End of Day 2

Just started work in a new dept and i'm feeling like i've resigned and started afresh in some new place, even tho' i'm still going to work at the same place where i'm been reporting to every weekday morning for more than 4yrs...

Time flies and it sure doesn't feel like i'm starting my 5th year in tis same old place. I still feel like there're boundless to learn and more to uncover, stories to hear and many hearts to touch =) Of coz i have had my fair share of depression periods, facing blank walls, being in ugly battles of human politics and shooting empty bullets. But i think i'm older now and over those phases. Over those phases of not knowing what is more important than winning your enemy. Over those phases where your priority of learning is blurred with quick shortcuts and laziness, where fools will only daydream of quick gains and do nothing good. It has been a trying ride but definitely a good journey. Otherwise i would hv long taken another route.

Still, it has been a tiring 1st 2 days being in a new dept. Or rather, i often like to tell others, my new kampong. Welcomed into a new clan and 2 days is not even enuff to know half of the village people. I shall take heart and try to map their names to their faces as i slowly be introduced to every single one of them - right from the bottom to the top.

I can also almost smell the challenges ahead and the fuel i need to burn enuff energy to make things work. To turn things around and hopefully to ensure the end-users get to appreciate the changes, and most importantly, the dued care and respect. And not be at the mercy of soul-less systems and mundane routined-workers on standard scripts.

Ahh, i wish i won't turn into one myself.

i'm just hving this feeling of tiredness already, like i need to exert plenty of energy in pushing a really heavy, huge log. Maybe my life hv been too easy and comfortable for the past 15mths. It's time to exercise some discomfort and get my hands in dirty for some challenge.

The smell of challenge and its sweat.. has to be sweet.

Which remains me of something i baked on 14May while mom was away. I posted it up on fb but hvn't the time to blog abt it. It was/is the TOUGHEST item to bake thus far.. and i swear, i sweared & cursed (should be cursed & sweared) when the baking was over. Coz it tasted nothing like wat it should be. I remembered very well contemplating to throw away the whole cake and complainin' on fb on how time-wasting it had been to make tis Kueh Lapis.. and how i was a foolish hopeful, thinking that the perfect recipe for Kueh Lapis could be so easily found on the internet. Silly me, i called myself. I cursed, sweared and Pui-ed!!! The cake tasted so weird on the 1st bite after it cooled down. I was so mad, i anyhow cut it up into pieces (which you will see in the last pic) and threw it into the fridge.

But you know wat?

The very next day when i tasted the 2nd piece, it tasted like Kueh Lapis.

The 3rd day when i brought the rest of it for my colleagues to try, it was heavenly. And i was praised =)

It was a trying process. The outcomes was unexpected but the wait didn't go in vain. 

Perhaps my new job will be like that too. I may not like the taste of it now. But i will savour it at a later time.

I know i will. 

Air bubbles & burnt base =(

It was 11 layers (i counted) but i cut away almost half of the bottom coz it looked burnt tho' it didn't really taste like it.

I got the recipe from here, and used chinese cooking wine (hua diao jiu) instead of rum or brandy. Works as well =) Rem to not be too quick to judge like i previously behaved =p The wine & mixed spice requires time to 'have chemistry' together.

If you do try tis, pls let me know how it turns out.
If you can do tis, i seriously think you hv mastered some great lessons on patience -- one of the greatest virtue in life =)