Off French Fries and Grape Soda

 It was a fine working day for me. Well, every working day is, not to say physically exhausting, but the mental load I have to bear is quite humongous, since it's my first week handling cases alone. It didn't dawn to me until this incident that all of that might have taken a toll on my psyche, or maybe it's just a process through my learning curve to deliver this job.

I went home with a craving for fried chicken from this new fried chicken franchise that just opened. Well not to say I have tasted this one before, at least not here. I actually have tasted it in its original country when I went for Umrah few years back. Yes, it's Al-Baik chicken. I loved it back then, since they injected the spices into the chicken before they fried them, making the spice literally seeps into the chicken.

Having though that, I went to the place, and ordered a set. I ordered a 2 piece set, with grape soda. As they take their own sweet time to prepare the food, and my patience are running thin, when they call my number, I just went to take the to-go order without checking. I was excited to jump start eating the fries in my car while driving home. I started my car straight away and drive. At the first red traffic light, my hand reach for the fries from inside the plastic bag, only to notice they're not there. "Maybe its inside the chicken boxes", I thought, and look, but sure enough, it's not.

My eyes started to get misty. I want my fries! Where's my piping hot fries? I've been craving for fries for about a month now, so imagine my disappointment when it's not there. I flipped. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this hormonal woman who's on her period flipped over some fries. I turn my car around back to the chicken joint while tears running down my dark brown crystals.

When I reached the place, I take a few deep breath to calm myself down. I get out of car, went inside the joint with the plastic bag containing my recently bought food, and the workers are puzzled to see me there. I went straight to the empty counter with a stern expression and voice, I said "There's no fries. And garlic sauce". I look at them, to see if they're listening. They nodded, straight away prepare my fries. "... and I ask for grape soda, NOT orange soda", I take out the orange soda and put it on the counter. Realising their mistake, it took them less than a mere minute to prepare both fries and grape soda. When they put it all in my plastic bag, I said "garlic sauce", still the same stern face and voice. They give me a larger container of garlic sauce instead of individual one, which I'm sure its because they felt guilty. I reach for the plastic and checked for everything, and with the same stern expression "thank you", I take the plastic bag containing the food and storm out of the joint.

There it is. I'm a happy woman now. I got my fries. All is right with the world. To be completely honest, I have half a mind to give the worker some piece of my mind for not checking my order properly, but I give them a pass. It's my mistake too for not checking before I get to my car. I usually do, though. I think my stern, tear stained face has been enough they they remember to check orders before giving them to other customers.

So, that's the end of the story. Not to say its a big story, but I can't seem to get it out of my mind, thus me telling it here. Have a great weekend folks! 

Xo xo

Walls

I promised I'd check in but hey, it's 3 weeks later and here I am. Well at least I'm here, shut up!

So. My training at work almost over. Not to say I know everything that is to know about my job exactly, but I think I know enough. And frankly I'm grateful they didn't just sic the work on me raw without any trainings.

How was it? Its overwhelming at first, new things always are. But it gets better. Colleagues are all nice, including the boss, whick I don't think just anyone could experience. I'm lucky.

The thing I want to talk about today. Walls. As I'm sure, everyone has built walls around themto protect themselves from something, you name it; from being hurt, from being seen, from all their secrets. Myself included. And yes, in the recent years, I realize I have this fear of beeing seen. Probably from childhood trauma or something, I'm not sure (or I rather not say :p). I'm always nice, but I push people away when I feel like I'm starting to care about them. Yes, avoidance attachment.

I have a friend that willalways reach out to eve even when I'm being an asshole to her. She knows how much I care about her despite me always pushing her away many times. I think she's the first person to bring that wall down. And I thank God for her. 

The walls are still there, but after her, they were torn down more, no less by Pound. Sounds strange, isn't it? Before Pound, I have trouble with people hugging me. Not even my family and close friends. Of course I tolerate it from time to time, but the general verdict is: I dont like them. Litlle by little, Pound Pros (there's one in particular but I wont put her name here) torn this wall down by hugging me and asking how I am after almost each session, and I feel myself opening up. Funnily enough, this coincide with me still being a psych student, so I am more aware of my feelings.

