Math for Fun 001

So here I am taking a break from solving Math problems. For the past few hours I have been answering some geometry problems on my own. There really isn't a reason why I do this, it's just that lately I am starting to feel like I'm not as mathematical as my former self, though I still have confidence in being logical so  even though I already forgot half of my math lessons in school, I still get to solve problems though not as easily as I could have because I have to analyze each part to come up with an answer.

And again this proves that in math, one does not need to memorize a plethora of formulas. One simply should understand the basic axioms and work out solutions to more complex problems. :)

Yeah, that and probably because of my desire to learn calculus on my own. My practical side would like to know if my mind can support such a topic. Again, I think there's this fear implanted in me because most people I know hate math, most people I know do not get calculus even though most of these graduated from courses requiring calculus...

And yes, I'm bored. I just want to learn something new.

Manila Hotel 08242013

When I arrived home after spending time at the hospital with my sister, I quickly get dressed for a formal occasion. My father was invited at a mini concert with dinner at Manila Hotel so I put on a red dress which I got as pasalubong from an uncle. (My nanny says it looked really good on me.)

I will not write about the concert since it bored me to death. Some singers were not ready and some committed mistakes and couldn't seem to keep up with musical accompaniment. So yes, I am sorry to say that it didn't manage to get a tight hold of my attention.

But the dinner was lovely, which was already the greatest consolation for me since I wasted my time that night.

Dinner started with cream of potato soup with smoked salmon relish and chive whip. This, as most creamy soups are, I find delicious.

The Caesar salad was fantastic and never boring. The greens are fresh and the dressing just enough for every bite. I especially love the generous amount of bacon bits.

Next came green mango sherbet. The thing I ate off that was the thin film of hardened caramel which luckily was not too sweet. On my first taste of the sherbet, I instantly thought of summer which I have come to associate with mangoes. Sigh. And yes, I thoroughly miss it and after that I constantly wonder when and where can I enjoy such wonderful treat.

For the main course, guests can choose between steamed lapu-lapu fillet or ballotine of lamb leg with spinach. It was a dilemma but since I seldom eat lamb, I chose the second one. It doesn't disappoint. In fact, after that night, I started looking for articles on the internet on how to make ballotines. The meat is tender and easy to chew, not to mention having just the right amount of flavor so as not to make it dull nor to make it overly flavorful. YUM!

For dessert we had Coupe Manila Hotell. Since I'm not a dessert person I'm not very knowledgeable about desserts. I find the coupe beautifully made though, visually speaking. 

To end dinner, we have a choice of either coffee or tea. I naturally had tea which smelled faintly of jasmine.

I hope I get to attend similar dinners in the future. :)

The Poor Foodie

A friend shared an article on Facebook about a middle-class foodie. The article is written by a self-confessed middle-class diner who has come to discover the joys of cooking as well as the practical advantages this gives as compared to dining out.

I can very well relate to Lars Roxas, the guy behind the article. As a student perpetually struggling with financial difficulties, I found it very hard to sustain my food-tripping hobby. I relied on special occasions to get the chance to eat at classy restaurants. When my sisters entered the workforce, I would often ask them to eat out but they'd be the ones to foot the bill. (I am very grateful to them for being understanding in my plight as a poor student with a big appetite.)

In college, I decided to try my hand at cooking. I think being exposed to different cuisines awakened in me that desire to experiment with food. Always known to be eclectic (since I rarely think that things are mutually exclusive) and quite the adventurous one, I never cook the simple way. But this has always been a trial-and-error thing since I usually just envision the resulting flavors in my head instead of creating small samples to taste and adopt them to big batches when found to be satisfactory. So everytime I volunteer to cook, people at home would tremble in fear out of either my awesomeness to blend flavors or a terrifying taste that will lead them to boycott my concoctions and for a time, ban me from the kitchen.

Most times though, my family are happy with my cooking. There were occasions when I would feel guilty because no one would eat the food I cook but these are isolated cases. Most times, too, I forgot to add in important ingredients but at least the next time around I am sure to remember and learn from my mistakes.

What helps me greatly in deciding what to cook are TV cooking shows and recipe books at home. My relatives on my mother's side are certified foodies and all my aunts are wonderful cooks, probably because my maternal grandmother is also one of the best cooks ever. Of course, exposure to restaurant foods also is a great factor, especially fusion cuisines since I learn a lot on what goes well with what.

Now employed and earning my own money, I still find myself a poor foodie. But compared to my student days, I have the means to treat myself out to dinner relatively more times a month. Still I do not forget my humble past and I still find the same enthusiasm in trying out even the ubiquitous carinderias, small cantetens and food stalls. It's a wonderful experience especially when shared with a friend who cooks, too. We would discuss different cooking techniques, and speculate on how to cook the dishes we order at the restaurant. We assess the food we eat based on serving size, flavor, and texture--- all these correlated to price and we then evaluate on the whole. Ultimately we ask ourselves, will we come back to this restaurant? 

