Steam

Light and healthy food is always welcome. I love steamed fish. My mom has a nice steamed fish recipe and her steamed fish is one of my favorites. I have thought about cooking a steamed fish and yet, due to many reasons, I and a home-cooked steamed fish had not bumped into each other in my kitchen until recently. Weeks ago, I just couldn't wait any more. I overcame the most terrified obstacle to the steamed fish cooking - a steamer. I am a practical person and like a simple kitchen. I don't like buying a big collection of plates, cookware, bake ware, or a knife set. A steamer is not a necessity. So I was so struggling - should I get a steamer or should I wait? The truth was that I decided to get it. This big pot looks somehow professional. I have a good expectation for it. Got a 1.3 bl fish fillet. Yay, pretty happy and just wanted to rush home.

My memory is not too good these days. The specific amount in my mom's recipe quite fades away in my mind. Went to Google. Google has become my friend ever since I moved in. Whenever I have a question, Google it. The following is what I did. Of course I modified much from others' recipes. You know, mom's recipe is always unique.

1. 1.3 bl fresh fillet
2. 8 sliced ginger
3. A handful chopped garlic
4. 1/4 cup soy sauce
5. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
6. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
7. 2 tablespoons Chinese wine (nice to have)

It was my first time to use the steamer. The time measurement could not be optimal. So I will not list how long I cooked it this time. Luckily the steamer's cover has a see through window. I didn't have any Chinese wine with me when I cooked. I realized the wine part is essential. Without the wine, the fish smelled a bit fishy during the cooking. So I put more ginger and vinegar. Good thing was that the end product was not fishy at all. A good texture and taste fish. So delicious.

Los Gatos Creek

Biking can potentially be my new hobby. I did not know how to bike until a few years ago. If the bike is designed well, then I can operate it well. If the bike is a cheap one with unstable handles then I will say bye bye to the bike in 2 min. I am not a professional biker at all. The bay area has many trails, it is something that I found out recently even though I have been here for five years, all well designed for cyclists and joggers, and most of them are built along creeks. Weeks ago, friends brought me to the Los Gatos Creek trail. We biked there. The trail is approximately over 10 miles. We spent 30 min from the entrance to the downtown Los Gatos. Perhaps the length is short but since my friends had to wait for me it took us a half hour to complete one way. The biking part is pretty fun. The view is gorgeous. Creek on a side and green belt on the other. Happy people were sitting on the green. Some kids were playing on the field. Biking - a good way to pass time.

525600 minutes

How do you measure a year? This is from the theme song from Rent. I thought I have watched this Broadway show and yet I could not be certain when I watched the DVD. Perhaps I did. Perhaps not. Tonight I spent some time enjoying this DVD. Some scenes touched me. After the movie ended, I went to YouTube to get the theme song since I like it very much.

Wonderland

This is what I see Connecticut. I spent two days in a small town in Connecticut. This town is called Bloomfield, close to Hartford. The tree, the serenity, the sky, the landscape, the buildings and the friendly people made me wonder if I have gone into a wonderland. I think it is such a nice place for honeymoon. Romantic and tranquil. Small town scenery. It is how I perceived this State. The view refreshed my torn mind. I have been torn by various things this year. I have been pushed over my limit many times. You know when you wake up and what you want is just to sigh then you know you cross your limit. The NYC stay absolutely refilled my energy bar. The dream like places in this State relaxed my tensed mind and healed my torn soul. I appreciate that I have this chance to visit these places.

