My first premium sushi platter - first Uni

Courtesy of groupon, I bought this premium sushi platter for $19. Although there are raw sushi, which friends know I generally don't eat, but actually if they are fresh, I can and do eat raw sushi. Just that my sense of taste is quite sharp, so I can taste and smell the fishiness and the not-fresh odor. Most of the time, I chose not to risk it.

The premium sushi platter consists of 6 sushi; chutoro (tuna belly), Uni (sea urchin - my first uni), Ikura (salmon roe), Unagi (grilled), Aburi Toro Salmon (seared salmon belly) and Aburi Foie Gras (seared foie gras) When the offer came out, I was keen to get one for myself to finally try my first Uni officially. I wasnt sure if any friends wanted to eat with me, as it cost $19 for just that. Since the restaurant is Sun Dining, a reputable restaurant, I expected a higher level of freshness, hence I didnt mind trying out their raw sushi.

The other groupons I usually buy had like $60 value, so friends can order what they like and we just top up the difference. So this one, though I had never eaten at Sun dining, I dont mind going just by myself. But when work started, I had little time and energy and meals to go eat it. It expires by the end of this month, April. I had been writing reminders to make a reservation, which I did on Wed for today.

Been having quite a tiring time at work. New colleagues, more responsibilities, more events I had to go and show face, more menial stuff also have to do eg pasting photos along the corridor. I had gotten a room for my lessons, so I spent 4 periods yesterday and today to carrying chairs and tables, arranging, wiping the surface to clean up, throwing away accumulated junk inside yesterday. Today I went in to check the radio, TV and DVD player are working. Then put in the notice boards I had salvaged and put up the newspaper cuttings. Also wrote up the class rules. Tomorrow onwards it will be used by me for lessons. I hope to gradually transform it to a very English room. Then besides that, I marked the test papers from 3 classes over 2 days also. I marked quickly and tallied the sub-marks. 2 questions I didnt have to do. But doing these in-between my free periods and also after dismissal, meant I am very tired mentally. I try to help to reduce the workload of my counterparts but I am a bit peeved by the way things are done. KIV for now, hope that its just the starting glitches...

Well today saw another cultural event which I've never seen before Oni-KenBai. Also my main form colleague's birthday, gave him 2 bars of Snickers as a present - only know today in class. So something happy. Then needed something else.After such a tough 4 days with Fri and Sat, meant I needed a break.

Reached the restaurant very stoned. It has a nice ambience and is quite popular with executives. It was 80% full. Good and prompt service. I looked through the menu. Then got hot green tea. Redeemed the sushi platter, and added an order of a miso soup and an alcoholic drink. Decided on their Yamasaki Highball - recommended. Its a whiskey served in a highball glass with a non-alcoholic mixer like soda water. I felt I deserved to have an alcoholic drink to chill out. Ate slowly to savor the taste. The mainly raw sushi tasted good. No fishy smell from not being fresh. Yep if most of the raw sushi is of this standard, I dont mind eating raw sushi sometimes. The seared salmon belly was very nice. The seared foie gras was very tasty and flavorful. The miso soup was thick and tasty, though it was just mushroom and beancurd. Ended with the Highball. By the time I was halfway through the tall glass, I can feel the alcohol. Really generous with the alcohol. Generally I dont like whisky but this one is light on the palate. Can feel my stress melt away by the 3/4 mark and there's enough alcohol for me to switch off the active mind. It is quite strong given I didnt drink on an empty stomach. Finished lesiurely eating an hour dinner. Happily computing the calories for today, finally there's a deficit despite having premium sushi and a drink. Mainly cos didnt order anything excessive.  I was quite full and took a bus home. Quite a relaxing end to a rather hectic week. 2 more days to go.

Nothing much too exciting

This first week of work so far has been orientation. By next week, the full-scale starts. My gym routine not yet resumed from the break. Should force myself tomorrow. Hope it doesn't rain. Rain makes it very difficult to head out. Today nothing much happening. I slept the whole evening yesterday shortly after dinner. Slept at 2-3am the night before. Hope to sleep earlier this weekend.

