In 2022...

Whew can you believe we're on the last day of the year, again! It feels like yesterday when I was writing my last post for 2021. Yet here I am now. How has 2022 been for everyone? I'm not sure what to think and feel about this year. It was... A year. Not in a bad or good way.

No really, I don't have much to talk about this year haha. You see as the years go by, I feel like I don't want to label my year anymore. I just feel thankful for everything. For another year, for making it this far, for the lessons and for everything else! Whatever I have went through and learned in this year will definitely be carried with me into the new year. And every year, I'll (hopefully) become a wiser person.

I recently got reunited with the song "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent. And I think the song asks a wonderful question: How do you measure a year in the life? And it got me thinking throughout the last few days of the year. How do I measure it? Is it by the number of achievements I made, the memories I made and so on? And I think I've found what I want to measure it with.

I'd like to measure mine with gratitude. I hope that at the end of every year, I want my heart to be brimming with gratitude. For the journey I've embarked, and also the chance to embark on more journeys in the future. And like the Buddha said, gratitude is the greatest wealth. I want to "own" as much of it as possible in my lifetime. That would ensure that I'll never feel lacking of anything.

On another note, if 2021 feels like things are falling apart, 2022 is a manifestation of the quote: "When things are falling apart, sometimes they're falling into place". I feel like this year things are slowly falling into place. And now we're just continuing the job, and making sure that we're moving upwards (and onwards). It's like as if stones and sands are falling into a foundation block of a house. And now we just have to continue building the house up. It's challenging but definitely rewarding in the end.

Alright I guess that's all for this year. As usual I don't want to promise you with anything for this blog in the coming new year heh. But I still aim to write my 2000th post next year, where I'll be blogging for 15 years! But see how it goes hah. Okay I hope 2022 has treated you well. May 2023 be a brighter and kinder year for all of us. Stay safe, take care and happy new year!

Christmas Lights

The giant Christmas tree at Taka

It's Christmas eve now, and I thought it'll be a fitting time to write about this. 

So back in Singapore recently, I am glad that I managed to experience the Christmas festivities in Orchard once again. In fact, after 10 years! I think the last time I'm in Orchard during Christmas was in 2012, since I went back home in 2013. I did return to Singapore in November once (in 2014 I think) but I think I didn't touch Orchard at all heh. Also I think it was still early November so yeah.

Christmas always gives me a bittersweet feeling. Because it reminds me that the year is coming to an end, and a new one is dawning upon us. I'd think of all the trials and tribulations of the year. The sweetness, the bitterness and everything in between. I'd go into contemplative mode on the last 6 days of the year haha, and Christmas is that day that kicks everything into motion heh.

The Christmas lights in Orchard not only tells me this, but it also tells me that I am going back home. Back in Primary/Secondary school, I would go back around mid November. And I would go to Orchard to do my shop for stuff to bring back home. In fact I have a ritual. I would go to POSB at Taka (since they're open on Saturdays) where I would deposit the money that I saved. Then I'd start my shopping. I'll also buy things for myself as a reward. Although I stopped doing this in Secondary school heh.

I would do this with my sister. But I think as I grow older we would split our tasks. Sometimes I buy one thing and she buy another. Or we'll do it together. Those were the good old days!

There is one vivid memory that I have about this whole Christmas shopping. When I was in primary school, I can't remember which year, there was a time when my sis and I were doing our usual shopping at Centrepoint. And I can clearly still remember that Carpenter's "Yesterday Once More" was playing through the speaker. From then on, this song will always remind me of Christmas hah.

So it was rather fitting how earlier this month, I was actually listening to that song while walking along Orchard road at night. A wave of nostalgia just hits me. I feel rather sad when I think back about the good old days back then. Life was simpler, I was still a child and I feel like my worries are so far behind (or ahead hah). And now I'm back, 10, 15, 20 years later. Whew, it's emotional.

Anyway, as the song goes:

"Looking back, on how it was in years gone by. And the good times that I had. 
Makes today seem rather sad, so much has changed."

So much has changed indeed. But, some things remained the same.

Merry Christmas everyone.

20 Years Ago

Life

After having dinner with Adeline at Clementi last Monday, as cheesy as this may sound, I decided to take the long way back to Orchard by taking 7 from the bus interchange. I went to the top deck and choped the front seas - so that I can enjoy the Christmas lights hah.

I passed by Pei Tong, Pandan Valley, Holland V. 

All the familiar sights that I once find redundant and ordinary ten years ago.

It feels rather crazy to think that 20 years ago, I received the news that I got accepted into Pei Tong Primary School. Although I have to step one level down cause I failed my Chinese entrance exam. That's the reason why I'm older by a year than my peers.

I never knew how much that day would change my life. How the next 11 years will be something I will never trade with anything. I used to wonder how I'll feel about these 11 years in the future.

Well I guess now I got the answer.

SG Trip December 22

Hello! Right so here's more details about my recent trip back to Singapore. It was truly a short trip, but nevertheless it's definitely a meaningful one. Glad to be reunited with everyone.

So this time round, I actually arrived in Singapore on Sunday. It's not my usual weekend trip (Friday - Sunday) but Sunday - Tuesday instead! Cause Neal's back in town also on Sunday till Friday. So that leaves me with either Monday - Wednesday or Tuesday - Thursday. But I have work to do on weekdays so preferrably, I'll leave on one weekend. That leaves me with Sunday! :P

I arrived in rainy Singapore at 11 AM. I forgot how efficient Singapore immigration is, and I arrived at the hotel at like 12 PM haha. I requested for early check in at 1 but well, too early. So I ended up walking around Orchard and buying stuff to bring back. I walked around Orchard Gateway and Plaz Sing. 

Next I checked in and rested for a while as I didn't sleep the night before! Took a 2 hour nap and then I was off to meet Chris at Chinatown! I went earlier as I wanted to look for some stuff to buy back too. Well we're kind of unlucky cause we had a few options for dinner and all of them are (somehow) closed on Sunday?! Hahaha. But we ended up eating tacos, they have Impossible tacos and also we ordered a mushroom one. they're so good! (thanks Chris for eating vegan with me!).

Great to meet Chris again!

It was a great dinner and catch up with Christ after... 3 years? We ended up talking about a lot of things, growing-up things haha. Like housings etc. It feels like yesterday when we're having Macs after band in poly :') Anyway it's nice seeing you again Chris! Hopefully we can meet again in Jakarta :D

That's all for Day One. I think I have to agree with Chris, it feels like I'm a jompo (old folks) now hahaha. After dinner I went straight back to the hotel and just rest hahaha.

Finally reunited after 4 years, with baby Leanne!

