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Pixie Hollow, Neverland
This blog existed originally as a project for my Journalism class as a Communications neophyte. But I decided to continue it still because I do love what I do, and I can't just leave this blog to rot. So far, I've got 2 blogs. The first one is a really bad version of a college-survival blog. And the second is a more personal blog dedicated to venting out the many debates that go on in my Egyptian head.

29 Feb 2012

Degrees of Steak Doneness

I'm a boastful fan of steak (and I'm entirely frustrated they don't have good steak where I currently reside), but with that, there are what I'd like to address.. "strings attached". You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself by making an off remark when the waiter says 'How would you like it' would you now? I didn't think so.
Personally, I don't quite like my meat bloody, as compared to my brother who invariably requests for his steak to be medium rare (ew, brother) so I normally go for Medium Well or Medium (because, well, if it's cooked a 100% chances are you'd get a steak that isn't quite juicy inside). So without further ado, look at the picture, study it, remember it, and sound professional the next time you order at a steak house.


The Natural World: It's Unavoidable Laws

You know that incredibly pesky instant when you get your hands dirty (grease, mud, chicken gravy) or someone hands you 4 thick books that demand both your hands? And then a few seconds after, your nose abruptly becomes itchy or a fly uninvitedly lands on your face? Ladies and gentlemen, The Law of Mechanical Repair.

Perhaps when affairs don't function the way we'd favour it to, as human beings, rational and logical in our natural state, we'd rather believe that the occurrences are all concurrent. That when you least anticipate it, something will take place that'll bother you to a great extent. But, lo and behold, there are written laws. Written and created by the genius minds that be in today's cosmos. Or perchance.. minds that are so absolutely blasé, they actually had time to produce a set of laws for the daily matters we are not inclined to acknowledge too much. So today, I will share with you my favourite 10.

Law of Workshop. At one point, while you're working with a certain tool (a pen, scotch tape, hair pin), it will circumstantially be dropped and it'll land in the most inaccessible corner. Yep, you now acknowledge that this has happened to you. You are a living witness and it drives you bonkers, does it not?

Let's operate with proportionality this time. There's a mathematical formula for mortifying instants. The probability of being watched  stupidity of your act. Simply put, the more awkward the act (hugging the wrong person from the back thinking she's your friend), the more likely a big group of her friends (and yours) will be around to witness it. This is what we call the Law of Probability.

There are those days when you hardly have the interest to show up for work or class so you come up with the best and most plausible excuse. But if you knew the next law, the Law of Alibi, you probably wouldn't make up an excuse because if you were to say you had a flat tire, soon enough, you will have a flat tire. 

Now the Variation Law, probably my worst enemy really. It claims that 'If you change lanes (traffic, in the groceries), the lane you were previously at will move faster" and this cannot be any more dead on target.

Law of Result. So your mum asked you to set up the automatic dishwasher, and you attempted to but it didn't work. So you moved to the living room and watched TV. Your mum caught you and got mad 'I thought I told you to start the dishwasher?' "But it doesn't work" you try to reason out. To prove it, you lead her to the dishwasher and testify you're honestly an obedient kid. But because the odds are against you, the dishwasher works, so your mum arrives at the conclusion that are you, indeed, a sloth.

From your school uniform, you change into casual clothes simply to recognize the absence of your extra shoes. You're stuck with those horrifying black leather shoes that don't go well with your shorts. The Law of Close Encounters then acts out. By this I mean, right when you wish someone you know won't bump into you, the probability of it materializing heightens. Same applies when you bump into someone when you're with someone/thing you wish not to be seen with.

Law of dirty rugs/carpets. Your mum will hate you for this. This law states, and I quote directly 'The chances of an open-faced PB&J sandwich of landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness, colour and cost of the carpet/rug'. I'd like to personally add, dropping a gadget is also directly correlated to the newness and cost of it. (First day of getting my first iPod and I dropped it hard on the floor. Could I be any more gawky?)

That truly, exceedingly, tremendously bothersome moment when you're at an event that has assigned seats (say you're  at a movie theatre) and the person(s) at the furthest seat(s) from the aisle arrive(s) late. Yeah, we've all been there (especially embarrassing when we're the ones who are assigned at those seats & are running late). This, my dear readers is the Theatre Law. You will have to scoot over to make way for that person, more than half the time. 