Yesterday I told my mom not to cook lunch, as I would redeem the LJS 4 pax set and the 2 BK burgers n 2 sundaes for our lunch. I added an order of potatoe skin and fries. My sis and I headed to Clementi Mall to redeem and dabao back home. Ate hungrily for brunch, got a breaded chicken patty, a chicken plank, chips n fries, fish fingers and a half BK chicken burger, coleslaw, clam chowder soup and dessert. I finished my except for my dessert. Feeling sleepy, fell asleep and woke up still very full at 5.30pm. Piggy lifestyle indeed. Woke up to see msg from Tab for dinner. I had just finished computing my calories and in that one sitting, I had eaten 1683 calories. Not much calories to use for dinner unless it's a 100 calories or risk over-eating. Luckily I am still full. May just skip dinner instead or just chew a fruit. It's like the mouth might be itchy but stomach is still quite full.

Yesterday I had over-eaten cos I had Malay nasi Padang for lunch and ate the curry puffs I bought cos I didnt know if i had time to buy lunch. Plus dinner mom cooked, so over-ate. So hard to make deficits to balance off those days of over-calories. Will try harder. I should not eat anymore Malay Nasi Padang and Malay curry puffs even though they are delicious. Simpler fare for lunch like normal ZCP, or Yong Tao Fu, plain bee hoon, fish soup...

I only have 1 more Groupon for April, the sushi premium platter. Since I only bought 1, be eating by myself. Will call for reservations. In the month of May, left with 2nd Tung Lok with Mom, a Jap grill n bar, Tony Romas and another LJS 4 pax set. Quite okay, easily redeemable by spacing them out over the month. As long as not have too many having the same expiry. After that just a Big O and a Sticks coupon, plus a Tony Romas free ribs left. Not much new coupons for food. Don't see much as many good deals, plus partly I am controlling my expenditure so not much buying. Nothing much else exciting but I must say eating these groupons gave me an opportunity to try different restaurants that otherwise either not aware of, won't go cos just go for the usual list of restaurants. Some of them I won't mind re-visiting. Some are once-off, been there, done that.

Work starts & Old Spirit

It's back to work since last Thur. So far I still haven't restarted gym yet. Have to devise a way to bring all my gym stuff with me to work in a not-so-cumbersome manner. Cos got to bring shoes and that is bulky. Hmm...

Trying to get back to the motions. Can wake up on time but sleeping time is still later than normal. Need to adjust quickly cos actual lessons start this Fri. I am not so focused still, trying to get back into the groove. For now I thought of a few ws or how to conduct the first few lessons, dug out my resources, haven't made some newly planned ws nor mass-printed the ws needed. Will do that tomorrow.

Feeling wise, I am tired, not physically but mentally. Cos there's so much time taken up by things like home-room, ad-hoc duties and just standing around, it makes me tired from being on alert state or trying to focus on something. I think gradually I will regain the stamina and skill for these. Next few days are more of such. Going out for a trip with students, pe tests and cca.

So far this year has been much kind to me. Hope it will also be so for my lessons and students. I should go to the temple near my workplace to pray for a smooth and safe-sailing new academic year. So far, I've gotten a pay increment that is more decent (though it might be once-off), when my seat in the staffroom is changed, I got a better table with more space than before, only one neighbor sitting beside me, she's on good terms with me, and even today, I found my request to be in my preferred cca is successful. So I am out of the previous cca (though a bit sorry for students who lose all 3 cca teachers cos 2 went back) BUT it's good for me. I can strum some guitar during cca time, practice the songs I learnt but didn't have time, motivation to revise and hopefully find the inspiration to pick up the guitar again. I really didn't touch the guitar since I left the music school. I did play the ukelele once.
Thereafter it was mainly comics, anime, exercise and diet-monitoring and other stuff like more of trying to read the stock books (tough cos in Chinese and I can't retain and can't seem to ever finish reading, keep re-reading the same part) All these stopped also once holiday set in.

Will have to find the drive to start again. This hol I did rest well, ate well. Was feeling rested but something else bothers me. It's the feeling of "having an old spirit". Lemme explain- this is not about being dog-tired and depressed or overworked or late nights. It's about suddenly the drive to do or learn something for me is void or became neutral. Also a feeling of "oldness" that is not physical (though my neck crackles), not mental (cos I didn't worry myself with work stuff, just focus on resting) but more of just like the spirit became old. I used to have an even older spirit in my pri n sec days. Like I was old beyond my age. In fact, I felt like I had the spirit of a 50 year-old. Then from JC onwards, a sort of de-aging occurred and the spirit slowly matched my age. In fact, at times I felt a younger spirit than my actual age. Up until this March. Thereafter, suddenly the sands of time seem to break through and my spirit 'aged' drastically until it's much older. Not yet in the 50s but feeling like a late 30s. This can explain why partly not easy to pick up the gym or learning efforts. The youthful drive to learn is suddenly not there... Hope I will revert the aging again to have a youthful spirit once again.