Day 2 was nice and simple. I started the morning doing shopping again cause I still have some stuff to buy back. And then in the afternoon I went over to Jes' house to visit her and baby Leanne! And Neal is coming over too. Gosh the 3 of us are finally in the same time zone after 4 years hahaha. We had lots of catching up to do and as usual, we're also talking about adult stuff! :P Anyway thanks Jes for the durian too! MSW is so amazing. I hope we won't have to wait for 4 years for the next meetup!

Next I went over to LTY's place to pass him some stuff. We're supposed to meet for a meal but due to some scheduling conflict it's just a short meetup at his house hah. But anyway I hope you enjoy the stuff I got you! And enjoy the candle too. And next I went over to Clementi to meet Adeline for dinner! 

I specifically chose Clementi cause I haven't been there in ages haha. But sadly it was raining quite heavily in the evening so... I ended up walking around Clementi mall (sorry for the anti climax). But wow this place change a lot. Nevertheless, there's a lot of memories rushing back in my head!

Thank you Ade for the dinner and catch-up :D

Ade and I had dinner at C.Jade Hongkong kitchen. It was a lovely meal and catch up and reminiscing with her. Crazy to think that 13 years ago we're still in Tanglin walking around Clementi, and here we are now as working adults (and me a tourist haha). When those days felt like yesterday! Thank you Adeline for the dinner and it was lovely seeing you again! Have a good break in the year end <3

Okay not trying to be cheesy but after this... I purposely went back to my hotel (at Dhoby Ghaut) by taking 7 from Clementi. I went over to the upper deck to the front seat, cause... I want to see the Orchard Christmas lights HAHAHA. But it's so worth the bus ride! Full of reminiscent. From passing by Pei Tong, Pandan Valley, Holland V and of course the Christmas lights. Gosh, it was a nice and mellow bus trip to Orchard. But okay, another post for this!

Ah Paragon...

After that I went to Kinokuniya to get some books but perhaps I was unlucky cause all of the books I was searching for are out of stock haha. I decided to walk all the way from Taka to Dhoby to enjoy and soak in all the Christmas lights. Sigh, I feel old and sad. Christmas is always a bittersweet feeling for me. A sign that the year is ending, and I just think of the year that I went through and about the year that's dawning upon us. But nevertheless, it's a great feeling to be back!

Chili Krab burger. 9/10, so good!

My last day was a really short one. I took an afternoon flight, but I decided to squeeze one last meal before flying back haha. So I went all the way to Eunos to have... Veganburg. I've been wanting to eat here but cause it's so far (and I usually stay in the central area), I don't have the time for it haha. So this time round since I got some free time, I decided to go there. It was delicious!

I went back to my hotel, picked up my bags, and left for the airport. That's it for my trip!

This was a trip that reminds me so many things have changed, and yet so many things stayed the same too. I'm thankful for the (more than a) decade of friendship with my the lovely people I met in this trip. I hope we can all keep in touch and we'll meet up more in the future. Stay safe and take care everyone! I wish you a wonderful ending to 2022.

Back

Hello hello, I just got back form my Singapore trip 2 days ago! It was a lovely, short but meaningful trip! I wanted to actually blog in Singapore but... trip happens and I just didn't HAHAHA. 

Anyway there was a drama on the day I got back here. So I returned back on Tuesday. When I arrived in Jakarta, I received Whatsapp from my mum that there's a bridge that collapsed, and it is a bridge that links my hometown, and that the car fetching me will be late. I was like okay maybe late a bit. But it ended up being 3 hours late! Haha. Well nevertheless the most important thing is there's no causalities.

We ended up taking another route back but it's okay, slightly longer but we arrived safely hah.

Alright I will blog about the trip soon. Right now I'm just finishing some work!  

December

I can't believe we're in the last month of the year once again! Well not gonna lie 2022 was... Okay saving this for the reflection of the year post haha. But yes, man, time flies doesn't it. 11 months just flew by like that. I guess this is just part and parcel of growing up. Time seems to fly faster.

Anyway I'm pretty excited for the last month of the year. It's the month of reminiscent. And the month of reflection. And this time round it's gonna be a month of reunion! Yup I'll actually be going back to Singapore next week hah. To be reunited with Neal and Jes again! Man after 4 years we're finally together again haha. Since he's back in Singapore, I decided to go back too! Also Jes is now a mum :') Great chance for a reunion and to also visit baby Leanne! Yay :D

Sometimes I can't believe that we've been keeping in touch for 17 years. It's so crazy to think that Jes is a mum now, and Neal is also married. It feels like yesterday when we're still in secondary school!

Alright I guess that's all from me now. I will keep you updated once I returned from the trip!

Joyland Fest Part 2

Okay so this is a continuation of my post regarding my experience at Joyland Festival in Jakarta!

I think this is one of the best, or probably the best music festival I went to and this is for the following reasons:

#1 Plenty of Open Spaces
There are a lot of open spaces in the festival grounds and it feels very open and "free" to walk and roam around the ground. And I'm not sure if it's due to the pandemic but I realise people are also keeping distance in the audience crowd. Okay not exactly 1 metre apart but I just feel I have more space in between the crowds, as compared to previous music festivals heh. So kudos Joyland team!

#2 Designated Smoking Area

I have nothing against smokers and I'm super used to cigarette smoke. But it's really nice to have a a designated smoking area and the air around the festival grounds feel much cleaner heh. Although I think by day 3, people just break the rule and smoke in the audience crowd hah. No biggies though.

#3 Free Water Refill!

To me this is the most brilliant idea - free water refill! They encourage us to bring our own bottles and they provide water refill stations, which the crew diligently fill every time it's empty. Say goodbye to expensive water and also plastic waste. I just brought my own bottle and refill them.

These are the reasons why I love this music festival! Hah. Well some of the downsides are... There's not much covered spaces. So when it rained, everyone was scrambling to find any available covered area hah. But I guess this is the risk we have for organising an open event. And like any other music festivals there seems to be a bit of a difficulty in soundproofing. In some set times, I could hear the performance of the other band on the other stage. But once again, we can't really avoid this.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next Joyland Fest! 

So Long, Tanglin

So long, Tanglin. TSS circa 2009
1964 - 2022

Today is the 13th of November. Thanks to Facebook, I just realised that 13 years ago, on this date, it was my last official day as a student in Tanglin Secondary School (AKA my O Level Chemistry Paper 1 haha). Fast forward 13 years later, little did we know that it'll be TSS last official year as a school. 

So starting from next year, TSS will merge with New Town Secondary School. And NTSS will get to keep its name (why!?!?, No offence). It's kinda sad knowing that there'll no longer be Tanglin Secondary School. I never expected this day to come this quick. Heck, I didn't even expect the school will ever close down heh. Yes perhaps we will merge (like we did, with Clementi Woods) but we will keep our name. I seriously don't know why such historical names are not uphold.

But who am I to have a say.

Anyway so yeah I feel rather sad. On Friday there was a last homecoming concert back in TSS and some of my friends went for it. I felt really sentimental seeing their IG stories and decided to dig up some old photos. I came across this photo which I took 13 years ago! So ancient haha.

