Baking Year Roundup

The reason why I've been MIA for so long is because I've been trapped in the kitchen. No really, these pictures will prove it.

But in all honesty, it's been many, many days since I've uploaded a post, and that's because I am back to a daily schedule and not travelling much, which is what this blog engendered from. However, I'd like to change things up in 2016, and try to blog more about my daily life, along with anything I find piquing my interest at the moment. Hopefully you'll find this blog to be more active, more content-heavy, and all around more interesting to peruse around. So without further ado, here is a compendium of my 2015 baking escapades in JPG format:

bread- (L to R: white, whole wheat, mix)

 apple crunching- crockpot apple butter, apple rose tarts w/ strawberry compote

carnival fun- funnel cake

savoury sides- cast iron cornbread, herb and garlic biscuits

freeze and bake, from home to school- chocolate chip cookies

holiday cookies- brookies, ginger molasses, rugelach

spiced nuts, cookie platter roundup

Sick days

Sick days are no fun at all. In light of the situation, however, here are six of my favourite remedies and products to help alleviate some of the pain that comes with being ill:

1. Oatmeal

Sprinkle a cup of rolled oats into your nightly bath to help soothe discomforted skin. Oats are a great way to calm down angry and dry patches, and also works as a gentle cleanser for your face: take a handful of oats, run it under lukewarm water and squeeze the excess liquid out of your palms. Then, massage the saturated oats onto your skin, focusing on parts of the face, e.g. red, dry nose, that need some particular TLC.

2. Voluspa Coconut Wax Candle- Mokara

This a light floral candle, with notes of mokara orchid, white lily and spring moss. The burn is strong enough for congested noses like mine to pick up, yet subtle and unoffensive to those sensitive to candles.

3. Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment

This thick balm has time and time again saved my nose's life! When my nose becomes dry and irritated from constant contact with tissues, I take a pea-sized amount and dab it around my nose before bed. In the morning, my nose is refreshed and ready to take on the tissues again.

4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash- Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

I find using bright, citrus-y cleansers particularly rejuvenating when I am ill. Additionally, using a gentle scrub is good to rid the skin of any dead skin cells. This scrub works as a two-in-one as a cleanser and light exfoliator, making my skincare process simpler when I don't have the energy to deal with too much.

5. Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX

After I cleanse my face, I look to something no fuss and simple so I can hit the hay as soon as possible. I slather a dollop of this hydrating mask onto my face, and have reassurance my skin will be good as new in the morning.

6. Water!

This needs no explanation. I use my blender bottle because the mouth cap is the perfect size for guzzling, it's portable, and I can pop in some lemon slices if I want to. 

Reflecting

This past year has been full of wonderful experiences and memories that I will cherish for years to come. I couldn't have asked for a better year to discover and explore the world around me. One year ago, I came across an article by mindbodygreen regarding several issues to reflect upon for a new upcoming year. I've been keeping this article in mind throughout 2014, and found that it has really helped to shape the person I am today. Below is an excerpt of the article, listing 20 things to let go of before the new year:

1. Let go of all thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong.

2. Let go of feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do.

3. Let go of the fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself.

4. Let go of regrets; at one point in your life, that “whatever" was exactly what you wanted.

5. Let go of worrying; worrying is like praying for what you don't want.

6. Let go of blaming anyone for anything; be accountable for your own life. If you don't like something, you have two choices, accept it or change it.

7. Let go of thinking you are damaged; you matter, and the world needs you just as you are.

8. Let go of thinking your dreams are not important; always follow your heart.

9. Let go of being the “go-to person" for everyone, all the time; stop blowing yourself off and take care of yourself first … because you matter.

10. Let go of thinking everyone else is happier, more successful or better off than you. You are right where you need to be. Your journey is unfolding perfectly for you.

11. Let go of thinking there's a right and wrong way to do things or to see the world. Enjoy the contrast and celebrate the diversity and richness of life.

12. Let go of cheating on your future with your past. It's time to move on and tell a new story.

13. Let go of thinking you are not where you should be. You are right where you need to be to get to where you want to go, so start asking yourself where you want to go.

14. Let go of anger toward ex lovers and family. We all deserve happiness and love; just because it is over doesn't mean the love was wrong.

