On Onions

Got this from Facebook:

 

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu...
Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

Please pass this on to all you love and care about.
— with Adonain Danny Rivera.

Giving frozen carrots a chance (as I don't like peas)

A very good article from TIME magazine, which takes  a look at what constitutes healthy eating based on everyday choices at a regular supermarket. It's a timely reminder that eating healthily need not mean eating expensively, particularly amidst the organic food craze.

 

While I'd take some of the content with a pinch of salt - for example, I don't think guacamole from the supermarket would be that healthy given the amount of fat - it does give a different take on sauces and canned/frozen produce. Given that we all like - and perhaps need - our indulgences, the article provides some perspective on what to look out for and consider when giving in to our tastebuds.

 

I'll still probably drain my canned tuna of the brine and oil before adding it to a salad, and purchase fresh carrots over frozen ones as they're so easy to get hold of. That said, I remember having a packet of frozen vegetables in my freezer in Japan on standby for when I needed vegetables in a pinch - quick and easy.

 

Monday, Dec. 03, 2012

Give (Frozen) Peas a Chance — and Carrots Too

By Dr. Mehmet Oz

There's nothing like a block of frozen spinach to make you feel bad about your family dinner. There's good food and bad food and pretty food and ugly food--and then there's the frozen-spinach block. By any rights, this is not something you should want to eat. The picture on the box looks lovely, and the very idea of eating spinach is healthy. But what you find inside is a frosty, slightly slimy, algae-colored slab.

Somewhere out there--maybe just a five-minute drive from your house--a farmer's market is selling fresh, organic leaf spinach that might have been sprouting from the soil an hour ago. This, as we're told by any number of glossy cookbooks, TV cooking shows, food snobs and long-winded restaurant menus, is how we're supposed to eat now. It may be more expensive than that frozen block of spinach. And more perishable. And more complicated to prepare. But it's all worth it because it's so much healthier than the green ice from the supermarket. Right?

Wrong. Nutritionally speaking, there is little difference between the farmer's-market bounty and the humble brick from the freezer case. It's true for many other supermarket foods too. And in my view, dispelling these myths--that boutique foods are good, supermarket foods are suspect and you have to spend a lot to eat well--is critical to improving our nation's health. Organic food is great, it's just not very democratic. As a food lover, I enjoy truffle oil, European cheeses and heirloom tomatoes as much as the next person. But as a doctor, I know that patients don't always have the time, energy or budget to shop for artisanal ingredients and whip them into a meal.

The rise of foodie culture over the past decade has venerated all things small-batch, local-farm and organic--all with premium price tags. But let's be clear: you don't need to eat like the 1% to eat healthily. After several years of research and experience, I have come to an encouraging conclusion: the American food supply is abundant, nutritionally sound, affordable and, with a few simple considerations, comparable to the most elite organic diets. Save the cash; the 99% diet can be good for you.

This advice will be a serious buzz kill for specialty brands and high-end food companies marketing the exclusive hyperhealthy nature of their more expensive products. But I consider it a public-health service to the consumer who has to feed a family of five or the person who wants to make all the right choices and instead is alienated and dejected because the marketing of healthy foods too often blurs into elitism, with all the expense and culinary affectation that implies. The fact is, a lot of the stuff we ate in childhood can be good for you and good to eat--if you know how to shop.

Of course, there's a lot to steer clear of in the supermarket. Food technologists know what we like and make sure we always have our favorites. So alongside meat and fruits and veggies, there's also pasta, jelly, chips, pizza, candy, soda and more. Is it any wonder two-thirds of us are overweight or obese? Is it any wonder heart disease still kills so many of us?

So let's take a tour of the supermarket in search of everyday foods we can reclaim as stalwarts of a healthy diet. We'll pick up some meat and some snacks too, and we'll do a fair amount of label reading as we go. We'll even make a stop at the ice cream section. (I promise.) But let's start in the most underrated aisle of all: frozen foods.

Frozen, Canned--and Good?