Lebanese meal with promises of more & Budgeting

I am cutting down on my expenses in view of my increased contributions to home expense in Oct. So I have set up a new bank account and threw in an estimated monthly expense figure. Now starting 1st April, all my expenses comes from that account. Still on the trial stage. I wanna see what is the norm. This might take about 3 months or so to get an idea.

As part of that, I have tried to cut down my coupon purchases. In fact I have partly. In April, I bought the gelato sticks. Only when I saw the LJS then I bought 2. Then there are some once-off expense like making International Passport $124, treat at LaoBeiJing and tomorrow and coming level welcome party near end-April Sigh, the stars are against me. That's already $80 and another unknown amount... Left with less than $700 currently to pas until 30th April. Will aim for cheap meals for my usual lunch, dinner and even when eating out. Man, I feel like a fresh graduate... That period of time of this

Anyway I wanted to write about the Lebanese n Middle-Eastern food dinner with Tab. It was good! Except it wasn't as cheap without the coupon. After sharing out, we ate our fill 2mains and a side for $21-2 per pax. As opposed to $22++ for a mains alone. Tab was telling me about FH's "Cave-man diet" regime, as part of his get-fit package that costs a bomb (to me) And while eating the grill meat, which very tender, flavorful and lean, we kept talking about it, only to realise that we were in fact eating like that too. But the meat was really solid. I felt like I had 3 sticks of meat sticking in my belly, really filling despite not looking that. That's how lean meat (protein) does. Didn't feel hungry though we did eat some yoghurt after and walking around to explore and discovering a whole bunch of expensive restaurants and a few okay ones across the road from Holland Village.

I'm just gonna stick to my current coupons and redeem some here and there, not aiming to buy too much unless it's a good deal and if I have the money to spare. For now it's sticking to my usual expenses and not add anymore unnecessary purchases.

Work routines In shambles and work's starting very soon

This holiday has been mostly about eating, some traveling then recuperating at home and dieting. By now, my work routine is in shambles yet the hols are ending very soon, just 2 more days to go and it'll be time to hit the ground running again until end of July.

I travelled to Malacca and Genting this hols. Ate 3 buffets so far, twice at Genting and once for the Deals coupon I bought. Ate lots of Wheat-Bix in-between the days of 'recuperating' from the two trips.

Today I went with my mom to one of the restaurants under Tung Lok as I bought 4 coupons, can use for two visits. At first maybe eat with friends but looking closer thru the menu and pricing, quite pricey and quite a few require 4 pax min. It meant it's not as much of a discount. Hence like the previous Thai lunch buffet with my sis, I asked my Mom and told her my treat, just eat with me. Made a reservation at 老北京 at PS and I chose the set menu B, which cost $38++ per pax. 6 dishes. The restaurant is nicely decorated in the old cheena theme with soothing Chinese music, like those shanghai style old songs playing. The food was good! Enjoyed almost all the dishes. The prawn was very fresh, really 弹牙 (bounce off ya teeth). I still topped up $49 after the coupons but it was a good meal. They have hi-tea buffet which seems good too, can eat all the xiao long bao and stuff. Will kiv. Then walk around with mom, found a new outlet for Emi-cake which sells very good durian puffs, massive too. My mom bought a box and we took a cab back. I paid for the meal and the cab ride back. She paid for the cab there and the durian puffs. We reached home about 3.30pm, rather early. Left about 11.20am. The good thing is avoided the ERP and also the CBD surcharges. Was tired after that cos of late night before. Fell asleep at 5pm until 8pm. Jialat, later how to sleep??? These couple of days 0 calorie deficits cos eating out really used up my calories entirely in a meal. Now I know. At least havent exceeded. Now I know why it's not easy to lose weight.

Made another reservation for Lebanese and Middle-eastern dinner tomorrow at H.V. Courtesy of another coupon. I was bored and actually found their menu n pricing online. Hope to eat exotic stuff. Also that meant very low calorie breakfast (if any) and lite lunch. Not harboring wishful thinking of calorie deficit, only that I don't overshoot.

Still haven't cut my hair n gone to the dentist. Hope to cut hair on Wed, dentist at my Golden Week hols coming soon in May.

