But no more. Today - today the order has changed!
They were very good. I even managed to put in the right amount of salt.
Also, this is post #100, which is a fairly awesome milestone.
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Potato Wedges
I must have mentioned at some point that potatoes dislike me. My past efforts at making potato wedges have always ended poorly for the frying pan. As for that one time I tried making rosti...Well, let's just say I had to spend half an hour cleaning the pan with a butter knife.
But no more. Today - today the order has changed!
They were very good. I even managed to put in the right amount of salt.
Also, this is post #100, which is a fairly awesome milestone.
But no more. Today - today the order has changed!
They were very good. I even managed to put in the right amount of salt.
Also, this is post #100, which is a fairly awesome milestone.
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Cold
I used to think I knew what cold was. When our lecture theatres hit fifteen degrees Celsius, I'd be shivering away and wishing I had a jacket. If I had a jacket, I'd be shivering and wishing I had gloves. The coldest I'd ever been was in a half-filled auditorium at night, with too few people to warm the air. I didn't have a jacket with me, as it happened, and so I shivered for two hours until it was time to leave.
But now I know that whatever I felt then, wasn't cold. Now I know cold. For example, the temperature outside right now is seven-point-four degrees Celsius. It's also raining, so the humidity is close to a hundred percent. I'm in my house, in a blue woollen cardigan huddling close to the warmth of my computer. My house has misled me multiple times into thinking that the environment outside was a lot warmer than it actually was. Let me tell you, anyone outside right now knows the meaning of cold.
And it's not even winter yet.
But now I know that whatever I felt then, wasn't cold. Now I know cold. For example, the temperature outside right now is seven-point-four degrees Celsius. It's also raining, so the humidity is close to a hundred percent. I'm in my house, in a blue woollen cardigan huddling close to the warmth of my computer. My house has misled me multiple times into thinking that the environment outside was a lot warmer than it actually was. Let me tell you, anyone outside right now knows the meaning of cold.
And it's not even winter yet.
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Junk Food
So... this article caught my eye.
I'm no psychiatrist, but I do remember what it was to be a child. I absolutely loved sweet foods, but even more so I loved salty foods. (I've always had a taste for the savoury.) I liked starchy foods like rice and potatoes, and meat especially if it was in curries or fried. I disliked vegetables and went without them as much as possible, but I would take the apples and oranges my father cut for me after meals. I also drank copious amounts of orange juice. It was like... manna or something. I wasn't too fond of plain water, unless it was chilled. I wouldn't drink boiled water.
As I grew older I started to see that vegetables weren't so bad. My mother always put chopped spring onions on my congee and noodles, so I got used to the taste. I started to like asparagus, beetroot and lettuce. Broccoli I still couldn't endure, but cabbage and cauliflower were good. I tolerated peas and onions if they were mixed in with a lot of other things. I was fine with kangkung if it didn't contain crystals.
When I reached my teens a big change happened, and by big change I mean a complete reversal of polarity. I started to actively like vegetables, especially if stir-fried. I'd go out of the way to get hold of unusual salad vegetables like rocket lettuce and baby spinach. Brussels sprouts were prohibitively expensive, but I did get to try them and I loved them. My opinion of broccoli remained unchanged, but I had to admit that curry leaves had an attractive flavour. I became fond of raw carrot. On the other side, my father became confused when threatening to withold chocolates did nothing to make me behave better.
I don't know what caused the change. Part of it may have been peer influence - when I went to camps and stuff, my friends would make grabs for the watermelon and papaya (I used to dislike both). Perhaps I wanted to be more like my father, who while old is fitter than many others his age. Part of it may have been instinct - it makes sense that a growing, active child would need more proteins and energy-rich food, while at adulthood the diet can become more balanced. And maybe, I had matured and was starting to make decisions for the good of myself instead of always going for what tasted better.
One thing I can be sure of - none of it had to do with being withheld from unhealthy things when I was young. I had plenty of chocolates and fast food when I was young. In my time it was still possible to buy a cup of Coca-Cola or an oily bowl of laksa from the school canteen.
However, while I still had access to those unhealthy foods, it was regulated. I considered it a treat to get a single square of chocolate per day. My father always sliced Mars bars into thirds - getting an entire bar was unthinkable. (I did get one once - as a reward for solving an entire workbook chapter of Maths problems. I was on cloud nine.) My mother would never allow us to have soft drinks in combination with healthy foods (something about affecting iron absorption), and fast-food was a rare thing.
