Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

Looking for something easy to bake? This super easy recipe is highly recommended to beginners and those who want quick baking. Three baking  ingredients and 15 minutes baking time. You can’t beat that! This is one of those no-fail recipes! It’s worth a try ;)

Ingredients:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Mix together egg and sugar. Add peanut butter into egg mixture. Mix well.
2. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls.
3. Place them 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Flatten with a fork.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 325 F for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Let stand on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
6. Let cool before serving.

Yield: ~ 20 cookies

Are you curious to find out what other “junks” could potentially be in the snow? With HPC (Heterotrophic Plate Count) method, the melted snow is mixed  with some molten agar on plates. Subsequently, these plates are incubated at 35 °C for 48 hours, to allow the growth of bacteria and any other microorganisms. There is a total of four plates; two for “clean” snow and another two for dirty snow.

To interpret results, simply count the colonies with a colony counter.

Here are the results:

“Clean” snow has an average count of 44 (51 & 37).

Dirty snow has an average count of 65 (60 & 70).

Hmm… looks like the “clean” snow is not a whole lot cleaner than the dirty snow. My conclusions? The presence of microorganisms is inevitable in food intake, most of the time. We don’t usually get sick immediately upon consumption, as our bodies are protected by the immune system. Have you ever wonder if the ice used to prepare A.B.C. at various food stalls is clean to begin with? I won’t be surprised if the it turns out to be more “contaminated” than the fresh snow I’ve had!

Clean and dirty are just relative terms. Clean doesn’t mean that there is no microorganisms in it, but it’s “clean” enough not to make us sick. Conversely, dirty can be something that looked gross even with naked eyes and make us ill after consuming. As long as our bodies can fight against the foreign microorganisms and keep us healthy, having “not-so-clean” food once in a while, might help to build up a stronger immune system :)

Some might not agree with this. Anyway, it’s just my personal opinion. After all, I survived from eating my eco-friendly “natural” A.B.C. :P

One of the many baked goods that I enjoy during Chinese New Year–cornflake cookies! These are crunchy cookies with cornflakes and raisins as main ingredients. They are easy to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
2 cup cornflakes, crushed

Directions:
1. Cream margarine, white sugar, and egg together, with a electrical hand mixer on low speed.
2. Mix vanilla extract into the margarine mixture.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and baking powder.
4. Slowly pour flour mixture into the margarine mixture, while stirring. Mix well.
5. Add raisins and cornflakes into cookie dough.
6. Form small-size balls of ~ 1.5 tbsp dough each.
7. Place them on lined cookie sheet, slightly apart from each other. Bake cookies in preheated oven of 350 F for about 18 minutes, or until light brown.

Yield: ~ 30 cookies

I was anticipating the test results for snow today. Carefully, I removed the trays (where a mixture of melted snow and test reagent was kept) from the 35 °C incubator, after one day of incubation. Shockingly, the test for microbiological parameters of the snow turned out to be negative, i.e. it’s safe to consume!! In other words, snow is tested negative for coliforms and E. coli. Thus, snow shouldn’t make us sick immediately. Hooray! It wasn’t a bad decision to have A.B.C. after all!

For the purpose of this test, I used dirty snow (brownish, from the snowbank) as a control, and “clean” snow (untouched, purely white) as a test. There is one coliform present in the former, and nothing found in the “clean” snow. The reason for having a control is to prove that coliform and/or E. coli can indeed be present in snow, since microbiology test for water is not supposed to be frozen. Under the cold temperature, bacteria may not survive.

“Clean” snow is tested negative for coliform and E. coli (top), and one coliform (a yellow spot pointed by black arrow) is found in the dirty snow.

Having said that, this conclusion is drawn solely from the microbiology perspectives. Other contamination, such as organic, inorganic, metals, and nutrients could be involved. Basically, even though it seems like the snow is safe to consume, it doesn’t mean there is no other “junks” which potentially harmful to us.

Hmm… how do we know if there is any other junk at all? Be sure to check back for more updates! The results will be revealed shortly after this.

A.B.C. (Air Batu Campur in Malay), is known as ice with mix ingredients, when translated into English. This is a popular dessert (or a substitute for drink), served with shaved ice, syrups, evaporated milk, creamy corns, azuki beans (or red kidney beans), green starch noodles, grass jelly, peanuts etc.

