2011 out, 2012 in.

2011 was (is), in a word, trippy for me. There were many lows and many highs. I took the several trips this year, a year I had dubbed as my Adventure Wow Philippines year. I took my first plane ride, got to help in publishing a book, threw myself off a platform into a gorge with nothing but metal clips and high tension wires to prevent me and a couple of good friends from dropping into a tree-filled ravine, changed jobs, got taken off the singles’ market, joined a publishing group, met a lot of new friends, and lost a few.

Let’s start at the beginning.

I can’t feel my arms

This morning I came to the realization that I have woefully let myself go. Back when I still worked in Makati, while I wasn’t necessarily concerned about my diet, I walked five kilometers a week. Now, I wake up at noon, then plod the few steps to my desk, wipe the drool off my face and work. The consequences of this deploring new exercise regiment got up this morning, pointed at me and laughed its ass off.

Last night, Nanay was making siopao for an order of 70 pieces. It was needed in the morning, therefore, it needed to be made in the dead of night. I, obviously overestimating my atrophied muscles, volunteered to make the dough. It’s fairly easy to make: lukewarm water, put in some yeast, throw in some sugar, wait a few minutes, add in some flour, add in some baking powder, mix, add more flour, add lard, mix, and add the rest of the flour. By the end of the mixing phase, you should get a slightly sticky, lumpy mass. Kneading for around 20 minutes gets the lumps out, making the dough smooth and springy (This is tested via a poke test. The dough should spring back when poked.)

By the time I finished the second batch of dough, I was sure I pulled a muscle on my right shoulder, and my arms were threatening to fall off. Making dough is pretty grueling, though I have to admit that it’s strangely cathartic. Kneading is pretty much abusing the dough as if it said something bad about your mother.

Right out of the mixing bowl, dough starts out flaky and falls apart rather easily. You spread flour on the clean counter so it doesn’t stick. You start “working” the dough. It looks pretty violent, because it is. You stretch, roll it into a ball, stretch, roll again. Repeat until the dough looks smooth and passes the poke test. It’s a lot of work, but it’s pretty fulfilling. Especially when you watch the dough rise, put it in the steamer, and finally get siopao (my ‘special siopao’ is made with just the dough with some salted egg inside) for your troubles.

Anyway, I think I need to do something to get fit again. I have a lot of other figurative siopao to make.

Moving is a Bitch with Acid Spit

My life has become a series of moves this past couple of weeks (including this one): house moves and web hosting moves, among others. Those of you who have moved house or web property at least once know that moving is a bitch with acid spit – one who harbors extreme hatred for you and would happily claw your eyes out if it ever catches you sleeping.

The Hosting Move

About two weeks back – Black Friday, which heralds the coming of Commercialistmas in the US – there were loads of sales and promos that extended to Cyber Monday. The Overlord, the webhost for both Young Underpaid Professionals and The Antithesis Collective, bought new hosting services from another company. She informed me of this before and after actually purchasing new hosting. I never really thought about the consequences/work I’d have to do after she transfers everything from one hosting to another until last week when she said that there were too many files to upload.

/cue Psycho music before knife descends on Janet Leigh/