This photo was taken during French Leave. The 2 week period where we get to study on our own and also to have consultations with our teachers. I am someone who couldn't study at home. I mean with so many distractions in my room (there's the TV, my piano and my PC beside my table heh), I dragged myself to school everyday to study at the school's library almost everyday! 

Wow come to think of it I was so hardworking back then haha.

I had this ritual back then where I would go down to the canteen to have a break at 3 PM ish. I would get myself Pokka's Oolong tea from the vending machine. Back then, at this timing, the school was rather empty already. So it feels good to walk around an empty school. And on that day in October 2009, I went around the school to take some photos of the empty school. 

I never knew that day will be kinda significant now. I am going to miss the school. I would never trade those 4 years with anything else. That 4 years have shaped me to become who I am today, and they've gifted me with friendships that some, I know will last a lifetime (you know who you are!). 

I wish I have the chance to go back to TSS one more time. But well I don't think it's possible now. Whatever the case is, I'm still relieved that I still have all these memories to reminisce with my friends.

Oh well, thank you Tanglin for the memories. For the knowledge, for the lessons, for the friendships and for everything else that made m 4 of my 11 years in Singapore an amazing one. 

Joyland Festival Day 3

Minggu yang indah bersama White Shoes and The Couples Company!

Alright moving on to day 3! Last day of the festival, also the day that happened so quick.

The festival begins with me reuniting once again with White Shoes and The Couples Company! Finally catching them live again after.... 7 Years. Yup, I last saw them in 2015 during their concert at Cikini. I always love watching them perform. They're a joy to watch, and this time round I finally get to experience their new album "2020" live! Well part of it. But still lovely. Hari Minggu yang indah bersama White Shoes and The Couples Company!

Next up is Phum Viphurit. I had a long gap between WSATCC and PV, so I went to see a few bands in between. There's The Panturas who's super good live omg I love their energy haha. I also went to see Isyana Sarasvati but the stage ground was full! I just caught her on the side heh.

Hello Phum!

Phum Viphurit is someone I've been wanting to see live for years. Ever since I discovered him in 2015 basically. He did tour in 2019 I think but I had something on that day and I couldn't make it. Bummer! But no worries I finally caught him live now and he's amazing :') He sounds so damn good live. And there's this... I don't know how to say. Friendly aura that he's emitting when he's performing. Like I feel so "light" and cheerful when I saw him live haha. 

Also damn, when he played "Hello Anxiety" and everyone was singing and dancing to the chorus, I thought it was one of the best moments of the festival. It feels so cathartic. To see everyone around you singing and dancing to "Heaven knows we're lost, the sun still shines, so we'll be fine".

So good to see PREP again :')

And last but definitely not least, it's time for PREP! They're the band I look forward the most to in the festival haha cause I've been wanting to hear their new music live! And boy it's so worth the wait. After 2 online concerts and many vinyl spins later, here I am watching them live. I've been seeing their posts during their US and Korea tour earlier this year wondering when it'll be my turn. And yup, it's my turn mwahaha. And it's so good to finally see them again after 2.5 years!

PREP was the last gig I went to before the pandemic hit. Then COVID came, and we're in isolation, and they released their debut self-titled album back in October 2020. Their song "Years Don't Lie" has been accompanying me throughout these 2 years. The lyrics "All those hidden hopes and horoscopes putting us right here tonight" is so blissfully comforting somehow. In those days where life just confuses the hell out of you hah. So thank you PREP for coming to Jakarta. So great to see y'all again! 

Okay so, PREP wasn't the last band I wanted to see. I wanted to catch Hindia, also another band I've been wanting to see live. But.... Being a responsible adult means I had to sacrifice hahaha. I still have work to do and Monday is ahead of me. I decided to call it a night. Also fun fact, I went back home with my flower delivery van hahaha. We had delivery on Sunday as usual and I hitched the ride home.

Alright that's all for Joyland Festival 2022! It was probably the best weekend I had in a long long time. Since my trip to Singapore back in May heh. It feels so good to return to the music scene again. Although like I said in my previous post, I do realise that my life is no longer the same as before. 

But still, my heart is beaming with gratitude. 

Thank you and congratulations Joyland Festival for the fantastic and amazing music festival! I definitely look forward to your next one in 2023. I'm going to write another post about the festival so wait for that. Okay folks, that's all for now. till the next music festival!

Joyland Festival Day 1 & 2

Hello hello, so since it's been a week since Joyland Festival, let me blog about my experience in this super awesome music festival! Probably the best I've ever been to.

I will combine day one and two here as day one was very short (you'll know why below).

So after 2.5 years of online concerts and livestreams, I've decided to do a "Revenge Music Festival". You know some people did "Revenge Traveling" after pandemic border controls were eased. For me I decided to go to a music festival for 3 days HAHAHA. Which is super worth it. But probably not gonna do it again. Will talk about this in another separate post mwahaha.

Anyway so I went to Jakarta on Friday the 4th of November. Years and Years was playing at 3 PM so I decided to go to my hotel first to check in. I stayed at Century Park Hotel near the festival ground (GBK Softball stadium). It is super near, highly recommended if you're watching a concert. It's like a 5 minute walk to the venue (depending on area, mine was right in front of the hotel hah).

Yaaaas Olly!

I went in at like 2 PM and I ended up waiting for a while longer (didn't know it's super near hah). I'm so so happy to finally catch Y&Y! After a 7 year wait oh my gosh. I think they're supposed to tour in 2019 but their ASEAN tour was also cancelled back then. It's so good to see Olly live eeep! And great to see Mikey joining in the tour too, and Paris as well on the drums. Olly is such a great performer!

Full Squad.

He's just really like... So in the element on stage. Well I guess perks of waiting for so long is that I'm able to hear (sort of) 3-albums worth of music haha. Thank you for playing many songs from each album! It's so great to finally hear them live. I had such a great time dancing and singing to your songs. It was truly a great way to open the music festival and to break my hiatus from the scene haha. We love you Olly! Hope to see you again soon in Jakarta <3

Okay so my plan was to actually stay and catch Project Pop at 6:30 PM. After Y&Y set (about 4 PM ish) it started to rain. At first it was drizzle, then it got heavier and heavier. And since I have 2.5 hours to wait I decided to just sit at under a sheltered bench. The rain was weird, it was like raining, off, raining off and so on. By 5:30 PM the rain got lighter. So I had hopes to catch PP drier hah. But by 6 PM the rain got heavy again. At around 6:15 PM it got slightly lighter. 

