International Men's Day

International Men’s Day was founded in 1999, in Trinidad and Tobago. It continues to be observed there, on

November 19th each year. International Men's Day is an international holiday and it was suggested by Michail Gorbachev and was supported by the United Nation in Vienna, and other organisation like Russia celebrate Defender Of Fatherland Day on February 23, which in recent times has essentially become these countries' version of International Men's Day. International Men’s Day does not have any kind of significant international presence. A Google search for this event finds very few examples of any other countries or organisations acknowledging this day. Instead, its internet presence is primarily in commentators stating, in response to International Women’s Day, “Why isn’t there an International Men’s Day?”

It is always not easy to get one day off during school day, and fortunately during this IMD, we are having holidays from Saturday to Monday. Thus,we held some food party, outing : this time is Ice Skating and also staying home resting =)
First time outdoor skating, at Gorki Park, though the ice melting due to the increasing of temperature these few days. The ice is not even for a good, smooth skating, and we have to be super aware towards the difference of skating-ice with the ice-water in order not to fall down into the melted ice( a lake?) Hehe. But overall, I had a wonderful day-out~!
End of the tiring day, whats better than a simple, fast, nice, hot dish for dinner? Chinese Dumpling =)
And the 3rd happy thing of the day, I've spoke to this Lady Diana on the phone for an hour, after such a long long time. And in return of so many happy things in a day,now I have to start working hard on my schedule =)
*But seriously, I would love to have more and more holiday~!* Keke

Japanese Cuisine

Boring weekend when you do not have any outdoor activity. Thus cooking is always the best way to get rid of the boredom. Japanese Cuisine, sushi is vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients including fish (cooked or uncooked) and vegetables.Today's recipes are Japanese Sushi, Tempura and Yakitori Chicken.

Japanese Sushi
Ingredients

1) Sushi Nori (also known as seaweed)
2) Sushi-su (Japanese Vinegar)
3) Round-Short Rice @ Japanese Rice
4) Sesame Seed
5) Kikoman Soy Sauce
6) Sugar
7) 10-15 eggs
8) Seafood like Salmon, Shrimps, Crab Stick
9) Vegetables like Cucumber @ Avocado
10) Tuna or any other prefered other ingredients
11) Mayonese & Wasabi

Utensils
1) Sushi Mat
2) Wooden Spatula & Container@Big Bowl

Steps

1) Boil the rice with reduced amount of water. After boiled,remove the rice to a wooden bowl and mix
sushi-su with a wooden spatula while fan cool. Cover with towel and set aside.
2) Prepare the cucumber, crabstick.
3) Beat the eggs into a bowl and mix it well, add soy sauce and sufficient amount of sugar. Fry the egg with medium heat. Flap the egg to a rectangular shape when the egg is not fully cooked so that
it will give a texture of nice tamago =) For better result, use a rectangular pan.
4) Prepare the salmon. Knife MUST be sharp and cutting motion only one time.
5) Roll the sushi. Varieties of different types of sushi like Maki sushi, Nigiri sushi, or California Roll. You
can add wasabi or mayonese inside the sushi before rolling, as you prefered! {You must learn how to roll
the sushi first of all!}
6) Serves 4 people with soy sauce, wasabi and mayonese.

Tempura
Ingredients
1) Flour, eggs and cold water
2) Seafood = Shrimps and Crab Stick
3) Vegetables = Potatoes, Onions, Asparagus, Brinjal or any others

Steps

1) Remove heads and shells from shrimps without removing tails. Devein the shrimps. Make two or three incisions in the stomach sides of the shrimps. Lightly press the back of shrimps by fingers.
2) Using a knife, remove the dirt from the tails of shrimps. Pat dry the shrimps.
3) Mix the batter.
4) Flour shrimps before frying. Pick the tail of shrimp and dip shrimp in the tempura batter.
5) Fry it till crispy. The duration of frying for seafood always lesser than vegetables. Potatoes soak into
water for 15 minutes before frying.
6) Serves hot !
Optional = You can use ready-made tempura batter at the market.

Yakitori Chicken
Ingredients
1) Teriyaki sauce @ Home-made Yakitori sauce*
2) Sugar
3) Bamboo Skewers
4) Spring onions @ Scallions
5) Chicken Cube

Steps

1) Cut the chicken into cubical shape and marinate it with teriyaki sauce@ yakitori sauce and sugar. Refrigerate it for 4-6 hours.
2) Soak the bamboo skewers into water for 30 minutes.
3) Skew the ingredients and chicken through the bamboo skewer.
4) You can use oven, pan or barbeque it.
Optional = Sesame Seed, Margerine, Butter or Honey.

* Yakitori Sauce = Sake (Rice Wine), Mirin(Sweet Rice Wine), soy sauce, sugar, grated ginger and bring to simmer.



Coming Next !
Tempura Ice-Cream

The 7th Day Of Chinese New Year

Because that we are so far from home, thus most people here in Moscow do not celebrate their Chinese New Year for years. But exception to those who are able to get their ass off to Malaysia during the winter break. And every year, every same thing that every block do is to have reunion dinner together, with bunch of friends or with only house-mates. I did not celebrate Chinese New Year for 4 years by now, but I never forget whats done and whats not during this special family gathering. And during this festive, we especially will have extraordinary feeling of missing home. Needless to say abt the foods =)

Today is the 7th day of the Chinese New Year cum Valentine's ( we assumed it because its the 9th day now keke), thus we decided to "Lou Sang" and have some small gathering together as how we always do. "Lou Sang" is a tradition known to be practised, during the Chinese New Year, Yee Sang is a traditional aspicious dish that symbolises the ushering of good luck, good health, wealth and longevity for the lunar new year. Lou Sang is merely the act of mixing together the Yee Sang dishes, which consists of the usual assortment of vegetables like white radish, crispy crackers, bits of pamelo sacs, pickled cucumber and carrots mixed with crumbs of nuts and sweet sauce along with slices of raw fish (usually salmon). And we have added fruits together like pears. Besides, we had "Loh Mai Kai"(also known as Chicken in Glutinous Rice), Foie Gras(also known as Goose Liver) and Chinese Crackers.

Every laughter associates with a little of sadness, I am sure in everyone, missing family so badly, esp myself.
I have so many wishes if I were to pray for it =)

A Walk To Remember

Each Spring in the little port town of Beaufort, North Carolina, when the wind smells of pine and salt and the sea, Landon Carter remembers his senior year at Beaufort High and Jamie Sullivan, the girl who changed his life.

Jamie was the last person Landon was likely to fall for. Serious and conservative, she was as far from cool as she could possibly be, and didn't care. The daughter of the town's Baptist minister, Jamie was not afraid of letting people know that her faith was the most important part of her life, even if it cost her some friends. Landon hung with the in-crowd -- an aimless, moody, reckless guy who breezed through school on looks and bravado. He had no plans, no future and no faith in himself.

One night a prank that he and his buddies set up goes terribly wrong and lands a kid in the hospital. As punishment, Landon must tutor a young student at a poor school and participate in the Drama Club's Spring play ­ two activities the principal hopes will teach him some humility. They also happen to throw him into close contact with Jamie. Clearly in over his head, Landon is forced to ask her for help.

Soon, against his own expectations, Landon finds himself falling in love with this outwardly plain girl who possesses a passion for life he never imagined possible. But it isn't easy. For reasons of her own, Jamie does everything she can to run away from romance until it becomes impossible to deny.

Being together will test everything that they believe in. Most of all, it will test the power of love and faith to transform a life into something worth living.

Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted =)

Happy Valentine's Day~!