The last law I'd like to share is called the Bath Theorem, but I'd like to modify it because I feel that.. Well, I just want to. I call it the Comfortability Theorem. This.. this gets to me and it's kind of my pet peeve, I suppose. Two different scenarios, same issue.
First: You are, at long last, in the shower, shampooing and singing to Natasha Bedingfield's Pocketful of Sunshine when the telephone/doorbell rings.... Really now?
Second: You are in a comfortable position in bed, on the couch, or at the dining table when you realize you have one more task to do or you forgot the ketchup at the kitchen. But you don't want to get out of that position cause you're just so comfortable already! What on earth are you to do? Curse at the Comfortability Theorem for ruining the simple joys of life.

What I love most about life is that it doesn't always take much to make people happy. There are simple things we enjoy such as finding a good spot on the couch, or scratching our nose when there's a tad bit of an itch. But what gets to me is that the chances of these little happiness(es) being ruined or detracted are high. There's really nothing we can do to change it, I guess. They are, after all, unavoidable laws. The most we can do is understand them and.. share it with others. So that when we suffer, we know that at least, we're not the only one. Because let's face it, we're not the most altruistic people on this planet. 

27 Feb 2012

Coffee: A Citizen's Guide


Coffee lovers, behold. We love our coffee but we don't quite know what or how it's made. So voilà. I honestly can't wait to blog about the awesome native coffee that I drink almost 6 times a week here, but I can't right now as I'm still collecting pictures. So in great anticipation, here's a picture that all of you can enjoy and learn from. To view it a tad bit clearer click SUPEROSSUMAPPLEPOSSUMLOVESCOFFEE

Food: French Toast

Food, again. You can already see how strong my sweet tooth and appetence for food are. So, here, we have the classic French Toast that I just love so much, I could survive with this for an entire week. Let's get to it as I'm entirely ecited.

What you'll need:
  1. Flour 1/4 cup all-purpose (I used to not use this ingredient, but I found that it makes quite a great difference in the mixture) 
  2. Milk, 1 cup
  3. Salt, wee bit (a pinch would do)
  4. Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp (powder)
  5. Eggs, 3 pieces
  6. Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
  7. 1 tbsp white sugar (but since we live in the Philippines, we all know you'll be using brown sugar which is just as good, if not better)
  8. 12 slices bread (I like using white bread, but you can use whole wheat if you prefer a healthier option)
To be rather honest, I've never utilised a particular recipe such as the one I just posted. I know what ingredients are involved, and I simply put in whatever amount of each I deem fit for the moment so you don't have to follow this recipe to the dot. I learned this style of cooking from my brother Albert (thank you very much) who isn't the most prominent fan of Martha Stewart's precise measurements of each ingredient. I acquired this recipe off my favoured recipe website (I'll share it soon enough), and it's a recipe for Fluffy French Toast (stress on the fluffy). I believe self-generated recipes are the best so put more sugar, more cinnamon, more vanilla if it pleases you (We all do enjoy our sweets differently). So here's all you need to do:
  • With the flour in a flat bowl (I hope you get what I mean. Also, make sure it's big enough to fit the toast), whisk in the milk.
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix. The mix doesn't have to be smooth.
  • Heat a pan that's lightly oiled or buttered.
  • Soak both sides of the bread on the mixture until it has a generous share (the more soaked, the better) and fry until golden brown (Remember: the good ones are always golden brown)
  • Optional: I lightly sprinkle a bit of confectioners' sugar (or icing sugar, if you're from England) as it adds a bit more sweetness and I like mine sweet.
And this is how it's supposed to look like:

Okay, not exactly like this, but this does look
 tremendously marvellous, doesn't it? 

If it doesn't look this good, no reason to fret. It's the taste that matters (Mine doesn't always look so scrumptious, but they sure do taste delicious, not to brag of course). If you're not satisfied with the degree of sweetness, play around with the ingredients as I mentioned earlier. Add or lessen, nothing can go wrong. I have a high school friend who makes the most incredibly luscious French Toast ever and up to this day, I cannot seem to make mine taste as good as his. That's why I constantly add, remove, and lessen different spices.. I can never seem to determine his secret. 