I seized the opportunity to have a bowl of A.B.C. during my visit home in Malaysia last year.

The fancy A.B.C. with ice-cream!

Snow is wonderful for building snowman, making snow angel, and then what? I came up with this idea of preparing A.B.C. from fresh snow! What?? Eating the natural snow?!

Here is my version of eco-friendly “natural” A.B.C.

Disclaimer: Try at your own risk!

It has been more than 24 hours since I had it. No peculiar happenings just yet. I kept thinking: if we can stick out our tongues to taste the snow, what difference does it make to eat snow? I was mentally prepared, if I ever have to make use of my medical insurance coverage… Thank God I survived from that bowl of yummy A.B.C.!

How does snow taste like? Is it different from the regular slush ice you’ve had? You bet! The disparity in taste is comparable to boiled water and mineral/distilled water. That’s the difference I found between slush ice and natural snow. Despite my best of intentions to serve my roommates A.B.C., they opted for just an itty bitty taste of the snow, and had their “A.B.C.” without the “shaved ice”! *faint*

Now that I regain my sanity (too excited over the snow yesterday), I’m carrying out a microbiological test on the natural snow for detection of coliforms, E. coli, and any other “junks” that could be in it.

Do I catch your attention now? I can’t wait to see the results either! Oh well, no matter what the outcome is, I’m willing to accept it. If snow is proven to be clean, maybe I can consider selling A.B.C. in the winter (just kidding); otherwise, I’ll quit making A.B.C., that’s all.

The test results should be out tomorrow! Stay tuned for more updates! ^v^

What? Snow again?! I felt the urge to write something about the major snowstorm that we’ve just experienced in Fredericton today. It’s the most shocking snowstorm I’ve ever observed thus far. The locals even claimed that it is the worst they’ve seen in a decade! It has been snowing heavily before midnight on Sunday and continued on until Monday evening, with a few short pauses in between. There is about 48 cm of fresh snow, if not more!! That’s bizzare!!!

The storm hits cities across the province, with wind gusts up to 50 to 90 km/hr! The visibility was next to zilch at times. The storm has caused power outages in various places and city plows were forced to be pulled out off roads. City plows across the province were already on the roads during wee hours; but yet, the high wind and zero visibility have made the plowing process a daunting task. According to the news report, roads were quickly filled back with snow within 15 minutes, after being plowed, owing to the strong wind and heavy snowfall.

Local business were closed and operations of city transit were stopped for the day, as a result of the adverse weather conditions. Condition of roads was terrible, and drivers were urged to stay at home. Fine… no driving. How about walking then? Together with my roommates, we ventured into the storm when the weather was milder in the late afternoon. We were curious to check out what the storm has brought us!

A homeowner was busy shoveling snow at his doorsteps. Some had trouble placing the shoveled snow. No room for more snow!

The campus is covered in white.

The Old Arts Building (a.k.a. Registrar’s Office).

I was on cloud nine, literally ;)

In front of the Forestry & Geology building. I was half-sinking into the deep snow!

Outside the Science Library, which used to be my second home :P

Can you find me in the snowbank?

The stairs were covered in thick snow. Watch your steps!

Snow shoveling is required to move the vehicle.

Scenic view by the window.

Melting snow on the glass window.

Can you see the snow crystals? They have unique patterns and shiny appearance.

Winter adventures haven’t come to an end just yet. There are lots of fun activities to explore, one of which is cross-country skiing, which I haven’t tried for years now. The Mactaquac Provincial Park offers groomed trails for cross-country skiers to spend some fun time outdoor. It’s enjoyable, especially when the temperature is mild. Other places, such as parks and trails in the city are easily accessible for skiers who do not wish to travel far.

Yesterday was a great day for skiing. It wasn’t windy at all, and temperature was around o °C. I couldn’t ask for a better day! The trail we went on, was about 5 km in length. Cross-country skiing is an exciting sport, even though it’s not the same as downhill skiing which I’m more familiar with. It took me a while before I grasp the skiing techniques. I felt great when I was finally able to coordinate my arms and legs, as well as feet movement, while cruising along the trail. Thanks to Dave for his demonstrations and tips! It’s amazing how fast one can move with cross-country skis, quicker than a runner!

The nicely groomed trails for cross-country skiing.