Omw back to the hotel, in the rain

That's when I was like okay I think I'm gonna head back to my hotel and give PP a miss. The rain was not as heavy as before so I braved myself and walked back to my hotel with my raincoat. Just as I reached my room. Wow, there was a thunderstorm heh. The rain got really heavy and there were thunders as well. And with a rotten luck and blessing in disguise, PP's performance got cancelled. I saw this on IG. Even though I saw them doing soundcheck earlier! It's sad, cause I saw some people tweeting that they were looking forward to PP (me too!).

I fell asleep on my bed as I only had like... 4 hours of sleep last night. I woke up at about 11 PM but I'm thankful that the rain stopped and I could hear the festival continuing on. 

Day 2 was an exciting one was I finally had the chance to catch Kunto Aji (AKA Mas Kun)! And also Batavia Collective, which is a band I recently discovered a few months back. Also excited to catch Scaller again. Before the festival I went to walk around the hotel area but it was raining in the afternoon. Okay another separate post for this haha.

Hello Mas Kun!

I went to the festival at around 4 PM as Mas Kun was playing at 4:30 PM. I've been wanting to catch him for so long but never had the chance to. So happy that I get to catch Mantra Mantra Live! I love how he begins his set by asking us to go into... A Meditative state? So like let go whatever is bothering you. And when they return to you just let it go again. He's truly a performer. I love his energy and I love his candidness during his set. Grateful to finally catch him live! 

Batavia Collective ft Barry Likumahuwa!

Next act was Batavia Collective. There was a huge gap between the set so I walked around the festival ground again. Thankfully no rain this time hah. Batavia Collective was amazing. They're so damn tight. There's also a surprise when Barry Likumahuwa, who's one of Indonesia's Bass gods hah, joins them during Propulsion. He's so amazing!! And I wish BC's set was longer to be honest. I look forward to hearing more new music though! The songs that played were so good.

In between BC and Scaller there was a stand up comedy stage and I went to see it. Had a really good laugh and it really made the whole atmosphere lighter and just nice.

Scaller!

Scaller is just energetic as usual. I love their energy and their performance! I caught them for the first time in WTF 2017. They recently released a new album and I'm glad to be able to hear their new songs live. But I think my favourite from them is their song "The Youth". I feel like the song is a "Cathartic Rebellion". It just makes me want to dance and jump and scream and shout haha.

I wanted to actually catch Tulus late at night at 10:20 PM. I went to stroll and sit around the festival ground after Scaller. I even went to see the Hype of JKT48 (their fans are amazing!). And I also went to see Sales, a new band that I haven't listened to (nice chill sounds!). But guess what, by the end of their set... Which is an hour before Tulus' set, I decided to go back hah. I was just feeling really tired somehow. And I know tomorrow's gonna be a long day. So yeah.

Went back to my hotel, change my clothes, finished up work (yes I brought my laptop lol). Fell asleep again, showered, and went back to sleep. That's all for day 2!

See you tomorrow for Day 3.

I'm Back

PREP live at Joyland Festival, Jakarta

Hello hello everyone. No I'm not back in this blog, I mean yes I am but... I just got back from...

My First Music Festival After 2.5 Years!!!

Yup I went to Joyland Festival last weekend. and I really had a great time there! It is also my first time attending a 3-day Music Festival and I'm sorry but I realised I'm no longer young and I don't think I'll ever do it again. Attending a 3 day music festival that is. I was just so tired by the end of it haha. And I ended up calling the night early even though it is still young. Well I guess age is catching up on me.

Anyway I'm going to talk about each day on a separate post.

Those 3 days of music have really made me think and reflect actually. I think about the past 2.5 years. About the things that were taken away from us. What are you grateful for?

I've spent the past 2.5 years watching online concerts, livestreams and chats from the artists and bands. I am very thankful that the music community has stick by in the past 2.5 years by attending these online concerts and chats and so on. To have this feeling of communion returned to us is really a great feeling that I'm so thankful to experience again. And I hope I can attend more soon.

I managed to catch many of my favourite artists and bands at Joyland, some for the first time. And I'm very happy to be able to do this in these 3 days! And I even got reunited with one of my favourite bands: PREP! Alright more of this in the next coming posts.

Alright I guess that's all from me now. Just a short, lively and lovely update from me. See you!

End of Blogtober 2022

We made it. It's the last day of October. Oh my gosh hahaha. We did it....! 

Not. Well I actually ended up doing 7 posts on Saturday/Sunday. I can't do this daily man, it's a torture haha. Especially towards the end of the month where I get even more busy.

I just looked at the number of posts of my blog. And wow can't believe we're about 200 posts away to 2000! I suddenly have an idea about next year. Which is actually the 15th year that I will be "blogging". Even though the past 2 years I haven't been blogging often heh. But yeah. Maybe I can do it. 

The thing is I kinda enjoy this year's blogtober. Somehow it reminds me of my old blogging days. You know like when you just post about random photos. Or what you eat, or etc. I guess blogging doesn't necessarily have to be some lengthy posts and so on. It can be short ones that you enjoy doing. I'm also thinking of doing blogging prompts. Perhaps doing it together with my Daily Stoic journal.

Alright I guess that's all for this year's Blogtober. I don't want to give you high hopes about next year hah.

Hometown Glory

 One fine Saturday in Sukabumi.

Morning

 One of the perks of waking up early is I get to see blue skies again. And the mounrain.

Walking

Right another habit post! Since today is Friday. Okay this is not exactly a long habit but a new one actually. So recently my uncle and aunt has been doing this meditation exercise and they were recommending me to try and do it. I'm joining it to try and perhaps help with my insomnia. I did it last Sunday and I think I'm going to try to do it every weekend.

The problem is the exercise starts at 7 AM in the morning. And sometimes I find it difficult to wake up (duh!). But the thing is I was thinking of going to sleep at 2/3 AM, waking up at 7, join the exercise and then go back home at 9 and then sleep till 1/2 PM. So all in all I'll still get 7-8 hours of sleep. Back on Sunday I actually managed to sleep when I got home and it was such a deep deep slumber.

But somehow I can't sleep today hah. I ended up doing work until 1 PM and then falling asleep until 3 heh. But yes the sleep after the exercise is very very deep and I enjoy it. I wish I can get this quality of sleep every night haha. 

Back on the technique is called Ba Gua meditation. To me it is essentially walking meditation. And in my opinion walking meditation is one of the hardest to execute actually. Because not only you have to focus on your mind but also your walking. I am still learning about the technique today, my uncle and aunt is a pro already hah. So I'm hoping by continuing to do this weekly, I might improve.

And yeah that's my plan actually. I hope I can join the exercise every weekend. I can't do it on weekdays as I have things to do. And it's not practical to do it. But weekends are fine. I think it's a great thing to do to welcome your weekend with... Walking meditation.

Alright that's all from me again! Talk to you soon. Tomorrow.

Meatless

Indonesian salad

So I looked on my Facbook memories yesterday that back 6 years ago, it was my 300th day of going meatless. Well now... It's been 2100++ days of going meatless. And by sheer coincidence, I was eating the same food today and 6 years ago, where I celebrate my 300 meatless days - Gado gado.

