Hello Spring!

Spring is here, even though it feels at times like it's still too cold - like this morning.

The afternoons have been mostly sunny and warm, and the Easter weekend was simply glorious - three days spent sitting outside in summer wear just soaking it in.

My daffodils have been in bloom for some now, and the rest of the garden is sprouting. I've grown some lettuce and rocket (these are showing promise), as well as scattered flower seeds in the bed at the back (still waiting for them to show). I've also planted 25 freesia bulbs - Poundland is a great place to shop - so hopefully there'll be more flowers when summer comes around.

I don't know what this weekend will be like yet, but will, of course, be keeping my fingers crossed for more sun. People are already walking around in t-shirts and spaghetti tops even though it's nowhere near being that warm (What then will they wear in summer? Just underwear?)!

More pictures of the garden to come, I think :)

4 scarves in 16 different ways

Someone shared this on Facebook - incredibly useful!

Back to ballet - my rehabilitation experience

Today, I had my 3rd ballet lesson after a 10 week hiatus following my horrible ankle sprain this New Year. I'd forgotten how gratifying it was to end the week by working those muscles and stretching those limbs, and am so glad to be back at the barre.

There's some catching up to be done. My turns, which were never good, have gotten even worse on both sides; the ankle is still a bit iffy too and I don't quite dare to turn on it yet. My balancing is also slightly off and I think my core has gotten even weaker.

Apart from those, however, I have to admit that I'm pleasantly surprised by my current form. My back is actually more supple and stronger than it's ever been - my back bends are deeper and I'm holding my best ever attitude balance on demi-pointe. I think my developpes from fondue are as high as, if not slightly higher, than they used to be - which is also fantastic given that I've been away from the barre for so long.

I think I owe my form entirely to the yoga and exercises I did during my rehabilitation period. After the initial few weeks, I started doing some yoga and stretching exercises for at least 30min twice or three times a week, as well as simple barre work to maintain the muscle memory. I mainly practised the RAD Grade 8 barre work - purely because it wasn't difficult and I was familiar with it, which made it easier to focus on working the injured ankle while keeping the good ankle fit.

For yoga itself, I mainly did the two sun salutations - I think they were key to strengthening my back. I also did some half-moon poses, as well as full locust, and bow poses. The balancing stick pose was especially fun (and challenging) to do  as well. I fully admit that my yoga practice was very haphazard - I would probably benefit more from a class in terms of preventing injury and having a more holistic yoga experience, but I liked being able to do poses that targeted key areas as a dancer.

Once I was warm, I went on to stretching exercises - including side splits while lying on my back and penches with palms on the floor for support. I'm quite keen to keep up this yoga-stretching combination in between classes as they seem to have worked great so far, and hopefully motivate myself to throw in some thera-band exercises to push me further too!

Remiscing Japan

I needed to choose a photo for a workplace newsletter the other day, so I promptly went onto Facebook and started scrolling through my picturer and further down I went, until I realised that I'd hardly any pictures of Osaka, Kobe, or several other places in Japan that I'd been to and loved.

Facebook in the past couple of years has become, for me, a great platform to remember and reminisce about the past. Looking back on where I've been and what I've done helps to bring to mind happy times, beautiful places and wonderful friends. When I'm down, it reminds me that I've had some great experiences and that there will be more to come; when the weather is - quite literally - putting a damper on my mood, I am reminded that even Ireland can have lovely weather and that I'll be ready to enjoy it when it comes.

I therefore decided to dig up photos of my time in Japan and post a selection on Facebook, so that they'll be just a few convenient clicks away when the mood hits. I was struck by nostalgia browsing through the photos of my neighbourhood in Osaka - it's the simple things and once-familiar places that threatened to bring tears. The sight of my apartment brought to mind smells of the tatami and the feel of the cool kitchen floor; the shot of clear skies over the Yodogawa evoked clearly the sense of freedom and peace that I felt when out on my bike, cycling around the neighbourhood on restless evenings and quiet weekends.

Yet, I was surprised and disappointed that there were so few photos of the city I love so dearly and once called home. There were none of the touristy shots of frequent haunts like Shinsaibashi, Namba and Umeda. Nothing more than my memory of the Glico Man, the Dotonburi crab, the plastic food figurines in Sennichimae, the HEP 5 ferris wheel, JR Osaka station, Yodobashi camera, LoFT, Crystal Nagahori, Namba Parks... nothing from the cycling route from Sagisu into Umeda (like the mural at a junction and the long slope that was so scary yet thrilling to go down; the wind in my hair and adrenaline in my veins); nor the Ebie junction; nor the Fukushima-dori; nor even Nodahanshin itself or Jusco.

It scares me to realise that I have nothing tangible of Osaka - even if the memories I have are so real and so clear. I don't know why I didn't take many pictures then, when I spend so much time photographing bits and pieces of my life here - the food, the city, the everyday. Maybe it would've been different if Instagram had existed back then. But now that I know I will one day be looking back on photos of my life, I'll bear in mind to continue snapping away as I go through the days.

