the universe

source: NY times 6/6/07.

the capital grille

oyster was good; steak tartare was good; except the egg was a bit too filling. bouchon / the left bank in CA had better ones.

my 14oz kona crusted dry aged sirloin was decent; but then i am not a steak person. Wally's 24oz porterhouse was good, and HUGE -- it looked bigger than a normal person's stomach! and surprising enough he finished it all before i was half way done...

service was good -- the porterhouse was too cold (i.e. lukewarm); the waiter heated it up and gave us extra creamed spinach, which we never got around to touch.

winelist was big but marked up at least 3x. we had no more room for dessert unfortunately.

the overall experience was nice; dining room a bit loud, and too close to the neighboring tables that we couldn't help overhearing others' conversations. also saw dan wolfe, our lab's alum; now a partner at a local VC, on the other end of the dining room. i guess CG is a popular business-y place.

if i had to choose, i actually would prefer redbones. its succulent pork ribs, as well as the careless yet attentive male waiter, are unbeatable so far.

all you want to know (or not) about tofu

wiki is simply amazing: it has all the details on the history, the types, the chemistry of coagulation, the nutrients, the recipes, as well as the use of tofu in cantonese language:

"In Chinese, the term "to eat tofu" (吃豆腐) is a commonly used euphemism for implying the unsolicited groping of a woman's breast or other body parts. Likewise, "selling tofu" is a polite euphemism for the ancient trade of prostitution.

Also in the Cantonese language, the term "mash tofu"(磨豆腐) is slang term for lesbian sex.

In Chinese culture, tofu is traditionally used as a food offering when visiting the graves of deceased relatives. It is claimed that the spirits (or ghosts) have long lost their chins and jaws, and that only tofu is soft enough for them to eat."

need better reasons to believe the contributing author is from HK?

曾子曰

曾曰：
唔赌唔知时运高
唔滚唔知身体好

子曰：
唔晕唔知要进补
唔病唔知太粗劳

finally sick

i knew it's coming, after weeks of overworking and overstressing myself: just turned in our poster @ hbs yesterday and made up some research project details to fit the budget proposal my advisor is supposed to be taking care of (i found, accidentally, there is also a lot of BS in science). i finally caught up with my sleep today; and then i got sick this afternoon. i wonder if someone has related psychology and physical health. it's not the first time i got sick only after the deadlines.

anyway, chinese soup with white fungus and un-nameable chinese herbs are the best for tonight.

the Namesake, Cafe of India, Masaala Dosa

the effect of watching the Namesake is indian food 2 nights straight: cafe of india at harvard sq Sat night, and Masaala Dosa in Billerica the following night. i do not think i am up for indian food for another month or so.

i am not a big fan of indian food in general; and i finally realize why it's hard for me to appreciate it.

1) i need meat, or seafood. the authentic indian food, according to my indian friend, is supposed to be vegetarian only. if there's meat, it will be chicken.

2) the curry is the main dish. the curry is the center of attention. to me, unfortunately, the curry is only a sauce; a complement to the meat. it doesn't help that curry is all about spices and i am not a big fan of spices. when i got the "royal thali" at Massala Dosa, i was asking: why do i need 10 different sauces to go with a bowl of rice? where is the entree?

3) in the cases where there is meat, the curry is always overpowering. chicken saagwala tastes the same as beef saagwala tastes the same as lamb saagwala tastes the same as fish saagwala.

貴人

I have reasons to believe, after consultation with Mr. E, Miss G, and Dr. P, that Mr. B was hitting on me; but for the longest time I didn't know how to tell him to go away because we are really good friends, and I want us to be friends (and friends only) forever.

Last week, when Mr. A, Mr. B and I were chilling out, Mr. A told Mr. B that my bf just did his x-c solo, when I was checking my voicemail from my bf. Mr. B was just calm and emotionless as usual. But since then, Mr. B hasn't called/messaged me. I guess Mr. A helped me send the correct message.

I thought it is quite a strong message (that she is not at all interested in dating) when a girl tells a guy that she has a bf somewhere!? Or does it take a third party to verify that the bf is real??