15. Let go of the need to do more and be more; for today, you've done the best you can, and that's enough.

16. Let go of thinking you have to know how to make it happen; we learn the way on the way.

17. Let go of your money woes — make a plan to pay off debt and focus on your abundance.

18. Let go of trying to save or change people. Everyone has her own path, and the best thing you can do is work on yourself and stop focusing on others.

19. Let go of trying to fit in and be accepted by everyone. Your uniqueness is what makes you outstanding.

20. Let go of self-hate. You are not the shape of your body or the number on the scale. Who you are matters, and the world needs you as you are. Celebrate you!

Let go to make room for new thoughts, new ideas, new inspirations- Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Tip of the tongue

I can't really describe how I feel leaving Hong Kong. All I know is that there's this weird sinking feeling in my stomach when I look up at the window and see the buildings of the Hong Kong side of the island. My mouth tightens when I look around the room I've been living in these past few months. I think I'm sad.

It's hard to sum up my summer here in Hong Kong into a few measly paragraphs. I've experienced so much, had so many highs and lows (but fortunately less lows), and am so heartbroken to leave such a dynamic city; it feels like I'm breaking up with someone.

I still have yet to come to terms with leaving this place in a couple of hours. I've become so attached to the charm of Hong Kong that I'm already thinking about the next time I'll be here; so as to divert my mind from the upsetting realization that I am about to leave.

Although I wish to go back to Canada to see friends and family, I have this dreading premonition that once I've reunited with them, feelings of disappointment will wash over me and I'll have Hong Kong nostalgia. Even now, I feel like I'm missing the city already, even though I'm physically still here.

I'm just a stagnant blob of sadness and honestly don't want to leave the room I'm in currently. If I do, it's like my mind has given up on wanting to stay here and that my memories here will vanish and disappear. That, and it's just so damn hot that I really can't bear to move.

Hong Kong was a dream; and I just don't think I'm ready to come to terms with reality.

Minor Cogitations

The following topics below have no flow or cohesiveness- verbal upchuck is imminent...you've been warned (but hey, at least I titled them)

Air
The air in Central is terrible right now- 9 on the AQHI scale. The ubiquitous white fog reminds me of when my contacts become too dry and everything becomes blurry and faded. On lunch breaks, I used to eat outside and walk up the Soho escalators, listening to music as a sort of calming exercise before I head back. Now that I'm aware (mostly paranoid) of the detrimental health effects of air pollution, I fear even being outside for more than 5 minutes to get lunch during peak hours. 

Ovens
I've been on a baking escapade with my sous chef/partner-in-crime Yolanda, while I've been staying at her home. It helps to fill the void of baking and cooking back at home- at least for a little while. I still don't think I'll ever get used to oven temperatures set in Celsius- such a nuisance having to look up conversions...

Personality
My friend sent me this list that describes my personality in a nutshell- a nail on the head on channeling the thoughts of an ambivert. Reading this made me feel better that there are other bipolar hermits such as myself, haha...point 11 essentially sums up my how I make my life decisions.

Work
Three new interns entered the ring of fire this month- all in my department.  I feel a little hostile as I've been the only intern in CorpFin for 2 months, and these new guys ARE GONNA SHOW ME UP– just kidding, I'm just feeling territorial. I've eaten and socialized with two so far, but have yet to introduce myself to the newest guy. They all seem nice, but who knows....who knows...

Ma Wan
Last week I ventured off to Ma Wan to celebrate my Aunt's birthday along with her family and friends. I ended up meeting some uncles and aunts I never knew I had (seriously, my grandmother (dad's side) had 7 siblings....who knew?) and a 14-year old awkward cousin named Ryan. 

Air (Update)
There has been some thunder in the area (3 pm), and hopefully some rain will come down on us to sanctify our air pollution sins. Also, my view has turned into this foreboding yellow-y haze. Not very conducive to keeping me awake during prime siesta time (3-4 pm, everyday).

My life- in JPG format

shanghai

 suzhou

Insert ambiguous title

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A Look Back- June

This month flew by, with the days being filled with work, friends, sightseeing, and overpriced karaoke (more on that later...)

This month I spent weekends traversing the HK Islands to Stanley, Cheung Chau, and Sai Kung.

Stanley- Very tourist-y. My cousins and I only visited here for an hour or so, as we only made it a pit stop from where we were going to eat dinner. The view of the harbour was very nice, and the breezy weather made the walk around the town very comfortable and relaxing.