This is the perfect breakfast, topped with a few fruits and fresh orange juice, but even without these extra bits, the French toast is adequate on its own to satisfy your tummy in the morning. If you want to try a couple of variations, here's a few to get you started:
  • If you are able to acquire some nutmeg (please do tell me where I can get, you cannot imagine how desperate I am), add a bit of it for more flavour. 
  • Double the cinnamon and vanilla. Go on.
  • Mash some bananas and add it to the mixture.
  • You may add a bit of butter and maple syrup before serving.
  • I've heard that a shot of dark rhum makes it taste good as well. I've never tested this, but maybe I will in the future. (If you try this ahead of me, do tell me the results)
Do post any suggestions, if you've tried it and how'd it go! When we meet, I promise to cook you some of my own Egyptian version. :)

Ciao. 

24 Feb 2012

Food: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I always seem to misspell sandwich.. 
The classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This has to be one of the simplest yet tastiest recipes the average person can ever encounter. It requires just two main ingredients and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. And it's CHEESE (I have a friend who's quite the cheese addict. She's actually talking to me right now about the different types of hot dogs in America, which I will blog about sometime soon. Get ready for a really easy and amazing recipe of the famous Chicago/New York hot dogs).

Back in high school, a friend and I had to do a project where we taught each other simple recipes and I was quite shocked when I found out Grilled Cheese wasn't quite a common dish in their household. As a kid, I grew up with this being a regular recipe prepared by mother dear and so, it has grown into me.

This works incredibly well with college students as we don't always have the time to prepare meals for ourselves and quite frankly, eating a good sandwich > a rice meal ANYTIME. It's easier to eat, rids of other unnecessary necessities (utensils and whatnots), and for crying out loud, it's the classic Grilled Cheese!

I'll stop talking now and get on with the recipe. Here's what you'll need:
  1. Slices of loaf bread (toast bread)
  2. Cheese (Cheddar works best but you can add Mozarella, Gouda, whatever. The cheesier, the better)
  3. Butter
I guess you can pretty much guess how this works.
  1. Preheat your skillet (best if it's a grill skillet so the bread gets that awesome slice-y shape sort of).
  2. Generously butter one side of the bread and place it on the skillet.
  3. Add your cheeeeeeesee.
  4. Butter the other piece of bread and place it on top of the cheese, butter-face up (lol butter-face. Ah, the simple joys of life).
  5. Flip until both sides are golden brown and cheese has melted.

Sometimes, when I crave for a Grilled Cheese sandwich but feel it isn't fulfilling enough, I add ham or bacon to fill it up a bit. There are many variations that people have tried, so go ahead and do the same. Just remember that there's a reason it's called Grilled Cheese.. Never forget to add a lot of cheese.

This is a really simple recipe, but we tend to forget about it. Go ahead, and prepare this as you study for your Final examinations. 

If you have requests for certain sandwiches, comment below. If you try this and add your own special ingredient, tell me about it. :)

Bil hana wish shifa! (Equivalent of bon appétit in Egyptian Arabic)

New recipe AND a phrase in Arabic. Ossum apple so ossum!

Wall DIY Decor

Let's all be very honest, we all wish to have our rooms/dorms to look like this or this or even this (okay, I really do love the latter) but we just lack the time, patience, and resources (why must it be sooo hard to budget? It always looked so simple for our parents..) to even go halfway through. We want this new room to somehow reflect our personality, so when people walk in they acknowledge what sort of individuals we are. Buuuuut that's not quite the case. We move in, make an effort to set up our belongings and assure ourselves that we will continue soon. But with the projects piling up and the deadlines coming up, you forget to.. what was it again?

So here I am, with a simple solution for that empty space on your wall. If you are the type who owns quite a few hats, this would be perfect for you. It would take but a few items to assemble and most likely half an hour (or less, actually) from your Saturday morning.

Right, so these are the items you will need:
1. Hats
2. Clothes Pins
3. Adhesive tape (removable)

Try to get the adhesive tape to be the same length & width as the clothes pins. You may work with the traditional wooden pins but if you feel rather funky (did I just use that word?), go ahead and get the coloured ones. If you're extra originative, you can design them as well.

Steps:
1. Gather all the hats and from now & try to arrange them in the manner you'd like them put up on your wall. In time, the arrangement may change, but it's good to have a head start.
2. Cut out the adhesive tape to fit perfectly behind the back of the clothes pin and stick it.
3. Clip the pin onto the hat and stick the pin on the wall, where the hat best fits. Do this until all your hats are displayed.