Conversely, I was taught to like certain healthy things, from young. I have mentioned that spring onions were a staple on my noodles and congee. Whenever my mother deep-fried anything, she always made it a point to drain the oil on kitchen towels. She also used to spend a long time trimming chicken of skins and fat. (Misunderstanding the action, I once tried... washing a chicken skin and then eating it. Aheh.) Eggs were not allowed more than three times a week. I was given plain yoghurt when I was young - even now I prefer plain, sour yoghurt to the flavoured kinds. We were given lots of milk and cheese. Seasonings were used sparingly, to the point where I feel some kind of horror watching my friends stir-fry vegetables in copious amounts of oyster sauce. Coconut milk was vilified to the point that I can't still can't stand the smell of it, even today. And I still find it physically impossible to eat an entire tub of ice-cream at once - I was always taught it was wrong.
But perhaps the most important lesson came from some book that I read, and which I can't remember the title of now. It said that vegetables are not always good - they contain toxins, which can be just as harmful as cholesterol or fat. The key, the book said, was moderation and eating a large variety of foods. As I started to learn more about diet and nutrition through my Biology classes, the lesson was continually reinforced. It is not a matter of eating foods which contain a protein, a fibre-source, a carbohydrate source, etc. While carbohydrates tend to reduce to a limited number of monosaccharides, there are twenty amino acids, all of which are needed, and which are present in varying amounts in different foods. There are different kinds of fats (though all everyone cares about are trans- and cis-fats these days). And foods contain a frightening array of essential minerals and ions which can't be obtained from a single source.
I think the point of all this is... Suppressing "unhealthy" foods is not the way, especially when the definition of unhealthy foods keeps changing (*cough* margarine *cough*). Emphasising that there must be a mix of food groups doesn't help if it isn't clear that there must be variety within the food groups as well (lousy food pyramid...). And most certainly, implementing laws within schools which ban certain foods isn't going to work very well. It simply creates resentment towards the authority, and smuggling of contraband (and I thought it was bad enough in my time with all the chewing-gum trafficking and covert import of Coca-Cola in opaque waterbottles). The lessons have to come from trust figures - parents (and I mean loving parents, not the sort whose sole purpose is to be ATM machines), peers, likeable teachers, books and documentaries. They can't be forced - they have to come slowly, and be accepted slowly.
Furthermore there should always be substitutes to help the spirit when the flesh is weak. That's why I like the idea of fruit-juice lollies as alternatives. I'd also advocate small servings - ice-cream in small cups, or a small amount of fries. They help to ease, not suppress, craving, and build an ethic of eating such things in small, select amounts at a time. After all, there's evidence that some of these are healthy (in particular dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, and cholesterol is necessary in small amounts to maintain cellular function).
It is probable that good habits must be instilled early, and there is no time earlier than childhood. But forcing them causing opposite behaviour. Forcing, by creating laws or even rewarding "good" children with badges, may be easier to implement, but in most cases I'd expect it to be counterproductive. Patient teaching, ultimately encouraging children to make decisions on their diet by themselves, is what can cause a change.
I'm no psychiatrist, but I do remember what it was to be a child. I absolutely loved sweet foods, but even more so I loved salty foods. (I've always had a taste for the savoury.) I liked starchy foods like rice and potatoes, and meat especially if it was in curries or fried. I disliked vegetables and went without them as much as possible, but I would take the apples and oranges my father cut for me after meals. I also drank copious amounts of orange juice. It was like... manna or something. I wasn't too fond of plain water, unless it was chilled. I wouldn't drink boiled water.
As I grew older I started to see that vegetables weren't so bad. My mother always put chopped spring onions on my congee and noodles, so I got used to the taste. I started to like asparagus, beetroot and lettuce. Broccoli I still couldn't endure, but cabbage and cauliflower were good. I tolerated peas and onions if they were mixed in with a lot of other things. I was fine with kangkung if it didn't contain crystals.
When I reached my teens a big change happened, and by big change I mean a complete reversal of polarity. I started to actively like vegetables, especially if stir-fried. I'd go out of the way to get hold of unusual salad vegetables like rocket lettuce and baby spinach. Brussels sprouts were prohibitively expensive, but I did get to try them and I loved them. My opinion of broccoli remained unchanged, but I had to admit that curry leaves had an attractive flavour. I became fond of raw carrot. On the other side, my father became confused when threatening to withold chocolates did nothing to make me behave better.
