you want to listen to it - 蝸牛* Don't think he has an MV for this since he wrote it for someone else.
This is the first weekend that Ping brought her guitar out again after a long time of having the guitar collecting dust. Wanted to play something slow and was googling around for chords and found the chords for Jay's 蝸牛. It sounds much better with piano than guitar but now Ping can't get rid of that song! It is a very positive song though. Jay had dedicated it to the Tsunami victims, encouraging them to stay strong.
蝸牛 (Snail) (Haha..Ping just realized that she doesn't know what is snail in Hokkien..hmmmm)
我要一步一步往上爬
Wo yao yi bu yi bu wang shang pa
I need to climb step by step
等待陽光靜靜看者他的臉
deng dai yang guang jing jing kan zhe ta de lian
Wait for the sun to show its face
小小的天有大大的夢想
xiao xiao de tian you da da de meng xiang
Small sky but with big dreams
重重的殼掛著輕輕的仰望
zhong zhong de ke gua zhe jing jing de yang wang
With a heavy shell, quietly look forward
我要一步一步往上爬
Wo yao yi bu yi bu wang shang pa
I need to climb up step by step
在最高點撐著夜片往前飛
zai zui gao dian cheng zhe ye pian wang qian fei
Errr...at the highest point, endure the night and fly ahead
小小的天有流過淚和汗
xiao xiao de tian you liu guo de lei he han
Small sky with past tears and sweat
總有一天我有屬於我的天
zhong you yi tian wo you shu yu wo de tian.
There will finally be a sky for me.
Err..it probably doesn't make sense in English but that is due to Ping not very good at translating it into English. Basically, what it means is that I have to work my way up step by step, enduring all the challenges that comes by and not letting go of my dream just because of a small challenge (small sky). In the end, I will finally find a place of my own (a sky for me).
*If you want to listen to it - 蝸牛* Don't think he has an MV for this since he wrote it for someone else.
Mixers
During the ASM conference, there are also activities planned for the evening such as mixers. It is an informal social event where people of the same interest meet and talk about stuff, usually more science. This year, Ping didn't go to the division mixer - a mixer for microbiologists of the same field of study, like Ping's is microbial ecology or the MSU mixer - a mixer for all the attendees from MSU and their friends.
However, Ping did go to the Microbial Diversity mixer. That's the course Ping attended at Woods Hole last year. Ping is not a big fan of social events like that but this one is actually not too bad as Ping knows more than half of the people there and Steph is there too!! Even tua tau keh is there. It is also not crowded at all. The best thing - great appetizers!! Americans typically have really fancy decor and delicious finger food for social events.
There's pies - pecan is Ping's favorite! Ping actually had 2 of it! Yeah, basically had her dinner there. There's also some berry pie. The one appetizer that is served most often is vege trays and cracker with cheese. Ping had never learned to eat raw broccoli but Ping did started eating raw carrots when Ping came to MSU. Ping still don't like celery, even if it is cooked, unless it is cooked until nua nua in the soup and Ping cannot see it or pick it out.
They also had a chocolate fountain!! It's white chocolate but a chocolate fountain!!! That's the first time Ping saw one, what more dip from it! You just have to pass the fruits through the flowing chocolate a few times until you coat the fruit. It was a little too sweet but most of the appetizer stuff are usually sweet. Although their dessert stuff are sweet, American appetizers are actually much healthier - fruits and vege - compared to our nyonya kuih that are easily 'tiok chek' or chiak siow pa.
There also tiny pastries that looks really pretty. Ping didn't try all of it. Just had the coconut dipped with chocolate one (the lowest one in the photo) and it was good.
However, Ping did go to the Microbial Diversity mixer. That's the course Ping attended at Woods Hole last year. Ping is not a big fan of social events like that but this one is actually not too bad as Ping knows more than half of the people there and Steph is there too!! Even tua tau keh is there. It is also not crowded at all. The best thing - great appetizers!! Americans typically have really fancy decor and delicious finger food for social events.
There's pies - pecan is Ping's favorite! Ping actually had 2 of it! Yeah, basically had her dinner there. There's also some berry pie. The one appetizer that is served most often is vege trays and cracker with cheese. Ping had never learned to eat raw broccoli but Ping did started eating raw carrots when Ping came to MSU. Ping still don't like celery, even if it is cooked, unless it is cooked until nua nua in the soup and Ping cannot see it or pick it out.
They also had a chocolate fountain!! It's white chocolate but a chocolate fountain!!! That's the first time Ping saw one, what more dip from it! You just have to pass the fruits through the flowing chocolate a few times until you coat the fruit. It was a little too sweet but most of the appetizer stuff are usually sweet. Although their dessert stuff are sweet, American appetizers are actually much healthier - fruits and vege - compared to our nyonya kuih that are easily 'tiok chek' or chiak siow pa.
There also tiny pastries that looks really pretty. Ping didn't try all of it. Just had the coconut dipped with chocolate one (the lowest one in the photo) and it was good.
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