And that's about it! What makes this project great is that the pins and adhesive tapes are removable, so there's no permanent damage caused (many decorations and plans do have permanent damage). What makes it even better is that it can work for girls and guys. And, what makes it even much more better (I need to work on my choice of words), it can work with a whole lot of things. If you're not a hat person, try photos, little cardboard cut-outs, recipes, and anything lightweight! Be creative, young mammals! Not only is this functional, it's also a wonderful piece of art. Made by yours truly.

Tell me if you get to do this project and I'd be more than thrilled to see a picture of your final work.

Thank you, Elsie Larson.

22 Feb 2012

Wicked Oreos: Sweet & Easy

It's difficult being on a budget and sometimes it can get really annoying specially when the cravings come in. Aside from this, we don't really have much time to bake cheesecakes (took my 2 hours the first time) or pies. But as I came here, I was introduced to this lovely recipe that requires merely 3 ingredients and less than 5 minutes of prep time + cooking. In addition, I can't quite imagine someone who doesn't quite enjoy the classic pancake breakfast, oreos, and especially ice cream so putting it together just makes this recipe even better.

Here's what you'll need:


1. Pancake mix (preferably the fluffy kind). Or if you prefer making your own mix,  go ahead. Either would work.
2. Oreos. Getting the double layered one would make it extra tasty.
3. (optional) Ice cream. Personally, I feel Vanilla is best because I like to keep it simple, but you can go with whatever you prefer.
Of course you will also need the essential oil, water and other ingredients needed to prepare the pancake (I use a brand called Maya as all you need to add is water)

Steps:

  1. Prepare your pancake mix. If you decided to make your own pancake mix, you can click on this link for a video of a simple recipe. 
  2. Dip your oreos in the batter and make sure they are coated well on both sides.
  3. Deep fry the oreos and flip until both sides are golden brown.
  4. (optional) Add a scoop (or two) of ice cream on top and voilà! 

Straight off my plate, this was my breakfast sometime last year when we became quite addicted to this easy recipe. 
I hope you all enjoy this easy recipe and if you try it, tell me how it turns out! Stay tuned for more easy recipes just like this.

And so He said: Let there be online blogging

Dearest (possible) readers,

This is the commencement of what I hope would be a successful blog that would perchance award me an A+ for my Introduction to Print Media & Journalism class.

It took me a while to decide on what to blog about. As an unmistakable rookie in the world of journalism, I had to pick a certain theme to blog about whilst (I do realize quite a lot of you lot rarely see or use that word but I find that it manifests a sort of beauty that is lacking in the current spoken English so leave me to it) applying the rules of journalism that I have acquainted myself with. I am rather fond of writing but I am aware as well that I may not be blessed with the talents of Shakespeare or Jane Austen.. or merely Sarah Kay (If you don't know her, I advice you watch this video and acquaint yourself with her. She is of awe-inspiring talent & I admire her greatly), but I reckon I'm a youthful damsel who has years ahead to learn and succeed. As I was saying earlier, it took me quite some time to figure out what theme I'd like this blog to portray. Food was my primary choice (you will later discover my great passion for food) but I wasn't quite sure what about food I would write. I had at least 7 different matters on my list that I ended up crossing out before arriving at a decision.

So as the heading somewhere in this blog already says, this blog is somehow a how-to-survive-in-a-new-place kind of blog + a bit of this and that. Expect to read about:
  • The good places I go to here that are budget-friendly & how you can find a place of your own just like these
  • DIY crafts that may (or may not) be useful for you
  • Reviews/promotion of books, music, movies (maybe. I'm not the best movie critic, really), films, and other works of art
  • Easy recipes you could do at home
  • (Useful) tips on surviving on your own (*note: it may not be useful per se, but possibly something worth knowing anyhow)
  • My stand on issues (I am a debater, take note) + excerpts from a book I am currently reading and loving SuperFreakonomics
  • My original articles about news stories I find interesting (because we all need to know what's going on around us)
aaaand possibly a few more subjects that may appeal to me later on as this blog progresses. I look forward to filling this up, writing my thoughts and having you all (If I ever gain followers) read as I advance as a young and very much raw journalist.