Lost

Just watched the last episode of LOST today. Seems to be a 2 hour show. Boy, it ends with a bang. I don't want to give too much details away without spoiling it for people. So I'll just say- its quite well written and has quite a lot of plot twists. Maybe its a getting a bit predictable... but its great fun to watch. That- and Deadwood- are really Great TV shows.

100% Easy Winter Meals

Hi, woke up this Monday morning feeling totally cold. My head feels like an iceblock.

In situations like this - you want something hot and tasty fast.

So here's my receipe for a very quick meal that will warm you up.

You need

1. Campbells Pumpkin Soup Can
2. Tofo.
3. (Frozen) Peas, Dried Parsley, Chives (optional)

Procedure:

Step 1. Open up the pumpkin can.
2. Put the blob into a sizable pot.
3. Using the pumpkin can, pour a can of water into the pot. Add two if you want.
4. Stire the mix to get the soup even, ie.,
4a Meanwhile, slowly heat the pot to simmering point- its hot - but not spewing boiling hot.
4b Throw in the frozen peas :)
5. When the peas look just about done- throw in the tofo, and sprinkle some chives/ parsley.
6. Break up the tofo to sizes u like- and give it a quick stir for about a minute. Don't overdo the tofo otherwise it will bloat up, looking terrible.

7. Tada! Healthy and tasty soup!!!!

I prefer the silky tofo available at Safeways or Coles - you can find between the yoghurt and the luncheon meat section. I used to use the tofo from the Chinese grocery store- but the new grocer is not friendly. He never smiles and looks at you like scum. Reminds me of my Chinese language teachers in primary school. They used to beat us often.

Danish Butter Cookies

You know what taste great in winter time? Danish Butter Cookies with a good hot cup of milo, tea or coffee. I love Danish butter cookies- esp the ones that sprinkle the large (rock?) sugar bits on them. Its hard getting them now- most manufacturers use the small normal sugar.

Does anyone care to recommend their favourite brand?

God, food, cooking and theology

I like good food; that's nothing better than to sink your teeth into a wonderfully cooked roast salted chicken when you're starving. Hmmmmm.... I can't talk anymore about it otherwise my stomach will explode.

Found this site written by this young Singapore mom- who loves God and cooks great food. Apart from the awesome receipes she has- she also offers some good insight into Christian living. I found this article brilliant see here :

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Husband made lunch for me again. He's been doing this every weekend for past three weeks, as a way of giving me a nice break and a yummy treat. Last week, he made Nikujaga (Jap beef stew), one of my favourite dishes as it's so hearty and warm. Today, he made beef & broccoli pasta. Lurve-ly. ^__^

Husband's gesture of love-by-cooking made me reflect on a principle our church taught us in marriage preparation class - namely, that Husband should Lead and Wife, Submit. Like all normal women of this day & age, I struggled with that concept for a while when I first heard it. It made women sound subordinate, inferior even, as if we didn't have the brains or wit to make our own decisions and live our own lives. But I have come to realise that this principle is harder for men than it is for women. This is because it places the onus squarely on the man's shoulders to lead in love, communication, reconciliation and service. To put it across clearly, Husband is to be the first to apologise, to serve, to love and to forgive. Now how many men can do that???!!

Well, I thank God that I have a husband that strives to obey God & live out God's design for marriage by trying his darndest to do exactly that. His efforts are not necessarily in the Big Theological Things - he doesn't give me a sermon or a Bible Study everyday. Nay, it's in the small things - in apologising even when he is not in the wrong, in patiently listening to my grumbles even when he is busy with work, in reminding me to spend time in personal devotion to God and of course, in cooking and doing the laundry over the weekends. And here's the cool thing - the more Husband leads, the more I submit, i.e., the more I reciprocate. And the little virtuous cycle of love grows and grows.

Serving each other is not derogatory, nor is it mere duty. Christ came to serve us all - by dying for us. Likewise, as part of God's design, serving each other in marriage is deemed delight, both to each other and to God.

Marriage Christ's way has taught me that two is indeed better than one.

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Isn't she lucky? Thankfully she is married to a good bloke. Pity the women who end up with monsters for husbands. In that case, no amount of submitting with do any good. Its a bit like trying to appease monsters like Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Jack the Ripper, etc... Try and submit to them and see where that gets you.

The More the words the less the meaning...

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, a small treatise on how to live a decent happy life- its located somewhere around the middle of the Bible, there's this awesome line:

"The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that benefit anyone?" Ecclesiastes 6:11

I wish more Christian preachers would heed this verse in the bible. Every week, when I goto church or attending church meetings, I dread hearing the preaching.

First up- there are some good stuff in their sermons. But there's an awful amount of rubbish and nonsense. Often the preachers are talking off-tangent, then they go circling around the point and not expounding on it, then they cloud their sermons with rubbishy stories- the sort you expect from a drunk Uncle on NY's eve... it deeply saddens me. Its the word of God. Can't they talk about it in a reverential way?

Anyhow, I just shutup and do some "gold digging". Miners often need to dig through 100 tons of crap to extract an ounce of gold. Its the same for most sermons. There's something in there - that God wants ya to hear. You just need to listen. At the same time I pray that the preacher's next sermon will be better. Sometimes it works!

Cold Winter Days Fun

Brrr!!! Winter is now here! Officially its Autumn here in Melbourne- but with blizzard conditions of the ski mountains and average temperatures under 10C at night- you gotta concede a little hey?

I like winter- everything tastes so good- esp. hot food and wine. Doesn't a hot bowl of oats porridge taste so much better on a cold winter's morning? When you walk outside, and if you're healthy and fit, it feels so exhilarating, you just feel so alive!!!! Once when I was in NZ, the temp had dropped below zero, I walked to the grocer shop to get some milk- I was just wearing my shorts, ski boots, t-shirt, and a beanie. People were just looking at me like I was nuts. But it felt so amazing.

However, if you're not feeling well- well, its crap.

Being safe

I was reading my friend - Nate's blog. And its really amazing what he's doing- ie. helping out street people.

The whole idea of going out on a limb and trying to help "troubled" people - I'm a little scared by the whole idea.

One word popped up in my head. "Safety". Then "risk". For half of my my life- although I've been living a fairly sheltered life- but I've been constantly bullied and jerked around- by relatives, teachers, bullies at school, the boarding house and then the army. I just want to be in a safe place.

If I can get thru the day without someone yelling/screaming at me- its a great day! I really mean it.

I find that if I am being encouraged- I can do wonders. But if I being yelled at, pushed around, my whole attitude to the job/life just goes downhill.

I'm an easy going guy and I just want to get along. Unfortunately, some people usually take my willingness to help as a sign of weakness and try to exploit it.

Fuck them.

The whole world would be a better place if people were just willing to work together and get along.