I don't know what caused the change. Part of it may have been peer influence - when I went to camps and stuff, my friends would make grabs for the watermelon and papaya (I used to dislike both). Perhaps I wanted to be more like my father, who while old is fitter than many others his age. Part of it may have been instinct - it makes sense that a growing, active child would need more proteins and energy-rich food, while at adulthood the diet can become more balanced. And maybe, I had matured and was starting to make decisions for the good of myself instead of always going for what tasted better.
One thing I can be sure of - none of it had to do with being withheld from unhealthy things when I was young. I had plenty of chocolates and fast food when I was young. In my time it was still possible to buy a cup of Coca-Cola or an oily bowl of laksa from the school canteen.
However, while I still had access to those unhealthy foods, it was regulated. I considered it a treat to get a single square of chocolate per day. My father always sliced Mars bars into thirds - getting an entire bar was unthinkable. (I did get one once - as a reward for solving an entire workbook chapter of Maths problems. I was on cloud nine.) My mother would never allow us to have soft drinks in combination with healthy foods (something about affecting iron absorption), and fast-food was a rare thing.
Conversely, I was taught to like certain healthy things, from young. I have mentioned that spring onions were a staple on my noodles and congee. Whenever my mother deep-fried anything, she always made it a point to drain the oil on kitchen towels. She also used to spend a long time trimming chicken of skins and fat. (Misunderstanding the action, I once tried... washing a chicken skin and then eating it. Aheh.) Eggs were not allowed more than three times a week. I was given plain yoghurt when I was young - even now I prefer plain, sour yoghurt to the flavoured kinds. We were given lots of milk and cheese. Seasonings were used sparingly, to the point where I feel some kind of horror watching my friends stir-fry vegetables in copious amounts of oyster sauce. Coconut milk was vilified to the point that I can't still can't stand the smell of it, even today. And I still find it physically impossible to eat an entire tub of ice-cream at once - I was always taught it was wrong.
But perhaps the most important lesson came from some book that I read, and which I can't remember the title of now. It said that vegetables are not always good - they contain toxins, which can be just as harmful as cholesterol or fat. The key, the book said, was moderation and eating a large variety of foods. As I started to learn more about diet and nutrition through my Biology classes, the lesson was continually reinforced. It is not a matter of eating foods which contain a protein, a fibre-source, a carbohydrate source, etc. While carbohydrates tend to reduce to a limited number of monosaccharides, there are twenty amino acids, all of which are needed, and which are present in varying amounts in different foods. There are different kinds of fats (though all everyone cares about are trans- and cis-fats these days). And foods contain a frightening array of essential minerals and ions which can't be obtained from a single source.
I think the point of all this is... Suppressing "unhealthy" foods is not the way, especially when the definition of unhealthy foods keeps changing (*cough* margarine *cough*). Emphasising that there must be a mix of food groups doesn't help if it isn't clear that there must be variety within the food groups as well (lousy food pyramid...). And most certainly, implementing laws within schools which ban certain foods isn't going to work very well. It simply creates resentment towards the authority, and smuggling of contraband (and I thought it was bad enough in my time with all the chewing-gum trafficking and covert import of Coca-Cola in opaque waterbottles). The lessons have to come from trust figures - parents (and I mean loving parents, not the sort whose sole purpose is to be ATM machines), peers, likeable teachers, books and documentaries. They can't be forced - they have to come slowly, and be accepted slowly.
Furthermore there should always be substitutes to help the spirit when the flesh is weak. That's why I like the idea of fruit-juice lollies as alternatives. I'd also advocate small servings - ice-cream in small cups, or a small amount of fries. They help to ease, not suppress, craving, and build an ethic of eating such things in small, select amounts at a time. After all, there's evidence that some of these are healthy (in particular dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, and cholesterol is necessary in small amounts to maintain cellular function).
It is probable that good habits must be instilled early, and there is no time earlier than childhood. But forcing them causing opposite behaviour. Forcing, by creating laws or even rewarding "good" children with badges, may be easier to implement, but in most cases I'd expect it to be counterproductive. Patient teaching, ultimately encouraging children to make decisions on their diet by themselves, is what can cause a change.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Update XVI: Reflection Journal
So I''m looking back at what's happened so far since I came here. As it turns out, I have adapted fairly well to living on my own. I've kept a tight set of accounts so far, I'm not spending a horrifying amount even though things are so much more expensive here, I haven't contracted food poisoning yet and... Well, I seem to be holding it together.
