Green tea
Yesterday I opened up my green tea collection. I have six different kinds of green tea. I did not take a long time to choose which one I would open first. I just took the outermost one - the rose hips.
I took my new tea pot. Put a teabag in. Poured some super hot water. Smelled good. Sipped. Oh, felt so relaxed.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Petite raspberry tarts
Free time, baking time
To make things clear, I need to say it first. I am not a cooking person.
But, this holiday season, I have spent many times in the kitchen. Abnormal. Guess it is due to the holiday atmosphere.
I just made some petite raspberry tarts. Why petite? Because they are easy to be eaten :p Trust me, it is harder to make petite raspberry tarts than normal size raspberry tarts. I followed the same recipe which you can find it here. I am going to indulge myself with some.
To make things clear, I need to say it first. I am not a cooking person.
But, this holiday season, I have spent many times in the kitchen. Abnormal. Guess it is due to the holiday atmosphere.
I just made some petite raspberry tarts. Why petite? Because they are easy to be eaten :p Trust me, it is harder to make petite raspberry tarts than normal size raspberry tarts. I followed the same recipe which you can find it here. I am going to indulge myself with some.
Fever
Getting a fever now must be a bummer
Getting a fever in holiday season does not sound fun. Getting a fever when all doctors are gone is absolutely not fun at all. These days I spend more time home than my normal schedule. Guess it is due to lots of friends gone or back to their countries. My social life suddenly becomes quite quiet. This kind of quiet life makes me aware that I am not a housewife material. I cannot stay at home or shop all day. I need to do something or learn something otherwise I will be bored to death.
But, quiet life is still better than sick life. Totof told me that he got a fever in Paris. I first thought he just wanted to make me to feel better so that he made up this. But, now, he totally has my sympathy. Hope he will feel better soon.
Getting a fever in holiday season does not sound fun. Getting a fever when all doctors are gone is absolutely not fun at all. These days I spend more time home than my normal schedule. Guess it is due to lots of friends gone or back to their countries. My social life suddenly becomes quite quiet. This kind of quiet life makes me aware that I am not a housewife material. I cannot stay at home or shop all day. I need to do something or learn something otherwise I will be bored to death.
But, quiet life is still better than sick life. Totof told me that he got a fever in Paris. I first thought he just wanted to make me to feel better so that he made up this. But, now, he totally has my sympathy. Hope he will feel better soon.
Friday, December 28, 2007
CSI
My all time favorite TV show
Since when? I don't recall. I saw this TV show and then could not help liking it. After so many seasons, I still watch CSI. I think CSI triggers my interests in biology. I found a long clip on YouTube. No conversations, no stories, just pure theme music.
Since when? I don't recall. I saw this TV show and then could not help liking it. After so many seasons, I still watch CSI. I think CSI triggers my interests in biology. I found a long clip on YouTube. No conversations, no stories, just pure theme music.
Heroes
Heroes. I heard this TV show many times. But I had not had a chance to watch it. This morning, I turned on the projector and was thinking to watch something to wake myself up. I was quite sleepy. Guess due to the lack of coffee. I started from season 1. Many small stories linked together in the debut. Not hard to follow. Not really trigger my interests. But, could continue to watch. So, I moved to the second the the third episode. Seems like some dark side stories are going to come up. Looking forward, as long as not too scary.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Whack the ball
Today, my second visit to the range in this week
Sometimes, I enjoy independence. Doing something alone or getting something done alone makes me feel proud. No need to rely on someone else. I do something the way I want, the time I prefer. Going to the range by myself does not sound fun, does it? If you were to ask me this question three weeks ago, I would say by no means it sounded fun. But today, I would say it does.
Whacking the balls alone makes me think. Think how I swung. Think how I should swing. I focus more on my motions. Not on my companions. I taste the independence. Another good thing was that I exercised rather than staying home like a couch potato.
Sometimes, I enjoy independence. Doing something alone or getting something done alone makes me feel proud. No need to rely on someone else. I do something the way I want, the time I prefer. Going to the range by myself does not sound fun, does it? If you were to ask me this question three weeks ago, I would say by no means it sounded fun. But today, I would say it does.
Whacking the balls alone makes me think. Think how I swung. Think how I should swing. I focus more on my motions. Not on my companions. I taste the independence. Another good thing was that I exercised rather than staying home like a couch potato.
No-name chicken recipe
Look at my freezer and got me made this bold decision
The holiday atmosphere kind drives me nuts. I looked around and checked what was inside my freezer. I saw some chicken pieces. For some unknown reasons, I decided to cook them. I was thinking to follow Navaline's recipe. Navaline is a good cook but I am not. Oh, what was in my mind? It must be due to the holiday atmosphere.
The first time I had this chicken dish was in Navaline's. Navaline told us she used to have this dish when she was little. She saw her mom prepared the chicken, cut the fat out, chopped the lemongrass and garlic, and prepared the sauce. Navaline told Totof and me that this recipe was simple.
What you need just four ingredients.
- chicken thighs (the big one)
- some lemongrass
- some garlic
- some soy sauce
For the cooking, only oven and an oven friendly cookware are needed. The cooking has two steps. First step: cook the chicken alone for 45 min. Second step: cook the almost-good chicken with the rest ingredients for 15 min. After the cooking, just cool the chicken down to make sure these chicken pieces will not burn your guests' tongues.
Oh, sounds like a wonderful recipe. So, around one month ago, Totof and I tried to reproduce this recipe. But, we replaced lemongrass with ginger. (we could not find lemongrass in Safeway at that time) We also got a fancy blender :p for the chopping purpose. We got everything ready. Baked, chopped, and baked. The first attempt was not bad. The only drawback was that we baked too many chicken pieces. The fresh chicken pieces were tasty (although the skin was burned...) When the chicken became leftover, the tasty level dropped crazily.
My time to try. For this holiday season, I have tried twice. My first attempt was not for a feast. So, I just put the all available chicken pieces I had (2 pieces). I did not have blender at home. So, what I did was just to chop ginger and garlic with knife. The result was interesting. Lots of liquid. I guess the juice was from the chicken thighs. Still tasty. But just quite oily. I guess my chickens were quite fatty.
My second attempt was with a much better result. I changed the main characters from chicken thighs to drumsticks. I got some peeled garlic. Nice. I prepared all stuff in Totof's. So, I had the fancy blender at hand. Cool. By all means I used the blender to help me. After an hour, the dish was ready. Wow, the skin looked so crispy but not burned. The smell was good. Not much juice. My chickens this time were not soaked in oily juice. Good job. I could not wait to try it. Oh, I was amazed by myself. I was not a bad cook this time.
The holiday atmosphere kind drives me nuts. I looked around and checked what was inside my freezer. I saw some chicken pieces. For some unknown reasons, I decided to cook them. I was thinking to follow Navaline's recipe. Navaline is a good cook but I am not. Oh, what was in my mind? It must be due to the holiday atmosphere.
The first time I had this chicken dish was in Navaline's. Navaline told us she used to have this dish when she was little. She saw her mom prepared the chicken, cut the fat out, chopped the lemongrass and garlic, and prepared the sauce. Navaline told Totof and me that this recipe was simple.
What you need just four ingredients.
- chicken thighs (the big one)
- some lemongrass
- some garlic
- some soy sauce
For the cooking, only oven and an oven friendly cookware are needed. The cooking has two steps. First step: cook the chicken alone for 45 min. Second step: cook the almost-good chicken with the rest ingredients for 15 min. After the cooking, just cool the chicken down to make sure these chicken pieces will not burn your guests' tongues.
Oh, sounds like a wonderful recipe. So, around one month ago, Totof and I tried to reproduce this recipe. But, we replaced lemongrass with ginger. (we could not find lemongrass in Safeway at that time) We also got a fancy blender :p for the chopping purpose. We got everything ready. Baked, chopped, and baked. The first attempt was not bad. The only drawback was that we baked too many chicken pieces. The fresh chicken pieces were tasty (although the skin was burned...) When the chicken became leftover, the tasty level dropped crazily.
My time to try. For this holiday season, I have tried twice. My first attempt was not for a feast. So, I just put the all available chicken pieces I had (2 pieces). I did not have blender at home. So, what I did was just to chop ginger and garlic with knife. The result was interesting. Lots of liquid. I guess the juice was from the chicken thighs. Still tasty. But just quite oily. I guess my chickens were quite fatty.
My second attempt was with a much better result. I changed the main characters from chicken thighs to drumsticks. I got some peeled garlic. Nice. I prepared all stuff in Totof's. So, I had the fancy blender at hand. Cool. By all means I used the blender to help me. After an hour, the dish was ready. Wow, the skin looked so crispy but not burned. The smell was good. Not much juice. My chickens this time were not soaked in oily juice. Good job. I could not wait to try it. Oh, I was amazed by myself. I was not a bad cook this time.
Golf
Winter is not a bad time to practice golf
Never thought I would play golf in December. I went to practice my skills in Christmas eve. The range was unexpectedly crowded. Guess it was due to the warm weather. The temperature gave you an illusion that you were in the autumn time. Not windy. Warm. Such a nice time for golf.
I warmed up myself. Then, whacked my first three balls. For some reasons, I like to group balls in 3. Each time, I just wanted to have three balls within my view. The first one was ok good. But not the second or the third. I tried another group. More. More. It seemed like my swing was not fixed. Sometimes I got a nice hit while other times I hit the ball too short.
I noticed two seasoned people sitting on the bench. They were talking. After my 5th group, one seasoned people stopped by. He told me that my mechanics were good but my head lifted when I swung. That was why my hit was not fixed. When my head moved, my body position changed so that the pivot of the swing got changed. He suggested me not to look at where the ball went. But he told me that the first few balls after I fixed my head would not be too good, I needed to be prepared.
