# Unviewable?

As I am writing this post, I am having problems viewing all of the blogs which are under Blogger account. All blog page under blogspot.com just turned out blank when I entered the page. Wonder whether this happens to anyone else...

Drop a comment if you are experiencing the same problem. I have enable forwarding of the comments to my email. Hope I can solve this web-viewing problem soon...

*UPDATE*
My blog! My blog is back to me! Yay!!!

For more than a week, my ISP somehow (for unknown reason) blocked me from viewing all Blogger blogs. I have had to use some anonymous free proxy service to surf blogs. More inconveniently, the anonymous service somehow blocked me from logging in to comment on blogs. I am so glad when today, suddenly, I can access to blogs with just a click to the direct link. YAY!!!

Pray pray the ISP doesn't throw tantrum again...

*UPDATE 2*(09/03/2007)
Nooooo!!! Stupid ISP blocked Bloggers blogs again!!! Now I can't comment on blogs again!!! Noooooo!!!

# Pancake Day!

20th February 2007 is the Pancake Day! (Also known as Shrove Tuesday)

Shrove Tuesday is commonly used in UK, Ireland and Australia. The day comes after Collop Monday and before Ash Wednesday, where the Lent season begins.

So why are pancakes associated with the day signifying the start of the Lent?

There is an explanation that there is a 40-days period of Lent of fasting, during which only plain food may be eaten. Food considered "rich" like eggs, milk and sugar are disposed before the fasting starts. So, a way to use up these perishable goods is to make pancakes and doughnuts, which in a way gives people a minor celebratory feast before the pain fast starts.

According to wikipedia, the word "shrove" is a past tense of "shrive", its meaning is to obtain absolution for our sins by confessing and doing penance. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving that Anglo-Saxon Christians were expected to receive immediately before Lent.For a non-christian like me, Pancake Day have a different meaning... It means, YUMMY!!!

My housemate made some salty pancakes, in which she added onions and peppers and other stuffs. They taste yummy, it's a totally different taste from the traditional ones.

I prefer the sweet ones, so I took out all my long-neglected flour (hope it is still useable) and eggs and sugar and everything...
and after 15 minutes... they're done!

As I squeezed the honey all over my pancakes, I can't help taking a closer look at these beauties...

And an even closer look...

I like to stack the pancakes up, and cut them in layers. It saves space and time too. Here I come, pancakes!

# Piggy Year!

It's piggy year! It's my year! I have survived through the second cycle of Chinese almanac! Yay!

There is a lot of confusion and debate on whether 2007 is a "Fire Pig" year or a "Golden Pig" year. Many confused "Red Pig" with "Golden Pig" as well. Checking with I-Ching shows this year is indeed a "Fire Pig" year, yet many mainstream media keep promoting the "Golden Pig", and even major banks went all out with their golden-pig-savings-account, blah blah... After all, "Golden" pig sure sounds better than some "fire" piggy. Now let's see what these people say when the real "Golden" pig comes...

Even before CNY arrives, sweet Sharon made us some wonderful cookies, like Almond Rosettes, Almond Melting Moments, CNY Peanut Cookies, and White Choclate Chip Cookies... She is so good in baking, her peanut cookies are one of the best I have had! I can't help remembering another time when she made us extra-chocolatey brownies which made me go crazy for days!

As CNY was creeping near, everyone was busy doing food shopping, card shopping, gift shopping, etc etc. I felt the pain when buying the expensive chinese new year card in Chinatown, oh how I miss the beautiful yet cheap cards in Malaysia!

The various shops in Chinatown really went all out to get business during Chinese New Year. As usual, the "Prosperous" symbolical items are up for grabs. Besides the normal crystal trees, "Fuk Lok Shao", miniature Shaolin monks etc, there was also a lot of "GOLDEN" pigs in ALL shops. Suddenly piggy banks are collectible items...

Some street hawkers set up their stalls along the streets too, posing competition to the shop sellers. There was a myriad of CNY decoration items, and the "Redness" all around could really blind people sometimes.

