My NWB diary - 1-14/12/2019

28/11 Thursday

The swelling has gone down a bit, I think, as last night I felt my foot was bursting out of the back slab cast. A day of lazying. Nothing intellectual, just being grateful for my body's healing power and the wonderful teams at the hospital.

01/12 Sunday

I can allow myself to start thinking about Xmas. Feel more legit now.

03/12 Tuesday

Many people think I would get bored by resting at home. I really wonder why?

Finally I have the time and space to read the books I always want in one go, not just a few pages before sleeping. And I still intend to keep up with my French. I need more disciplines for this. I shall use this forum to remind myself. And, of course, there are some drama series I've bookmarked for so long that I finally have time to watch it.

I start the day by reading my chosen book (only a few chapters left now). Pause for a mini lunch. Do some emails/admins/news reading. Start my French in the afternoon. If I get tired afterwards, I rest for one hour. Then the night falls. Dinner (prepared by hubby these days) and some unwinding for both of us. Then it's the drama time. Sometimes I may read more just before going to the bed, if I am in the middle of highly irresistible part of the book.

I am quite pleased with the routine so far and it works reasonably well.

08/12/2019 Sunday

2:30am

Recently I have had problems sleeping during the night because of the cast leg position. It seems every night I need to find a different position to alleviate the build-up pressure from the leg. The leg or rather the foot firstly starts to feel very warm. I feel lots of blood has been trapped at the foot so I raise my leg up in the air for a while and lower down. I have to do this many times over while readjusting the support pillows many times over too.

It's exhausting as it can take hours before I find a decent position to sleep again.

09/12/2019 Monday

4:30am

Last night was a better night of sleep than the previous. It seemed that positioning my cast leg near the edge of the bed prevents the pressure build-up at the heel. With just a pillow underneath the calf, the edge of the bed seems to support the ankle/heel sufficiently without making me feeling uncomfortable. Let's hope that my leg likes this position for the next few days.

8:30am

Morning, feeling relatively refreshed, certainly more than previous days.

I finished ''Becoming'' yesterday. Such an inspiration book, feeling truly honest, straight from the heart and full of hope. This is the kind of book which I want to read it again and again.

Today I shall start ''Matisse, the life''. I always like Matisse but it's only after seeing a documentary about his later life which elevates him to another level for me. He spent lots of time in bed due to illness when at an older age. But that didn't curtail any desire to create and creativity. No longer being able to use brushes and paints, Matisse used scissors and color papers instead. He generated a series of wonderfully joyful and remarkable cut-outs. I can feel he's pouring over his passion and every last zest of life onto those cut-outs. I also realize that when you want something badly, you find a way to do it, irrespective of the circumstances. That, for me, is the meaning of living a meaningful life.

11/12/2019 Wednesday

I slept through the night!! Possibly the first since I became NWB. The first half hour was a bit hard as I was trying to find a perfect cast leg position again, although now just with fine nuances. After that, I woke up around 6:30am. I think not having extra liquid in the afternoon (no warm tea then) also helped as it prevents the need to go to the loo.

Ecstatic!

12/12/2019 Thursday

Election day.

In a deeply divisive and polarised society, there is little choice for moderate voters. I still hope to perform my civic duty despite having one leg functional.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, I voted.

13/12/2019 Friday

Friday, the 13th.

I don't know what to say about the election results. Despite people say this election is not about B*t, the results clearly suggested otherwise. Looks like we are stuck with BJ for a while.

Despite all that, this week we continue our warming exercises with Christmas roasts. Last week we tried roast duck, served the chinese way with pancakes, cucumber sticks, green onion slices and hoisin sauce. A simple and elegant dinner and everyone had fun.

Today, it's the turkey. I am usually not a fan of turkey but this "basted" turkey crown from ASDA changed my view. When I opened the packet, I couldn't see where the basting mix was. The turkey skin was clean and nicely dry already, no extra pouches to remove/open, no sign of smeared mix anywhere on the turkey. I did notice the tiny holes regularly dotted on the turkey breast. I figured that might be it? I followed the roasting instruction and served with roasted sweet potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. When we bit into it, wow, the meat was juicy and actually had some taste. And the skin was well grilled and crispy. Everyone agreed at the table, no discussion. This is a tasty turkey, the nicest I've ever done.

Now, what should we try next week?

My NWB diary - 11/2019

14/11 Thursday

The rain finally stopped over night. The sky is clear with a little bit sun. I'm going to the gym.

Parked in a bay higher than usual as lunch time tends to get busy. Engine off. Bag on and off we go.

There are many leaves on the ground. Found a wooden slope on the edge of the leaves, wet but no leaves. Hesitated for a few seconds, I told myself I will just walk slowly.

First step ok, second step, oh no, violently fell to the ground and twisted my right ankle completely 90degrees left, flat on surface, as if I could walk on it.

And I heard a pop.

In shock for 5 seconds, not really sure what to do, my instinct told me to twist my ankle back to the normal orientation. So I did.

Luckily a work colleague just came out of the gym. I managed to get his attention and that's when I discovered my right leg can't support any weight now.

Long story short, I am now in A&E and the Xray confirmed two bones have been broken on both sides of my ankle.

I need a surgery.

Cast on, in the hospital green gown, wheeled to a bed, waiting for my surgery.

This is the start of my non-weight bearing (NWB) journey.

