Goals 1 to 5 for 2016

For someone who loves sunshine but hates UV rays!

The sunshine of my life.

I've been sitting on a makeshift study table for nearly an hour now while patiently hoping a trickle of inspiration would drop off the sky so I can finally type the first word for a paper which I ought to write to pass the first year of my PhD. Instead of waiting for that trickle of inspiration to come, I thought maybe it would be more efficient if I try to scoop some of the thoughts which are causing distractions. I have honestly been a bit down since my 27th birthday--when the person I loved the most in this planet could not remember me.  But just the other day, she finally remembered! And that smile of hers just painted my black and blue universe with all the colors one could possibly imagine! 

The past few days, I have been pondering on what I am passionate about. Suddenly it struck me that I really love old people. Had I pursued medical school, I would probably opt to specialize on geriatrics. When I visited a nursing home just this month and I thought it would be awesome if I could do volunteer works if I had time. Old people make my heart melt in the same manner as kids would do to kindergarten teachers. Hopefully, I can do some volunteer works next year. Although I think it would be quite difficult to go to nursing homes if I don't have a car. It's so inconvenient to live in Australia without a personal vehicle. I'm planning to get my license soon so I can start learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road. One reason why I decided not to get used to driving in Philippines is because I knew I was going to live in Australia. I have the poorest sense of direction one can possibly imagine. A simple "left or right" is honestly like a maze in my brain.

Having blurted out the paragraph above, two of my goals for 2016 are: (1) get a driver's license and (2) visit nursing homes.

I also want to do more physical activities. This year I learned how to ride a bike for the first time. To ride the bike, it took me one day and 30 bruises! My grandma did not allow me to ride a bike when I was young because she did not want me to get hurt. But cycling seemed really fun so I decided to learn. I couldn't be wrong! Hence, another goal for 2016 is: (3) go cycling by the river in Brisbane!

I also want to conquer the ocean. But this goal will probably be more difficult to achieve than most goals because to do it, I need to overcome my phobia! I nearly died drowning in an open ocean when I was 7 or 8 years old. I will never forget the moment I woke up by the shore! Boy, it was good to breathe fresh air again! I don't think I will have any problem learning how to swim. It's just the fear of drowning that I have to face. Death came so close; I would not want to be near it, right? But to be happy, I need to conquer my fear because I really love going to beaches. The sun is a different story though. I'm vain and I hate ultraviolet rays! My fourth goal hence is to (4) Swim!

My fifth goal is to relearn things which I have almost already forgotten. A couple of months ago I bought a guitar and I was so shocked I could still play one! Next year, I will save up to buy a keyboard so I have something to do in my room when the rain starts pouring outside. I think I like the piano more than the guitar. However, I am very poor at reading notes. Although, when I was playing "River flows in you" by Yiruma, and there were numerous slips here and there, my brother came and asked, "is that River flows in you"? I said, "It is, but a really bad version!" My fifth goal therefore is to (5) relearn playing the piano and guitar!

I will continue writing about my goals 6 to 10 when I get back in Brisbane. The trickle of inspiration just dropped from the sky! I need to get some writing done while it lasts...

Hungarian langos

Hungarian Langos

Enjoying my meal with my friend.

One of the many things I enjoy doing is going to the markets (anywhere in the world) and sussing out the freshest fruits and vegetables while glancing everywhere to look for something to nibble. I really enjoy buying farm products and trying different kinds of food that's why the Davies Park Market in Brisbane is one of my favorite places to go to when I have nothing better to do. I have not been there for quite some time because I have been extremely busy the past few months (although I  must say I cannot vividly recall what  actually transpired the past two months). Finally, with time in my hand, my friend and I went to my favorite market!

After having coffee and taking a brief tour of the market, we went hunting for food! The first thing that caught my eye was the Hungarian langos. I was starving and the display looked great, so without thinking twice, I immediately ordered one langos with mushroom! Luckily, I saw how they made my food (I also really enjoy watching how the food is made). I was shocked to see a big deep frying pot! They were going to fry the dough! Oh no! I am not really a healthy eater--but I prefer baked dough over fried dough.

I was watching the dough swim inside the cooking pot until it turned golden brown. Once brown, the cook let the oil drip for a while. Then she grated cheese and spread it all over the bread. I am not a big fan of cheese, hence, watching her spread cheese all over my bread was not really an exciting activity. I stood aghast. Finally, she topped it with grilled mushrooms. My saliva dripped a little bit. But then she topped the bread with grated cheese again! No! No! And for the finale, she made concentric circles with the sour cream. I love sour cream; but after watching her fry the dough and spread cheese all over it, I did not think the sour cream was an excellent idea.