Cheung Chau- We went on a packed and toasty Saturday afternoon, with the sun rays shooting down on us like lasers. We spent the majority of our time there eating (as per usual), and enjoyed sporadic moments of walking on the boardwalk (fearing the UV rays, we went back and forth from the boardwalk to the shade). Belly fillers included frozen pineapple, glutinous mango desserts (it tastes better than how it sounds, I promise), and fried tofu skins. We had an incredible dinner at one of the many outdoor seaside restaurants, where in that time, the weather became a beautiful breezy air with the sun setting off into the distance. Razor clams, fried squid, and steamed garlic scallop w/ vermicelli galore. I'd have to say this was my favourite meal in HK thus far. We took a ferry to and fro, which made me a little nauseous both ways- but nothing a little sleep on the boat couldn't fix!

                                                            sunny days                                                 frozen pineapple 
 

                                                      mango mochi                                           iced coffee contraption

fried tofu skins

6:00 pm

7:00 pm

Sai Kung- I went wakeboarding with a friend and some of her friends here in HK this past weekend. We took a 小巴 from Mongkok and met up with the others along the way. The weather was quite bipolar, with bouts of heavy rain and total sunshine. But the relatively cloudy day made it perfect for being out on the waters- no sunburn and tan lines for me! As this was my first venture into wakeboarding, I sought guidance from my experienced friend and the wakeboard instructor/driver, and (kind of) succeeded in getting up and holding on for a little while. I still need to work on straightening my back (which haha...doesn't even happen off the waters, #hunchbackproblems), but it was all in all a fantastic experience. We ended off the day with round 2 of seaside dining; this time with lai liu crabs and other delicacies of the sort. It was nice to meet new locals around my age and to spend the evening with them.

my best smile ft. saltwater in my eyes

Work
Around mid-June was quite exciting, as I had the chance to work at the Transformers 4 premiere here in HK, and the Imagine Dragons concert which presided afterwards. It was a tiring event to put on, amassing record-breaking working hours, but a great learning experience throughout. This was the first time for a world premiere for a Hollywood film to be set in Hong Kong, so it's a relief that everything came together in the end. I was fortunate enough to be able to invite some friends to see a pre-screening of the movie, as well as tickets to see Imagine Dragons, so I hope they had a good time as well.

I became closer with my colleagues this month, with several events and projects that had me in and out of the office, working with several different teams within the department. I also became good buddies with the only other intern in the office (!), and am looking forward to another great month at the company.

Sights and Sounds
I spent a Saturday with my uncle and aunt visiting Ocean Park. I hadn't been since I was 8 years old, so it was nice to re-experience the park with older eyes. I favoured the zoo and aquarium exhibitions of the park a lot more than the amusement rides, and found that my favourite attraction by far was the cable car ride. The view was spectacular- the 5 minute ride was a great way to get away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city.

plushies galore

The Sunday afternoon afterwards I was with my cousin Janice, visiting the Hong Kong Heritage Museum near Shatin. Although we originally went for the Studio Ghibli (Totoro, Spirited Away, etc.) exhibition, we arrived only to see a two hour queue- just to enter. After entering, many had to wait another half hour to forty-five minutes to enter certain galleries, so we ultimately decided to view the other exhibitions and come back another day for the little Ghibli creatures.

Along with some colleagues after an event on a Friday morning, we went up to SoHo and visited the 1,600 display of papier-mâché pandas at PMQ. The sun was burning and shining down on us, but the pandas (and photo-ops) were worth it.

Later that night, I met up with Stephen and Joseph to eat some delicious (albeit overpriced) Korean bbq at KimChee in TST. Although I admit, the premium on its prices was justified by the stunning view of the harbour the restaurant had. Afterwards, we traveled north to Mongkok for some karaoke at Neway, which is surprisingly expensive for HK standards- $140 HKD/person for 2 hours (around $20 CAD). In Mississauga, my local favourite Kbar is $20 for a room/hr (so in a group of 5, that's only $4/hr, and $8 for 2 hrs)! Even with a complimentary drink, I'd say HK karaoke isn't worth the money.

June passed by way too fast―now only a month in HK until i go back to Canadaland. Although I'm missing home for its people, I'm excited to have a another month ahead of me. To new adventures!