I tried to fix my head. Indeed, the first few groups were not too wonderful. But, after these groups, BANG, I got something. I was able to apply the techniques that Earnie told me before. And, one, two, three... More and more nice hits. I was satisfied when I finished my basket.
Never thought I would play golf in December. I went to practice my skills in Christmas eve. The range was unexpectedly crowded. Guess it was due to the warm weather. The temperature gave you an illusion that you were in the autumn time. Not windy. Warm. Such a nice time for golf.
I warmed up myself. Then, whacked my first three balls. For some reasons, I like to group balls in 3. Each time, I just wanted to have three balls within my view. The first one was ok good. But not the second or the third. I tried another group. More. More. It seemed like my swing was not fixed. Sometimes I got a nice hit while other times I hit the ball too short.
I noticed two seasoned people sitting on the bench. They were talking. After my 5th group, one seasoned people stopped by. He told me that my mechanics were good but my head lifted when I swung. That was why my hit was not fixed. When my head moved, my body position changed so that the pivot of the swing got changed. He suggested me not to look at where the ball went. But he told me that the first few balls after I fixed my head would not be too good, I needed to be prepared.
I tried to fix my head. Indeed, the first few groups were not too wonderful. But, after these groups, BANG, I got something. I was able to apply the techniques that Earnie told me before. And, one, two, three... More and more nice hits. I was satisfied when I finished my basket.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Biology
These long vocabulary starts to amaze me
Who said biology was painful? Me. Yes, I said that before. But now, I changed my mind. After I went to digestion system chapter, my previous thought started to break apart. I still hate to remember the long vocabulary. But, for some reasons, I start to appreciate these long words. Chylomicrons, carboxypeptidase, lipoproteins, trypsinogen, etc. My brain is not big enough and my brain cells are not smart enough to remember these terms right away (who is?). Biology is like a treasure map with many exotic words (places) on it. To get the treasure, I need to understand these exotic words. These words look nonsense to me at the first glance. But, I know they must have some degrees of relevance. I just need to find it out. And then, link these words with pictures. Then, give these words another meanings. Then, put words and routes together. Then, find the treasure.
Who said biology was painful? Me. Yes, I said that before. But now, I changed my mind. After I went to digestion system chapter, my previous thought started to break apart. I still hate to remember the long vocabulary. But, for some reasons, I start to appreciate these long words. Chylomicrons, carboxypeptidase, lipoproteins, trypsinogen, etc. My brain is not big enough and my brain cells are not smart enough to remember these terms right away (who is?). Biology is like a treasure map with many exotic words (places) on it. To get the treasure, I need to understand these exotic words. These words look nonsense to me at the first glance. But, I know they must have some degrees of relevance. I just need to find it out. And then, link these words with pictures. Then, give these words another meanings. Then, put words and routes together. Then, find the treasure.
Since the first sight
I discover Peter's talents from this website
Nice work. It deserves your visits. http://www.sincethefirstsight.com/
Nice work. It deserves your visits. http://www.sincethefirstsight.com/
Another visit to Saigon
The secret off menu sweet drew us to there
Off menu? Yes. Totally. I did not know this secret until after I came with some friends to there. One friend knows the manager. After we sit down, the manager came over to chat with him. He asked the manager to offer us the special sweet - Snow Mountain Bun. This sweet is not on the menu. This is a secret order.
Cool. I had heard many people told me how incredible this bun was. After 20 min, the first three sweets were served. The buns were all white. Guess its name was given since the bun looks like covered by snow. It was amazingly tasty. The best dim sum sweet ever. After this experience, I was always thinking to come back. Yesterday, I asked around and got Chun-Chun, Pei-Chen, and Yongjin to go with me.
We asked around. The senior manager did not want to help us get one snow mountain bun. He said you needed to get the bun by yourself. Oh, what the difference. If you know the manager, the manager serves you the food. If you don't, you need to serve by yourself. I don't like this attitude. Guess the fame and popularity make Saigon cares less about their customers.
After 20 min, Chun-Chun saw some white buns came out from the kitchen. Pei-Chen asked Yongjin to go there to grab one for us. She said Yongjin was big and stout and would be quite powerful for the dish rival. Interesting. But, Yongjin does not speak Chinese. So, as you can expect, he needed a helper. After a while, we got our first trophy back.
All my guests agreed this snow mountain bun was quite tasty. It was made fresh. Hot, but not burned. Crispy snow. Soft filling. Taro was with natural smell. Not artificial flavor. Totally deserved the fight.
After another 30 min, around the end of the lunch, Pei-Chen asked if we would like to have another sweet dish for ending. By all means. She said how about another snow mountain bun dish? Just on time we saw the senior manager got many buns out. Yongjin stood up and took the sheet. He walked toward the manager. We saw many people approached the manager with the trophy out. I could imagine a background music (for this tense and exciting moment). We saw Yongjin got a dish. We were all relieved.
The buns were as good as the first round. I could tell everyone likes it. When will be my next time to visit this place?
Off menu? Yes. Totally. I did not know this secret until after I came with some friends to there. One friend knows the manager. After we sit down, the manager came over to chat with him. He asked the manager to offer us the special sweet - Snow Mountain Bun. This sweet is not on the menu. This is a secret order.
Cool. I had heard many people told me how incredible this bun was. After 20 min, the first three sweets were served. The buns were all white. Guess its name was given since the bun looks like covered by snow. It was amazingly tasty. The best dim sum sweet ever. After this experience, I was always thinking to come back. Yesterday, I asked around and got Chun-Chun, Pei-Chen, and Yongjin to go with me.
We asked around. The senior manager did not want to help us get one snow mountain bun. He said you needed to get the bun by yourself. Oh, what the difference. If you know the manager, the manager serves you the food. If you don't, you need to serve by yourself. I don't like this attitude. Guess the fame and popularity make Saigon cares less about their customers.
After 20 min, Chun-Chun saw some white buns came out from the kitchen. Pei-Chen asked Yongjin to go there to grab one for us. She said Yongjin was big and stout and would be quite powerful for the dish rival. Interesting. But, Yongjin does not speak Chinese. So, as you can expect, he needed a helper. After a while, we got our first trophy back.
All my guests agreed this snow mountain bun was quite tasty. It was made fresh. Hot, but not burned. Crispy snow. Soft filling. Taro was with natural smell. Not artificial flavor. Totally deserved the fight.
After another 30 min, around the end of the lunch, Pei-Chen asked if we would like to have another sweet dish for ending. By all means. She said how about another snow mountain bun dish? Just on time we saw the senior manager got many buns out. Yongjin stood up and took the sheet. He walked toward the manager. We saw many people approached the manager with the trophy out. I could imagine a background music (for this tense and exciting moment). We saw Yongjin got a dish. We were all relieved.
The buns were as good as the first round. I could tell everyone likes it. When will be my next time to visit this place?
Shiny cubes
How about giving out shiny cubes for holidays?
Shiny, glowing, fancy. Isn't it the holiday spirit (commercial influence)? If you agree, then you can try this new toy.
Shiny, glowing, fancy. Isn't it the holiday spirit (commercial influence)? If you agree, then you can try this new toy.
October afternoon
Two new members
Yesterday, after dim sum, Pei-Chen and Yongjin came with me to Totof's place. We were thinking to have some fun. I could not wait to show them Rock Band. The drums, the guitar, the bass, and the box. They looked like two happy kids when they saw those instruments. They could not wait trying this new game. I plugged the cables, turned on the console, turned on the projector, and turned on the amplifier. We went to Rock Band World Tour mode. I showed them about the characters. They were so excited for the character creation thing. Pei-Chen created a female PC with Rock attitude. Yongjin created a male andrew with Metal attitude. These two new characters looked cool.
We three people went to San Francisco first. We let pc take the drum lead. I played bass while Yongjin played guitar. We tried The Weezer's "Say it ain't so". I suggested pc to try medium. Our drummer just had some difficulty at the beginning. Our drummer, pc, picked up skills quickly. We passed the song. The drum got 91%. Amazing. Then, we switched to Yongjin's drummer, andrew. We tried Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" per Yongjin's request. A nice song indeed. Yongjin's drummer got a nice score as well. This couple are talented at music instruments.
We continued our tour. We yelled when we earned some fans. We booed when we lost fans. Yongjin said he wanted to try the singing. He wanted to sing Radiohead's "Creep". Nice voice. I first time had a chance to look at the singing track. The singing track has lyrics. So, if you don't know the lyrics by heart, you just need to glance at the lyrics down the track and you will be fine. Yongjin has a nice voice. He got 98%. Nicer than Totof's : p
After 2 hours rock n' roll, I suggested to try an evil song. Of course, I was thinking Outlaws' Green Grass and High Tides. We had an extremely strenuous 6 min. Not 10 min? Why? You don't know? Because we did not pass it.
I was happy to have them in this band. Now, October becomes stronger.
Yesterday, after dim sum, Pei-Chen and Yongjin came with me to Totof's place. We were thinking to have some fun. I could not wait to show them Rock Band. The drums, the guitar, the bass, and the box. They looked like two happy kids when they saw those instruments. They could not wait trying this new game. I plugged the cables, turned on the console, turned on the projector, and turned on the amplifier. We went to Rock Band World Tour mode. I showed them about the characters. They were so excited for the character creation thing. Pei-Chen created a female PC with Rock attitude. Yongjin created a male andrew with Metal attitude. These two new characters looked cool.We three people went to San Francisco first. We let pc take the drum lead. I played bass while Yongjin played guitar. We tried The Weezer's "Say it ain't so". I suggested pc to try medium. Our drummer just had some difficulty at the beginning. Our drummer, pc, picked up skills quickly. We passed the song. The drum got 91%. Amazing. Then, we switched to Yongjin's drummer, andrew. We tried Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" per Yongjin's request. A nice song indeed. Yongjin's drummer got a nice score as well. This couple are talented at music instruments.
