Weirdest bus rides home ever

Due to my not having a car, I basically bus to and from work everyday. Yesterday I had the misfortune to drinking coffee later in the afternoon than I had intended, and as a result, by the time I got on the bus, the constant starting-and-stopping motion made me really, really nauseaus. At some point on the route, three high school boys got on the bus. Well, they looked like they should be in high school anyway, whether or not they were actually enrolled anywhere I can't really say. Anyway, I was sitting in one of those seats on the bus that faces each other. One of the boys sat next to me, one boy sat opposite and facing him while a third boy ended up standing not too far since almost all of the seats were taken.

Bear in mind that I was already nauseaus when they got on the bus. This is further componded when the boys came onboard 'cause one of them must've forgotten to take a shower that day. Or that week. The smell made me even more nauseaus and it took everything I had in me to keep from hurling right there on the bus. We were still in Bellevue, and given that it was peak traffic time, I knew that it would be at least half an hour before I would be free from the smell and the motion of the bus. So I closed my eyes, said a few prayers asking for divine help to keep me from upchucking and hoped for the best.

And then they started talking. I'm sure you've been in those situations where you're in a public place and someone started talking in a voice so loud it's like they were trying to have a conversation with the whole room. That's pretty much what happened at that point. I think the whole bus could've heard what they were talking about. I'm surprised people in Canada didn't hear what they had to say, it was so loud. I'm sure my nausea made it seem even louder than what it was, but still, what it was was pretty damn loud. As I close my eye and try to block things out, I managed to do a spectacular job of blocking most of the conversation that was going on between the three of them.

Then the boy sitting opposite of me took out his cell phone and made a phone call. As much as I try to block out things, for some reason the things he said next were crystal clear:

Boy (on his cell) : Hey man, We're on our way to Seattle. We wanna buy a quarter. Do you have any?
Short silence follows... then...
Boy: Oh okay. Later. (got off his cell and looked at his other friends). He said he's out of stock.

O..M...G. Did I just hear him try and buy some drugs while he's on the bus?

..... to be continued in a later post. Gotta keep people guessing!

Putting things out on the web

I remember the first blog I ever had. Oh man, I was so honest in it, I maintained it like crazy at first and then..... the comments came. Oh how they came. Everyone had something to say about the things that you are sharing and at some point I think I was just... done. So I stopped sharing and just let the blog kinda fade away.

Now that I'm trying to get into this whole blogging thing again, I'm finding myself a little stuck. I feel like I can't be as open anymore and be honest about things that are actually going on in my life because once it's out there, that's it. It's open for everyone to see. So if I complain about something, or if I rant about a hard day, then I'm liable for the things I say. I don't want to be one of those people you read in the news who got fired over something she posted on Facebook, or get in trouble over a Tweet. I want to share, but when you're afraid of the consequences, exactly how much of yourself can you share?

Sometimes I look at people's pictures and get very afraid for them. Especially high school college students who are posting semi-inappropriate pictures on Facebook, it's scary. If you're looking into an internship or a job, those are the kind of things that you have to watch now, because possible employers can have a look at those pictures, decide then and there that you are not appropriate for the job (even if you might be), make a snap decision about your character, and you lose out on an opportunity. It's a scary thing that is all too possible in the age of the internet.

So back to my blog. I feel myself shrinking away from it sometimes. And I am glaringly aware that the more I try and censor myself, the less zing I have, and the less interesting my writings become. It's hard to be creative and write when you;re in this perpetual fear of "Can this come back to bite me in the ass? Can I get in trouble  for this? Deported? Fired?" You can;t be creative when you're in fear.

*Sigh* .......

Taking a stand against hate

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20018088-504083.html

Tyler Clementi has been in the news lately because of his suicide after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, and his friend Molly Wei, outed him and streamed Clementi's private moments for all to see. Man, I can't even believe that I had just wrote that sentence, let alone believe that the whole thing happened. Who in their right mind would do that to another human being? That is pretty much the worse kind of invasion of privacy I've ever heard. The fact that Clementi was gay pretty much makes the whole thing lean more towards being a hate crime. Would Ravi and Wei have done the same thing if Clementi was straight and was being intimate with another girl?

