Lay or Set

I told the bikers, "They are just laying the table."  Then Gwilym said, "Set a table."  We are pretty much split in half in opinion.  Then I speculated that you "set" a table if you were paid.  I checked with my English reference, Sarah, she prefers laying.

In another thought, you set a machine... Not a surface...

Katsu

I was just watching a television programme using the word katsu meaning curry, which I clearly remember it means cutlet.  So I looked it up, katsu is cutlet, a loan word from some European languages.  Fried cutlet was a European influenced food, and was eaten with an array of sauce, aka gloop, before it settles with a thick mild curry sauce now.

When a word is loaned more than once, it means nothing like what it started out!

Bank Holiday Mistake

I thought I would stop at Tebay for a nice lunch in my way to camping.  Being bank holiday weekend, the whole area is heaving, and everyone had the same idea as mine.  I wasn't sure what I wanted, then I saw it is 3 sausages in each order, I was sold.  It was good.

Camping Loch o' The Lowes in the Yarrow Valley

With the abnormally warm and dry weather, I took the chance and went to camp at St Mary Loch. Earlier in the season, I actually checked my photo from last year and contacted the estate to make sure I can still camp. The official name is the Lock o' The Lowes in Yarrow Valley.

On a bike!

What a place!

Infinite Towels

I was raised that everything is fine if you stick it in boiling water, I have extended it to machine wash with detergent.  Whereas here are people believe every room, every type of surfaces should have their own towel, and they shall never mix even after wash.

Caterpillar Ejection Fail

As it turns out,  once you see a caterpillar,  you can write the whole plant off.

The caterpillars have eaten all the leaves,  stalks as well as started eating the radishes themselves. 

East Leeds Orbital Road

ELOR is now open!  I had a go on it.  I am not convinced it is any faster, but fewer cars, fewer lights for sure. 

Stupid Youtubers

Just chuck them out of the platform and don't bother reporting it, it will only fuel their disinformation platforms.

Stock Take

The Big Green Money Show was talking about exactly what I have been preaching.  Don't waste food, and stock check before shopping.  I took the opportunity to have a major sorting out at the store.  Let's hope someone will keep it up!

1998 Cafe Bar & Kitchen

I have heard about this Hong Kong cafe in Loughborough, 1998 Cafe Bar and Kitchen.  Since I had time, I paid them a visit.

I sat next to this Hong Kong couple, and asked if they recommended anything.  The woman said we are better off cooking at home.

I ordered some wan ton noodles, it took a very long while.  The cafe was very busy.  The milk tea turned up earlier, I had not had tea this steeped!  The noodle turned up, it was okay.  The woman was right...

I got up to pay, only to know they don't take card, so I promised them I won't go a runner, I popped to Sainsbury next door to get some cash.  I settled the bill and popped up to their shop.  I was tempted with some random tat, but I managed to stop myself.

Too Good to Go Carluccio

My bus didn't turn up, so to kill time, I was browsing Too Good to Go, and Carluccio was selling their mystery pack, excellent.

Some out of date chocolate truffle, some savoury biscuit and some in-date chocolate biscuit.  Excellent.

Whinmoor Wildlife

I was looking out my kitchen window, I saw a wood pigeon landed on my fence, then another wood pigeon.  Then the two pigeons were touching beaks.  Then they were mating.  All in seconds, I couldn't get the phone in the right setting fast enough.  Then one flew off, another sat on the fence a few more minutes before flying off.

Since I had not personally sexed the pigeons, I would not assume any sex(es) to them.  I really hope it does not result in any more pigeons!

Who needs the wildlife filming crew!

Caterpillar Ejection

In the last heat wave, there were a plague of caterpillar, ate down my radishes.  One day, literally all the green top was gone!

After this short heat wave, I noticed the radish not doing well, and I managed to eject one caterpillar.  Let's hope that is it...  

