Missing Wallet (nth Time)

So I lost my wallet last Friday. I just found out over the weekend when I was preparing to head out for my weekend class. I do think that I just had it misplaced. I had been hoping that I'll find it in the cafe where I last remembered using it last Friday. But I couldn't go back there until Tuesday so I had to double check my account online and clear out the cash for the time for my peace of mind.

Tuesday came and I went back to the cafe. It wasn't there. Great. I got one more possible card, my friend's car. I called her lunch time but she was in Seoul and couldn't check her car until she gets back around night time. Oh well, I can only hope and keep my fingers crossed. Then I got busy that night and wasn't able to check my phone until this morning. What a great morning when I saw her message from last night! It was indeed lying on her car's passenger seat. I arranged to drop by and pick it up later at the center.

Thank God for positive vibes. I do know that there's a big chance I've just misplaced it and that I'll still find it. This Wednesday has been a good one for me. More tomorrow, I pray.

Note: Whenever I do a narrative account, I seem to have just kept on it. Going back to the title, it's funny how my friend has mentioned that we are pretty similarly scatter-brained in that sense. Hah! It takes one to know one. I think I'm really that kind of person who loses, misplaces things. I've tried to "combat"/ prevent these things from happening in the worst scenarios as I should learn with age or else. But yeah, people who know me (specially my husband, heh) won't be surprised about things like these happening to me.

Note to self:
NEVER put stuff on my lap, specially smallish ones. I need a pocket all the time. And on that note, watch out for my clothes that have shallow pockets.

Why do you work?

Aside from everyday living and the deeper need for getting busy and accomplishing something, I have just come to add the need for investment seriously. It's not exactly a new thing for me because I was able to set aside some amount almost ten years ago. It wasn't just that active and it has stayed there for a while.

Right now, with my second wind of work opportunities, I am more aware in the need to seriously work to invest for the later years. I have to be able to set aside the amount every month and put in a growing investment vehicle that will give me an extra income in the future. It's not just put aside this amount, let it sleep and hope that I don't have to withdraw it that soon. It's more different now, I can try to visualize how I want live in the next few years. It doesn't hang on someone else's plans coz I really don't think he has any. I'll be steering my own boat, let them ride if they want to coz so far, I have been the push for the life decisions that we had done. :)

I've just opened my online investment account recently and finally funded it today. Come April and I would be able to buy some stocks if I want to. Now, I've not been really idle in investing all these years coz whenever my bank account surpasses 7 digits (it's pretty small in Korean won actually, but still) I feel like I am "rich enough to invest." Now, that is an exaggeration. :) I just have this uneasy feeling like, what will I do with this amount? It isn't that big really but I am just thinking if it stays in my current account, it would all most likely be used in shopping. That can be an addictive vice, I know.

So where have those extra won had gone? What investment vehicle I've tried?
a. mutual fund - sleeping coz it's hard to withdraw
b. one-time time deposit - easiest to vanish, now gone
c. lot - luckily, it's still a "lot" and my parents are kept busy with it
d. house improvement - cost us a lot, we used it anyway, but I couldn't say it was a good one
e. education - not exactly solid on paper yet except for a license, but it did help me
f. installment time-deposit - Completed one cycle so far to try it out, but I don't really know what to do with it after coz it wasn't enough for a decent one-time deposit plus the rates are not that good anyway. I had to find other place to move it.

Anyway, I've used some of it on education (again) and some on the online investment I've just started. (450 and 700 respectively) I've also signed up for a couple of new installment TD account.

I'm also looking into updating my home-country government savings, insurance system, etc. My parents have been the one doing the payments but I found that I can possibly do once or twice a year from here. So I'll be looking into ways to do that next. I'm pretty positive that slowly but surely, I will be able to increase my monthly income soon. I should be more ready for that though. I don't want to be caught up working my butt out and not knowing where to let my earning grow without me having to work that much later on. I know that I can find a more stable source if I want to and when I am ready. I can also visualize myself being able to afford to go back home more frequently without causing much dent on our finances. There will be a way and I might be able to profit on the sides even.

It's all in the horizon. I just hope that my family will be in good health for more years to come to be able to realize these.  

So for the immediate check list of investments:
a. study the online investment
b. check out the PAG-IBIG payment system, modified and increased one
c. restart the Ph banking things again with an authorization letter for my Mom maybe

That's it for now. I am not feeling suddenly. I do need a health check up one of these days.

Creative

"Mom, you're creative." 

My son said to me recently. And I was liked, surprised. It kinda never really occurred to me that way. I've never associated myself to that word...ever. Back in high school, I happen to hang out with a group who's pretty good at that. Some of them can draw, do good choreography, dance, act, crafts, and all other creative stuff but I never felt like I am one of them. I wasn't a creative one.

Fast forward to more than a decade and my son surprises me with that remark. This made me rethink about the word.