Spamalot

Before going, my friend told me that this Broadway show is fun and yet not for every one. Some people love it while others dislike it. Herself loves this show a lot. She knew I was considering this and Mary Poppins. She suggested if I want to play safe I should try Mary Poppins since she was not certain which group I will belong to. I picked Spamalot. I luckily found a discounted ticket online for this show. The original price is 145 which is not for everyone. I was skeptical to the website selling the discounted tickets. The site looks quite cheap and unsecured. So the strategy was to arrive at the theater early and get the ticket along with a printout. It would generate some hassles. Yet, it was wise to do so. On Saturday, I left my friend's apartment around 10 which was quite early since I was apparently suffering from the jet lag. I planned to visit MOMA and then go to the theater district. My heavy luggage dragged my schedule. Not many people would walk around in NYC with a big bag I suppose. I had to do so for some reasons. The luggage hurt my shoulder and yet I still insisted not in taking the subway. I wanted to see this city, use my eyes to remember this city, experience the heaven and hell together NYC, refresh my sluggish mind, and see the people. The stroll did not disappoint me at all. I enjoyed the stroll very much. Both shoulders hurt but my will and the joy alleviate the discomfort.

After a long walk, I arrived at the theater. I recall I was on 44th st some years ago. Felt excited. The cashier man was nice and got me a good seat.

The show was very fun. I laughed all the times. The show was accented with British accent. Story line was simple. It was about the King Arthur and Holy Grail. The show was from the Monty Python group. If you saw their movies before then you know their style. The singing part was quite nice too. The jokes were not hard to understand. If I, an foreigner, can understand then you should get them easily. This show tops my Broadway show experiences. If you wanna have a laugh with a high quality performance, Spamalot can be a choice.

Performance

Saturday night we went to see a performance at BMC. The BMC is a performance center around the Lafayette Ave station. The name of the performance is Les Sept Planches de la Ruse. It is a dancing performance. First I want to say the BMC is such a fancy place. The people there are beautiful and elegant. The deco is creative. We took an escalator up. To go to mezzanine. Some white figures floating in the air close to the ceiling. Funny thing is none of the figures has head. Yet, these figures look cool. The overall lighting and design make them so. Blue beam from the top, it spreads nicely on the figures. The figures seem swimming according to my friend. A big portion of the second floor is decorated like a lounge. Red chairs, blue light, bar, elegant people, and young crowd. The building reminds me of an old church. Of course it is not a church converted. But the designer makes it look like a retro.

The performance is about a game. The game was about how you play some geometric shapes. I was told the game was popular a few decades ago. The game was designed for kids to help kids develop intelligence. The game was like a puzzle. Some basic geometric blocks and if you play right, you can always assemble them to a big rectangle. There is no one solution though. You can use your creativity to gather the blocks. The director played the balancing game in the performance. Many interesting combinations. The original flow of the show was appreciative. A good performance.

Brooklyn

This New York - Connecticut trip is enjoyable. The first stop was New York City. I have been New York City a few times. Each time I got something unforgettable. The first time, I booked a ticket with wrong dates. When I realized it, my departure flight was already gone. I paid twice airfare. The surprise was not over yet. When I was strolling around the Central Park, I stopped by an ATM and realized my bank account was intruded by an identity theft. The joy vanished. I had to spend one hour on the phone to get things clear. I still remember where I sit around the Central Park. You can imagine. Having this unforgettable memory, this time, before I booked the ticket, I checked the dates over and over. Yet, still a myth, at the time I clicked the confirm, the dates turned to be incorrect. Luckily the booking was still at the internal stage. I was able to have a travel agent to revise my travel. Of course before I went on the trip, I was worried to have a financial crisis like last time. So I checked all accounts and transactions. Every thing seemed fine. Due to my friend's busy schedule, I took the Air Train and Subway to her place. She lives in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, for some reasons, I thought it was a sketchy place. Yet, Brooklyn is a very great place to hang out. I got off at the Jay St - Borough Hall station. The sky was dark but the street looks so energetic. Surprised me. Many shops on the side: restaurants, bakeries, bars, florists, and lounges. All looked cool. If I was not carrying my heavy luggage, I'd visit every cute store on Smith, the street off the station. Just a window shopping was still a joy. All the small shops try hard to attract customers. The looking, the decoration, the music, and the atmosphere, wow, I was so glad to be there. I was happy to visit Brooklyn. This area is absolutely a trendy place.

