Category: Life

Another year older

Another year wiser.. so they say. But I’m not feeling that way.

In fact, I’m not sure what to call this. It’s like I’m not really caring it’s my birthday. I mean, sure, I’m kind of glad to have set the day to myself. But I still did not find myself happy, nor joyful in celebration on my birthday. It was like almost any other day, except what I wanted to do today, I did for myself. That’s it.

I do not know why is it like this now

I asked myself, is it because I no longer cared for the candles on my cake? Or, is it because I’ve been telling myself an age is all but a number for too long?

Whatever it is, I am still trying to find it out on my own. Because I do miss that feeling. That feeling of celebration. That feeling of ridiculousness when you’re with friends and family on your birthday. That feeling, when you were 6 years old and all you could be happy about was the birthday cake in front of you, with 6 small candles.

Am I not getting the point?

Or, have I forgotten what the point of it is anymore? As a child of 6 years old, I would definitely say the point of the birthday was the presents. The many surprises waiting to be unveiled by our own hands. And the excitement, finding out you got the toy or thing you wanted on that day.

But as I’ve become another year older, I find myself under appreciating these material things. Sure, it’s something I would have wanted, but then the next thought kicks in, “did I really need this?”.

Maybe I’m becoming a monk

I’ve read articles where they mention, a key to happiness is being satisfied with what you have. Maybe I’m getting there. Though I know in my heart, there’s something else I still want… I do not know.

What I do know, I’m still wrestling with these thoughts and trying to find the answer. Is it age? Is it mindfulness? Is it depression?

Or, it’s just me.

 

To finding myself

This might be post-new year’s syndrome, listening to Armin van Buuren on a New Year’s morning. Oh well..

my-new-years-resolution-is-to-follow-through-with-my-new-years-resolutions-dd8b3
Source: gracerife

Onwards to 2016

While many were readying to party the night away yesterday, I couldn’t help to only think of what do I aim to accomplish in the next year, as its hours counted down.

Looking back at this neglected online space which I call ‘my personal blog’ in 2015, its obvious highlight was my first trip to Korea.

Outside of this space…

  • Managed to finish reading:
    • Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It
      (Marshall Goldsmith)
    • Blogging for a living (Grace Tan)
    • Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in  (Roger Fisher, William L. Ury, Bruce Patton)
    • 21 irrefutable laws of leadership (John C. Maxwell)
    • Today matters (John C. Maxwell)
  • Exhausted my thoughts with work
  • Celebrated friends’ weddings
  • Designed a cat cafe logo
  • Became a ‘heng tai’ for the first time
  • Partied at a notable blogger’s anniversary
  • Purchased my very own badminton racquet
  • Added 5 new Nendoroid to my collection

And I guess that’s it. Not too bad, right.

Goals of 2016

This year, I do hope and want to:

  • Read 1 book a month (max. within 2 months – I’m a slow reader)
  • Take 10 minutes before work to clear my mind with meditation (self-experiment)
  • Write playfully with a brush pen (inspired by calligraphy I’ve seen on Instagram)
  • Remind myself of my goals every night and take steps to fulfill them
  • Note down what am I truly grateful towards

A simple list, while my big-but-attainable dream this year would be to take a sabbatical and find myself again.

There used to be so much joy and satisfaction from what I did in my career and life, but something changed and it feels like I lost that something. I want to give myself, time alone, with my thoughts, an absence from the present to realize what was that something and what I have to do to keep it with me, for as long I live.

Getting the best bang for your buck at Sushi Zanmai

こんにちは〜 fellow Japanese food eater. I was thinking to myself recently of writing this after having a meal at Sushi Zanmai. This eatery is my most common go to place for Japanese food that’s not over priced and holds a certain standard of quality.

Previously, I used to visit Sushi King often until their sushi slices (salmon, in particular) became unbearably thin to me and I decided that was it. My first Sushi Zanmai experience was at 1Utama with friends. And if I recall correctly, I was recommended the sushi Salmon Mentai (being a salmon fan). That was the turning point for me – I was instantly hooked.
This is why I might be able to advise you the best bang for your buck eating at Sushi Zanmai. Disclaimer though, I’ve not eaten everything on the menu and I like to stay consistent to some items. 😛

Let’s begin.

If I ever did manage to hold back my urge for Japanese food and only had it once in the month, my number one order will definitely be the Salmon Mentai. It used to be around MYR6 per plate, now it’s MYR7 (rounded up). If I’m on a slight budget though, I’ll settle for the Salmon sushi. That’s around MYR5 and used to be MYR4.

My other preferred sushi are the Ebikko and Chuka Idakko. The first was crab roe and second was baby octopus. The Ebikko is MYR4 per plate (used to be MYR3) and the other is MYR5 (used to be MYR 4 I think) per plate.

On the other hand, if you’re not craving for sushi, let me introduce my number one main.. Sukiyaki. I’ve shared with my wife that I believe this is the best bang for my buck on the menu because it’s around MYR 22 and it always filled my stomach – even without sushi.

Whenever I looked at the Don (rice) choices, I felt they were really overpriced now. A small Oyako Don (chicken cutlet) now is priced around MYR 12 and Yakiniku (beef) Don is around MYR 13. I do have to add my last few trials with the Oyako Don weren’t very good because taste of the chicken was bland and rice lacked enough taste.

