On Getting in Shape

So it does work...

Look at Helen Mirren. An amazing actress, a beauty and at 65, a body that passes off as nothing short of amazing and fit for someone half her age.

How does she do it? Apparently through... *drum roll*... working out on the Wii fit! I kid you not. I have pictures as proof (courtesy of styleit.com). And of course, the other proof is her starring in an ad campaign for Wii (being the marketing genius they are).

Ever since we decided on the wedding date I have been constantly trying new ways to get fit, and to me, getting fit has always been equated to pain. No pain, no gain. That means, less cake, healthier meals, more treadmill, more swimming (although the cake part does not always work according to plan). Therefore, when my sister recommended Wii fit as a way of getting fit, I did not take her seriously. Hey, something that fun can't actually be good for you, can it?

But apparently it does. So thanks Helen Mirren, this is great news for me! A bit of hula hoop, steps and computer-led yoga each day can actually make me fit? If it means I get to stay indoors and exercise while it's 40 degrees out there, I will definitely give it a shot.

And maybe I won't feel so bad having some cake after too.

I just watched 2012 (yes I know, I'm very outdated).

I enjoyed the movie. The extremely predictable and somewhat exaggerated plot was definitely not the factor, neither were the overly computerised effects. John Cusack contributed of course, but mainly it was because these end-of-world movies always make me think and wonder. A lot. During and long after the movie.

(Which is fortunate for me that they only make one of these once every couple of years otherwise I'd be a very depressed person.)

This time I think about the values of humanity. In 2012, as with all other Hollywood blockbusters of the same genre, the good values of humanity prevail. 10 minutes before the tidal waves hit the arks, they opened the gates to let the other people in (as opposed to just leaving and making sure they themselves were safe). They decided that they did not want to start the new world with cruelty and that the humanity really only ends the day they stand by and watch others die.

Do you really believe this would be true? If we were told today that the end of the world was tomorrow, do you believe that we would have peace and love before the end comes, or would we have chaos and wars? Do you believe that your neighbours would support you, or do you think that they would steal, rob, murder and rape? We have seen examples where goodness does prevail (think the China earthquake a couple of years back where strangers were risking their own health and lives to save others). But we have also seen examples where calamities occur, donations were given but they never reached the victims.

I would like to believe that in the end, that we would all learn to see past the materials and superficialities in life and just focus on what really counts. That we would realise that all we want is really to stay by the people we love and care of and give them the comfort which we hope to get in return.

The lucky hero in 2012 gets to share the new beginning with his children and his "true love" (the ex wife whose new spouse coincidentally died while trying to get onto the ark).

Tonight, have a think about who you'd like to spend tomorrow with if you know that it's going to be your last. And perhaps start that journey now.

On Self Development

I have been lazy to write, but that does not mean I have been lacking in thoughts about what I want to write about. I store the thoughts in my mind and bring them out when I get the time and the mood to sit down, switch off the TV and type (of course the break in the World Cup in between the Round of 16 and the quarter finals made the switching off of the TV much easier).

Will's car was broken into a few weeks ago (if this sounds like deja vu, Will was mugged a few months' ago - so this has been an unfortunate year for my fiance). The passenger window was smashed, glove box was rummaged through and an empty knapsack was stolen. Although financially he got off ok (he could have suffered much worse material losses), break-in's are always a nuisance because of the things you need to fix and the insurance you need to worry about whether to claim or not to claim.

This happened early in the morning when we were still half-asleep from the night before, which was the time of the day when one tends to be grumpiest. And Will is one of the most easily agitated person I know. So I was very surprised, and impressed, when Will reacted with a "HOI what are you doing?" to the boy who was fishing about in his car (who then quickly scampered away) and then with still calmness as he decided what he needed to do to mitigate the severity of the situation given he had to show up at work in a couple of hours.

There are people who are generally calm, but react negatively to pressure, and there are also people who, on the other hand, are generally high-strung but react calmly when required. I believe there is a lot of strength in the ability to deal with bad situations calmly. It is not easy, and real personalities emerge when put under the test. Isn't it much easier, when someone does or says something that irritates you or offend your core belief, to just let your head get dizzy with anger and let them have a piece of your mind, than to be rational and calm and ignore their ignorant comments with the knowledge that a bad reaction may lead to worse outcomes?

Many arguments, fights and wars break out as a result of different parties not being able to see eye to eye, with little tolerance for differences. Much violence and regrettable incidents could have been avoided with either or all parties remaining calm. You know you cannot prevent unfavourable events from happening to you or your family, but the least you can do is to ensure your mind bears the right thoughts when they do occur and that you are not going to let the unfavourable events carry on any further.

