Like staring into a magic cauldron.

Alicia Keys playing in the background. My sauce is reducing on the stove behind me. Ma's sound asleep. Staring down the boiling pot of beouf jus, following the velvet sheen that slows on the edges of the boil, I found a zen place. I had to reflect.

The past week was packed with activities. The first place we went was Wonderland. A roller coaster park is a good way to start and describe the week. I came out of the week feeling nauseous. Under the hood, there're so many kinks.

Nevermind the issues. Let me tell you about roller coasters. They don't scare me any longer. Some time between 12, when I was last here, till now, I grew some balls. All the possible rides imaginable were there. Coasters standing up, dangling down, vertical drops, mammoth-sized (above). I rode them all. I skipped the pussy ones I used to enjoy, the swan on the water, the helicopters for two on small tracks.

I think it's here that I found how nice it is to fly. When I was scaling the Behemoth's first climb, I was oddly calm. I thought I'd be shitting my pants, but I couldn't wait for the drops. What on earth happened to me?

Call me odd to think too much over something trivial, but that's me. The next day I was still puzzled, disturbed rather, on why does things not excite me like they used to? Jie's friend, Kenneth, dropped by my place that day to do some shooting for my food. This was event number two that sent me further into excessive-unproductive-reflection (EUR, not Europe.) I put in some thought into the food planning, but not enough I think. I was buying too many ingredients, wanting to explore too many things. I didn't put much thought into food costs. Then Ma told me this, 'as a chef, you need to know food costing. You sure you need all this?' I was incredibly affected.

My dishes didn't really turn out the way I wanted, and some things didn't work like how I'd like it. But taste wise, it was good nonetheless. Again, I overdone the chicken. This point of time, I just wanted to end my life... I know mistakes are good to learn from, but I hate to make them. It's a shit feeling.

This was the white truffle soup. I'm frugal with food. I waste little. I bought a box of yellow oysters from the farmer's market, and made use of the stems for the body of the soup. Topped it off with chive Chantilly, chive flowers, and some truffle oil. I liked this very much.

Jardinière of Ontario spring vegetables. Made of pickled ramps, wilted ramp leaves, roasted green garlic, yellow beans, shaved Jerusalem artichokes, fiddle head, asparagus, purple baby carrots, and easter egg radish with some water cress sprouts. With this was a rhubarb-raspberry vinaigrette, and some green herb oil. It's served warm, all but the pickled ramps.

On Victoria Day, Ma and I did something crazy. To even think of going hiking on a public holiday is radical to me. I have no idea what I was thinking... At least Ma wasn't alone walking with others. Although I went ahead near the end of the walk to run away from the crazy mosquitoes. We walked loads. 6 hours worth of it in the pleasant sun. I loved the weather, it was the perfect day for a hike. But nature can only get that exciting to me... I was bored at the second hour.

I did a mistake of being adventurous. There was a rock cliff along the path in the woods. I decided to jump off it. I slipped off an edge of mossy rock and was forced to jump off. A few scratches and one huge blow to my ankle. I'm now still feeling the effects of that jump...

Things to come in June:
1. Visit by Aunty Amy.
2. New York.
3. Jie and ZY's birthday.
4. Back to school.

I don't feel like posting further...