Synchronicity?

Stoic

I think Stoicism is a great philosophy and definitely a way of life. I came across Stoicism a few years ago through Instagram. There are a lot of those quote and philosophy pages on IG and lot of them post about Stoicism. There are quotes by Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and so on. That's when I decided to get myself M. Aurelius' Meditations. Which is a fantastic book everyone should read!

Stoicism really teaches us how to live. I think the main core of the teaching is to really focus on the things we can control. And to really look at things in a practical and realist point of view. To me Stoicism feels like a handbook or a guidebook for a realist. It is a way to learn about how to live a more peaceful life? But the thing is I learned that it is difficult but not impossible hah.

I see a lot of mirroring and reflection between Stoicism and Buddhism. This is why I love the teachings. It's like I can see Stoicism in Buddhism and vice versa. 

In one way I feel like learning more about Stoicism has taught me how to become calmer and more peaceful and more practical. I think both Buddhism and Stoicism has a common enemy and that's our ego. But I don't think there's a specific word for ego in Stoicism. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Even the core philosophy of memento mori and amor fati is in line with Buddhism's Anicca (Impermanence) and Anatta (Non-self). That everything is impermament, and everything is marked with emptiness. There is a book about the similarities between Buddhism and and Stoicism and I think I should read that! There are a lot of videos discussing about Stoicism on YouTube too.

Alright I guess that's all for now. I think I need to really sit down and plan on what to write about Stoicism, if I want to write it well. Currently I'm just blabbering hah.

Daily Stoic

 Right talking about new habits, I have a new one since July. 

So one of my resolutions for 2022 is to actually learn more about Stoicism. Last year I finished reading Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and to be it's such an enlightening book. Ever since then I've been more interested to learn more about Stoicism. Actually I've been interested in it, that's why I got myself Meditations. So this year I decided to get myself the book "Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday!

It is basically a book with 366 daily Stoicism wisdom. I also got myself the Daily Stoic Journal, which is basically a 366 journal with daily prompts. I know I don't really like writing everyday but I decided to challenge myself this time round. Okay the thing is I ordered the book back in November I think? I was hoping that it'll arrive in January/Mid January ish as it takes 30-40 business day. And then like spam-journal for 11 days or so but... The journal arrived in March hah.

So I decided to do it in July as to celebrate me turning 30 hah. I've been doing it for 100 days now!

It's been going well so far. I usually journal 2 entries in one go (2 days once). I feel like it's a great daily exercise to talk about your mind, and to really give you space to ponder about life and its shenanigans. Okay maybe I should talk about Stoicism on another separate post!

But basically yes, it's a great new habit that I have been doing and it's awesome. 

See you tomorrow as we talk about Stoicism heh.

House of The Dragon

Okay I just finished watching the season finale of HOTD and oh my goodness it's... Depressing.

I will not post spoiler but it's depressing. Not because it's horrible but the episode is just sad in general! And it's even more depressing when we think that we need to wait for 2 more years (or one year plus) for the next season. But nevertheless I think the ending scene is well executed. It's silent, yet deafening. And Rhaenyra's emotion said it all in the end. I can't wait for HOTD 2!

I think HOTD is a great series overall. It's definitely worth the 3 year wait since GOT S8 last aired in 2019. I think we're in for a treat! Apparently there's gonna be 4 seasons, as suggested by GRRM. So I hope the show runners are going to heed his advice yeah. 

Alright that's all from me now. Let the 2 year wait begin.

Week 4

Okay so this is the last week of Blogtober. I seriously don't know what to write anymore! Haha. Okay I do have an idea though. I'm just going to update you with what I have been doing so far. I do have new habits actually! So I think I'm going to talk about that. Also my plans.

To be honest Blogtober is easier when you haven't blogged for two months HAHAHA. You have idea of what to write and I think that's great. I don't have to squeeze my brain to think of what to write. I guess this is how content creation work? You plan of what you're gonna make and then you just make a schedule of when you're going to post it. No wonder these content creators have schedules to shoot and stuff.

But no I'm not a content creator hah.

Alright lets go week 4!

The Rings of Power

Alright here we are now, I will talk about my thoughts about the series in general!

All in all I think TROP is a great series! As you can see in the past 4 posts, I love the script. I think it's amazing, I love the quotes by the characters. I love the chemistry of the characters as well. The cinematography is also very LOTR-ish. The sceneries and the camera work is amazing. Okay there are some cheesy scenes and kinda bad CGI but to me it's okay. It's not some dire thing

I think we can all say that there's a lot of (unnecessary) controversy to this series. From the casting of people of colours, to "not following the lore" and so on. First of all, I'm not a Tolkien scholar and neither do I read the books. But seriously? People are actually unhappy that there are actors of colour in this series? Like what? That is so ridiculous. I mean what is wrong with that?!

And the crazy part is that these actors actually receive harassments online. Why do we make it such a big deal is something I really cannot comprehend. It's a fantasy series in the end.

On another note, this series has made me feel like reading the books! Okay not the trilogy or The Hobits but other works by Tolkien like The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. Thanks to a wonderful TROP community on Twitter, I do have some recommended books to read. 

I think I will begin with The Silmarillion. 

It's so weird to no longer have something to watch to on Friday nights haha. And it's also tormentous to have to wait another 2 years (according to a news article I read) for the next season. But we're going to have 5 seasons so it's great! I hope the series will end with the war of the last alliance.

Alright I guess that's all for this week's theme! I'm thinking of what to write for next week hah.

Powers

Right last one of the quotes. This is from Episode 7 and 8!

From Episode 7, between Galadriel and Theo 

"There are powers beyond darkness at work in this world
Perhaps on days such as this we've little choice but to trust to their designs
And surrender our own"

- Galadriel

From Episode 8, between The Wizard and Nori

"Betimes, our paths are laid before us by powers greater than our own
In those moments it's our task to make our feet go where our hearts wish not to tread 
No matter the perils awaiting us on the way"

- The Wizard / Istar

Small Passing Thing

This was from Episode 6, from Bronwyn and Theo

"In the end, this shadow is but a small and passing thing
There is light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.
Find the light, and the shadow will not find you/"

-Bronwyn

This Wandering Day

 

This is such a wonderful wonderful song! I really love this song and the lyrics, oh my goodness it's so beautiful and touching. I really love the homage to Tolkien here. And also the scene of this song in the series is incredible. Anyway here's the lyrics to this wanderful song! #punintended

This Wandering Day
by Bear McCreary and Megan Richards

The sun is fast fallin' beneath trees of stone
The light in the tower, no longer my home
Past eyes of pale fire, black sand for my bed
I trade all I've known for the unknown ahead

Call to me, call to me lands far away
For I must now wander this wandering day
Away I must wander this wandering day

Of drink I have little and food I have less
My strength tells me, "No", but the path demands, "Yes"
My legs are so short and the way is so long
I've no rest nor comfort, no comfort but song

Sing to me, sing to me lands far away
Oh, rise up and guide me this wandering day
Please, promise to find me this wandering day

At last comes their answer through cold and through frost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost
No matter the sorrow, no matter the cost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost

Hope

Okay for the next 4 days, I will be sharing my favourite quotes from Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power. Then I will talk about the show as it just ended last Friday. 