On Good Food

Will and I frequent the Victoria Park cafe strip regularly. It's a stone's throw away from where we are and it has a fantastic array of cafes and restaurants. Parking is not always easy, but it is mostly free and you will always be able to find one if you don't mind walking 5 minutes.

So much to our delight we now have another restaurant to add to our favourite list. Also much to our delight, it is a new cuisine to add to our current list of Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. We are now loving Spanish tapas from the Imp.

A quick introduction on tapas for those who have yet to experience it. Traditionally this is the name of a wide variety of appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine which may be cold e.g. olives, cheese or warm e.g. battered fried squid. In Australia tapas has evolved into a more sophisticated cuisine and can comprise of many different tapas to make up a whole meal (definition extracted from Wikipedia). For me, it's a little like the equivalent of Spanish dim sum.

On the Imp

Service and Ambience

It was only by chance that Will and I stumbled across this restaurant as from the outside, the simple and humble outlook of the restaurant was easy to miss. Once inside the restaurant was small and even a little crampy, however, the clever use of wooden and brick walls, tender lighting, cushions and bar-stools created a cosy, comfortable ambience. It also meant that you could always get the attention of a friendly waiter or waitress when required.

Because of the above reason we were lucky to have the last table without a reservation but would highly recommend making a booking if you are thinking of dining there for dinner.

Note mentioning here as well was the washroom. Took me a few seconds to read the instructions and understood that the way to open and lock the door was not through a knob, but via a couple of red and green buttons on the wall. Very un-conventional.

The restaurant is a BYO and there is a liquor store just two doors away.

Food

Of the 6 dishes + 1 dessert we ordered, the standard was good on average with a couple being outstanding. Dishes were quick to be served, sauces were well-flavoured, the roasted potato cubes were crunchy and tasty and the warmed sticky date muffin with ice-cream did not disappoint.

The star of the night was definitely the Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Sauce. Whilst the skin was thin, crispy and roasted to perfection, the meat and fatty layer beneath the skin managed to stay soft and tender to the point that it melted in the mouth. The sweet and tangy apple cubes and sauce was a delicious and clever way to balance out the "heaviness" of the dish. Being fans of pork bellies (and we 've tried many variations) Will and I both unanimously agreed it was one of the best we've had and ordered the dish twice.

We understand that the menu changes from time to time so the delectable pork belly may no longer be there when we next visit the Imp, but we look forward to other future surprises that the restaurant has to offer.

Value for money

I have to mention that dinner at the Imp was pricier than our average Saturday night restaurant as an afterthought before you read my blog and decide that you would immediately have to make a dinner booking. We paid close to $50 per person last night, and that was excluding the $20 bottle of wine which I bought from the shop next door. All up I believe that the experience was worth the value and although we will not be making it our regular dining spot we would definitely be going back.

Picture courtesy of theimp.com.au

On Growing Up

We will all grow up at some stage.

Whether we are Sons, Daughters, Sisters, Brothers, Lovers, Friends ... we will reach a phase in our lives where difficult decisions will have to be made. The complexity of the decisions will ultimately be based on the costs of choosing one over the other - how much do we have to give up or lose?

Some decisions can be simpler, for example, do I want to marry William?

What do I have to lose? The possibility of being with another man? This is not a consideration for me, as I do not believe there is another man I would rather be with apart from Will. The fact that I will have to move out from my parents' home? This is a heftier consideration since I am very close to my family, but since our new home is only minutes away from my parents' home, this will not cost much either. I might have to do more housework and cook occassionally, but I can put up with this. What do I have to gain? A life-time guarantee to start a family with a man whom I love and loves me as much in return. Someone who will take a vow to be by my side through the good and bad times, and someone whose words I can completely trust. Relatively simple and un-complex decision.

However to give another example, what if Will was someone I met while I was travelling overseas? What if the man who asked me to marry him was not from the same continent and for me to say yes, it would be at the cost of moving overseas away from all those I love and all that I have known? And what if, this place overseas might not recognise my qualifications and I would not have the same career certainty that I would have if I am back home? Saying yes would be much more difficult then. Much more courageous. As it is at the expense of losing a lot, a lot more.

Life and fate sometimes places us in difficult situations. I love my family. Sometimes I wish we can all be young again, where we are living, growing up, playing and joking in the same household and where difficult decisions do not have to be made. I sometimes secretly (and selfishly) wish that we can all grow old together, within close proximity of each other, even after we have found the other halves of our lives. I know that this is wishful thinking and probably far from reality.

Someone close to me would have to make a difficult decision. Whilst I know that there will not be a right or wrong decision, I hope that the decision will be one that makes her happy.