meanderings etc.

oh it's been pretty stressful lately... trying to churn out intelligible words and stringing them into sensible sentences... everything still seems pretty crappy to me, nonetheless. maybe that's what a crazy phd is all about. it demoralizes you to the point of non-retractable self-doubt and lead you to the brink of insanity! a visiting colleague once commented that phds are more about solving problems than the science itself... there's quite a lot of truth to it... sadly. but a lot of the challenging experience has also made me very appreciative of all the encouragements i've been bestowed... i am indebted to so many of you out there...

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mummy and papa have been amazing... despite the geographical distances, they've been there when i needed their help and comfort... i can't wait for my new cell phone to arrive! my current sony-e of nearly 5 yrs old is still alive except that nobody can hear me on the other end... it would cost so much to get another phone that would work beyond the usa from here or to fix it. so papa has kindly upgraded my phone and i shall have a portable walkie-talkie again... soon.
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i don't know about you, but i often find inspirations for cooking from people... like who they are, what we've cooked, eaten, and /or enjoyed together... etc. for those of you who don't have to scratch your head every day and figure out what to make for lunch or dinner... this is something quite frustrating at times, particularly if you are quite a foodie and like good food and are pretty stressed and don't have much time... but it always helps when there is some inspiration... no matter how flighty it might be.

chatting with mum is wonderful for such fits of foodie inspirations... particularly when i've not been eating too well... it's a wee bitty better now; everything is relatively better when you are not under immense stress or subjective misery... last weekend, after our conversation, i attempted to make the fried-noodley dish she used to make for us as kids... it might seem funny, but she invented it as a healthier alternative to instant noodles that my brothers and me love to snack on... and yes she used instant noodles but it's done with so much other yummy stuff like prawns, meat, veggies and shredded omelette and healthier seasonings... it's so hard to resist and a gazillion times better than ramen plain. i've not had it for years... and she was so busy when i was visiting in july that she didn't get a chance to make it... i've been craving it for a while now, so i attempted to make that noodley dish to relive that moment of blissful childhood happiness while eating my mummy's fried noodles.

when inspiration meets availability of ingredients in your fridge or food-cupboard, you are in luck! to be honest, although my creation wasn't quite as good nor as similar it sure made me feel so much better!
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