Skiers and their dog were having a great time on the trail.

Scenic winter view in the woods.

Thick snow on the ground, accumulated from numerous snowstorms.

Looking up to the sky in the woods.

Skiing while enjoying the beauty of nature was a serene experience.

A steep slope for recreational sliding and tobogganing.

The snowmobile trail.

Snowmobilers with their snowmobiles in front of the lodge.

The birch tree. Have you ever wonder what you can do with the birch bark?

Dave demonstrated how to light a fire with the birch bark, which can be easily removed from the tree trunk.

Besides using it to start a fire, the strong and water-resistant birch bark can be used for canoe, crafts, and even as a substitute for paper! Some valuable maps and manuscripts from the olden days were drawn and written on birch barks.

Treemoss (grey or greenish) was hanging on the tree branches.

Widely known as Treemoss, Beard Lichen, or Old Man’s Beard, Usnea is the generic name for this strange-looking plant. It’s sensitive to air pollution; the cleaner the air, the longer it grows (10-20 cm)! Usnea is famous for its medical applications. What else can you use it for? I’ve used it to clean dirt off my shoes when walking in the muddy woods during the summer. You’ll be amazed how useful it is!

Pakora is a popular South Asian snack food. It can be found in Indian, Punjabi, and Pakistani cuisine. It’s flavourful and easy to prepare!

Ingredients:
1 large onion, thin sliced
3 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp salt
1 + 3/4 cup water
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
~ 3 cup cooking oil

Directions:
1. Mix chickpea flour and salt together.
2. Add water into the flour mixture gradually, while stirring.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and sliced onions into the batter.
4. Heat cooking oil in a wok. Place 1.5 tbsp of batter in the heated oil gently, one at a time.
5. Deep fry 5 to 6 pakoras on medium heat, for about 6 minutes or slightly brown. Deep fry for another 6 minutes on other side of pakoras, until light brown.
6. Serve!

Donning layers of thick clothing in the winter isn’t funny at all. Plummeting temperatures, biting cold wind, and slews of snowfall leave you with no choice, but to put on warmer and thicker clothing. After a few years of winter experience, I’m much used to knowing what to wear based on the daily weather forecast. Of course, always take the wind chill factor into consideration!

0 to -5 °C: A long-sleeve blouse or cotton turtleneck, and a fall jacket.

-5 to -10 °C: A long-sleeve blouse or cotton turtleneck; alternatively, a short-sleeve blouse and a fleece jacket. Top these up with a regular winter coat.

-10 to -20 °C: A long-sleeve cotton turtleneck, a fleece jacket, and a regular winter coat.

-20 to -30 °C: A long-sleeve cotton turtleneck, a fleece jacket, and a thick winter coat.

-30 to -40 °C: A long-sleeve cotton turtleneck, a thick fleece jacket, and a thicker winter coat (i.e. ski jacket).

-40 °C and below: Stay at home!!

It’s important to choose the proper clothing materials as well as understand the appropriate handling of winter clothing. I tend to stick with cotton blouse or turtleneck, and polyester-based jacket. I don’t usually put on wool clothing, except in extreme cold. Not only does it cause skin irritation, but it also requires special handling in washing (ie. should be hung dry, instead of machine dry). Water resistant outwear made of polyester and nylon is great. It keeps body from getting wet, and hence, avoid freezing. Winter coats filled with down and waterfowl feathers are excellent for insulation. Clothing that needs dry-cleaning? It’s troublesome. Try to avoid getting one, if possible.

Besides clothing mentioned above, a pair of warm gloves and winter hat are extremely useful too. I’m not a big fan of scarves; in my opinion, the more you carry with you, the easier it is to lose things. Hence, wearing light and staying cozy is my goal. Winter coats with hoods and high zippers are wonderful. You can stay comfy without a winter hat; neck and lips are well protected when zippers are pulled all the way up.

How about the bottom layers? You may now wonder… Most of the time, I survived with just a good pair of jeans. Under temperature -35 °C and below, an extra layer of insulation is recommended, even a pair of thighs. When it’s freezing cold, clothing tends to become rigid. This applies to jeans. It almost seems like clothing is undergoing the freezing state, and it’s sticking on body. In this case, a pair of thighs underneath can make a big difference. Having said that, it’s advisable to put on snow pants when it’s too cold. Snow pants offer great insulation and best of all, it’s water resistant! It’s a necessity for skiing.