It was in the 1920s that the idea of freezing fresh vegetables into preserved, edible rectangles first caught hold, when inventor Clarence Birdseye developed a high-pressure, flash-freezing technique that operated at especially low temperatures. The key to his innovation was the flash part: comparatively slow freezing at slightly higher temperatures causes large ice crystals to form in food, damaging its fibrous and cellular structure and robbing it of taste and texture. Birdseye's supercold, superfast method allowed only small crystals to form and preserved much more of the vitamins and freshness.

In the 90 years since, food manufacturers have added a few additional tricks to improve quality. Some fruits and vegetables are peeled or blanched before freezing, for example, which can cause a bit of oxidation--the phenomenon that makes a peeled apple or banana turn brown. But blanching also deactivates enzymes in fruit that would more dramatically degrade color as well as flavor and nutrient content. What's more, the blanching process can actually increase the fibrous content of food by concentrating it, which is very good for human digestion.

Vitamin content is a bit more complex. Water-soluble vitamins--C and the various B's--degrade somewhat during blanching but not when vegetables are steamed instead. Steaming is preferable but it takes longer, and many manufacturers thus don't do it. The package will tell you how the brand you're considering was prepared. Other vitamins and nutrients, including carotenoids, thiamin and riboflavin, are not at all affected by freezing, which means you can eat frozen and never feel that you are shortchanging yourself.

Canning is an even older type of preservation; it's also quite possibly the single most significant technological leap in food storage ever conceived. Developed in the early 19th century by an inventor working for the French navy, canning is a two-step process: first, heat foods to a temperature sufficient to kill all bacteria, and then seal them in airtight containers that prevent oxidation. Not all food comes out of the can as appetizing as it was before it went in. Some fruits and vegetables do not survive the 250F heating that is needed to sterilize food and can become soft and unappetizing. And in decades past, food manufacturers had way too free a hand with the salt shaker. That is not the case any longer for all brands of canned foods. A simple glance at the nutrition label (which itself didn't exist in the salty old days) can confirm which brands are best.

As with frozen vegetables, fiber and nutrient content usually stay high in canned foods. Some research indicates that carotenes, which can reduce cancer rates and eye problems, may be more available to the body following the routine heat treatment. What's more, canned foods are bargain foods. In an April study led by dietitian Cathy Kapica of Tufts University, nutritionists crunched the cost-per-serving numbers of some canned foods vs. their fresh counterparts, factoring in the time needed to prepare and the amount of waste generated (the husks and cobs of fresh corn, for example). Again and again, canned foods came up the winner, with protein-rich canned pinto beans costing $1 less per serving than dried, for example, and canned spinach a full 85% cheaper than fresh.

Food on the Hoof, Fin and Wing

I live in a vegetarian household, so I simply don't have the opportunity to eat a lot of meat at family meals. But I am not opposed to meats that are served in an appropriate portion size and are well prepared. Your first step is deciding what kind of meat you want and how you want to cook it.
There's no question that free-range chickens and grass-fed, pasture-dwelling cows lead happier--if not appreciably longer--lives than animals raised on factory farms. They are also kept free of hormones and antibiotics and are less likely to carry communicable bacteria like E. coli, which are common on crowded feedlots. If these things are important to you and you have the money to spend, then by all means opt for pricier organic meats.

But for the most part, it's O.K. to skip the meat boutiques and the high-end butchers. Nutritionally, there is not much difference between, say, grass-fed beef and the feedlot variety. The calories, sodium and protein content are all very close. Any lean meats are generally fine as long as the serving size is correct--and that means 4 to 6 oz., roughly the size of your palm. A modest serving like that can be difficult in a country with as deep a meat tradition as ours, where steak houses serve up 24-oz. portions and the term meat and potatoes is a synonym for good eating. But good eating isn't always healthy eating, and we're not even built to handle so much animal protein, since early humans simply did not have meat available at every meal. Sticking with reasonable portions two or three times a week will keep you in step with evolution.

