Reasons to Watch the Adverts

I listen to music while I work, but here I am writing blog posts about music. Distractions. Distractions! Sigh...

I don't watch a lot of TV. And the few times I actually decide to while away time watching TV, I end up flicking channels so much, that I probably watch more commercials than programmes. Yes, I'm one of those channel flickers!

Most commercials are easily classified into either 'absolutely ridiculous' or 'brilliant'. But I've found this other classification of 'Okay-ish decent ad, but superb soundtrack'. Sometimes when I need new music, I find them in adverts. 

I've picked out my top 8 (from what I can remember)

1. Nikon: Welcome Home, Radical Face 
Actually, I don't actually remember watching this on T.V. Probably on some website.

2. Sony Bravia: Heartbeats, Jose Gonzalez

They actually used 250,000 colourful bouncy balls on the streets of San Francisco. 

3. Airtel 3G: I Giorni, Ludivico Einaudi

Thank you Airtel for introducing me to the lovely pianist Einaudi.

Free Falling

This experience was definitely one of the most thrilling. I'm not someone who used to enjoy roller coasters. I've hated that feeling of my stomach in my throat or being upside down, but from the time I was small, I would somehow convince myself to just go on every ride. From screaming on the tora-tora at a fair in Vellore when I was 6, to keeping my eyes closed the entire Indiana Jones: the backwards roller coaster, and holding on so tightly that my hands got stuck on Space Mountain at Disneyland, my fears were slowly being conquered.

I think I've come a long way from that. I guess I have to thank my mother- a complete roller coaster freak who even braved the New York New York one in Las Vegas!

Anyway, so bungee jumping is one of the things on my bucket list. So what if the one I did was only 150 ft and off a crane and not off a bridge into a gorge or a skyscraper or something like that, it was still bungee jumping. 

Unable to convince anyone else except my brother to join me, we both prepared ourselves to 'just jump'. The travel across the city, the day hanging out in Phoenix and the pep talks to ourselves could only add to the excitement.

We watched a couple of people jump before us also to practice getting good shots. If we're only going to do this once, we'd better have good pictures. :)

Being at the top of the crane definitely seemed higher than how it looked from the ground. Quite a fab view! Unlike being on a roller coaster where you are harnessed and strapped down quite tightly, this was quite different; just my feet and a belt around my waist that I could barely feel. And before I could think of changing my mind, I dived off! The wind against my face, the ground racing towards me and just as I thought my head would smash into the face of the earth, I bounced back up-- that was the best part- going against gravity-- This is closest I've ever felt to flying. Quite superb. Just as I was thoroughly enjoying the whole thing, it was all over. :(

I will definitely do this again given the chance. Sky diving, base jumping, wing suit jumping are also on my list. :D

The smiles and adrenalin surge lasted the rest of the week!

Valentine Cookies

Hello again, 

Its been a while since I posted a recipe. Since Christmas, I haven't done much baking. Brownie Points is taking a break for a while because I am in the process of finding a job. Yes, I have finally decided that I've had enough of a break. I've already overshot my initial time table to finishing my portfolio. Oh well. It will all get done soon.

I'm not much of a romantic. According to my profile picture on Facebook (courtesy; Alicia Souza), I would happily devour my valentine! But here I am baking heart shaped cookies on Valentines day. I surprise myself sometimes.

One of my friends has a charity sale at work today, so I helped her baked some cookies for her to sell. We baked chocolate and vanilla hearts (and a few stars as well). This is the easiest recipe ever. If you aren't a baker and want to start, this is the recipe to start with.

Chocolate and Vanilla Hearts

(or stars or whatever shape cookie cutters you have)

This recipe is an adaption of one found in 'Cookshelf Baking' by Emma Patmore.

Combine 300g of butter with 250g of sugar, 1 egg and 1 tbsp of vanilla. Beat well with a wooden spoon till nice and smooth. Sift together 450g of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix with your hands to form a ball of cookie dough. Roll out to about 5mm thick. Dust flour on the surface, so that it doesn't stick. Cut out as many shapes as you can and then roll the extras out again and cut out more. I got about 40 from my batch. But that kind of depends on the size of your cookie cutters. Place onto a baking tray and bake in a preheated 170 degree oven for about 15 minutes. The cookies should be a little soft when you take them out. They will harden when you cool them.

For the chocolate batch. Put 300g of flour and 150g of cocoa powder. The rest of the measurements should be the same.

Once cooled, dust with icing sugar and eat them. If you're in a good mood, share with people.

Note:

1. If the dough is a bit sticky, add more flour. Even if it's a bit sticky, it's not going to roll easily.

2. Make sure you don't roll it out too thin. If the cookies are too thin, they stick to the baking tray and crack really easily. You will have lots of broken hearts. haha!

3. I powdered my own sugar, hence it's not that fine and doesn't melt fast (which usually happens with the humidity)

4. Store in an airtight container.