Today I ran the pasotto experiment for the second time. “Pasotto” is pasta, cooked risotto-style where the liquid is added as the pasta cooks.

Ingredients:

500 g (one pack) of pasta, clear chicken broth, frozen mixed veggies, chicken breast meat, and some olive oil. You can cook pasotto in any liquid. I’m lazy so I buy pre-made broth, even though it adds substantially to the cost.

Step 1: Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, heat it up to smoking point, and pour in the pasta. Dry. All of it. Because it’s fun.

Explanation: This is “toasting” the pasta. Does it make any difference? I dunno. I’m in the “olive oil is magic” cult.

Step 2: Pour in the chicken broth, or whatever liquid you’re using. Beef stock, fish soup, water. Put in enough to get all the pasta wet. Maybe more. But not too much.

Times like this, I really miss the physical shutter button on my old phone. “Tap to capture” just isn’t as convenient.

Step 3: Stir the pasta. Stir stir stir. You may take out a piece and test for doneness. Still not done? Good, throw in the chicken.

The breast meat was dry because a) it’s breast meat and b) it was 2 weeks old. No matter – the stock will revive it! Also, put the meat in well before the pasta is even al dente, or you’ll overcook the pasta (or undercook the meat).

Step 4: Pasta is allllllmost done. Throw in the veggies:

And add a bit more stock if you like. In fact, you can cook the veggies separately and just add them in the end, but that defeats the “one-pot” cooking purpose of this dish.

Step 5: Stir stir stir to mix everything up and ensure veggies are cooked. Ooof! Pasta is really heavy now, from absorbing all that stock.

Since I’m going to put these in storage containers and put them in the fridge for reheating at a later date, it doesn’t really matter if the veggies are undercooked. Might even be better, as overheating makes the carrots limp, while the peas turn a sad wilted-green colour.

Step 6: Serve or store as needed.

Monday lunch, Tuesday lunch, Wednesday lunch, Thursday lunch, Friday lunch.

Notes: You can add cheese along with the veggies, and balsamic vinegar along with the first addition of broth. I skipped both this time around because the flavours were a little overpowering, and I’m going to be eating this in the office so it would be discourteous. In fact, the original recipe adds white wine instead of balsamic, but *shrugs* everything’s a suggestion.

1. Colour Laser Multifunction Printer  – I have my eye on a Samsung home printer. My Canon’s served me well these 6-odd years but it’s time for a significant upgrade.
2. Shoes – I only have one pair of work shoes and they’re navy, so they clash with my black suits. The biggest problem is finding a pair that won’t chew their way through your skin by the end of the afternoon.
3. Mineral makeup – I am going to hit up Sephora at ION Orchard and get myself a new foundation, brush and finishing powder. Plus I heard Smashbox is there, and I just want to confirm that I’ll have a steady stock of Photo Finish Primer for years to come. Oh yeah – need an eyelash comb too. Clumpy eyelashes are such a turn-off.
4. Sony Vaio – needs repair! But when can I possibly do without it for a week? I will die of Internet starvation. The Acer’s a bit wonky too, prone to overheating and the touchpad isn’t working. It’s died on me in the middle of a YouTube video numerous times.
5. Dental appointment – before my teeth rot and fall out from all the candy and sweet drinks I ingest.
6. Car – hahahaha.
7. Typist chair – not very comfy sitting on a dining chair to type/
8. Hanson CD – have not been able to find it in shops, too lazy to go to HMV as I hardly head to Orchard.

But first, cross your fingers and hope that everything that’s been set in motion will pan out wonderfully! *lawofattraction*

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads saying
Breaking yourself up

If it’s a broken part, replace it
But, if it’s a broken arm then brace it
If it’s a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine
Everything will be fine
Mmmhmm

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I’m doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you’re shocked it’s just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing.

Yeah everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

Hold your own
And know your name
And go your own way

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling? (Go your own way)

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic (Go your own way)
Is it Mother Nature’s sewing machine?

Are the things that make you blow (Hold your own, know your name)
Hell no reason go on and scream
If you’re shocked it’s just the fault (Go your own way)
Of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Hearts will hold
________________________________________________________________

For a friend. Because I know you’ll make it.

Do you remember when we first met?
I sure do
It was some time
In early September
You were lazy about it
You made me wait around
I was so crazy about you
I didn’t mind
So I was late for class
I locked my bike to yours
It wasn’t hard to find
You painted flowers on
Guess that I was afraid
That if you rode away
You might not roll back
My direction real soon
Well I was crazy about you then
And now the craziest thing of all
Over 10 years have gone by
And you’re still mine
We’re locked in time
Let’s rewind

Do you remember
When we first moved in together?
The piano took up the living room
You’d play me boogie woogie
I played you love songs
You’d say we’re playing house
Now you still say we are
We built our get away
Up in a tree we found
We felt so far away
Though we were still in town
Now I remember watching
That old tree burn down
I took a picture that
I don’t like to look at

Well all these times
They come and go
Alone don’t seem so long
Over 10 years have gone by
We can’t rewind
We’re locked in time
But you’re still mine

Do you remember?
—————————————————————————
I’ll have to wait 10 years before I can even hope of having someone write me a song like this one.

I got back into watching Glee after a few months away. I was watching the episode “Hairography” and the scenarios in the episode just hit me hard, because I’ve been there. That’s not really something you expect from a lighthearted musical romp but I think the thematic writing for this episode was one of the better examples. All this talk of distractions makes for an interesting motif.

Anyway, it just got to me how much I could relate to what was going on, and that’s just weird. I never used to be such an emotional sap. Or maybe I’m just in a mood to be all “awww” today.

