0 Discharged

I'm a free bird! No more drips and needles and radiation and cold air-con and unappetizing breakfasts and back to hot creamy oatmeals! Though I shudder and the thought of the state of my flies and horrendous amount of lab work that's piled up in just 6 days

Hospital meals today were exceptionally good. I had Western full diet for both lunch and dinner. Lunch was "Grilled Chicken with Orange Veloute, Mashed Potato and Steamed Vegetables." The grilled chicken was the chicken chop kind which means it was fatty in some areas. Nevertheless, there were enough lean parts to fill my tummy. The orange veloute was not so much of a veloute but a sauce, but still, it gave a nice citrusy kick to the dish. The mashed potato came in the form of wedges instead, with skins on. It was nice in a sinfully salty way, though I tried to just eat the fluffy insides and avoid the fried outer parts. Dinner was "Seared Snapper, Salad Nicoise with Citrus Vinaigrette and Butter Rice." The seared snapper was awesome. Their version of "salad nicoise" meant carrots, green beans and yellow zucchini, which I don't see in what way resembled the real mccoy. Nevertheless all forms of veggies are good and I'm not complaining. Tmr's breakfast offered the seemingly appetizing option of "Hot Oatmeal with Peach Compote and Lemon Ricotta". After two days of Rude Health's Spelt Oaty's and bites of Larabar's Chocolate Cherry Torte for breakfast, I decided to risk having watery oatmeal again. Let's see how it turns out.

0 Hello Khmer

Seven days in a "developing" country. I think it'll be an eye-opener, learning about the politics of a place as you traverse it. I realized that despite my travels, I had never really visited such "backward" places, and it makes me all the more be grateful of having been born into Singapore.

Yesterday started with a bang at Wild Honey, Scotts Square. We "traveled" to Persia with the Persian French Toast, California with a veggie tofu scramble and (??) with a fontina and feta cheese scramble.

Come to think of it, I don't know why my french toast is considered Persian; I mean I've come to associated Persia (modern day Iran) with Persian cats and french toasts to American style breakfasts. But Persia and french toasts? Anyhow, the signature brioche bread was coated in a sweet orange marmalade, topped with stewed rhubarbs instead of the black plums as stated in the menu; the waitress had informed us the black plums were not available. I loved the brioche most - soft and imbued with hints of milky fragrance, it was delightful. The french toast was not the eggy kind (more like marmalade spread on top?) but the syrup was overly sweet [such that I totally forgot that syrup was offered]. I could manage one toast on my own, but luckily I had mum's veggie scramble and sam's cheese scramble to share to tone down the sweetness. I really liked the Californian and would order it again if I were to make a return visit. The french toast was more one-dimensional (sweet sweet sweet), but the veggie scramble and more interesting textures and flavours - crunchy peppers & earthy shrooms wrapped in a silk-robe of fluffy eggs and tofu pieces, plus the smokey grilled ciabatta!

I was probably too excited over the glorious spread and threw my mantra of "slow, savour, stop" mindful eating to the wind. Have to constantly remind myself not to get so overwhelmed :D

Moneyball somewhat redeemed the tragic experience with TTSS. Simple, straightforward and enjoyable, with a good bit of Stats thrown in to tease the mind.

Haul from BRP:
- Justin's classic AB
- Allos amaranth basic muesli (popped amaranth makes a return!)
- Sharpham Park spelt porridge
- Clif Crunch PB & Chocolate ($3.95 for 5x2 bars! - sold for clearance)

But. Last-min packing! (PS: I'm dismayed to have read that Heart Bistro at Palais Rrenaissance is now defunct (recalls fond memories of the shrimp pasta). Hope they find a new space soon!)

0 My infinite pile of *****

3213 Neuro
1. ISM
2. SDL

3223 Immuno
3. T-cell/MHC notes

3225 Mol Micro
4. Phylogenetics of HA of H1N1

2207 Heritage
5. Essay
6. Cambodia

2201 Com Sci
7. Project Proposal/read-up
8. Tutorial - tournament problem

To-do tmr:
Morning: 3 + 5
Afternoon: 5

Aim for the weekends [in order of priority]
- Complete Heritage essay (5)
- Read up more on Neuroligins & Neurexins for SDL (2) - Sun
Draft of introduction, evidence for structural remodeling (Choi), and mechanism via actin remodeling, AMPAR/NMDA trafficking via PDS-95 completed; next step - EPSP/IPSP & behavioural studies, autism
- Watch TTSP - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Sun
- Read up on Voluntourism/Eco-tourism (6)
- Re-do (4)

Today's treat - SuperFood Slam! Very grassy & flaxy but made palatable with generous dates & cocoa nibs :)

0 A new interpretation

BKF: (overripe-till-the-point-of-mush) Sweet Tentation pear steel cutters + sunflower seeds + cashew buter and more cashew nuts

Mid-morn: Ensure Plus (vanilla)

Lunch*: 4 kimchi dumplings, >1/2 Old School PB&Jelly Probar, >1/2 Korean Fuji apple, 1 sesame cookie

Dinner: brown rice, sutchi (so sick of sutchi (angry face), steamed bokchoy, chicken leek soup, 4 slices watermelon

*Lunch was a hodgepodge of randomness, because I didn't like pappy's food (there wasn't any left but even if there was I wouldn't have had it) and by the time I reached home is was half-past-two so I didn't feel like cooking up a storm. But after consuming all those junk (esp the sesame cookie), I felt a tiny tinge of guilt especially when considering the high amount of sodium and sugar, plus no veg. But I soon got over it.