Overdressed can be as bad as underdressed. You don’t want to suffocate yourself with thick clothing and that you can barely move. Perspiring in the cold winter will only freeze you up. So, don’t do that. Conversely, underdressed might cause frostbite and dry skins. Hence, dress according to the weather.

I’ve never worn Long Johns thus far. Why? Good question! With Long Johns, you may feel warmer in the cold, but it may result in skin irritation when you’re inside a heated building. The same idea applies to wool clothing. If you’re only going to be in the cold for 2 minutes (e.g. walking from car to a building), and staying in the building for the next 8 hours, why bother putting on Long Johns? Unless, of course, you’re staying outdoor for long hours. With a good heating and insulating system, one can be wearing a t-shirt and shorts indoor, despite the freezing -40 °C outside!

It’s worthwhile investing in winter clothing of good materials. The good ones can last for years. Same goes for footwear. A pair of non-slip waterproof winter boots can save you from painful falls and freezing feet. It’s highly recommended to own a pair!

Warm (e.g. 7 °C), mild, chilly, cold, very cold, freezing cold, extreme cold, unbearable cold… These are all relative and subjective terms often used to express the level of cold experienced in the winter.

After the long winter months, it almost feels like spring or fall when the rising temperature leaves the sub-zero zone. Lesser and thinner clothing is an indication of the arrival of spring. Hmm… this probably won’t happen anytime soon. Meanwhile, have fun with the snow everyone!

It was -13 °C in the afternoon. The blowing snow was whipping my face frantically at the speed of 28 km/hr, with constant wind gusts of 48 km/hr. The unplowed sidewalks left me with at least 10 cm of snow to sink in (as opposed to walk on). Even though roads were plowed, the blowing snow contributed to poor visibility and hence, bad driving condition. Walking or driving? I think it’s best to stay home during snowstorm ;) Don’t you agree?

Staring in front of window
Sitting in a little cozy room
Listening to soft whispering snow
Waving furiously before meeting its doom

Marvelous winter scene is beyond description
Experiencing the season to truly believe
Some dislike snowy winter with a passion
I appreciate the gift from nature & gladly receive

Long & freezing winter can be annoying
Chattering teeth & shivering bones in the biting cold
Sliding & drifting is frustrating
Making footprints big & bold

Fluffy snow is piling higher than ever
Building a cute little snowman
Cheering me up with his laughter
Rejoicing in this snowy wonderland

Satay is a well-known delicacy in Southeast Asia. It can be found in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia etc. It’s served with a variety of meat, such as chicken, beef, lamb, venison, rabbit etc. Barbequed satay on charcoal fire is delicious, though some expressed health concerns about carbon residues on satay, which is thought to be carcinogenic. Hence, cucumber and red onion should go hand in hand with satay. Cucumber is known to reduce heat and inflammation, whereas onion helps to lower cholesterol level and increase blood circulation. The anti-carcinogenic properties of cucumber and onion help to reduce the risk of cancer.

Ingredients:
(A) Chicken satay
900g chicken thighs
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp lemon grass powder
1/2 tsp galangal powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of ground white pepper
1 tbsp oil
~ 36 bamboo skewers, presoaked in water for 30 minutes

For brushing:
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp honey

(B) Peanut sauce
1/4 medium red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup concentrated tamarind juice
1/2 + 1/2 cup water
1 + 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp lemon grass powder
1/2 tsp galangal powder
1 + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
~ 12 dried chillies

Directions (A):
1. Remove skins and bones from chicken thighs.
2. Cut thighs into strips. In a mixing bowl, marinate meat with light soya sauce, sugar and all other spices. Add 1 tbsp oil and mix well. Refrigerate marinated meat overnight.
3. Slide strips of meat onto the top half of presoaked bamboo skewers (to prevent burning).
4. Prepare a tray lined with greased aluminum foil. Place bamboo skewers side by side. Lightly brush satay with oil.
5. Bake satay in a preheated oven at 400 F for 12 minutes, or half-cooked.
6. Remove tray from the oven. Turn the satay around. Lightly brush them with oil. Bake satay further for 10 minutes.
7. Remove tray from the oven. Brush satay (on both sides) with honey. Bake for another 2 minutes, or until cooked.
8. Serve satay with satay sauce; red onions and cucumbers on the side.