Those two moron decided that it was okay to humiliate another human being and publicize his private moments and sexual orientation. Ravi pretty much wins the Worst Roommate of the Year award; he turned on his ichat camera, then watched the stream from Wei's dorm room. Really kids, is that what turns you on? Privately taping someone and streaming it live on the net? Those two are perverts and predators and should be tried as such. As 18-year-olds, they should have known better than this, it doesn't take a degree to figure out that taping other people's sex lives without their knowledge and publicizing it is WRONG. When the person in question is gay, it makes it even dicier. I can't imagine it being easy for anyone to come out and admit their gay, and Clementi might not have been ready to share his sexual preference with other people.
I think we can all agree that the actions of Ravi and Wei are stupid at the least, malicious and hateful at most. The question now is, how do we move forward? With the abundance of cyber bullying and teenage suicide over cyber bullying, it's not a specialized problem anymore. It's something we all need to start thinking earnestly about. How would the law protect us when our privacy has been violated like this? Do Ravi and Wei go off scot free because they didn't physically push Clementi off the bridge?

Project Runway!! Love you Tim Gunn!!

Tim Gunn and Christopher Collins

I am a huge, huge fan of Project Runway, and have been watching all the episodes since I first got to the US. My favorite season was the season whe Christian Siriano was on (was that season 3? I can't remember). There were a few seasons that I wasn't too wild about, like the one in LA when Irina won, and although last I fully support Seth Aaron and always rooted for him, his season was a bit meh, too.

This season is a bit more exciting for me. For one thing, it's amusing to see people revert back to high-school mode by ganging up on Michael C. and calling him a horrible designer. I mean, dude won 2 challenges, whatever his process is, if it involves creating a million dresses before picking The One, if it means that in the end he still makes it work, then more power to him. Gretchen, who also have won two challenges, needs to get over herself quick because woman just loooooves to listen to her own voice way too much. The way that she pretty much threw her whole team under the bus in the first team challenge was just horrendous and honestly I don't know if I can ever back up a person like that. Have more character to stick to what you promise instead of flip flopping like that.

My most favorite person in Project Runway is, as always, Tim Gunn. Even though his picks for top looks might not always gel with the judges, I tend to side with Tim's picks more. I absolutely adore when he calls himself an "old fart" because the word "fart" has no business being anywhere near the vicinity Tim Gunn. Last week's episode, when he said "Jackie Kennedy would not have camel toe" would have to be the best moment in Project Run way ever bar none.

I wish designes this season were more likeable, there's just too many bitches who talk bad about people behind their backs and it does put a bitter taste in my mouth. That being said, it does make me evaluate myself a little closer and scrutinize whether or not I do that myself and how bad it would look if people were watching *me*. I mean, the way the designers talk about each other is pretty horrible, it goes beyond trash talking and just sound so mean (I'm talking about you Ivy, Michael C and Gretchen).

People I'd love to see make top 3: April, Andy and Mondo. And yes, I did pick all three "avant garde" designer. I"m so excited to see the end of tonight's episode, hopefully all three of my faves will be safe! April, no more layered-panties bottoms!

Recipe: Super Easy "Osso Bucco" cum Beef stew Recipe

As I was evaluating the osso bucco recipe I posted from before, I realized that there are some days when you don't have all the herbs in the spice rack or you don't have as much time to be dredging meat in flour and browning butter and really 2 hours to just wait for something to cook is just way way too long.....

So here's a modified recipe that cuts down on the steps for making the osso bucco. You can sub the shanks with beef stew cuts and make this into a stew instead, that would cut on the time even more. Experiment with the basic recipe and you'll probably find different combinations of meat and sauce that suits your taste best.

Super Easy "Osso Bucco"
(serving: at least 2 people, seriosly folks it all depends on who's coming to dinner)

2 veal/lamb shanks (about 1 lb each.)
1 stalks of celery, diced  
1 small carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 tomatoes, diced (or you can use canned diced tomatoes, small can, drained)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup dry white wine
plenty of low sodium beef/ chicken stock (or chicken bouillon to sub)
cornstarch (optional, to thicken)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Garnish:
finely chopped parsley, lemon zest.

Cooking pot:
Dutch oven/ large sauce pan / anything that has a flat bottom and high sides that can hold meat + sauce. A cover is preferred, or at least have aluminum foil handy. Oh, and try to use a pot that you can actually brown meat in, if your non-stick pot is oven safe then sure, it's a sub, but you'll be missing the brown bits of goodness that comes from searing meat.