Preparation is another matter, and here there are no secrets. Those burgers your kids (and probably you) love can be fine if they're lean and grilled, the fat is drained and you're not burying them under cheese, bacon and high-fructose ketchup and then packing them into a bun the size of a catcher's mitt.
Chicken is a separate issue. In my mind, there is nothing that better captures where we have gone wrong as a food culture than the countless fried-chicken fast-food outlets that dot highways. Fried chicken is consumed literally in buckets--and that's got to be a bad sign. What's more, even at home, frying chicken wrecks the nutritional quality of the meat.

Indeed, chicken is so lean and tasty it can actually redeem a lot of foods that are otherwise dietary bad news. I don't have a problem with tacos, for example, if you do them right. A chicken taco is a better option than beef, and a fish taco is the best choice of all. All the raw ingredients are available in supermarkets, and what you make at home will be much healthier than what you get when you go out.

There's even goodness to be found in some of the supermarket's seemingly most down-market fish and meats: those sold in cans. One great advantage to canning is that it does not affect protein content, making such foods as canned tuna, salmon and chicken excellent sources of nutrition. Canned salmon in particular is as nourishing as if you caught a fresh salmon that afternoon. It's also easy to prepare: you can put it on a salad or serve it with vegetables and have dinner ready in minutes.

Let's also take a moment to celebrate the tuna-salad sandwich, which is to lunch what the '57 Chevy is to cars--basic and brilliant. Sure, there are ways to mess it up, with heaping mounds of mayonnaise and foot-long hoagie rolls. But tuna is loaded with niacin, selenium, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, and a sandwich done lean and right, on whole-wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoes, is comfort food at its finest with little nutritional blowback.

Still, some of these cans are land mines. Plenty of products include flavor enhancers such as sugar, salt and MSG. And there are canned meats that really are nothing but bad news. Vienna sausage is the type of food that keeps us heart surgeons in business. As for hot dogs and luncheon meats like salami and bologna, just don't go there. They're way too high in nitrites and sodium to do you even a bit of good.

Guilty Pleasures

To me, ice cream is a sacred food. When I was a boy, my father would drive me to the local ice cream store on Sundays. We would spend the half-hour car ride talking, and I got to know my dad better through these conversations. It wasn't really about the ice cream; it was about time spent together. I even made the decision to become a doctor in that very ice cream store--something, perhaps, about the sense of well-being I was experiencing. I have used ice cream as a family focal point with my own children, and to this day it is an indicator of an occasion. Ice cream should be in your life too. What's more, it's not even a bad or unhealthy food.

For starters, the protein and calcium in ice cream are great. And some of the ingredients in better ice creams are good for you too, including eggs (yes, eggs, a terrific source of protein and B vitamins and perfectly O.K. if your cholesterol is in check) and tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios. As with most other foods, the problem is often the amount consumed. A serving size is typically half a cup, but that's a rule that's almost always flouted, which is a shame. Overdoing ice cream not only takes its toll on your health but also makes the special commonplace. I often say that no food is so bad for you that you can't have it once--or occasionally.

Peanut butter has none of the enchanted power of ice cream. It's a workaday food, a lunch-box food--and an irresistibly delicious food. The allegedly pedestrian nature of the supermarket is perfectly captured in the mainstream, brand-name, decidedly nongourmet peanut butters lining the shelves. But here again, what you're often seeing is a source of quality nutrition disguised as indulgent junk.

Peanut butter does have saturated fat, but 80% of its total fats are unsaturated. That's as good as olive oil. It's also high in fiber and potassium. But many brands stuff in salt and sweeteners as flavoring agents, so read the labels. Sometimes supermarket brands turn out to be the best.

And guess what? Preserves and jams without added sugar can be great sources of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, and whole-wheat bread is high in fiber, selenium, manganese and more. So by shopping right and being careful with portions, we have fully redeemed that great, guilty American staple: the PB&J.

Snack foods are a different kind of peril, but if there's one thing Americans have gotten right, it's our surpassing love of salsa. Year after year it ranks near the top of our favorite snack foods, especially during football season. I think salsa is a spectacular food because it's almost always made of nothing more than tomatoes, onions and cilantro and usually has no preservatives. And remember, those tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps battle disease and inflammation.

