Remedy for your tired eyes.

There was one time, I suffered from major dry eyes. I thought I'm going rabun. My eyes get so blurry, I got that constant headache, and I barely can open my eyes. I expressed my concern to A and he like usual will force me to go see the doctor. Then I remember my best friend that time was an eye specialist. Sigh..I don't know why I have to suffer so long like that. haha. She brought me to the clinic she worked to diagnose me. I told the doctors there that this is purely because of dry eyes. The culprit? It was the huge autobot-looking microscope I have to spend most of my times with. I hate that microscope. 

The doctor did a few test on me and the diagnosis was indeed dry eyes. It was really dry, according to her, the moisture on my eyes was only 1/3 from the normal range. She immediately dropped a generic tear into my eyes and walla! my headache immediately gone and my colorful world as I know it returned in a blink of an eye (not literally!). Since that day, I started to appreciate the existence of eye-mo and it has been my must-have-in-every-handbag item!

Recently I was having the same symptom again. But my eyes wasn't that dry though. I only had the headache that focused around the eyeball. Isn't that annoying. All I want to do was to lie down and close my eyes tightly hoping the pain will go away. By the way, one of my major is biochemistry. I learned so many pathways, therefore I can see what the paracetamol is doing in my body and I don't like it. So drugs will be the very last option for me. 

A just dislike a bitter version of Wani. So, he immediately find the solution. You know when an engineer trying to find the remedy, so he bought me this;

PC glass- to filter the excessive blue light that making your eyes tired. 

Verdict: I'm so amazed at how suddenly my old version of macbook become the one like retina macbook. hehe. It's very hard to explain it by words here, but basically you can feel the eyes are more relax while looking at the monitor. You will not appreciate what the glass can do until you try!
The glass is available in many price ranges, many colors, many frame style. So, don't worry!

So far, I've just worn it once (shhh..don't tell 'the sponsorer'). No, it's not because it isn't working well. I'm still getting myself used to have something resting on my face for more than a second!-_-"

Discovery of The Haji Dam

Nope, it's not a name of a person. It is a dam, named Haji.

We never know the existence of Haji Dam at first. We found it while driving around the greener side of Hiroshima. It was such a pleasure trip for me as I get to see a lot more of Japan's natural beauty. If only my photos can do justice for you here, I would put countless of photos I have taken while cruising. 

On the way, A pointed out the "Haji Dam" signboard to me. The signboard also shows a boy, kayaking. So I guess it was just a dam and you are allowed to kayak in it. lol xp . I wasn't amused by it, and I insisted A to just ignore it. After he finished business meeting, he asked one of the Japanese about the dam. Obviously, that dam attracted him and he finally decided to drive pass by the dam, just to check out. So, I agree, because I just love road trip! You tell me to add a few kilometers? I have no problem! Furthermore, I really need a toilet stop. I bet the toilet there must be breath taking like the view I've been enjoying :D

When we reached the dam, A proved himself right, again. The dam wasn't just a dam. It is equipped with a very nice cafe overlooking a huge dam which to me like a huge pretty lake! So, if you sit at the cafe, can you imagine how magnificent your view will be! Besides that, it has bicycle track about 4.2km, kayak, BMX track, land golf, golf, what else, emm..a huge field for catchball, etc. I saw many people came to fish too! The place surprised us and made us love Hiroshima more!

Just last 2 weeks, we decided to go visit again with our bicycle. Not necessarily you carry your bicycle here. They also provide rental bicycle. They are a lot to choose from. From the normal mama-bicycle (the big tyre like you always see in Japanese drama), gear-equipped, electric bicycle, mountain bike, couple bike, etc you just name it! And I assure you they are very affordable and in a very good condition. Japanese standard like you know.

It took about 45 minutes from our home to Haji Dam. We would like to be there as early as possible. We arrived there at 9am. Just on time it opens. After we arrived, there were a sudden pouring of a car just a few seconds after us. Looks like they are all looking forward to spend a day outside, like us.