Weight watching and healthy eating

There has been some discussion on the Guardian about weight and health issues lately, with two articles posted yesterday.

The first by Juliette Jowitt sought to uncover why more than half the UK is overweight, even though official figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) suggests that UK adults consume less than the recommended calories per day and most meet the suggested activity levels. The second, a commentary by Alexandra Jones, described Jones' experience as the fat kid at school and how it took a visit to the GP to teach her about food discipline.

Weight and health issues seem to be popular topics, going by the number of comments (more than 500 each) on the articles. Among many other comments, it was pretty much establised that the respondents in the HSCIC's survey probably under-estimated their caloric intake while overreporting the amount of physical activity they received in the 4-week period of observation.

The recommended daily intake for an average female is 2000 calories - pictures of its equivalent that I found online suggest that I consume more than that on a daily basis, and many have commented that those are generous caloric estimates as well.

As for the 150min of moderate physical activity per week (or 75min of vigorous activity) - I used to hit that with 2 x 90min of ballet a week back home, but even then I was gaining weight due to lots of eating out with friends and several-course working lunches and dinners. Now, due to my injured ankle, I clock about 105min of brisk walking a week, 25min of beginner's swimming lessons and another 60min or so of gentle yoga and ballet exercises. I've lost weight since coming here, but I owe that to eating out less as much as I do to getting more exercise.

Reading the articles and comments brought forth some thoughts about food and eating habits here.

The first is the amount of bad food on sale, namely sweets, chocolates, cakes and crisps. The variety and amount of such food in shops and supermarkets in the UK and Ireland is simply staggering - I was stunned the first time I walked into an Apple Green service station and still gawk at the rows and rows of tasty cakes and chocolates each time I'm at Tesco. The past week has mostly involved me walking into a store, staring at cakes and treats on sale and thinking, and thinking, and thinking about whether or not I should buy a packet of something - I finally caved in yesterday with a packet of mini lemon cakes.

Which brings me to the next thought about how thin people also think about their weight and how much they're eating. Some of the commentors who've since lost weight identified with how Jones treds the fine "line between willpower and obssession" - while I perhaps don't obssess over my weight as much as they do, I'm constantly thinking about it, despite having always been about a size 8. I really love food, talk about it all the time and make such an event out of eating - but I spend a lot more time resisting temptation than giving in. There're always thoughts about whether or not to have one more piece of chocolate, wehther I should buy some cake, whether to have KFC or make my own dinner, whether I should have sugar with my tea, whether I should eat this now that it's after 10pm, etc.

I think it helps to know how much is too much and stop before, for example, you finish the entire tub of ice cream. Which brings me to thoughts on portion sizes. Chocolates here come in massive bars - a regular Snickers is twice as much chocolate as what I'd eat in one sitting. I probably have my mum to thank for having always cut down Cadbury bars into two-square blocks and putting them in a container, as a portion of chocolate has always remained around that size to me. Even today, my practice is to pop one portion of chocolate into my mouth, enjoy that, then pause to think whether I want another (yes, always), and whether I can or should have another. It definitely helps in controlling the amount I eat, compared to if the habit was to wolf down one huge Mars Bar and, still feeling dissatisfied, reach for another sweet treat. Let's not forget either that starters here can come in main-sized portions, while the large mains are accompanied as well by half a plate of chips or mash - too much food even for a big eater like me!

In addition, the ingredients used in food require examination too. While consuming fat doesn't neccessarily make you fat (see the Business Insider's excellent piece on nutrition myths), the consumption of cream, cheese, and butter on top of all the sugar, carbohydrates and oil that we eat adds up - I can't bring myself to use many recipes as they call for cream and double cream or lots of butter. The teaspoons of sugar in the cups of coffee and tea we drink throughout the day can accumulate to a fair bit too.

Even supposedly healthier alternatives to snacks can be more unhealthy than we'd think, as evidenced by the below packet of Tesco dried fruit. One serving contains a whopping 22% of our daily intake of sugar due to the cranberries and blueberries having been sweetened with syrup and concentrated apple juice! Fruit juices also seem to be consumed in place of water a lot more over here, and reports have illustrated just how loaded with sugar they are.


Half a packet of this would almost max out your daily intake of sugar 

How can I not mention alcohol consumption as well? It's common knowledge that beer and wine are loaded with calories and sugar. Spirits are also mixed with sugary bases like Coca Cola and a night out almost always ends with a fourth meal of extremely unhealthy but oh so delicious things like a kebab, pizza, fish and chips, deep fried goujons, a Chinese stir fry (have you actually noticed the amount of oil and MSG in a packet of fried noodles??).

Moreover, lunch choices don't seem to help much either. Many people opt for smaller meals like salads or sandwiches for their mid-day meal, perhaps to avoid the post-lunch slump, when in fact dinner should be the smallest meal of the day as you'll have less time - as well as do a lot less - to burn off those calories. Also, salads are only healthy when they're not laden with high-caloric dressing, and a quick look at the nutrition guide on a packed sandwich should be enough to make you reconsider picking up that sandwich for lunch - really, something that leaves you hungry in less than 3hrs but with the caloric content of more than a third of your daily intake is not worth having.