Tekken: The Motion Picture

Those who frequent the arcades are familiar with Tekken, a game for single or double player wherein the goal is to defeat one's opponent. It's pretty similar to other fighting games like Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Kombat, etc.

Like its popular rival Street Fighter, Tekken also has movies under its name. I'm lucky to have come across Tekken: The Motion Picture which tells the story of Kazuya's revenge against his father for throwing him over the cliff when he was a child. This was witnessed by Kazuya's girl friend Jun Kazama who later on joins the tournament hosted by Kazuya's father with the purpose of investigating the Mishima Conglomerate. The company is suspected of doing illegal biological experiments. Jun is joined by Lei Wulong form Hongkong.

The Tekken Tournament is held in an island (which reminds me a lot of DOA). Invited are fighters from different backgrounds and with different motives for joining. For instance there is a guy named Jack who turns out to be an android with a conscience. His goal is to deliver a sick girl to the doctor whom he believe is the only one who can cure the child. There´s also an Indian-looking girl named Michelle who is out to kill Zaibatsu for destroying her village.

Jun Kazama seems to have a special ability to sense things. She sensed the ominous return of Kazuya whom she thought to be dead. She also repeatedly tells him of the coldness of his spirit, and reminds him that his thirst for revenge should not consume him.

The film lasting for just 57 minutes is too short to allow character development and the plot is too cliché. Also, the ending is a cliff-hanger since Heihachi was able to escape from the island which was destroyed after his other son Lee set off the self-destruction sequence after his realization that he will never inherit the conglomerate. So I guess there must be a sequel.

Buddhist themes of reincarnation and renewal of the earth is dominant in the film. Before Jack died, his last words were, "Farewell. When I come back next time, I will be human for you" derives from the belief in reincarnation. Likewise, Heihachi's desire to destroy the world so that a pure world will be able to rise is also a main Buddhist concept often used in animé.

Siomai 08112013

Last Sunday, August 11, I was suddenly tasked to make siomai for lunch. The night before, I suggested that we make siomai for dinner but because my suggestion came too late it didn't push through.

Our househelp helped me in chopping up all the ingredients. Since I was busy, all I did was mix all the ingredients, wrap them in the siomai wrapper, and put them in the steamer.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg. ground pork

1 pc. medium-sized carrot, grated

half a bulb garlic, minced

oyster sauce

sesame oil

black pepper

After wrapping, they went straight to the steamer. Our househelp asked me how long should we steam these and I was stumped for an answer. I had to run and ask mom (LOL). She said 10 minutes will do for small ones so I decided to have it 15 minutes since my siomai were a bit big. I was able to make 19 pieces and look how lovely they were:

Of course the real test is not just in how the siomai looks but in the taste as well. When my mom cut a piece in half, she was disappointed to find the filling not holding together. She asked me why I didn't add double A powder and I was like... OOOOOPS my bad!!!

When she tasted it, she told me it lacked flavor. And then I realized I forgot to put in salt! Another OOOOOPS!

And yes, it lacked flavor. I guess I should make siomai again and make sure to perfect it the next time around.

Giselle @CCP/ The Octopus 08172013

Last Saturday I woke up to a gloomy day so I continued reading "The Octopus" by Frank Norris. The book is surprisingly a good read. I first had an impression that it would bore me to death when I saw it in Booksale but I bought it anyway. It's about the resistance put up by farmers in California against the monopolistic land-grabbing Railroad and thrown in the narrative are human tendencies for violence, corruption, and oppression.  It's a good read during these times with the issues revolving around the pork barrel.

Just to share a passage from the book, taken from Presley's speech:

"They own us, these task-masters of ours; they own our homes, they own our legislatures. We cannot escape from them. There is no redress. We are told we can defeat them by the allot-box. They own the ballot-box. We are told that we must look to the courts for redress; they own the courts. We know them for what they are, --- ruffians in politics, ruffians in finance, ruffians in law, ruffians in trade, bribers, swindlers, and tricksters. No outrage too great to daunt them, no petty larceny too small to shame them; despoiling a government treasury of a million dollars; yet picking the pockets of a farm hand of the price of a loaf of bread.

"They swindle a nation of a hundred million and call it Financiering; they levy a blackmail and call it Commerce; they corrupt a legislature and call it Politics;they bribe a judge and call it Law; they hire blacklegs to carry out their plans and call it Organisation; they prostitute the honor of a State and call it Competition.

"(...) We talk of liberty--- oh, the farce of it, oh, the folly of it! We tell ourselves and teach our children that we have achieved liberty, that we no longer need to fight for it. Why, the fight is just beginning and so long as our conception of liberty remains as it is to-day, it will continue.