A almost thrown down the hill. I can't describe how scared I was feeling that time. It is always in my dua, that Allah s.w.t always protect this man. 

                        Then after about 2 hours cycling, we got really hungry. Time for picnic!

I made sausage pasta. What else that's easy to do that early in the morning!

While we are enjoying our packed lunch, we enjoyed watching a bunch of old people playing land golf. There were many families camping around us. What's more memorable to me was a group of musician serenading all of us there. They are playing the sort of music you hear at the street of Paris. I feel like somewhere in Paris for a moment.

There was a huge field in front of us, and a bunch of boys were playing catch ball. Not just them, there are fathers playing with their daughters and their sons too. It was a nice view after all. Then I said to A, "Isn't it nice if I can play catch ball too." Then he grabbed his back pack and took out his a baseball and the glove. He has kept that thing forever waiting to play with me. Then, we straight away head to the field and start playing. That evening I came home with bruises on my face, hand and my back! The face is the most painful though >,<

Playing catch ball in midi. 

Heading home after having a very fulfilling morning. 

Then A bought me my own glove on the way home. Looking forward to more bruises >,<

There are a lot more to explore in this place. Kayak will be next in the list. And A sure will carry his golf set in the next visit. He made me play catch ball, I have a feeling that he'll make me play golf too >,<

Salmon roll for beginner

There are two reasons why finally I made the attempt to try cook Japanese food:

1) It is the easiest (in terms of handling) for picnic purposes. Looks like we are going to picnic more often now, it gives me enough reason to finally try.

2) I decided (for us both) to start a healthy lifestyle. I'm not a good game changer. Therefore, I always take changes very slowly. I figure, let's start change what I cook slowly first! You and me know, what is the healthiest diet on the planet? That is of course, the Japanese cuisine. So, I figure, while I'm here, I need to take this opportunity. I don't want to listen to myself brags of regrets many years later.

Move on, I decided to start with Japanese food I love and I think it is easy to make. Let's learn how to make salmon roll, shall we?

What you need: 

1) Slices of salmon. 

2) Slices of avocado.

3) Slices of cucumber.

4) Seaweed.

5) Rice.

*Preparation of the rice: Mix Japanese rice with rice vinegar, salt and sugar. The smell will make you salivating!

6) Bamboo mat. (I wrap it with saran wrap)

Steps:

1) Wet you hand.

2) Lay seaweed paper on the bamboo mat and spread the rice on top of it. I don't like my roll too dense with rice. So, I made sure the rice spread out thinly. I like my roll to be soft and fluffy.

3) Arrange the salmon, cucumber and avocado slice at one end of the rice.

4) Roll the bamboo mat slowly while giving a soft pressure on it. Just roll the bamboo mat, it will come out like this! I also had no idea how it become like this. But I made it. I mean the bamboo mat did it! ahaha xp. I watched you tube and I just couldn't get how, until I tried it myself. ehehe. So, you should. Get the feeling, then you understand what I mean :D The bamboo mat did the magic here actually :D

5) Lay saran wrap on the roll, and cut to the size of your preference. I like bite-sized. So, I cut it to eight parts. 

What's nice about being able to make your own roll is that, I can put as much filling I want. Usually, the ready-made one would have very densed rice and very little salmon and avocado. By being able to make this myself, I can put more lauk in it! This is awesome! Of course this is the most delicious salmon role I have ever had, ever!

These are our packed-dinner last weekend. We went to the stadium to watch baseball :) Our current favorite past-time activity:) 

Going to my favorite weekly activity now. Watching baseball with packed lunch/dinner :) 

So, what is your favorite past time with your loved ones? 

The Chronicles of the X-Men and... Me

I just don't watch a depressing movie. Well, depressing to me might not be depressing to you. I love jokes and of course that is the kind of movie I would love to watch. Movies which can make me laugh. This too, is applicable to person I would rather be with. Those with sense of humor. 