We continued our tour. We yelled when we earned some fans. We booed when we lost fans. Yongjin said he wanted to try the singing. He wanted to sing Radiohead's "Creep". Nice voice. I first time had a chance to look at the singing track. The singing track has lyrics. So, if you don't know the lyrics by heart, you just need to glance at the lyrics down the track and you will be fine. Yongjin has a nice voice. He got 98%. Nicer than Totof's : p
After 2 hours rock n' roll, I suggested to try an evil song. Of course, I was thinking Outlaws' Green Grass and High Tides. We had an extremely strenuous 6 min. Not 10 min? Why? You don't know? Because we did not pass it.
I was happy to have them in this band. Now, October becomes stronger.
Onion soup - my try
So simple... but
After the song, I went back to the kitchen. Oh no. The onions became blackish. Not all of them, but the bottom part did. There was no time for me to blame myself. I turned off the stove. Got all onions out. Then soak the pot. After 5 min, I cleaned the pot gently. Then, continued the cooking. I poured the chicken broth (organic one, nice) with the blackish onions into the cooker. I turned on the heat and wanted to bring the cooker to boil. The cooker did not fail me. It functioned well. I put the 1/4 teaspoon grounded pepper. And, put the lid on. Turned the switch to 2 and locked the cooker.
Guess some people were born to be chef de cuisine. Me? I dare not.
Three days ago, I was having a thought of treating myself with a nice soup. The weather was cold. My body was grumpy a bit. A hearty soup was quite favorable in that condition.
I looked around and decided to make some onion soup. I went to the previous post to see how Totof did it. In addition, I tried to recall everything Totof did when he made the soup. I mimicked as much as I could. I chopped onions (I had done this before so the chopping was a piece of cake.) But, the cooking part was not. I put butter and melted it. Then, I put all onion slices inside the pressure cooker. I thought in this case the oil spill would be less and the cooking would be less intimidating. The start was fine. I checked the recipe and it said the onions need 20 min slow cooking. 20 min. I decided to play a song in this waiting time. I went to the living room and chose my new favorite song - Welcome Home.
After the song, I went back to the kitchen. Oh no. The onions became blackish. Not all of them, but the bottom part did. There was no time for me to blame myself. I turned off the stove. Got all onions out. Then soak the pot. After 5 min, I cleaned the pot gently. Then, continued the cooking. I poured the chicken broth (organic one, nice) with the blackish onions into the cooker. I turned on the heat and wanted to bring the cooker to boil. The cooker did not fail me. It functioned well. I put the 1/4 teaspoon grounded pepper. And, put the lid on. Turned the switch to 2 and locked the cooker.Forgot to say something. I reduced all the ingredient quantity. I was cooking for myself. So, I did not think reproducing the soup with all the same quantity would be a good idea. Too much for one person. So, I cut all quantity into half. I put 3 onions, 2 tablespoon butter, 3 cup chicken broth, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. For the cooking time, I still followed the recipe. Put the switch to 2 and cooked the cooker for 15 min.
After another song (Highway Star, perhaps), I went back to release the pressure cooker pressure. I was not too good at pressure cooker. I was a bit lost in releasing the pressure part. How come it looked so easy for Totof to do it but not the same case for me? I turned this and switched that. After another 5 min, I did not hear any loud pressure releasing sound. I assumed the cooker was ready. I used a fork to poke the yellow button. It looked good. Safe. I unlocked the cooker. Oh, the soup looked good (not the most gorgeous soup I had ever seen).
I waited for another 5 min so that the soup would not burn my tongue. The soup tasted not bad. I put some salt. It was even better. But, I preferred Totof's version :p
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Don't Fear the Reaper
Band: Blue Öyster Cult
The first time I heard this song was in Will Ferrell's clip. It was talking about more cow bell.
I was happy to know Rock Band has this song in sound track list. This clip was a live.
The first time I heard this song was in Will Ferrell's clip. It was talking about more cow bell.
I was happy to know Rock Band has this song in sound track list. This clip was a live.
Rock Band - Welcome Home
Band: Coheed and Cambria
This song has quite a variety. I came across this song when my band came to London. (my hometown is San Francisco) I did not know Coheed and Cambria. I did not know this song either. I tried it. And, I liked it. The music was the kind used for movie themes (the war movie).
Another use for this song is for study. It is a good background music for biology.
This clip is from YouTube. Someone has five golden stars. Amazing.
This song has quite a variety. I came across this song when my band came to London. (my hometown is San Francisco) I did not know Coheed and Cambria. I did not know this song either. I tried it. And, I liked it. The music was the kind used for movie themes (the war movie).
Another use for this song is for study. It is a good background music for biology.
This clip is from YouTube. Someone has five golden stars. Amazing.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Rock Band - Green Grass and High Tides (cont.)
This song is in Stockholm for my band
Why did I need to be so insistent in passing this song? I had no choices. In Rock Band solo mode, if you do not finish all the songs in one city, you cannot move on to other cities.
I saw Green Grass and High Tides in my play list when I was in Stockholm. Suddenly some memory came back. Once when we had an October night at Totof's place, we came across this song. This song totally killed all of us. All instruments were insane. Many climax parts for sure. This song was strenuous. All band members needed to concentrate on notes with 100% attention. You can tell how tiring and exhausting this song can be.
The wost part came when your band stuck in this song. It happened to us. We tried at least 5 times. Each attempt we managed to get some progress. We tried different strategies. But, not enough to foster the band go all over the song. So, you can tell how intimidating Green Grass and High Tides to me.
Also, you can tell how proud I was when I passed the song.
Why did I need to be so insistent in passing this song? I had no choices. In Rock Band solo mode, if you do not finish all the songs in one city, you cannot move on to other cities.
I saw Green Grass and High Tides in my play list when I was in Stockholm. Suddenly some memory came back. Once when we had an October night at Totof's place, we came across this song. This song totally killed all of us. All instruments were insane. Many climax parts for sure. This song was strenuous. All band members needed to concentrate on notes with 100% attention. You can tell how tiring and exhausting this song can be.
The wost part came when your band stuck in this song. It happened to us. We tried at least 5 times. Each attempt we managed to get some progress. We tried different strategies. But, not enough to foster the band go all over the song. So, you can tell how intimidating Green Grass and High Tides to me.
Also, you can tell how proud I was when I passed the song.
Rock Band - Green Grass and High Tides
Band: Outlaws
Yesterday I was stuck in this song. I played solo drum. This song is insanely long. With various sections. With quite a variety. The first 5 min part was fine. After that, the song suddenly became so hard. I needed to drum fast but orderly. Wow. The song killed me.
My first attempt was finished in 65%. I was exhausted even though just the half way through the song. I rested and tried again. Second time went to 81%. Then third try went to 91%. I was so confident.
I was too tired to concentrate on quick drumming. The following attempts I did not do them well. They finished before 88%. I decided to change my attention. I relaxed myself with some bonus songs. Bonus songs were easy like a piece of cake compared to Green Grass and High Tides. Green Grass and High Tides was such an evil song.
After dinner, I tried Highway Star first with quick play mode. It went well. I got myself some confidence back. I went to solo mode and chose the evil song - Green Grass and High Tides. After 10 min extreme concentration, I passed it. Felt so good.
I found something from YouTube. At least you can see how crazy this song is.
Yesterday I was stuck in this song. I played solo drum. This song is insanely long. With various sections. With quite a variety. The first 5 min part was fine. After that, the song suddenly became so hard. I needed to drum fast but orderly. Wow. The song killed me.
My first attempt was finished in 65%. I was exhausted even though just the half way through the song. I rested and tried again. Second time went to 81%. Then third try went to 91%. I was so confident.
I was too tired to concentrate on quick drumming. The following attempts I did not do them well. They finished before 88%. I decided to change my attention. I relaxed myself with some bonus songs. Bonus songs were easy like a piece of cake compared to Green Grass and High Tides. Green Grass and High Tides was such an evil song.
After dinner, I tried Highway Star first with quick play mode. It went well. I got myself some confidence back. I went to solo mode and chose the evil song - Green Grass and High Tides. After 10 min extreme concentration, I passed it. Felt so good.
I found something from YouTube. At least you can see how crazy this song is.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Mini roses
My mini has seasons
Do you know that? Mini roses have seasons. I did not know this until I have my mini. My pink mini initially had a lot blossoms. After two months, my mini became much taller but no flowers on it any more. Then, after another two months, my mini suddenly grew fast. It demanded more water and more sunshine. I was proud of myself when I saw my mini was growing crazily. It was around the summer time. After the autumn, my mini stopped its growth. Besides, its leaves turned to yellow gradually. The yellow leaves did not stay on the branches long. Normally after two days, the yellow leaves with the branch fell off by themselves. Now, we are in the winter time. I am looking forward to seeing blossoms back soon.