Let begin with the first one from Episode 5. The scene between Gil Galad and Elrond

"Hope is never mere, Elrond.
Even when it is meager.

When all other senses sleep,
the eye of hope is first to awaken, 
last to shut"

- Gil Galad

Dragons

Okay maybe I will begin the week with my thoughts on House of The Dragon (HOTD).

So HOTD is based on the story of House Targaryen. It's a prequel that dates back a hundred years plus before the events on Game of Thrones. We've been blessed so far with 9 episodes (I just watched the latest episode and it's epic!!!) and it's been a wonderful ride thus far. To me I feel like it's so worth the 3 year GOT hiatus since 2019. And the show has been incredible so far!

First of all I love the casting. Whoever is in the casting department deserves an award (if there's such award). The potrayal of young Rhaenyra and Alicent by Milly and Emily, and the older ones by Emma and Olivia is incredible. They're all such wonderful actors! I hope they win some award. 

But of all of the actors I really really think Paddy Considine should win an award for his portrayal of King Viserys. If he doesn't win an award next year, we will have a rebellion from the realm! Haha

Not only that the cinematography and CGI is also amazing. We're blessed with so many dragons (duh it's HOTD haha) and it's great! I also think the pacing of the series is alright. Some people are saying they're too slow paced but after all, there's gonna be 4 seasons so they have to pace things out.

It's going to be the season finale next Monday and I'm excited. 

Not so excited about the 2 year wait tho. 

Week 3

Alright it's the dawn of a new week and for this week I will be going into a theme of... Movies! Okay not exactly movies but more of series? Haha. As mentioned in my earlier post, I've been watching two series for the past 2 months: It's HBO's House of The Dragon and Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power!

The premiered around the same time (one week difference) and it's been a wonderful journey so far. TROP just finished their first season last Friday. It's so sad, there's no more TROP next week haha. HOTD has 2 more episodes to go and it's also sad, we'll have to wait for I think 2 more years before the next season! Gosh it's too long haha. But then again, the past 2 years felt like 2 decades so hopefully the next 2 years will feel like... 2 years heh.

So this week I will just be sharing my thoughts on these two series on different days. It's gonna be an easy week, I will be sharing mainly quotes I came across with in the show. Especially TROP!

Okay stick tight.

OMAD

Okay this is not really food related but more of diet related. I don't think I've talked about this in my blog before so here goes! So one new habit that I adapted in 2022 is... Okay you can call it intermittent fasting, 2MAD or more. But okay here goes the story.

Back in March, I was so shocked to find out that I am 97kg! Yes, 3 more kg to a hundred haha. Okay well it was quite my fault. Back in February-March I was cooking a lot. And trying lots of different recipes that involve... Noodles. I also ate lots of junk food haha. I didn't exercise a lot back then, I was just doing light weight exercises haha. So it was no wonder that I gained that much weight (from 92 kg).

I also happen to chance upon some articles on Intermittent Fasting (IF) and also... The OMAD diet, AKA One Meal A Day diet. Basically the rule is simple, you just eat one meal every 24 hours. I decided to give it a try in April! Happened to coincide with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan too so it's a good time I guess. I chose dinner for my meal. So I don't eat breakfast and lunch. Basically no calories enter my body in 24 hours. I do drink tea and water, and also take my vitamins.

Okay the first three days were really tough. First day was okay, I think it's the excitement/adrenaline. On the 2nd and 3rd day the temptation started kicking in haha.. In the evening/late afternoon my mouth has been "itching" to eat something. A snack, a cracker, and so on. But I pushed on. By the first week I actually lost 2kg. Pretty happy with the result. So I continued on.

2nd week was... Tougher! Hahaha. But I already got used to it so it wasn't that bad. By the end of the 2nd week I lost another 2kg. I was 94 back then so I tried to kick some slack on the 3rd week. I changed my diet to OMOSAD. One Meal One Snack A Day diet HAHAHA. At 5-6 PM ish I gave myself some snack. Back then I chose healthy snacks to munch on like nuts, or sometimes I'll just eat some tofu and tempe haha. Basically some small bites to feed my "mouth itchiness". 

By the 4th week I still stick to this plan. And in total I lost.... 7 kg in the end! But my weight floats on 90-91kg ish. And after April, I decided to adapt a 2MAD diet. 2 Meals A Day. Usually I skip breakfast. So I will fast for about 18 hours before my next meal. And it's been.... 6 months now? I still maintain my weight. Okay I do have to admit I need to exercise more. As now my weight has plateaued. The key is calorie deficit. And my body is definitely not doing that now.

Okay I'm not a dietary expert so I do not recommend this to everyone. If you want to give it a try, please do consider your daily activities, your food intake and so on. Don't just do it blindly! 

To me the most incredible lesson I learned from this experience is just that.. I am amazed by the human body. Like as a foodie, I didn't know I can survive for a month on one meal a day. I guess it's the power of the human body. It's also the power of the human mind. You just gotta push. 

For now I do 2MAD and also one OMAD day a week. I read that it's actually good to fast once in a while. So sometimes I would do OMAD in one day of the week. Usually it's Saturday for me. Or just a random weekday. I might also consider doing one full OMAD month every Ramadhan. 

Alright I guess that's all from me now! If you want you can give this a try :D

Buying Time (2)

Vegan egg tart anyone? 

Okay this is sort of a continuation from yesterday's post, but also a very random one. I recently discovered this shop on Instagram who... Sells vegan egg tarts!!! I'm so shooketh haha. They're called Bake and Grind and they also sell a few other baked goods. I decided to try their egg tarts and also their macaroni schotel and oh my goodness they're delicious! 

Macaroni schotel

I think the most mind blowing food is their macaroni schotel and egg tart. The macaroni schotel is super real. Like... If they don't use eggs then what did they use?! The only difference in taste is that they don't have the eggy taste. As for the rest, it's really good. So delicious. Will definitely repeat order!

Buying Time

Okay this is another food related post but also something else that I want to talk about.

So this is a curry rice I made one night, using Japanese instant curry paste. And I wanted to add like a patty inside, you know like those Japanese curry rice with katsu on it. For the "katsu" I used Green Rebel's mushroom patty, which is one of my favourite products from them!