Because of this, I might probably be the last person who would watch any sad movies or depressing with lots of bloods, bullets, tortured. That includes the not-so-funny superhero movies. Funny one like Iron man, I gladly watch them. Again it is because Iron Man has sense of humor. In this case, X-Men has been one movie I never watch. Never because there is not a trace of funny element in it. ahaha... Isn't it great if one of the X-Men is written to be funny as hell, so people like me would have purpose watching the movies?

However, the recent X-Men has caught my attention. Simply because Jennifer Lawrence is in it. I have been her biggest fan ever since The Silver Lining Playbook. I think she is just crazy talented. I like her acting and her in person (as the media wrote it). I'd just watch whatever movies with her in it now. That includes the X-Men of course, although I have no idea what-so-ever what or who is the X-Men.

As usual, I told A my wish to watch X-Men. I predicted he must be happy when I, myself asking to go watch the X-Men. That has never happened for any super heroes movie or any movies with element I elaborated above. He is indeed very excited with the idea, if not, he had to wait until it is available to be downloaded. lol xp. 

I have to tell you girls, be careful of what you wish for. As soon as he hear the plans, he came out with a greater plan for me. The X-Men movie that I wanna watch will come out in a week. So, he suggested a week-long re-run of previous X-Men movies so that I can understand what I will be watching. He immediately got up and went through his movies library and look for the previous X-Men movies. He told me, maybe I may not be able to watch all because he thought he had deleted a few (which is, thank God!). Unfortunately (for yours truly), he found every files, and..I was made to watch X-Men movies every night for 4 or 5 days (I lost count T_T).

Of course every time we played the movie, he will be the one who watched it like it was his first time. I, on the other hand, read "Why Japanese Women do not get fat" book which I got it in a good bargain at the second hand shop. 

Before every movies which I still can't remember how many are they, he even questioned me trivia from the previous episodes. Surprisingly though, I answered it all correctly because it happened that I actually listened to the movies. 

One time, because I get so annoyed with his trivia, I made him answer mine. Vocabulary has been his weakness. Whenever I want to win a fight with him, I will make him answer a question with complicated vocabulary.

So, I asked him "what is the Wolverine's claws are made of?"

His face quickly changes and I know he doesn't know the answer or he doesn't know how to pronounce it. Either way, I still win.

The answer is "Adamantium".

And of course I didn't catch it from any of the movies he played for me. I knew this for a very long time already. Watch this clip, then you know. It felt so good winning this one, because I get to watch what ever I want that particular night. Phew..

Oh, I have watched the recent X-Men movie.
My review? They are two words for it: Jennifer Lawrence.
Yea, I think the movie is written just to flaunt her. A J-Law movie I won't watch for twice.

Legit reason for selfie

While I was enjoying my evening watching baseball and sipping on my new favorite tea, my phone beeped. It was a whats app message from our aunty. She was asking if we can buy her the fish-eye lenses (I'm not sure if I even spell it correctly). That message was sent in a group message. I don't know if all men are like that, but A rarely care about group message especially if I am in it. Most of the message is of course meant for him, but I always had to answer. And of course most of the time my answer was wrong!

Again, that time, I answered. 

"Ok, we'll look for it when we got time."

Then I turned to A who is busy browsing for his golf items (I have to say golf item because, obviously I don't know the name).

"What is fish-eye lenses (or is it fish-eyed?)?"

"Oh, that one people often use it for selfie." He answered casually, eye still at the computer screen.

I have always being so bold towards him. He is my soul mate and best friend whom I can share almost every thing without fearing of being judge. 

Then I asked; "Why do people do selfies? I don't understand. They even invested money for devices that can help them selfie. Did you know that Malaysia is one of the country with highest buyers of Gopro?"

That caught his attention and he turned to me, face as serious as discussing why I can't buy another dress or handbag. With his hands gesture on the air, he answered;

"These people are so appreciating Allah's gift for them. They adore themselves so much, they can't help recording it every day. It is just the way they express syukur to what they have been born with."

That got me speechless.