Feelings are a funny thing. Naming them too. And what to do with them? We need to sit with them, let us feel them. Thwn we can move on. Sounds cliché, isn't it? But it works for me. If you're sad, cry. Yes crying isn't pleasant at the moment, but it helps you regulate that sad emotion. Don't block them.

My new job, I think is doing a great job in tearing the walls down further. It's because this job requires me to be genuine and empathetic. Not everyone can do this, not saying that I'm the most capable or I'm an angel, but I want to do this. To add value in someone's life.

So, yeah. There we are.

Xo xo

Prodigal daughter goes to work

So, yes. It's my first day of work. I'm not sure if I ever updated whether I got the job or not, but I do. And today is my first day.

My working hour is actually 9-6, but due to traffic, I started my journey at 6.40-ish. I just arrived (7.40-ish). Woah the traffic is, well a challenge.

Excited. Nervous. Well, new things does that to you. Hope I can manage and adapt. See ya!

Bombers; Jalapeno

 So here it comes. I make my own jalapeno bombers. But, since its my first time, its still a fixer upper (sighs).

I make the damn thing by just deseeding jalapeno, cut them into small pieces, then shred the cheese (I use red cheese), flour, egg, flour, egg then panko.

What can I improve? 

Red cheese are a bit overpowering by its own in this. So I think for the next time, we should add cream cheese to it. The ratio of cheese to jalapeno shouldn't be 1:1, Maybe like 3:1, 1 being the jalapeno. We should cut the jalapeno finer, and blanch it longer, to soften it up. Maybe add some paprika powder + a bit of salt since we're adding the cream cheese. Taste the damn thing before rolling it, yes you can taste it because it doesn't contain any egg.

This batch, maybe we can eat it with some ketchup or something? 

So yeah. Thats that. Here's some pictures. Enjoy! 

The Red Windbreaker

 A couple of things:

• Blogging is fun!
• If I'm Pounding in my long windbreaker, when I want to record videos of myself, I need to zip up the sumbitch. It's unflattering.

I've had processed my recent interview and I gotta say, I still want it. Working there. Despite the place being literally in the heart of jammed highway, I think I can learn a lot there. Of course there's a lot to work on, but good thing this place believe in learning curve. They train new intakes. Even when interviewing, they tell me that all the skills will be learn in training session, and it takes time to get used to working there, and I believe them. They even dedicate Friday evenings for meetings and sharing among therapists there, focusing on their mental health, since they believe its vital for people in this line of work to have good be in good mental health, and this work require lots of mental and physical energy.

About Pound, oh yes, I even mentioned Pound in the interview. Why? Because after talking, they give me time to see for myself how they work, and I get to experience the activities with the students there. They have a playtime session, which the student chooses what activity they want to do. This cutie kid choses to hide and seek, more like cat and mouse, they run and we try to catch them. I had fun doing that, not gonna lie. I run to catch the kid. And the interviewer saw this. They said that they're impressed I could run quite fast, that's where I told them that I do Pound, and mentioned that there's generation Pound, which is for kids, not just normal ones but also neurodivergent ones. They seem interested. 

I'm actually feeling better. No voices. So I don't think the thing on Monday is an episode, probably just me feeling overwhelmed because that was literally my first interview ever in ages. So kudos to that. Im still trying to avoid social media, but I dont want to miss out on things. FOMO much?. I just, we, Rep girlies are still clowning over maybe Tay will release Rep TV on CNY, since the next year is snake year. But to be completely honest, I didn't get my hopes that high. Never did. I actually like Rep the way it is. Just curious about the vault track.

 We have people coming here today since its a holiday. So gotta go help mum in the kitchen. Yeah daughter of the year, I know ><.

Xo xo pipol

Have a great holiday!