Bicycling

I was the original hipster.  I rode a fixed gear, with freewheeling, the only kind I knew for the longest time.  It wasn't until much later did I realize that there were actually bikes that could change gears and can cost over $100.  Surprise!

My father taught me how to ride.  I was 8 or 9 years old, in the football field.  The only protective gear I wore was a pair of Chelsea boots my mom got from god know where.  My father gave me a push and some words wisdom--like brake the back wheel not the front.  The next thing I knew I was in a ditch next to the football field.  We repeated this a few times until I was able to stay away from the ditch.  It was such an accomplishment that I didn't kill myself, bruises and cuts sure.  The worst accident shortly after I learned how to ride was I ran into a pregnant woman.  She was all right, more worried about me than herself.  Why didn't I brake?  Perhaps I used the back brake like my Dad had told me?  Blame it on Dad.  Actually I just read that front braking with the proper technique is the way to go but I always thought braking front would throw one off over the handle bar.

I remember I rode to primary school.  My friends (cool hipsters as well and like me totally oblivious they were hipsters) and I would just do some crazy stunts nonchalantly before school, during recess and after school, like dropping down a slope and coming back up sideways, hopefully; or tried to knock each other down using the back wheel or simply ran at each other.  Back then wearing a helmet bicycling was unheard of and probably a laughable idea.  After school and before dinner I would ride to pick up my sisters from the main roadway when they came back from work and ferried them home in the backseat, one at a time.  When I was waiting for their buses, I would just do some "fish tailing"--braking the rear wheel while turning.  I enjoyed that.

Fast forward to middle school.  The original hipsters still rode their bikes on and off.  My parents had promised me a new bike when I got to middle school.  I think they tried to talk me out of it, monetary or otherwise, but in the end they relented.  I rode my bike to school like so many other kids.  I don't think we did stunts any more not regularly like we were in primary school anyway.

At post secondary school, I moved out only returned home in the weekends.  Me and my flatmates would ride for fun.  I don't quite remember how we got our bikes.  Back then bikes were just bikes: utilitarian and proletarian or I didn't know better.  Nowadays bikes are works of art and objects of desire that can cost a small fortune.  They were just regular bikes but I remember I rode it down some concrete stoop with three or four steps as if it was a small BMX.  And one time I rode it when the brakes were not working.  I think I deliberately crashed it in the underground pedestrian tunnel going down slope and making a turn.  The wheel was all banged up.  I had to push the bike back home.

My affair with the bike effectively ended when I moved to New York.  Bicycling is an acquired and non perishable skill.  Maybe I will start biking again, minus the crazy stunts.

Brothers

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Fried Chicken

This is supposed to be southern fried chicken.  I am not quite sure what makes Southern Southern.  The recipe is a search result returned by Google, where else?  Maybe it's my range I don't think the cooking time was right for me.  It almost calls for double the time I used which was already a bit much as the chicken was dark rather than golden brown, not burnt but just a bit on the dark side.   I cooked 6 min on each side.  The meat was really well cooked except the skin got darker than I like, that's all.  I used regular milk rather than butter milk and no attempt was made to measure anything.  I was very liberal when it comes to seasoning, salt, black pepper, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika ....  The last time I made it the boys loved it.

蘇打綠 sodagreen -【我好想你】MV 官方完整版

Random Shot

Shot at f/2.8 using my Nikon 20-35 f/2.8.  The autofocus, despite not AF-S, seems to be quite robust.

Fruity Cereal Cookie

If you like candily sweet then go for it I am not stopping you.

Momofuku Ramen

My wife was wondering how they can make the poached egg so neat sitting pretty on the noodle ... the answer my friend is the eggs are poached in individual holders separately and later transported to the bowl of ramen.  Everything is done right.  I am glad my wife stopped me ordering two.  One is definitely enough.  We don't want a surfeit of food and stuff ourselves silly with pork belly.

Pork Buns

Why one less pork?  I guess it might just as well for health sake perhaps.  This is as good as if not better than we thought.  The pork belly melts and seems not heavy at all.  You can easily eat too much before you even you realize it.

Heirloom tomato salad

This is a good one with good acidity and sweetness.  Can go a bit easy on the salt though.  I like the tomatoes and other "exotic" ingredients.  The presentation is nice without overly fuzzy.

Man at work

Chef preparing our tomato salad.  Guy has these retro glasses on a la Terry Richardson.

Heirloom tomato salad

Like the ingredients and the acidity.  At momofuku noodle bar.  We were seated at the bar got to witness the  intense action inside the open kitchen.

Breakfast

Basil and tomatoes from backyard.

Random Pictures

George Lam or His song or both Considered "stale" by Some

I can't believe George Lam would ever be associated with "old soil."  But hey you never know.  I am also intrigued by the fact that one can actually complain about how "old soil" a song is to some government agencyTVB.  (I guess I got confused and mixed up with another reportage on the same article about Rubber Band or eraser or something)  Judging from Lam's getup below, there might be cause for concern.  I guess he can do whatever he wants, because you know he is Ah Lam.  He seems to be wearing the same jacket and pants since 1945, oh well.  And personally, I wouldn't button up the bottom button of any jacket, ever.  But that's just me.

 Photo from mingpaonews.com

Urban Cycling

Photos processed by Instagram
These shots were taken with a manual Nikkor 105 f/2.5 lens.  I was waiting for the bus and why not gave it a try.  I was actually quite happy with the some of the shots.
Then today I thought maybe with my usual Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 I should be getting more keepers.  I actually missed a bus while I kept myself busy looking for my shot.  Too bad all of them came out no good.

Middle School Graduation

This is a difficult shot, I was giving up but I am glad I didn't.

Graduation ... Almost

Candies