15/11 Friday

Woke up in the hospital not sleeping very well. The non stopping beeping machines, the nurses diligently checking vital signs every 2 hours throughout the night make it a bit hard. Around 9am, the orthopedic surgeon came to examine (with his entourage). Cut the cask open and told me that the swelling is too severe for the surgery. Come back in a week.

I was given crutches, shown by the physiotherapist how to use them, and 3 boxes of meds including two types of pain killers.

And I went home.

I had a very good night sleep, feeling better.

16/11 Saturday

Waking up and realised that every simple daily routine now takes extra long. Just getting out of the bed took me a few tries to figure out a routine. No matter, I am a scientist and I can think.

17/11 Sunday

The hospital called in the early afternoon. Informing me to get ready for Monday afternoon op.

Feeling eeriely excited. I am back in the system and about to make the next step (no pun intended).

Yes, I am ready.

18/11 Monday

Arrived at 11am to get prepped for the op.

 - Medical questions, answered.
 - Samples, given.
 - Vital signs, taken.
 - Anesthesian, spoken.

I'm getting close.

The chief nurse came to inspect the swelling, she said it's borderline.
Then the surgeon came. No. When he compares my good ankle to the broken one, I know there is no argument.

Sent back home the second time.

Use ice packs, elevation and rest, he said.

19/11 Tuesday

Feeling really defeated, even though it's for the best outcome. I just need to be patient.

20/11 Wednesday

We decided to cancel the Xmas holiday in France and my Chinese new year trip in mid January. My brother had planned a trip to Japan but that I can't go either.

I'm also gutted to give up my French classes. H is the best teacher I've had, ever, and I had to give up after just one term. So lots of emailing and calling during the past few days.

21/11 Thursday

Called to confirm the surgery on Friday. I hope my nightly ice treatment so far would get me under the knife smoothly (as ironically as it sounds).

22/11 Friday

Reported to L2. You would not have imagined it's 7am as every seat has been taken in the waiting area. I am on a wheelchair so just need to find a place to park.

Got seen quite quickly first by the anesthesian and by the surgeon. Judged by the area just above the ankle, the swelling is too visible to ignore, even for the untrained eyes. The skin is "shiny" and not in the usual color.

Yes, going home the third time. I feel like really defeated. I have tried all I could and it's still not enough. Maybe it's a bitter medicine I need to swallow.

Wait for another call on Sunday.

24/11 Sunday

Got a call around 11am. Being pushed back to Tues. One more day to fight the swelling.

25/11 Monday

I'm slowly getting used to do delteparin injection. It makes me see diabetic patients in awe.

26/11 Tuesday

Surgery, yes, really. Anesthetist came and then the surgeon, too. Finally the consent form.  Going in now. Excited.

27/11 Wednesday

I remember waking up in the theatre with a head still full of some drugs. Cloudy and not in full fledged pain. I had a hunch that the op went well.

Today my surgeon came to see me. He said the surgery was a success and he was able to fix both sides of the ankle as the swelling had gone down to an acceptable level. He will see me in 2 weeks to follow up the recovery. Going home today.

La récupération, quel doux le mot!

2019 weekly - Week 46

13/11/2019

Into biscotti this week. The taste from the following recipe is great, even though a bit crumbly as it contains no flour. I will keep on playing with it until the process is less messy.

Ground almond and oat biscotti

- 1 cup ground almond
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup + 2 T stevia)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped apricots

Note to self: after the 1st bake, cutting the main dough into slices with a sharp kitchen knife doesn't work well for me. Perhaps reduce the b.p to 1/2 t next time.

2019 weekly - Week 45

05/11/2019

Finished my French assessment tonight. It's still hard but I'm very lucky to have a good teacher this year. So the test nor the lessons demoralizes me.

I feel fortunate to have H who is organized, teaches thoughtfully and effectively. She gives us lots of homework but that's really to help us meet the expectation of B1. Now I have someone correct my writing and chain of logic every week! What more can I ask?

Merci mille fois, H.

07/11/2019

Every other year I have my 4-day a week starting from November til the end of the year. This is just so good!!!

2019 weekly - Week 44

A late post for Week 44. Been under pressure for an "assessment" of French. Totally forgot.

More later.

2019 weekly - Week 43

23/10/2019

Good to be reminded to learn to treasure these tiny victories.

If I have not thought about any negativity or unwanted thoughts thing for 30 seconds or even a few hours, this is my tiny victory. Life is a fishing net full of holes and lets all kinds of things in. It ain't perfect, sometimes painful, frustrating, numbing and demoralizing but it can also be wonderful. Let's keep focusing on the light sipped through and treasure tiny victories.

25/1082019

I've made Alison Roman's chickpea stew three times this month. It's that good. The recipe calls for very gentle and simple spice combination, coconut and turmeric. That's it. There is no need to bring up the volume by adding extra. Let the gentle coconut and turmeric warm you through this autumn. The great add-ins for me are spinach and grilled paneer cubes.

2019 weekly - Week 42

14/10/2019

Feeling really silly now.


16/10/2019

2nd follow-up exam at my dentist. Within 20 minutes, I was out of the door. Not too bad.


17/10/2019

Music is my true salvation and my escape. I can easily lose myself for hours, forgetting what's wrong with me and this world.

Can't.Live.Without.Music.

2019 weekly - Week 41

07/10/2019

You have the kindest gaze, warmest smile and most gentle voice. I behave like a giddy 17 y.o. because I melt every time the moment I see you.