Do you know that? Mini roses have seasons. I did not know this until I have my mini. My pink mini initially had a lot blossoms. After two months, my mini became much taller but no flowers on it any more. Then, after another two months, my mini suddenly grew fast. It demanded more water and more sunshine. I was proud of myself when I saw my mini was growing crazily. It was around the summer time. After the autumn, my mini stopped its growth. Besides, its leaves turned to yellow gradually. The yellow leaves did not stay on the branches long. Normally after two days, the yellow leaves with the branch fell off by themselves. Now, we are in the winter time. I am looking forward to seeing blossoms back soon.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Phosphates
Getting some knowledge on phosphates
Not quite understand. But, I found a website listing some knowledge.
http://www.phosphatesfacts.org/what.asp
Not quite understand. But, I found a website listing some knowledge.
http://www.phosphatesfacts.org/what.asp
The Legend of Zelda - Isle of Ember & Temple of Fire
A meet with the oracle and the fight in Fire dungeon
The sailing on the ocean was easy to manage. I could look up, down, left, and right. I could change route any time I wanted to. I could jump. Lineback and I went to the oracle island (where the oracle was). We landed. I saw monsters and slayed them. As usual, only myself went on the island. Lineback stayed with the boat. I arrived at the oracle's house but did not find her in the first floor. I went to the basement and suddenly heard her voice. She confined herself in a small room in order to prevent monsters from attacking her. So, my first big task was to defeat these ugly looking monsters. I managed to do so but the oracle did not go out at this time. She wanted me to take a look at the chart on the wall. She said if I could mark three torches in right locations then the door would open and she could go out. The oracle opened a gate on the east part of the island so that I could enter the dungeon (the Temple of Fire). To find the locations, she told me to see Karl. He was the apprentice of the oracle.
I wandered and entered to another house. I saw a note from Karl. It seemed like he was killed or captured (did not know at that time). I took off to the east side of the island. This island was filled with monsters. Some monsters were small and easy to kill. I was happy to slay them to get some treasure or energy. Other monsters like spiders moved quickly and were hard to defeat. I sometimes lost some energy during the fight. I accidentally went to the remote island on the east part. I saw a ghost. It was Karl. He was killed. He told me some secrets about the torches. I thanked him and departed to find a torch.
Time to adventure. I went to the Temple of Fire. Not easy to go there since so many monsters and fire lava drops here and there. I was stuck around the entrance. A tablet said "to enter I need to blow off the candles". But how? I leave this pleasure to you.
The Temple of Fire was filled with fires. I could have been flamed if I did not pay attentions on my steps. I knew there must be some treasures in this dungeon. The question was how to find them. The design of Zelda was sophisticated. You need to look around and don't overlook your surroundings. Sometimes, the prize of the overlook was a power gem, wisdom gem, or energy gem. These gems were precious. But at the time in Temple of Fire I did not know these gems' purposes.
I circled around to ensure I got every treasure. The adventure was linear which meant if I missed a thing previously I would have a trouble getting through the rest of the adventure. So I would know I needed to go back to previous place (room or floor). The adventure was fun. The fighting was done with stylus (wonderful). At that time I had not acquired any Zelda tools (you will see them). I only had my sword and shield. My energy level at that time was only 4 hearts which meant I could die quite fast if I was negligent.
The dungeon took me some days. The adventure was entertaining. My little fairy always gave me reminder or suggestion at the right time. I gradually got used to this linear type adventure. I got the famous boomerang from a treasure box (see the photo). In the last stage of the adventure I needed to get a boss key. With this boss key, I could go to the boss floor where the mean boss monster resided. Boss key took me some time to acquire. The most difficult part was fighting with the boss. Unlike other monsters, the boss required special skills to defeat. The defeat was not going to happen at one shot. The defeat incorporated boomerang. (good design) The fight was breathtaking.
From the previous post, I talked about Lineback. Lineback looked different from what I expected. Lineback did not look like a captain. Lineback looked like an alcoholic (he has such dark eye circles). Lineback was reluctant to join me to save Tetra. At a sudden, the Grand Pa appeared (how could he be so fast?) After some reasoning, Lineback agreed to help. We boarded our boat and took off.
The sailing on the ocean was easy to manage. I could look up, down, left, and right. I could change route any time I wanted to. I could jump. Lineback and I went to the oracle island (where the oracle was). We landed. I saw monsters and slayed them. As usual, only myself went on the island. Lineback stayed with the boat. I arrived at the oracle's house but did not find her in the first floor. I went to the basement and suddenly heard her voice. She confined herself in a small room in order to prevent monsters from attacking her. So, my first big task was to defeat these ugly looking monsters. I managed to do so but the oracle did not go out at this time. She wanted me to take a look at the chart on the wall. She said if I could mark three torches in right locations then the door would open and she could go out. The oracle opened a gate on the east part of the island so that I could enter the dungeon (the Temple of Fire). To find the locations, she told me to see Karl. He was the apprentice of the oracle. I wandered and entered to another house. I saw a note from Karl. It seemed like he was killed or captured (did not know at that time). I took off to the east side of the island. This island was filled with monsters. Some monsters were small and easy to kill. I was happy to slay them to get some treasure or energy. Other monsters like spiders moved quickly and were hard to defeat. I sometimes lost some energy during the fight. I accidentally went to the remote island on the east part. I saw a ghost. It was Karl. He was killed. He told me some secrets about the torches. I thanked him and departed to find a torch.
Time to adventure. I went to the Temple of Fire. Not easy to go there since so many monsters and fire lava drops here and there. I was stuck around the entrance. A tablet said "to enter I need to blow off the candles". But how? I leave this pleasure to you. The Temple of Fire was filled with fires. I could have been flamed if I did not pay attentions on my steps. I knew there must be some treasures in this dungeon. The question was how to find them. The design of Zelda was sophisticated. You need to look around and don't overlook your surroundings. Sometimes, the prize of the overlook was a power gem, wisdom gem, or energy gem. These gems were precious. But at the time in Temple of Fire I did not know these gems' purposes.
I circled around to ensure I got every treasure. The adventure was linear which meant if I missed a thing previously I would have a trouble getting through the rest of the adventure. So I would know I needed to go back to previous place (room or floor). The adventure was fun. The fighting was done with stylus (wonderful). At that time I had not acquired any Zelda tools (you will see them). I only had my sword and shield. My energy level at that time was only 4 hearts which meant I could die quite fast if I was negligent.
The dungeon took me some days. The adventure was entertaining. My little fairy always gave me reminder or suggestion at the right time. I gradually got used to this linear type adventure. I got the famous boomerang from a treasure box (see the photo). In the last stage of the adventure I needed to get a boss key. With this boss key, I could go to the boss floor where the mean boss monster resided. Boss key took me some time to acquire. The most difficult part was fighting with the boss. Unlike other monsters, the boss required special skills to defeat. The defeat was not going to happen at one shot. The defeat incorporated boomerang. (good design) The fight was breathtaking.
Reality vs. theory
Taking options transactions as an example
In school, I have learn many theories regarding options. Option design, option combination, option evaluation... With much knowledge acquired from school, I thought making an option transaction would be straightforward and with little risk compared to general population. And it turned out, no, it was not such a case.
Two months ago, I decided to exercise my option knowledge. I had been thinking to do so for some times. It was exciting to see the transaction went through. I thought I planed well. But, my little prediction did not click the market trend. The options have behaved like balloons. One option will be expiring tomorrow but the value was worth nothing. If I were to exercise this going-to-expire option, I would lose approximately $3,000 at the time I exercise. I did not realize this until this morning. I was surprised to realize I forgot many fundamental assumptions. Reality has given me some lessons.
In school, I have learn many theories regarding options. Option design, option combination, option evaluation... With much knowledge acquired from school, I thought making an option transaction would be straightforward and with little risk compared to general population. And it turned out, no, it was not such a case.
Two months ago, I decided to exercise my option knowledge. I had been thinking to do so for some times. It was exciting to see the transaction went through. I thought I planed well. But, my little prediction did not click the market trend. The options have behaved like balloons. One option will be expiring tomorrow but the value was worth nothing. If I were to exercise this going-to-expire option, I would lose approximately $3,000 at the time I exercise. I did not realize this until this morning. I was surprised to realize I forgot many fundamental assumptions. Reality has given me some lessons.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Schlumberger
A wrong one for options
Quite strange. Schlumberger (ticker: SLB) is a leader in oil and gas industry. I had watched this company for some months before placing an option order. The beginning month the option did bring me a lot of fortune. But, after the second month, the value of my options has behaved like a balloon with a hole. Maybe this company is just not a good material for option transactions.
Quite strange. Schlumberger (ticker: SLB) is a leader in oil and gas industry. I had watched this company for some months before placing an option order. The beginning month the option did bring me a lot of fortune. But, after the second month, the value of my options has behaved like a balloon with a hole. Maybe this company is just not a good material for option transactions.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Taiwan clips
These were broad casted in Yankee stadium 2 months ago
Many clips were included. Some of them were quite good. If you have not visited Taiwan, you can watch them and imagine... you were there.
Many clips were included. Some of them were quite good. If you have not visited Taiwan, you can watch them and imagine... you were there.
3 feet snow in Kirkwood
Seems like this year the ski season comes earlier
According to Kirkwood, forecasters are predicting over 3 feet snow in next 72 hours. I guess the other Lake Tahoe resorts have similar snow condition. Good for skiers and snowboarders. Of course, good for me.
According to Kirkwood, forecasters are predicting over 3 feet snow in next 72 hours. I guess the other Lake Tahoe resorts have similar snow condition. Good for skiers and snowboarders. Of course, good for me.
Happy atom
When an atom has all electrons in its outer shell, it becomes a happy atom
Sounds cool. Happy atom example: NaCl and CH4. I came across this website. This site summarizes chemistry in an organized and concise way. I like the way it introduces periodic table and chemical bonding.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookCHEM1.html
Sounds cool. Happy atom example: NaCl and CH4. I came across this website. This site summarizes chemistry in an organized and concise way. I like the way it introduces periodic table and chemical bonding.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookCHEM1.html
Monday, December 17, 2007
Zillow
The latest fund-raising pegs Zillow's value at around $350 million
Zillow. Weird name. At least I thought so the first time I heard this name. The second time I heard this name was in Washington Mutual. I was interested in knowing the mortgage process. The sales manager mentioned this name and recommended me to look into it before I placed my order. He told me the zestimate was quite realistic and would be a good indicator on house value.
