Hardwork doesn't always pays off

Finally, the war zone in the office is over.......

With the recent changes in the top management, i'm lucky to be still surviving in the office. The accountant will be converting to working 3 days a week. A lot of his work would be pass out to the whoever..... which many of us believe once the trade is learnt, the take over would be complete - meaning, once the whoever is comfortable with the work, the accountant service would no longer be needed. Sigh............

Well, lots of speculation as to whether the office is closing for good have reach an end - office will continue to operate under the new head, everything else remains the same (as far as my work is concerned). Sad to say - today's meeting shows that my MD doesn't even know what is my work scope. And no wonder, whatever opportunity for advancement have been pass off me. Ha... after almost 20 years, that's the treatment i got in return. Sigh........... To think that when i initially joined the company, the MD's treatment towards me is so different from now (perhaps i've become tranparent already). Remember there's once when i wanted to take 2 days off continuously (which i have never done before in my years of service), the MD asked if the office is going to function without me. What a joke, if i'm that important, i wouldn't be where i'm standing right now.

I could only conclude - hardwork doesn't always pays off! Must work hard and work smart. Well, i work hard no doubt, however, i have forgotten about working smart...........

Even my baking is playing tricks with me recently too. Nothing seems to be done well, my steam pandan bolu failed (it rise while steaming but sank when the steamer is switch off - this never happen before for this recipe which i tried numerous time). Chocolate cake centre is uncooked. Even today's coffee chiffon cake is a complete disaster. All this failed attempts really puts me off from any further baking let alone taking photos of my disastrous product. Baking - goodbye for now till i regains my confidence to try again.

Catching up with childhood buddy

It has been a long time since i last catch up with childhood buddy - S. Although we hardly ever see each other (probably only 4 to 5 times in a year), but we never run out of topic to chat about. (Buddy ST said childhood friends are the best). S is currently taking a course in nusery teaching and it really sounds interesting. I have always dreamt of going into nusery teaching when i have earn sufficient to last my life time with my family. Making cookies together with kids sound interesting isn't it? Sigh........ think this is never ever going to happen with the current escalating cost of living.

Actually, S wanted to have durian buffet at our usual hang out place which we both thought it's quite costly - $45+++. That would work out to a lot of money. At the end, i suggested why not try something different. I remembered buddy D ever mentioned to me this Korean BBQ buffet which is nice and economical (half the price of our usual hang out). Have been dying to try it out but then buddy D couldn't make it and we have been postponing it like forever. Haha.... therefore yesterday, just the right chance to give it a try. It's indeed cheap and good.....

This is the start up steam boat. The steam boat have a centre dome shape fixture which is meant for grilling meat like pork, chicken, prawn and also beef (which i don't eat, so it's not included here) and the side is like a drain where the soup is. You can cook anything from vegetables, mushroom, noodle to anything you can think of.

And here's the appetiser which consist of kimchi, spicy hotdog, light soya sauce
beancurd, ikan bilis, shredded vegetable which i'm not sure what vegetable and some very healthy blanch green vegetable.

The pictures about looks good isn't it? Haha..... to tell the truth, i have totally forgotten about taking photograph till i saw the table next to us whip out their camera and start snapping away. So, the above start up and appetiser photo is from the table next to us. Hee.......... i didn't steal to take those photograph hor, i asked for their permission, haha.......

This is the real one from our own table:

Shit! Hand shake again, so the picture is blur.
This is ours half way thru' our attack.

As usual, i brought some cookies for S - Almond biscotti and my signature cashew nuts chocolate chips cookies.

And this is my advance birthday gift from S.

A visit to the library

Yesterday, after dinner, passed by a library. It has been decade since i last visit a library, haha......

Borrowed these 2 books that looked interesting to me:

The content is some thing like 散文。 Remember during my Pre-U life, read a lot of these types of books especially those written by the author - 三毛。Loves the way she described her environment and the way she lead her life. It's a pity that she committed sucide. But her books is definitely a good read.

I'm currently reading the book entitled 心灵的魔法。Just a few pages, it really teaches you how to take life on the lighter side and how you can make yourself feel more relax. Shall continue. If i come across a page which i think is worth sharing, then i shall re-copy it here.

Inflation erodes real gains in wages

A read into today STRAITS TIMES - front page headlines read:

» Prime News
Inflation erodes real gains in wages
WAGES here have risen by close to 11 per cent, the highest in almost a decade. But the impact of soaring food and fuel prices meant that for employees in manufacturing, transport and administrative jobs, their real wages - pay minus the effect of inflation - actually fell.

