Weekend Cook-out!

Alright, it's not as serious as the title suggests. I told my friend that I was going to cook curry for him since I came back from Malaysia 2 months ago, but we couldn't find the time to do it. So it was a great opportunity yesterday(Saturday), so we decided okay! If we couldn't do BBQ then well cook curry! And it was also my sister's birthday yesterday, and this is my way or celebrating with her when I'm so far away from home I guess.

The curry paste was boiled with just 500ml of water, and then chunks of turkey meat(~1kg) was dump into the boiling curry soup. We decided to use turkey because my friend doesn't like chicken with bones, and mutton was too expensive >____< yeah, we're cheap!
And before that, potatoes were already boiled, and made into wedges, and the fried until they're crispy brown.

And the goes the potatoes into the curry.

This is how it looks like when it's done. Not a lot of garnishing, but it's aroma and taste... I can't describe it, it's just so good!

And then it's ready to be served. Usually some other vegetables should be present too, but at that time, we were just gorging the curry!! It was by far the best thing I've prepared I think ^^
And on Sunday, I cooked this. It's just fried noodles(chinese noodles) with greek style pan-fried Gyros kebab meat. The rest of the ingredients are just sauteed onion, fried chopped garlic, sliced cherry tomatoes, soy sauce, curry powder, pepper, and sesame seed oil. And the result, YUMMY! =)

It's a bird...it's a plane...No it really IS a bird!

I was just walking back to my office from the workshop this morning, because I came with my friend in his car, and just on the pavement, I saw this guy. I thought he was a baby, or couldn't fly because it wasn't moving at all(that's how I was able take the close shot at him) And I tried to lay my hand near to him and he still wouldn't move... so when I was trying to take another picture of him.... he made one shriek and flew away ^^

I am really not sure what's the whole idea of him siting there very still...maybe he was thinking that if he didn't move, I wouldn't be able to spot it. It's just so cute!

What was planned during the weekend?

So me and my good friend were having dinner at McDonald's near to my apartment in Efferen, and we're talking about life and work and all. I was telling him that what I'm doing now is not really me. I never wanted to be an engineer, and I still don't like being one. It's not easy to admit to that sometimes, because afterall... I've been in the industry for more than 11 years(I'm counting starting 1st semester in the university as the starting point here) and so far I've been comfortable with it.

The question now is that, what's next? I mean, at certain point in life, when you're too comfortable, you'd have to decide either if you would want to go further or you take a turn and go somewhere else.

I've got a couple of options here:-

1st is that I could do what I really love doing and have always liked doing... arts! I could either try my luck working in a production company which would be paying me peanuts for my work, or I could spend 4-5years in college and get a degree and then attempt to get a job which would probably be paying me peanuts anyway. That would also mean it's a major turn in my life, but my dream of having a double degree would be coming true, and I'd be happy if I die the next day, but I'd be penniless.

2nd would be me doing the so-called 'Right thing' and go further with what I do best, get a Masters in any engineering courses, spend 2 years trying to get my brain fried, and get more challenges are work, more frustration, and of course... you'd feel totally useful, and you'd be paid so well you'd forget all the negative elements at work and just makes you want to go back again tomorrow morning and battle with more challenges. I'd still be happy, but in not a very healthy way I guess, and my bank account would be full.

So finally I've decided that I could actually do both. I mean, at the peak of the time, you'd want to grab it, and make it better... means I'd probably be aiming for a Masters in engineering first, work for another 15-20 years, and then when I'm old enough to be called an old-fart, or when I've achieve full stability financially, then I could take a major turn in my life and do things I've always loved doing... go to college with a bunch of kids, get a degree in arts and do something funny and creative for a sack of bananas. I won't have a problem with that ^^ because I'll just be older, that's all.

Coming back to near future, what I'd really like to do is to take a roadtrip and drive all across America! My friend responded so positively towards that and he would want to do that with me in 2 years time too! So we said to each other that it's something that we wanted, and we'll most likely going to do it. It'll take us 4-6 weeks, but what the heck... roadtrip is only fun if you don't have to worry about work right? Since I'm a carnut and I've always dreamed about it... nothing but the road between me from one city to another.... so what I need to know now is the tool for my fantasy. I've narrowed down to a coupla choices again, and of course... anyone is free to suggest anything here ^^

This is a Pontiac G8(This is a GT version, and I like 361horsepower a lot)

And this is a Mazda 3(MazdaSpeed3 just looks cooler here)

Cars in Nürburgring

I was in The Ring with my friend one day. He brought his 350Z there and was driving at 240kmph(electronically limited) on Autobahn and of course it was fun. We got there eventually and found a nice parking spot beside another 350Z and others not far away from that spot too. So some of these cars sorta 'caught my eye' =)

The silver one is my friend's.