I tried Zillow over and over and found it was interesting to dig info there. But, after the zeal of house hunting got dampened, I forgot this name. I read old Wall Street Journal this evening and saw this name. I finished the reading and surprised to know Zillow's CEO was Expedia's co-founder. In addition, I was amazed by Zillow's evaluated value. I'd better watch out Zillow.
Website: http://www.zillow.com/
Zillow. Weird name. At least I thought so the first time I heard this name. The second time I heard this name was in Washington Mutual. I was interested in knowing the mortgage process. The sales manager mentioned this name and recommended me to look into it before I placed my order. He told me the zestimate was quite realistic and would be a good indicator on house value.
I tried Zillow over and over and found it was interesting to dig info there. But, after the zeal of house hunting got dampened, I forgot this name. I read old Wall Street Journal this evening and saw this name. I finished the reading and surprised to know Zillow's CEO was Expedia's co-founder. In addition, I was amazed by Zillow's evaluated value. I'd better watch out Zillow.
Website: http://www.zillow.com/
Accidental Power Grid night
A hearty meal is perfect for a game night
Warm tofu soup tasted so good in cold weather. These days the bay area turns cold pretty fast. The temperature gap between noon and night (or early morning) becomes bigger. A hearty meal was a good idea for the winter time (almost winter time). We 7 people were quite noisy. Fun conversations were here and there. I had not seen Chun-Chun and John for ages. It was nice to see them. Chun-Chun was having some eye issues. Hope she will be fine soon.
Last Friday, some friends and I had dinner at Tofu House. 7 people could not be fit to a small table. So the waiters kept us waiting for at least 30 min just for a big table. We wondered why? Since the waiters could have put two small tables (one small table has four seats) to solve the issue. It did not make sense for Tofu House to come to this decision.
Warm tofu soup tasted so good in cold weather. These days the bay area turns cold pretty fast. The temperature gap between noon and night (or early morning) becomes bigger. A hearty meal was a good idea for the winter time (almost winter time). We 7 people were quite noisy. Fun conversations were here and there. I had not seen Chun-Chun and John for ages. It was nice to see them. Chun-Chun was having some eye issues. Hope she will be fine soon.Darren and Sophy brought a friend. The friend turned out being my junior in Elementary school (he was John's junior as well). I was happy to meet Fu-Shing people in the States. Janice was always a lovely conversation starter. We had a good 2 and a half hours meal time. After the dinner, 4 people came to my apartment for a game. Solomon called during the dinner time to apologize for missing the dinner. He was tied down by the work but he would join us directly for the game.
Sophy, Darren, and his friend were thinking to play the Settlers. When we were assembling tiles, we realized some tiles were missing. Maybe Totof put some tiles in the Cities and Knights box. So, we opened the Power Grid box and I started to explain the rules. We chose France map since it looked easy. (would it be really easy? you will see) At this time, Solomon had not showed up. So, we took time to explain the rules. If you want to know more on the rules, please see this post. Everyone was smart, so it just took me 10 min to go over the rules (my guests picked up the rules fast, proud of them).
Darren and Sophy were experienced. I recall Darren brought a black hurricane last time when we played United States map. This time, Darren picked up the black color again. It seemed like black was his color. After 10 min, Solomon showed up. He had not eaten yet. So he was sitting at the same table watching us play and eating his dinner. I could tell he wanted to try the game. So I offered him my seat after his meal. He picked up the knowledge fast. Power Grid was fun when the pace was not too slow. If a player played too slowly (by considering the consequences too long at a turn), the fun of the game would get cut dramatically. But, it was hard to balance the pace especially some beginners were involved. I saw my guests' learning curves. My guests were trying different strategies. Bidding part was easy to catch up. Deploying part was ok to catch up fast. But the budgeting part was sophisticated. The beauty of Power Grid was about budgeting and balancing your in and out capital. You learned practical strategies as the game moved on.
During the game, I saw my guests slowed down in order not to reach step 2. I saw Darren's friend and Sophy switched to clean energy power plants. I saw Solomon and Sophy competed for high efficiency power plants. This time the game played conservatively. The rival did not get bloody. In the game, everyone seemed to have a promising future. Hard to predict the winner. In the end, Sophy got the trophy. It was an impressive turnout. She planned well since step 2 from an observer's point of view. She told everyone the victory was a luck thing. Sophy was modest.
This time, we tried to control the play time. So, we ended the game around 12:40 am. A three hour game. Not bad.
Red cat?
South Korean Scientists Clone Glowing Cats
What do you think if your cats will glow read at dark? Will you treat these cats the same as other cats?
http://www.dailytech.com/South+Korean+Scientists+Clone+Glowing+Cat/article10042c.htm
What do you think if your cats will glow read at dark? Will you treat these cats the same as other cats?
http://www.dailytech.com/South+Korean+Scientists+Clone+Glowing+Cat/article10042c.htm
Google disabled my account
Made my day blue
10 min ago, I received an email from Google AdSense. They decided to disable my account. I had no ideas of why. They did not give me a chance just did whatever they wanted. I felt quite disrespected.
I started disliking Google.
10 min ago, I received an email from Google AdSense. They decided to disable my account. I had no ideas of why. They did not give me a chance just did whatever they wanted. I felt quite disrespected.
I started disliking Google.
You want to know how famous you are
Study: More Americans Googling themselves
This is a CNN report. I saw it today. It was interesting and I thought you might want to take a look.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/12/17/personal.search.ap/index.html
This is a CNN report. I saw it today. It was interesting and I thought you might want to take a look.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/12/17/personal.search.ap/index.html
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Pan Tao dim sum
Some dim sum is quite nice
Saturday I went there with Navaline and Laurent. I was told this restaurant serves nice dim sum, better
than Dynasty. So, I was curious and interested in trying it. The restaurant was quite full when I arrived. I took a number and waited for 15 min before I was led to the table.
I sit down and was surprised to see so many waiters and waitresses coming toward me. The pace here was fast. They asked you what you wanted to drink, what you wanted to order. They showed you their carts. Plenty of food. I waved them out since I did not want to eat first. I preferred ordering after everyone arrived.
Tea was strong. I ordered "Po Lay" (excuse me for the translation). After Navaline and Laurent sit, we started to order. We took shrimp wrapped with napa cabbage. This was very good. Moist and tasty. I only saw this in Pan Tao.
We also ordered pan fried chive dumpling (juicy and tasty), shrimp wrapped by big wide noodles (sauce was perfect), shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling (nice choice), turnip cake (greasy and tasteless), pork and shrimp wrapped by bean curd (not tasty enough), deep fried shrimp and banana wrap (banana? interesting), and sweet barn with custard cream inside. Navaline was surprised to see its filling. She said this one was the most filling barn she had ever had. She highly recommended this barn.
Overall, this place is worthy to come over and over. However, this place doesn't have much variety. So, if you are small appetite person, this place is a good choice for you. But, may not be a good choice if you want to go there with more than 5 people. You will need to order identical dishes over and over.
Location: 1696 S Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Saturday I went there with Navaline and Laurent. I was told this restaurant serves nice dim sum, better
than Dynasty. So, I was curious and interested in trying it. The restaurant was quite full when I arrived. I took a number and waited for 15 min before I was led to the table.I sit down and was surprised to see so many waiters and waitresses coming toward me. The pace here was fast. They asked you what you wanted to drink, what you wanted to order. They showed you their carts. Plenty of food. I waved them out since I did not want to eat first. I preferred ordering after everyone arrived.
Tea was strong. I ordered "Po Lay" (excuse me for the translation). After Navaline and Laurent sit, we started to order. We took shrimp wrapped with napa cabbage. This was very good. Moist and tasty. I only saw this in Pan Tao.
We also ordered pan fried chive dumpling (juicy and tasty), shrimp wrapped by big wide noodles (sauce was perfect), shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling (nice choice), turnip cake (greasy and tasteless), pork and shrimp wrapped by bean curd (not tasty enough), deep fried shrimp and banana wrap (banana? interesting), and sweet barn with custard cream inside. Navaline was surprised to see its filling. She said this one was the most filling barn she had ever had. She highly recommended this barn.
Overall, this place is worthy to come over and over. However, this place doesn't have much variety. So, if you are small appetite person, this place is a good choice for you. But, may not be a good choice if you want to go there with more than 5 people. You will need to order identical dishes over and over.
Location: 1696 S Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
I am legend
"I Am Legend" Has Record $77 Million December Sales
Saturday night we five people went to see it. It is a science-fiction thriller from Time Warner and the main attraction
is Will Smith. The movie was slow and strange. I expected to see something entertaining. But the movie was not entertaining at all.
Stephane told me was a remade. The previous one was quite Christian oriented. You would see a man standing in the fountain and the way he stood made him looks like Christ. None of us, Navaline, Laurent, Mun Jun, Stephane, and I, liked this movie. It was quite surprising to know this movie has such high sales.
Saturday night we five people went to see it. It is a science-fiction thriller from Time Warner and the main attraction
is Will Smith. The movie was slow and strange. I expected to see something entertaining. But the movie was not entertaining at all.Stephane told me was a remade. The previous one was quite Christian oriented. You would see a man standing in the fountain and the way he stood made him looks like Christ. None of us, Navaline, Laurent, Mun Jun, Stephane, and I, liked this movie. It was quite surprising to know this movie has such high sales.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Highway Star
Band: Deep Purple
After reading my previous post, are you curious to know more about Deep Purple? At least I am. I like this band more and more. Deep Purple got themselves famous 2 decades ago. So, their music style may not be as fancy as that nowadays. But, their music is still quite cool.