Another great south-of-the-border staple is guacamole. Its principal ingredient is, of course, avocados, which are loaded with the happiest of fats: the unsaturated kind that help prevent heart disease. They are also rich in vitamin K (over 50% of your recommended daily intake from just half an avocado) and vitamin C. But keep portions in check to hold the line on both calories and sodium.
Finding something to scoop up those dips is a problem. Tortilla chips fried in lard and covered with salt are simply not a good idea. Baked pita chips (ideally unsalted) are great, but there's no way around the fact that they're pricier than tortilla, potato and corn chips.

The Beauty of Simplicity

Pretty much any aisle in any supermarket has foods that you might think mark you as a culinary primitive but are worth considering. Pickles? Sure, they're loaded with salt, so read labels and exercise care, but they're high in vitamin K and low in calories, and the vinegar in them can improve insulin sensitivity. Baked beans? Pass up the ones cooked with bacon or excessive sweetening, but otherwise, they're a great source of protein and fiber.

Meanwhile, the condiments section has mustard--extremely low in calories, high in selenium and available in a zillion different varieties, so you'll never get bored. Popcorn? Absolutely, but go for the air-popped, stove-top variety instead of the microwavable kind covered in oils and artificial butter flavorings. And chocolate! Ah, chocolate. Stick with dark--65% cocoa--and don't overdo the portions. I know, that's not easy, but do it right and you'll get all the antioxidant benefits of flavonols without all the calories and fat.

Throughout the developed world, we are at a point in our evolution at which famine, which essentially governed the rise and fall of civilizations throughout history, is no longer an acute threat. And we know more about the connection between food and health than ever before--down to the molecular level, actually.

This has provided us the curious luxury of being fussy, even snooty, about what we eat, considering some foods, well, below our station. That's silly. Food isn't about cachet. It's about nourishment, pleasure and the profound well-being that comes from the way meals draw us together.

Even foods that I have described as no-go items are really O.K. in the right situations. I recently enjoyed some fantastic barbecue after a long project in Kansas City, Mo., and I certainly ate the cake and more at my daughter's wedding. As with any relationship that flourishes, respect is at the core of how you get along with food--respect and keeping things simple.

Mehmet Oz is a vice chairman and professor of surgery at Columbia University, a best-selling author and the Emmy Award--winning host of The Dr. Oz Show

Fission

Did you know that the US has 104 nuclear reactors in operation?

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Bene Spaghetti ベネ・スパゲッティ

Be warned: your ears will be assailed by the deafening chirps of the staff as you walk through the doors of Bene Spaghetti at 84 Circular Road.

And throughout your meal, you will continue to suffer rude shocks from the staff’s shouts of welcome or acknowledgement of a customer’s request for service. While the service is friendly and prompt, we felt that the jarring noise marred our experience. It doesn’t help that Bene is a small place, and the echoes of conversation and the staff’s loud voices got somewhat irritating after a while.

For an idea of how cosy Bene is: there are just two more rows of tables to the left of hte below picture, and my back was up against the wall:

The food was fusion Japanese-Italian, which meant that it was neither the best type of Japanese nor Italian cuisine. While there are many authentic Italian restaurants owned and run by Japanese this one attempted to mesh both styles together.

What resulted was a Clam and Mussels Risotto in Tomato Sauce presented Japanese style – like kamameshi (釜飯) -  that didn’t quite have the full bodied flavour that Italian risottos have from the slow-cooking of the rice. Bene also gave customers the choice of eating the risotto like ochazuke – by pouring into the pot some soup with herbs mixed in – but I felt that further diluted the flavour of the risotto.

The restaurant’s signature dish is mushi pasta (蒸しパスタ) – or steamed pasta – which is said to make the pasta soft without being wet. It’s also meant to be healthier and lighter as the pasta is cooked without oil. We ordered the Smoked Pork with Blue Cheese Cream Sauce Mushi Pasta, which scored points for its presentation:

After waiting for 5 minutes as the pasta continues to cook at your table, the dish itself was unearthed. It was indeed quite light, although the pasta was not al dente and was too soft. I felt that the pork ended up a bit too wet and lost its smoky flavour from the steaming. Boo.