Thank you, for lighting up some dark nights.


09/10/2019

How can one be not cynical when the compulsory appraisal workshop hosts dodge the question on trust?


10/10/2019

Still visibly and audibly sick, but I think I gave a not bad performance today.  That aside, I am working with a group of people who are smart, humble and hard working and another group who are arrogant, lazy and limited. The contrast couldn't be larger.

2019 weekly - Week 40

02/10/2019

Naively I thought after today's check-up, I don't have to see my dentist again for another 6 months. It turned out that before the final stage of dental implant, there are some intermediary steps to get the final caps on!

Well, my dentist is nice (and has mesmerizing blue eyes) but I just dread the visit every time. Thanks to each visit, I manage to lose some stubborn kilos steadily because I just lose the appetite each time afterwards. That's my silver lining.

2019 weekly - Week 39

22/09/2019

I can feel the swelling is under control today when I woke up. A relief. So the swelling peaked yesterday, exactly as my dentist predicted, 2-3 days after the surgery. I didn't feel pain, just uncomfortable and quite ugly. It's good to see the light of the tunnel.

I also tried a croissant yesterday (dipped in liquid), quite naughty, I know. And it was not the right time as oozing started again. So today I'm back to smooth food, apple banana puree with yogurt. So far so good.

I saw something rather beautiful and touching yesterday. I thought I would share it here as a reminder:

Yes, Emerson was an American philosopher but this excerpt sounds so much better in French.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded".

2019 weekly - Week 38

18/09/2019

Had two dental implants inserted today. Ouch, indeed. One side was left it too late, which made everything more complicated. My fault entirely. The surgery was completed, perhaps not exactly according to plan but the Xrays on the day look seemingly fine. Will see what comes afterwards.

Local anesthetics was a god-send. Don't even want to imagine the operation details but just to marvel (again) at the magic of modern medicine.

Muse's music (from their Simulation Theory) was playing in my head while the surgery was going on. Their music soothed me.

Got back home around 18:00. Anesthetics had eased off on right side, feeling actually alright (minimized swelling and discomfort). The right side, the tricky side, was another thing entirely. It's twice as swollen and definitely more painful. I was given a cocktail of drugs to self dose. Well, let the recovery begin.

20/09/2019

Got my dentist's call this morning at 9am. A nice surprise. He wanted to know how I'm getting on. I described how I feel and my symptoms. I guess he was glad/relieved to hear that I don't feel any numbness. The tricky right side was a bit of struggle for him. On the day of surgery he told me the implant might have gotten closer to the nerve than he planned. Well, so far I don't feel anything funny, just a face even bigger than I like.

21/09/2019

Been on baby food since the surgery. It's really not fun.

2019 weekly - Week 37

10/09/2019

First french class, new teacher and new classmates. And I understood 90% of what le prof said tonight. Pretty good start.

11/09/2019

Parents are flying back today. Although it's nice to have them, it's definitely good to be on our own as well.

2019 weekly - week 36

01/09/2019

Bonjour septembre, c'est difficile à criore qu'on est fermement à l'autome.

If it's Autumn, it has to be the season of apple cake. Apples are my favorite fruit in cakes, more than anything else. Yes, blueberries are nice in cake but apples have better texture for me in cakes. Here is another apple cake recipe I tried and liked.

Gâteau aux pommes

For the cake:
2-3 medium-sized apples (slightly larger than your fist), peeled, cored and sliced
100 g sugar (or 50g sugar + 2 tbsps Stevia)
2 eggs
60 ml oil or melted butter
100 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of rum (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
150 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

For the butter topping:
80 ml melted butter
50 g sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven at 180C.

In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs, oil together. Stir in milk, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well before adding all the apple slices. Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a round cake tin and bake for 30 minutes. At the same time, make the butter topping by mixing everything together.

After 30 minutes, the cake should pass the toothpick test. If so, pour the butter topping on top of the cake and put back to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Cool before serving.

2019 weekly - Week 35

21-28/08/2019

Les Vacances d'été

We had a great time in Dordogne. Going through villages and visiting Lascaux cave (my dream!).

There is so much to see in Dordogne. We will be back!

28/08/2019

While on the train back home, I was greeted with this blood boiling news: BoJo suspending Parliament. Not even a month in the office, BoJo revealed his true color: dictatorship in scruffy hair. The whole point of Brexit, according to Brexiters, is to have "control" back. I thought they meant back to the people?! How naive was I?!

2019 weekly - Week 34

Homemade falafel is easier than you think! This is second time we had it in a week. It's easy and tasty.

Homemade falafels and tahini sauce

For Falafels:

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (>12hs)
1/2 cup roughly chopped onion (~1/2 large onion)
a big bunch of coriander (or parsley or a mix)
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of middle eastern spice mix (any type you have in the house), or 1/2 tsp of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of salt
2-3 tablespoons flour

Grind everything together to form a coarse paste. If the mixture is too wet (i.e. can't form a ball after gentle squeezing), add more flour to the mix. Rest the mixture in the fridge for an hour. Shape into a size of ping-pong ball and fry for 2-3 minutes.

For Tahini Sauce:

1/3 cup of tahini paste
1.5 cup of plain yogurt
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tablespoon of sugar

Mix everything in a bowl and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or until serving.