After reading my previous post, are you curious to know more about Deep Purple? At least I am. I like this band more and more. Deep Purple got themselves famous 2 decades ago. So, their music style may not be as fancy as that nowadays. But, their music is still quite cool.
3's and 7's
Compare Rock Band side by side with Guitar Hero 3
You see the merits of each game right away from this demo. Don't know if it is fair to give out any comments. At least, the target of Rock Band differs from that of Guitar Hero 3.
Band: Queens of the Stone Age
You see the merits of each game right away from this demo. Don't know if it is fair to give out any comments. At least, the target of Rock Band differs from that of Guitar Hero 3.
Band: Queens of the Stone Age
USB wine dispenser
What?
This product sounds like an end result of technology advance and wild imagination. Who is going to use it? Computers? Humans? Or just a pure show off tool.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/12/usb_wine_dispenser.html
This product sounds like an end result of technology advance and wild imagination. Who is going to use it? Computers? Humans? Or just a pure show off tool.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/12/usb_wine_dispenser.html
Googlepedia?
Google is going to rival Wikipedia
http://www.news.com/Google-develops-Wikipedia-rival/2100-1038_3-6222872.html
http://www.news.com/Google-develops-Wikipedia-rival/2100-1038_3-6222872.html
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Raspberry tart
It becomes a signature dessert
Holiday season, good food season. If you want to have some fresh and delicious dessert after a rich dinner, fruit tart can be a good way to indulge yourself .
For crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cold water
For filling cream
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg, beaten lightly
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For dashing jelly
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon water
For raspberry on top
- 2 packages raspberries
Take a bowl for the dough. Make sure all ingredients are well blended. Then, make the dough a ball and wrap the ball by plastic wrap. Put the wrapped ball in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Take the dough out after 1 hour. Use the dough to make the crust. You can use imagination here to have a nicely done crust (e.g., fold, pattern).
Put the crust into oven and bake it for 30 min. In the meantime, you can prepare the filling. Mix the filling nicely. Then, pour the filling to the cooked crust. Then, put the crust back to the oven and continue to bake it for 20 min.
You can prepare the dashing jelly and raspberry when the crust is baking. I don't like my tart too sweet. So, I will deliberately reduce the sugar amount a bit. If you are a sugar person, you can increase the sugar amount from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. The result will still be fantastic.
I like this tart recipe very much. It becomes my signature.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
A thought
To make our life comfortable, we demand more and more alone time.
It seems inevitable. My life becomes more and more regular. On weekdays, I stay at home after work. On weekends, I have some nice meals and play video games with friends. Sleep is something essential on my weekend plan of course. Because I need to charge myself in order to have a fresh week after the weekend. The number of friends that I am keeping in touch drop a lot compared to several years ago. Is it because I become lazier? Just because my work exhausts me and I prefer having some alone time rather than having two or three reunions with friends at my leisure times.
The fragmented free time constrains my life. I cannot meet all of my friends. So, the interval between this meet and last meet for the same person becomes bigger and bigger. Is it true to everyone? I spoke with some friends and realized that not just me has this situation. I guess the work fragments life. To make our life comfortable, we demand more and more alone time.
Is it a drawback to be a grown-up? You tell me.
It seems inevitable. My life becomes more and more regular. On weekdays, I stay at home after work. On weekends, I have some nice meals and play video games with friends. Sleep is something essential on my weekend plan of course. Because I need to charge myself in order to have a fresh week after the weekend. The number of friends that I am keeping in touch drop a lot compared to several years ago. Is it because I become lazier? Just because my work exhausts me and I prefer having some alone time rather than having two or three reunions with friends at my leisure times.
The fragmented free time constrains my life. I cannot meet all of my friends. So, the interval between this meet and last meet for the same person becomes bigger and bigger. Is it true to everyone? I spoke with some friends and realized that not just me has this situation. I guess the work fragments life. To make our life comfortable, we demand more and more alone time.
Is it a drawback to be a grown-up? You tell me.
Want to expand your business network?
LinkedIn is a good idea. You go there, create an account, put your current status, then link to others. I don't know other places. But in the bay area, LinkedIn is commonly used among professionals. Also, if you are thinking to change your job or find an internship, LinkedIn can be a good platform. You see jobs in your network and see who the recruiter is. You can ask someone (your friend, or your friend's friend) to refer you. It is more efficient than posting your curriculum vitae on company websites and unsure if any one will be looking at it. Website: http://www.linkedin.com/
LinkedIn is a good idea. You go there, create an account, put your current status, then link to others. I don't know other places. But in the bay area, LinkedIn is commonly used among professionals. Also, if you are thinking to change your job or find an internship, LinkedIn can be a good platform. You see jobs in your network and see who the recruiter is. You can ask someone (your friend, or your friend's friend) to refer you. It is more efficient than posting your curriculum vitae on company websites and unsure if any one will be looking at it. Website: http://www.linkedin.com/
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Covalent Bond
The net charge is zero
Covalent Bond is a chemical bond where electrons are shared between two atoms. In this type of bond no ions are found. You can find covalent bonds in many compounds. Each atom contributes one electron to the bond.
Covalent Bond is a chemical bond where electrons are shared between two atoms. In this type of bond no ions are found. You can find covalent bonds in many compounds. Each atom contributes one electron to the bond.
Surf's Up
"You know, we've known each other way back since, like... yesterday, I think it was. " from Chicken Joe
This movie started with an interview. You started knowing the main character - Cody Maverick. You knew he was a penguin living in Antarctica. Unlike other penguins, Cody surfed when others fish. Cody surfed when others tried to hitch eggs. He had his own way. His role model was Big Z who was famous for big wave surfing. Cody admired Big Z so that when neurotic event liaison bird Mikey Abromowitz was in his island for Big Z Memorial competition promotion, Cody jumped to the whale and joined the competition team.
A totally surfing movie. These penguins look similar to those from Happy Feet. But the movie atmosphere and plot were completely different from those in Happy Feet. If you are learning surfing or you already a surf fanatic, then you will appreciate this movie as much as I did.
This movie started with an interview. You started knowing the main character - Cody Maverick. You knew he was a penguin living in Antarctica. Unlike other penguins, Cody surfed when others fish. Cody surfed when others tried to hitch eggs. He had his own way. His role model was Big Z who was famous for big wave surfing. Cody admired Big Z so that when neurotic event liaison bird Mikey Abromowitz was in his island for Big Z Memorial competition promotion, Cody jumped to the whale and joined the competition team.Cody was brave, fearless, and maverick (perfect for his last name). He stood up when Tank insulted Big Z. He was totally wiped out by the big waves. All competitors showed great sympathy on the wipe out. But the event organizer, Reggie, did not. Instead, he took this wipe-out as a promotion event to attract audience's attention. A tease to marketing folks.
Lani, a female lifeguard, saved Cody when he was wiped-out and in coma. Lani took Cody to her uncle's house. 
Her uncle looked 100% wasted. Accidentally, Cody found out this uncle was Big Z. Oh, this uncle was his role model. This uncle was his all time hero. But... why Big Z did not want to surf any more?
Her uncle looked 100% wasted. Accidentally, Cody found out this uncle was Big Z. Oh, this uncle was his role model. This uncle was his all time hero. But... why Big Z did not want to surf any more?Through interactions and memories, the audience understood why. Then the fun began. We saw how Big Z was called Big Z. We saw many detailed techniques in respect to surfing. Oh, made me want to try surfing.
Chicken Joe was absolutely a fun character. His laid-back style and interesting behavior cracked me up. His talking, like the one I quoted in sub-headline, was nonsensely entertaining. His scenes with the tribe (the yum yum yum tribe) was creative. I somehow sensed that the yum yum yum thing was a tease to French. (since French said yum yum yum) Another fun part was from kids' talking.
The competition and ending part were more educational (friendship was more important than fame). Fun to watch though. Highly recommend this 85 min movie especially in this slow season.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Why Endoplasmic Reticulum has two types?
Another question was that why Endoplasmic Reticulum was given this name? The more I read biology, the more I respect biologists. Many names are incredibly long. Why do biologists remember names without getting themselves confused? I just finished five pages and already got myself discouraged. But, maybe, I will get fun if I continue reading it more?
Another question was that why Endoplasmic Reticulum was given this name? The more I read biology, the more I respect biologists. Many names are incredibly long. Why do biologists remember names without getting themselves confused? I just finished five pages and already got myself discouraged. But, maybe, I will get fun if I continue reading it more?
Orange Crush
Band: R.E.M.
If no one told me what R.E.M. stood for, I would never link R.E.M. to Rapid Eye Movement.
Twist Bistro
Another French cuisine explore
La Fondue was not available with our time request. So, we executed our plan B which was to have dinner at Twist Bistro. Twist is in Campbell. We had never been the downtown Campbell. It was nice to walk around to know this city. Twist Bistro according to the reviews, it should be an excellent choice for dinning.
La Fondue was not available with our time request. So, we executed our plan B which was to have dinner at Twist Bistro. Twist is in Campbell. We had never been the downtown Campbell. It was nice to walk around to know this city. Twist Bistro according to the reviews, it should be an excellent choice for dinning.The owners are French. The owner gave us a big table for us on purpose just because he said the small table would not work for French.
Funny owner. We sit on the bar for 10 min. We were served two Kir (typical French apéritif.). Kir is champagne with Cassis juice. Color looked good. Not dry. A good complimentary drink.
