The Young and the Wise

*Warning: Rant ahead!* I am writing this whilst procrastinating on writing my dissertation. Being a Southeast Asian student studying abroad in the UK, my friends and I tend to have interesting conversations regarding the state of our home country. It is quite obvious that we love out home, but many of us are scared of going back. Don't take it the wrong way, our country isn't war torn or anything (touch wood- really hope not), in fact, it is a pretty nice place. The reason for our concern is because we find that there seems to be a lack of opportunity and trust in our generation (fresh graduates). We do not mean to come across as whiny (we want to be anything but that). Anyways, as future fresh grads, we are all pretty concerned with whether we will be able to secure a job, and ones where we can actually contribute our passions and still grow. Aside from that, the ones who have secured a job are wondering if they did make the right choice. This may even apply for the ones still applying for jobs. Are we looking in the right places? On top of all of that, some of us are still wondering if we studied the right course! The simplest example I could give would be myself. I am currently studying Nutrition and Psychology. Though I am very sure I love this course, and that it definitely fits my passions and personality, are the jobs available to me the ones I would like to go for? Will I like my workplace, and the ethics and values held by my colleagues? Will corruption be a problem and will it affect me? If I choose to be involved in policy making to fix this problem (read: corruption), will I end up spending all my time and energy on that? Will I ever end up doing what i wanted to in the first place? So many questions..... so scared. On the other hand, there are those youngsters deemed to be "over-qualified". What does that even mean? Wouldn't you like to employ the best person you could find, for any particular job or profession? Or is that the problem. I have a friend, whose sister is currently a professor in one of the universities in the US, because if she were to go back home she would most likely get a job that would not let her work at her full potential, just because she is under 30 years old, even though she does have a PhD. Then came the topic of the person that replaced our beloved Central Bank Governor, who held that post for 16 years! (if I am not mistaken, she held that post the longest in our country so far, and she was the first and still the only female to have ever held the post). The new guy is 56 years old! That is pretty old, since our countries retirement age is 60 years old. My friends and I understand, it is a very important post, and the country would of course want someone with experience to take up the job, but does age = experience = wise? Is there no one that is at least a little younger that could take over? I am very sure there are solid reasons as to why the new person was appointed, but a little more transparency would be great. The citizens of our country are no longer illiterate, in fact many of us have and still are pursuing tertiary education, which is a great leap from where we used to be half a century ago. To give transparency to the citizens is a sign of respect to them. We are a democratic country after all, aren't we? (Again, I am very sure there are sources which we could find to see why so-and-so was appointed for so-and-so, it's just that I am very sure it involves a lot of digging around, a waste of time really, I just want to know, then get on with my life (i.e.: studying), for the betterment of the people) I could easily rant on about my hopes and dreams, and the work I would like to venture into, but that is a topic for a-whole-nother blog post (or several). *END of Rant* Sincerely, M

Honey Amaranth Cake in a Mug

Inspired by someones adapted version of the Israeli Honey Cakes I found online. Made this when I was craving a simple cake, but didn't want to clean too many dishes. Only had to clean a mug/bowl and a tablespoon (I was lazy enough to eat the cake using the same spoon I used to measure out the ingredients).


Ingredients:
3 tbsp Amaranth flour
1/8-ish tsp of baking powder (use gluten-free ones if need be)
2 tbsp olive oil
1-ish tbsp honey (use maple syrup or other liquid sweetener if vegan)
1 tbsp milk of choice (obviously use plant milk if vegan or allergic, I used rice milk)

Method:
1. Mix dry ingredients in a mug (don't really have to properly measure the baking powder, I used the other end of my tablespoon)
2. Pour liquid ingredients in the order written (oil makes the honey not stick to the spoon).
3. Mix and microwave at the highest setting for a minute. Or medium high for two minutes. Take care not to burn your cake. It should be done when the center springs back when touched (use the spoon, don't burn your finger)
4. Let cool slightly and enjoy. I had mine with some vanilla yogurt, super yum.


Will update this soon with pictures, hopefully.


Happy eating.

-M

Today

WARNING!!! Boring and dull blog post coming up.

But then again, not everyone's everyday lives are all that interesting. If it were, interesting would not be so anymore.

So today is day 2 of my 30 day crunch, plank, squat n push-up challenge. You know, those 30 day challenge type sheets you get on Pinterest. Well guess where I got it from (haha Captain Obvious). Let me tell you, it's not that bad (though i feel absolutely pooped now, lying in my bed).

Yesterday felt fine, except for my legs. I do not really like squats, and day 1 had 50 of them. So when I went for my run in the evening (to Tesco), I felt very errr... detached from my legs.

Today, saw 55 squats. I could squat as deep as much without looking in the mirror (what is this sentence??!!). But we bought chicken legs and had roast chicken with mash for lunch, so that was nice.

The chicken made me feel very sleepy though. I should try having a few more vegan/vegetarian meals this week. I do find that it makes me feel less sleepy while studying. Though it does cause me to get the munchies slightly quicker.

So here is to the future meat-free meals, abundance of veggies and surviving tomorrow (read: squats). Sorry for the bland lengthy post. Ciao.

Much love,

M

Failure (saia tak kuad)

By dinner time we got so hungry. We had been in Italy the whole week before, stuffing our faces for 8 days.

So it makes sense, the reason why we were so hungry.

From stuffing our faces, to strictly rationed portions of simple, but rather bland food.

All in all, it was a good lesson, or a few. I learnt about hunger (although not true hunger, and it is still very different from fasting). I also learnt how to make really good chicken bone stock, practically for free ( from chicken carcass that was free from the halal butchers, and vegetable scraps)

So, I hope to try again next time.

Much love,

M

Living Below The Line: Day 1

Quite a sad looking picture.

All the more to make you realise how hunger is hurting so many out there. Here is to the next 5 days.

Much love, 

M

The Truth is... (a.k.a semi-formal Introduction Post)

Hey everyone

The name is Melissa.

First up I would like to thank you for dropping by to have a read. Hope you enjoy your visit. Do come again.

This blog is very much a little journal, but  also more of a place where I get to sort of 'brain-vomit' ( I know... not a pretty picture). But that's just it. This blog is not meant to be 'pretty'. It's meant to be honest.

I'm not saying there are people out there that write blogs that are filled with lies (God forbid.. noooo). I'm just trying to say that this log is where I get to be transparent. I don't have to cover up, to be sweet (but no b*tchin, nope nope). It's all about complete, raw honesty.

And hopefully, all the things I will post would be the truth, nothing but the truth, and only the truth.

No, it's not a political blog.

No not a food blog (though you may expect a lot of this... yumss)

Not prep, not fashion ( if there is stuff on this... It means I find it really good and inspiring that I just have to share)

It is just my creative space.

So, keeping with the theme, I will post up my next post, whenever I feel like it.

Stay tuned.


Much love,
Mel