2019 weekly - Week 33

11/08/2019

We made "Taiwanese burritos" tonight :-)

It's a Taiwanese dish eaten traditionally on Tomb Sweeping Day. The wrap is made with flour, just like crepe. An assortment of vegetable and meat dishes are prepared to be rolled up. The key is crushed peanut powder with sugar. We like to add extra sweet chili sauce and coriander. Yum!

Easy Taiwanese crepe

100 g bread flour
150 g water
1 g salt

This is a portion of batter for one person, sufficient for 3-4 crepes (dia. 24cm). Mix everything well in a bowl. Rest the batter for 1 hour before making the crepes.

There are a number of ways to make the crepes. The French method, swirling the pan around (from 4:47) or using a wooden stick as shown below, works very well.

Alternatively, you can brush the batter in a non-stick pan to form a crepe. Either way, make sure to spread the dough out when the pan is warm but off heat. Only back on the heat when a whole crepe is formed.

Mom's sweet chili sauce

1-2 tablespoons of miso 

1-2 tablespoons of ketchup

1 tablespoon of Gochujang (Korean chili paste), or 1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes

2 tablespoons of sugar

150 mL water

Salt to taste

Dissolve all the solids in a pot of water (150mL). Put the mixture on low-medium heat. Stir until it comes to a gentle boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. We like it sweet and spicy with a bit sour note.

2019 weekly - Week 32

09/08/2019

The place where I study French texted me to say that I passed DELF A2! Hooray! It's not unexpected but it's good to know finally. I can't wait to see my scores!

2019 weekly - Week 31

28/07/2019

Last week was quite eventful, heatwave and a new record high, cousin's visit, my swollen foot, visit to the dentist, gym shower work for 6 weeks. I hope to get some rest this coming week.

With 10 hrs of rain, clouds, wind, 16 degrees outside and chattering from the trees, I feel better.


29/07/2019

I know I will sound ungrateful but I'm sick of my mom's cooking now. Always the same, daily broccoli, soya pork or grilled salmon. And never changing rice. I've had that for a month. I don't think it would change much for the next 1.5 month. If I want to eat something different, I have to cook. This is really not a problem for me. I would rather she asks me to cook.


03/08/2019

I was supposed to be in London with an ex-colleague for a Prudential FreeCycle today but she just had an eye surgery. Better not to risk.

2019 weekly - Week 30

22/07/2019

A dear cousin visited us on route of his business trip. He's from hubby's side. A very friendly and generous person who I've met a number of times. He invited us to his summer house in the Alps three years ago. That was magnificent. Took my breath away. Today is his second time visiting us in Cambridge. Can you believe it? Family is never a bother or a trouble for him. Thank you, M.

Here is what we planned tonight:

Apéritif

Crémant de Loire

Crudites with olive sundried tomato paste

Grilled halloumi sticks

Breadsticks

Mains

Thick-cut steak

Roasted potatoes

Garlic creamed spinach
Slow roast tomatoes

Dessert

Eton Mess

23-25/07/2019

I got two insect bites probably from last night sitting in the garden. One on the top of my right foot looks innocuous but has made my whole foot swollen! I couldn't see the bones nor the veins underneath and I couldn't put on my shoe properly without feeling pain. My right foot looked just scary on the second day (24th). So scary that I'd suspected the worst, cellulitis. But I didn't have fever. So I went to the pharmacy to ask for some advice. She gave me some anti-histamine tablets and a tube of hydrocortisone. Until the night of 24th, I had prepared for cellulitis and ready to call my GP the next day. But, there must be a god somewhere, 12 hours after I took the anti-histamines and applied the hydrocortisone, my foot started to look better. When I woke up on the 3rd day (25th), the redness is almost gone. So was the pain. As the day goes by, I started to see the bones and veins underneath. So pleased and relived.

So, I had to concede that I may be now allergic to bugs?! Or just the freak heatwave triggering the freak incident?

By the way, today we reached 37 centigrade.

2019 weekly - Week 29

14/07/2019

Well, this ginger cake is a keeper. Light, springy texture with just a right amount of heat and molasses. I didn't bother with the glaze, delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients for the cake:
150g self-raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
175ml whole milk
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
85g golden syrup
40g black treacle
85g dark brown soft sugar
75g unsalted butter
1 Free Range medium egg
30g crystallised stem ginger + 15g for garnish, chopped

I changed the original method by making a bowl of wet ingredients and another with all the powdery ones. Butter is melted along with milk, syrup, treacle and brown sugar. Beat the egg into the cooled wet mixture. In another bowl, mix together flour, spices and baking soda. Stir wet into the dried.

Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes.


16/07/2019

I decided not to bi*ch about how others decided to lead their lives. We may be related by blood but definitely different in interpreting the meaning of life.


17/07/2019

I follow several French learning FB pages because, well, I enjoy learning French. I have not let anyone know I follow any of those pages. Today I wrote something in response to a verb challenge (make use of "devoir + infinitive") and I got "liked" instantly by one of my own FB friends. I don't know how this contact found out about my comment/intent to practice. I've kept all my likes private. Apparently it's not enough!

Thank you, Mr. Zuckerberg, not everyone wants to live like a college student, ok?!?! I just want to learn my French quietly without anyone of my FB contacts stalking me!!! Please rehash FB privacy as you mean it.

NOT HAPPY!

18/07/2019

I can't believe there is a "to be continued" part of my FB contact who's stalking me. Today she (yes, you) lectured me on the joy of learning. Such a big fake. I was laughing. BIG.TIME.