There we are - just some thoughts that have been churning about from those discussions. Happy eating and healthy living! (Or at least try...)

借酒消愁的方法

人若然不开心，醉也是理所当然。心越痛就越该慢慢地一杯一杯地让它痛。痛过后人就会觉得累，觉得累了就会很容易醉，醉醒了人就会觉得舒泰。这，才是借酒消愁的方法。

-- <<金枝欲孽>>

CoCo Restaurant - A Review

We were out yesterday for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner, as E was away for work last weekend, and thought that CoCo’s “Date Night on a School Night” special would be a good way to celebrate the occasion.  

Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by its décor – classy at the entrance, kitschy at the near wall, cosy towards the back with tea lights and rose stalks on the tables, and pop-arty on the other walls. It was a bit of a hodgepodge, but I loved it. I thought for a moment that we were the only customers in this large restaurant, until I spotted the couple in the curved seats against the wall – a good sign.


The dinner deal comprised 3 courses each and a bottle of wine for just £50 per couple. As there were so many menus on their website, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that we could choose anything at all from the ala-carte menu. Orders placed, we sipped the wine that had been served. It was a Spanish Grenache rosé, with a label that read “I ♥ Rosé”. E joked that with such a label the wine couldn’t be anything fancy, but it was nonetheless deliciously smooth and fruity, with no hint of a bite. 

The scallops were my favourite dish for the night.

I hadn’t had scallops (rp £8.50) in a while, and couldn’t wait to tuck into their plump flesh when my starters arrived. The scallops were done just right – seared and lightly caramelised on the outside, and firm and sweet when biting into their gorgeous flesh. The carrot puree enhanced the sweetness of the scallops, although the black pudding seemed a bit overpowering against the scallops’ subtle flavours.  

I would have slurped up more cream if it wouldn't have looked so unbecoming

I couldn’t take my eyes off E’s prawn linguine (rp £7.25) either. I felt that there was slightly too much dill in the dish, but still happily slurped down the fresh prawns and delicious cream. It was a sizable portion, and as much as I’d have liked some bread to soak up the cream, that might have proven too much for a starter.


I actually liked the simple salad with blue cheese dressing a lot.
 

I was in the mood for meat, and the choice was clear when I discovered that there was no top-up for the Hereford Sirloin (rp £22.50). It was my first time having steak served this way: topped with chopped chives and onion in a blue cheese sauce. Although I’m not a big fan of onions or chives, I found the toppings surprisingly juicy and flavourful, if just a little pungent.  

The fan-shaped arrangement of the baby carrots is adorable. Would've sampled more of the pigeon and venison if my main weren't much bigger

E meanwhile had gone for the Co. Wicklow wood pigeon and venison (rp £19.95), which was beautifully presented with potato fondants, baby carrots, Jerusalem artichokes and blackberry halves. The pigeon was succulent and not in the least gamey, distinguishing it from what we’d tried at Shu. The venison was just as divine - well seasoned with the right amount of saltiness. Comparing it with what I’d thought at that time was good venison just 3 weeks ago at La Bastille, it seems like venison could benefit from a heavier hand with the spices.  

My favourite part of the mains, however, was the home-made, double-cooked French fries that we didn’t manage to snap a picture of. They were crisp on the outside, soft without being soggy, and had the most addictive batter. I was quite full by then, but we polished off the entire bowl of the best fries – double-cooked or otherwise – I’ve ever had.  

Looks are deceiving: the parfait was delicious and the heap of orange peel marmalade was quite substantial too.

E is a big fan of the chocolate-orange combination, and it was no surprise that he went for the blood orange chocolate parfait (rp £5.50). The parfait was rich and creamy with just a hint of bitter chocolate, while the blood orange marmalade was tart and the peel lent a lovely texture.  

Doesn't this remind you of summer?

E had some of the marmalade left, and I actually liked how it went with my coconut pannacotta (rp £5.50), which was light, smooth and creamy. The pannacotta had a sweet and tangy accompaniment of chopped mango, passion fruit and kiwi; its tropical flavours making it all the more enjoyable being savoured in the middle of winter.  

This is about half of the section we were in; there was another section to the right.

CoCo’s service was leisurely and friendly throughout dinner – perfect for a date night. Our half of the restaurant eventually got a bit fuller with 5 couples in total, and there couldn’t have been more than another table or two on the other side of the walls. It was wonderful, and a far cry from last year’s experience of being wedged between two couples in Zen on Valentine’s night itself.  

The food at CoCo was absolutely delightful. The flavours and textures were great and I loved every dish. The “Date Night on a School Night” deal itself is a bargain – just the courses would have cost us £69 ala-carte, and the wine would have brought it to at least £80. CoCo comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a wonderful date night.

CoCo Restaurant

7-11 Linenhall St,
Belfast, BT2 8AA
028 9031 1150