Directions (B):
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Saute red onions until light brown. Add garlic into the skillet. Fry until fragrant.
2. Add all spices, except turmeric powder into saucepan. Mix well.
3. Next, add concentrated tamarind juice, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 cup water into saucepan. Add turmeric powder, dried chillies, and chopped peanuts. Stir well.
4. Let simmer (without a lid) on medium high heat for 15 minutes, or until sauce starts to dry out. Stir occasionally.
5. Add the remaining coconut milk and water, as well as peanut butter into saucepan. Let simmer on medium heat for another 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
6. Serve with satay.

Serimuka is one of the Malaysian desserts that I missed the most. I remembered buying it from the food stall at the market. It’s a popular dessert in Malaysia. I didn’t realize how much I missed it, until I started to crave for it… What is so special about this dessert?

This two-layer dessert with coconut flavour, is made up of salty glutinous rice layer at the bottom; and a sweet, pandan-flavoured egg custard later on top. The taste of this combination is marvelous! I really like the fact that it is not overly sweet and comes with the fragrant pandan aroma. Nonetheless, serimuka is rather filling, because of the glutinous rice layer.

I started my search on serimuka recipe and was really glad to find one on Lily’s Wai Sek Hong. I’ve tried the recipe a few times but haven’t had the opportunity to take some good shots of the dessert. I made some serimuka recently for a potluck. Everyone loved it, even non-Malaysians! Hope you’d enjoy it too!

Ingredients:
(A) Glutinous rice layer
300g glutinous rice
180ml coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
(B) Egg custard layer
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g icing sugar
350ml coconut milk
1/2 tsp pandan paste
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp all-purpose flour, sieved
4 tbsp rice flour, sieved

Directions:
1. Wash and soak the glutinous rice overnight (or at least 3-4 hours).
2. Drain water. Steam the rice in a round tray on high heat, for 20 minutes to soften.
3. Turn off the heat. Mix together coconut milk, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Fluff up the rice with a fork. Pour the coconut mixture into the rice. Mix well. Steam rice on high heat for another 20 minutes, or until cooked.
4. Press hard on the cooked rice with a spatula. Make sure the rice layer is evenly laid in the tray.
5. Next, mix together eggs, icing sugar, coconut milk, pandan paste, and salt. Mix well.
6. Gradually pour in the sieved all-purpose flour and rice flour into the egg mixture. After it’s well mixed, strain the mixture. Heat the mixture on high in a microwave, one minute at a time, until a slightly thick mixture is formed.
7. Pour half of the egg mixture on top of the rice layer. Steam on medium high heat for 20 minutes, or until it’s half-cooked. Poke holes with a fork on the custard layer.
8. Subsequently, pour in the rest of the egg mixture. Steam on medium high heat for another 20 minutes, or until it’s cooked.
9. Let cool. Cut serimuka into pieces and serve!

My poutine story continues… after my first post about poutine several months ago. Poutine is one of my many great discoveries in Canada. I’m not a big fan of either fries, gravy, or cheese; but the taste is surprisingly delicious when they’re put together!

What exactly is a poutine? Here is the description of poutine from wikipedia: “Poutine is a fast food staple in Canada. It’s served with beef gravy on French fried potatoes and cheese curds.”

It’s a must-try when you visit Canada, especially in the province of Quebec (where poutine originated). For non-poutine lovers, sorry to say that you’re missing out a lot! Having said that, poutine should be consumed in moderation, due to its high calories. For the past few months, I’ve tasted poutine from different places, and even made it myself! Here is a glimpse of what you’d expect:

KFC. The gravy for mashed potatoes is used for poutine. It was delicious! It’d be better if the fries were crunchier.

Harvey’s. Cheese curds, yumm… Too bad that the beef gravy was too salty for me.

New York’s Fries. It was a generous serving. Crunchy fries, beef gravy, and cheese curds; an authentic poutine! It was one of the best poutines I’ve tasted!

Farmers’ Market, Fredericton. It’d be better with more gravy and cheese curds, instead of shredded cheese.

Crabbe Mountain cafeteria. Poutine was referred to as “fix” on the menu. This was certainly one of the best!