Overproven Dough Rescue

First, realise your dough is over proven.  Then push down across the top, don't worry about the top being uneven, as the rise from baking will push it up like a balloon.  It may now has a sunken shape, so scrap all edges back down. 

Not bad eh.

Ironing Hazards

Iron's natural home is not on the ironing board, so unless you strap down the iron, otherwise don't leave the iron on the ironing board.

Then some synthetic materials could only be ironed in low temperature, for a placebo ironing.  Any real temperature will risk damaging the synthetic material.  So let's not bothered, just wash it instead.

Sunken Bread Machine Bread III

Feeling confident, I modified a recipe adding malt.  Then using warm milk to clean the spoon, which led to overproving, again!  Less yeast next time!

Modern Rationing - Food Bank

When supply decrease, the demand needs decrease to match supply, so we don't have run away prices.  When consumer is addicted to excessive consumption, resulting in run away prices, thanks to capitalism.  Those consumers can no longer afford the capitalistic world, we are back to rationing, in modern terms, food bank.

Food bank is no longer for a charity purpose, it is now a, temporary, solution to the consumerism that fail to meet demand.

Every time you consume unnecessarily, someone else fall behind in the capitalistic world.  Be mindful.  Be a responsible citizen.

One for All Mistranslation

The original "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" one is referring to God, ie piety, originating from central Europe.  Then all subsequent translation, rather it be French, English and Chinese, one refers to oneself, hence changing the meaning to unionism.  Where the phrase originated, they have replaced it with Nihil sine Deo, nothing without God, which is the true meaning of this phrase.  Beware.

Civic Duties II - "Ask not what your country can do for you"

I feel strongly about civic duty.  It gets on my nerve when people thinks the government can magically resolve all the social problems, and remedy any unfortunate evens befalling anyone, when the citizens wouldn't even pay their taxes.  Then I would remember a quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." 

After searching the origin, as it turns out, something sound so socialist is from an American president JFK.  No wonder some Americans think the Democrats are socialists.

Hot II

After July's heat wave, we have all prepared/practiced for this heat wave, hopefully.  This is 30C+, which was "normal" Hong Kong temperature, but I totally did not move here for this.  Let's hope we can manage out this one.

Bread Machine Success II

Following on the success with the brown sandwich bread, I tried the white sandwich bread recipe.  The white dough's recipe is wetting, so it was initially worrying me.  It turned out okay.  The machine bin is actually quite big for a small dough, so it needs some help in mixing in the ingredient.  We are learning its ways.

Bread Machine Success

After we reduced the yeast,  the bread turned out like a normal bread,  and it tasted good too.   We have cracked it! 

Leeds Pride 2022

After a long absence,  Leeds Pride is back.   We got chatting with a Hong Konger.   The freebies were nice,  particularly Marching Out Together. 

Ride Like Nobody is Watching

After having guessed what those stupid assessers want,  apparently I should jude ignore them and ride how I like. 

4-Minute Brush

One of the dentists said you just need to put more time in the tricky areas.   Since the dentist did a good job cleaning my teeth recently,  I am putting extra effort into keeping them clean,  hence 4-minute brushing. 

Succulent Gestation

Baby succulent can die I the heat,  so maybe they should never be separated from their mother leave to add resilience. 

Sunken Bread Machine Bread II

We tried the white sandwich recipe,  it is also sunken.   I was watching it,  and it looked sunken whilst proving,  and collasped whilst baking.

Now we learn more about the machine,  I am going to try the brown recipe again with reduced yeast. 

Sunken Bread Machine Bread

We followed the instruction,  but we don't know why it was sunken in the middle.   On the plus side,  the machine didn't trip the RCD.

Domestic Wind Power

Out of curiousity,  I looked up small wind turbines.   It produces varying power and frequency.  It is hard to think how it can be suitably downspec for domestic use and make it worth while. 

England Wins Euro 2022

I made Sarah to watch the game with me.  The game was full of actions and very few dull moments.

England has played very well thorough out,  especially against Sweden.   CONGRATS.