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.