Super Easy Uiro Mochi 【ういろう作ってみた】

Yesterday I tried making uirou （ういろう）which is a Japanese traditional sweet, or wagashi （和菓子）. Uirou, a specialty of Nagoya, is a mochi-like confection that is firmer than mochi (it holds the shape of its mold better), and has been said to be somewhat similar in texture to konnyaku.

The recipe was ridiculously simple - mix and microwave. It was so simple that I was convinced it would turn out to be a fabulously troublesome monstrosity of goo, but no. It actually did become what I believe it was supposed to become. Boy was I fascinated when I took my wobbly Ditto out from its mold :3

My uirou may be pink but don't be fooled - it's vanilla-ish flavoured. I added pink food colouring on a whim. Here's what my uirou looked like, all cut up and ready to serve ↓

The ingredients I used were as follows:

★ 80g of all-purpose flour (you can also use rice flour)
★ 60g of sugar
★ 250ml of water
★ A pinch of salt
★ 1/2 a tablespoon of a flavouring of your choice (I used vanilla xD)
★ Pink food colouring just for fun.

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl, then gradually mix in water while whisking. Mix until all lumps are gone.

2. Strain the mixture into a heat-proof container (I used a round Pyrex container). I think it's better to use a square one if you have it. Make sure the liquid sits a few inches away from the top of the container.

3. Cover the top of the container with plastic wrap (leave some parts unwrapped on any two sides of the container) and pop it in the microwave. Mine was cooked in 6 minutes using a 700W microwave.

4. Let sit to cool completely then refrigerate, and you're done! :)

To make these, I took reference from these two recipes:
http://lunulata.tumblr.com/post/54725914806/uiro-an-easy-delicious-japanese-confection-you-can
https://en.cookpad.com/recipe/189420

It's a really simple recipe, and really fun to make and eat. You can try it out with all sorts of flavourings - matcha, strawberry, chocolate, red beans, etc. I wish I had matcha powder on hand! This would have been perfect xD

昨日「ういろう」作ってみました！
意外と作り方は簡単すぎて、上手く出てくるのかなって不安がありました。笑
見た目は微妙ですが味とテクスチャーはよく出てきました（＾＾）
材料はシンプルで、簡単に電子レンジで作れます！

詳しいレシピはこちらです↓
http://cookpad.com/recipe/189420

作るのは簡単で楽しいんで、みんなさんも作ってみてください♬

アリシア

Now listening: I Swear - All 4 One

Japanese Sweet Potato Cake

I tried making this sweet potato cake the other day and it turned out deliciously. It's a very easy, no-frills recipe that anyone can make, so I hope you have fun trying it out!

Ingredients:

• 300ml of milk
• 150g Japanese sweet potato (steamed or baked)
• 80g of sugar
• 50g of hotcake mix (I used all-purpose flour with some baking powder)
• 50g margarine (or butter)
• 2 eggs

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender or electric mixer.
2. Pour the mixture inside a round pan or oven-safe bowl lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes. Leave it in the oven and bake with the remaining heat for an additional 5 minutes if required.

Mine turned out like this :)

Collage-Making for Perfectionists

Hey everyone!

Today I'll be sharing some tips for collage-making. I'm not a pro or anything, just here to share some of the lessons I learned (the hard way) while making picture collages of my friends and I.

(I know it's not the best example, but here's the one I made most recently)

1. You can't use one type of glue for everything.

Yes, clueless as I was, I so naïvely thought I could use that almighty UHU glue for everything, bearing in my mind the thought that I "just gotta make 'em stick together!" Bad way of thinking. 

Enjoy Japanese: They Have Cute Characters

If you're new to learning the Japanese way of writing, know that there are four types of writing that is used in Japanese: Kanji, hiragana, katakana, and Romaji, which is the Latin alphabet that we all already know. Hiragana and katakana altogether is referred to as kana.

If I were to pick which one of these four that I enjoyed learning the most, it would definitely be hiragana. Mostly because of their aesthetic appearance, and how they're just so distinctly Japanese. So hiragana is what I'll be featuring in this post.

I learned these the generic way too - PRACTICE. Really, I too wished I had an amazing shortcut to store all these characters in my head at once.

Well, without further ado, let me expose you to the wondrous characters of hiragana!

Essential Korean Phrases for Travel

Hi!

So you might have read from my last post, that I've recently been to Seoul. Technically it was a four-day "transit" so we didn't stay very long. It was my first time in Korea, and although the weather was far from desirable (more like a tourist's worst nightmare really) it didn't stop us from enjoying the sights of Seoul. Except for the Namsan Tower. Guess we'll have to come back for that! (haha ;D) I would love to explore Korea more in the future (not just Seoul).

Now for what the post is all about!

Btw: I'm a learner of Korean, not a native speaker. However, I am a fellow traveller/learner, so here I am sharing my knowledge with you :D Here are some essential phrases you might want to keep in mind as a tourist in Korea!

* "Key Words" are the most crucial/focal words of the sentences.

1. 화장실이 어디에요? (hwa-jang-shil-i eo-di-e-yo?) = Where is the toilet?

2. 길을 잃어버렸어요. (gil-eul ee-reo-beo-ryeo-sseo-yo) = I've lost my way.

3. 길을 좀 가르쳐주세요. (gil-eul jom ga-reu-chyeo-ju-se-yo) = Please show (lit. tell/teach) me the way.

Me on Multitasking

Greetings!

I have irresponsibly abandoned my blog for two months.