Hate to waste my energy and blog space for this kind of people but arrrgghhhhhhhhh.

OK. I'm better.

2019 weekly - Week 28

07/07/2019

This Welsh drama noir took my breath away. The resilience of a woman, all in, broken but not giving up, with pure grit, is wonderfully portrayed by Eve Myles. I remembered her from an early sci-fi drama also set in Wales. She got my attention then, not to mention the cute welsh accent. But in Keeping Faith, she shone through. Love it.

2019 weekly - Week 27

30/06/2019

Nobody presents planetary science like Brian Cox who just gave us another awe-inspiring series, The Planets. I have yet to see another science program as poetic as this one. The science is hot of the press material and presents a nice summary of the space advances of last few decades. I've learned that the ring of Saturn was created by a relatively recent collision and it will disappear in time. I also discovered that a few years after I was born there was a very rare astral event when all 4 outer planets were aligned so that we could send Voyager 2 to help us explore Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 2 is still in contact with NASA today, after 41 years. Can you imagine how much faith and conviction those NASA scientists must have when they launched Voyager 2 back in 1977? It's as close to people taking hundreds of years to build cathedrals as it gets. And the images and information it's sent back are just out of this world, literally. It's formidable to see. It deserves to be marveled at how far we have gone.

And with all the human endeavors and achievements, it's thought-provoking. What is at the edge of the solar system? Is earth unique? Are we alone? The consequence of the real answer is heart stopping. Either way, it is profound.

2019 weekly - Week 26

29/06/2019

The continent has been heating up to 40C and even higher in some places. It's our turn today to be above 30C, rather gentle compared to our neighbors. We are having Temaki party tonight.

Next week is my last French class of this term. Despite I got on less with the current teacher than my very first one, I have to say I did progress and learn loads of stuff. I now need to consolidate and not to mix up all tenses.

Next September, I will go for the next level.

2019 weekly - Week 25

19/06/2019

We got another unannounced "assessment" tonight. The school now is doing something very different, a "surprise" test at the end of every term. But we are still three weeks away! Anyway, our teacher gave us test papers at a level above ours. Probably intentionally. After taking the official A2 exam, that confirmed my suspicion for the whole year: she's been teaching us as we were B1!

I have been struggling most of the time during this learning year. The first two terms were just demoralizing. Most of the time I only understood 50% of the recording. Reading was 10% better. I don't know what others felt. Certainly some of the students were very good from the start, B1 ready. But not me. I persevered because I still dream about speaking French like a local and I want to make my A1 teacher proud. I will be grateful until the end that I have A as my A1 teacher. She has motivated me so much that I still have fire in my belly to continue, despite feeling like a loser pretty much every time in a class.


20/06/2019

I don't like what I am seeing. Politics these days is about selecting the one who causes less harm. This is sad. Voters, please wake up and be a bigger version of yourself. It's not about tomorrow, end of October or next year. It's about what kind of society you want for your off-springs, for many generations to come!

21/06/2019

Summer solstice! Did you enjoy the longest day today?

It's Friday today and it's occasionally sunny. Not too cold. Not a bad British summer solstice if you ask me.

I've been binging Killing Eve S2 in a controlled manner, no more than 2 episodes each time. I don't know why the critics are whining about. It's still good, perhaps the element of surprise and intrigue is less because now we've have known the main characters so well. The writing and the acting is pretty awesome. I love all actors in the show. They are just brilliant!

2019 weekly - Week 24

09/06/2019

If someone asked me about the best thing being in 40s, I would say I really enjoy just being myself.

10/06/2019

Stop The Car. KILLING EVE Season Two is OUT!

13/06/2019

I've forgotten how much I like Muse. I like their The 2nd Law the best but the 2018 one is very close.

From their 2018 album, Simulation Theory (how evocative, especially for me!).

The Void

I make - La Poule Au Pot

La Poule au Pot is a traditional dish in France, stemmed all the way back to Henri IV from Béarn in southwest of France. The royal version is rather elaborate with sausage stuffing inside the poached chicken. But for two people, I do it with chicken pieces and no stuffing. Browsing through the internet, it seems common to serve with rice or potato and with a white sauce or tomato sauce. I like the idea with a sauce on the side. I also prefer rice over potatoes to further benefit from the bouillon. This is a very tasty poached chicken dinner with homemade stock saved for later.

Poule au Pot

For the poached chicken

- 4 to 6 chicken pieces, drum sticks and/or thighs

- 1 onion, studded with 2 cloves

- 2 leeks, cut into batons of index finger length

- 2~4 carrots, large pieces

- 2 ribs of celery, large pieces

- 1 turnip, quarters

- bay leaves

- thyme leaves

- 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns

- 1 tablespoon of coarse salt (please half the volume if using table salt)

- 1/2 cup of white wine (optional)

- 1.5 liter of water or enough to submerge the chicken

- Bouillon cooked rice

For mushroom white sauce

- 250 g white mushroom sauteed with 1 tablespoon of oil

- 50 g flour

- 50 g butter

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1~ 1-1/2 cups chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese (or cream)

- nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon (optional but nice) 

- Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients for the poached chicken in a big pot and bring it to boil. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat to low, cover and cook gently for 1 hour. Heat off and rest the chicken in its liquor until room temperature.