Aiyo! my pay rise is not even anything close to the average as claimed by the papers. (Leave me wondering how reliable is the source? Or are they "inflating" the figures? haha....) But no doubt the inflation is really escalating. (This needs not be reported at all, just a visit to the hawker centre will shows you the facts) Hubby always grumble that the real percentage of increase in fuel doesn't match the percentage increase of the food. What he's referring to is that fuel may increase 10% but hawker increase is abt 20% and so on....... Never really do the calculation, but i told him well, there's more than 1 item that goes into the food item and since everything is increasing, when adding all the increase, it does justify the hawker's increase. I should say the ultimate person to suffer is the end consumers..... and especially consumers like me ......... who doesn't enjoyed a high percentage of pay rise but still needs to suffer the same effect of inflation.

Euro Cup Jersey collection & kitty pouch

Euro cup football jersey - in handphone strip form. Suppose to be 16 countries only, however, there's one extra one - which is the sponsor product brand name.

Hello kitty pouch - 2 bucks only. Don't think it's original, but who cares.

Random

Have you ever wonder how a flower hot dog bun is being make? The picture below show it step by step. Well, i'm not the one who did it - i copied it from another website - putting it here for safe keeping, till i'm able to make it.

Can't do bread to the softness like breadtalk because i don't have the correct equipment to knead the dough till it is elastic enough for the bread to last till the next day yet still remains soft. Although those bread i make earlier is soft right after baking, but the softness didn't last till the next day. The equipment needed for making bread is either a bread making machine or a heavy duty mixer (about 800 watts and above) with dough hook. A check in the mall shows that such a machine would cost between S$800 to S$1,200 depending on the model and attachment. Have been hesitating on getting one even though loves to bake a lot but as i don't make it for sale, so such an expensive investment will have to be thought over carefully. Unless i have a sudden windfall :) which is very unlikely as hardly ever buy 4D or participate in any cash prize contest.

Well, there's actually of a lot of to buy list in my mind so........ everything KIV.

And here's some of my recipe collection - look! it's only some because didn't take pictures of all.

In actual fact, never follows any recipe to the exact. I always like to modify the recipe to my own likings and convenience. These recipes book just give me an idea of how certain thing is being done. For example, found the tactics of making the spider web design on cake from the recipe book - chocolate temptation. Also by looking at recipe book, it also gives me an idea of food presentation inorder to get an appetizing look. Then also, a good camera is also needed to get a sharper picture. Recently also found out that there's something like a photo shooting tent. At first was wondering what it that. Then chance upon one - it's actually something like a cubicle with spot light sort of things so as to achieve professional photo shoot effect.

Example of a photo shooting tent:

And here's my baking - pandan siffon cake. Quite disapointing though because the top crack before the cake is fully bake. Then when dis-mould, the cake skin didn't come out probably too. Perhaps not enough oil. One thing though - the cake top did not curve to be like a tyre which sifu said is not correct. Also the cake is soft and spongy. Have to check with sifu the actual combination of the ingredient.

Random

Nice pictures.

Found above cute dollz picture - considering changing my profile picture.

With GSS in town, above is especially delicated to my BUDDY - ST.
Hahaha........

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Found these naughty phrases on the web.

Happy Dumpling Festival

These 2 pictures i found on the web, but i did some minor alteration to the original pictures so i would not be like copying as it is. Hahaha...... the 1st picture - i remove the web name that is included in the bottom of the picture. The 2nd picture - i changed the dumling picture (this dumpling pictures comes from the blog of baking friends but i crop it), i also changed the cartoon dumpling picture at the corner, can you tell???

Random

My last bake - Banana Cake.

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This come from Sifu last week when i visited her.

Yummy Yummy 莲蓉碱水粽!





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Here's the souvenir from colleague L.

Colleague L left yesterday.

SHOCK NO. 2

Yesterday, while i'm eating my lunch in the office, colleague S came to tell me a shocking news. Wow! Senior D is being given the "big envelope" last Friday! It's so shocking to me and i almost choke on my noodle.

Oh what's happening??? All this while i thought Senior D would never ever get this envelope. However, colleague L confirmed it. Colleague L told me that Senior D said so to her personally.

Senior D have been working in the company for as long as i am. I also heard that Senior D even asked to extend for another 3 months so that work could be hand over smoothly. See, how kind hearted and yet that's how the company is "rewarding" in returned. Although Senior D was with the company for as long as i am, however, we are not under the same payroll - belongs to the other session as colleague L. Nevertheless, Senior D handles work of my session too. When colleague L was given the "big envelope", i was told that colleague D would stay put and transfer to my session. And now........... sigh.......... really wonder would i get mine soon too???

Now i'm like 惊弓之鸟。And i'm feeling very stress because i don't know what is happening.............

And the best way to release stress is to do something that i enjoy.

So here's my bake for today - APPLE PIE.

Just a small portion - about 6 pieces altogether to test out the recipe. Once i feel it's good enough, i shall put it up in my Bon Appetite Blog.