On the other hand, I've been unable to get to a doctor to look at the chronic infection on my leg - the staff at the campus medical centre have been extremely unhelpful, and I haven't been able to find a GP in town. Man, do I miss the convenience of polyclinics back at home...Looks like this is one infection I'll have to handle on my own. Mind you, the doctors at home never could do anything for it either. All they ever did give me were tubes of 0.025% w/v betamethasone valerate. Yes, even the one who said he'd give me a "stronger" medicine.
There have nevertheless been good days. April the First was a very good day, even leaving out the pranks.
Speaking of which, the pranks were more than enough. BBC and Google were of course busy, but I never expected Science to publish political satire. Also, Lego Halo, courtesy of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Meanwhile Firefox News had some creepy information to share and Uncyclopedia featured itself on the main page. Wikipedia has kept a record of all this nonsense and more for posterity.
So what now? A lot of work, it would appear. The first mid-semester test comes in on Tuesday.
Time to start looking forward again.
On the other hand, I've been unable to get to a doctor to look at the chronic infection on my leg - the staff at the campus medical centre have been extremely unhelpful, and I haven't been able to find a GP in town. Man, do I miss the convenience of polyclinics back at home...Looks like this is one infection I'll have to handle on my own. Mind you, the doctors at home never could do anything for it either. All they ever did give me were tubes of 0.025% w/v betamethasone valerate. Yes, even the one who said he'd give me a "stronger" medicine.
There have nevertheless been good days. April the First was a very good day, even leaving out the pranks.
Speaking of which, the pranks were more than enough. BBC and Google were of course busy, but I never expected Science to publish political satire. Also, Lego Halo, courtesy of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Meanwhile Firefox News had some creepy information to share and Uncyclopedia featured itself on the main page. Wikipedia has kept a record of all this nonsense and more for posterity.
So what now? A lot of work, it would appear. The first mid-semester test comes in on Tuesday.
Time to start looking forward again.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Sir Arthur C. Clarke dies at age 90
I hate being out of touch with news... Anyway.
It's funny because it was only this morning that I was thinking of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Specifically, that HAL9000 was the most human character aboard the Discovery, while his human crew-members were more like disinterested machines... But obviously, I couldn't appreciate this when I first watched the movie. Because I watched it when I was five years old. (As a matter of fact, 2001 is probably the first movie I ever saw.) I couldn't comprehend what was going on, or why HAL didn't want to open the pod bay doors. I didn't get the psychedelic light show.
Later my brother bought the sequel books - 2010: The Second Odyssey, 2061: The Third Odyssey and 3001: The Final Odyssey. I read them, and loved them enough to buy the 2001: A Space Odyssey book for myself. I was somewhat startled to see the differences in the plot for the book, in particular because HAL takes a less passive approach. In the movie, he refuses to open the pod-bay doors to allow Dave Bowman into the ship. In the book, Bowman never leaves the ship, so HAL opens the pod-bay doors and attempts to suck him out into space. It was a chilling reversal, but on reflection that was exactly what I would have done myself.
HAL remained my favourite character, in both book and movie. Perhaps it was because he was the most complex character - calm, yet panicking inside, in control and yet completely at the mercy of his masters, the most brilliant brain in the solar system confused by a simple programming error. He was easy to empathise with. His actions, even his pitiful attempts to stall Bowman ("I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over") were so, so human. And earlier in the movie, when HAL tried to hint to Bowman that there was something not quite right about their mission...it was like a cry for help. HAL was a villain, but he was a very good villain, perhaps one of the best in fiction.
I didn't just read the Odyssey series, and Clarke wrote many good books... Rendezvous with Rama captured the wonder of exploring an unknown, mysterious alien artifact, for instance. But I the book I really enjoyed the most was The City and the Stars, because it wasn't all pure, hard science - there was a little mysticism mixed into it. I liked that. Clarke himself said that a "sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic", and Diaspar was nothing if not advanced. I think he also wrote one of the few non-fiction books I actually enjoyed - Profiles of the Future, which took a somewhat humorous look at the potential directions technology could take. Yes, and I remember one of his predictions was that he would celebrate his 100th birthday in 2017 aboard the orbital Hilton Hotel. How far away that seems now.
I haven't read all the books I wanted to (still trying to get hold of The Ghost from the Grand Banks and The Hammer of God) but... Well, I think it's safe to say that Sir Arthur was my favourite science fiction author, and definitely one of the people I wanted to meet. It's a bit too late for that now, but if nothing else...His legacy remains. His stories remain - and there is quite a long list of them. His witty observations remain.