I stood watching with a pensive look. I did not want to eat it. But because I am a poor student, I was starving and if I would not eat it, I would die, I took a bite!

I took a bite and the angels in heaven rang the loudest bells while I cursed "What the?!! This is delicious!" After all that drama, I enjoyed the Hungarian langos and finished it as fast as a barbarian could. 

My 27th birthday

I flew back to the Philippines last November 7, exactly 27 years after my birth. I was initially not planning to take a two-week vacation off the endless list of PhD chores, but urgent matters at home sucked the last drop of sanity such that I decided to board the earliest flight I could possibly hop into. The earliest possible flight was on my birthday as I had to attend a conference and a symposium a week before that. I was so ecstatic to finally see my grandma, who had been sick since September. The last time we Skyped, she asked me when I would go home because she badly wanted to see me. My parents and brother greeted me at the airport with their warm hugs; and as soon as I entered the car, a box of happy-birthday-cake "greeted me" with exuberance. I blew the candle while forgetting to cast a wish as I had a long list of wishes for this year; I did not know what to ask for first. Nevertheless, I was making countless wishes while my dad was driving us all home. When I arrived home, I dropped my luggage and hastily ran to my room where my grandma was sleeping. I was hoping to see her face light up when she would finally see me again. I turned the lights on and the pink walls seemed to exude the vibrant energy which I stored in my room for years. In the middle of the room, was my grandma! I crawled to her bed and gently shook her to wake her up. Her eyes flickered and gazed at mine. Ten seconds past and she was still as though gazing at the seemingly boundless universe filled with void. I gently shook her again and said, "grandma, I'm home!" Her eyes pierced the shadows of the memories we shared. She did not remember me!

First apple in months

 

My flatmate was telling me about how much she loved the apple she just bought. I was intrigued because I never had an inkling for apples. In fact, I'll probably only eat one when I'm starving to death or if it's the only fruit left in the planet! She told me she used to hate apples too not until she arrived in Australia. "Would you like to try?" She asked. I said no. Would you like to try? I said no. Would you like to try? 

The third time she asked me I finally agreed. Then I took my first bite! I thought I was going to fall into a deep slumber like what happened to Snow White when the evil queen tempted her to take a bite. Unsurprisingly, I'm still alive. And it didn't hurt when I ate the entire fruit! But no, I don't think she made me change my mind. I still don't like apples. I don't know why. This is one of the many things science can never explain!

Nespresso capsules

While roaming around Brisbane yesterday, my friends and I made a brief stop at the Nespresso store to try a random cup of coffee. We tried 3 out of the 23 different coffee variations: (1) Vanillo, (2) Caramelito and (3) Dulsão do Brasil. The names of the first two coffee varieties I mentioned are descriptive. Vanillo has a hint of vanilla flavor while Caramelito has a subtle caramel taste. I cannot, however, write a concrete description of  the Dulsão do Brasil espresso because my friend poured a stick of brown sugar into it and the sweetness was too overwhelming that I simply refused to drink it. Maybe I have peculiar taste buds; but I really love the bitterness of coffee.

Among the three, the one that won my heart was Vanillo. I was easily captivated because vanilla latte happens to be one of my many favorites. I actually have two favorite coffee aromas: vanilla and hazelnut. The latter was out of the list so it was not really a difficult choice to make.

How have I been?

I have been living in Brisbane for nearly four months now; and I must say I am really having a good time. Everyday I wake up elated and excited to spend yet another day in the lab. My experiments have not been going so well though. It's not because I have been slacking off; it's just that some things simply don't work and it takes courage to admit that it doesn't work and one must simply just give it up and try to find another solution. After all, it's not the end of the world. 

To lift my spirit up, I am proud to say that, barely four months into my PhD, I already wrote one book chapter which was accepted for publication. My Professor asked me to write the book chapter a month ago. He said, "Where did I get the impression that you can write well?" I racked my head and silently answered, "maybe you read my blog which I haven't visited for ages?" After completing the book chapter, I was so ecstatic to hear that my Professor was very pleased with my writing technique. This only means I should keep working on my writing skill and never give up. You see, there are also some things one should never give up on even though it apparently does not work.

That's why I am writing in my nearly abandoned blog again. 

