A really silent night on Christmas Eve

A silent Christmas Eve?

I grasped the last chance to go to the gym before it would be closed on Christmas and Boxing day. As expected, the gym was quieter than before - there were only one or two people when I got there. The city centre was also quite quiet in the early morning of Christmas Eve, though later it was getting a bit crowded with last minute shoppers. I was wondering if I should wait till after Christmas when there was sale but when I thought about how crowded and crazy it'd be on Boxing Day and the following few days, I decided to buy what I wanted - that included presents for VIP and for myself (M&S 2012 calendar!). Unlike before, I didn't buy an gifts for anyone else because of my lack of income. I bought a bit more foodstuff as I wanted to make myself some nice meals during Christmas. It seems I have been buying a lot of foodstuff every day but my fridge is not really full yet - does that mean I do eat a lot of things? :p

I went back home around 1 p.m. so as to avoid the crowds in the city centre. I had a long nap before waking up in the evening to prepare my Christmas Eve's meal! The main course was salmon en croute!! I tried to look for some recipes and like many other dishes, there were different 'versions' of how you make a salmon en croute. I just tried the simplest one and didn't add anything but the salmon only into the puff pastry, as I was not sure if it'd be successful. The pie turned out ok and I think it was not as difficult as I had first thought. :)

When I was about to finish my day with some TV, someone suggested going to a friend's house to drop off a gift that I had prepared for another friend of ours. It turned out we spent our first hour of the Christmas Day there as we chatted for a long time. A bit disappointed that Mcdonalds was not open (not surprising as it was Christmas!), as I got a bit high and wanted to eat something festive. :p

Anyway, it was a nice Christmas Eve.

Lunch: a 'plain' lunch as I wanted to save my 'quota' for the dinner :)

- rice with fish pie, fish mew and vegetables

Dinner: home-made salmon en croute!!

It tasted ok, though it didn't look nice.. 

Unproductive pre-christmas day

Stayed home all day. Unproductive, but rest & relaxed.

I sorted and edited the photos for a friend's wedding so that I could burn a DVD for her as a Christmas gift. Later I watched some TV - 'Women with Dreams' IV by Radio TV Hong Kong.http://rthk.hk/special/women4/ I seemed to sit at my desk for too long I could feel my joints were stiff and aching. =_=' Looks like I have to go to gym to stretch my legs & arms.

It looks like this is what my Christmas holiday is going to be - Am I going to be a TV addict who keeps eating and eating?

Lunch: vegetarian - tofu, broccoli, mushroom.. 

Dinner: 'fine noodles' 細蓉 from VIP

with salmon, tofu, broccoli.. 

The noodles remind me of HK.. :) 

Home-made Winter Solstice meal

Today was winter solstice!

When I was in HK, I had a reunion meal at home with my family on winter solstice. It is said 冬大過年 (winter solstice is more important than Chinese New Year). Since I came to the UK, I seldom have 做冬/冬至 meal since I'm alone anyway. This year I wanted to treat myself and so had 冬至 meal with my VIP. :) The meal didn't have any 'big' ingredients like seafood. I only cooked some dishes and made Chinese soup. But being with your 'family' is what the winter solstice meal is about!

Finally I started doing gym again after being absent from it for almost a month! But it was a tough start - I found it tiring to do even 5 minutes! I could also feel how tight my muscles were. Anyway I'll keep going to gym but I won't do exercises too intensively. I just want to feel 'active'.

2 more days go to before Christmas!

Tonight's soup

Breakfast: my favourite blueberry muffin from Waitrose! :) 

Lunch: salmon with tofu & broccoli

Dinner: omelette with mushroom 

Dinner: chicken with mushroom & chestnuts

Dinner: broccoli with garlic

Dinner: soup (清補涼花膠湯)

My first visit to X'mas market of this year!

Finally I went to the Christmas market!

