Colder Months means Wild Onion Foraging

The colder months of Fall (aka Autumn) is upon us and with that the wild onions are happily sprouting all over the backyard. They sprout sooooo easily too. These were pulled out from soil that's been sprayed with layersss of weedkiller over monthssss. How did they even sprout out with that level of toxicity? And, that size of a thumb too! HOW??

I'm wary of making them food. They have a fibrous crunchier texture, hardier than the commercially available onions. The green stalks has a faint onion scent and it's just nice when chopped. Not too overbearing. I hope they will make good mosquito deterrent.

Bonging for Ice

Saw this sign outside a gas/petrol station in the city of Greenville (South Carolina). I want me some of that ice which increases focus and elevates mood in my soda. To go please!

Then I saw these bongs inside the shop behind glass cabinets. Many bong paraphernalia in that gas station, manned by a rather chilled guy. First time I came across these in a gas station, funnily it's located near to a residential area that may look like its residents/customers do scout for these.

 

A quick google search leads me to a marijuana strain called 'Ice Cannabis/Ice Marijuana', claims to make patients more sociable and open when used in small doses. Some insomniacs claim that it helps them sleep better. Enlightened aren't we.  Amused certainly.

Disclaimer: I do not bong. 

From a Marker's point

Points to note when going through heaps of papers to mark.

1. Students do write crap.
There will be a handful. I suspect to fill the wordcount.
2. If you grew up playing Where's Wally and you loved it, this is the right task for you.
As a Marker you'll be finding for their points to award. It's a treasure hunt.
3. Sneaky students trying to buy time! Only a handful tries but their names go into our personal watch list.

With that, I also get,
- an ache when a student doesn't respond correctly to direct simple questions
- Students with poor referencing because it's free marks! It is worth investing time to know the correct way to reference. This will last you for the rest of your academic years.
- half-assed assignment with poor layout gets you half of a half-assed marks
- and with every assignment that I mark through, i get flashbacks to my student days when I too was struggling to submit. Every. Single. Assignment. Marked.

A Gardener's Enthusiasm

SH : There's a tiny watermelon growing out in the back! Around this size (shows two fingers)
R : My nut, that size.

SH: ...

And just like that my gardener's enthusiasm to measure up the budding watermelon blossom went away.

Love me some Trader Joe's

Love me some Joe-Joe's (possibly pronounce as ho-ho?). This is my go-to Trader Joe's substitiute for Oreos.

Look at those specks of real vanilla bean. What generous portion. Look! I can hear angels singing.

Check out the thick vanilla cream that sits sandwiched. The vanilla essence triumphs over smell of sugar icing with every bite. I swear sugar has a certain smell, I put on the pounds just by inhaling too much!

Love me long time, Trader Joe's...

A small town's story (wip)

Spotted a standalone drive-thru ATM machine on the quieter side of a small town and a drive-thru bank service so a customer is enabled to do his banking from within the comfort of his vehicle. Very useful for physically challenged customers.  

Today the small town is quiet and looks somewhat tired but suggests it was once a bustling little town. A nice park just down the road, couldn't capture because #lousycameraskills. 

Most of the bldgs are of old bricks. Wish to see these places restored for  festivities or special town events to bring back domestics tourists. A firm believer that every town has a story, that I am.

Images taken in South Carolina.

Another Milestone

(Read: A new start. Heh!)

An Overthinker will take a long while to make a move, due to thinking over and over and over. Deliberating over the consequences. And going back and forth to simulate the decision and think some more of possible alternate paths. My dad calls it 'paralysis by over analysis'.

Thanks to two friends, TSY and RS, I am (or will be) re-starting on journal-ing my observations.

These old pages carries evidence of many past restarts;
- when I first started a blog because I already had a paper diary so going digital is the next step,
- when I thought I'd do a travel and food blog because I made it a point to travel somewhere yearly and was always in search of different foods,
- when I began my post studies journey and needed a space to moan my misery of work and study at the same time
- etc. Many firsts and starts but never continuous with documenting the whole journey through and never a closure/ an end.

So, here is to another new start/milestone, my new life (possibly permanent) in a land far away from home.