A more satisfying dish was the Chicken Thigh and Bacon in Tomato Sauce Gnocchi Gratin. Though it looked a bit oily, the tangy tomato sauce was delicious and we enjoyed soaking it up with the bread given. The gnocchi was also soft and tasted great with the bacon and chicken flavours. The crunchy vegetables added a healthy touch to this dish.

My favourite dish, however, was the wonderful Bacon with Onsen Egg Pizza. I absolutely loved this as the flavourful bacon slices were fairly thick with a good bite, there was a generous amount of runny egg white and the yolk, though a tad overcooked, was still moist on the inside. I also loved that the thin crust was just the right thickness to taste substantial.

While the food wasn’t the most authentic or the best tasting around, Bene wins on its value for money. Their dinner sets cost $25 and are accompanied by a salad, a plate of assorted antipasto (olives, greens, parma ham) or homemade focaccia, a main and a choice of dessert or drink. The bread is replenishable and servings are big - our party of 6 were stuffed with four dinner sets, an assorted antipasto platter and a serving of garlic bread.

The salad is quite large:

And their Assorted Antipasto Platter ($26++) wasn’t too bad. (From left: mozzarella and tomatoes, thic omelette, grilled chicken thigh, smoked salmon, vegetables in tangy thin tomato sauce, parma ham, and olives and assorted vegetables.)

I really liked their Garlic Bread ($8++) too, as the thick slices of bread soaked up all the olive oil and garlic flavour. While Bene terms its bread accompanying the sets “homemade focaccia”, it’s the same bread that’s used for the garlic bread, which is anything but focaccia. No complaints though, as it was soft, fluffy and complemented the sauces.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about Bene. The food was okay, the service was good but had some really annoying aspects, and they have some nice quirks like presenting a frozen hand towel upon arrival and writing your name down at your table for reservations:

While this warmth of service extended to two members of staff standing outside the door to wave goodbye and hand you a complimentary slice of homemade bread each, we got slightly self conscious at the loud volume at which they said “Goodbye Simon! See you again! Thank you! Have a nice time!!”. It’s a bit too genki and over zealous, and I wonder if the staff go home with a sore throat from all that shouting.

That said, I’m not sure if I’ll return to Bene again, and if I do, I will need to be mentally prepared for the full assault on my ears.

For a look at their menu, check out Bene’s Facebook page.

Great, simple ideas to make life easier

More useful tips to make life easier. The original post had 99 tips but here are some of what I thought were more useful ones.

Brownie in a mug

Image from here.

Taiwanese Oyster Omelette

Looking through some recent food photos and wanted to post this – it was the best ever oyster omelette which we had at Liaoning Night Market (near Zhongxiao Fuxing Metro station):

The oysters were so plump and fresh, and the omelette was generous with egg and contained just the right amount of starch.

The night market also had the most delicious ever 臭豆腐 (smelly tofu). It was fragrant, just the right texture and not too dry. The sauce was great too – a mixture of chilli, sweet sauce and garlic. I think I loved it largely for the garlic, as it gave a wonderful flavour to the tofu – a colleague commented that it’s doubly smelly tofu. The tofu was so delicious that it occupied my thoughts for the rest of the night and much of the next morning.

Biotherm Eye Makeup Remover

I tried the sample of this Biotherm eye makeup remover other day and it has gotten my thumbs up:

I didn’t notice the price of it at the counter though, but I’ll consider it as good, together with my favourite Kanebo and Kate eye makeup removers (reviews here).

While the Kate remover is not available in Singapore, they’re readily available in just about any Watsons store in Taiwan for less than $20, which is cheap. The bottle looks like this:

Give them a try and you’ll be converted, particularly if you use layers of stubborn – and hence water and oil-proof – mascara like Majolica Majorca.

Mimosa

Two colleagues separately took it upon themselves to dig up notes of a meeting which they thought the boss was referring to in an attempt to be helpful.

I'm kinda amused, because they mistook silence for ignorance when it actually was an unwillingness (and an unnecessary action) to tell the boss that he was wrong (either that, or say that the notes did not accurately capture the discussion). 

