Sunday, September 6, 2009

5,000 Miles


Henry (that old, bald guy) and I are clearly crazy. I'm sure my kids will agree with that, but we're not asking them to weigh in on this. Why are we crazy? Because we take long, ridiculous walks on most Sundays here in Atlanta. Get me here, folks. I'm talking LONG walks - like 12 to 15 miles.

It started back in 2001. Or maybe before, but I can't remember back that far. Anyway, we had a big debate about whether we should bike or walk. I voted for walking. I won.

But we're not talking about a normal walk in the park. Oh no, we are crazy (see, my kids were right). We do bizarre things, like taking MARTA (for those of you who don't live here, it's our rapid transit system) to the airport and then walking home. Or, taking it to the furthest station east (where in the hell are we anyway?) and walking home from there.

And along the way, we have had some amazing conversations and some amazing experiences. You can't walk with someone for five or six hours and NOT talk. No, mostly what you do is throw up on each other's shoes. It's the best form of communication. I highly recommend it.

We did the math today (as we were walking, of course). It kind of translates into 40 walks per year times 8 years times 15 miles per walk. Okay, that's only 4,800 miles, but let's not quibble. How many miles have you walked recently?

At the end of the day, we have walked and talked and we are exhausted.

And then we have to hike up that long hill to get to our (new) house. Oy veh, what were we thinking when we bought the place?

So after the walk and after the shower, we are happy to kick back and relax on our front porch. Moscow Mules, anyone?

Moscow Mules
A shot of vodka (or more, if you are so inclined)
Ginger beer (you can find this in your local liquor store)
Lime wedges

This is a no-brainer. Put as much vodka as you like into a copper mug (sorry if you don't have one, but you need it for this drink). Add ice, then top off with ginger beer. Squeeze in some fresh lime juice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Sit on your porch (or whatever is comparable), sigh, and allow that life is good.

Bekal Idul Fitri

ini cover MAGIC BOX nya ccw 2008


Hip Hip Huraaay!
Akhirnya setahun sudah lewat masa anak barunya CCW2008.
Dalam sejarahnya CCW dari awal, sepertinya CCW2008 paling megang kalo soal rusuh dan kompak. (amin kompaknya)
CCW2008 terdiri dari 15 remaja cewek yg harus unbeatable fun girls! Seperti taglinenya KaWanku. :)
Dengan bekal yang banyak dari coaching cerpen kawanku ini, peserta CCW2008 akhirnya melahirkan.
Di Rumah Bersalin Gagas Media, dengan anak hermafrodit bernama "MAGIC BOX" : Kumpulan 15 cerita ajaib.
Yang mudah-mudahan bisa di perkenalkan secara resmi pertengahan September ini.
Dan bisa menjadi teman libur di Lebaran yang fitri tahun ini.
Satu tahun perjalanan anak ini sampai akhirnya menyapa nusantara.
Ini bukan sesuatu yang sangat luar biasa untuk banyak orang, tapi ini sesuatu yang berarti buat CCW2008.
CCW2008 adalah keluarga. Keluarga besar. Happy Stupid Family.
Kami cinta menulis, dan kami tidak berhenti menulis. Meskipun kami amatir dan perlu banyak belajar lagi dan lagi, tapi kami tidak akan berhenti menulis.
Big thanks to KaWanku yang dengan sangat murah hati dan penyayang telah menelurkan dan mendidik CCW2008.

So, jangan lupa masukin hal ini dalam to do list kamu kamu semua!
*Mampir ke book store, dan beli Magic Box CCW2008, dan ajak semua temen buat beli juga. Baca terus join facebook kita di : cckawanku@yahoo.com dan follow twitter kita juga.*

Let's found magic and lotsa story from this magic box.

Sekalii lagi, jangan lupa untuk mampir dan beli buku kita, MAGIC BOX.
Hmm, untuk pemesanan langsung ke kita dapet diskon spesial looooh!
only for you guys.
Love to the max from CCW 2008.
mmuuuaaaaahhh ;D

1st weekend of the month



well, hey guys. assalamualaikum wbt~! =] so, i was deadly bored yesterday and finally, it turns to a tiring day. haha. well, i woke up early, and found that, i'm gonna stay home alone. mama, as usual, she went to her class @ UPSI. and, kema + kak sally were out to damansara, their office. and abg P, who came to my house every weekend, was out 2 class @ UTM. sooo... i was, freaking bored and, i just don't know what 2 do. mama arrived home @ almost 4pm, and kak sally + kema arrived few minutes later. and... we decided 2 go 2 JJ-AU setiawngsa since kema was sooo excited to bake her hari raya cookies.