Oh yes Green Rebel is an Indonesian brand that sells alternative protein. They're truly vegan and vegetarian saviour haha. I love most of their products, but sadly they're not available in my hometown so I usually get them when I'm in Jakarta/Bandung. They sell a range of products from ready to eat meals, and also like chick'n karage, beefless steak and my favourite mushroom patty. To be honest I'm very proud of them as they're a local brand but now they've went international! 

SG and Malaysia friends you can find them in selected supermarkets I think.

Alright moving to on to the next topic. I once read an article... Or was it a video I forgot. But basically they're asking, what is the best thing you can spend your money on? Some people answer with experience, some with luxury (as it's something exclusive). But the most interesting answer I see is... 

Time. 

The person goes to explain that you can spend your money on time. For example, when you buy food in a restaurant/through a delivery app, you're saving time. When you use a delivery service (Gojek/Grab etc), you're buying time. When you hire a cleaner/house maker, you're buying time. And I thought that's an interesting concept. And I think innovation and technology has enabled us to do this.

Many people would say that we can't buy time. But ever since I come across this article, it really got me thinking. Some people also say things like instant food is not real food, or that we should cook food from scratch. But I guess it all depends and goes back to the different individual. To some of us, we really don't have the time to cook from scratch. So we opt for the instant route.

So yeah maybe we are able to buy time after all. Not literally of course. 

Falafel

Falafel, tahini sauce, hummus over brown rice.

Falafel is one of my favourite middle-eastern foods. It is a simple dish, yet delicious, hearty and nutritious too! It's high in protein, so that's a great source for us vegans haha. Well I've never tried making my own falafel as ahem ahem I'm too lazy to make one haha. Also I don't have a food processor to blend all those chickpeas. And sometimes I'm afraid that I won't flavour them well.

Last year I came across Falafel Plate on Instagram. They're a shop selling frozen ready-to-make falafel and recently they sell their hummus too. It's a family recipe and it's so yummy! The falafel comes in a paste form, so all you have to do is to form them into balls and cook them. It's very easy and hassle-free, and thank goodness Paxel is now available in my hometown, so they can send it within one day.

Oh yes Paxel is a delivery service where you're guaranteed a one-day delivery. I think some cities cater same day delivery. They're famous for food delivery, especially for shops who are out of town. So if my parcel is delivered on Thursday, they will arrive on Friday. And I think they have frozen storage too. Cause whenever I receive my packet, they're always cold. or sometimes still frozen!

Falafel plate also sells hummus and tahini paste. And gosh I've been obsessed with tahini ever since I bought it from them haha. I didn't know it's such a versatile ingredient. You can make sauces, salad dressing and even like sauces for noodles. I haven't tried the later but I've been making my own "white sauce" (like the Halal Guys) with tahini. Which is is just tahini, lemon juice, sugar, salt and water. It is so creamy and very addictive! I also made some salad dressing with it.

Alright that's all for today. If you're in Indonesia you should give em a try! :D

Pasta!

As a vegan, pasta is a staple for all of us. I mean most of it is vegan, especially the dry ones. And it is also very easy to cook! Most of the vegan pasta recipes out there are cream-based ones or tomato based ones. Personally I don't like them as I prefer pasta that's light. Like Aglio e olio! Which is a vegan cult-classic, and it's a dish I always cook, especially when there's no food at home.

Aglio e Olio

You just need garlic, chili flakes, salt, pepper. And recently I discover adding herbs and spices helps to elevate the dish too. Not sure if this is a secret anymore but please add some pasta water. Also this is a random fact but back last month I found 3 packs of spaghetti that were expiring at the end of September. So I did the right thing to do. I made Aglio e Olio once a week hahaha.

Vodka, cream, tomato paste

Back for my birthday my sister bought me... A vodka tower for my present. I couldn't possibly finish everything and when I think of other uses for vodka... I can only think of one thing: Penne alla Vodka! Well I didn't have penne back then so I used fusilli instead. Very easy recipe too, I search them on YouTube. Stir fry some onion in olive oil, add a bit of vodka, burn off the alcohol, add tomato paste and mix in the cream (I used soy cream). Add seasoning and voila!

Fusilli Alla Vodka I guess

If you like it spicy you can add some chili flakes into the tomato paste too. It's quite nice and heaty. Before eating I top it off with some nooch AKA nutritional yeast. Since I can't eat cheese. Overall I think it's a hearty dish and it just warms your heart! In the beginning I don't really know what's the purpose of the vodka for heh. So I did make an experiment where I made another batch but using the pasta water only, instead of vodka. And I discovered the difference!

I find that the original recipe with vodka tastes more creamy. Like the sauce is more luscious and thick and yum. The one with pasta water tastes very... "Empty". That's one way to put it.

Well alright that's all for today's post. I hope you can give this recipe a try <3

Theme

So last week has made me think of something for Blogtober... How about we do a weekly theme to this year's Blogtober! Last week was about self sustenance, which is derived from a very random post about the rain hah. So yes I'm thinking of continuing it with this week. And this week's theme is...

Food.

Okay so well I've actually been cooking a lot lately. Not very often like everyday kind, but once a week I guess? Really depends on the food available at home haha. Also I think it's quite fun to cook, and therapeutic at times. Although to be honest I'm rather busy so most of the dishes I cook are pretty simple and straightforward. Pasta, and also err.... Instant food HAHAHA. Okay more of that this week,

Oh yes which also reminds me I think I should talk about my OMAD journey. I don't think I talked about this here. That's one for the list as well. Oh yes OMAD = One Meal A Day.

Alright today's just a review on this week's post. I will talk about food this week! See you

Ginger Bug Adventure

With the ginger bug, you can actually make a lot of drinks and experiment with it! I did read up online about the kind of drinks you can make with it. So here are a few drinks that I made with my ginger bug, my rating and also my thoughts about it. And some additional info about this whole experience!

Also sorry no photos, I'm too lazy to upload them one by one here haha.

#1 - Kunyit Asem and Jahe Merah + Ginger bug
This is actually an Indonesian traditional drink. Kunyit asem is a turmeric and tamarind drink, and jahe merah is... Red ginger? It's a ginger and brown sugar drink. So I ordered them from someone in my hometown and then added my ginger bug in them. According to my ginger beer recipe. Taste wise, it's 8/10 but fermentation wise... It's 4/10. By the 4th day, there's some Kahm's yeast growing on top of the turmeric beer haha. Not sure if it's Kahm's yeast or... Mould. But I'm still alive so all's good.

I did read once, I think, that there's more yeast in turmeric and tamarind. And also they use gula Jawa, or Javanese brown sugar. The sugar is usually wrapped in banana leaves/hang outside. So I think they might carry more yeast too. So yeah that should explain the extra growth hah. As for the ginger drink, I think I over-ferment it to an extent that it becomes sour. Almost taste like kombucha!