The night without Onyxia

The room looked empty. I think I am used to Onyxia's presence already. I am used to hear meow-ou when I open the front entrance. I am used to hear scratches when I approach my door. Just few days and yet I am already attached to Onyxia. Someone told me that cats normally don't build up relationships with people, they only do with places. My place is small. I wonder if Onyxia remembers she spent some days in a small confinement where she saw many closets and green carpets? Cats have memories I assume so. Another question is that does Onyxia have the same attachment to my place if the attachment is not for me?

Guitar Hero 4

There are many improvements in Guitar Hero World Tour. I found the missing excitement. Surprisingly.

Two years ago, Guitar Hero 2 introduced a new entertaining world to me. It reshaped my impression of video games. I was not a gamer at that time. Yet, the excitement transformed me. I could stay up late just for it. For what I would sacrifice my sleep? Not for many things. Guitar Hero 2 has given me many good memories. One year ago, when I knew Guitar Hero 3 was coming, I was so eager to try it. But this game did not give me the same excitement as its previous version did. Guitar Hero 3 was more like an incomplete work. It misses some touches that are essential to video game successes. I could not retain my interest in it. Rock Band's drums took the chance and my mind since then has been engaged in the Rock Band drums. I think I was looking forward to seeing some improvements in the guitar part in Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band. Yet, neither Rock Band nor Guitar Hero advances or improves the guitar part in a major manner.

When someone told me Guitar Hero 4 and Rock Band 2 were coming, I was just casually nod my head to show the acknowledgement. I was not that enthusiastic any more. Because I did not expect to see any great excitement. For some reasons this attitude is excellent. I was amazed by Rock Band 2 last Sunday. And two days ago, Guitar Hero World Tour did the same thing to me. I saw something that has been absent for a while. I found the excitement. In guitar. And beyond my expectation, the drum parts in the new Guitar Hero are very fun. Perhaps not designed in the same way as in Rock Band. It provides another perspective. I am super happy.

A well done analysis

Many people said this Presidential election is historical significant and has a profound meaning. People said this election made the US the true land of opportunities. I am not politics enthusiastic. From NPR and Google news, I learned more and more about each candidate and campaigns. Each individual has unique strength and perspective. I don't say I share the zeal of millions American about this election and yet I did observe this election closely. From an outsider's point of view, this election is long and tense. After the worth watching election day is over, many analyses about the victory have emerged. Everywhere, regardless of language, location and material. Comments have come from every continent. Some are in written, some are in hard copy, while others are in electronic format. Some writings are professional and worth reading. I came across "Signed, sealed, and delivered" from Economist which I think is among the best analyses.

Make me think

Just continue to think this issue. It seems like Taiwan and China just reached an agreement about direct trade and transport link. This issue has been brought up many times. This time it got an answer. I don't feel surprised. China has tried to improve its image recently. The Olympic is a good example, and now the agreement is another. In Taiwan as well as China the issue is always two side point of view. Always have tons of people sticking to each side. Don't have any opinion yet. If you want to know more on this, click on the link: agreement, viewpoint. What Taiwanese need are respect, fair treatment, and peace.

Love Actually

Last night was pretty cold. Both Onyxia and I were slow. Looking at the screen and thinking some random things. My mind was lazy. Suddenly I had an idea. How about watch a DVD? I picked this movie. Well the DVD functioned weirdly. It required me to install a special DVD player which was designed for Universal films. Quite lame. To watch it I have to install it. After some time the movie started. Quite heavy British accent. I liked the scene where Billy sang "Christmas is everywhere." This song technically was called "Love is everywhere." To promote more sales, the marketing strategy was to replace "love" with "Christmas" and release the revised version. Many small scenes were represented: office work environment, wedding, funeral, porn-movie shooting, British prime minister move-in, and a mobile worker. This movie is like drinking a good bottle water. Not too tense, not too artificial, quite natural, quite pleasant, no hidden flavor, no surprise. You can always relate the movie to yourself. I like it. I have not finished it though. I still have half hour to go. I was saving it for later so I could enjoy watching it rather than rushing myself to finish it at a wrong day.