I was quite excited about the PB&Jelly Probar, and the name 'Old School' invokes further nostalgia and cravings for this classic. Come on, who can say no to PB&J? But my anticipation gave way to slight disappointment. Not that it was bad in any way; in fact it was yums in all its glory - chewy oats, crunchy sunflower seeds and almonds, dried fruits pieces here and there - but it was nowhere as good as the cocoa pistachio (those choco nibs!). That bar set a new gold standard! The PB&Jelly bar lacked a distinct peanut flavour. More peanut butter would be appreciated. Nevertheless, I liked their interpretation of 'jelly,' in which raspberries and natural raspberry flavour was used instead of say, jam. Unfortunately, as mentioned, there wasn't enough peanut flavour to complement the raspberries.

Last time I used to eat by serving size i.e. I must complete exactly 3/4 bowl of rice, palm-size protein and x amt of veg, regardless of how hungry/full I actually was. However, now I'm beginning to eat by judging my satiety level, which is working out pretty well at the moment, because I realize my previous 'assigned' portions were not really satisfactory; it had room to include more. I should have made the switch earlier; maybe it was a routine that I feared to break out of, but I'm glad I did. The initial step is always the hardest. Now that the momentum's here and inertia is overcome, I'm not so staunch against changes.

Weekend's here, but no cheer for me. :(

0 Up up and up

Today I went to do some reflections at Reflections at Bt Chandu. It was a long but good walk up the winding road to Point 227. Halfway through I doubted whether I was on the right trail. There was not a soul around, no humans, no cars, not a single creature stirring (except for the ever noisy cicada) despite it being midday. I persisted and eventually got to the restored two storey villa.

As expected it was extremely quiet for a designated National Heritage site. Either there's a lack of promotion, a lack of interest in war and history, or it's too out-of-the-way, or a combination of all three.

This audio-visual narration employs a holographic 'pepys ghost effect.'

At the Well of Reflections.

I shall save all the intellectual talk for my essay. After tutorial, I made a stop at BRP for the essentials. (1)BRM's steel cutters; (2)Maranatha's roasted AB (on quick sale!); (3)Back to Nature apple blueberry granola (on quick sale too!); (4)Nakd cocoa mint; (5)Justin's dark choc PB cups. I figured that having saved much on the quick sale items, I could get more snackies like the energy bar and pb cups ;) Oh steel cutters, how art miss thee.

Ate super lots today. First, for mid-morning snack I had UK-style Ensure Plus i.e. in the 220ml bottle instead of the regular tetra pak 200ml. The reason for the switch was that the expiry date was looming for the former (01 2012 in fact). In other words, I was sort of coerced/obligated into drinking that. Nevertheless, that I completed it all in one sitting marks a significant departure from my normal practice.

Lunch was vegetarian in Arts Canteen. I didn't intend on vegetarian as I wanted to bulk up on real protein a.k chicken/fish. But by 1+ pm all the food at the economic rice stall look so yucks, so again I went back to the same stuff. The only redemption was the brown rice - which I completed all and this time I didn't even ask for less rice! I then contemplated if I should eat the Korean Fuji apple I packed, which I did, and mind you, it was a huge one.

I had more than usual for dinner too. Apart from extra dishes and larger portion of fish, I had four pieces of papaya. Now feeling a bit bloated, but surprisingly, not uncomfortably so. I think those digestive pills are seriously effective, or that my metabolism has gone wild. Whatever it is, at least I am having appetite now - on the right track of up up up!

0 Surprise, surprise

Today I surprised myself by having an entire Probar (cocoa pistachio, frickin AWSM)AND a slice of tuna sandwich on walnut bread. I had the sandwich first, so that I could save the energy bar as a dessert. It's a hefty 85g and packs 390 kcl, with 200 coming from fat. It was love at first bite, ecstasy on second bite and delirium by the third bite.... and gone by the nth bite. Each mouthful was peanut butter goodness, and some crunchy roasted pistachios or bittersweet choc chips or sweet medjool dates. Like I said, frickn AWSM. Better than Larbs (too "datey"), Clif (too sweet), Raw Revolution or Omega 3 bar.

I surprised myself further by not having a "stuffed to the brim" feeling after having ate so much, and even further by starting to feel a WEE bit hungry by dinnertime (7 pm). I can conservatively conclude that I have a revving metabolism currently and I need to feed it! >> GAIN weight!

Loving my mods this sem. Less so my timetable.