All that is left to feel sorrow for is that there will be no more from one of the most brilliant modern writers. Rest in peace, Sir Arthur.
It's funny because it was only this morning that I was thinking of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Specifically, that HAL9000 was the most human character aboard the Discovery, while his human crew-members were more like disinterested machines... But obviously, I couldn't appreciate this when I first watched the movie. Because I watched it when I was five years old. (As a matter of fact, 2001 is probably the first movie I ever saw.) I couldn't comprehend what was going on, or why HAL didn't want to open the pod bay doors. I didn't get the psychedelic light show.
Later my brother bought the sequel books - 2010: The Second Odyssey, 2061: The Third Odyssey and 3001: The Final Odyssey. I read them, and loved them enough to buy the 2001: A Space Odyssey book for myself. I was somewhat startled to see the differences in the plot for the book, in particular because HAL takes a less passive approach. In the movie, he refuses to open the pod-bay doors to allow Dave Bowman into the ship. In the book, Bowman never leaves the ship, so HAL opens the pod-bay doors and attempts to suck him out into space. It was a chilling reversal, but on reflection that was exactly what I would have done myself.
HAL remained my favourite character, in both book and movie. Perhaps it was because he was the most complex character - calm, yet panicking inside, in control and yet completely at the mercy of his masters, the most brilliant brain in the solar system confused by a simple programming error. He was easy to empathise with. His actions, even his pitiful attempts to stall Bowman ("I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over") were so, so human. And earlier in the movie, when HAL tried to hint to Bowman that there was something not quite right about their mission...it was like a cry for help. HAL was a villain, but he was a very good villain, perhaps one of the best in fiction.
I didn't just read the Odyssey series, and Clarke wrote many good books... Rendezvous with Rama captured the wonder of exploring an unknown, mysterious alien artifact, for instance. But I the book I really enjoyed the most was The City and the Stars, because it wasn't all pure, hard science - there was a little mysticism mixed into it. I liked that. Clarke himself said that a "sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic", and Diaspar was nothing if not advanced. I think he also wrote one of the few non-fiction books I actually enjoyed - Profiles of the Future, which took a somewhat humorous look at the potential directions technology could take. Yes, and I remember one of his predictions was that he would celebrate his 100th birthday in 2017 aboard the orbital Hilton Hotel. How far away that seems now.
I haven't read all the books I wanted to (still trying to get hold of The Ghost from the Grand Banks and The Hammer of God) but... Well, I think it's safe to say that Sir Arthur was my favourite science fiction author, and definitely one of the people I wanted to meet. It's a bit too late for that now, but if nothing else...His legacy remains. His stories remain - and there is quite a long list of them. His witty observations remain.
All that is left to feel sorrow for is that there will be no more from one of the most brilliant modern writers. Rest in peace, Sir Arthur.
Birdwatching
So I went out walking again today, and it was a fruitful trip. A flock of Galah cockatoos had taken up residence in the tree facing my house - or rather, were fighting over occupancy of said tree - so I went down to investigate. There was also a small flock of noisy green birds which were probably lorikeets, but I couldn't really tell because they were too high up and I only had a pair of cheap binoculars with me. Curses!
I then went down to the lake, and soon realised that there's more to it than I thought. A sizable portion of the lake is tucked away behind a building, and that was where I found a decent variety of water birds, including a some ducks and a watercock. I'll probably go down there again, there's too good a potential for observing birds. I just wish my phone camera wasn't so noisy. Or that I had a decent camera with a zoom lens.
I then went down to the lake, and soon realised that there's more to it than I thought. A sizable portion of the lake is tucked away behind a building, and that was where I found a decent variety of water birds, including a some ducks and a watercock. I'll probably go down there again, there's too good a potential for observing birds. I just wish my phone camera wasn't so noisy. Or that I had a decent camera with a zoom lens.
Earthshaker Missile
It has recently come to my attention (just now) that my drawing of an earthshaker missile from Descent 2 has reached Google image search. Since pictures of this missile are somewhat rare, I'm putting the original image up here. Feel free to use it, except for commercial purposes. Also, if you claim that you drew it or worse, assert that it was coloured in Photoshop, I will sic my evil friends on you. They made the last art-theft cry, so choose wisely.
And the fullres version.
And the fullres version.
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