Taiwan Days 1-3

Wow. It's the 3rd day that I've set my foot on Taiwan soil, but I keep thinking it's the 2nd full day instead of 3, because on the first day I got home, took a shower, and slept.

Nov 27th 2008 - Nov 30th 2008

I'm currently living at my granny's house, and I miss my shower box. T_T
They use a bathtub with a shower head, and the room can't seem to get heated up because of the inconvenient-to-open window. DX
Whenever I get out I shiver, because it's so cold. I have to rub myself down real quick or I'll get a cold, or something. D:
Can't complain though. But I do miss my house.

Everything I've seen these past 3 days are so... nostalgic. Everything comes back to me one by one as I see the sights I used to see every time I come back. Including the drain covers, the crowded streets, THE SCOOTERS THREADING THROUGH THE CARS, the pot plants crammed outside the houses, the convenience stores you can find every 100m or so (lol), the TV stations.... etc. Ahhhhh..... *tears*

Also, the snack foods, the fast internet, the the the... everything. TT^TT

It's good to see my Granny. She has short hair instead of her old curly hairstyle now. She's also... so much more older. :<
My 5th Auntie has gotten prettier from the last time I remember. My cousins (5th Auntie's kids) are 11, 9, and 7. 2 older boys, and a little girl. They've gotten so much bigger, too. D:

I realised that I'd forgotten to bring the portable hardrive back..... but thank goodness I loaded the July Shinbans on D:\ on this lappy. However, I still have to find a time to watch them. Preferably when my Granny goes to sleep in the afternoons and my cousins aren't hogging this lappy playing AOE II Conquerors. Lol.
I miss my J-music already.... but I don't want them asking me why all my music are J, so I'll just have to learn to survive without it for the meanwhile. Or until I figure something out.

My bro joins me on the 4th. Mmm. Then we're all gonna go get a haircut together, my fringe keeps poking me in the eyes, it's annoying.

OH YEAH, my cousins and 5th Uncle and Auntie plays MAPLESTORY XDDDDDDD. In Taiwan they have these chip reader cards to prevent hacking and fraud for most online games. I saw my 5th Auntie's account, it's a cleric lvl 162. Lol. Awesome.

My cousins play a lot of mini games on the internet... I feel sorry for them somewhat because they're still noobish. D: It's a bit sad calling them that but yeah, I was like that too when I was young.

I think that's it so far. I bought a whole lot of snack foods like, Guai Gaui, Kinder Surprise, APPLE BREAD, Ferro Rocher, Caramel Milk Candy, Yakult, PUDDING.... and lots more is due to be bought. MWAHAHAHHAHA.
Ahhhhhh... stuff that you can't get anywhere except Taiwan. Also, I saw a wig shop on my way to Granny's from the airport, it's near her house. I might chance a go at that shop to buy a wig for my Rena cosplay.... I hope.

OK, that's it for me now.
There's Keroro Gunsou on Cartoon Network, Sat, 12-12:30pm, I thinks. Also Ranma 1/2, Ninja Hatori, along with other many anime that are so nostalgic as well. ^o^

Mwah! End it here I thinks.

EDIT: I forgot to add that on my second day back (first full day) my 2nd Uncle took us all out to eat at a Korean shop. Maaaaan~ it was delicious but I was so stuffed as well! I can never eat much for the first meal of the day!

When I read this on Rumbel's main website.....

So, the time of judgement is upon us and we received a total of 3 C&D (Cease and Desist) letters from FUNimation concerning Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!, Soul Eater and D. Gray-Man.

The phenomena that have henceforth occured are listed below:
- The Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! Famiglia suddenly found themselves being raided by the Millefiore.
- Excalibur was let loose and took over the Soul Eater team who weren't able to resist.
- The DGM group ran out of Innocence and the Earl was victorious.

So, that's it ^^;

I just totally died inside. D: I can't believe it.... no more uncut versions of Soul Eater..... I just hope some other group decides to pick up the uncut version... T_T

I feel like growing taller the Zetsubou way.... noooooooooooooooooooooo..... I can't believe it.... I want to refuse to believe it.... wahahahhahaha~ *wails and bawls*

Looks like I can get the regular prime time slot version now.... DX

Taro Bread Buns

Well, let's just say that I was browsing this website yesterday and I found a yummy looking recipe that mum wanted me to make.