Unlike previous years, I didn't have as much desire to go to the X'mas market this year. It was usually the food that drew me to the markets! :p I remember I tried some nice hot dogs and steak buns before. As for other things like Christmas decorations and some mini stuff, they seemed to be the same every year! The big crowds in the markets also terrified me! That was why I didn't visit Christmas markets till tonight when they were about to close! I didn't really spend much time in the markets and I didn't visit all the stalls either. I was mainly interested in food - was thinking of trying hot dog again (the long, big sausage with a lot of sauces! :p) but gave it up when I saw how expensive it was! We did try dutch mini pancakes at the end. They were really expensive - £3 for only 10 mini pancakes! Anyway, at least we have tried to do something 'christmas'. :p

I saw the female doctor again today. She told me my blood test results about my auto-immune system were 'normal'. :) She agreed to my request for prescription of more vitamin D tablets to treat my vitamin D deficiency. But I felt a bit terrified when I was told that I had to take them for 6 to 8 months... Anyway, I did feel better after knowing that my health wasn't as bad as I had thought of..

Lunch: simple - the leftovers (chicken with mushroom) with noodles :) 

Hi and Bye Santa Claus!

Yo! Yummy dutch mini pancakes! :) 

Dinner: tricolour pasta in mushroom soup with salmon, tofu & vegetables :) 

Christmas gathering with ex-colleagues

Christmas gathering with ex-colleagues again!

This was the 3rd year we ex-colleagues had Christmas gathering. In the previous two years we booked a table for Christmas dinner - a 3-course meal and we exchanged gifts. This year we seemed to get a bit lazy. We didn't book for Christmas dinner; we didn't exchange any gifts. Instead we just had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. It was still good because after all we just wanted to have a get-together and a nice evening with laughter.

I also met with my ex-employer (university one) and another ex-colleague of mine earlier in the day. I felt relaxed and happy to see them. They were people who wouldn't show a 'fake' smile to you while doing something bad to you.

The day ended with me having a bit of itchy and rash skin again! :(  Not sure if it was the food I had at a Chinese restaurant, or the chicken wings from a Chinese shop at Arndale Centre food court, or the food from the Japanese restaurant. The Chinese food seem to be the most potential suspects, though I can't exclude the Japanese food that may have something that I was allergic to...

*****

This was a gift I gave to my ex-employer.

Actually I did want to eat it myself.. 

Lunch: rice with tofu at a Chinese restaurant

Actually it tasted ok and it had my favourite (tofu)

But still I have phobia for Chinese restaurants here.. 

A gift from one of the ex-colleagues who has been enjoying cooking/baking

I wish I could cook/bake things like she does! 

Maybe I should think about baking again.. 

Finally the laneige sleeping pack!

I have heard about it for a long while and wanted to have it! 

Now I got it via my ex-colleague who had just come back from HK. 

Hope it'll help improve my skin.. :P

My favourite bento!
I like the box more than the food. 

The karage chicken was not as good as before. 

This was my ex-colleague's bento.

I like the salmon! :) 

Dessert: the ginger ice-cream was quite nice! :) 

Lazybone in hibernation :p

In a lazy-bone hibernation state today! :p

It's getting colder these days. I find it hard to 'survive' in such a cold weather, especially when home in daytime, as I try not to turn on the heater till in the evening. I didn't feel like doing anything at all. =_=' I didn't do any cleaning; I didn't go to the gym (I had promised myself I'd get back to exercise!); I didn't go shopping (was thinking of buying some food from Chinatown and doing some Christmas shopping). I only did a bit of tidy up. In the afternoon I had a nap for more than 2 hours! =_=' It's not a bad thing - let my body recover and get enough rest before the coming week. But it wouldn't be so good if I did that every day! I need to think about how to keep myself warm (at a low cost)...

It was so cold today that I saw the ground in our carpark was icy!! That was another excuse for me not going out! :p I never like to go out and walk on an icy road...

Lunch: rainbow trout with mixed vegetables (peppers, carrots & brussel sprouts)

I ate so much last night that I thought I better eat more healthily today.. 

Dinner: pasta in tomato soup with mixed vegetables & egg, a bit of rainbow trout & fridge raiders (piri piri)

This pasta from Sainsbury's is still the best among all those I've tried. 

Pre-Christmas Shopping & eat eat eat!

Shopping in Bolton again!!