Aside from spending a great deal of time doing lab experiments, reading papers and writing the book chapter, I have been exceptionally busy doing activities completely unrelated to PhD starting from 7 o'clock Friday until Monday morning the following week. Having a balanced life is crucial especially for someone who is a thousand miles away from home. However, sometimes I have to sacrifice several hours on my weekend to do menial work-related chores. It's inevitable for a PhD student. Last weekend, I had to spend 2 hours working in the biosafety cabinet. The air flow creates so much noise, it's tragically deafening. While working, I kept thinking about aimlessly strolling near the lakes inside the campus. I love lakes so much I can probably spend the entire day gazing at the wild ducks as they create ripples on the water! While I never had the chance to spend the entire day beside the lake as it was getting dark when I finished my lab chores, I was able to steal a glance of the lake's breathtakingly serene beauty for nearly an hour. I also had the chance to lie on the green grass as I stared blankly at the deep blue sky. At that moment, I thought I was living forever!

Puto Seko

Grandma and I have been spending the afternoons together at our very tiny veranda where we can catch the cool breeze. Our idea of spending time together isn't anything out of the ordinary. We simply stay in the same corner of the house, occasionally watching each other as we drift off into our own worlds. She sleeps while I read and write. At around 4 in the afternoon, I have to prepare her snacks. She eats everything I make regardless of the taste. For grandma, everything I do is perfect. However, among all my recipes, there is one simple type of cookie which she probably thinks is beyond perfect.

I honestly haven't perfected this recipe as I am still trying to figure out how to achieve the texture similar to the commercially sold puto seko. Nevertheless, here is the recipe I am using:

2 pcs eggs

3/4 c confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup butter

4 cups cornstarch

2 cups powdered milk

2 tsp baking soda

The steps are simple: Mix. Knead and shape into circles. Bake at 190 C for 5 to 10 min.

Grandma and I really love eating puto seko together. It's a very simple cookie. What's extraordinary about it is the texture. It's so creamy and it melts in your mouth when you eat it.

Jollibee spicy chicken

I had to do an errand for mom and a bit of shopping for me awhile ago. At quarter to one, my stomach roared loudly, I was a bit embarrassed. Lucky the mall was too noisy no one heard. I was craving to eat this unhealthy but very tasty fried chicken from the Philippines' most popular fast food chain: Jollibee. Every time I go there, I usually order the spicy chicken joy value meal which comes with a cup of rice and a glass of Coca-cola. The meal only cost me 87 Php (that's around 1.8 euros or 2 US dollars).  It was so spicy, the mucus in my nose started dripping. (Embarrassing again, but who cares?) My mouth burned as hot as the wildfires in Australia. It was so hot, my tongue was getting numbed. Nevertheless, I never once entertained the thought of quitting. The skin was too crispy and the meat was too juicy, I wouldn't dare abandon the entire ordeal. The spiciness made the meal less boring. The sensation lingered in my mouth for more than 5 minutes. 

I found that the best way to deal with the "spicy after shock" was to eat sundae. My favorite is the large ube crispies sundae from McDonald's (It looks like this but ube flavor and not strawberry). Because I always devour the ube sundae as fast as lightning strikes, I never ever had the opportunity to snap a photo.

My favorite winter boots

I finally booked my flight! I will be departing on the very last day of February. Aside from the emotional baggage I have to bear once I part with my family (especially my grandma because I love her dearly), I will have to carry along with me a limited amount of necessary things. To ease the burden of choosing what to bring, I have decided to avail of the 40 Kg baggage allowance. I am also entitled to 7 kilos of carry-on luggage. The total weight is a kilo heavier than my body weight. And although the thought of carrying that much luggage frightens me, I still availed of such as it is extremely necessary.

For instance, I need to bring my favorite winter boots. The pair is really of good quality. Not to mention, it's pure leather. The sole is rubberized with "ridges." The combination of these two features enables the sole to "grip" the ground more firmly. I used to run with this in thick snow and I never slipped. It's also very comfortable to wear. Thank you Tamaris for making this incredible shoes! 

Oh, I forgot to mention the most important bit! It weighs 1 kilo. That leaves me 46 more kilos for everything else.

Bignay Wine

This bottle of bignay wine reminds me of my childhood.

I spent the first five years of my life in a small town near the famous cone-shaped active volcano in the Philippines called "Mt. Mayon." When I started walking, I also started disobeying my grandmother especially when (before she would leave for work) she would persistently instruct me to, "stay at home and don't go to the rice fields!"

I don't know how I found my way to the rice fields; but for some reason, I managed to find my way through so I could happily play in the rice paddy which was too quick to swallow me whole. I too was too quick to cry and my grandma's sister who was supervising the laborers had to pull me out immediately. Discovering the dangers of the rice fields, my cousin and I decided to find another playground. 

