Scary Cat

I went for a salsa class on my own yesterday.

It was quite scary going on my own but I don't know anyone who would be interested in doing it. I was 15 minutes early. So I went into the class and felt a bit stupid standing on my own. Everyone seem to have come with friends/partners. I felt like going home. But I didn't. I really wanted to learn. And I was the only Chinese looking girl in the room. Not racist or anything but I felt really alone.

I just keep telling myself to keep smiling. No matter how scared I am, I will smile to hide the fear. So I stayed.

And it was fun. I was glad I stayed. My friend keep telling me that she thinks I am really brave to go on my own.

There are many times in life when we feel like a scary cat. We want to do something but we are scared. Scared of the unknown. Like when you like someone you want to tell them but you are scared they will reject you or laugh at you. Or you want to do something crazy like bunjee jumping but you are scared that you will die of a heart attack or a freak accident might happen. We are always thinking of the worst case scenario when actually the truth is there is no worst case scenario.

Worst case scenarios are all in the mind.
Life is too short to hold us back from doing the things we want to do.
Shit happens all the time and sometimes a bit more than other times.

I told my mum I went salsa yesterday and she was like 'You should have done it earlier....'

What took me so long to do something I always wanted to do?

I am a scary cat. Always have been.
But am trying to be a braver scary cat.

Pure Salsa

Had an absolutely wicked time at Cambridge.
Big Thank You to all the Cambridge people who made the trip very meaningful.
Went punting on Sunday but I stupidly left my camera in my suitcase.
Hopefully Sex Goddess Pei Theng will put up the pics on facebook soon.

It was nice to see college friends whom I have not seen for years.
I could feel the warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach.
It is so easy to talk to old friends. It is like even if you don’t say anything, there is a kind of understanding. It is nice to know there are like minded people. It is comforting to know that there are people who feel the same way about things. It is nice just to know that there are people who ‘understand’ because they are going through the same experience. It makes you feel that you are normal and not alone.

I love Cambridge. It is absolutely gorgeous!

I love walking to work every morning to be greeted by the old college buildings that are the secret keeper of centuries of untold memories.

I love the busy streets where student cyclists dominate the streets.

And I love admiring the lovely autumn leaves that hangs on the walls of the colleges out of my office.

Because Cambridge is so lovely, I stayed for another weekend.
Went to Salsa Del Este, an all day salsa workshop on Saturday.
The event was at this place which had a vineyard in the middle of nowhere about 30 mins from Cambridge.

It was hard work all day trying to keep up and remembering the steps in my old brain.

My favourite part of the workshop was this Spanish ‘rodeo’ dance taught by this super funky Moe Flex. We made a circle and then there are many funky-mad routines. In between the routines, the circle turns and we swap partners. One of the routines is ‘the police’ routine where we have to search our partners. It is hard to put it into words, so you just got to use your imagination…

Michelle in action - looking absolutely fab.


The professionals in action…

You just can’t take your eyes away from them. Totally mind-blowing…
Unfortunately my 16M card can only hold so much.

There is something really sexy about guys who can dance and lead a dance.
Older gentlemen who dance with their with the partners (whom I assume are their lifetime true love, just to make it all a bit more romantic) makes my heart melt.

Then there is this pregnant lady who was a jewel to watch as she turns around the dance floor with her partner and child. Gorgeously stunning…

The workshop lasted all day and at night we had the ‘rodeo’ and party which warmed the cold winter night.

Last but not least there are the newbies to salsa (like me) who deserve a mention because they have made a brave first step into the world of Latin Motion. Hopefully I will have the motivation to keep dancing…

Nigella and Gordon

The changing colours and the fallen leaves of autumn.
Autumn is my favourite season despite its dreary rain. I just love admiring at the beautiful colours of autumn. Autumn is like the forgoten season cause it passes by so quickly unlike the draggy winter.


Banana smoothie…

I kept some bananas in the freezer during the week. On Saturday, the frozen banana went into the blender with some yoghurt, a few slices of mango and soya milk. The original recipe had sugar, honey, cocoa powder, espresso powder and no mango. I thought the banana and mango was sweet enough so I didn’t add any sugar. Mine is just natural flavours, no added flavours. It was really super nice. I have been put off smoothies since I started working at the Juice Bar at Warwick. Now it is definitely back on my list again of comfort drink. The wonderful thing about smoothies is the possibilities are endless. You can add in anything….strawberries,melon,kiwi etc whatever you fancy really.

This smoothie is inspired by Nigella Lawson. I absolutely love her in Nigella Express. She makes cooking feels so easy and sexy. She is like this yummy mummy who can cook! Being a busy girl, the express way of cooking is inspiring. I don’t believe in spending ages in the kitchen unless you have all the time in the world. Quick and easy is the way forward.

My newest cook book from my fave chef.

I adapted his Basic Risotto into a Mushroom risotto.

Mushroom risotto:
500 – 600ml stock.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots chopped
200g risotto rice
1 – 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Some dried Chinese mushrooms and fresh organic button mushrooms.
Some spinach.
Salt and pepper

Heat oil and sauté shallots until soft.
Add rice and cook for 2 – 3 mins.
Pour in some of the stock and stir until absorbed. Stir frequently.
Add in the mushrooms. Add in more stock and stir until absorb. Continue this way adding more stock for 15 mins.
Stir in the spinach. Rice should be plump and creamy.
Add in the cheese, salt and pepper. Done.

I took about 30 mins to prepare this. I love risotto but sometimes I am too lazy to stir. I love putting the rice in the rice cooker. Take a nap and when I wake up and the rice is ready! I will be absolutely helpless without my rice cooker.