To prepare mushroom white sauce, make a roux with flour and butter. Add in cold milk. Stir constantly. Ladle in chicken bouillon in several rounds to make the sauce with constant stirring. Add a few grates of nutmeg and stir in cream cheese and sauteed mushrooms. Heat off. Add in tarragon leaves if using. Taste and season with salt.

To serve, put the bouillon cooked rice in the middle of the plate. Arrange the chicken and vegetable pieces around and finish with the white sauce.

2019 weekly - Week 23

04/06/2019

I took my DELF A2 this afternoon and arrived at home at 5pm.

Overall I feel relived that the exam is over and I can relax a little. Even though learning never stops, one would say. I was mostly worried about the oral part since it's an interview type of model. Not only do you have to say something about chosen topics on the spot, but also in French! Luckily I had a familiar topic from the envelope which I drew randomly. It's about learning foreign langues. C'est parfait! I'd prepared a bit for this topic at home so I was less nervous during the oral exam. Another topic I drew (there are two on-the-spot oral productions) was about preparing a list of food for a party. It was between the food or the gift so I chose food since I am more familiar with its vocabulary. The examiner was very nice. He helped me when I struggled during the conversation. I am forever grateful.

Ah, it's good to be lazy for a while :-)

2019 weekly - Week 22

This is my final week of revision before my DELF A2 exam. Wish me luck!

2019 weekly - Week 21

23/05/2019

MEP election today. Voted first thing in the morning before going to work. I am not hopefully that the result would rewind the whole fiasco starting almost three years ago. But I have to try, like many things in life, no chance if you don't try.

24/05/2019

My first ever Chelsea flower show! So excited.

Going out with three lady colleagues. Not sure with one of them but, hey, I will still enjoy the day.

2019 weekly - Week 20

14-16/05/2019

A respite, because I am in a place where I am treated as a professional.

Thank you, BU.

18/05/2019

A2 prepa!

2019 weekly - Week 19

06/05/2019

Knowing that I get to have a lay-in on Monday is one of the best little pleasure in life.

2019 weekly - Week 18

01/05/2019

One month to go for my DELF. Shivering.

03/05/2019

An evening with Pierre Bonnard and a later night dinner at German Gymnasium. I feel very sophisticated.

I make - Puy lentils with mustard and cream

This mustard lentils dish has to be one of the tastiest dishes I've made in the recent years. So good that we can't stop eating just the lentils (for devout carnivores, this says something). And the combination with grilled salmon of crispy skin is just out of this world. This combination is so simple and elegant. The reward is a lot more than the ingredients combined.

Puy lentils with mustard and cream

- 1 cup of puy lentils, stone picked, washed and drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 cups of water (or stock)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of mustard (Dijon, whole grain or English), to taste
- 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche (whipping cream or cream cheese)
- lemon juice

Boil 2 cups of water in a kettle. Pour 1 cup of hot water to soak the drained puy lentils while you prep the vegetables. You can be flexible with the veggies but the essentials are onion and garlic. Diced carrots are nice or a few cherry tomatoes.

In a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, fry the onion, leek and celery until light brown. Add in garlic, tomato paste and bay leaves. Stir for 1 minute and deglaze the pan with white wine. Pour in the soaked lentils (liquid and all) and add in the remaining hot water. The water level should just be enough to cover the lentils. Being the pot to boil, lid on and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Lentil cooking time varies so extend or shorten the time to suit your lentils.

With the heat off, stir in mustard and your source of cream. I use a mixture of grainy and English mustard because I like my mustard. If you just want a hint, use Dijon or use teaspoons instead. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle some fresh lemon juice. This will be one of the most memorable lentil dishes you make.

2019 weekly - Week 17

22/04/2019

Last day of the Easter weekend, as glorious as the previous three days, sunny, breezy, not too hot nor cold, just perfect.

I took a walk along the backs. But it's Christ college which took my surprise initially. It's usually behind the paying gate but today everyone went in no bother. So I quickly followed. Oh, how magnificent are the wisterias! Numerous pretty purple petals, each of them lightly scented, clustered on old gnarl branches, welcome you when you enter the college. If there is flower which reminds me of Cambridge, I will not hesitate to say Wisteria!

This is another area while I went deeper into the college garden. How lucky are these people who get to spend time here.

Then I went to the backs. Spring time has its magic in the air and it's everywhere in the backs. The energy, the optimism, the smile, anything which is ready to spring you over. I know I've said it many times but I still have to pinch myself to realise that I live in such a beautiful place. I am blessed.

2019 weekly - Week 16

15/04/2019

This is just heart breaking, too painful to watch. More than 800 years of history which has stood the test of time and two world wars went up in flame in 21st century.

I am no Christian nor French but I am a human being who has marveled and treasured the place no less than anyone who has grown up with it. It will be rebuilt, showing the resilience once more.

19/04/2019

Good morning, Good Friday.

I make - Lemon drizzle cake

There are many variations out there but here is a recipe I use and like.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

125 g butter, room temperature
200 g caster sugar (100 g sugar + 2 tablespoons Truvia)
zest from two lemons, juice kept aside for the batter and the drizzle
3 eggs
pinch of salt
210 g self-raising flour
3 tablespoons ground almond
75 ml lemon juice
45 ml yogurt or milk

For drizzle
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons caster sugar

Preheat the oven at 180C. Prepare a loaf tin for baking.