Yoga Day 2, 3

Thu

My body is telling me eat some meat to repair yoga-beaten limbs. Should I eat or should I not? It's almost 10 pm. I've eaten rice around 6 but felt like eating again after the yoga class. 

Ended up eating my go-to midnight snack oats. I can still hold back from eating any meat for the day. 

Sat

I have managed to survive the three days this week. Body still sore, yoga session AM and PM all checked out. 

I gave out on the meat craving yesterday with bulgogi for lunch after I got home from my lunch class. 

Project 2. Start.

If I were to describe my hobbies lately, the list will go like this:
reading, listening to audio book, watching TV series, surfing the net for my other hobbies like baking, gardening and knitting and blogging about it.

Since I am now ready to move on to my new project, which is going to be finished by my birthday, I will have to plan what I will make with it.
I have 2 balls of dark gray yarn I got for 10K (50% discount) waiting for me.
I've been thinking about making another neck warmer but I already have a semi-gray one which I got from uniqlo so I'm reconsidering to try to venture to a a scowl or wider infinity scarf this time. But that would mean it will need more balls. Hmm..planning, planning, planning. Well let it rest at that for the time being.

Update (March 19)

So here is how far I've done as of today. 20 rows. I've only done a bit today.  I've actually done this much since last week coz I pulled it out and restarted from  zero since I found an extra row on one side but not on the other side. And when I tried to fix it, I ended up adding another one. I certainly hope it won't happen again. 

My target is to do ten rows every week. It took me almost an hour to do that last time while watching Doc Martin. With about 60 stitches per row, it's taking a little while to get through a row. I've decided to go for a wider infinity scarf for now. Or it might end up as a wider neck warmer. It depends if I get sick of working on this later that I might look for another color. I'm looking at going for 120 rows. After doing a bit of math, it should be finished ony birthday. Haha!

As for the yarn, the two balls I bought initially for a neck scarf will definitely not be enough. I may need an extra one or two which would prolly set me back another 10 k if I get it at 50% discount again. We'll see. I might change my mind half-way. 

Knitting Reboot: Picking up Where I Left Off

My first knitting project is finished! 

I was able to finally find a new ball to continue my unfinished project when my SIL dragged me at the shop (where I originally bought it) last Friday. I only needed less than a ball and luckily I found one in the discounted box. The lady gave it to me for free. I also took the chance to take a photo of the label coz I lost mine before.  

    

This is how much I've finished with the first ball that I got last year. This was my second run on the yarn before I ran out of it. It wasn't that good so I totally restarted again for the 3rd time just to make it better. It hurts to pull the strings off but it was really awful that I had to do it. If I were a teacher going to put a grade on it, it will be just around 60-70%.

I started it over the weekend, logging in long hours and really pushed it until Monday. The next day, I had to find the needle in order for me to sew it up together in a loop. And Wednesday, I was able to wash it and I'm now waiting for it to dry. I can't wait to use it tomorrow with the remaining winter-spring cold that is blowing through the peninsula this week. 

the width: showing where the ends were sewn together 

The final sewing together wasn't not good, I think. I am almost sure that I started with 40 but ended up with 43. Plus I had a really long tail to cut off! 

the length: good enough to cover my neck and nose
during the cold winter walk

That's it! My first project. I can now move on to a new one with better skills and experience. To sum up that one, here are my notes:

Project: neck warmer, that can double as a beanie

What I used: #5 wooden round needles

                    100% acrylic, 80g/3 

                    Pink Color 39, Lot 3               

How: Longcast 40 that turned out to be 43 (I think)
130 rows of garter stitch all throughout

and regular bind off

Duration: 3 Days, 4 sleepless nights :)

Now for the next one...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This story really stayed on my mind after reading it somewhere a couple of years ago while choosing some books for my son. I clearly remember the book cover illustration that look just like any light children's story only to find out that it is quite a totally different one. Far from it actually as it deals with Holocaust with a little boy as the main characters. It isn't exactly a non-fiction like Anne Frank's diary but how it ends is pretty interesting.

I had the chance to finally watch the movie yesterday on Netflix after saving it on my list for some time. It was captivating and it made me think how the characters, kids and adults alike, developed their roles. The storytelling used very subtle scenes except for the denouement when the parents found their son missing. 

I had to check and reread the end part of ebook again to figure out how much was actually changed from the book to the movie. It was interesting to see how they managed to bring movie ending into a climatic and dramatic one fit for a movie. 

I like how the final shot was a room full of striped pajamas. Poetic and eerie. 

After watching that, I started reading other book reviews and found some negative ones on how there should be no kids in those labor camps and all other criticisms about fact checking and it's effects of wrong information for the younger readers. I have no idea if the writer really meant any of it as educational but it's not listed as non-fiction anyway. 

Just like every book you read, take it with a grain of salt. 