But I’ve recently had 1 new Don which I think wasn’t too bad. This was the Chicken Karaage Don.

It was priced around MYR 20, with just the right amount of sauce covering the rice. My personal presumption though would be that a large serving might be a little overkill, as the sauce is the sweet type. So I’d settle for a small – MYR 12.

Alright. If we looked at the prices above now, you might agree too that the Sukiyaki is the best bang for buck than the Don items. Nowadays, I don’t have their ramen because I’m a little spoilt by Musashi Ramen (though much pricier, it just tastes so good).

How about you? What do you order for the best bang (and taste) for your buck?

My mornings

Rain or shine, I like its predictability of waking up, washing up, making breakfast and seating in a space where I could turn off and observe the sights and sounds of the morning. And oh, having the precense of man’s best friend always nearby too. There’s something about these furry friends when in a quiet space, it makes you feel more “toned” down. It’s like you wish sometimes it’s really good to have a dog’s life. Or cat’s life, whichever companion you may have with you.

In our climate, I look forward when the sun don’t shine. Simply because it means cooler mornings and a better chance of me sitting back and not having to concern myself with distractions. You got to love mornings like this in life.

However, yes, there’s always going to be that lingering “but” in there somewhere. Mine would have to be the mosquito-like sound from a motorcycle with a modified exhaust. The decibels on those things are adding really badly to the noise pollution and there’s nothing us, as lowly citizens, can do about it. To be fair, this would apply also to cars with the same customization. It’s even more terrible that these modifications do not even make them go faster, just noisier. *facepalm*

Hopping back on the “good things” wagon. The quiet time I have are spent observing and flipping through Flipboard (I suppose that’s where the name came about). And I recently started taking a notebook with me, in case there were thoughts I needed to pen down while I was in my zoned out space – that’s typical what I do sometimes, but that’s for another day to share.

With all these good things, there it is again, it would have to be in moderation. Otherwise, I’m worried its good effects might wear out or eat into the time I have to be productive in doing what I love.

But yeah, I really like my mornings this way.

An unlikely actor encounter, secret garden and finally…pork

First stop of the day was to explore the Bukchon Hanok village alleys. There were many modernized old residences and cafes along the road we walked, though alleys were few. I didn’t get a chance to shoot the alleys I’ve seen in other photos, but we encountered a filming scene about to happen. The missus couldn’t recognize the actresses but then said the actor looked familiar – Song Jae Rim. Don’t ask me, I don’t watch enough Korean dramas. 😛

http://instagram.com/p/0_vxVuivoF/

As we walked along the road we took, we realized we were passing the walls of a nearby palace. We were surprised to discover the palace grounds was in fact the one we needed to go today – Changdeokgung. In order to visit the Huwon secret garden within Changdeokgung, you must purchase the palace entry ticket and tour into Huwon. Furthermore, entry point of Huwon was inside the palace grounds.

The secret garden or forbidden garden talks more about how the kings used the area for thinking, spending time and creating a space for their kin. It’s a 1 hour 30 minute tour and will require lots of walking on flats, stairs and some hills. While I observed a pair walking with slippers, I wouldn’t advice it because some paths were sand and slippers don’t have the best of grips.

After the tour, on our way to the subway station we bought a snack – ham, cheese and egg toast. As simple as it sounded, it was still great in taste with the accompanying sauce of ketchup and mustard. *slurp*

While walking around an underground shopping center, we stumbled on the first shop selling k-pop goods for fans ranging from collectible albums, posters, light sticks and more.

We then landed back in Myeongdong again. Instead of a cat cafe, we chilled awhile at a dog cafe this time. They had quite a number of breeds and it was the first time I’ve seen a bulldog up close. The fellow was adorable. Lol. We did notice though that most dogs had a sad look on their face. Not sure why..

Well, it was time to meet up with the missus Korean friend; Chloe, and her bf. From here, we were on an eating spree with first having Korean BBQ. The samgyeopsal (pork meat) was superbly thick and juicy. Paired with other dishes like kimchi jiggae and another kimchi noodle which was served cold, it made the meal even more awesome. *om nom nom*

http://instagram.com/p/1BLWUrCvlt/

Here’s something I learned Koreans do when in Korean BBQ a places, they can stuff their belongings or jackets into a plastic bag to lessen the smell from getting attached to their belongings. This makes it surprising as to why this isn’t the practice in Malaysia too.

Once dinner was done, we headed for a friendly game of bowling. It was the first time I’ve seen a bowling alley with lanes on 2 floors. And they even had older bowling balls which likely belonged to hook bowlers previously, but now it’s used as house balls.

After a round of bowling, we chose to either have chicken or dessert. We settled for dessert at an outlet specialized in Korean desserts – can’t remember the name. The desserts were shaved ice topped with fruits, but ours was finely grinded rice cake and almond nuts. Servings were generous and it was to be eaten with honey milk.

Needless to say, with full tummies, we continued walking around and explored the Lotte Young Plaza. Soon enough, it was nearing closing time and we made our exit. After which, we exchanged farewells and headed back to our hotel to crash.

It’s been a glorious day without rain. We hope the same will apply the following day.