Mix sugar and lemon zest in a bowl with a spatula. Work the zest into the sugar to release the aroma. Beat the butter in with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one after another. Sift in salt, flour and ground almond. Stir gently a few times and add the lemon juice and yogurt (milk) in. Stir gently to mix. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the drizzle by mixing both ingredients together. Brush or spoon over the warm cake top.

I make - Light Fruit Cake

Light(er) in fruits and equally delicious. This dried fruit cake is adapted from Mary Berry's Simnel cake. My main contribution is to add the dried cherries soaked in Amaretto. If you haven't tried dried sour cherries before, I urge you to give it a go. Its distinct sour taste adds a nice twist to the fruit cake. It's gentle but memorable.


Light fruit cake

For the cake
175g light muscovado sugar (or caster sugar)
175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
zest from 1 orange

3 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

175g self-raising flour

50g/1/2 cup ground almonds
3 tbsp orange juice (or milk)
100g/1/2 cup dried sour cherries, soaked in 1 tablespoon of Amaretto
50g/1/2 cup candied mixed peels (or sultanas)
100g dried apricots, cut into small pieces

For the topping
15 g melted butter

15 g powder sugar
30 g ground almond

1/2 beaten egg

Preheat the oven at 180C. Prepare your loaf tin or round cake tin for baking.

Beat the softened butter with sugar and orange zest until fluffy. Add in eggs one by one.  Mix in dried fruits (sour cherries, mixed peels and chopped apricots) and vanilla. Stir to blend in. Sift the flour and ground almond before adding into the butter mixture. Stir everything gently to combine. Pour the batter into a loaf tin or a 20-cm round cake tin.

Mix all the topping ingredients together and pour on top of the cake batter.

Bake at 180C for 50-60 minutes. Turn the cake around half way through the baking. Cake is done when it passes the toothpick test.

2019 weekly - Week 15

07-08/04/2019

The sudden drop in temperature got someone sick last week. I'd been waiting. I knew I had to be very strict about not sharing any forks/spoons and so on but I am still the one who has to wash the extra 10 cutlery pieces !!

So, just to confirm my own theory that I am now also under the influence of bugs. A mild one, I hope. A more pronounced headache than before but I don't feel I am getting worse.

Ha, famous last word.

Wish me luck!

08/04/2019

Originally from Burnt Norton by TS Eliot, mentioned by Charlotte Church.

Distracted from distraction by distraction
Filled with fancies and empty of meaning
Tumid apathy with no concentration

What did TS Eliot talk about? And Ms Church? And what would you fill in the blank?

2019 weekly - Week 14

04/04/2019

Met an ex-colleague who left suddenly today. I like this colleague socially. I thought professional this person was well respected as well but I didn't work in the same team. Nevertheless, I decided to keep in touch and have had a few events lined up together.

In fact, removing the layer of work may help better for the friendship. I look forward to the events later this years.

06/04/2019

Just made my first babka, an easy version but oh my word, isn't this the easiest yeasted dough I've ever made? And it tastes light, just sweet and satisfying!

I used a recipe from King Arthur Flour. I reduced the amount of yeast to 1 teaspoon and added the zest from 1 orange. I am so thrilled about the taste that I have to post it asap! Next time, I will make a lemon syrup instead. It would further lighten up and provides some contrast as well for the cake.

2019 weekly - Week 13

30/03/2019

The update is less and less regularly here and I blame my DELF! Well, just need to be more studious.

I am completely hooked up to Fleabag season II this year. After feeling season I a bit hum, I am surprised I am so addicted to its season II. It's not about the priest, I can assure you.

And I can't wait for Killing Eve II to come this April!

2019 weekly - Week 12

17/03/2019

I might have done something right last night on my Bechamel sauce as it turned out one of the creamiest I've done. For a long time, I've always felt my Bechamel sauce, although no visible lumps, always tastes a bit grainy/sandy, as if I could taste the very fine flour particles on my tongue. It's not velvety smooth as you would taste clotted cream, which is what I am aiming for.

But I learned a good tip from Youtube which is to mix high moisture cheese (such as cream cheese or Mascarpone) with low moisture ones (such as Cheddar or Parmasen). This is to help hard cheese with deep flavor melt more easily. So that's one thing I did differently last night and I am extremely pleased with the texture and the taste with my Bechamel sauce.

This is the recipe I use:

75 g butter
75 g flour
400 ml whole milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt to taste
100 g cream cheese
100-125g cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg (optional, for Mornay sauce)

Cook the roux until the flour seems disintegrated into butter. Stir in ground nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Heat off before adding the milk in batches. Stir the mixture constantly and incorporate milk fully before adding the next batch. After all milk has all been added. Put the pot back on the stove with medium heat. Stir until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce has thickened. Heat off. Mix in cheddar first and stir for a minute before adding in cream cheese. At this stage, I no longer heat my Bechamel. I simply used the residual heat to melt the cheese.

Depending on how the Bechamel is used for later, you can mix in one egg after the cheeses are fully melted.

18/03/2019

My business trip this week was cancelled today. I am beyond happy.

Happy so much that I look forward to sitting through another French class even though I could only understand 50%!

19/03/2019

Alarm set off at 5am this morning, for a mind numbing project.

Getting up extremely (?) early seems to unset my biological rhythm completely every time. My head is heavy and clouded until 11am. I eat uncontrollably all day long. Not sure why. Thank God it's only once every 2-3 months.

20-22/03/2019

An 8am-start for the next three days. But nothing beats to be in your own bed every night.