It was also a little funny, as the notes they extracted were the wrong notes - the boss had referred to a dinner, not a meeting. Moreover, the meeting was of no direct relevance to us (which probably meant that they either hadn't read the notes or don't remember its contents).

It is also strange that they thought I wouldn't have relevant meeting minutes for an issue that I've been closely watching, to the extent that they separately spent time to dig up notes which I had actually already pulled out during the meeting itself.

Anyway. I'm sure they were trying to be helpful, and I know I have been overly sensitive today.

Here's to a burnt weekend after a relatively lull week. Definitely not the preferred way to spend my time.

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Grrrr

People should develop more cultural sensitivity. I’m quite sure if they had friends from those cultures they wouldn’t be posting such stuff online, especially when those topics are politically sensitive as well.

Also, really think that those people who like to take their friends’ mobile devices to post embarrassing Facebook status updates to their friends’ Facebook page should just grow up and get a life. And if those people whose super buay hiao bai (egotistical) updates are not the fault of a friend but themselves should do some figurative and literal self-reflection to consider how far from the truth their updates are.

Grrr.

On Ballet and Perfection

We had a farewell party for one of the bosses today, and the discussions reminded me of some thoughts which came to mind a while ago.

One of them is that although I'm more fascinated by Latin ballroom and salsa than I am by classical ballroom, the truth of the matter is that I'll probably be a better dancer of classical ballroom due to my ballet background.

While I'd long harboured the secret hope that I'll one day learn and get fairly good at the more sexy Latin dances and jazz, I think the summer masterclass in contemp/jazz had rid me of all delusions.

Things really are different when you're seeing a professional in action and trying to mimic the moves he does. Someone once said to me, using ballet as an example, that she doesn't know how to appreciate ballet as she has no background and doesn't know what it means or what it takes to execute the moves. And I totally agree. It seems like the more I learn the more I'm able to appreciate ballet greatness as well as identify what could be improved upon by the dancers on stage.

Also, it occurred to me that ballet leaves no room for anything that's not perfection. While Latin ballroom has competitions for dancers based on their standard (e.g. amateur competitions vs semi-pro ones), competitions in ballet are by age categories. That is of no consolation to learners of ballet though, as there are 13 year olds who can outdance those far older than them with their numerous fouettes en pointe.

While I may have reached major grade and only, on paper, have four grades left to pass, this means nothing when passing exams is just the tip of the iceberg. And really, without strong pointe technique, minimally 120 degree arabesques and at least 16 fouettes (and perfect triple pirouettes), you're nothing in the ballet world.

A long way to go in the strive towards inching closer to perfection.  

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Breakfasts

Just back from a trip.

Actually, the highlight of travelling for work is the hotel breakfasts. Love it when I can start the day with eggs, cheeses, coffee and cherry tomatoes. All three days of this trip started this way, with some of my favourite food for breakfast.

Rich Zodiac Poor Zodiac

From the Economist - oxes lead a hard life, ploughing the rice fields from dawn to dusk.

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The export of Taiwanese labour

A very interesting article on the predicament that is facing Taiwan today.

The article bemoans the poor economic situation of Taiwan, where the average wage (which I don’t think have been corrected for inflation) of those below 34 years old have dropped to wage levels 15 – 17 years ago. Coupled with rising inflation and unemployment in Taiwan, the article highlights the third wave in the export of Taiwanese labour: where young Taiwanese seek employment in blue-collar jobs in Australia (e.g. in abattoirs, farms and mines) where they can earn up to 4 times what they would otherwise receive in a white-collar job back home.