So that aside, I've started mixing and kneading the dough. But for some reason, the dough was quite hard to and firm even though I added some extra water. It was hard work kneading it, and I managed to get the gluten development somewhere like medium, before the lactic acid in my muscles couldn't take it anymore. So now it's under the bright sun, yeast reproducing and fermenting. :)
We haven't had a sunny day like this ages, so why not take advantage of it? Today's also Election Day in NZ, my parents are going to vote for National while my bro (he's 18 this year) is going to vote for Act. I'm not 18 yet so I can't vote. But even if I could, I wouldn't know who to vote for.

I still have yet to cook the frozen taro that's sitting in the fridge.....

I took lots of photos so I'll post some of them up now. :)

Since my mum's got a cold, so her throat's not feeling so good, I cut the sugar back 20 grams.
I decided not to glaze the buns with eggy milk.... it was too much of a hassle.

Ingredients:

• 180g water
• 1/2 tablespoon yeast
• 320g bread flour
• 80g cake flour
• 80g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon milk powder
• 1 egg
• 40g butter (room temperature)

Method:

1. In a clean bowl mix your flour together. Add the yeast, sugar, salt and milk powder to the flour and mix well until evenly distributed.
   
   
2. Beat the egg in a separate container/bowl before adding to the dry ingredients. Add your water slowly and mix to form a dough.
   
   
3. When you have mixed all the ingredients and cannot see any more flour, add your butter in now. Continue kneading until high gluten development.
   
   
4. Place your dough at a warm place (around 28℃) and let it rise for 2 and a half hours.
   
   
5. Punch the dough down and remove from the bowl.
   
   
6. Divide into 12 pieces, each should be around 60 grams each. Mould the dough pieces into a round shape.
   
   
7. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a oblong shape. Spread the mashed taro on it.
   
   
8. Roll the taro-dough slab up rightly, and cut in the middle, but not completely through. Squash it flat so it has a nice spiral purple-dough pattern.
   
   
9. Brush with eggy milk (or omit) and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
   
   
10. Leave for second proofing at 38℃ for about 55 minutes.
    
    
11. Bake at 190℃ for 15-20 minutes.
    

I'll update some more as I finish making/baking it!

Ingredients

Cake flour/weak flour/soft flour

Bread flour/strong flour/hard flour
Flour combined

Add in the dry ingredients

Dry ingredients combined

Add in the egg and water

Formed a dough

Add in the slab of butter

All ingredients combined and kneaded

Dough ready to rise
Outside under the sun rising The taro packet Back of the package
Mashed taro (with sugar and butter)
The dough in 12 pieces
Roll it out!
Spread the taro mash up

Roll it into a swirl...
Cut it in half, but not completely through

Squashy

All ready for second proofing

Wow~ mouth watering!

Dekita!!!! Dad got sneaky and ate one already!

Dorayaki take 2

So, I felt like making Dorayakis again since last time they didn't come out very good. :< Here's the one I used this time.

I had only a little honey left in the bottle so I decided to use it all even though it was a bit much. The resulting dorayaki came out a little sweeter than preferred, but that's OK.
Since I didn't feel like mixing the cornflour and flour together to make cake flour.... I just used normal flour instead.


Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 100g sugar
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon salad oil
• 1 1/3 teaspoons baking soda
• 150g cake flour/normal flour
• 40-60ml water

Method:

1. Whip the eggs in a clean bowl. Remember to whip the batter a bit to incorporate the ingredients between each ingredient addition. Add the ingredients in the following order:
   Sugar, honey, salad oil then baking soda.
   
   
2. Sift half of the flour and whip into the batter, until smooth. Sift in the rest of the flour and whip until smooth again.
   
   
3. If the dough is tight and/or hard, add a little water to loosen/relax it.
   
   
4. Rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cooking:

1. Turn on your stove to medium and place a non-stick pan to heat up. The Tefal range is very useful for telling you when it's hot! Turn the heat down to low when the pan is nice and hot.
2. Pour a bit of the batter in the pan. Remember to stop the batter on the edge of the bowl dripping all over the place.
   
   
3. DO NOT TOUCH THE DORAYAKI UNTIL BUBBLES APPEAR ON ITS SURFACE. This is because if you do, the uncooked batter will get on your spatula, and the side won't brown nicely. :<
4. Flip the dorayaki when bubbles appear. I repeat, DO NOT TOUCH THE DORAYAKI AGAIN until a minute or two. It won't brown nicely if you're impatient.
   
   
5. Lift the dorayaki out of the pan and place on a plate to cool. It's ready to eat! Serve with a dab of butter and maple/golden syrup. Yum!