2019 weekly - Week 11

13/03/2019

Since I had a new French teacher, I've felt I've skipped a level or two! Ultimately it's a good thing to push me to learn but I am getting really frustrated this whole class year. The listening bit is just awful. If I manage to understand 50% of the content, I count myself lucky. Usually it's much less.

That being said I registered for another DELF this June. By studying the material I know I am not as bad as I feel in the class. But now it just makes me even more frustrated.

Well, I just need to focus on my DELF and perhaps take her class again next term.

2019 weekly - Week 10

06/03/2019

I've had minor annoyances for 3 weeks. First is the neck pain which restricted my motion. I think it all started when I didn't sleep properly one night and the pain just stayed, getting slightly better and worse again by my gym workout. Googling around, I made myself a cervical pillow by rolling up a thick hand towel and putting inside a pillowcase along side my normal pillow. The idea is to give your neck some support as the neck bone is curved. It worked nicely to alleviate my neck pain and I dare say that it even speeds up the recovery.

I also used my air travel pillow as my neck brace during the day. This one works particularly well as it provides solid but comfortable support on one side of the neck so I put it on the side where my nect was painful.

So I hope to say good-bye to neck pain.

But tonight I started to have back pain. Mid back on the left, perhaps some twisted muscles after Bounce Fit today?

Arrggh, can my body just please stop trying to make me feel old?

2019 weekly - Week 9

02/03/2019

We have had a unseasonably warm week. Internet is full of "comparison" photo of February between this year and last year. Something like this:

It's everywhere in the UK. Google photo reminded me how 01-March-2018 was for me and it looks like this!

March 2018

and this year we are like this:

March 2019

The weather is becoming less and less predictable. We can't cover our eyes and do nothing anymore.

2019 weekly - Week 8

23/02/2018

This week has been unseasonally warm. We did have a cold snap for about two weeks this winter and now it feels almost like spring in full action. No matter. The early warm makes spring bulbs come out earlier. Who wouldn't like cheery daffodils and crocuses in the midst of winter?

Have a good weekend.

2019 weekly - Week 7

French back on. Maybe I should sign up for A2 test this June?

2019 weekly - Week 6

Life slowly going back to normal but what a grand two weeks I've had!

2019 weekly - Week 5

London, Paris, Disney.

Yes, in this order!

2019 weekly - Week 4

My family is here to spend their first Chinese New Year with me in the UK. Super excited and we're going to have lots of fun!

2019 weekly - Week 3

18/01/2019

Another week of full gym routines, happy. I am slowly getting back to where I was last year, almost.

Three weeks into the new year I've lost the holiday kilo. Not bad, said myself.

And my parents are here with me to experience the British winter, lol. And my brother is joining me next week. Hoo hoo!!

2019 weekly - Week 2

06/01/2019

Just got off the Skype with M. Still a young funny lady full of independent thoughts and very brave. All the best for you and C.


07/01/2019

Couldn't get back to sleep at 4:30am. I blame the jet lag and the age.

Discovered this marvelous series, A History of the World in 100 objects, a collaboration between British Museum and BBC Radio 4, is spine tingling and awe inspiring.

I am particularly fond of prehistoric time. Just thinking that humans 13000 years ago made this Swimming Reindeer is mind boggling and hugely humbling.


Gym: Body Attack (this is going to hurt)


08/01/2019

Gym: Legs, Bums and Tums (LBT) + Body Pump

Haven't done LBT for a month, I think. Today I probably achieved 75% of what I used to do last year. Slowly but steadily I will be back!

09/01/2019

Gym: Pilates

10/01/2019

Gym: LBT + Dance Fit

11/01/2019

Gym: Body Pump

12/01/2019

Well, I did a whole set of gym routines which I achieved at my peak last year. Right now my range of movements is smaller than last year and the persistence is not as good but I'm not far to return. I look forward to next week come-back training.

ps. My back side really hurts. S would be proud of me.

2019 weekly - Week 1

01/01/2019

Happy New Year. May you and we all stay in good health and in sound mind.

02/01/2019

First day back to work and back to gym.

I did Pilates at lunch time and Body Pump in the evening. Pilates is a nice way back to the gym after three weeks of absence. Body Pump is another thing. Not only did I have to reduce the weight, but also finishing the routine was hard. Well, my thighs were aching the evening after.

Good to be back.

03/01/2019

Gym: Body Combat at lunch time.

04/01/2019

Gym: Body Pump

A short working week to ease the shock to the system.

I need some Beef Noodles!

05/01/2019

Made the Taiwanese Beef Noodles. I could only get rib joint yesterday which is not ideal. Shank or cheek is so much better. Nevertheless, there is a steaming pot of rich broth waiting for me. Can't complain.

2018 weekly - Week 52

23-29/2018

Well, last week of 2018. This year has been busy and gone reasonably ok. Healthwise, we have been blessed. I managed to keep up with my gym momentum up until December. Not to bad, said myself. Workwise, well, the place is as dreadful as ever but I persevere. Self-learning side, I took my french exam and have continued my class. I hope to go as far as possible.

Nadine and I met again in Cambridge with her lovely daughter. It's so nice to catch up again after a long while. I don't know why modern life makes many of us too busy for others but I will try to do better in the future.

2018 weekly - Week 51

16-22/12/2018

Spent my last two weeks this year in a lovely warm city with lots of good food. Steak, teppanyaki, beer house and roast ducks are just some things I've been treated. Thank you family and friends.