#2 - Naturally carbonated fruit sodas
This is very easy to make and also the best tasting ones haha, rating it 10/10! I just bought some store-bought fruit juices. I chose apple and blueberry juice. And then used the same recipe. It tastes really good and refreshing! However somehow it took longer for it to ferment and to fizz. Also do take note you can't use juices with weird preservative names. Like sodium ascorbate etc. And it might hamper with the yeast growth during the fermentation. Mine was safe I guess.

#3 - Pineapple Juice
This is kind of a success and fail. It does fizz, but I think I once again over-ferment it as it turns into a sour drink. It's so sour that once again, it almost tastes like pineapple cider haha. I might give it more sugar in the future. Giving this a rating of 7/10.

Okay there are a few additions that I did in making these drinks. I added extra sugar, as I don't want the yeast to eat up all the sugar of the original drink. The sugar will help to boost fermentation I suppose.

There are also times where I failed in making some drinks. For example I made some last month in September, and I actually made 4 bottles as I was planning to give it to my cousins to try. However, it didn't fizz in time for Mid-Autumn prayers :/ In fact I was fermenting it for almost 10 days but there's very little fizz. Upon some investigation, I come up with two conclusions.

I think weather plays a huge role. During this time it was raining everyday, and the temperature was colder than usual. So it might take longer for the ginger beer to ferment. Secondly, I think I used too many ginger. As mentioned in the previous post, I didn't use exact measurements heh. I added more ginger than usual as I was thinking that I'm going to need more for 4 bottles of ginger beer. But alas, ginger has some anti-fungal properties. So... Perhaps I might kill some yeast in the drink heh.

It's been a fun ride and adventure so far, making my own drinks! Somehow it feels more rewarding to make your own stuff haha. And cheaper too. Yes it takes a lot of time. But it's worth it I guess. Usually I will start making my ginger bug on Saturday/Sunday. And then I'll make the drinks on Wednesday, let it ferment until Saturday/Sunday again, and enjoy it for the week. I read up online that it's good to drink these fermented drink after you wake up on an empty stomach. And I've been doing that!

Well I don't feel any major difference, but my gut bacteria sure will! Also one observation I find is... I have less pimples on my face somehow. I'm not sure if this has something to do with this habit.

Alright that's all from me, for this ginger beer adventure! I will update you if I make more new drinks!

Ginger Beer

Ginger beer anyone?

Right, continuing with the theme of  self-sustenance, I shall talk about my ginger beer journey today! So the story began back in July. While in Jakarta I got myself my favourite Bundaberg ginger beer. And I was wondering if I can actually make my own, since it's so difficult to get it (can't find it here in my hometown). I searched some recipe and I decided to follow Joshua Weissman's recipe on YouTube!

My ginger bug (do not throw away)
Oh yes cover the bottle with a cloth/tissue paper and rubber band, don't cover it tight!

So to make your ginger beer, you need to make a ginger bug first. Basically it's like the starter of your ginger beer. It is a very straightforward and easy step. 500ml of water, two tablespoons of ginger and sugar each. Add the ginger and sugar every 24 hours for the next 3 days or so. A bit of warning, as a true blue Southeast Asian I just use our agaration method. I don't follow exact measurements hah.

My ginger bug is aliiiive

After 3 days the ginger bug turns to be very bubbly and kinda frothy. It smells very yeasty too. Reminds me of beer. After the ginger bug is ready we'll start to make our "ginger tea". Which is basically 2 litres of water, ginger and sugar. Once again, I use agaration for everything. I added extra sugar as compared to the recipe as I find it not sweet enough heh. Then cool the ginger tea. This is very important! If the tea is still hot, or even warm, you might kill the yeast in the ginger bug.

My ginger tea. Remember to cool it down!

Once it's cooled down, add half a cup of ginger bug. Close the bottle cap, and leave it in room temperature, away from sunlight, for about 3 days. It is also important to open your bottle once every 24 hours, if not the bottle might explode! My ginger beer was ready in about 72 hours. 

Leave it out for 3 days, opening once every 24 hours

You know it's ready when the ginger beer is fizzy and there's a gas buildup in the bottle. AKA the bottle pops when you open it. Then cool it in the fridge, and it's ready!

Personally I think this is a great and easy recipe to follow (thanks Joshua!). However there are some variations that might affect your results. Which I will cover in the next post haha. Alright I guess that's all from me now. I hope you can give thisva try and make your own ginger beer too! See you tomorrow.

Growing Our Own

Okay continuing from yesterday's post. A few months ago I discovered Alessandro AKA Spicy Moustache on Instagram. I was so fascinated by his work! His videos and posts are super informative, easy to follow, and very creative too! And he really inspires me to try and self-sustain myself.

Which brings me to my next point. So this is really random but last night I was meditating when I suddenly come across the thought of... Turning my room-top (I have space on top of my room hah) into a small veggie garden! I was just thinking of growing a few vegetable crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, long beans and so on. Cause right now there's no space at home to grow them haha.

I'm thinking of starting small, who knows my "garden" will be as bountiful as Alessandro's haha.

I think he's really awesome as he's inspiring other people to turn their backyard, front yard etc into a small farm and hopefully we can all learn to self-sustain ourselves in one way or another. And to be honest the idea of self-sustenance might be possible. If we all turn every space we have possible into a productive one. And of course with a bit of compassion, we can share with others!

Now... I just need to find a time to start my project heh. Wish me luck! 

Rain

It's been raining crazily this past few weeks. It's always a sunny noon, followed by a medium-heavy rain in the afternoon/evening time. The weather has been rather erratic this year. I was reading last year that we're going to face El Nino this year but nope. In fact I think 2022 has been one of the wettest year in recent years. If we're already entering the rainy season back in September, then... This is the year with the shortest dry period ever. I guess climate change is real huh.

I'm not mad at the wet weather. Wet weather would mean that the farmers will be able to plant, as they don't have to worry about not having enough water for their crops. But at the same time this would give a snowball effect where we'll have an abundant supply of vegetables, which will result in prices crashing. Just 2 weeks ago, we were harvesting chilies at a great price. Now, it crashed by 70%!

You know I often feel... Sad and weirded out. How in the past people would plant according to the seasons. They know when, and what to plant. But now I think this is getting more and more impossible. The weather is getting pretty much unpredictable and sometimes, catastrophic. We have flash floods, and extreme winds and so on. So sometimes I wonder if we're ready to face the future?

I read an article once where it says that in 2050, the earth will not have any arable land anymore. This is if we fail to thwart the destructive forces of climate change. I wonder, how are we going to face the future? Will there be enough food for everyone? How are we going to grow enough food?

While innovations are growing each year, with technologies such as urban farming, and high-tech farming (where we can grow crops in the desert etc), the next question I'm pondering is if we'll be quick enough to adapt to these measures. Or are we just going to leave many people behind.

The future looks bleak but... I have hopes.