What impressed us
We sit down. After 2 min, some bread was served. Oh, the quality of the bread was terrific. It was the type that you would only have in Paris. Fresh, right ingredients (not sour dough), soft inside, with crispy crust. A very satisfactory opening for dinner.
The opening increased my expectations. We ordered just right for our small appetite. Almost everything was near perfection. Here was a list of dishes that impressed us.
- Les Froids
We ordered "Duck Foie Gras Terrine "Maison", Brioche Toast". The Foie Gras plate came at the same time as "Mussels Mariniere". Foie Gras had a big trunk of fat. It was my first time to see a served foie gras with such a big portion of fat. A bit disturbing. Foie Gras tasted good. The brioche was baked perfectly. Golden brown and crispy. A perfect match with soft foie gras. Foie Gras' quality is good.
- Les Chauds
We ordered "Mussels Mariniere". This mussels dish is by far the best we have ever had. So fresh. The juice was beyond excellency.
- Accompagnements
We ordered ratatouille. The portion was elegant. It was served a bit late (the waitress gave us a precaution before). The cooking was flawless. Did not know why we ordered ratatouille. Maybe due to the movie Ratatouille?
- Desserts
We had one chocolate mousse and one floating island. I had a latte. Its latte was strong and good to go with dessert.
French 101
- Froid = cold
- Chaud = hot
- Accompagnement = side
- Cassis = blackcurrant
- Apéritif = apetizer drink
Location: 245 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA
Friday, December 7, 2007
Ubergizmo
Oh, he is the man
Last night, we had a dinner and Guitar Hero night in Navaline's. One of the guests was famous. He is an Internet celebrity. Wow. Nice to meet him. He is quite easygoing. Could sense entrepreneurship from his talking. You may know his websites already. Here is one of them. http://www.ubergizmo.com/
Last night, we had a dinner and Guitar Hero night in Navaline's. One of the guests was famous. He is an Internet celebrity. Wow. Nice to meet him. He is quite easygoing. Could sense entrepreneurship from his talking. You may know his websites already. Here is one of them. http://www.ubergizmo.com/
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Douce France
An European bakery
A friend recommended us to try this bakery. This store is in Town & Country plaza located in the Galvez and El Camino Real intersection. So close to Stanford. But, we had never been there.
Totof had Douce France's Apricot and Raspberry tarts before in an event organized by a French student association. According to him, these tarts were wonderful. His statement triggered my interest. The first time we visited Douce France (you know we have been there several times since the recommendation) was an afternoon. A small store in a hidden location. The wall decorations made you aware of the style. Absolutely French.
We did not see Apricot tarts so we ordered two Raspberry tarts (small one). We ordered a croissant as well. We like to use croissant to judge a bakery. Why? Because we know how to make croissant. Its raspberry tarts were terrific. Its looking was not fancy. Several raspberries on top of a tart crust. Darted with transparent jelly. With one bite. Wow. The filling cream completed the raspberries. The raspberries were ripe with good smell. The sweet level of the tart was just right. Not the sweet to death level. It was mainly from raspberry sweet. Its taste was amazing.
For Douce France's raspberry tart, we came back to get a big tart for Totof's cousin. You can imagine that the tart was very appreciated. What a success. Then, last Sunday, we went there for brunch. So crowded. We did not expect Douce France would be that crowded at 2:30. By all means we ordered our all time favorite - raspberry tart. Oh, as wonderful as before.
French 101
Douce = sweet
Location: 93 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, CA
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Kirkwood has special ticket rate
For those who like to ski in Kirkwood
Limited Time Offer Dec. 3 to Dec. 9 - Only Available Online
$59* Adult Full Day Lift Tickets
$45* Junior Full Day Lift Tickets
Give the gift of lift access this holiday season! Kirkwood is offering a special online offer to purchase unrestricted lift tickets for the holidays. This limited time offer is only available from Dec. 3 to Dec. 9, and only available on our special ecommerce website. To purchase, simply logon to https://skikirkwood.com/e-commerce/grplogin.aspx and enter the special username THE WOOD and password HAPPYHOLIDAYS. You can save up to $13 a day and give the gift of skiing and riding!
Guests have been enjoying Kirkwood 7 days a week since opening day November 25th. Cooler temperatures continue to allow crews to open more terrain. Visit www.kirkwood.com or call the Snowphone at 1.877.KIRKWOOD to get the latest on conditions.
*Offer includes savings on adult full day and junior full day lift tickets only. No restrictions apply. Offer expires December 9, 2007. All purchases are final, refunds not available
Limited Time Offer Dec. 3 to Dec. 9 - Only Available Online
$59* Adult Full Day Lift Tickets
$45* Junior Full Day Lift Tickets
Give the gift of lift access this holiday season! Kirkwood is offering a special online offer to purchase unrestricted lift tickets for the holidays. This limited time offer is only available from Dec. 3 to Dec. 9, and only available on our special ecommerce website. To purchase, simply logon to https://skikirkwood.com/e-commerce/grplogin.aspx and enter the special username THE WOOD and password HAPPYHOLIDAYS. You can save up to $13 a day and give the gift of skiing and riding!
Guests have been enjoying Kirkwood 7 days a week since opening day November 25th. Cooler temperatures continue to allow crews to open more terrain. Visit www.kirkwood.com or call the Snowphone at 1.877.KIRKWOOD to get the latest on conditions.
*Offer includes savings on adult full day and junior full day lift tickets only. No restrictions apply. Offer expires December 9, 2007. All purchases are final, refunds not available
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Here It Goes Again
Band: OK GO
This song is absolutely a good example of Internet power. OK GO was not famous. But, since this video clip was so fun (OK GO were dancing on treadmills), hundreds and hundreds people forwarded this clip to their friends. It promoted OK GO from a rookie to a super star band. Regardless, this video is fun to watch when you are bored.
This song is absolutely a good example of Internet power. OK GO was not famous. But, since this video clip was so fun (OK GO were dancing on treadmills), hundreds and hundreds people forwarded this clip to their friends. It promoted OK GO from a rookie to a super star band. Regardless, this video is fun to watch when you are bored.
Stanford's Big Game Victory Over California
Who said Stanford cannot win?
Well, it must be a bummer for those who support Cal. Cal's football is well-knownly strong. Stanford rarely has a chance to win Cal. At least in recent years. I was surprised to know Stanford got the mojo last Saturday.
From Stanford Athletics, it said Stanford's 20-13 victory over California in the 110th Big Game at Stanford Stadium last Saturday will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports Net Bay Area this Tuesday, December 4.
Well, it must be a bummer for those who support Cal. Cal's football is well-knownly strong. Stanford rarely has a chance to win Cal. At least in recent years. I was surprised to know Stanford got the mojo last Saturday.
From Stanford Athletics, it said Stanford's 20-13 victory over California in the 110th Big Game at Stanford Stadium last Saturday will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports Net Bay Area this Tuesday, December 4.
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
Band: Aerosmith
It is strange. I somehow can manage Aerosmith's Guitar parts better than others. This first time I realized this talent was that when we played Aerosmith's Last Child in Guitar Hero 2. The more I play Aerosmith's songs, the more I appreciate this band.
Included is another Aerosmith's hit. Good to listen to when you need some alone time.
It is strange. I somehow can manage Aerosmith's Guitar parts better than others. This first time I realized this talent was that when we played Aerosmith's Last Child in Guitar Hero 2. The more I play Aerosmith's songs, the more I appreciate this band.
Included is another Aerosmith's hit. Good to listen to when you need some alone time.
La Fondue
According to the reviews, this place offers creative dinning experience
And we are going to try it.
And we are going to try it.
Rock Band Trailer with Deep Purple's Highway Star
For those who have not seen Rock Band's intro
For me, a game intro is important. The intro shows the spirit of the game. So, I like to spend some time on appreciating a game's intro. We got both Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band recently. As far as I can say, Rock Band's intro is more aesthetic. I attached Rock Band's intro here. Take a look at it. It is an animation. Isn't it cool?
For me, a game intro is important. The intro shows the spirit of the game. So, I like to spend some time on appreciating a game's intro. We got both Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band recently. As far as I can say, Rock Band's intro is more aesthetic. I attached Rock Band's intro here. Take a look at it. It is an animation. Isn't it cool?
Monday, December 3, 2007
October night
Saturday night was a Rock Band night
Rock Band is more fun when you have a team (a band).
Four people were in the band: Antoine, Alex, and us. We rotated roles so that everyone could be the guitarist, the drummer, the vocalist, or the bassist. At the beginning stage, we did not try the world tour. We were warming ourselves up by the local match. I played the drum since neither Antoine nor Alex had the experience before. I was so glad to show them drums. After two songs, I asked them if anyone wanted to try drums. Everyone gave me a positive answer. Indeed, the drumming part looked challengingly fun.
Alex played the drums after me. He asked me if I could suggest some easy songs. I said "try Bon Jovi's Wanted dead or alive". The drumming part in this song is entertaining. Also, it helps you get familiar with the foot petal. (I think the foot part requires skills) If you want to know how this song looks like, try my previous post. After 30 min, someone said "How about try the world tour?" Great idea. So we went to the world tour mode. Antoine and Alex created their own characters. Alex created a drummer called "Gordon". Gordon looked so manly. (White shirt with big muscles) Antoine created a guitarist called Melissa. Melissa has long hair and petite figure. Melissa looked cute and sexy (with mini skirt and stocking). If you put Melissa and my figure, Ana, together, you will feel like you see a twin.
We had four members. The largest band for October ever (our band is called October).