In our massive playground, we found an area lined with trees bearing red and blue fruits. At that time, the species' name was unknown to me. It was only recently that I learned of its name: "bignay." These bignay fruits did not taste nice; they were a bit sour. They were barely even sweet, in fact. However, they were the only trees we could manage to climb, so we had to be contented with our new find. My cousin and I would climb these trees whenever we had the chance. I remember I was really enjoying my time picking up the tiny red and blue fruits. My hands were too tiny to hold the bunches of fruits we picked so I had to wrap and tuck them with my t-shirt. My grandma always appeared shocked to find my t-shirt all covered with red and blue stains. You can just imagine the look on her face. But all she could say was, "Just stay at home tomorrow, Ok?" I had to do my best to stay cute while replying with a "yes grandma" so I wouldn't be castigated. However, the next day, I would  once again freely run, play and climb in our massive "playground."

I had a wonderful childhood.

Coke Float

I had to do some errands for my bro and sis awhile ago and my parents dropped me off at McDonald's near Victoria Plaza. I had to wait for an hour before the mall opens so I decided to use the McDonald's coupon my bro gave me the night before. I told him, "I don't really need that. I don't like McDonald's." He said, "Someone just gave it to me. Just take it!"

That was the biggest mistake I made the other day. I shouldn't have taken it. If I didn't, I would have probably just ordered coffee. But because I thought the coupon was a good deal I decided to get myself coke float and medium fries.

I think it was the third time I ever had coke float in my life. Coke float, by the way, is a regular coke drink with a floating chocolate sundae. The first time I drank coke float was during the first few weeks it was being offered as part of the regular menu. The second time was when I attended a meeting for my cousin's wedding. 

I don't think I'll ever drink coke float again. It's just basically sugar on top of sugar. I don't like it when the sundae melts and makes the coke creamy. The combination is just so wrong. No one has ever manufactured a creamy soda for some reasons.

Many of my friends love coke float though. I think it's because they love coke and sundae. The combination of the two makes the deal really good. But for a person who doesn't like coke but who likes sundae, the combination is deplorable. I'd rather just drink water!

Six drinks that ruled the world

I started panicking last week when I realized my vacation is almost over. A couple of weeks from now, I will have to pursue another academic milestone which is necessary for the enhancement of my cranial capacity so I can be dubbed a virtuoso in my field. And because the clock is ticking and I'm slowly running out of vacation days, I started making the most of my time again. 

My day has been really productive because I read another history book. This book is exceptional in that it clearly narrates important historical events as viewed from a different perspective. The angle with which history is told is based on the six indispensable beverages: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola. The story begins as far back as the Neolithic age where people became acquainted with agriculture. They serendipitously discovered beer, a brown intoxicating liquid derived from the fermentation of germinated cereal grains. The book also briefly discusses the Greek and the Roman Empires and how the discovery of wine played a big role in these societies. With the desire for these intoxicating drinks, people have further developed ways to concentrate alcohol in beverages by means of distillation. This is when spirits became widely popular.

Three non-alcoholic drinks also notably played a big role in shaping society. Coffee, which originated in Arabia, became the potent ingredient in unleashing the genius among men during the Age of Reason. Coffeehouses became widely popular during this age as these served as meeting places for men to discuss science, politics and other worldly affairs. Tea, on the other hand, became widely popular among women who, at that time, had no place in the coffeehouses as these were basically frequented by men. Tea became very much popular during the Age of Industrial Revolution. This beverage  also eventually became synonymous with the British culture. Finally, the book also discusses Coca Cola, a beverage which everyone in the world has probably tasted. The beverage picked up its momentum as the US gained a foothold and dominated in the international arena. Being sold on almost every corner of the world, Coca Cola is no doubt a drink that symbolizes globalization.

Red Velvet Cake Recipe

An hour from now, I will be heading to meet up with some of my best buddies. I thought of surprising them with a cake made from the bottom of my heart. I actually spent the entire morning baking this cake. It's really fun baking when you have all the time in the world. I only baked one cake because I didn't want to leave one at home since most of us are "on diet." You're looking at around 2000 to 3000 calories of sinful goodness. 

This is meant to be a red velvet cake; but I should have poured more red food coloring to hide the brownish tint from the tablespoons of chocolate I added. My favorite red velvet cake recipe is taken from the website Divas can cook. I've tried other recipes, but this is the one I like the most. However, I reduced the amount of sugar and salt; increased the amount of chocolate; and used cake flour instead of all purpose flour.

Let me just write the recipe down for future reference:

2 c. cake flour, 1 t. baking powder, 1 t. baking soda, 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 3/4 c brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/4 t. iodized salt, 1 t. white vinegar, 1 c. canola oil, 1 c. fresh milk (buttermilk was not available unfortunately), 2 t. vanilla extract, red food coloring and 1/2 cup of hot coffee.