Homemade. A healthier and flavourful version of poutine; baked fries, poutine gravy, melted mozzarella cheese, as well as spices (dried rosemary, oregano, basil, black pepper etc.). It was a successful try, I’d say :)

What’s my criteria for a good poutine? Overall, I really enjoy poutine with crunchy and skin-on French fries, flavourful and thick beef gravy, as well as chewy cheese curds that melts in the hot gravy! It looks just like this:

Snooty Fox Pub. This poutine had everything that I asked for! Lovely…

Hope you enjoy poutine as much as I do, if not more ;)

What’s your favourite fast food restaurant? Since early childhood, I was always told that fast food is unhealthy and it won’t help in my physical growth. That was probably why I used to find fast food tasted delicious. When you don’t get it often, that’s when the cravings begin. Besides, I also enjoyed having fun at the kids’ playing area.

There was a period of time during my childhood where Mom and Dad would offer us a treat to the fast food restaurant, once every week. Upon an agreement between bro., sis., and myself, we picked one of the many fast food restaurants in the city. The most frequently visited restaurant was McDonald’s. There was an indoor PlayPlace that we could spend some fun moments after the meal.

Nowadays, I have fast food only on rare occasions. Fast food does not only loaded with tons of calories, but it can also be rather pricey. Over the past few months, I revisited McDonald’s a few times. As mentioned above, when you don’t get something often, that’s when the cravings begin;) McDonald’s brought back my sweet childhood memories.

There’s always a long lineup at the downtown McDonald’s.

Breakfast Bagel B.L.T., hash browns, and coffee.

Breakfast muffin with sausage and eggs.

The new Chipotle BBQ Chicken Snack Wrap, for limited time only!

Hot and spicy chipotle BBQ sauce. Yumm…

The Double Cheeseburger is on the $1.39 menu! That’s good for a meal.

“25 Random Things” has become popular on Facebook. What is it all about?

“Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.”

You can know a person quite well after reading the list; but not well enough, in my opinion. How about 50 things? Here is a list of 50 things that I’m going to tell you about myself. The big secrets revealed!!!

1. I can be quite adventurous. I’ve done scuba diving, mountain climbing (2 days 1 night), whitewater rafting, downhill skiing, hiking (4 days 3 nights), bungee jumping, skydiving, sailing…

2. I enjoy cooking & baking, out of my own recipes! Of course, I always appreciate someone else’s cooking & baking; especially loved ones. It’s the thought that counts…

3. I enjoy traveling, and take delight in savouring food. I love traveling so much that I had worked 14 hours a day, 5 days a week, over one 2-month and two 4-month periods, to save up for my traveling expenses. I wish to do backpacking in Europe some day.

4. I find it a lot easier to communicate with someone who shares the common interests and passions.

5. How many origami lucky stars can you make? I folded 600 stars (signify 600 days at work) and put them in a vase for my co-workers, before I left my job. Mind you, everything was done from scratch! (Measuring, drawing lines, cutting and whatnot).

6. I love swimming… My best record? Swimming 2.5 km (equivalent to 50 laps of an Olympic-size pool) non-stop in less than an hour! I’d have continue swimming if the lifeguard didn’t stop me. The pool was shutting down…

7. I’m very grateful and thankful for my loving and supportive family; caring parents and lovely bro & sis. Because of you, I am who I am today! :)

8. I enjoy blogging, if you haven’t already noticed it. Welcome to my website, http://adelineang.com!

9. I love hot & spicy food. The hottest food I’ve tasted so far is the suicidal insanity wings from Jungle Jim’s!!! I’ve been there twice thus far (Mom thought it was inappropriate to give it a second try. I survived though, haha..).

10. My two memorable New Year’s countdown: A holy communion in a crowd of 22,500, in St. Louise, Missouri (2007), and Times Square, NYC (2008).

11. I’ve traveled alone during my first visit to some major cities: Vancouver (2004), Toronto (2006), Montreal (2006), Quebec City (2006), New York City (2007/8), Boston (2008), Hong Kong (2008), Macau (2008)… I prefer exploring the cities myself, rather than relying on tour guides.

12. I can be rather wacky, if you know me well enough to discover that ;)

13. When I stay up too late sometimes, it means I’m too tired to go to bed. I usually just doze off on my desk.

14. I learn to appreciate life a lot more, after going through all the ups and downs in life; particularly, a life-threatening incident in which I was nearly drowned.