More redness overload...

The dragon decided to join the celebration too...

For me, it is always nice to have a walk in Chinatown London during the festive season. You get to see the lantern display, the bustling of crowd, some friendly westerners wishing us Happy New Year... I particularly like to have a stroll during the night, where all the lights displays were switched on.

And there are these same old three huge tanglungs which are always hung on the three gates at the three entrances to the main street of Chinatown.

I stopped to give a pat to the stone lions guarding the street too, it's new year after all.

There are also some other things which were must-do's during CNY.
Like buying egg tarts from Kowloon...

And having a good meal of Dim Sum with a bunch of good friends!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
HAPPY PIG YEAR TO ME!

# Challenge

I should have put up my Chinese New Year post, but I have been slacking and procrastinating...

So for the time being, I should put up a challenge for anyone who is interested to try out.

The challenge is:
Listen to this song. Listen till the end.
Do not pause, do not fast-forward, do not switch to other songs.
See how long you can suppress your laughter.

Remember, you must listen till the end. :-)

# Phew...

Did a class presentation today, and realized I felt so nervous when talking in front. I was quite surprised actually, as I don't normally feel nervous during other times of presentations. Fumbled a lot and did a lot of mistakes, but I'm glad that it was finally over.

Felt a bit like that

Feedbacks from friends were very helpful. I sounded too fierce, like YY described, "sounds like a primary school who teach with a serious face". Haha, perhaps I have been too used to teaching in class already. I wonder whether I have been like this when teaching last time, but somehow the students still bullied me. =_=!!!

I think JY's comment was very true, he said that I sounded fierce because I felt scared, and by "intimidating" the audience, I alleviate my fear. It's good to have someone giving constructive comments. I will improve myself in future presentations, especially in BNM where there are listless of presentations coming up...

Another thing I realized from this presentation is that strangely, I feel much more at ease giving presentations to a much larger group of strangers, than to friends I know. Maybe with friends, we have been hanging out everyday, and it felt so awkward to have to stand in front of all of them to speak... It certainly feels much more comfortable sitting in smaller circle, talking crap discussing homework and etc..

Anyway, I think this presentation has given me a good lesson. I certainly need to learn to overcome the anxiety, and I need to relax and smile.

Smile, and the world smile with you.

# Snow again!

It snowed again! And this time, it's proper heavy snow - in fact, the heaviest snow I have ever witnessed during my four-year stay in London. There has been lots of "publicity" for this long awaited snow, from BBC weather forecast to tabloid newspaper to betting agency. I have been excited waiting for the snow to come.

Despite proclaiming loudly that I will wake up early to see the snow, my housemate had to literally drag me out of my bed to wake me up. *shame*. I pulled apart my curtains and saw this...

I took a closer look and saw this!

IT IS SNOWING!!! I mean, I have seen fallen snow before, I have also seen snow falling before, but those were all out of London! In London, I have not seen a proper snowing before. I got caught in a hail before, but not snow. The snow I saw in London are always on the ground, and they look more icey than snowy.

We immediately put on all our jackets and ran out to greet the snow. It is falling! Falling!

And remembering my family has been complaining that I always take too many photos without me actually INSIDE the photos, I decided to be good once in a while and post this half-awake-YD-with-snow-falling-onto-her-head photo to let my loved ones back home know I am healthy and happy here. :-)


And while we have been frolicking in snow and trying to catch snowflakes with out tongues, there were some neighbours trying to clear away the layers of snow from their car. I wonder what they were thinking about us chattering excitedly and taking pictures of everything.


As the snow gets heavier, Ray took out his umbrella while I was still prancing about in the snow. I took the opportunity to take a shot of his dazed look while looking at my hyperactive behaviour.


No, we didn't make snow angels on the ground. It's way too dirty to do that in London street. I decided that I must at least leave some footprints in the snow to commemorate this rare event. So I chose a clean patch of snow-covered corner... and started walking backwards to make the footprints! kekekeke...


Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!