"(...) Liberty is not a crowned goddess, beautiful, in spotless garments, victorious, supreme. Liberty is the Man In the Street, a terrible figure, rushing through powder smoke, fouled with the mud and ordure of the gutter, bloody, rampant, brutal, yelling curses, in one hand a smoking rifle, in the other, a blazing torch.

"Freedom is not given free to any who ask; Liberty is not born of the gods. She is a child of the People, born in the very height and heat of battle, born from death, stained with blood, grimed with powder. And she grows to be not a goddess, but a Fury, a fearful figure, slaying friend and foe alike, raging, insatiable, merciless, the Red Terror." (pp.551-552)

I didn't get to finish the book (and as of writing I'm still a few pages shy from finishing but I'm busy with work, you see). Anyway, I committed one blooper perhaps because I was so engrossed with "The Octopus". I forgot that the ballet performance was at 2pm and not at 3pm. It was already 1:15PM so I ran out of the house and took the LRT. It was raining but who cares? I bought my ticket and I'm not gonna miss it despite the rain. Once I stepped out of the train, I ran down to Vito Cruz and ran all the way to CCP never minding the rain on my face. I was 15 minutes late but I still got to have a seat. Whew!

So I did get to watch the tragic story of Giselle who fell in love with a man who turns out to be a duke already engaged. She dies of too much heartbreak when she learned the truth after a brief period of bliss with her beloved.

But the beautiful choreography was highlighted in Act 2 where, even without words, the duke sought forgiveness and one could see with every step and every dance move the intensity of this scene. Giselle, despite everything, forgives him and even protects him form the harsh punishment due him by the Wilis, jilted lovers who seek vengeance.

One thing that disappoints is that live music was not used. I was expecting to witness again the magnificence of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra but the audience of the 2pm show was denied this. I wonder if the 7pm performance was treated to PPO's presence?

I was reminded of the ballet musical show Rama Hari last 2012. The Manila Symphonic Orchestra played live then and one member of the orchestra stood out: the one who played the drums.

Pardon my crappy phone pics...

Self-Date @EDSA Shangrila 08082013

Last August 8 (yeah, an auspicious day for the double lucky 8),  I went on a self-date. It's been a long time since I did that and I thoroughly miss being all alone, and because there was a free movie showing in EDSA Shangrila at that time courtesy of the Italian Embassy. After work, I ran to the MRT and I was 5 minutes early for the show. The free movie's title is "La seconda moglie" (The Second Wife).

It's about a woman who became the second wife of a man named Fosco. During the wedding, it was obvious already that Anna and Livio had an eye for each other. Livio is the son of Fosco from the latter's first marriage. Anna had a daughter named Santina prior to the marriage. Fosco is seen as being hard on his only son and is also part of a group of grave robbers. When he was caught raiding a tomb, he landed in jail. During his absence, Livio seduces Anna and the two developed an illicit affair.

You may watch the entire film thanks to youtube:

After the film, I went around in search of the newly constructed East Wing. I've been hearing a lot about this from Norma Chikiamco's column in PDI. Since I have been craving for ramen and since it was a cold night being alone with no one to warm me (LOL), I looked for Ikkoryu Fukuoka, a restaurant that's been earning rave reviews.

When I got there, the resto was full and people were continuously coming to have seats reserved. I was lucky I went solo so I got in easily. When I was shown the menu I considered leaving the place because all their ramen has pork save for one. This is my ramen dilemma: I don't eat pork unless it's deep-fried or barbecued or ground. When I was in Ukkokei early this year, I was saved from this dilemma because they had ground pork, seafood, and chicken variants.

In the end, I told myself, time to face my porky fears. I had a bowl of the spicy tanbanjan tonkotsu (P380 +10% service charge, total of P418) and requested for my usual cup of hot water. When I first tasted the soup, it was spicy yes so it did not disappoint. I love the rich taste and the soup' s really flavorful. When I took a bite of the pork, I was delighted to find that it was so tender. (Having the spices did its work to mask the unwelcome smell of pork. Yes, I told you I don't like pork.) So for a while I considered eating pork from that moment on (but I still fail now).

I did finish the soup, putting in much sesame oil for the wonderful aroma. But when I got to the MRT on my way home, I had this heavy feeling washing over me. I felt like just dropping to the floor and sleep. While inside the train, I thirsted for water so I gulped down a glass upon reaching home but by then I was already a bit feverish. I remembered one episode last year when I was knocked out by a heavy dose of MSG in 2011. So before I went to sleep, I made sure to drink water again and to urinate to somehow take out those unwanted MSG from my system. The next morning, my throat was dry as hell and I had to run to have a drink.

So in the end, I'll still stick with Ukkokei, not that they don't put in MSG, but at least it was at a tolerable level. And I also appreciate the fact that Ukkokei has chicken and seafood, not just pork.