Rock Band 2

I did not expect to play Rock Band 2. I was so thrilled when I saw it. My friends said my eyes were so bright when I saw it. They said I had a big smile when I checked out the song list. Oh I must behave like a kid facing a Christmas gift. I was absolutely a happy kid yesterday. If that is a real gift, then I will be very satisfied and willing to lock myself in for couple days just play and play. Somehow some one was able to put both Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 songs together. So the song list has at least 100 songs. I kept scrolling down and yet never saw the ending. Wow, you don't know how good I felt. The endless song list and improved drum experience made yesterday my day. I kept playing until my right foot felt numb. I tried the guitar. The Rock Band 2 guitar is more fun than Rock Band. At least the design is better. The Rock Band guitar expert mode is not really an expert mode. The interface in Rock Band 2 is similar to that in Rock Band. The song index has some changes though. You now can see the genre, the album, the singer, and the individual star rating in one shot. A cool thing.

I just wanted to say networking is amazing. You never know what is behind the person that you just met. The reason I could play Rock Band 2 was due to a friend's friend. Aha, thanks to networking. I need to be more social. For more pleasant surprises.

SAW V

First I need to say it loud that I am not a horror movie person. I am not into this type. I am so chicken. I always close my eyes when something super unwanted or disgusting or bloody or scary is going to come. If you look at my previous movie articles, you saw I have seen SAW I, SAW II, and SAW IV. I think it was the creativity that attracts me to see this series. The SAW I ending surprised me a lot. I would say the script writer is a genius. The second one is good too. The fourth one is a bit disgusting especially the last 10 min. The fifth one is just fine in my opinion. Perhaps it is just me. The preview time before the movie was super long. All the trailers in the preview time were horrible or creepy. I asked myself why I am here? What's wrong with me to come to see the movie? I felt so uneasy when looked at the big screen with disgusting scenes. The movie started. The starting scene was as usual quite scary. A new torture device. Then the story lead us back to the ending of the forth one. We knew the FBI agent somehow got caught by the new Jigsaw and put into a torture device. Smart or witty, he saved himself by opening a hall in his throat. You see, quite horrible. The story went on and 50% of the movie was retro. Trying to give the linkage between puzzles left in previous episodes. The story in this new release is weaker than previous episodes. My body was so tensed during the movie. I regretted to come right after the first torture device. Don't get me wrong though. The reason I regretted was because I felt so uncomfortable with horror movie. Not because of the weak or bad taste of the scenes. Overall, I would say the movie is not bad. The ending was interesting. Not too many people would predict the ending. Good to watch if you like to scare yourself to death.

Role Models

This movie for me is like another Super Bad or American Pie. During the two hours I laughed many times. Well, of course not every joke was fun. Some are quite dumb and others are quite low. If you just want to recover from some stress or simply look for some laughs, this movie is a good choice. We did not pay any dime though. It was a free movie screening. Would it be a worth watching movie in cinema? $10 for this movie? Most of us would shake head. The movie plot is simple. The main character got upset from his life around his 10 year anniversary in the company. He proposed and yet his girl friend decided not to accept it. Not only that, but she also wanted to end this relationship. The pissed guy and his friend then ran into troubles - got some fights with the tow away guys and drove their truck partially on a bull statue. Then a court order mandated the main characters to serve in a special behavior correction center, Sturdy Wings. Lots of incredible parts originated from this place. The lady who played the principal of the Sturdy Wings is quite genius. Lots of fun conversations from her. Each main character was assigned to spend some time with a troubled kid. You see how the main characters changed and how others reacted. Most parts of the movie were simply predictable. I particularly liked the Kiss part. The Kiss country in the role play land was totally a surprise to me. The ending of course is a happy ending.

This movie absolutely gave me some fun. The sound in the auditorium was not configured right though. Lots of times we just could not hear the conversations clearly. With lots of laughs or comments, we sometimes totally missed some funny jokes. Overall, the movie experience was very pleasant.