为什么又让我带着难过的心情睡觉。
眼泪直流好累。也不是什么天大的事情，我是怎么搞的。
为什么就不能安抚我才放电话嘛，我快被折磨死了。
我怎么会有一天是不想见你的，你难道还不知道吗。

我不是乱发小姐脾气。对不起是我错了吗。
你真的听懂我所感受的吗？

Braised Eefu Noodles

Inspired by the eefu noodles we had in Genting, the one which is so gravy-ish and not so much chive, I tried cooking it!

The first attempt:

I took reference from noobcook's recipe for the first time but I didn't follow it exactly. I used 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and some pepper to make the gravy. I did not add the chicken stock but I added cornflour to make the gravy thicker. The result is okay but my bf said that my noodles is salty enough but not tasty. It is nice, but the content of the gravy is not rich in flavour.

The second attempt:

My second reference is from Pig Pig's Corner. I realized that the mistake was that I added too much dark soy sauce [therefore salty] instead of something more flavourful like oyster sauce. So here's my ingredients, and portion is determined according to my feel.

>> 

Mains
2 servings ee fu noodles
Some garlic
1 large can straw mushroom
300gm enoki mushroom
200gm beansprout

Gravy
1/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
Pinch of sugar
Dash of white ground pepper
1.5 bowl hot water
Approx 2.5 tbsp cornflour

>>

1) Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water. Once the noodles has spread out, drain the hot water away and leave it aside. For the straw mushroom, cut them into smaller pieces. For the enoki mushroom, cut the whole bunch into half. Chop the garlic into tiny bits. 

Plucking the roots away is tiring

2) Heat up the oil in a wok. Once hot, add in garlic, followed by the mushrooms and the beansprout. Stir fry for a bit.

3) Add in the sauces and spices for the gravy. For the cornflour, mix some water with the flour before adding into the dish slowly. Add more sauces or cornflour according to your taste. Mix well.

4) Submerge the noodles in the gravy and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. 

5) Taste, edit if required, and serve. 

Noodles:

I guess you can skip the cooking of noodles in water step since the noodles would be simmering anyway. Generally, noodles are spread out first to ensure that it won't get soggy in the next step if cooked too long. It is also easier to submerge the noodles in the gravy because it's no longer two fat blocks. 

Ingredients:

Note that the quantity of my ingredients is actually quite a lot. The amount of mushroom and beansprout exceeded the amount of noodles. I would recommend 150-200gm of enoki instead but if you prefer more noodles than ingredients, you would need to reduce further. 

Gravy:

Initially, I only used 2 tbsp of oyster sauce but given the mountain of ingredients, I had to add more water to cover them adequately. Hence, the gravy turned bland and required more taste. The same goes for the cornflour. The more water you add, the more cornflour you need to attain the thick consistency you want.

Have a fun time trying this!

Experience of a Noob Jogger

I have been a regular jogger for quite a while now [few years?]. During my time with the first job, I couldn't find time to jog due to the working hours. Yes, that is definitely an excuse, but I prefer jogging in the evening really. As a result, I realized that I have grown in size! The amount of time sitting in the office might also be part of the reason.

Hence, I dedicated this break to exercise. Okay, it is not as noble as it sounds like but I do jog almost everyday. It can range from a short 10 minutes to 25 minutes [yes still rather short a time]. My stamina is still bad, even after so long. No matter what, I just thought of sharing my jogging experience and how I coped with it.

-To start off-

Convenience

Exercising is tiring. I hated running because it makes me so breathless. But I sill choose it because I can just change to my sports attire and head to the canal nearby for a fast jog. I don't like so much hassle when it comes to exercising. It is always easier to go jogging than to go swimming, badminton [so windy, unless you book a court, which is always booked by others], yoga classes and etc. This is called lazy exercising. You identify what works best for you.

To be alone or not

Linked to above point, jogging alone is definitely more convenient because you don't have to accommodate to anyone's schedule. Anytime you feel the adrenaline rush, you go for it. Jogging alone also enables you to run at your own pace. And have a myself time to think and reflect.

Think of it as a lifestyle

Rather than dreading the day you have to go exercise, think of it as an opportunity to get some fresh air. It is a continuous process of keeping your body fit and healthy. It should not be fulfilling some kind of duty or obligation. Therefore, my goal is no longer to lose weight through jogging because I never seem to lose any. It is to improve my health, my body and my self esteem. People can't see the changes because they are not obvious. But I really feel the improvements. 

Body posture

The body posture is very important during the run. Always keep your body straight from the start as your lungs can receive air better that way. When people get tired, they sometimes drag their feet while pushing themselves forward. I always remind myself to always have full control of my feet so that I won't fall. The path is not always even, and without full control of your feet, you might trip easily.

-In the midst-

Focus on everything other than the actual activity

I guess one of the good things about jogging is that you don't really need concentration [on say catching a ball]. You can admire the scenery, you can listen to music, or you can have a brainstorm session. Whatever it is, just don't keep thinking "oh I am running now, I need to run till that end point..". Forget that you are jogging and feeling tired, distract yourself. For me, I like to observe other runners and look at the environment. With the music playing, I focus on the lyrics to keep me going. Sad songs may make you move further. Titanic related music always helps me.

Find your motivation

When I get really tired,  I find myself some form of motivation to keep me going. Well, if you run with friends, you can get motivation from them. Otherwise, like me, I find random strangers with similar running speed and run behind them! Just keep that person as the focus point. Or sometimes, I pretend that people are looking at me and so I have to perform well haha. After jogging for the past few years, I can already recognize many familiar faces and I feel they might recognize me too. 

Short term goals are more effective

I find myself being able to fulfill short term goals better than long term ones. Hence, instead of telling myself to run from this end to that end, I look at the points on the ground. Let that leaf be my target, and once I reached the leaf, I change my target to the next stone. This method works until I eventually reach my end point. A person is more likely to fulfill goals which seem more attainable.

-The after-

Rest is important

I realized I might be jogging too much. Even though the distance I cover is considered short, it is still bad to not let the body rest. 3 times a week should be the optimum. 

Always remember that your health is your responsibility. So, let's all be disciplined and motivated!