15. I’m the only non-Caucasian in the building where I work.

16. I like surprises; only the good ones though.

17. If I’ve to have a dream that I don’t think I’ll ever fulfill, it’d be my participation in a triathlon event; even though I enjoy swimming, biking, and running a lot. I’m not an Iron woman, nor am I trying to be one.

18. I find the short daylight hours in the winter rather depressing; going into work in the dark and leaving work in the dark… I tend to sleep more when I’m sad or depressed.

19. I bake when I’m stressed; and it bothers me when a recipe didn’t turn out well.

20. I like shooting pictures of food for my blog, and hope that my friends are not disturbed by that. If you do, too bad…

21. I’m never a big fan of TV programs. I don’t get it why people would want to spend hours in front of the TV screen, when there are so many other fun activities to do!

22. I dislike alcoholic drinks and clubbing. Nonetheless, I’ll still drink and hang out at a pub/dance club, if I really have to socialize…

23. I considered myself quite studious. Up to what extend? I used to have an average sleep of 5 hours a day, six days a week, during my middle and high school years. How did I get through high school? Hmm… I haven’t had a clue…

24. I promised myself not to stay up late the night before exam. I had only 3 hours of sleep before a Geometry exam in grade 9, trying to study as much as I could. The next morning, my mind went blank staring at the exam paper…. I still passed the exam though =D

25. I value my belongings, especially those with sentimental values. I’ve had a watch (from Dad) that I had worn for 11 years. Besides, I’m still using a mechanical pencil that I bought with my own pocket money in grade 5. It has been about 13 years now, and I wish to keep it forever…

26. I play the piano, but I don’t sing.

27. I created my first website, with HTML codes using Microsoft FrontPage, when I was 13.

28. I don’t like sewing, but I will do it when needed to.

29. If you find me quiet, it’s not that I’m snobbish. It’s either I’ve too many thoughts running through my mind, or I’m simply too tired to speak.

30. When I’m drunk, I go to sleep.

31. My first exciting public speaking experience was my presidential speech for a cultural event, in front of a crowd of 300, during my second year of University. The University President, Student Union President, and International Student Advisor were present. Of course, journalists and media photographers were there too! I felt like I was a star!

32. I can be deeply bothered by an unsolved mathematical question, even in my sleep.

33. You must be someone special for me to think about before I go to bed.

34. I enjoy watching horror movies with a group of friends. If I’ve to watch them alone, I’d do it in the broad daylight; so that I can forget the horror scenes when the night kicks in!

35. I’ve been away from my family since the age of 17.

36. I send birthday cards to Mom, Dad, Bro, and Sis; and call them up on their birthdays.

37. I remember numbers quite well. I can recite phone numbers of various homes I’ve lived in since I was first born. To date, there are 7 phone numbers in mind.

38. If I’m fear of something that I should not fear, I usually try to do it more often to conquer my fear.

39. I’m fine with not receiving gifts on my birthday, but I always look forward for a birthday cake; whether it’s homemade or store-bought.

40. I hang out more often with my guy friends than female friends. Maybe female is rare in this city?

41. I like different colours on different things. If you’re asking about my favourite colour, please tell me what the object is. If I really have to pick one, it’d be sky blue.

42. I can easily gain weight in 2 days, but it’ll take me more than two weeks to lose what I’ve gained.

43. I love varieties. I often order different things from the same restaurant menu during my subsequent visits.

44. I get so bored in the summer sometimes that I’ll exercise for 6 hours a day (e.g. cardio, swimming, biking)!

45. I always think it’s so cool to get paid to travel.

46. I appreciate those who always keep me in their prayers…

47. I’ve biked for 52 km on the road in less than 3 hours, and went home just before it got pitch-dark in a summer evening.

48. When I listen to songs, I enjoy the music and lyrics more than the vocal alone. I think the song and lyrics composers should be given higher credits for producing great songs.

49. I feel homesick during festive seasons.

50. I missed the numerous public holidays in Malaysia, because you get the days off! Hence, I often look forward to storm days in the winter :P

If you’ve finished reading the list, congratulations! Thanks for your patience; and I’m very impressed! I’m glad to have you here, and welcome back to check out for more updates of  my blog!