Off to Cambridge… for work and also for a wee bit of fun.

Lonely Hearts

Was reading the Sunday papers and there was this rather amusing article about a lonely hearts ad which says ‘I’m tired of beating about the bush. I am a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25-year old. I am articulate and classy. I am not from New York. I am looking to marry a guy who makes at least half a million a year.’ This ad received a pretty harsh but scarily true reply from an Investment Banker : ‘You bring your looks I bring my money. But here’s the rub. Your looks will fade but my money will continue in perpetuity. In economic terms, you are a depreciating asset. You are 25 and likely to stay hot for the next 5 years but less so each year. In Wall Street terms we would call you a trading position not a buy and hold. I hope this is helpful and if you want to enter into some kind of lease let me know.’

I feel strongly about women being independent financially. Even if I have a rich man, I would not want to ask him for money since I can earn it myself. The reply from the Investment Banker made me laugh even though it is actually quite sad that women are depreciating assets as they become less ‘wanted’ with age. On the contrary, I think most women would agree that most men do become more attractive as they get older. Life has never been fair!

I know this might sound crazy but I love reading the lonely hearts ad section (not cause I am looking for a match!) just to be amused by some of the things people write about themselves.

Can’t help but wonder what I should put if I were to put up an ad….
After much deep thought I think this is what I will put on my ad:

I am average looking petite girl. Shoe size: 3 ½. Currently hunting for the elusive pair of 3 ½ size boots which has to be sexy but comfy. I have fewer shoes than my male housemates because I am very fussy with shoes. Even though I have small feet, I love eating. I recently made some of my male friends look like girls with my enormous appetite. Not sure to be embarrassed or proud that I eat more than the boys. I am looking for a man who can make me laugh and who will love me for the eccentric girl that I am.

Not bad eh. I am impressed I came up with that. Mum’s been reminding me that I am a depreciating asset. Not sure to laugh or to be worried. But I doubt I will ever put myself up on Lonely Hearts. I have too much pride and too little courage to do something like that. Guess I just have to wait patiently for Mr Right…

Disclaimer : The above is not an ad. Please do NOT reply.

Invisible Line.

Have watched Death Note both parts one and two of the Japanese manga turned movie.
I thought it was absolutely brilliant to the very end.
I am glad I did not read the manga or watch the anime before watching the movie because I know I would not have liked the movie if I had done the former.
Those of you who have not watched it yet, definitely must watch it.

Sometimes I wonder if life is really a line yet to be seen or a line that is yet to be drawn.

If life is a line yet to be seen that means we don’t have to do nothing because everything will happen in due course when the time is right.
If everything in life is pre-determined, can we actually work hard to change and draw a new line?

Fortune tellers.
Fact or fiction?

My grandma went to see a fortune teller who asked her to give away her daughters so that she will be pregnant with a son. She did what the fortune teller told her to do and gave away her daughter. Soon she was pregnant with her first baby boy. Was it just some kind of fluke that it happened as predicted by the fortune teller? My grandma already had a few daughters, the probability of the next child to be a boy was actually quite high. Or did the fortune teller truly have powers to foresee the future?

The fortune teller also predicted that my grandma would not live past 80 years old. Grandma died at 80 years old. Did it happened just as predicted by the fortune teller or was it just a mere coincidence?

I will always remember my grandma telling me the story of how she gave away her daughter to gain a son with regret in her eyes and her final words to her story is still clear in my head ‘Don’t ever go see a fortune teller. It is better not to know than to know…’

I believe in fate that everything in life is meant to be. There really is no point in trying too hard. Sometimes it feels that because of this laid back attitude, I am not trying hard enough. I try my best in everything I do but leave like 99% of my life to destiny.

Then I am reminded of my old English teacher's wise words 'God only help those who help themselves.' Maybe there is no such thing as destiny. We hold the keys to open the doors to our destiny.

Am getting myself confuse now. The future is but a vain hope. There really is not much point pondering about it really.

Amazing Grace

I was watching Naruto and drooling when i saw him eating rice balls. They look so yummy. I was drooling over anime food. Shocking. So I had to had to make myself some yummy Japanese rice balls. Its just tuna, Japanese rice and seaweed. Easy and quite yummy too.

The trip to Leicester was absolutely fab. Grace is one of those amazing friends that I still keep in touch at college. She has seen me laugh, she has seen me cry and she has even seen me go nuts over Take That's poster on M&S's door. I think what really bonded us was the tough times we shared at college. I still remember when we were at college, Grace and I went for a walk in the rain after dinner. There we were with our umbrellas, young and hopeful of the future, sharing our dreams. Sometimes I wish I could be that person I was, so full of hope and really believing in my dreams. But as you grow older you realise that the world can be dark and evil and everything is not bright and sunny like in our dreams.

The Amazing Grace et moi. We went to Grace's friend's 21st birthday bash. It was really nice. Leicester medic students are totally cool and friendly. It was nice to relive the memories of the wonderful uni days I had. Reminded me of all the great friends I have made and the crazy fun times we shared. Being really greedy I wish I had done more at uni. I could have done more.

Foxy Grace at this cute milkshake place we went. We rested there after our shopping trip. I bought myself a globe. I am fascinated that the world is actually a sphere. I love looking at the globe and dream of faraway places that I want to visit. 2008 will be the year of the great indian escape. Just received the itenary for The Amazing India trip from my bro and am absolutely thrilled.

Oh btw, I passed my exams!!! It was such a relief. 9 down 1 more to go next year. Bring it on...