kema

mama

kak sally. with her... KLCC =P

my sweethearts.


and, we went to pasar malam as well. it was soooooo hot. and mama bought a lot of tapai. i met nora kacak + sarah korea there. haha. and, we went home & prepared all the stuff for break-the-fast thingy. we [mama = chef, us = chef assistants] were bz preparing laksam + tomyam and... lot of funny things happened. while i was bz preparing the kerabu 4 laksam, i saw a tiny, greeny, ermmm... should i say caterpillar from the vegetable. euwwwww. i hate tiny insects~! ahah... and, the foods, was simply irresistible.

and, as for today. i went to the saloon, and did a scalp + hair fall treatment. kema cut her hair and, seriously u look cute kema~! i like it~! and, it costed me RM105. dang~ lambat lg raye weyyhhh... uhuuu. so, i have to b extra kedekut la kot for these upcoming 2 weeks. i was thinking of doing manicure b4 hari raya, but let c bout that 1st. owh btw. i've made a psychology personal quiz @ fb, and let see the result, i guess it just sooo me =P



Dear Aqilah Amin, below are your PSYCHOLOGY PERSONALITY test result:

Mysterious... oftentimes, a loner. u know ur true friends
& only them r allowed to understand the real u.

u’re usually expressive... Open about ur emotions
& most of the time willing to talk about it.

u love deeply... you may flirt along and people think you’re a
playgirl but the truth is: ur heart belongs to only one.

u appreciate simple things in life... u hate complicating things
that’s why you’re typically up-front in any aspect.

u’re a stubborn sweetheart... u “love” him only because he
loves you. If his flame puts out, you let go with no trouble.

u’re intimidating! People have an impression that u’re elite—or if not,
u simply look sophisticated. u gain praises but not companions.

u’re independent! u’re also risky just like the bajaken who sail in
the vast & dangerous ocean to look for treasures!



and yar, babe, plz do tell me, when u arrived russia. and, for tomorrow, i admit that i'm not that freaking nervous anymore but i'm afraid if things wouldn't go well. i'm talking bout my VG2 class 2morrow, remember all the new / directing things? ahah... that's it. hurm. i just hope everything would b just fine. seriously. for my group members / crews, good luck dearest(s)~!

Three Fish Pie with Carrots and Peas

Fish Pie - often called Ocean Pie - is one of my favourite dishes. I do vary the recipe quite considerably but this version is the one which I prepare most often. The combination of these three different types of fish and the use of basil instead of the more commonly used parsley gives the dish a very special and unique flavour.

Ingredients (Serves Two to Four People)

1/2lb salmon fillet
1/4lb cod fillet
1/4lb undyed smoked haddock fillet
1lb potatoes
1 pint of milk
3oz butter
3oz plain flour
10 to 12 basil leaves
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk
1 small carrot per person
1 tbsp frozen peas per person
Salt

Method

Peel and chop the potatoes and put them in to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Simmer for half an hour.

When the potatoes are on, chop the fish fillets in to bite-sized pieces and place them in to a separate large pot. Pour in the pint of milk, add the chopped celery stalk and the bay leaf and heat until the milk just reaches a simmer. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and set it aside until the potatoes are ready. The heat already present in the milk will cook the fish.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well and return them to the pot. Add about two tablespoons of milk from the fish and mash well. Put the oven on to pre-heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Drain the fish from the milk (reserving the milk!) and remove and discard the celery and the bay leaf. Melt the butter gently in a large saucepan and add the sieved flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for two or three minutes before adding the warm milk in three distinct stages to form a lush sauce. Add the fish pieces and the chopped or torn basil leaves and stir well - but carefully, so as not to break up the fish too much.

Put the fish and sauce mixture in to a casserole dish and very carefully spoon the potato on top, spreading it out as evenly as possible. I always put the dish on a baking tray or sheet before putting it in to the oven, as very often the sauce will overflow around the edges and the baking sheet is far easier to clean than the oven!

Bake the pie for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the potato begins to brown on the top.

After the pie has been on for about 10 minutes, chop the carrots in to 1/2" thick discs and add them to boiling, salted water. Cook for 15 minutes. Cook the peas per the instructions on the packet to be ready at the same time as the rest of your meal, plate up and enjoy!

Food Tip of the Day - Sunday, September 6th, 2009: Tips for Cooking Meat and Fish

Cooking meat and fish are not only two entirely different concepts in general terms. Different types of each require different cooking methods and different lengths of cooking time.

The article linked to below will hopefully help to lend some clarity to what can very often be the overall confusion.

Tips for cooking meat and fish