Preparation:

1. Heat overn to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit)
2. Pat dry your meat, then season with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. Heat the dutch oven on low and add the butter. Once butter is melted, increase the heat to medium / medium-high. (My stove goes on medium for this part, basically set it at a temperature enough for a good sear)
4. Add in your meat to the pot. For each side, sear for about 3 - 4 mins until you get a lovely dark brown color. Make sure you don't move the meat around on the pot while it's searing. Resist the temptation to poke, prod or move your meat while it's searing.
5. Once you're seared the meat, take your shanks out of the pot and set aside. Add your chopped onions to the pot and stir until translucent.
6. Add the carrots and celery to the pot and stir until celery is somewhat soft, about 2 mins. You're not looking for mushy celery, just soft enough that they look somewhat translucent.
7. Add in the minced garlic. Stir un til incorporated and you can somewhat smell the garlic.
8. Lower the heat to medium, deglaze the pan with the white wine, then increase the heat back to medium high. Make sure you scrape the brown bits off from the bottom and side of your pan, they're yummy and should be well incorporated into your sauce. Let the liquid reduce by half.
9. Add the diced tomatoes and bay leaf into the pot. Add one teaspoon of salt (yes it's conservative, I'll explain later). Add one cup of stock, then stir.
10. Add the meat into the pot. Then add more stock until the liquid just about covers the meat.
11. Cover the pot and put in the oven. Leave for about an hour.
12. After the hour, check on your meat, making sure that the liquid inside the pot is at least half the height of the shanks. Turn shanks as needed, then leave for another half hour. Repeat the process every half hour until the meat is falling off the bone. You can be conservative and check every 15 mins, but the more you open the oven, the more heat comes out and the longer it takes to cook.
13. Once the dish is done, take it out of the oven and taste. Add salt to taste. You wouldn't want to season everything too much too early on because you lose some water when cooking in the oven, oversalting is never fun. If you want thicker sauce, add a bit or cornstarch in, starting with a tablespoon of it and working up until you get your desired consistency.
14. Take out the bay leaf. Scoop into a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon zest.

Recipe: Buffalo Caprese Burger



Buffalo Caprese Burger.
Yay lunch!



I haven't been feeling so great lately, mostly because I haven't been exercising as often as I should be, and have been consuming way too much food after fasting for a month. Last Thursday I actually fell sick and got a humongous sore throat, fever and body aches. Good thing I get to relax a bit over the weekend and get myself back into form to face the work week.


After feeling so sickly, I decided that today's lunch should be a somewhat healthy fare, so I came up with this burger simply because I wanted the flavors pf a caprese salad but needed something hearty to eat. I used ground buffalo since I wanted really lean meat to cut down the fat. Buffalo doesn't have a lot of fat, so depending on whether you like the flavor a really lean patty, you can also mix ground beef with the buffalo. For the bun, I used Orowheat super thin buns, which are 100 calories per serving. I think burger buns tend to be too thick anyway, so it's a great substitute for cutting calories and the buns taste great. I really love the taste of whole wheat anything and Orowheat makes great breads and buns that are low calories so that you can have better control of carbs.

 All in all, I like the burger I created, though I might try and find a way to convert the balsamic vinegar into a more sauce-like consistency to add more body. I added a romaine lettuce leaf to my burger to add a bit more green since I'm horrible at actually eating salad by itself. The basil in the burger not only tastes great but smells amazing. If you're not a big balsamic fan, substitute with dijon mustard to keep the calories low. No mayo!


Buffalo Caprese Burger
serving: 1 burger


6 oz ground buffalo (per patty/serving)
1 tsp salt (per patty)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided (per patty)
1 slice heirloom tomato
1 slice mozzarella cheese
1 serving Orowheat super thin "buns"
Basil to garnish
Lettuce (optional, whatever kind you like)

1. Mix the ground buffalo, salt and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix well together. Form a patty, making sure that the patty is thin, the reason being that the patty would shrivel up and get thicker once it is cooked, so you want to have a thin patty with a large diameter. If you don't make it thin, you'll end up with a small, thick patty that doesn't fit well in the buns. 
2. Heat a skillet/ grill/ cooking pot of your choice with a flat  bottom on medium-high heat. Cook the patty for about 2 - 3 mins on each side for medium. You'll notice that the buffalo patty getting smaller and thicker as it cooks. 
3. While you're cooking the meat, you can toast the buns if you like, I put them in the skillet if there's space, or give them a quick pop in the toaster since they're really thin.
4. Once your patty is cooked to your liking, transfer onto the bun. Pile on the burger a slice of heirloom tomato, slice of mozzarella cheese, lettuce, then drizzle with the rest of the balsamic vinegar. Garnish with sliced basil.

It's a pretty small-sized burger, definitely bigger than a slider but smaller than what you get at a burger place. This one was just the right size for a nice healthy lunch! Can't wait to make these again.


Bon apetit!

Chicken humor @ Microsoft

I'm working over in the Bravern 2 building this week conducting a
usability study. While I was in the kitchen, I saw the "posting" below
tacked on the announcement board. It cracked me up and was a much
needed comic relief today. It also made me get real chicken strips for
lunch. Unfortunately for me, I had to pay for those.