Bolton market is a must-go place when I think of getting some nice fish (esp my favourite salmon!) at a reasonable price! :) As Christmas is approaching, I think I better stock some fish at home :p. I asked my two ex-colleagues to go with me as we had done last time. This time it was quite stressful because we went there a bit late and when we arrived, some of the stalls were closed and we seemed to have missed some good bargains at fish stalls. Anyway, we got some nice salmon - compared with those from supermarkets or Arndale Market, they were inexpensive and also big!! I think if I keep eating two to three servings of salmon every week, I should be able to finish them all in a month! I should do that as I need vitamin D from oily fish! :p

We also went to Morrisons. I wanted to get a panettone for Christmas but those mini ones from Morrisons can't wait for Christmas.. As I was with my ex-colleagues, I didn't spend much time browsing items at the supermarket. Probably I'll do some food shopping in town again before Christmas while I'm still thinking of what to cook on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. :)

*****

Following yesterday's shopping for walking shoes, I went to another Sports Direct to exchange for another pair - the new pair were of the same brand, same style as the one I had bought yesterday but I seemed to prefer the colour of the new pair. I seem to become more picky in shopping nowadays when I have no income. It's not a bad thing but I think I did it too far today - spent too much time and still couldn't decide which one to go for...

Lunch: Christmas Lunch at a new Morrisons

Lunch: the Christmas turkey didn't have stuffing nor sausage with bacon!

It tasted so so.

Oh my favourite Roast Chicken!

It was as good as always :) 

I like the roasted potatoes! :)

Dinner at a Hong Kong-style restaurant

Four dishes for four people may be too much! 

But they were tasty and of big portions!

My all-time favourite: red bean drink! :) 

Finally it's the champion! 

I prefer blue to pink colour!?

Bye Bye pink shoes! I actually miss you! :p

The champion of 'Walking Shoes Contest' is...

Finally I got a new pair of walking shoes for this winter!

I'm always worried about how to walk on snow & icy road in winter as I don't have shoes that have good grip and I often have potential risk of 'pk' on slippery road every winter! Also my sports shoes need a replacement. So, even though I try not to spend money on things other than food, I still decided to treat myself a pair of nice walking shoes!

My VIP took me to Sports Direct today. Actually we went to Sports Direct in Salford last weekend but I couldn't make a decision on which pair to buy then. I can't wait any longer as it's becoming more likely to snow, esp. this morning there was a bit of snow (which melted soon it hit on the ground!). I spent an hour just trying a few pairs on and struggling between them! There were a few contestants. I like one of them but it was a bit too expensive! >_< I gave it up for another one which was less expensive but also quite nice. What a tough decision!

It was quite cold today. Only 1 degree Celsius! Are we going to have a snowy Christmas day?

This pair - Karrimor Tahoe Low Ladies is 大熱門!

I like its colour and comfort.

Its sole is very good!

This one - Karrimor Mount Low almost became the champion for its good price (£18 only!)!

However, the champion is this one - Karrimor Arte Low (Black/Pink)!! 

Welcome to my shoes family! :) 

Late lunch at Subways! Turkey Breast & turkey ham sub + meatball marina! :) 

Dinner: 1/2 rainbow trout (it tasted like salmon!) + scotch eggs + mixed vegetables

I tried to eat more healthily when home since I'll dine out more frequently these days. 

Being active (sociable) is good for health?!

Still non-productive but I tried to be 'active'.

I didn't do much in the morning - just surfed the Internet about Chinese soup! Then I had lunch at a Japanese restaurant before heading to my previous workplace for a temporary part-time job there. I felt a bit nervous, even though I didn't expect anything from there - it's good if I'm offered any part-time job; if not, it isn't the end of the world. Maybe I feel like I'm back to the 'old place' again (and again!)! Anyway, my meeting was an informal one and the manager and my future supervisor sounded positive to me. They invited me to next Thursday's Christmas party of the organization, which I hesitate to attend as I don't want to see some people then...

I guess chatting with my ex-colleagues helps me a bit - I feel I'm not alone in terms of facing problems like health problems. They also shared with me tips about where to get accessories like socks to keep myself warm this winter. I was so absorbed into my conversation with my ex-colleague that I missed my appointment with a friend of mine who had his graduation ceremony today. I was supposed to have a photo with him at uni but I was too late when I got there - he had already returned his gown and was on his way home when I was trying to get in touch with him by phone. :(  I felt bad and thought my time management was poor..