This hols, I didn't go out and jalan around cos wanted to 'recuperate' from the trips, then later got comfortable staying at home. That doesnt mean I didn't go out, went to run errands, went for meals outside, went to Tab's place. But it's more of the lack of wander-lust, to go to the town to do shopping or walk around. Sometimes I think it's great to have a paid holiday but sometimes I think having a job keeps me focused and productive instead of slacking off. As I've said, all my work routines have degraded until by now, I sleep late, wake up and snooze or laze around, not reading anything like my investment books or music theory, not going to the gym since the hols started. The only routines still in place are the less physical of (1) counting calories and keeping track (2) expenditure tracking These two I do using I-phone apps so they still persist. I was contemplating buying this Kettle-bell which is a weight that is used to do complex exercises, aka non-isolation exercises to strengthen my by-now flabby muscles. But given I havent dragged my ass to the gym yet meant I should only consider buying when I finally restarted all the fallen work routines and I lead a more disciplined life. Did see the pricing at Aibi today. Can consider if I have surplus cash left from this month's expenses account.

Weet-Bix & Own wraps

Given how this holiday, I have been eating a lot of Weet-Bix and also switched mid-point from Subway wraps to making my own wraps, they deserve a blog entry.

Weet-bix: bought a box of it maybe a month back after gym. It was during term time. I had switched from bread to fruits for breakfast, but still after a while, due to my stomach and body constitution, I ended up with a lot of phlegm cos fruits are raw and 'cold' nature, hence aggravate the phlegm. I would end up with phlegmy cough.

So for a few weeks just before the term ended, I tried two bars of Weet-bix with a packet low fat milk. The milk I purposely kept outside so it's not cold. Reach workplace, put in bowl, pour milk over and can finish in mere minutes. The reason being it disintegrates easily and quickly once milk is poured over. Ate that for quite number of breakfast daily. It's tasty enough without having to add sugar. Solves alot of my breakfast problems. Plus it's actually healthy and low calories with high nutrients.

Then when the hole started, the over-eating in Melaka meant that once I came back, rather wanted to eat something plainer for a few days, before heading off for Genting. So Weet-Bix became my daily breakfast on most days when I come back to Sg. Then I was getting sick of subway wraps plus they are relatively pricy: almost $6 for a wrap instead of a meal of local food at just $3, toyed with the idea of making my own wraps. I had for a period of time made my own veg salad to bring to work, so it was the same thing except I bought a pack of wraps that could keep a bit longer 1mth as opposed to just 5 days. Bought lettuce, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and a large onion. Washed, cut up lettuce and dried it with the salad spinning bowl, cut onions n put in container. Then all went into the chiller. When going to rat, warm up a pan, put a wrap to heat up both sides, take lettuce, tomato, onion slices and baby carrots over. Bought a honey mustard sauce, added that. Then kop some meat my mom cooked or dabao sometimes. Tada my own wrap with changing meat taste coz the meat is not the same. Ate as a replacement to a few dinners, can't do it daily. The chilled veg also can cause phlegm due to my sensitive constitution. There is 8 wrap skins in the bag, up until today, haven't finished. Granted I only strted this wrap one day after coming bavk from Genting.

With the combination of this 2 meals, can lower calories consumed and don't feel hungry. Lunch is normal. I try to stick to the breakfast more, it helps at times unless I over-indulge for lunch and dinner. So slowly and gradually, I find I am accumulating more calorie deficit which can cover all the calorie excesses from Melaka and Genting trip. I don't aim to be anaroxic so I keep to the 1200 calories as the lowest. Plus it's actually very hard to go as low as 1200. In general, I am eating at close to 1400-1700 at times. So little deficits that I hope to persist and accumulate more gradually. It's actually very easy to Over-eat like 50% or more and so difficult to have just a 20% deficit (350 cals) daily. So over-indulgences over 3 days takes a dozen days of deficits to balance off only, not even taking abou losing weight. All these is just at the stage of maintaining status-quo, weight don't go up any. Havent reached the weight loss part yet. Tough.

But I hope to use this to set up a meal routine and healthier choices and habits. What we eat is a big part of being healthy. I need to restart my gym sometime before the hol ended. Reset the work routine and incorporate all these habits in. Indulgences I do, so some days overshoot but I try not to overshoot so drastically like 50% which translates to so many days of Weet-Bix and simple food for lunch and dinner. As long as my mouth can co-operate, and it doesn't rebel n go crazy with indulgences, should be fine. I am eating some snacks in small portions to keep cravings at bay but don't want to make snacking a habit.

Dared not step on the weighing-scale yet. Give me a few more days of deficit then I'll do that.