Making sushi

Third attempt of making sushi roll worked out pretty well. Getting the right seaweed sheet and bamboo mat really makes a huge difference. I did a huge mistake though: I added the sushi rice wine BEFORE cooking the rice, and almost messed up my rice cooker :-m . Well, you learn something everyday :-m

Cleaning

It's time to do some cleaning. So I vacuumed my room and restroom, dust off places here and there, took a shower after then, and doing laundry right now. It's just nice to have the feeling of everything clean.

Possible because of digital

I recorded Saturday Night Live (musical performance by Pearl Jam) for my friend Alex (he's a fan) using my DVR (Windows Media Center 7). I set the schedule earlier today, and a while ago I just checked, and found that the show has been recorded. So I copied the 10Gb media file (direct 1080p HD signal) to my portable hard disk in 10 minutes so that I can bring it to Alex on Monday.

Suddenly I realized that to do the exact same thing 5 years ago was an extremely clumsy process. To tape a show for a friend back then, I have to set up my VCR with complicated programming setting, and when my friend watch the show on a VHS tape, it will be a lower quality video. Now I get the exact original quality in my DVR, with programming schedule extremely easy to be done, and I still have the show on my DVR after making a copy to my friend.

Digital technology makes it all possible.

Portal ... still love Portal

I just passed another level of Portal. 15 minutes spent, and I am putting it aside again.

Some may find my way of playing video game ridiculous. It's almost like watching Avatar 5 minutes every 2 months. But as much as I love playing video games, I really don't have time, and even when I get time, I usually only have 10 to 15 minutes to spend. And unlike movies and TV shows which SOMETIMES you can still have fun just listening to the content, you have to sit down and focus only on the game. It's like a commitment.

On the other hand, it also shows how great Portal a game is. Every time I pick it up after not playing it for long long time, I can still instantly get into the game and have some fun. Portal is the best hybrid of casual and hardcore gaming.

Finally the digital piano arrives

I realized that I made a smart decision NOT buying a digital piano at BestBuy and instead getting it from Amazon.com. The box arrived at 8:00 pm (the latest UPS delivery happened to me, ever) when I heard the UPS truck driver playing loud pop country music parking right in front of the front door of my place.

BTW, that truck driver has a pretty damn awesome audio system installed in the truck.

After signed the package, I tried to move the box to my room at second floor. I couldn't. The package was simply too darn heavy. So eventually I decided to open the box and move all the parts piece by piece to the second floor. Still, the piano (Yamaha DGX-630) was very heavy to carry around.

It took me about 30 minutes to set the piano up. And then, I found out that I underestimate how huge the piano is. So I had to reshuffle myself, like moving my digital drumset to the corner (sorry, V-Drum Lite), and such, but eventually got everything set up. I even installed the Mac driver and used the new piano to record some tunes in GarageBand. Neat.

So far I like the piano, and looking forward to spend a lot of time learning how to use it in optimal way. And also, use it to practice, like, lots of practice.

I only complain, though, is that it does NOT come with the USB cable. Sure any standard USB AB type cable will work, but if I already spent US$799 on a gear, why can't they just throw in a USB cable, which cost them less than 50 cents? Whatever.

Ate something bad

I think I sat something bad last night, and thus I went to the restroom twice this morning.

Carry my car around

In another part of my dream last night, I was driving back to HongKong, using some seemingly dangerous tunnel and underground road system. And when I reach the "destination", which was some sort of Chinese goods department store, I had to find a parking space, and eventually PUT THE CAR in a bag and CARRY IT. Staff was not that friendly there, but eventually a kind staff member (interesting enough, "played" by a member that I am not that familiar at the church I go to every week) help me to carry my car in a plastic bag.

The dream has some Doraemon feel.

Twins

For the first time in my life, I had a dream about working on a movie with a pop group Twins in Hong Kong. There was nothing spectacular about that dream. It's just a crew of production team walking from the basement of industry building to upstairs. The dream is just about everyone being friendly, supportive and helpful to each other. And Twins, as popular stars, are just like regular people, being friendly, and help carrying stuff and such. Really wonder why I had that dream.

Lost

I had a ballet class last night. After I went back home and unpack my stuff, I realized that I left my pair of ballet shoes at the changing room of ballet school. I am pretty sure that when I go back next week, the pair of shoes should be gone. It's not that the shoes are expansive that made me missed them. Quite a contrary, that pair of shoes, which was something I brought at mainland China, is pretty darn cheap. But it's pretty impossible to buy another pair this cheap in US. Plus I've wearing them for more than a year already, and felt a bit attach to it.