So right in front there were more 350Z. It's nice to see all the different colors of the same care.

And THEN.....I spotted this! Ford Mustang Shelby GT. This car is rare in any other country than in the USA. It's not the Shelby GT500, but somehow I think this looks more subtle, and less flashy despite the twin racing stripes.

Oh yeah. It's a cool looking Mustang! From every angle that is!

And then we have the usual 'Ring-Rats' like this, the Porsche GT3. It was parked there at first, and later it went on doing a few laps in the ring.

I am not a big fan of these French-Fries-bar type rear spoilers, but this one looks not too bad. The red and white color combination's good though!
So here's the board at the entrance to the Ring, and it tells you if the Ring is opened or closed or whatever event that they're holding at that time.

And we have another 350Z with lowered suspensions.

This is probably my favorite BMW of all time, the M3 in the early 2000s. I don't know, the current M3 with those sperm whale hump in the front just doesn't work for me.

Ahhhh... awesome looking cars....awesome quad-pipes!

And finally here we have a rare species parked outside! ^^ Honda NSX 2005 version, which was also the last of its kind. You don't see this everywhere really and I am so glad I spotted it!

iPhone mania, or simply maniac?

My best friend has been bugging me about iPhone 3G which is being released all over the world these few days, asking me how much they cost here and there, how much it costs here in Germany. I said I wouldn't know but I can check. I still don't know the true price, but I am pretty sure there are lots of hidden prices, and in Germany you need to sign a contract with T-Mobile, which is almost like a signing a death warrant.

So the big question is that, do you REALLY need an iPhone?

Okay, it's a pretty phone. Has loads of functions, Wi-fi and applications, plays MP3 and videos, with camera and PDA functions and what not. It's almost like a mini computer which would turn heads as soon as you whip it out and start 'touching' away with its touchscreen interface. Sounds very inviting, almost irresistable to some, you'd want one! But...my friend, do you really need it?

So I asked Jason, one of my good friends who has been using his company issued iPhone for months, how useful it is. He said it's a cool looking phone, and you can use the Wi-Fi services in hotspots such as in shopping malls, and can check email and chat with friends too. Other than that, it's just another phone that looks cool.

So I asked him again, would he buy it if he has to fork out his hard-earned cash himself to get one(because he got it absolutely free from the company which he's working for now), and his answer was as straightforward NO. He said it's not very useful, just looks cool, people would go "WOW!" and that's all.

My bestfriend was earlier saying that the features are so great in this little package, and that I wouldn't know how to appreciate it at all. I told him that I appreciate all that's in a Ferrari, but still you won't see me jumping around into getting one because First, it's very expensive. Secondly, it's not practical and useful for everyday and which comes to Third, YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T NEED IT! Just like the iPhone.

Unless your job requires an iPhone, meaning you're a product tester, or an Apple employee, a promoter, or maybe you are just so rich and have so much money to waste... otherwise, you don't need it. When you go shopping, you go shopping lah, why bother go online and chat with people or check emails or even play games? You can do that at home mar, way cheaper. If you want to listen to MP3, get an MP3 player lor... nowadays it's so cheap and easily available almost everywhere.

But of course, that's just my humble opinion, and I totally agree with Jason. I wouldn't get one unless my company is getting me one. At least when I drop the phone by accident, or have scratches here and there on the beautiful touchscreen, I won't get any heart-attack.

Bento Box again...

Yeah, when I said that Bento Box is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants here in Cologne, I wasn't kidding about it. We go there almost every other week to squander our hard-earned cash for something relatively simple, not really super-delicious anyway but filling, and you're always left with a part of dry lips after the meal (excessive MSG perhaps? >.<)
Anyways, here are the different ones that we've had from the last time.
Lachs Teriyaki(Salmon Teriyaki)
With grilled salmon in teriyaki sauce. Rice with black sesame seeds, cabbage/cucumber/tomator salad, and the lightly stir-fried long beans with sesame seed is standard.
Price = 9.90Eur
I got this June Monthly special again =)
It's called Tuna Sesame Steak with Wasabi mayonnaise dip, and japanese barbeque sauce(i have no idea what that is, but it's sweet and a little spicy).
A whole bunch of rabbit's food to make it look abundant as always.
Price = 6.90Eur
I also got this Chicken Teriyaki Bowl.
This is of course with grilled chicken strips, and the tiny cup of sweet teriyaki sauce to go along with it. Rice with black sesame seeds, cabbage/cucumber/tomator salad, and the lightly stir-fried long beans with sesame seed is standard again.
Price = 8.20Eur

Total damage done plus a few beverages & watching Hancock dubbed in German(Will Smith has a different voice when he's talking in German o____O)... Around 30Euros for me. Not too bad for a weekend ^^