We tried London first (our home town is San Francisco). There are three venues in London. We picked the first venue. This venue was not easy. But we made it. Then, we switched to the second venue. We tried Aerosmith's "Train Kept a Rollin". Apparently it was not a good idea. This song was too hard for first time drummer. We failed and lost fans. But, this failure did not stop October. We moved to our home town and rocked them all. Alex sang Garbage's "I think I am paranoid". This was fun since the song was not for guys. So we heard Alex tried hard to mimic Garbage's female voice. How nice. He also tried the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go". Entertaining. Antoine sang Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" (see my post for the music). Classic. Totof sang Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly". He failed once and he tried to find some excuses so that no one could make fun of him on this.
We continued to try many nice songs. For instance, the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush". We liked Radiohead's "Creep" and Hole's "Celebrity Skin" (see my post). Faith no more's "Epic" was a hard one but we succeeded. The Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" and Nirvana's "In Bloom" were fun. Metallica's "Enter Sandman" was insanely hard (see my post and you will know why). We tried several times and lost tons of fans. But still efforts went to void. We then encountered another tough song - Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time". This time we managed to finish it thanks to the teamwork. The hives' "Main Offender" gave us a nice break. The Killers' "When You Were Young" relaxed us. OK GO's "Here It Goes Again" was fun. The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" was unexpectedly good. Of course we did not miss the chance of performing the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Deep Purple's "Highway Star" (see my post). The most frustrating song would be "Green Grass or High Tides". I forgot who the band was. The whole song was so painful. We tried at least five times with different tricks. But none of the tricks worked. We lost a lot of fans. Just doomed ourselves. At that point, all of us were tired. We had kept playing for more than 4 hours. So, we decided to let the band take a big break. October will come back with the same members in a week.
Rock Band is more fun when you have a team (a band).
Four people were in the band: Antoine, Alex, and us. We rotated roles so that everyone could be the guitarist, the drummer, the vocalist, or the bassist. At the beginning stage, we did not try the world tour. We were warming ourselves up by the local match. I played the drum since neither Antoine nor Alex had the experience before. I was so glad to show them drums. After two songs, I asked them if anyone wanted to try drums. Everyone gave me a positive answer. Indeed, the drumming part looked challengingly fun.
Alex played the drums after me. He asked me if I could suggest some easy songs. I said "try Bon Jovi's Wanted dead or alive". The drumming part in this song is entertaining. Also, it helps you get familiar with the foot petal. (I think the foot part requires skills) If you want to know how this song looks like, try my previous post. After 30 min, someone said "How about try the world tour?" Great idea. So we went to the world tour mode. Antoine and Alex created their own characters. Alex created a drummer called "Gordon". Gordon looked so manly. (White shirt with big muscles) Antoine created a guitarist called Melissa. Melissa has long hair and petite figure. Melissa looked cute and sexy (with mini skirt and stocking). If you put Melissa and my figure, Ana, together, you will feel like you see a twin.
We had four members. The largest band for October ever (our band is called October).
We tried London first (our home town is San Francisco). There are three venues in London. We picked the first venue. This venue was not easy. But we made it. Then, we switched to the second venue. We tried Aerosmith's "Train Kept a Rollin". Apparently it was not a good idea. This song was too hard for first time drummer. We failed and lost fans. But, this failure did not stop October. We moved to our home town and rocked them all. Alex sang Garbage's "I think I am paranoid". This was fun since the song was not for guys. So we heard Alex tried hard to mimic Garbage's female voice. How nice. He also tried the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go". Entertaining. Antoine sang Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" (see my post for the music). Classic. Totof sang Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly". He failed once and he tried to find some excuses so that no one could make fun of him on this.
We continued to try many nice songs. For instance, the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush". We liked Radiohead's "Creep" and Hole's "Celebrity Skin" (see my post). Faith no more's "Epic" was a hard one but we succeeded. The Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" and Nirvana's "In Bloom" were fun. Metallica's "Enter Sandman" was insanely hard (see my post and you will know why). We tried several times and lost tons of fans. But still efforts went to void. We then encountered another tough song - Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time". This time we managed to finish it thanks to the teamwork. The hives' "Main Offender" gave us a nice break. The Killers' "When You Were Young" relaxed us. OK GO's "Here It Goes Again" was fun. The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" was unexpectedly good. Of course we did not miss the chance of performing the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Deep Purple's "Highway Star" (see my post). The most frustrating song would be "Green Grass or High Tides". I forgot who the band was. The whole song was so painful. We tried at least five times with different tricks. But none of the tricks worked. We lost a lot of fans. Just doomed ourselves. At that point, all of us were tired. We had kept playing for more than 4 hours. So, we decided to let the band take a big break. October will come back with the same members in a week.
Black Hole Sun
Band: Soundgarden
Classic.
Excuse my limited music knowledge. I barely knew any rock music before playing Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero opened a new world for me. Now, Rock Band is opening another world for me. Rock Band has all the master tracks. OMG. If you love music and you are a band person, then you gotta try Rock Band at least once.
Classic.
Excuse my limited music knowledge. I barely knew any rock music before playing Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero opened a new world for me. Now, Rock Band is opening another world for me. Rock Band has all the master tracks. OMG. If you love music and you are a band person, then you gotta try Rock Band at least once.
Celebrity Skin
Band: Hole
We came across this song when we unlocked Boston in Rock Band world tour mode (our hometown is San Francisco). I did not know this band before. I was told the singer is the wife of the singer in Nirvana. Wow.
We came across this song when we unlocked Boston in Rock Band world tour mode (our hometown is San Francisco). I did not know this band before. I was told the singer is the wife of the singer in Nirvana. Wow.
Vaso Azzurro
"A friendly taste of Northern Italy" from Mercury News
Saturday night before we played Rock Band, we went to Vaso Azzurro for dinner. The taste of Vaso Azzurro is friendly but not its price. If you want to have a warm welcome and authentic Italian restaurant atmosphere, Vaso Azzurro is a good choice.
I particularly like Vaso Azzurro's dessert menu. We four people ordered three desserts and two drinks. Among three desserts, Zabaglione occupied two shares. In addition to Zabaglione, we had one Affogata. These two desserts absolutely looked good and tasted good.
Affogata ($5.9)
Vaso Azzurro's Affogata is a vanilla gelato topped by espresso coffee, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
Zabaglione ($5.9)
Vaso Azzurro's Zabaglione is better than Il Fronaio's in my opinion. Il Fronaio's Zabaglione is already the best among the best. So, you can imagine how wonderful Vaso Azzurro's is. Vaso Azzurro's is filled with fresh berries and covered with homemade creamy marsala wine sauce.
I ordered a raspberry latte with white chocolate. This latte is by far the best I have ever had. People like Totof who does not like coffee can appreciate it as well. I wonder what coffee bean and coffee machine Vaso Azzurro has. The dessert menu dazzles me.
Location: 108 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041
Rock Band - Highway Star
Band: Deep Purple
This song is absolutely another insane one. Saturday night we four people tried hard but still got stuck. I like this song. This song brings more fun when you co-op with other instruments.
This song is absolutely another insane one. Saturday night we four people tried hard but still got stuck. I like this song. This song brings more fun when you co-op with other instruments.
Rock Band - Enter Sandman
Band: Metallica
These people are crazily good. Saturday night we tried this song (Guitar: Totof, Bass: Antoine, Drum: me). We did not pass this song. This song was insane. What can you expect from Metallica?
Compared this song to Metallica's another hit - One, which one you like better?
These people are crazily good. Saturday night we tried this song (Guitar: Totof, Bass: Antoine, Drum: me). We did not pass this song. This song was insane. What can you expect from Metallica?
Compared this song to Metallica's another hit - One, which one you like better?
The best Dim Sum sweet
This one is by far the best
Saturday, we and some friends went to Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Restaurant for dim sum. This place serves great dim sum - see the post. Since one friend knows the managers (he comes to this place quite often), we got a privilege of getting the snow mountain bun (we did not know the correct English version so we just translated the name literally.) The snow mountain bun is all white. Many people have told me how tasty the snow mountain barn is. I was so curious. So, once one set was available, I took one.
Oh, the snow mountain bun was so fragile. The outside looked like a mountain covered by some snow. The snow part was crispy. The mountain part was super soft. With one bite, I absolutely knew why people praised this dessert so much. The inner part was the taro filling. The taro was not too sweet. The filling was rich and also soft. The filling completes the pastry. I bet you that you can have tons of the snow mountain bun without getting bored.
One thing interesting was that the snow mountain bun went short super fast. A senior manager normally brought 10 sets of snow mountain buns out. He could not go too far. Once the snow mountain buns appeared, all waiters and waitresses ran to the manager and grabbed as many as possible to their customers. If your table is around the front part of the restaurant, you will never have a chance of witnessing the snow mountain bun popularity.
Saturday, we and some friends went to Hong Kong Saigon Seafood Restaurant for dim sum. This place serves great dim sum - see the post. Since one friend knows the managers (he comes to this place quite often), we got a privilege of getting the snow mountain bun (we did not know the correct English version so we just translated the name literally.) The snow mountain bun is all white. Many people have told me how tasty the snow mountain barn is. I was so curious. So, once one set was available, I took one.
Oh, the snow mountain bun was so fragile. The outside looked like a mountain covered by some snow. The snow part was crispy. The mountain part was super soft. With one bite, I absolutely knew why people praised this dessert so much. The inner part was the taro filling. The taro was not too sweet. The filling was rich and also soft. The filling completes the pastry. I bet you that you can have tons of the snow mountain bun without getting bored.
One thing interesting was that the snow mountain bun went short super fast. A senior manager normally brought 10 sets of snow mountain buns out. He could not go too far. Once the snow mountain buns appeared, all waiters and waitresses ran to the manager and grabbed as many as possible to their customers. If your table is around the front part of the restaurant, you will never have a chance of witnessing the snow mountain bun popularity.
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