there can be only one…

Yes, I know I’ve used this title before but it was ages ago!

Anyway… I’ll be heading up to Scotland tomorrow swinging a sword around lopping people’s head off for a weekend Iaido course! My first one outside London! Wonder how it’ll be…. Scheduled to be 9 hours long within 2 days, so it’ll definitely be intense… and knowing Scotland, cold, wet and windy.

Happy happy joy joy….

Also keeping fingers crossed that I won’t be overly sore from my 2nd Aikido+Iaido class tonight.

p.s. Waki has already hidden himself in my bag just in case he doesn’t get left behind.

aftermaths of Aikido, class no.1

As mentioned in the previous post, I’m finally starting to learning Aikido. Since I am posting this, it is clear that I have barely survived the first class.

what have I gotten myself into….

After exactly 1 year of watching Aikido classes before Iaido starts, I have finally made the decision/commitment to plunge myself headlong into that as well (after tackling various obstacles like contacts and visa… ).

My first class starts tonight.

*Gulps*

I don’t even like bananas…

…oddly enough, I had this fixation this entire week to make some banana cake. So today, I gave in.

a porky treat…

I popped into Fortum and Mason a few days ago and found this fantastic looking piece of uncooked smoked ham that was perfect for dinner this Saturday night.

food that’s simple yet warming and yummy!

Was quite a cold day, Waki and I were craving for something hearty for lunch…

OMIGOD you guys!!

Surprisingly clever, but we’re now pinked out for the next year (or 3!!!!)

Fav. song: There! Right There!

Tawau exists at last…

…well… at least in Google terms.

Finally they have the satellite shots of this tiny little town in the far corner of Malaysia/Borneo (aka. my hometown).

Still not very detailed though, but at least I can actually spot my home (circled in red) with the closest shot.

Exciting times, indeed!

dim sum lunch for mitch and muks

The morning started out rather badly…. First, I managed to accidentally pop my contacts into the wrong eye (which took forever trying to get it out again since I’m still very much not used to wearing those bloody things), which made me run rather later than I would have liked…. Then I missed the bus by 2 seconds (got there while it was leaving…. grrrr). By the time I got to the office, I suddenly realized that I left my keys in my sword bag at home.

But like a little round bright orange lifesaver to someone chucked off a boat into the deep blue, what awaited me in my email inbox was a message from Muks asking me if I wanted to go have dimsum in PingPong (near Moorgate/Liverpool st. station)….

… give you 3 guesses what my answer to that was.

crypts, cakes and quail….

Today has been another rather foodie day for me.

baking bits and bobs….

I’ve not done any baking for a while now, primarily because I lack the utensils needed since I’ve moved out of Borehamwood.

This is slowly being rectified…

cure for swine flu?

You know how the myth goes about the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming? Him, forgetting about his sandwich and finding it when it was covered with blue mold, then promptly studied it as well, therefor discovering its wonderous properties as an antibiotic.

Well…..

hearty meals for cold weathers…

The weather has been rather nippy these few weeks (guess it’s called the UK Big Freeze for a reason).

There’s nothing quite like a hearty warming stodgy meal for comfort at times like these. So from a pack of corn fed free range chicken thighs, japanese rice, quite a bit of ginger, pepper, xiao xing rice wine, sesame oil, dark and light soya sauce, lemon grass and some chili sauce, I ended up with a big pot of….

simple pleasures in life

It’s been snowing really heavily since the night before, and everything was fluffy white. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite thick enough to stop me from going to work today.

After crunching and tromping my way back in the evening, I noticed that the snow right in front the house was still fresh and untouched.

I couldn’t resist….

first day of 2010

The first moment of 2010 (and the last moment of the decade) was marked with a little snowfall, along with the fireworks by neighbours.

2009 is dead, long live 2010

And a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

home made tofu

I love tofu, so when I saw little packets of DIY tofu for sale at Chinatown I couldn’t resist…

a step closer to Star Wars, part 2

After trying out my little new droid for the past few days, I am quite pleased to say it has been behaving and doing quite a nice job in sucking up little dust bunnies.

When idle, it rests in the little dock charging/resting with its big green start button glowing/pulsing.

tis the season to be jolly….

A brilliant christmas dinner (featuring a HUGE and gorgeous goose, a selection of cheese which was demolished before a chance for photos, olives and artichoke, roasted veggies, sprouts, salmon, spuds roasted in goose fat from the aforementioned goose, lots of chocolates and nutes, coffee, tea, apple crumble and vanilla ice cream) with friends on Christmas day, followed by pressies, telly and chatter (not forgetting the various types of drinks, of course!) makes a very happy occasion indeed.

ho ho ho….

Merry Christmas!!