Summer holiday

Starting from today12th until 14th, it is a summer holiday for Tokushima University. Three days and I should be happy. But then again, I have no plan for holiday and no where to go. Because of that, I am now happily blogging while doing some lab work in the best laboratory of the whole world!

Even the Professor went missing since this morning. I am wondering if he will ever come today.
He told me once last month that I should not take leave because my time in Japan is counting and I will not have enough time to finish the experiments. I just wanted to tell him right into his face that I don't have any plan anyway. But, I always guarded myself, as Dr Kannan advice me beforehand. I'll continue to do just that, for the sake of my PhD....hahaha! (How's that sound? Pity me...)

Egg curry anyone?

I am going to explain here how to prepare a curry, a simple Malaysian curry. Mira had requested this and I hope that she will be able to prepare it for her Japanese friends (It is actually a North Malaysian way of preparing curry). Gambatte!

I learned to prepare curry when I was young, probably around 12 years old. It started by assisting my mother to peel the onions and garlics. And after sometimes, around 5 years I would say, I was asked to cook for the family under her guidedance. Then one day she said, 'You can cook on your own as I need to go somewhere.' That day, I showed my tantrums; out of fear not to cook the curry alright and and also from being left behind at home with three guys alone, my late father and my two younger brothers (as none of them would help me in the kitchen). Sigh! Anyhow, the curry turned out just nice and I was so happy because one of my brother compliment the curry. That was enough for me to keep cooking for the family whenever I was home. (See? It is easy to buy my heart.)

This curry preparation is for also suitable for fish, egg, prawn and cuttlefish. This time, it is egg curry time.

From right, clockwise; dried asam gelugor, halba campur and dried curry leaves.

Ingredients

Part A
Spice -- Halba campur which consisted of fennel, fenugreek, black mustard & cumin seeds (optional)
Curry leaves (optional)
1 clove of garlic - minced
1/4 of large onion - minced

Part B
1 pack of curry powder. I used the Adabi brand curry powder.
Half of large onion
4 cloves of garlic
--> Blend with a cup of water

Others
Half pack of instant coconut cream powder - made it into liquid by adding 1 cup of warm water.
Dried Asam Gelugor (Garcinia atroviridis) - 3 pieces or maybe substitute with tamarind (about 1 inch in diameter)
Egg - 3 (or as you like)
Tomatoes (as you like)
Cucumber (if you like)
Oil for stir frying (about 5 tablespoons)
Water (1 cup)
Salt for flavoring (about 1 teaspoon - depending on personal taste)
Sugar for flavoring (1/2 tablespoon)

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a pot and saute Part A ingredients until lightly brown.
2. Add the Part B ingredient (curry paste) into the pot. Mix well.
3. Add a cup of water, dried Asam Gelugor, salt (1/2 of teaspoon) and sugar. Let it simmer until it's cook (the surface of the curry paste will look oily). It will take around 5 to 10 minutes depending on the heat (use medium heat is better to avoid burning the whole thing, heh!) and the volume of water used.
4. Once the paste is cook, add a cup of coconut cream.
5. Mix well. Leave it to slowly boil.
6. Once boil, reduce the heat a little. Then, poached an egg and slowly put it directly into the curry soup. Repeat with the next eggs but at different locations in the pot to avoid the eggs attaching to each other. (If you are preparing fish or prawn or cuttlefish curry, this is the time to add those). Leave it for 1 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers. Mix slowly to avoid breaking the eggs. Leave it to simmer for around 5 minutes.
8. Taste and add more salt if you like it salty.
9. Turn off the heat. The egg curry is ready to be eaten. Hot plain rice is the best choice!
It will take around 30 minutes to prepare this curry.

Voila!

Tail of typhoon

It seems that typhoon had reached Tokushima earlier this year. Typhoon Etau, that was her name. I thanked God that it only touched Tokushima lightly. However, yesterday August 10, it was whole day heavy down poured.

I was glad for the rain, but it was really a heavy rain. Today morning, I was told that a primary student went missing after being swapped away by a strong stream of a small river. That was sad and scary. When I saw the news afterward, then I knew how bad the typhoon was. It was reported that 13 people died due to the typhoon.

Anyhow, it was supposed to end tomorrow. My heart goes out to the victim's families. May they be strong to face the lost of the love ones.

The cold summer

This year summer is quiet cold.　I was definitely looking forward for the hot humid summer as the previous years and lots of sun. It's usually accompanied with very high electricity bill because of high usage of the air conditions. And the dried leaves that remind me of Malaysia.

But instead this year summer turned out to be cloudy and raining, most of the days. Sometimes, the morning rain which make me thinking of my village, changes the whole concept of summer this year. These weather puzzled even the Japanese. This is especially true when they are not used to heavy rain.

As Matsuo-san said, "The weather is not right anymore."

Anyway, I am not complaining. (^_^)

Black out!

There is a first time for everything, be it good or bad. Last night, around 3.30am I woke up. There was no sound of fan moving. When my eyes wide opened, it was a total dark. Usually the laptop mouse provided some light.

Ah! It must be blackout. Blackout? In Japan.

I dare not to move out of my bed. After sometime I heard a car was parked somewhere nearby the building, some movements, somebody shouting something but not too loud and after 20 minutes or so, the fan was moving again.

Very fast and efficient. And that was my first time experiencing the electricity blackout in my apartment.

My cousin brother, Adik

My cute baby brother whom we called Ayish has never failed to make me laugh. Last week, when I called my mother, he insisted to talk to me. My mother told me that he had been waiting few days to tell me something.

It was about his new hand phone. His father, my uncle next door bought him a new hand phone. His parents wanted him to learn reading and writing by sending him SMS regularly. What a brilliant idea! By the way, I think probably this new hand phone was easier to type rather than the last one and that's the reason of him getting the new one.

So, when he said that his old hand phone that contained my number was no more, I just asked him innocently.

"Pi mana telephone lama Adik?" Literally in English it shall means, "Where have your hand phone gone?" or it simply means "What happen to your old hand phone?"

Guess what his reply was.

"Dia pi Thailand, jumpa kawan lama dia." Hampeh!
He took it literally and said "He went to see his old friend in Thailand....bla...bla"....

Well served me right! I need to be more alert next time.

God! This boy always make my day and my house seems brighter whenever he's there. God bless him.

Out of word, out of world!

Sometimes life can be very dull for me . I am halfway of conquering the unknown, but so my spirit, half hearted.

Today or to be exact the past few days, the only times I really talked were when I was on the phone with my mother or Ina. The rest of the times, I was talking to myself. Loneliness was killing me, it was tiring talking to oneself because we tend to analyse everything under the microscope.

The truth is I am feeling a little bit tired, physically. And that made my mind down with flu. The cycle is here again. I want to lay low and let the world move without me.

Too many death, too many hatred, too many lost love and the negative charges are making me sick. Oh! World of dreams, please have me, will you? The reality is too harsh to live into. I wish that I could vanish whenever necessarily. (^-^)