Eating in Public

"Eating alone, going solo or eating on a bench alone is not the usual norm in Korea."
I've heard this one before and it was surprise that the fact that it matters matter. I'm like, really? I've never felt any stigma on it except that the restos wouldn't really be happy with me hugging a big space that can accommodate other patrons if that was the case. I do try to make myself occupy minimal space, or go in during non-rush hour time. If it was during that time, I try to eat and leave quickly. But other than that, I have no problem dining alone at all.

Another one is eating on benches or even on buses. Haha! I try to be discreet when I eat in the bus or trains of course. And try to clean up any crumbs if there is. One that I find myself doing more often is eating on the bus stops. One might ask why? My answer would be, why not? I am hungry!  (and more for these following reasons)

1. I am hungry and would rather have something on my tummy before I get in the bus than be hungry and feel carsick (just because those don't go together nicely, to say the least.)

2. Specially on a cold day, a warm burrito or sandwich on my hand is a better hand warmer for my hand and my tummy. And we go back to number one equation of Hungry + Bus ride = motion sickness, nausea

3. I am hungry, no time to eat elsewhere so I will eat anywhere, as long as I have something to eat.

One good thing of being a foreigner in Korea is that I don't have to fit in this kind of "silly" ideas. So far, no one has ever bothered me dining alone outside because I am obviously not a Korean. I wonder if there other country or culture that dining out alone is a problem except in their closely-related neighbor, Japan.

Bottom line, I will eat because I am hungry even if I am alone.

Breadmaker...Yahoo!

A bread machine! Yay!

My dear K SIL has decided to give me her old-but-seldom used bread machine yesterday! 

I just had to try it last night after we got home and set the timer in advance to be finished baking by the next day. It went off splendidly, albeit a bit dark coz I didn't take it out right away for about 10 minutes. 

Since it's an older model,  the loaf shape is almost a cube and not a horizontal one.
I had to slice it upwards (from the bottom) at first before running it crosswise. This first one was a pre-mix from a box so it's almost like the one from the store. Nothing fancy and almost airy. I actually prefer more bulk than air.

I have to try my pandesal dough with oats soon. But first, I had to check some more next time how much flour can it handle. I couldn't resist it today so I tried a plain bread flour one which used 3 C but perhaps I put lesser water than it should be so it ended up a little dry. I should have just put 2.5 C of flour and 1 C water. But I did 3 and less water. I even just shaped them into 10 pcs when I should have done 20.

I've just tried the dough setting but it was pretty noisy after it has been mixed initially that my husband had to stop it. Which was alright, as long as it was well mixed and all it needs is to rise. I let it rise for more than an hour. Then, I removed it from the machine and shaped it to bake in the oven.

Managed to shape it out after that and baked it for almost 30 minutes with the first 20 minutes covered with foil. I figured it's pretty big so it would need longer time and it might burn. But alas, it still turned out with a crunchy bottom and top. Still soft inside, to my relief. Our breakfast is ready for tomorrow!

But that is not all! I still have another baking post for today...

Novice Home Baker Series: Persimmon Bread

So I was woken up with the bread maker machine finishing the bread this morning. Exactly on time as it should be. My menu manipulations worked!

Midday, I started to try out the dough feature and produced this. 

But wait! My baking day isn't over yet. I still have some over ripe frozen persimmons rescued from the bin waiting for me to be used in..what else but..Hachiya Persimmon Bread.



My SIL asked me to throw out a box of frozen Hachiya persimmon but when I saw it, I found some decent looking ones that I thought can be saved and made into a quick bread. Even though I haven't got any recipe on hand, I have found a few after searching online.

a. 1:1:1 (flour, sugar and puree) and orange juice
b. backtoherroots uses 2 C whole wheat and 1.5 C AP + bourbon
c. bonappetit.com uses 3/4 each of whole wheat and AP flour, and orange zest

Narrowing it down to two or three recipes, it came down to this ubiquitous recipe that kept showing up in more than two blogs. I just had to try it for myself. This one is from an old book "Beard on Bread" by James Beard. The recipe was shared on a blog here by David le Bovitz.

Here are the basic ingredients but not everything. Better head out to the link above for the rest.

2 C persimmon puree
3.5 C flour AP
2 C sugar
2 t b. soda
1 t nutmeg

1 C butter
4 L eggs
2/3 C Cognac 

I followed most of the recipe except for sugar which I cut down to 1 C brown and 1/2 white, canola oil instead of butter, and only half and half of sunflower seeds and raisins. It was able to fill up 4 mini-pans each with 1.5 C (Korean cup, this time) and some more enough to fill the small glass container that I got from the dollar store. 

I gave a loaf to my SIL and I still have to find out how it taste from her tomorrow. There are two surprise ingredients for here: the persimmons that she asked me to throw this morning and Cognac (which I took out from my crowded door fridge.) 

Well see tomorrow how it goes! 

Yoga Blues...

This is basically how I fared with my yoga class attendance last year.

I have yet to really get back to it seriously this year. I tried once in Feb but just didn't work out. March it will be. Fingers crossed.