Anyway, I went back to the city centre later to do some window shopping. I happened to meet a woman who used to volunteer in my previous workplace. She looked happy as always. :p

I walked a lot today. Though I felt the bone pain from time to time, it seemed to be better than me staying home all day long...

Japanese Lunch

We ordered chicken & pork katsu. Both were nice!! But it'd be even better if there were some vegetables.. 

Dinner: fruit juice from Taco Bell - it tasted like 思樂冰 from 7-eleven!

Dinner: yummy nachos! :)

Nutrition deficiency again!

Non-productive day!

I got lazy again once I've finished my acca course and exams. I didn't do much but just sorted out some mess in my room and wrote my diary. I went to the GP clinic to ask about my blood test results. The reception lady printed it out for me, which is a good thing because later I found out that someone had made a mistake - the report from the lab said I had vitamin D deficiency but the person who read it made a note 'tell the patient the result is normal'! =_=' If I hadn't spotted this mistake, the doctor and I might have thought I was 'normal' (though I think I'd keep asking her about reasons for my problems anyway!). I talked to the female doctor about it when I saw her later in the afternoon. She noticed that and prescribed me some vitamin D tablets. She said it'd take longer (6 to 9 months) for my vitamin D level to get back to normal than it is for iron deficiency. :(  She reassured me that my problem is common and not serious. How come I have many different nutrition deficiencies?! Anyway, I guess I haven't had 'balanced' diet for a long while and those problems have been existing for quite a while till they've gone to a level that shows 'warning' symptoms to me! Maybe that's why I've been feeling weak - it's said that vitamin D deficiency can affect one's immune system, not just the bone health!

I guess all my health problems are attributable to my bad habits and '求其' lifestyle - not do things properly, e.g. eat too fast, not eat regularly, poor posture, stay up too late at night, .There's a news article saying most of the diseases/illnesses are caused by poor/bad habits! I can't agree with it any more. Time for me to correct those habits! I shouldn't take my health for granted..

Lunch: turkey with tofu & mushroom + Brussels sprouts

I'm tired of brussels sprouts these days! :P

Dinner: an economical meal! 

nice noodles for 15p & beansprouts for 10p from Waitrose!

Plus red, yellow & green peppers, salmon, mushroom & fridge raiders chicken.

It was a nice meal indeed! (I've also made 蓮藕綠豆薏米湯 but I've forgot to take a photo of it!)

I love home-made meals in winter! :)

I'm back to this blog!

Finally I'm back to this blog!!

Two weeks. Lots of things happened:
1) I finished my acca course and did the exams last and this week. Time really flies. It feels like I just started the course not a long time ago. Actually I spent 6 months only on the course (with 2 months summer 'holiday'). What  have I learnt? I don't think I've gained much knowledge about accounting but at least I have a basic idea of what it's about - it's more than calculations. There're lots of rules, formulas, theories/principles to remember. I still think linguistics is more interesting though...

2) My exam phobia has increased after I finished the exams. I performed so badly for my first two exams last week. I did a bit better yesterday, with more experience and more time to prepare. I can't imagine if I'd pass or not. It isn't good to take exams in winter in a sports hall where you have to make sure you keep yourself warm with enough clothes and better shoes!

3) I have more health problems. I saw the female doctor at the GP clinic and did blood tests for the pain in my joints. =_=' This time it took much longer to get the blood test results back. :( Hopefully my problem is minor..

Anyway, for the moment, I should try to enjoy life!! I want to keep myself fit and healthy - by going back to the gym and making more Chinese soup (oh Chinese soup is a big big subject!); I want to do some leisure reading, work on my job search (again!), spend more time on ebay selling :P..

Breakfast: bread from Morrisons + oat porridge with blueberry!

Lunch: mixed peppers with turkey and broccoli

I'm trying to eat less red meat.. 

Dinner: tortellini (chicken & bacon) with tofu, mushroom & broccoli in mushroom soup! :)