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台灣進入「台勞」時代！／文﹕南方朔

【明報專訊】今年是台灣退化的關鍵年。剛剛過完第二季，台灣的GDP成長率竟然為負0.18%，在亞洲12個主要國家及地區，居然排名最末，而且是唯一的負成長。台灣這幾年是四小龍之末，現已成為亞洲之末。

台灣人收入 最多倒退17年

不僅成長率退化而已，台灣的國民平均年收入也在退化之中。根據行政院主計總處的統計，去年台灣的每人平均年收入，未滿30歲的年齡層，平均只有台幣41.6萬元，倒退回了15年前水準，30至34歲這一層，則為台幣55.6萬元，倒退回17年前水準，收入最好的是45歲至54歲這一層，他們的平均年收入為台幣73.3萬元，也倒退回了6年前。今年的情只會更差，不可能更好。

由於成長減緩，年所得倒退，再加上今年以來台灣的物價上漲，8月份消費者物價指數上漲達3.42%，其中單單食物類即上漲8.66%，平均每戶人家今年每月開支增加大約台幣2000元，因此今年台灣過生活的艱苦程度已大大增加，特別是15至29歲的年輕人的失業率已高達12%，因此，當今台灣青年人是相當苦悶的，他們工作難找，縱使找到工作，待遇每月也只有台幣2.4萬元至2.6萬元之間，有碩士學位的稍好一點，但每月也只有3.2萬元。這樣的所得條件和就業環境，已使台灣的年輕人被稱為「青貧族」，青年人已不可能儲蓄，不可能購屋買產，甚至不敢結婚生育子女。

澳洲做粗活 薪金四級跳

於是，一種新的現象遂告出現，那就是台灣有很多大學畢業生由於找不到好工作，寧願遠走澳洲的屠宰場、農場、礦場去作工，這種工作雖然屬於粗活，不算白領工作，但報酬卻是台灣平均工資的4倍。據台灣的外交部統計，2011年申請到澳洲打工的有1.3萬人，2012年有9600人。目前在澳洲作工的約有3萬人，台灣已成了「台勞」輸出的地方，許多「台勞」甚至還是台大、清大、政大等不錯的大學畢業生。台灣以前有「菲勞」、「泰勞」、「越勞」等，現在終於出了「台勞」，雖說職業無貴賤，但台灣搞到大學畢業生出國當「台勞」，畢竟使人感嘆！

根據台灣官方的統計，目前大學畢業生的平均工資及薪資每月只有26,577元，而澳洲的打工，最低的時薪約為台幣495元，周薪可達台幣1.9萬元，勞力更密集也更辛苦的如看護工則更高，因此一個「台勞」去打工，每月平均可掙到台幣9萬至12萬，相當於台灣的4倍。就有一個台灣清華大學經濟系的27歲畢業生，因為在台灣找不到好工作，而去澳洲的肉品工廠作工，專門為冷凍羊肉去皮，同一工廠即有「台勞」150人，他們每個月可掙台幣10萬，大家都有個心願，那就是辛苦工作兩年，即可帶台幣200萬回家。

但當「台勞」也並不是每個人都幸運，有人在礦場被炸斷手，有人被騙被打或被性騷擾。這些都是在台灣的「泰勞」、「菲勞」、「菲傭」，大陸的「漁工」等常發生的事，現在這種事已發生在「台勞」上，這也證明了風水輪流轉的道理。

職業無貴賤，一個國家的人去外國打工，這並不是丟臉的事，但這種勞力外流，人民去外國打工的現象，對該國而言，則無疑是個重大的問題。台灣近年來，經濟每下愈，由於經濟惡化，工作機會增加緩慢，工資也逐年下降，這已造成了好幾波「移出」的現象。

熱話「台勞」 三波「移出」

第一波「移出」是「台商」的移往中國大陸，當然也伴同資金的移出。它造成了台灣產業的空洞化及新投資的不足。這一種移出在馬政府上台後達到頂點。

第二波「移出」，則是最近這幾年才出現的技術人力的移出，許多在台灣有經驗的中高階技術人員、教書工作者、技術管理階層，分別往中國大陸、新加坡、香港，甚至南韓等移出，這可說是「挖角式的人力移出」。就以中國大陸為例，它對台灣的挖角條件是「在台灣領多少錢，我們就給多少人民幣」，一差就差了4倍多。

第三波「移出」，即是現在正發生的「台勞」。台灣由於退化的速度加快，年輕高學歷的人就業困難而且薪資條件不佳，他們遂乾脆到澳洲去做辛苦的工作，這已談不上是什麼人生理想，只是要掙多一點錢。