I have been Rachel, yearning for a boy she can’t have, and listening to bad advice on how to get him.

I have been Kurt, who does his best to defy gravity and reality but is forced to admit that they exist and he is beholden to their rules.

I have been Quinn, who gave someone a chance only to be let down.

I have even been Terri, who paradoxically sabotages her relationship even as she’s doing her best to hang on to her man.

And oh gahd, the romantic moments. Puck stealing a parenting book for Quinn. Schuester telling his wife he loves her after she buys him a car (I probably have my own reasons for finding this sweet). Puck and Quinn, hands touching hands.  Puck and Quinn singing “Papa Don’t Preach” together. Quinn and Finn walking down the school corridors together. Man if we could bottle up the sweetness, we’d solve the sugar shortage.

Sigh. I love Glee so much, I am officially a Gleek. It can do no wrong, I will happily overlook its flaws as long as it keeps delivering the emotional highs and lows to my brain, and show tunes I can dance to in the privacy of my (rather large) room. Lovelovelove!

I’ve been taking a lot of slacky-time this week (relatively speaking) because of my LASIK surgery and also since I’m working full blast next week, all 7 days, for the Level-Up Challenge at work. I figured I’d better load up on some relaxation and me-time before I have to pia next week.

I’ve had my share of playing Diablo II, Jian installed D2 on my old Acer and we’ll party up once he gets to Act II. Wow. 2 players + 2 mercenaries makes for quite a strikeforce. Of course enemies will increase in difficulty as well, but it should be interesting to play multiplayer.

This morning I got up and admired the clear view of everything from my bed. Then I put on my sunglasses and went shopping for breakfast. We had an artery-clogging breakfast of bacon, eggs and multigrain bread soaked in bacon drippings. Mmmm. Say no to trans fats, eat saturated animal fats instead! I’m going off to do some recycling, drop off my cheque and buy my comic books – I used to pounce on them once they arrived but now I’m so busy it takes me a month or two to find the time to head down to Serene Centre to pick them up. I’ve been buying from Comicsmart for ages, they’re reliable and usually bring in lots of the good stuff (i.e. Fables) so I don’t have to reserve titles.

Once the second run of laundry is done, I’ll head out. What an enjoyable Saturday this will be. And later, I’m going to do a massive recipe of leftovers and that will be my lunch for the whole week. Fun fun fun!

Eh, I don’t care if you think my household chores don’t make for good reading. The Funnerology Principle states that we should take joy in as many things as possible.

Over Chinese New Year, the pay-TV channel in Malaysia ran a Glee marathon, which was fun – although I only saw most of the first episode and pretty much none of the second because I went out. So back in Singapore, I decided to procure the whole of Season 1 via certain means. Man, times like this I really feel like my 3-thousand-dollar laptop baby was worth it – ever watched a whole episode of TV while on a bus? And not TV Mobile, alright? Although I’m heartbroken because the smudge on my screen turns out to be a defect I can’t fix – it’s like the LCD equivalent of floaters in your eyes.

Anyway, my initial impression of the show, based entirely on the pilot, is that it’s typically musical-y, in the sense that it makes use of visual and semiotic shorthand – the overly-entitled wife, the well-meaning teacher who is reliving his glory days vicariously through his students, the guidance counselor who needs some therapy of her own, the Tracy Flick character, the gay fashionista, the sassy black girl, and the jock who secretly wants to be Kris Allen. Which always made me wonder – who says you can’t be both sporty and arty? There were plenty of muscular, male, heterosexual dancers in Eusoff Hall.

In the second episode, the characters develop a bit more into human beings. Caricatures and stereotypes still pop up but at least the characters are becoming more multifaceted. I particularly like that the cast aren’t too perfect-looking, with the exception of the “prom king” and “prom queen” stereotypes. The female lead has ducky lips (s’okay, so do I sometimes) and the queen bee’s cheerleader sidekicks are obviously not quite the perfect physical specimens that she is. Insecure much?

Watching Glee takes me back to high school and JC days, man. The kinda-sweet-kinda-awkward kissing scene between the leads was well done – I loved how it was edited to segue into a cheeky reference. You gotta watch it to appreciate it. I still got my gripes about the fashion, though. Why is the female lead dressed like Ugly Betty, and do the cheerleaders NOT have any school clothes besides their cheer uniforms? Semiotics and all aside, is all this done on purpose to set up the gay boy as the lead fashion plate? Guess I’ll have to keep watching to find out.

Pictures and some videos, because what can I say that hasn’t already been said in a thousand Facebook status updates? I personally had fun, and enjoyed it more than my maiden experience at Fort Canning in 2007, because this time I know the words to all the songs (save one) and there were no smokers around to ruin my air. On the other hand, Singapore Indoor Stadium decided to station their employees in front of the seated section. I guess they didn’t want us climbing over the railings or something, I dunno. So weird to be headbanging when a part-timer is standing guard a foot from me. That was a buzzkill.

Utt shirtless, because the crowd screamed louder for him.

Crowd waiting. Pretty full even in the cheaper seats! There are no “cheap” seats, not at 100 bucks minimum.

Chris Wolstenholme on bass, with Dominic Howard on drums.

Giant confetti balloons that pop to shower paper bits on the crowd.

Knights of Cydonia being played. Video below:

And the singalong:

Matt Bellamy’s blue trousers. This pic was taken at 12x zoom with ISO 400, it’s the best I can do with a 5-year-old IXUS.

Dom on drums

Piano part for “United States of Eurasia”, sorry for the audio – camera captures in monoaural.

The lasers during “Undisclosed Desires”, one of my favourite songs and the one where Matt plays the keytar. Seriously.