Surely one will find this excuse overused, but I'm busy. I'm not kidding though, I really am. I'll have you know that I am writing my second book. (See, gap year students are not without activities)

Here I am about to go on yet another ramble about life skills, qualified or not. :)

A month ago, I decided I had to get back on my laptop and stop killing zombies on another computer, where my brother's stash of snacks are at reach. So, I decided to put on hold my trilogy project and work on a single, sequel-free book for now. I also challenged myself to finish it in one month. The rule was simple - a chapter a day. Surprisingly it's going really well, with only one more chapter to go! :D

I am a student in my gap year, therefore I find it crucial that I learn to manage my time properly. Of course, nothing is ever easy at first. But there is always hope, and clouds have silver linings. Feel free to come up with any other saying that elaborate on the existence of hope.

So, anyway, today blog post is about the vital life skill of multitasking.

In the workforce or school (maybe just life in general), people expect you to be everything they want you to be. They will want you to do many things at once, but will not want you to be so frizzed out you go for sick leave and trouble them. Thus, they will want you to be a multitasking humanoid.

Nobody is born with it. It is an acquired skill, perfected through years and years of practice, self-motivation through guilt, and numerous guilt-inducing snack bars.

There are various kinds of multitasking. Allow me to show you three of the more prominent forms. (Note: Difficulty decreases with number)

1. The Good Kind of Multitasking

What parents expect their hardworking children to do. The utilisation of a laptop as a learning tool is shown. In this form of multitasking, one is expected to take notes, search the Internet for information, memorise facts, and cover as many subjects as possible within a short time frame.

If possible, they want you to do your homework while studying for that test you have tomorrow. For that you'd need to possess a multiprocessor brain, of course.

Language Learning: The Art of Perseverance

Hello again!

You know, I learned something today. (Yes, one of my current pastimes)

It's not easy to get rid of a bad habit. In this post I shall talk about this one: giving up too quickly. This is a topic that is close to my heart. Let me just say, in all honesty, that I'm not one to speak when it comes to this. There, I've said it.

It's always easier to talk about how you want to improve. Talk is cheap.

There are still times when I experience a sudden loss of motivation/interest in a particular language (I'm looking at you, Chinese). You can say my interest sort of fluctuates if it's not strong.

This is why I can be prone to stopping after learning a few basic phrases.

 

Complying with a New Year's Resolution

Well, hello there!

I've done it again. Been absent from this blog for a while, even though I never forgot my duty to update :P

I sincerely apologise m(._.)m

How's everyone coping with 2013? Is it so far on its way to becoming a carbon copy of 2012? Well, I hope not :) Every year should bring something different, but still equally as memorable.

I am trying to make changes in 2013. My O-So-Ahmazing New Year's Resolution is messed up. I've never made like, concrete lists of resolutions. I usually make mental ones, hence they are more vulnerable to being forgotten :-/

Okay, so I know it's a tad late to post this here. But I'm still doing it. Some of them are as follows:

1. Spend more wisely. Easier said than done, obviously.
2. Love more, hate less. Really...hatred leads to anger, and anger makes my aging more prominent.
3. Smile more in pictures. Euphoria FTW B-)
4. Lose weight. Still trying to be friends with a hand-me-down elliptical trainer, but what is a mere 20 minutes in real life feels like two hours while riding this tool.
5. Increase self-discipline. Writing regularly, updating this blog regularly, cleaning my room regularly and whatnot.
6. Finish my first book. It's more than 2/3 done! However I'll still have to proofread it again later on D:
7. Successfully learn to drive. I don't think this skill, if gained, would be of any use to me in the near future though.

And some more things :)

I am coping quite well with 2013. I'm still a sedentary soul who spends her days wandering the Internet and pouring her dreams out on her laptop. Don't get me wrong though - I don't stick myself to my computer all day long. But I know I am trying to accomplish something.

That is how you too, can comply with your resolution for the new year. Set goals, or pursue previous ones - those that you desire enough that the thought of it gives you the drive needed.

 

Yeah, you! (I have no idea why I drew a boy even though I most certainly am not one)

Language Learning - Listening by Ear

Hello again!

With this post, I begin my series of articles focusing on language learning tips. If you're in the process of learning or studying a language, whichever stage/level you may be in, I hope these tips may be of help!

This is my most effective method of picking up new vocabulary, sentence structures, common phrases said by the native speakers, and a few inside jokes - listening by ear.

What I mean is specifically the use of televised media (dramas, reality/variety shows and movies) and songs. I would never have gotten to my current levels (Japanese and Korean, especially) without them.

I would recommend learning the basics and pronunciation ways of the language first, so that the listening process may go more swimmingly. This way, when you listen and try to write the new word you picked up down, there will be less chances of misspelling it. Choose those with subs, because you will want to learn first, then test yourself with the raw (unsubbed) ones if you like.

Then at a certain point, cover the subs or simply don't look at them. Try to guess the topic of the conversation and then the point of each dialogue, even if the subs tempt you. Of course you don't have to do this for every dialogue you hear.

 

Drama: Seigi no Mikata (Episode 1)

Traffic Jam Survival

Hello!

In this post, I shall tell you how to survive a traffic jam ('macet' in Indonesian; it literally means 'congested', 'stuck' or 'blocked'), or simply when you are stuck in an immobilised contraption for an average to unacceptable amount of time. 

I live in a place where your patience is regularly trained. I myself can't understand how we Jakartans have been able to put up with this ongoing problem that has been haunting us for countless years. I don't drive (yet), but I've been through my fair share of idle road time. Some people may gone through worse, though. Like a whole day getting to Puncak, and sleeping in your car for the night. This may seem like an unforgettable adventure to some,  With all the horrible traffic jams happening nowadays, we barely go out of our area! -__-"

Sadly, no matter how much you believe in luck, it's never guaranteed that you won't ever meet with this...

 

Or this.