Remember Haw Flakes? Sure ya do. You got these red little coins-like confectionary in little life-saver-like packages in dozens in your hometowns' Chinatown.

You'd beg your grammom...or your gong-gong..your mother sometimes, for this sweet little treat. Sometimes they were fresh and came out, coin by coin...usually though, they had been sitting in the "yuek-choy" (medicinal) store much too long, and had solidified into one big chunk. Nevertheless, on the bus ride home..you happily sucked on the candies until they fell apart in your mouth.

Well. That's how I remembered them. And on Chinese New Year, we went up to Crystal mall (remember? I saw WALTER. I hear he's single..) and bought some amist the festivities. I haven't a chance to taste them until now.

It's one of those childhood things..

Chinatown is a ghosttown now though..with all the newer, cleaner, more modern chinese malls popping up in the suburbs, Chinatown is only a memory. ..it's uncleanly, it's noisy..all those ah-baak are always coughing up phlegm.... and of course you pass the fish place and all the stubbly yuu-lo (fish men) gak. (gak? is that right? you know. STARE.) And in my time...I'm paler than everyone, younger than everyone, and definately taller than all. Even the yuu-lo on the platforms.

So at least i have my non-judging, non-phlegm-flinging, non-smelly Haw flakes.

..I don't think they're smelly. Do you?

I had an interview this morning, and I am REALLY looking forward to working for this store!!! I actually have no major indication if they were interested in me or not. It was a VERY short interview, and mainly I asked all the questions. I figure "if she doesn't want to ask, I'll ask.. at least I won't feel like a retard having gained nothing out of this interview." So yeah. But she phone up my references, I found out. so let's start the thumb twirling..

..one of those references that she called was the current place of work...and apparently, the manager at the store was a little sad to find out. He called me before he returned the call.. and he seemed to take it personally. I felt SO bad...but I didn't even know until TODAY.. that it was for sure, so I guess I did the chicken-shit thing and postponed telling them that I was still looking for employment elsewhere. ggeee.

I'm going to call him tomorrow to explain things better to him.

My mother threw the task of preparing dinner for eight on me last night.

"oh...your dad's not coming home for dinner...I bought some steaks..let's see what you can throw together, huh?"

This was, mind you, at one thirty in the afternoon. Dinner was at six..I had no "workable" things in the fridge.

So I "threw together" a roast garlic potato cream soup..marinated NY steaks, herb-buttered mushrooms, pan-fried sugar peas, and a prawn bisque. Rice, macaroni for starch. No dessert...nothing fancy, but I really REALLY dislike taking credit for something that's half-assed, you know??

Anyways...things went okay, I was really proud of my bisque, as usual..and the roast garlic was a really yummy smell. While I was preparing it in the oven, both my sister and brother ran into the kitchen asking, "ooooh...what IS that..can I have some?"

So it was cool. I even prepared a vegetable stock for the sauces...I would have done a proper veal stock or something...anything with more "base" or body.. but again..I had nothing to work with..so as far as iron-cheffing it goes..

Well troops..it's been an exciting day. night.