因此，「台勞」問題最近已在媒體及網絡上成了台灣最熱門的話題，這個話題多少都使人有點感傷。台灣過去曾是亞洲四小龍之首，由於社會在發展，就業及所得都不是問題，但從1990年代起，進入全球化的年代，台灣卻顯然日益失去了自己的位置，台灣經濟無法轉型，整個社會遂只能在原地踏步，最後是整個原地踏步所造成的壓力，全都由年輕人所承擔。從今年起，台灣正式進入「台勞時代」，這實在是台灣的悲歌！

南方朔 《亞洲週刊》主筆

日本語

Found it interesting that someone whom I thought has better Japanese than me – and had studied it to JLPT2 level in school – still made the rookie mistake of saying 「私は」, which is redundant and culturally awkward, given that in Japan – and in Japanese – the usage of “you” and “I” are rare.

It was strange hearing it three times, at the start of three consecutive sentences, in a brief conversation to introduce the self. And particularly so because I think most of us had it hammered out of our system in Japanese class somewhere along the way.

The other observation was the usage of 「ありがとうございました」. This was interesting in a different way, as it made me reflect that I only really kinda understood when to use the past tense, and when not to, only after going to Japan. I’m sure my teachers had made the difference known to us, but it was only when I got really confused from sometimes hearing people use －ます and at other times say －ました that I asked, had it explained to me, and processed it better with further observation.

I’m really not sure how much my Japanese benefitted from me being in Japan. This someone has powerful reading skills – could translate a brief news report very fast and in very well-written English (the same would have taken me much longer and way more effort) even with (supposedly) very rusty Japanese. My reading was quite good when I was still in Japan, but I think even then it may not have taken me that short a time to process that article.

Feeling 残念 for the deterioration in my Japanese skills. It’s time to try even harder to pick it back up again.

Formula One Night Race 2012 in Singapore!

I was really lucky to have won tickets to the Formula One this year. Granted it’s just the practice session, but the cars are the same, the VROOOMs are the same, and to be honest I’m most curious about what it’s like to be there on the track itself – mainly because I don’t follow F1.

I was lucky as I won’t be participating in the ballot next year, and also because if I hadn’t fallen sick I’ll be in Guangxi, China at the moment with only Sunday’s tickets to ballot for (and a lesser quantity available than today as well). It’s also the reason why these pictures aren’t on Facebook – out of consideration for my colleague (and boss) who had to do my work instead cos I wasn’t well to travel :S

I went with my mum for the first practice session – ironically it’s not “night” yet:

The skyline of Singapore is beautiful from the Bay Grandstand, with a gorgeous view of Marina Bay. It had poured earlier in the afternoon and threatened to rain still:

The cars are all a blur from where we were. Actually our seats were for much higher up, but there were so many empty seats available so we just plonked ourselves down. We are also not allowed to stand near the railings to take photos, and the ushers have to constantly remind people to return to their seats:

Red Bull is easy to spot:

It’s obvious why people aren’t allowed at the railings when you’re trying to take pictures from your seat, but it’s really annoying when you want a good shot!

The view of the background got much better as the sky darkened:

I managed to get shots with cars in them too :)

I hated this red ribbon barrier, had no idea what it was for and tried but failed to take the section of that band off:

I managed to take a long video with quite a lot of the cars, to hear the VROOOOM. The engines were very loud (deafeningly so if you were next to the barriers), but the foam ear plugs we bought onsite were of some help. Ear plugs are a MUST.

I pity those crew right next to the track. I hope they have industrial strength ear protection, though it seems like not all of them do. Just walking down to the exit resulted in literally ringing ear drums as the cars went past:

I got restless and took short walk to the edge of the stand – so gorgeous from here, with a view of another very empty stand:

Compare the number of people there to mine, which got increasingly crowded as the evening wore on:

A look at one of the merchandise booths:

We ambled over to the walkabout section, where I took this shorter video:

We left shortly after, as we had enough of vroom vrooms and neither of us were that keen on the fringe entertainment events. Besides, I didn’t have much sleep last night and was rather tired by then.

And a parting shot:

My Formula One curiosity sated :)