For the cream cheese frosting, I used 1 stick butter, 1 stick cream cheese and 1 c. confectioner's sugar. People normally add 2 c. sugar; but again, I don't like very sweet cakes so I always cut back on the sugar.

The roses and leaves are just simple fondant icing. 

I really love baking but I hate eating. This is why I really enjoy baking cakes for my friends! I just can't wait to see them. Bye for now. Gotta run...

Australian Vegemite

After regaining the vitality I have lost over the holidays, I have finally started running on the treadmill again. I only wanted to break a sweat so I just ran for 1.5 Km mostly under 6-8 Km/hour. I have also been adding vegemite on my morning toasts. Vegemite is a "weird" Australian product. Spreading it on your morning toast on its own will definitely ruin your day because it has an explicablly salty and tangy taste with a bit of an after aroma.

Just how weird can this product get? Turn the bottle and you will discover that it is mainly composed of yeast extract. It really does smell a bit like yeast when you eat it. But you would hardly know you're eating yeast if you didn't bother to read what's inside. 

Nevertheless, the best thing about this product is that, by spreading  a meager 5 grams on your toast, you get 0.55 mg Vit B1, 0.43 mg Vit B12, 2.5 mg Vit B 9 (niacin) and 100 micrograms Vit B9 (folate). It's overloaded with Vit B's and it's definitely good for breakfast! It's hard to miss a Vegemite in an Australian cupboard.

My bf taught me a simple trick when consuming this product: add butter! I think some of you already have the habit of slathering your toast with butter. Do that then add a bit of Vegemite. This will give your toast a kick, and your body a Vit B punch!

Have a beautiful morning!

2015 Planner

Despite the piles of unsorted papers on my desk and the permanent clutters in my room, there is still a fraction of organization embedded in my system. And this is manifested by the fact that on most of days, I normally enumerate my goals and agenda! It's no wonder why I am so obsessed with my 2015 planner (The red planner on the photo below)! Some days ago, I bought two planners: one for me and one for my other-half. We're supposed to have identical planners. But my mom mentioned that she liked the planner I bought better than the one given to her. I had no idea how her planner looked like; but because I really am not so fastidious with things like these and that I really love surprises, I told her, "let's swap Mom!"

It turned out that I prefer her planner over mine! Her planner has time in it. The one I bought only has a huge space for scribbling notes. I like to keep track of what I am doing (if possible) every hour. This gives me a sense of urgency. But jotting down my hourly activities is only applicable on weekdays. I'd like to keep my weekends spontaneous, haphazard and disorganized--just like my working desk.

Planning is really essential. I will never forget what my high school teacher taught me, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" 

Dreams + pineapple cravings

My sinuses are getting better. Tomorrow I should be well enough to have my medical check up for my visa application. I had more than ample rest yesterday and today. In fact, I think I slept for almost 11 hours this morning. I woke up recalling a bizarre dream about superhumans flying and throwing ice spikes to each other. One detail I vividly remember is the one  about a  male villain (let's call him superhuman villan A) who was commissioned to kill the female protagonist but he couldn't bring himself to do so for some unfathomable reason. It turned out that they loved each other in the past. The past, however, is unknown to them because all their memories were erased. Superhuman villain A killed countless innocent superhumans; and he had so many opportunities to kill the female protagonist. He attempted many times, but always, when he was about to put an end to her life, he would unwittingly step back. He couldn't understand why. There was always this urge to kill her; but his instincts forbid him to do so. The female protagonist, being invulnerable to the most powerful superhuman, becomes the most powerful of all! She uses this advantage to save the lives of many innocent but less talented superhumans from the hands of the most formidable foe!

Strange dream about superhumans, right? I'm hoping I'll have more dreams like that. I'm also hoping I'll dream about eating my favorite fruit tonight: PINEAPPLE! I ate nearly a platter today. Lucky the acidic juice spared my lips! Sometimes I just keep eating til the pain becomes intolerable. Call me a masochist. I'll do anything for tasty pineapples.

Happy New Year!

This greeting is a day late, but allow me to say it anyway, "Happy New Year." 

Since Dec 31, I haven't been feeling the best. It was a pity I greeted 2015 with a congested nose. I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday though. I was supposed to meet one of my best friends whom I haven't seen for more than 2 years. Unfortunately, she was also not feeling well. But I guess her condition was worse than mine such that she asked to cancel our meeting today. We were both excited to see each other. But these unfortunate conditions forbade us to do so. She will also be heading back to the US tomorrow. I'll be heading to Australia 2 months from now and only time can tell in which part of the globe will we see each other again. It's amazing how our bond of friendship hasn't waned despite the distance and time.